Archive
As Another North Korean Nuclear Test Looms, What’s Washington’s Response?
South Korea and U.S. intelligence sources believe that North Korea is on the brink of another nuclear test. What is Washington doing to stop it? Very little. Washington hasn't even picked up the phone to call Pyongyang. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has responded by...
When Corporations Get Too Big to Tax
Wouldn't it be nice if the government paid you on Tax Day? I'm not referring to getting a tax refund because you overpaid the federal government or a safety-net benefit labeled as a tax refund under the "Earned Income Tax Credit" rules. I mean an actual payment from...
Take a Hike! No, Really
For the first decade that I suffered from severe and almost daily migraines, I didn't consider them a gift. Yet, in a way — a very painful one — they are. My headaches began setting me apart from the rest of society at the age of 15. Back in 1996, my brother got a...
Devaluing Work and Workers
The Great Recession leveled a blow to the middle and working classes from which they haven't yet recovered. Given that labor's pay and prestige in America peaked in the 1960s, this isn't exactly new. Still, it's time that all our leaders took this challenge more...
Occupying the Koch Brothers’ Lobby
The gabillionaire Koch brothers feel entitled to occupy the people's elections, barging in with sacks full of corporate cash. So, how would the brothers feel if the people barged into their political affairs? To find out, a few citizens recently paid a visit to Koch...
When Corporate America Gets Too Big to Tax
Our Law-killers Are Back in the Saddle
They're back. They're rested. They're ready! I'm talking about our Congress critters. They've returned to their workplace after enjoying a badly needed and two-week-long Easter vacation. After all, it had been a full four weeks since their last vacation in March, and...
This Week in OtherWords: April 30, 2014
This week in OtherWords, Sarah Anderson suggests a way to protect the economy from the hazards of high-frequency trading and William A. Collins and I discuss the resegregation of public schools in light of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the landmark Brown ruling. Do...
Reviving Government of, by, and for the People
Here we are, 150 years after President Abraham's Lincoln's address at Gettysburg. Now, our democracy is imperiled not by guns and bullets, but by the greed of the rich. The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in the McCutcheon v. FEC case struck down federal limits on the...
The Immigration Waiting Game
The Martinez family's generosity toward their community harkens back to a bygone era. They're quick to help their neighbors when they need a hand. They pass warm food and tools to neighbors across the fence as if they were family. Neighborhood kids love going to their...
