Social Justice Magazine
Prospects for Progressive Politics: A July 4th Interview With Activist Jeff Blum This year, Americans celebrated their independence at a time when almost 10 percent of the workforce is officially unemployed, millions more are underemployed, and millions of families are losing their homes. Under these circumstances, why isn't the left gaining momentum? What are the prospects for progressive … [Read more...]
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa speaks during an opening press conference for the 79th annual meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors in Baltimore on June 17, 2011. With him areBurnsville, Minnesota, Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, president of the Conference, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. UPI/Roger L. WollenbergThe wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost the … [Read more...]
The epidemic of foreclosures that began in 2008 has been devastating America's families, communities and economy.Nowhere is this more true than in California, where one in five U.S. foreclosures has taken place. Since 2008, more than 1.2 million Californians have lost their homes, and the number is expected to exceed 2 million by the end of next year. More than a third of California … [Read more...]
Battle Over Censorship of Maine Murals Part of a Larger Struggle for Basic Rights and Justice Maine Gov. Paul LePage and Fox broadcaster Glenn Beck not only share right-wing political views, but they both fancy themselves art critics. Two years ago Beck went on a rampage attacking murals on New York City buildings, including Rockefeller Plaza, for depicting "communist" propaganda. Now Gov. … [Read more...]
Americans tend to be fascinated by what's new and to be indifferent to the past, except when they can use "tradition" to reinforce current prejudices and power arrangements. This has had an unfortunate effect on how we govern ourselves. We forget important lessons, and repeat old mistakes.A century ago, on March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers, most of them Jewish and Italian immigrant girls in … [Read more...]
Friends and Colleagues,For several years, Glenn Beck has been spewing hateful lies about Frances Fox Piven, the distinguished political scientist and sociologist, on his TV and radio shows. He views Piven (along with her late husband, sociologist Richard Cloward) as the architects of a socialist conspiracy to destroy America, and claims that President Obama is a follower of Piven and … [Read more...]
If anyone thinks that the vitriol that Glenn Beck spews on his radio and TV shows can't sometimes stir people to aggressive and hateful action, they should take a look at the postings on his website, The Blaze, about Frances Fox Piven.For two years Beck has targeted the political science professor as a Marxist Machiavelli whose writings constitute a manifesto for a radical revolution.But … [Read more...]
Now that the Republicans control the House of Representatives, expect to hear a lot more complaints from business, corporate-sponsored think tanks, and their political allies in Congress about “job-killing” government regulations. Industry trade associations, Congressional Republicans, conservative think tanks and media outlets will be “on message” on how all progressive reforms and … [Read more...]
As the economy continues to hurt working families, and Congress takes its orders from corporate America, many people are asking: where's the progressive protest movement that will galvanize public attention, challenge the undue influence of the Tea Party, and focus public anger on big business?Throughout American history, progressive protest movements have started with local actions and … [Read more...]
Without doubt, history books will remember the sweeping health care reform law passed exactly six months ago as a major historic milestone and President Barack Obama's most significant achievement. But the reform bill hasn't yet won the hearts and minds of most Americans, who don't understand it, or who, depending on their political views, think that it doesn't go far enough, or goes too far. … [Read more...]
As baseball inducts slugger Andre Dawson, umpire Doug Harvey and manager Whitey Herzog into its Hall of Fame at ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York on Sunday, the glaring absence of Marvin Miller, the first executive director of the players' union, and Curt Flood, the baseball pioneer who challenged the sport's feudal system, reminds us of the narrow parochialism and conservatism of … [Read more...]
There are many lessons to learn from the health care war that has raged over the past year. We'll get to some of them below. But here's the bottom line: Pass the bill, then improve it.The health care bill that will emerge from the House-Senate conference committee won't be what most progressives had hoped for, but it is a major, historic turning point in American social reform legislation, … [Read more...]
ACORN is getting a bum rap -- in the news media, among politicians, and even by some foundations.That's the conclusion of an independent report released Monday, which acknowledged that ACORN needs to improve its management structure, but that it did not engage in illegal activities when two videographers, one posing as a prostitute, showed up at 10 ACORN offices, tried to entrap low-level … [Read more...]
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