  UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD REALLY WORKS– War & Peace . Global Democracy – The Political Process . Canadian Politics . US Politics . Politics in Struggling Nations . Frames, Left & Right – Corporatism, Free Trade & Distorted Markets – Understanding Economics . Consumer Power . The Media – The Education System updated Jan. 1, 2007 |
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War & Peace If War Isn’t the Answer What Is? and Another Alternative to War (April, 2003) how to change regimes peacefully Is Your Country War-Prone? (June, 2003) the predictors of war Hidden Landmines (July, 2003) The need to rid the world of landmines, which have no military purpose The Cause of Violence (November, 2003) population pressure impacts how we mistreat our young, and what they become as a result Terrorism is a Reaction not an Action (November, 2003) why humanitarian investment is the only solution to terrorism How to Be a Bioterrorist (November, 2004) the enormous and ignored threat of biological terrorism The Politics of Victimization (November, 2004) Mel Gilles says the only way to deal with bullies is to walk away Peace is Not the Same as Justice (November, 2004) Arundhati Roy’s Sydney Peace prize speech Women and Children First (January, 2005) The way in which we treat women and children says a lot about our culture What Makes a People Commit Mass Atrocities? (Jan.20, 2005) #1412 – Stress, shame, misery, hopelessness, denial, fear: That’s the recipe Environmental ‘Security’: Bridge or Trap? (Feb. 23, 2006) #1446 – Declaring nature an ‘enemy’ to be tackled by defense and security programs is a predictable neocon folly and doomed to extravagant failure The War on the Desperate (August 1, 2006) #1602 – That is what the so-called “war on terror” really is The End of Drugs (Sept. 6, 2006) #1635 – A cautionary tale on the ‘war on drugs’ and how oligopolies work Global Democracy Liberty Before Democracy (April, 2003) taking regime change one step at a time Ten Things to Keep You Awake at Night (June, 2003) some seemingly insurmountable problems Illiberal Democracy (June, 2003) Fareed Zakaria’s book on the future of freedom, & lessons for America The Fourth Turning (November, 2003) an excellent history of Anglo-American culture, and an annoying prophecy The Vicious Cycle of Illiberal Democracy (March, 2004) a systems chart showing how and why democracy in the absence of constiutional liberalism and uncorrupted institutions cannot work Peter Singer’s ‘One World’ (April, 2004) the need for global responsibility, and the possibility ofglobal government Richer, Meaner, Less Secure (June, 2004) more and more military spending is coming out of humanitarian aid budgets, creating a vicious cycle What is Our Responsibility to People of Other Nations (July, 2004) humanitarian, peacemaking and military options and when they make sense A Paean to Sovereignty (August, 2004) a controversial call for butting out of other nations’ business Veil of Truth (September, 2004) the French are clued out about Islam, like everyone else How Europe Sees the US (September, 2004) shared values with the people of America, loathing for the leader and his policies The Power of Nightmares (November, 2004) BBC shows how fear strategies work in politics What Conservatives and Liberals Fear (February, 2005) why we fear different things, and how Darwin would explain it The 10 Most Important Ideas of 2004: Politics & Society (February, 2005) There is No Justice (July 18, 2005) #1214 – With what we know about human nature and human history we should not be foolish enough to expect it in large, conservative, unwieldy governments, corporations and nation-states. And the road to peace, in the absence of justice, is a social one, not a political one Three Philosophers: Noam Chomsky, Doug Rushkoff, George Carlin (August 25, 2005) #1254 – Three interviewees in Conversations at the Edge of the Apocalpyse make it clear that, today, no one is in control Hurricane Stan, Darfur, Niger and the Forgotten Victims of Disaster (Oct. 21, 2005) #1313 – The six factors that unfairly determine which disasters we learn about and respond to Our Imperialist Heritage (June 23, 2006) #1567 – The gap between affluent and struggling nations grows ever wider The Political Process Separation of Church & State (February, 2003) what it is and why it’s so important Rights, Power & Revolution (March, 2003) organize, communicate, investigate: how to take back power Corruption in Olympic Sports (April, 2003) the never-ending scandal: why don’t we fix