Archive
Redefining Heroism
More then a few veterans, myself included, are troubled by the way Americans observe Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day, and intended by Congress in 1926 to "perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations," the holiday has...
The Dark Side of Internships
This is my fifth unpaid internship. I've worked for non-profit organizations that couldn't have afforded to pay me and a fancy magazine that could. Some were worth it, others weren't. But I accepted each one with the same sense of desperation and vulnerability....
Heartless for the Holidays
Scrooge has come early this year. He's already kicking our Tiny Tims. This holiday season, kids in America's poorest families will have less to eat. November 1 brought $5 billion in new cuts to the nation's food stamp program, now officially known as the Supplemental...
Big Food Crushes Consumer Rights in Washington State
When you look at the numbers, how could Washington State's ballot initiative to require the labeling of foods made with genetically engineered ingredients ever stand a chance? I'm not talking about poll numbers. I'm talking about money. Just six weeks ago, voters...
5 Million Missing American Workers
Wall Street analysts, corporate lobbyists, and front groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce form an exuberant cheering squad for maintaining the status quo of America's do-nothing jobs policy. "Hooray!" they shout to our lawmakers, "The unemployment rate is...
Food Stamp Cuts Will Stoke Hunger
Would you believe that the nation's cabinet has approved an executive order defining food as a legal right? No, not our nation. India has taken this bold step. Malnourishment afflicts 42 percent of Indian children, and part of their government's response to this...
Tidings of Discomfort for the Poor
This Vanilla Experiment Stinks
Isn't it so inspiring to see global corporate giants crush small farmers, stomp on nature, circumvent our laws by hook or crook, and deceive and gouge consumers? Welcome once again to the phantasmagoric world of DNA manipulators. In particular, this branch of genetic...
This Week in OtherWords: October 30, 2013
This week in OtherWords, Jim Hightower observes that Uncle Sam is subsidizing fast-food chains whose rock-bottom pay makes their workers rely on government assistance to make ends meet, while Sam Pizzigati highlights a new milestone for runaway CEO pay. Donald Kaul is...
A Manufactured Scandal
The American tragedy in Benghazi is the most investigated terrorist attack of its kind in recent history. Eight House and Senate committees have probed the attack, generating 18 hearings, 40 administration briefings, and the production of at least 25,000 pages of...
