The Republicans’ Latest Ploy to Keep the Economy Lousy

September 21, 2011 By Robert Reich

Robert Reich: Whatever shred of doubt you may have harbored about the determination of congressional Republicans to keep the economy in the dumps through Election Day should now be gone.

Are U.S. Night Raids Aimed at Afghan Civilians?

September 21, 2011 By Gareth Porter

Gareth Porter: U.S. Special Operations Forces have been increasingly aiming their night-time raids, which have been the primary cause of Afghan anger at the U.S. military presence, at civilian noncombatants in order to exploit their possible intelligence value, according to a new study published by the Open Society Foundation and The Liaison Office.

Why Middle-Class People Fear Tax Increases on the Rich

September 21, 2011 By Tina Dupuy

Tina Dupuy: So taxing the rich isn’t about the fantasy that we’re going to someday be rich – it’s about the very real visceral fear of being, well, the poorest. If the government helps those below you, then they’ll be at your level – that’s the unfairness they’re afraid of.

Haiti: Cholera Down But People Still “Living Like Stray Dogs”

September 21, 2011 By Georgianne Nienaber

Georgianne Nienaber: There is mixed news from Haiti in the last few weeks, but all of it reflects a government paralyzed by a combination of foreign meddling, an administration hamstrung by a balky Parliament, and the refusal of foreign donors to make good on pledges made in March 2010.

Troy Anthony Davis – The Final Day

September 21, 2011 By Sharon Kyle

Troy Anthony Davis, a potentially innocent man, is now set to be executed in Georgia TODAY. But there are still a few hours left, and your help could save Troy Davis‘ life.

Prison-Based Gerrymandering’s Striking Resemblance to Infamous Three-Fifths Clause

September 20, 2011 By Leah Sakala

Leah Sakala: Taking incarcerated people out of redistricting data entirely is ultimately preferable to allowing their representational clout to be handed over to the wrong community.

Obama Should Copy JFK’s First Days in Office and Fight Hunger

September 20, 2011 By William B. Lambers

Williams Lambers: President Obama and the Congress, as they grapple with the federal budget, also need to protect the hungry. They can take a page from President John F. Kennedy’s playbook for his first days in office, back in 1961.

Protests? Yes. Riots? No.

September 20, 2011 By Peter Dreier

Peter Dreier: Riots occur when people are hopeless. Civil disobedience takes place when people are hopeful — when people believe not only that things should be different but also that they can be different.

Ranters Run Rampant

September 20, 2011 By Steve Hochstadt

Steve Hochstadt: Angry ranters are all over the web. The anonymity of virtual communication encourages their vituperation. The racist, know-nothing, jingoist language of online political commentators would be shocking if expressed in person.

Rick Perry, Social Security, and the Ghost of Barry Goldwater

September 20, 2011 By admin

Mark Nevin: In the 1964 presidential campaign, Republican Barry Goldwater initially criticized Social Security but then backed away from that criticism after he fell under attack from fellow Republicans. Despite his backpedaling, Goldwater could never shake the label of Social Security foe. Might current Republican front-runner Rick Perry be in a similar situation?

Why America Needs to Dismantle Its “Security” Apparatus

September 19, 2011 By Sherwood Ross

Sherwood Ross: Real security begins with creating a policy of peace, meaning non-intervention, in the affairs of other states. It means when the U.S. sends its sons and daughters abroad on official business, it sends the Peace Corps to help and not the Pentagon to obliterate.