it? Why Has the Anti-Smoking Movement Succeeded while the Animal Rights Movement Has Failed? (April, 2003) preconditions for change The Tipping Point (May, 2003) how political change reaches a point of no return Commencement (June, 2003) speech by Tony Kushner to a graduating class on the courage to take power Why Don’tPeople Vote (September, 2003) seven reasons, and how to overcome them More on the Sports Doping Scandal (October, 2003) new steroid, new whistle-blower Whistle-Blowers: Heroes or Fools? (October, 2003) how to do it smartly and safely Pillar to Post: Abandoning the Mentally Ill (October, 2003) out of asylums and into prisons or the street Voting System Integrity (October, 2003) a simple answer to ensure fair elections When Workers Die (December, 2003) the NYT great investigation of corporate and government negligence on worker safety Dec.10 Decision Day for American Democracy (December, 2003) the US Supreme Court deliberates on the constitutionality of gerrymandering and other redistricting abuses Pharmacopia (January, 2004) substance abuse affects one in six North Americans, but the insane ‘drug war’ only makes things worse Why Does Small Business Vote Conservative? (June, 2004) why the victims of corporatism support parties that perpetuate it When Commons Can’t Be Self-Managed (August, 2004) size matters, but not in a good way Ten Reasons to be Optimistic (August, 2004) it’s not all bad, once you get past politicians and corporations Making Politics Politically Correct (August, 2004) re-engaging the politically disenchanted The Decline of Democracy, Constitutional Liberalism and the Rule of Law (October, 2004) in the new world, the rich and powerful don’t need or want citizens, soldiers, rights or dissent – only passive, dumb consumers PR-STV A Better Way to Select a Government (October, 2004) citizens in BC propose a system that’s rated #1 by experts and works in practice A Theory of Balkanization (December, 2004) why the community is the best political unit, and why it doesn’t happen in practice The Tyranny of Structurelessness (December, 2004) Back in 1970 Jo Freeman asked whether progressives could really get along without structure and rules, and we’re still not sure what the answer is All About Power, and Three Ways to Topple It (February, 2005) capacity, revolution, incapacitation, and a 4-step process to incapacitate power Resolving Conflicts (May 11, 2005) #1141 – A discussion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and where they do, and do not, work Why We Hate Government (July 8, 2005) #1204 – The reasons why people of all 4 political stripes hate — and need — government The Bird Feeder and the Tragedy of the Commons (Sept. 12, 2005) #1271 – Conservation is unnatural, which is why bird feeders and other commons attract squabbling There Is No Superpower (Sept. 15, 2005) #1275 – All we need to do is to refuse to recognize czars’ and tyrants’ power over us — no, to recognize that they have no power over us — to break their hold Spin, the Three P’s and the Politics of Learned Helplessness and Learned Optimism (Oct. 31, 2005) #1325 – We may be afraid of the wrong things, but we’re not stupid The Impotence of (Most) Information (June 2, 2006) #1545 – Arundhati Roy explains that without detailed context, insightful analysis and potential for personal action, information is useless Canadian Politics Why Canadians Fear America (April, 2003) what Bush has done to the image of the US in the rest of the world The Mad Cow Furor: a Mixed Blessing (May, 2003) how the US embargo could help the Canadian economy Everything You Need to Know About Canada in Ten Minutes (March, 2004) When Will They Ever Learn (April, 2004) Canada’s pathetic response to Mad Cow and Avian Flu Canada’s Democratic Balancing Act (May, 2004) the courts sustain campaign finance reform laws, and the government allows RU486 OTC Canada’s Federal Election (May, 2004) and Canada Heads Into Political Chaos (June, 2004) a minority government looms, with no stable coalition possible, and yet another election probable Canada Votes (June, 2004) a fractured turn to the left, and an unstable minority government Canadian Productivity (September, 2004) we don’t have a problem taking back our own economy won’t fix Canada: Liberal vs Conservative Areas (November, 2004) a stark contrast to the US map shows liberals dominate almost everywhere in Canada This is the Way the World Ends (November, 2004) Ontario farmers rebel against a bill designed to protect farmland, and the environment, from real estate speculators Striking