David Sirota
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Colbert Conservatism
Pop quiz--name the political leader who said the following: "We must be willing to pull the plug before sinking… more
web only
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Intelligentsia Against Intelligence
In the parlance of our times, the term "Idiocracy" means a nation run by idiots--and the term "idiot" is… more
web only middle east, military, military, obama, war
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Where Are the Real Deficit Hawks?
Let's say you're a congressperson or tea party leader looking to champion deficit reduction--a cause 38 percent of Americans… more
web only economy, healthcare, military, military
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We Are What We Trade and How We Trade It
Trade and globalization--when not referencing blockbuster sports transactions or raucous street protests, debates over these abstract terms can give… more
web only corporations, economy, international
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TARP on Steroids
I recall that September day like it was yesterday--the explosion so stunning, so memorable. It wasn't 9/11/01, it was… more
web only congress, economy, obama
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A Party With No Punch
Three parables for progressives and the Grand Old (Democratic) Party. more
vol. 33, iss. 11 activism, economy, politics
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A Tale of Two Supermen
For better or worse, our American Idiocracy has come to rely on athletes as national pedagogues. Michael Jordan educated… more
web only drugs, medical & health, social justice
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Say It Ain’t Snowe
I don't get it. I know that's the simplistic refrain of every 10-year-old, but I'm 33 and I mean… more
web only
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The Zombie Zeitgeist
What's with all the zombies lately? That could be a question about one of the hippest retro fads that… more
web only books, economy
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Mad Men 2.0
America is experiencing a PR revolution that promotes outraged denial over fact-based persuasion. more
vol. 33, iss. 10 media, television
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Country Club Etiquette Trumps Legislative Results
The recent headlines about President Obama working to crush primary campaigns against Democratic incumbents would be great fodder for… more
web only obama, politics
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Selective Deficit Disorder
Watching the healthcare debate unfold these days is a little like watching scenes from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's… more
web only medical & health, politics
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We’ve Seen This Trigger Before
After a summer of politics marked by esoteric phrases like "co-ops" and "insurance exchanges," the newest kernel of ubiquitous… more
web only congress, medical & health, obama
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A Party Is Not a Movement
The difference between parties and movements is simple: Parties are loyal to their own power regardless of policy agenda;… more
web only activism, elections, politics
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The Science Fiction of Military Marketing
I'm a video game geek, so as I sat through movie previews a few weeks ago, I was sure… more
web only military, military, war
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Freedom from Fear
Those of us living in the Rocky Mountain region are steeped in America's famous gun culture--and we therefore know… more
web only activism, civil rights, obama
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Don’t You Forget About Him
Confidence is a strange and elusive thing. As a nation, we clearly have it in this post-Vietnam age of… more
web only media, movies
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Healthcare’s 13 Tyrants
For those still clinging to quaint notions of the American ideal, these have been a faith-shaking 10 years. Just… more
vol. 33, iss. 09
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The Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd
I know I should be mortified by the lobbyist-organized mobs of angry Brooks Brothers mannequins who are now making… more
web only
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The Attack of the 1-Percenters
Here's a truism: The wealthiest 1 percent have never had it so good. According to government figures, 1-percenters' share… more
web only
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China Is Here
GUIYANG, CHINA--Before planning for and making the trans-global trek to the most populous country on Earth, I knew mainland… more
web only
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Getting Off the Grid
As you read this, I am somewhere in rural China, probably disoriented, perhaps eating a fish eye, and certainly… more
web only
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Daring to Dream
Most of the great advances we remember involve re-imagination and dreams, not merely tweaks and tinkers. The Wright Brothers'… more
web only
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All Politics, And Change, Is Still Local
Colorado's Bill Ritter (D) is a typical swing-state governor in these most atypical times: overly cautious, predictably equivocal--you know… more
web only
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Whither the Sacred Campaign Promise?
Though not (yet) having children of my own, I often consider what my future offspring won't know about and… more
web only
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Democracy Needs a Bailout
Without a bailout, newspapers will lay off staff, fewer journalists will report important stories, there will be no Fourth-Estate… more
web only media
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Teabags vs. Douchebags
Why this may not be the second coming of the New Deal after all. more
vol. 33, iss. 06 activism
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The House That Taxpayers Built
Somewhere, likely in a basement, the next great documentarian is scavenging YouTube for clips of congressional inquisitions, Wall Street… more
web only economy
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Healthcare’s Enigma-In-Chief
The most stunning and least reported news about President Obama's press conference with health industry executives this week wasn't… more
web only medical & health, obama
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Piggish Capitalism
Even if you don't dig on swine, it has become impossible to avoid them. If you're not pummeled by… more
web only congress, economy
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With Their Magic Bullet, Dems Have No More Excuses
As counsel for the Warren Commission, Arlen Specter described a "magic bullet" that changed America. Four decades later as… more
web only congress, politics
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‘Reform’ To Nowhere
How the crusade against earmarks threatens constitutional democracy. more
vol. 33, iss. 05 economy, politics
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Newsflash: Populism Is Popular
In 2006, journalist Christopher Hayes wrote a little-noticed article for In These Times magazine about a proposal in Oregon… more
web only economy, politics
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Columbine Questions We Still Don’t Ponder
As Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's posthumous infamy turns 10 on April 20, I wish I were surprised that… more
web only social justice
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The Best Investment Money Can Buy!
