Out of prudence, I’ve tried to suppress some of my enthusiasm for the Chicago Teachers Union strike; the struggle for social justice is an arduous, grinding one, and failure often characterizes it. My Twitter feed illustrates how well that attempt… Continue Reading
Alright, I’ll cop to a little hyperbole there. I view charity as inherently insufficient. By itself, that doesn’t make it worthy of scorn, especially when so many millions are suffering under an unjust economic system that necessitates it. Yet as… Continue Reading
Christopher Lasch, for all his antediluvian tendencies, was right when he wrote, “The difficulty of limiting the influence of wealth suggests that wealth itself needs to be limited. When money talks, everybody is condemned to listen.” This was hardly a… Continue Reading
I’m glad to see a left-ish journal discussing citizenship, but I can’t find a lot to agree with here: We at Democracy, while not for a second denying the need for constant vigilance with regard to rights, have long felt… Continue Reading
I’m in the midst of rereading Chris Hayes’ excellent book Twilight of the Elites (review still forthcoming—promise) and wanted to highlight this pregnant passage: “The areas in which the left has made the most significant progress—gay rights, inclusion of women… Continue Reading
Over at In These Times, Bhaskar Sunkara argues Ryan’s entrance into the presidential race could redound to the benefit of the left: The injection of a right-wing ideologue in Paul Ryan should, logically, move the race rightward. But since his… Continue Reading
Over the past few months, as a result of Occupy, my lack of awareness of leftist thinkers, and my exposure to Corey Robin’s fantastic The Reactionary Mind, I’ve become decidedly less enamored with that veritable hobby horse of mine, left-libertarian… Continue Reading
Probably to the chagrin of my former political science professors, I often forget that movements can have a discernible effect on election results without actually shifting the electorate to the right or left. That’s because the demographic and ideological composition… Continue Reading
A week later, I’m still not sure. It signals the left’s etiolation, undoubtedly. There are all kinds of caveats and excuses one can summon to explain away the recall results—Barrett was a crappy candidate, Walker had an enormous financial advantage,… Continue Reading
I’m fortunate enough to have obtained an advance copy of Chris Hayes’ new book, Twilight of the Elites– not due to my perquisites as a little-read blogger, but the serendipity of one of my best friends. As I make my way through… Continue Reading