Out On Our Own: A Radical Course for Canada . (May 13, 2005) #1143 – A proposal to reinvent Canada as the model for a post-industrial, perhaps even post-civilization, society Bush Shows His True Stripes on ‘Free’ Trade (August 12, 2005) #1241 – Bush flagrantly ignores a NAFTA ruling that calls for $5B stolen from Canada to be returned Mulroney’s Revenge: The Breakup of Canada (Jan. 9, 2006) #1401 – The ‘new’ Conservative Party’s deal with the devil Think Twice Canadians: Harper Reasserts Plan to Renege on Kyoto and Sabotage Charter of Rights with Insidious Neocon ‘Property Rights’ Clause (Jan. 13, 2006) #1405 Canadian Election Results: What They Mean and What Comes Next (Jan. 24, 2006) #1417 – Will the Liberals now commit suicide by electing Ignatieff, as the Conservatives did with Mulroney? Canada’s Dirty Oil (Feb. 11, 2006) #1434 – The environmental disaster of the Alberta Tar Sands An Apology for Canada’s Treatment of Animals (March 5, 2006) #1456 – Not just seals: Canada’s treatment of all animals is a disgrace for a ‘civilized’ nation Canadian Minority PM Abandons Environmental Protection, Embraces Neocon Ideology & Tactics (April 25, 2006) #1507 – Harper’s even worse than we feared Harper Doesn’t Speak for Canadians (May 25, 2006) #1537 – Harper misrepresents and embarrasses us on the global stage The Canadian Terrorist Incident (June 6, 2006) #1549 – A gang of young unemployed losers get international attention just because they’re Islamic and play war games US Politics Psychopathic Leaders (February, 2003) Vonnegut says the Bush inner circle is clinically psychopathic A Man Consumed With Rage (February, 2003) the madness that drives Bush The Wisdom of Containment (March, 2003) the need to contain Bush Why Canadians Fear America (April, 2003) what Bush has done to the image of the US in the rest of the world The Freedom 2004 Meme Project (May, 2003) my suggested memes for the Democrats in 2004 What the Freedom 2004 Meme Must Address (June, 2003) Bush’s dangerous domestic ideology How the Democrats Can Win in 2004 (June, 2003) Help America Work Again: the meme we need What’s That About Slavery, Mr. Bush? (July, 2003) the regime’s hypocrisy and neglect of Africa Post Bush: Rebuilding the American Civil State (August, 2003) five things to start doing now to undo the damage Advice for the Democratic Nominee in 2004 (August, 2003) how to defeat Bush Some Questions About Howard Dean (August, 2003) is he liberal enough? Dubya Does Niccolo (September, 2003) Bush’s behaviour sounds like he’s studied Machiavelli, the children’s edition Environmental Damage: The Bush Legacy (September, 2003) a succinct summary of Bush’s awful environmental record from the New Yorker Enemy Aliens (October, 2003) Ashcroft’s war at home Maybe the Republican Establishment Doesn`t Like Bush Either (October, 2003) The party faithful aren’t faithful when voter support is tracking Nixon’s Margaret Wheatley on America’s Darkest Night (December, 2003) America on the edge of an abyss, unaware Anti-Democratic Forces Show Their Stuff (December, 2003) The police, goaded on by Homeland Security, lose it in Miami Kucinich Remains the Progressive Standard-Bearer (December, 2003) Four Stories the Media Mostly Missed (January, 2004) Republicans hack Dems database, Canadian torture victim sues Ashcroft, CIA warns Bush about Iraq civil war risk, Environment groups debate population policy Unsteady State (January, 2004) Hertzberg on the dreadful Bush legacy, and another report showing Iraqis want the occupiers out now Chris Britt on Bush’s Guard Duty (February, 2004) A chilling cartoon The Boston Tea Party as Eco-Terrorism (February, 2004) new anti-terrorism laws make advocacy and corporate sabotage ‘terrorist’ acts Advice for the Democrats (February, 2004) Issues, approaches, and who to pick for VP John Kerry Needs an Anthem (March, 2004) The Dems’ campaign, astonishingly, lacks passion Global Warming & the Crime of Denial (March, 2004) Bush’s ostrich act on global warming threatens the planet The NYT on the Environment (April, 2004) Maybe the reporters should get out more to see what’s going on The US is No Longer Free, Nor a Democracy (April, 2004) US courts legitimize gerrymandering, and muzzle the ACLUs constitutional challenge of the Patriot Act Essential Reading (May, 2004) on US imperialism, addiction to oil, Rumsfeld’s role in torture, why low interest rates suck, and the dangers of databases on private individuals in psychopathic hands Bush’s Disregard for the Geneva Conventions (May, 2004) it threatens the safety of Americans