Fukushima, USA

Fukushima, USA

Promoters say To have no fear; We know it couldn’t Happen here. Just to be sure we’re all on the same page, here are a few things we ought to acknowledge right off the bat about nuclear power: It’s the most costly form of electricity. It’s also...
Debt Ceiling Kabuki

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. Here’s how it goes: The president, whoever he is, says: “It’s...
Tea Party Rebels Quickly Tamed

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. As soon as they arrived, the corporate lobbying corps came to visit, saw what these supposed rebels were made of, and quickly conquered them...
War Gets Easier All the Time

War Gets Easier All the Time

War is lovely, Let’s attack; Only costs Could hold us back. 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...
Making an Exception for Osama bin Laden

Making an Exception for Osama bin Laden

I don’t like to exult in the death of people, not even people I don’t like. I think it’s bad form. I’m making an exception in the case of Osama bin Laden, however. From the point of view of a comfortable middle-class American (which I certainly...