Politics

Activism

Georgia On My Mind

The Democratic Party in Georgia has come a long way since the 1965 Voting Rights Act

January 28, 2021 • by
“The concept of political equality...can mean only one thing—one person, one vote." ...

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Georgia On My Mind
Politics

This is Not America, They Say

The shining city on a hill is in lockdown, surrounded by floodwaters, eating its young

January 21, 2021 • by
For her college admissions portfolio, my niece has to answer this question: How would you describe the events of the past year to a young person twenty years from now.  I’ve been thinking about this question ever since she told me about it, thinking about how I would answer it. ...
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This is Not America, They Say
Past Present

The Biden-Harris Inauguration

Past Present Podcast, Episode 263

January 19, 2021 • by , and
Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: On January 20, President-Elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated to the office of the President. Niki referred to the book Before the Oath. Neil and Natalia referred to Rebecca Onion’s Slate piece on transitions.  In our regular closing feature, What’s Making ...
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Democracy

Donald Trump’s Lies

Why presidential falsehoods are part of United States political history

December 8, 2020 • by and
Do Americans think presidential lying no longer matters? Perhaps a better question, journalist and historian Eric Alterman asks in his new book, Lying in State: Why Presidents Lie—and Why Trump is Worse (Basic Books, 2020), is whether it ever mattered to voters. Following in the tradition of Isadore F. “Izzy” ...
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Activism

A Halloween Uprising and Poland’s General Strike Over Abortion

A new generation of women rises up against an unholy – and sexist – alliance of church and state

November 6, 2020 • by
Poland’s Halloween has always been a solemn national holiday with pagan roots called All Souls Day, known long ago as Forefathers’ Eve, and immediately followed on November 1 by All Saints Day. Normally, it’s a contemplative period of reconnecting with those who are not with us anymore, whether grandparents, veterans, or ...
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A Halloween Uprising and Poland’s General Strike Over Abortion
Columnists

Joe Biden’s Campaign Moving to Solid Ground as the Trump Team Distracts

Let’s take a closer look at what the Republicans are distracting us from, shall we?

September 22, 2020 • by
The idea of defunding cities is vague and it is also odd, considering how many Americans actually live in cities. The U.S. Conference of Mayors wrote to Trump on September 7 to ask him to rescind his memorandum, noting that “attacks on America’s cities are attacks on America itself. America’s ...
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Joe Biden’s Campaign Moving to Solid Ground as the Trump Team Distracts
Democracy

White Liberals Must Face the Truth: Donald Trump Represents all Republicans

The GOP isn’t a deranged cult. It’s a party of dangerous politics

September 10, 2020 • by
----------------- Ezra Klein, a prominent white liberal, is the top editor at Vox. During August’s Republican National Convention, he tweeted something I think we should address head-on. “This isn’t a political party,” Klein said. “It’s a personality cult.” There are good reasons for making such a claim. The president’s most ardent supporters exhibit traits ...
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White Liberals Must Face the Truth: Donald Trump Represents all Republicans
North America

The Rotten Alliance of Liberals and Neocons Will Likely Shape U.S. Foreign Policy for Years to Come

Trump’s rise led to unity in the interventionist ranks opposing his foreign policy

September 1, 2020 • by and
The mobilization appears to be having an impact. More recently, "more than 100 former staff of [recently deceased Senator John] McCain's congressional offices and campaigns also endorsed Biden for president," according to NBC News and dozens of former staffers from Senator Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. That GOP support comes in addition to the more ...
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The Rotten Alliance of Liberals and Neocons Will Likely Shape U.S. Foreign Policy for Years to Come
Journalism

Believing Donald Trump’s Lies is a Choice

How Trump’s blizzard of falsehoods enables white racism

August 31, 2020 • by
Dale's work is different categorically from fact-checking. Anyone can do that. Dale, however, makes the lies the story. Moreover, he permits his methodical reporting to culminate in a moral conclusion, one vital to the healthy functioning of a free and open republic. "Trump is a serial liar," Dale said. Before I go ...
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Believing Donald Trump’s Lies is a Choice
Politics

Covering SCOTUS in the Age of Trump

A conversation with Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick

August 27, 2020 • by and
Yet in the final days of the last session, Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush, voted with the liberal minority in two key cases. Philosophically committed to consensus-building, this is something Roberts has done at key moments since 2016, raising questions about whether he had taken Kennedy’s ...
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Covering SCOTUS in the Age of Trump
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