everywhere — why isn’t Kerry speaking up? The November Elections (July, 2004) terrible choices for progressives American Progressives get Angry (July, 2004) Bill Moyers explains why they should be, and the United Progressive Alliance unifies them Money’s On Another Republican Sweep (August, 2004) The IEM predicts Bush and his cronies will win again Worst Case Scenario (August, 2004) Bush’s second term agenda Crimes Against Nature (October, 2004) RFK calls Bush to account, Putin finally gets it, but Bush is unrepentent Revenge of the Moderates (October, 2004) maybe there are more of them, and maybe they’re smarter, than the pundits give them credit for What Do We Do if Bush ‘Wins’ (October, 2004) stepping up the resistance, the vigilance, and the public protest Anthems, and There is a Choice (October, 2004) recaps and satires of Bush’s ghastly record Bill Moyers on the Latest Corporate Tax Pork (October, 2004) Moyers lambastes corporate America for not doing or paying their share A Better Plan for Energy (October, 2004) 25 ways to achieve energy self-sufficiency, save billions, and create jobs in the process Hunting for Intelligence (November, 2004) the new FBI reformer tells staff ‘hunt don’t gather, disseminate don’t just aggregate’ Was Bush a Better Mascot Than Kerry? (November, 2004) many vote for the surrogate closest to their beliefs, not the candidate with the best ideas The Final Polls Show Kerry Clearly Ahead (November, 2004) we may never know what really happened after that The Suburbs, and Learned Helplessness Fears, Seem to Have Won For Bush (November, 2004) Bush vs Kerry, County by County (November, 2004) a scary picture of conservative dominance outside the city cores Why Not Just Ask the People? (November, 2004) a simple way to reconcile exit polls that are wildly different from actual results We’ll Take Turns Being Strong (November, 2004) the eight fronts in the new resistance against Bush and the neocons Predictions of Trouble Ahead (December, 2004) experts predict economic armageddon, bioterrorism risks, and threat of epidemic viral disease outbreaks It’s Time to Move to Canada, Einstein (December, 2004) time to give up and move on? See It Feelingly (December, 2004) Bill Moyers’ environmental award acceptance speech Krugman on Privatizing Social Security (December, 2004) gambling recklessly with the people’s money From Framing to Naming (February, 2005) taking a run at renaming conservative euphemisms, and preempting the naming of important progressive concepts The Job of the Media (February, 2005) making what’s important interesting: five principles that could revolutionize the ‘news’ and make it relevant and actionable again Five Questions (March, 2005) readers explain the reactions to the Schiavo case George Bush, Closet Anarchist (April, 2005) his behaviour could be read as that of a radical libertarian Looks Like the Fourth Turning After All (May 20, 2005) #1152 – Is the US predestined to slide into totalitarianism? Bad Medicine (June 22, 2005) #1187 – The US government is stealing children deemed antisocial by government psychologists from their parents and force-feeding them expensive, experimental drugs Are Americans Politically Ignorant, Apathetic, or Both? (June 26, 2005) #1192 – Ignorance and apathy both mitigate against change. If you’re in power and you can breed both in the electorate, you’re laughing Another Black Day for American Democracy (July 7, 2005) #1203 – A US judge sends a reporter to jail for protecting her source The Myth of Leadership and the Domestication of America (Jan. 11, 2006) #1403 – Have Americans been lulled into domestication so that they place undue trust in their leaders to do everything for them? The Futility of the ‘War on Terror’ and Bush’s Apocalyptic Agenda (Feb. 1, 2006) #1425 – How the terrorists won by understanding how religious fanaticism yields dysfunctional politics, even in the US Time for the Progressive Party in the US? (May 17, 2006) #1529 – Americans need to see past the horrific Bush regime to realize that the Democrats are not the answer to what ails them So the US Presidential Election Was Stolen — So What? (June 1, 2006) #1544 – The political and electoral system in the US is hopelessly broken, and no one seems to have the answers or will to fix it Racism: The Republican Trump Card in the 2006 and 2008 Elections (Oct. 1, 2006) #1661 – The broad fear and hatred of immigrants is too easy to resist Two Legal Outrages (Oct. 18, 2006) #1678 – Property title theft, and Bush’s new foreigner torture law Politics in Struggling Nations