It is genuinely horrifying to realize how fully the doctrines of anti-democratic extremism have become entrenched in the highest offices and agencies of the US Federal government. The basic structures of a fascist state have been layered into the governing institutions of our government that will be difficult for even the overwhelming majorities the Democratic …
Guest post: Roberto Deriu, Urban Planning Doesn’t Exist
[Roberto Deriu is an Italian politician, journalist and writer. He served in the city government of Nuoro, was president of the Province of Nuoro from 2005 to 2014, and sits in the Regional Council of Sardinia, where he leads the Democratic Party group. He is the author of numerous works, ranging from politics to fiction …
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Yes we can
If you haven't seen the will.i.am video prepared for Barack Obama's first presidential campaign, it's highly worth watching. https://youtu.be/2fZHou18Cdk?is=MCVb_NwglpORgD8 This is a superb and emotionally powerful evocation of what a multicultural and harmonious America can be. It is inspiring. And here is the key point: it stands as a marvelous, transformative alternative to the hateful …
Are we tolerating the policies of a modern-day Eichmann?
We need to think very clearly about the policies and actions our government is carrying out with respect to "illegal immigration". The Trump administration has waged a war of hate-based language and accusation against non-citizens in the United States, and has set the goal of achieving one million arrests and deportations annually. It has characterized …
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Citizens demand impeachment
Every day that passes brings more bad news from Donald Trump’s unhinged behavior. His actions and dictatorial executive orders have caused immeasurable harm to our country, our citizens and residents, our friends and allies in the world community, and the standing of our country as a leader and a moral example. Trump’s unprovoked war against …
Ode to Canada
Lake Ontario, 1688 Even a short trip from Michigan to Canada refreshes the US visitor's confidence that an inclusive multicultural democracy is not only possible, but that it is being happily experienced in North America already. That happy democratic experience is being lived in Canada -- and most emphatically not in the United States. Crossing …
Property relations and violence
If we accept the premise that exploitative tenancy, credit, and employment relations are fundamental to the enduring patterns of low human wellbeing in much of rural Asia, Africa, and the Americas, then changing those relations is the critical factor for improving human development in the coming 50 years. But if we also recognize the current …
Making decisions in a risky world
Senator Margaret Chase Smith stands up to Senator Joe McCarthy People make choices among alternatives, and they can't know the future. So they can anticipate that each option they face usually presents risks, but they can't always anticipate those risks. Certainly they can't guarantee that by pushing this button the desired outcome will happen; rather, …
On the Fourth of July
Selected materials removed from National Park sites at instructions from Trump administration (legal cases underway) (Gemini generated) It is quite difficult to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country under the current conditions. The occasion has been hijacked by a president and a political party that have no dignity, no respect for the basic values …
Poland’s self-limiting revolution in 1980
Military coup, Poland, December 1981 Poland is an important example of the paths taken by the citizens of satellite states within the former Soviet Union. Soviet domination of the governments of Poland, Hungary, East Germany (GDR), Czechoslovakia, and other satellite states led to uprisings in several states, resulting in violent military interventions by the Soviet …
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