Archive
The Pentagon’s Pricey Culture of Mediocrity
When the tank crew under my command ran into trouble on the battlefield, I never doubted the ultimate success of the mission because the Marines I served with were among the finest people I knew. But if we want to keep it that way, the Pentagon must stop mismanaging...
Turning Our Backs
With the winter winds of January came a flurry of reports that several states were moving to cut thousands of people from their Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, or “food stamp") rolls. In New Jersey, for example, Governor Chris Christie pulled the...
Somebody Will Win
The Iowa caucuses are upon us. Hooray, whoopee, and two cheers. The contests mark the official beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign, which already feels like it’s been going on for two years (because it has). Some polls say that Donald Trump is going to be the...
Slurp, Baby, Slurp
As the “lamestream” media, late-night talk show hosts, and Sarah Palin impersonator-in-chief Tina Fey lapped up the former Alaska governor’s first remarks to Donald Trump’s “right-wingin’ bitter-clingin’” supporters, one of her most hilarious lines didn’t get the...
An Assault on Justice
Two federal prison guards in Florida recently agreed to plead guilty for beating a prisoner and then covering it up. One officer faces up to three years in a federal prison, while the other is looking at a year. The Justice Department issued a press release that cast...
Toxic Waste on Tap
You've probably heard that Flint, Michigan has lead in its water and it’s poisoning the locals. But did you know that this debacle is a symptom of our ailing democracy? Governor Rick Snyder has appointed “emergency managers” to govern many Michigan cities, including...
Manna from Hell
War is hell. Unless, of course, you happen to be a global corporate peddler of rockets, drones, bombs, and all the other hellish weaponry of military conflict. In that case, war is manna from hell. So bring it on. Indeed, it seems as if Beelzebub himself is in charge...
Oscar, in Black and White
Zuckerberg’s Get-Away Car
Let us now praise “Lord Zuckerberg, The Magnificent!” Mark Zuckerberg, the wunderkind of Silicon Valley who co-founded Facebook and amassed roughly a gabillion dollars in personal wealth, is now being hailed as a new giant of American altruism. This started after the...
In OtherWords: January 20, 2016
This week in OtherWords, John Kiriakou explains why judges should sentence more people to probation and Jill Richardson describes how community gardens bring people together. If you haven’t already subscribed, please ensure that you don’t miss the latest from...