What Happens Next (February, 2003) a prediction about the aftermath of the war Who’s Next After Iraq: The Map of Freedom (February, 2003) Worldwatch’s ratings of countries by degree of freedom The Future of Iraq: Afghanistan 1 1/2 Years Later (March, 2003) a study in contrasts Wise Words from ‘Average’ Iraqis (April, 2003) understanding culture An Army of Dragons (May, 2003) the neglect of the third world outside Iraq Is ‘Bring the Troops Home Now’ an Option? (September, 2003) we can do it fast and painfully, or slow and more painfully What Hath George Wrought (October, 2003) Iraq’s drug epidemic If the Shoe Were on the Other Foot (November, 2003) Imagining life in ‘post-war’ Iraq Intelligence Failure (November, 2003) What Washington doesn’t see in Iraq Remembering the Forgotten (November, 2003) the ‘disappeared’, and political prisoners facing daily torture in brutal regimes The Silent Kingdom (January, 2004) The dreadful, repressed life of Saudis Unsteady State (January, 2004) Hertzberg on the dreadful Bush legacy, and another report showing Iraqis want the occupiers out now The 10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Events of 2003 (February 2004) what happened outside of the West and Mideast What’s Happening in Sudan, Iraq, and Columbia (March, 2004) my attempt at political cartooning The System is Broken (May, 2004) the massive intelligence failures in Iraq, and their consequences Israel vs Palestine: The Intractable, Endless War (May, 2004) extremists on both sides are using violence and racist hatred to subvert the will of the majority The Coming Iraq Civil War (June, 2004) why it’s inevitable, and what will set it off Darfur: Cocktail of Suffering and Genocide (August, 2004) it’s even worse than you thought From Baghdad (October, 2004) WSJ reporter Farnaz Fassini tells what’s really going on, but only to friends Terrorist Strategy 101 (November, 2004) an analysis of Al Qaeda motives and probable next steps Afghanistan Unveiled (November, 2004) PBS lets Afghani women tell their country’s still-horrendous story Three Ways of Looking at Afghanistan (March 16, 2006) #1467 – We screwed it up, and now the best course of action is to withdraw and try a humanitarian approach The Iraq Occupation (April 8, 2006) #1491 – The country degenerates into civil war Gang War (July 9, 2006) #1583 – A different way of looking at the ‘neighbourhood’ of the Mideast, and the complex approach that would be needed to resolve it Colombians are Happy, Americans are Ill With Stress: The Wealth-Wellness Gap (August 3, 2006) #1604 – Happiness is all about perspective This is Our Tomorrow, Today (Nov. 16, 2006) #1698 – The hell that is Lagos today foreshadows the overpopulated, overcrowded, economically depressed, crisis-ridden future of all of us Frames, Left & Right |
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Corporatism, Free Trade & Distorted Markets Globalization, Corporatism & Free Trade (2001) response to the Economist’s witless support of all three What’s Really Wrong With Free Trade (February, 2003) the real alternative is regulated trade, not no trade Do Corporations Have Too Much Power? (March, 2003) why they do, and what to do about it Company, Halt! (May, 2003) the need to rein in corporations and return them to their original purpose Why We Buy from Criminals (May, 2003) the need for a corporate ethics clearing house The New Robber Barons (August, 2003) it’s not the first time corporations have ruled America Corporations vs. Citizens (August, 2003) Suzuki vs. Consumers Union – we lose another one Time to Stop the Corporatist Race to the Bottom (September, 2003) how corporatism is destroying employment, souls and lives worldwide ‘Free’ Trade vs. Public Health (September, 2003) how ‘free’ trade contributes to unaffordable medicines, and hence to misery and death The New Rulers of the World (October, 2003) Pilger’s scary state of the world analysis The Wal-Mart Dilemma (November, 2003) The underemployed are forced by their situation to buy from the company that contributes most to underemployment Corporatism – The New Enemy Within (November, 2003) RF Kennedy Jr. and the NRDC warn of the dangers of corporatism Corporations vs People – A Split Decision (February, 2004) news on offshoring, outsourcing and the RIAA How Corporatism Threatens Democracy (March, 2004) Gambling on Free Trade (March, 2004) the WTO overturns the hypocritical Bush laws on Internet gambling Bush’s Friends at Koch and Timken (March, 2004) exemplary corporatists trash the environment and jobs respectively Deja Vu (April, 