Rights and Democracy
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.
A Generation Exhales with Bin Laden’s Death
The enthusiastic flag-waving. The gaudy red, white, and blue jumpsuits, the booming chants of “USA, USA, USA.” The huge crowd of jubilant young people gathered outside the White House, celebrating Osama bin Laden’s death. Is it right to celebrate the death of an individual, even one as abhorrent as bin Laden?
Trump Employs Birther Issue as a Weapon of Mass Distraction
A recent CBS/New York Times poll found that 25 percent of Americans and 45 percent of registered Republican voters believe that President Obama wasn’t born in the United States. Another 22 percent of Republican voters say they don’t know.
Bachmann May Surprise Us Yet
Hey! How about some love for Rep. Michele Bachmann?
From Democracy to Plutocracy
In American politics, the past not only sticks with us, but it often provides the best definition of what’s going on in the politics of the present, so it can be useful to revisit some powerful words from our history.
Volunteer Writers May Be Part of Journalism’s Future
Last month, a group of Huffington Post volunteer bloggers told Arianna Huffington that they want to be paid, or at least talk about being paid.
A Year after Arizona’s Debacle, Congress Considers a Better Immigration Law
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s signature authorized SB 1070 a year ago, imposing a set of harsh immigration enforcement laws that purportedly sought to reduce the state’s undocumented immigrant population through officially sanctioned racial profiling.
News Flash: Americans Aren’t Anti-Worker
When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker decided to use a battle over his state’s budget deficit to go after public-sector workers, a lot of folks in the mainstream media thought this was a smart move. People are tired of “overpaid” government workers and their cushy benefits, according to conventional wisdom. And, after all, Walker had to do something. The state was “broke,” the TV broadcasters told us.
Islamophobia is Un-American
Earlier this year, hundreds of people turned out in Yorba Linda, California to protest the appearance of two highly controversial Muslim speakers at a dinner held to benefit local charitable projects. The scene outside the social hall quickly turned ugly, even frightening.
NPR’s Stupid Situation
National Public Radio is having a tough time. It’s being beaten up and knocked down, and its good name is getting dragged through the mud.