Feeling sorry for yourself? Struggling to get by? Wondering how you can get a bailout? Well, stop moping, because… more
web only corporations, economy
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This Is the Truth on Drugs…Any Questions?
Finally, a little honesty. Finally, after America has frittered away billions of taxpayer dollars arming Latin American death squads,… more
web only drugs
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From Newspaper to Commercial Paper
At Northwestern University in the mid-1990s, the journalism professor with the most devoted student following was an understated teacher… more
web only media
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A Government of Men, Not Laws
United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard likes to say that Washington policymakers "treat the people who take a shower after… more
web only economy, labor
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Measuring Electoral Success
In the March 3 special primary election for the 5th congressional district seat in Illinois, formerly held by White… more
vol. 33, iss. 04 congress, labor, politics
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Road Tripping Through Whitopia
Rich Benjamin set out to write about race‚ and wrote about class instead. more
vol. 33, iss. 03 books, civil rights, economy, race
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The A Word
MEXICO CITY--Any serious scribe will tell you that writing is, at its heart, the maddening struggle to find exactly… more
web only economy, media, politics
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Past the Point of No Return
Why did Barack Obama choose to come all the way to Denver, Colorado to sign the economic recovery package… more
vol. 33, iss. 01 economy, obama, progressive
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Fake Outrage Junkies
I'm not sure if it's because we're strung out on "Lost" episodes, or if it's because we're still suffering… more
web only culture, drugs, media
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Team of Zombies
Only weeks ago, the political world was buzzing about a "team of rivals." America was told that finally, after… more
vol. 33, iss. 01 obama, politics
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Making Him Do It
When they write their retrospectives about the era that ended with the 2008 election, economic historians will undoubtedly credit… more
web only elections, obama, politics
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The Difference Between Hope and Change
A confession: I occasionally cry during romantic movies and History Channel documentaries. Another confession: I often pretend that I'm… more
web only obama, race
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That Old Saying in Tennessee
The veto is the legislative equivalent of a nuclear warhead -- a rarely used instrument of devastating force that… more
vol. 33, iss. 01 economy, obama, politics
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Mind the Gap
What the narrowing divide between a center-left nation and a center-right establishment portends. more
vol. 33, iss. 01
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We Told You So
Please, forgive me for saying it. I know it's a tad annoying, but it has to be said to… more
web only
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Those Other Elections
A month after Barack Obama's triumphant victory, we are still celebrating America's only authentic national religion, and it isn't… more
web only elections, obama, working families party
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Tuning Out the Braindead Megaphone
If you're having trouble remembering what the recent election was all about, rest easy: you're probably not going senile… more
web only elections, media, obama
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Knowing When To Walk Away
It wouldn't be the George W. Bush we all know if our shamed president didn't spend his remaining White… more
web only economy, george w. bush, south america
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McCain Banking on a Confederacy of Dunces
Is John McCain stupid, or does he believe we are? That's the question as he criticizes Barack Obama for… more
web only economy, politics, social justice
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Signs of an Earthquake in Oregon
America's government-by-television means instantly memorable image is everything. Our electoral decisions pivot less on issues and positions than on… more
web only congress, economy, oregon
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Remembering Those Other American Dreams
Democrats struggle to win blue-collar voters more
vol. 32, iss. 11 elections, labor, working class
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Crony Communist or Businessman?
Is Henry Paulson a crony communist or a businessman? The answer could be the difference between economic disaster and… more
web only economy
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Saying “No Deal” to This New Deal
The marriage of American capitalism and democracy has always been a Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee affair -- stormy… more
web only economy, wall street
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Turning a Wall Street Giveaway Into a Rescue for All Americans
Charting a progressive response to the crisis more
web only economy, wall street
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Back in the U.S.S.R.
When I worked for then-Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the late 1990s, Washington was in the panting throes of… more
web only socialism
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The $700 Billion Questions
Wall Street and Washington's wrecking crew aim to get the most expensive free lunch in American history more
web only housing, wall street
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No Time For A Minimalist
Old Milwaukee beer's slogan -- "It just doesn't get any better than this" -- should be Barack Obama's after-hours… more
web only economy, elections, wall street crisis
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Country First
Let's say that you enjoyed watching last week's Republican National Convention on television. Let's say you drank in the… more
web only america, elections, politics
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Making Goliath Walk
"This is a David-and-Goliath confrontation, but we believe we'll have enough stones in the sling to knock this out."… more
web only corporations, labor
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An Unconventional Convention
When I first heard about the Democratic convention coming to my hometown of Denver, I wasn't all that excited.… more
web only politics, progressive
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Will Obama Wave Bayh Bye to the White House?