2004) more on the history of corporatism, and how we fixed it last time Undermining Corporatism (July, 2004) old and new ideas, from Joel Bakan’s The Corporation The Chemical Soup We Live In (August, 2004) the poisons in our midst The Outrage of Injured Citizens (August, 2004) more on corporations vs citizens and consumers Why Free Trade Doesn’t Work (August, 2004) why it hurts the third world as well Unsafe in Any Country (October, 2004) dangerous Chinese-made crap is under-regulated and often re-exported to the unsuspecting third world Tort Reform (October, 2004) the latest excuse for a corporatist power grab to stifle consumer dissent Three Recipes for Smashing Corporatism (January, 2005) Books by Bakan, Drutman and Derber tell how to defang the monster How Corporations Became Culturally Dysfunctional and Why Simple Solutions Won’t Fix Them (March, 2005) corporations evolved as complex responses to a complex system, and simple fixes won’t work By the Numbers: The Wal-Mart Dilemma, File Sharing and Lousy Service (May 17, 2005) #1149 – Why the economy is nothing like a free market economy Greenwashing (July 26, 2005) #1222 – How to catch companies that lie about their social and environmental irresponsibility GlobalCorp Annual Report: Management Discussion & Analysis (July 28, 2005) #1224 – What an honest annual report from a global corporation would really say The Collapse of Globalism (August 4, 2005) #1231 – John Ralston Saul’s new book shows that laissez faire economics has failed again, and courage, knowledge and altruism are needed to pick the right interventions to protect citizen interest and rescue the economic system George Monbiot’s Prescription to Stop Global Warming (Sept. 23, 2005) #1282 – Monbiot argues that if governments introduced fair uniform standards across industries with no wiggle room, companies would be pleased to comply The Boycott List (Nov. 3, 2005, updated from Dec. 2003) #1328 – The world’s most irresponsible corporations, and a few very good ones Ten Reasons to Halt All Trade With China (Nov. 29, 2005) #1355 – We are complicit in the disgraceful social and environmental behaviours of China when we support their regime and economy with our trade When the Law and the Truth Cease to Matter (March 28, 2006) #1480 – When the poor and disenfranchised realize the game is rigged, and refuse to play, things will get interesting The Precautionary Principle, and Treating Polluters as Murderers (March 30, 2006) #1482 – We can’t do so legally, because the law is stacked in polluters’ favour, but we could do so socially The Productivity Myth (June 27, 2006) #1571 – Productivity is just a weasel word for corporate profit margins, and all the means to achieve it are contrary to the interests of the majority Co-Dependency (August 31, 2006) #1629 – Just like addicts and abused spouses, we and the corporatists rely on each other to give each other what we need Are Conspiracies and Oligopolies Complex Adaptive Behaviours? (Sept. 4, 2006) #1633 – Increasing complexity makes conspiracy and oligopoly more possible, and adaptability then makes them more likely The End of Drugs (Sept. 6, 2006) #1635 – A cautionary tale on the ‘war on drugs’ and how oligopolies work Understanding Economics (See also Alternate Economies) Improving Canada’s Productivity (February, 2003) the numbers behind the data and what they mean Playing Dice with the World Economy (May, 2003) the untenable value of the US dollar Future of Business & the Next Economy (July, 2003) Zuboff’s Support Economy model falls short Now That’s Power (August, 2003) a power chart of annual personal income distribution in America; Another View (March 2005) a logarithmic view, and an argument that the top 0.1% is permanently separated from everyone else. The US Economy: Train Wreck Ahead (September, 2003) how incompetent management is driving the US economy to the brink The Bankrupting of the American Middle Class (October, 2003) real incomes can’t keep pace with soaring non-discretionary costs, even for 2-income families Economist Newspeak (November, 2003) why the reported economic ‘recovery’ is bad news for citizens and employees Damned Lies & Statistics (November, 2003) unemployment’s understated, productivity’s overstated, and the US dollar is hanging on by a thread How the Stock Market Could Cost You Your Job (December, 2003) the only way to get profits near expectations is to cut, cut, cut jobs IMF Warns US Debt is Threat to Global Economy (January, 2004) with the US currency in free-fall, only a drastic change in fiscal policy can