Archive
Shilling for the Biggest Trade Flim-Flam in History
All right boys and girls, gather 'round and I'll tell you the story of the "Investor State Dispute Resolution" clause. Wait, children. Where are you going? OK, the wonkish gibberish the powers that be use to write those corporate boondoggles they call "trade deals" is...
Student Debt Collectors
For Rent: The GOP’s No. 3
Representative Steve Scalise might not be for sale, but he is available for long-term lease. The lease is straightforward: Lobbyists pony up millions of corporate dollars to "keep and expand our [Republican] majority in Congress," as Scalise puts it. Then that...
In OtherWords: March 18, 2015
This week in OtherWords, Jim Hightower pokes fun at fast food giants for posing as little guys and I talk about how Thomas Edison would be pleased to see the solar industry's bright prospects. Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from OtherWords?...
Fair Trade Is a Racial Justice Issue
The work of repairing the racial fissures that broke wide open in Ferguson, Missouri last year goes beyond the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. It also goes beyond ending the practices highlighted in a Justice Department report that criticized...
Why Not Travel to Cuba?
If you're an American citizen, you've got one of the most valuable passports in the world. You can travel nearly anywhere, including countries Uncle Sam doesn't always get along with. If the local authorities let you get through customs, you can take an excursion to...
Risky War Business
From the Islamic State to the streets of Paris, Americans get bombarded daily with fresh reminders of conflicts around the world. What's harder to figure out is what to do about it. What would actually make us safer? Some politicians urge knee-jerk reactions. Spend...
Edison’s Bright Idea
It dawned on Thomas Edison that sunshine could drive both his inventions and his friend Henry Ford’s horseless carriages. “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy,” he told Ford and Harvey Firestone, another enterprising inventor. “What a source of power! I hope...
Betting the Farm on a Lie
Few things sell ideas in American politics like a good farm story. Just ask Representative Dave Reichert. He held a hearing recently on the impact of the estate tax on farms and small businesses. An outspoken critic of the tax, Reichert was inspired by a recent story...
Standing Up for Our Neighbors
As a teaching assistant in a class on race in the United States, I've probably paid more attention to the #BlackLivesMatter movement than a lot of my white peers. The professor who teaches the course here in Madison, Wisconsin — where I'm pursuing a PhD in sociology —...
