Archive
What the Red Cup Controversy Really Says about Christmas in America
I happened to be visiting the first-ever Starbucks in Seattle a few weeks ago when a mini-controversy erupted: There were no Christmas trees or snowflakes on this season's holiday Starbucks coffee cups. The horror! Facebook exploded with comments, as did Twitter. Even...
Don’t Be a Fossil-Foolish Investor
Investors who choose to steer clear of oil, gas, and coal are protecting their portfolios in the short term and the long run. Who has divested lately? The fast-growing list includes the University of California, insurance giant Allianz, the German city of Munster, and...
It’s Time to Fire Trump
I’m white. So is Donald Trump. I work as a teaching assistant in a sociology course on race while I pursue a PhD. Trump alone provides enough material to supply half my curriculum. Over the years, he's said he thinks he'd be better off if he were "a well-educated...
Put This Coal Kingpin in the Stocks
Disgraced coal baron Don Blankenship didn't get what he deserves in his recent federal trial. But he richly deserves what he got. “Guilty,” declared all 12 West Virginia jurors, who convicted this arrogant and avaricious former CEO of Massey Energy of willfully...
All-American Bullet
Pink Ribbons and Corporate PR Won’t Cure Cancer
Must everything be commercialized — even cancer? That’s a question more and more women suffering from breast cancer are asking about the so-called “pinkification” of their disease. They're referring to the ubiquitous breast cancer awareness campaign that uses pink...
In OtherWords: December 2, 2015
This week in OtherWords, I explain why building more nuclear reactors can't fix the climate crisis, Chuck Collins points out that our nation's richest 400 people now have more money than the bottom 60 percent of Americans combined, and John Kiriakou delves into the...
Have We Hit Peak Inequality?
When should we be alarmed about so much wealth in so few hands? The Great Recession and its anemic recovery only deepened the economic inequality that's drawn so much attention in its wake. Nearly all wealth and income gains since then have flowed to the top one-tenth...
Refugees Are as American as Baseball
I recently watched an old movie called Take Me Out to the Ball Game, a post-World War II Hollywood musical bursting with good ol’ U.S.A. pride. At the heart of the film is baseball, the quintessential American pastime. The plot focuses on three great fictional...
President Obama Can Expose Corporate Election Spending
Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision paved the way for unlimited corporate spending on elections, shadowy political organizations that don’t disclose their donors have spent over $600 million on federal races. With the Koch brothers’ network alone...
