This week marks one year since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s brutal — and ongoing — retribution in Gaza, which has been characterized as a possible genocide by international legal authorities.
In OtherWords, Farrah Hassen tallies up the mounting costs to the U.S. — moral, economic, and social — of enabling the war. Even as Washington sends billions of dollars worth of arms and aid to Israel, often in violation of our own laws, she writes, Americans are grappling with a porous safety net and underfunded emergency services as climate disasters mount. “Our shared humanity hangs in the balance,” she concludes.
Meanwhile, Christina Keys shares her compelling personal story of caring for her mom after a stroke. America’s safety net simply isn’t ready for a generation of people who are going to need care, she warns. Chisom Okorafor shares how the lies targeting Haitian Americans are also striking fear in the hearts of other Black immigrants, including her family. And Indivar Dutta-Gupta explains how tax cuts for the rich lead to division, not jobs.
Rising inequality. Social division. Racism and wars. They’re all connected — and solving them requires making those connections.
This week in OtherWords, A.J. Schumann reflects on the legacy of the late Henry Wallace, a New Deal cabinet official, vice president, and presidential candidate who pieced together an authentic heartland populism out of “confronting the forces that keep everyday folks down — hardship, inequality, and war.” Don’t miss it!
New This Week..
The Mounting Costs of Enabling Israel’s War on Gaza | Farrah Hassen
Most Americans oppose this horrific war, but a year in we’re still paying for it — at the expense of our own safety, security, and morality.
There’s a Looming Care Crisis In Our Country. Our Safety Net Isn’t Ready. | Christina Keys
Eventually, we’ll all need care or will be caregivers ourselves. Now’s the time to start investing in a stronger care infrastructure.
It Won’t Just Be Haitians Who Suffer From Anti-Immigrant Lies | Chisom Okorafor
Politicians are attempting to redefine who counts as an “American,” with my Black immigrant family and people like us on the outside.
Who’s Really a ‘Populist’? Henry Wallace Set the Standard | A.J. Schumann
True populism means confronting the forces that keep everyday folks down — hardship, inequality, and war.
Tax Cuts for the Rich Create Debt, Division, and Despair — Not Jobs | Indivar Dutta-Gupta
Growing inequality undermines our democracy and turns Americans against each other. A fairer tax system could bring us back together.
In Case You Missed It…
Highway Robbery: How Bad Trade Policies Make Life Unaffordable | Jen Moore and Karen Spring
A lawsuit over toll booths in Honduras shows how corporate trade policies make life unlivable in poor countries — and send people fleeing north.
There Just Aren’t Enough Services to Prevent Homelessness | Annabelle Ortiz
When I worked with people experiencing homelessness, I kept hearing about the obstacles to help. Then I experienced them myself.
All Families Suffer Tragedies. All Deserve Paid Leave. | Tony Iovieno
Most workers don’t get dedicated paid family leave. Take it from me: That’s terrible for families and needs to change.
Public Transit is Essential — We Need to Fund It Now | Jessica Dauphin
As our country comes to grips with the climate crisis, transit is how we fight back and improve our quality of life at the same time.