prevent global recession The End of Work (January, 2004) how a guaranteed annual income could make everyone’s life better Politics & Economics – The Most Important Ideas of 2003 (January, 2004) Vital Signs (February, 2004) data on the state of the world Bush’s Jobless Recovery & Ludicrous Employment Prediction (February, 2004) and March Update, a calling to account on the promise of 2.6 million jobs and August Update and October Update Greenspan’s Folly (March, 2004) The Fed Chairman shamelessly promotes our addiction to consumption and debt to delay the inevitable crash of the economy and markets Rich/Poor Disparity Data (March, 2004) just in case anyone should suggest that economic disparity in the US isn’t growing The Stock Market as Ponzi Scheme (May, 2004) last ones in before the crash will lose big-time The End of Oil (August, 2004) the economics of oil, and of living without it Living Beyond their Means (October, 2004) the many debts of George Bush and Alan Greenspan, and what they mean to us all The Two-Income Trap (October, 2004) why unethical lenders want consumers to live beyond their means US & China Become Net Importers of Food (December, 2004) and other news on haves and have nots The 10 Most Important Ideas of 2004: Business & the Economy (February, 2005) Where the US Deficit is Headed (February, 2005) a simple picture from the NYT How the ‘Free’ Market Ruins the Entertainment Industry (February, 2005) a lesson in how a bad economic system breeds mediocrity In the Year 2045 (February, 2005) Ran Prieur predicts a slow crash, and I add my own predictions A Running Out Story (March, 2005) The end of oil, and water By the Numbers: The Wal-Mart Dilemma, File Sharing and Lousy Service (May 17, 2005)#1149 – Why the economy is nothing like a free market economy The Factor of Four: Preparing Yourself for Economic Meltdown (June 21, 2005) #1186 – Low savings, low investment in public infrastructure, a poor under-resourced education system and a lack of investment in real innovation spell big trouble for the US economy Income Trust: An Investment That’s Too Good to be True? (Sept. 7, 2005) #1266 – An investment that promises to hedge against an interest rate spike and against unreasonable ‘shareholder expectations’ Why is ‘Underdeveloped’ a Euphemism for ‘Poor’? (Oct. 17, 2005) #1306 – The world is now divided into affluent and struggling countries, so let’s scrap the obsolete, dangerous, demeaning terms Why Oil Prices Are Jumping Again (Jan. 23, 2006) #1415 – Overstated reserves, fragility, market distortions, and politics all play a role Why Republicans Want a Huge National Debt (Jan. 26, 2006) #1419 – It gives them an excuse to sell off the Commons to friends cheap, and to cancel public services as unaffordable House of Cards: How Money Flows From the Poor to the Rich (March 6, 2006) #1457 – Global inequity in wealth distribution is astronomical and soaring; here’s how it’s happening The Fear of Not Having Enough (April 13, 2006) #1496 – Anxiety about a coming depression is not unreasonable; there are two things you can do about it What to Expect When the Dollar Collapses — Part One and Part Two (May 14-5, 2006) #1526-7 – What happened in the 1930s, and, since we’ve learned nothing from it, what will happen in the coming second Great Depression What Should We Invest In If the Economy’s Going to Collapse? (May 29, 2006) #1541 – 10 ideas based on what has worked in previous serious recessions Caledon, Canada: A Case Study in the Seeming Futility of Controlling Growth (Oct. 10, 2006) #1670 – Developers rule in land use, and the system is fixed in their interest Consumer Power Pledge to Buy Local (October, 2003) how to prevent job export by supporting local producers The Boycott List (December, 2003) the world’s most irresponsible corporations, and a few very good ones Boycott ExxonMobil (January, 2004) the sad legacy of the world’s worst polluter Raise Your Standards (July, 2004) if we demand more, corporatists won’t be able to deliver, but local entrepreneurs will Why Service Stinks (September, 2004) Corporate Apartheid, and two-class everything Consumer Reports’ 10 Biggest Shopping Traps (September, 2004) consumer advice for naive shoppers Resigning from Corporation America (November, 2004) if government acts irresponsibly, why shouldn’t we able to sue it for negligence, revoke its right to practice, and let people resign from having anything to do with it The Take (November, 2004) Argentinian workers insist on working, and take back abandoned factories We Need an Online Consumer Information Exchange (December, 2004) person-to-person info sharing on all goods and services Would You Buy from a Store Where Everything Was Made Locally? (December, 2004) The Perfect Sweetener You Can’t Buy (January, 2005) Stevia, the FDA and Monsanto Consumer Reports’ Best Medical Info Website List (August 5, 2005) #1234 The Moral Hazard Myth (August 26, 2005) #1255 – Malcolm Gladwell punctures the myth that if the government gives us things free or cheap, we’ll automatically take too much of them |
