Archive
Stand up to Big Plastic
What will our grandchildren think of the disposable plastic bag?
State Budget Battles are about More than Cutting Deficits
Earlier this year, people across the country were riveted to the politics of Wisconsin. Claiming to address the state’s budget crisis, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker proposed eliminating the right of public workers to unionize. Wisconsin’s citizens immediately took to the streets in massive protests — only to see the union-busting legislation pushed through by the state senate in a late-night surprise vote.
Debt Ceiling Kabuki
The Kabuki tradition in Congress over raising the federal government’s debt ceiling is in full flower. It’s a more reliable Washington ritual than the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Tea Party Rebels Quickly Tamed
They came, they saw, they were conquered. That sums up the fate of many tea-partying freshmen in the House of Representatives.
War Gets Easier All the Time
It used to be that war was a really big deal. Conflicts such as Vietnam could tear the country apart. Times have changed, with decisions on war quickly becoming back-page stuff. Our wars were scarcely discussed during the last congressional election campaign. How come?
Tea Partiers March to Lobbyists’ Tune
Crossing the Lexicon
Osama bin Laden’s demise raises many moral, legal, political, and historical questions. As I’ve edited and posted a steady stream of commentary about this post-9/11 milestone, one persistent editorial question has touched on all these issues.
The Lineup: Week of May 9-15, 2011
This week’s OtherWords editorial package features a Jim Hightower column about a company that’s trying to override Vermont’s decision to shutter a nuclear reactor and an op-ed by Peter Weiss on why torture doesn’t “work.”
Free Private Manning
In April, the Army transferred Private Bradley Manning from solitary confinement at Quantico, Virginia to the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas. At Quantico, according to a Human Rights Watch report, the military had shackled Manning, stripped him naked, and isolated him. The government attributed this cruel treatment to their fears that Manning might commit suicide.
Torture: Immoral, Illegal, Counterproductive, and Un-American
Osama bin Laden’s death has laid to rest the mystery of his whereabouts. His body lies under the ocean. But now his death raises another increasingly popular question. Was he tracked down thanks to tips elicited through the torture of captured al-Qaeda operatives? The answer should be clear: no, torture doesn’t “work.”