If you believe the chatter, Barack Obama is desperately seeking a white guy -- any white guy -- to… more
web only elections, politics
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A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Denver
BUTTE, Montana -- Drinking a pint in Butte, Montana's M&M bar should be an entry in a "Things to… more
web only
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Sanity From The Silver Screen
When President Bush responded to 9/11 and the subsequent economic downturn by ordering us to go shopping, many ignored… more
web only economy, media, movies
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Six Little Words To Fix America’s Wage Crisis
History books teem with six-word phrases, from the comforting ("Nothing to fear but fear itself") to the inspiring ("Mr.… more
web only
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‘Centrists’ Running the Asylum
In the asylum that is American politics, beware a candidate like Barack Obama when he is lauded for moving… more
web only
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Anywhere Becomes Everywhere
I spent the July 4th weekend in my own Americana cliche: I relaxed in the humid heartland, drank one… more
web only
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The Free Trade Heretic
Ha-Joon Chang is an award-winning Cambridge economist whose new book, Bad Samaritans, explodes what its subtitle calls "the myth… more
vol. 32, iss. 07
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This Summer’s Trilogy of Truth
The future of the media is cloudy. In this brave new world of YouTube, Facebook and 400 cable channels,… more
web only
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Countering Race With Class
In our us-versus-them culture, every political campaign is a battle to define who exactly the "us" and "them" are.… more
web only economy, elections, race
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An Anti-Clinton For VP
You can't turn on a television or have a conversation about politics without being accosted by speculation about whether… more
web only clinton, elections, politics
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The Populist Uprising
American history is the history of populist uprisings. From the Revolutionary War to the coalfield wars, from labor organizers… more
web only
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The Lamont Lesson
When you hear folks say that history inevitably repeats itself, you probably figure they are referring to the distant… more
web only
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Why Democrats Won’t Stop the War
The nationwide opposition to the Iraq War is based on a host of populist impulses. Some people hate it… more
vol. 32, iss. 06 media, politics, war
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A Different Kind of Democracy
The never-ending presidential campaign is enough to overload anyone's senses. The themes and messages are mind-numbingly discombobulated -- race,… more
web only
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Toward A New Washington Consensus
You've probably heard that John McCain once said, "I know a lot less about economics than I do about… more
web only
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Acknowledging the Race Chasm
When it comes to race, American politics is as polarized as a red and blue election map. On one… more
web only
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The Plague of Potomac Fever
If any publication was going to document the sickness known as Potomac Fever, it was going to be the… more
web only
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Matthews Vs. McNulty
If television is the nation's mirror, then no two TV characters reflect the intensifying "two Americas" gap better than… more
web only
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The Ludlow Legacy At Home
The Ludlow Massacre's tiny monument off I-25 in Southern Colorado is easily missed if you don't know where to… more
web only
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Confessions of an Economic Hitman
I'll admit it: I used to admire John McCain. To paraphrase the UFO poster from "The X Files," I… more
web only
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The Upside of Nationalism
America-first fervor could be the driving force behind economic populism more
vol. 32, iss. 04
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The Clinton Firewall
The New York Senator's last-ditch efforts to win the Democratic nomination could rely on the "Race Chasm" and the trampling of democracy. more
vol. 32, iss. 05
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Is Wright Right About Racism?
Since the 1960s, bigotry has undergone an aesthetic makeover. Today, the most pernicious racists do not wear pointy hoods,… more
web only
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New Housing Crisis, Old Isms
The Federal Reserve Bank's decision last week to address the housing crisis by extending $200 billion of taxpayer-financed credit… more
web only
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Remembering What Nixon Learned
A half century ago, Richard Nixon spearheaded his party's national congressional campaign in the face of a recession like… more
web only
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Hope in the Time of NAFTA
Reading articles about Hillary Clinton attacking NAFTA can lead you to believe The Onion has taken over America's news… more
web only
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The New Permanent Campaign
In 1976, a young political consultant named Patrick Caddell sent a memo to Jimmy Carter telling the president-elect to… more
web only
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A Trade Transformation
When it came to sex, Bill Clinton made us debate the definition of "is." Now, when it comes to… more
web only
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It’s Also the Congress, Stupid
Empowering Capitol Hill progressives is just as important as presidental campaign platforms. more
vol. 32, iss. 03
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The Candidate of the Permanent Will
To the consternation of news bureaus, political consulting firms and has-been politicians, the Wall Street Journal's poll last month… more
web only
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The Democrats’ Class War
For all the hype about generational and gender wars in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, we have a class… more
web only
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Rocky Mountain Realities
When I told my East Coast friends a few years ago that I was going to live in Montana,… more
web only
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The Stimulus Swindle
"Stimulus" -- you've probably heard this nebulous, scientific-sounding word this week. Every politician suddenly wants economic "stimulus," and wants… more
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