Crime Involving Moral Turpitude

I took six books from the library without checking them out. Now I can’t become U.S. citizen.

The following essay is featured in the first issue of Huddled Masses. “Crime Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMT) refers generally to conduct that shocks the public conscience as being inherently base, vile, or depraved, contrary to the rules of morality...”—Immigrant Naturalization Act It was April Fools’ Day in 2003. I sat in a tight ...
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More Shootings and You Still Ask Why?

You are not safe.

Now, imagine from whose hand, in what print, on which screen you would accept to see that picture. How could you not feel revulsion? Disgust? Sympathy? Outrage? You would avert your eyes, turn it off, walk away. You would reject the thing and shun its maker. Come down hard on ...
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Baltimore, Marianne Williamson, and a National Service Requirement

Past Present Episode 191

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Last week, President Trump unleashed a barrage of insults against Baltimore and its member of Congress, Elijah Cummings. Natalia referred to this POLITICO article about how New York City gave us Trump. Niki referred to journalist Jonathan Weisman’s tweets about the “real” nature of regions.Self-help guru Marianne Williamson is ...
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Lessons for Radicalizing Democracy

How the emancipatory project of popular sovereignty can invigorate the Left

Popular sovereignty is an emancipatory project to link the democratizing impulses of social movements to institutional politics. Drawing on examples from Latin America, the book provides a set of coordinates for activists to navigate the complications of engaging with formal institutions and political parties. It ultimately seeks to democratize leftist ...
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Reimagining Progressive Politics

An interview with Gianpaolo Baiocchi

Popular sovereignty is an emancipatory project to link the democratizing impulses of social movements to institutional politics. Drawing on examples from Latin America, the book provides a set of coordinates for activists to navigate the complications of engaging with formal institutions and political parties. It ultimately seeks to democratize leftist ...
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The Sovereigntist of Reality Television

The Tangles of Diego Fusaro

Have they invited a member of CasaPound, the infamous neofascist party, onto television? That sort of thing tends to happen these days. Instead, peeking out on screen is the well sought after tan of Diego Fusaro, with the camera lingering over his shaggy hair and his glaucous eye-catching look. The ...
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The Unplanned Heroes of Białystok Pride

Anti-LGBT violence displays the homophobic political and religious rhetoric in Poland — but it didn’t crush the parade.

Police officers, almost as many in number as the Pride crowd, used teargas to separate the parade from the anti-LGBT protesters. After Pride ended, some of the marchers were chased and beaten by the latter, mostly young men. The police say over three dozen violent offenders were detained. The reports, images, and ...
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A Republic of Discussion

Habermas at ninety

Is “discussion” really so wonderful? Does “communication” actually exist? What if I were to deny that it does? The public discussion of exit from the European Union has already caused incalculable, probably irreversible and completely superfluous damage to Britain. Obviously, the “conditions of discussion” before the vote were not in any ...
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Remembering Agnes Heller

A tribute to a great philosopher

It is with deep sadness that I write to let The New School for Social Research community know that our cherished colleague Agnes Heller, Hannah Arendt Professor of Philosophy, died on July 19, nine weeks after celebrating her 90th birthday. She was vacationing with friends and colleagues on Lake Balaton, ...
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Let My People Stay

That was the message at Lights for Liberty night

Foley Square rally as seen from the county courthouse the county courthouse is in the background Printed signs were plentiful. Homemade signs were scarce. Several politicians were present. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is speaking Including Reps. Jerry Nadler and Yvette Clark.  Nadler was the only presenter to be heckled -- by people who want him to ...
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Let My People Stay

The Scholarly Reach of Popular History

Will and Ariel Durant’s Story of Civilization

The full eleven volumes of The Story of Civilization, Will and Ariel Durant’s popular history of (mostly) the “Western world,” take up exactly 22” of shelf space, fitting perfectly on the top shelf of one of a couple of unfinished pine bookcases I recently bought to accommodate the spillover from my ...
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