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The Media The Dumbing Down of America (March, 2003) an uninformed electorate helps incumbents Take Back the Airwaves (January, 2004) why ads make broadcasting worse, and how public ownership & funding could save it Media Spin and its Impact on Public Opinion (May, 2004) how trusted sources can lead us to illogical conclusions The Real Issues, and Why No One Talks About Them (September, 2004) why vested interests avoid the complex and controversial issues Why & How to get the Media to Stop Reporting GDP (November, 2004) the lunacy of measuring an economy by volume of stuff made and hours worked Reinventing The News, Putting Bloggers to Work (November, 2004) could bloggers be good investigative journalists The Job of the Media (February, 2005) making what’s important interesting: five principles that could revolutionize the ‘news’ and make it relevant and actionable again How Bloggers Can Help Defeat Anti-Intellectualism (June 15, 2005) #1180 – Media have a responsibility to inform and engage the public on matters that are important and on vanguard thinking about these matters, even if they’re difficult and make the public uncomfortable Violence: Are the Media Just Giving Us What We Really Want? (August 3, 2005) #1230 – Attention deficit and lack of self-esteem play right into violence-mongers’ hands We Only Pay for, and Retain, Information That’s ‘Durable’ (Sept. 30, 2005) #1289 – A proposal for a magazine of actionable news that you could pull out and file by topic in follow-up ‘workbook’ binders My Take on Plamegate (Oct. 19, 2005) #1311 – Miller’s a hack, the NYT is embarrassed again, and the Bush top brass will get away with the Plame leak, but the principle is still important The Future of the Media (Feb. 20, 2006) #1443 – Most of it’s already shifted to entertainment from information, but its survival depends on partnership with customers, its focus on actionable news, and its ability to organize that action The Media: Numbing Ourselves to Pain And Others’ Suffering (Oct. 3, 2006) #1663 – There’s no other explanation for its and our obsession with violence and misery |
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The Education System Reality Check for Teachers (May, 2003) we communicate much less than we think Breeding a Nation of Drones – part 1 (August, 2003) how educators become unwitting accomplices to an elitist system Breeding a Nation of Drones – part 2 (September, 2003) a prescription for radical reform of education The Learning Asylum (February, 2004) a poem by a teacher How We Learn and Why We Don’t (April, 2004) the essential process of learning, and the impediments we put in the way What’s Wrong With Sex-Ed (October, 2004) oral sex and masturbation need to be acknowledged as normal, healthy, fun sexual activities to our young people, and they need to have access to information on them Critical Life Skills: Learning to Learn (January, 2005) a suggested approach to overhauling the education system Ivan Illich: Progressive-Libertarian-Anarchist Priest (February, 2005) Illich’s ideas to reform education, de-institutionalize society and de-materialize values as steps to reintegrate ourselves into a balanced ecosystem AHA! (April, 2005) a proposal for a Discovery and Learning Centre attuned to complex systems and an emergent and interactive way of learning On Writing and Teaching Better, and the Colonization of Language (May 9, 2005) #1139 – Derrick Jensen says don’t be boring and teach on-to-one A Taxonomy of Learning, and Nature as Learning Role Model (August 15, 2005) #1244 – Susan McCarthy’s Becoming a Tiger catalogues 20 ways of learning and shows how much we have to learn from nature Health, Education, and Learned Helplessness (Feb. 17, 2006) #1440 – Our utter reliance on others for our education and our health is unwarranted, dangerous, and expensive Ten Reasons Young People Are Afraid to Start Their Own Business (Feb. 26, 2006) #1449 – How Natural Enterprises can overcome these fears, which we have the education system to thank for |
