Peter Dreier, Author at Public Seminar

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Upstaging the Trump Reality Show

How Montana’s socialist ‘Plaid Shirt Guy’ hacked a Trump rally

November 4, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

It isn’t easy to upstage Donald Trump, but Tyler Linfesty -- a 17-year old high school student from Billings, Montana -- managed to divert attention away from the president at a recent Trump rally in his hometown. Linfesty became an immediate internet sensation on September 6 as he stood on the ...

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Brett Kavanaugh Unhinged? Unlikely

Reflections on his testimony and on the need to resist his candidacy

September 29, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

Some reporters, bloggers, and pundits think that during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Judge Brett Kavanaugh just “lost it” and became "unhinged." I disagree. I have no doubt that he was angry and emotional, but his belligerent and partisan comments were also very strategic and calculated. He was not out ...

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The Radical Dissent of Helen Keller

Keller is well known for being blind, but deserves to be heralded for her progressive social vision

September 22, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

The Texas Board of Education recently voted to remove Helen Keller from the state’s required social studies curriculum. This is a good excuse to remind people about Keller, who is one of the most iconic public figures of the past century but whose life and legacy is misunderstood. Most people think ...

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Bagel Capitalism

September 18, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

As we approach Yom Kippur, a day of both fasting and forgiveness, I wish to offer a sermon about food. Specifically, the bagel, which has become both a symbol and symptom of some of the worst aspects of American capitalism. Let me explain. Growing up in Plainfield, N.J. in the 1950s, ...

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Heroes but Not Saints

How should we judge reformers and radicals who were also racists?

September 13, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

In 2020, America will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Feminists and others are starting to plan the celebrations, which will include conferences, books, postage stamps, and new monuments honoring the women who fought and won that major battle. In anticipation, New York ...

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Labor Day

Writers Examine the Past, Present, and Future of the Labor Movement

September 3, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

Very few high schools, and not many colleges, teach students about labor history -- the struggles of working people for a better life and a more decent society. Only a handful of newspapers and on-line sites have reporters who cover labor (or even work) on a full-time basis. Except when ...

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Why Trump’s Battle with NFL Players Reveals His Racist View of Patriotism

Athletes have the right to express their political views

July 4, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

We can expect President Donald Trump to use the July 4 holiday as an occasion to whip up his political base by challenging the patriotism of anyone who disagrees with him. He’s been doing this ever since he announced he was running for president, but he’s reserved a particular brand of ...

Why Trump’s Battle with NFL Players Reveals His Racist View of Patriotism

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2017: A Year of Reaction and Resistance

What About 2018?

January 4, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

Last year, 2017, began with President Donald Trump lying about the size of his inauguration crowd and ended with his lying about the size of the benefits he’ll get from the new tax bill. The year began with the largest protest marches in American history -- the five million strong ...

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Hillary Hit A Triple: Her Acceptance Speech Was Patriotic, Feminist, Progressive

July 29, 2016 • by Peter Dreier

Donald Trump was born on third base but thinks he hit a triple. On Thursday night, Hillary Clinton hit a triple. Triples are harder to hit than home runs. They require power AND base-running ability. When you hit a homer, you can jog around the bases. To hit a triple, you have to ...