AltWeeklies Wire
Bless Our Dronesnew
The drone operator, typically a high school graduate from Marion, Ind., sits safely on the ground in a control module somewhere in Australia; he looks at a screen and flies the drone with a gaming handset similar to what he uses to play Mario Bros.
Weekly Alibi |
Alex Limkin |
12-15-2009 |
Commentary
Medical Necessities: What's So Terrible About Rationing Health Care?new
I agree that the rich should pay more to support the health care of those who have less. But taxes won't cover it all. There will be rationing. Indeed, there should be rationing -- also known as rational choosing between interventions that are needed and those that are only wanted; those that justify the risks and costs and those that don't.
Seven Days |
Judith Levine |
12-09-2009 |
Commentary
A Begrudging Admiration of Las Vegasnew
It’s a strange economic model that has fascinated a number of contemporary American writers, from Hunter Thompson to Marc Cooper. Las Vegas is an obvious morality story all about capitalism, exploitation, human nature, and, of course sin and religion. The town was created by Jewish mafioso, then the Mormons took over for a while, and now others are moving in. Mormons may be the most conservative of all religion, certainly socially, yet Vegas is proud of the fact that your secrets are safe in Sin City. Not being a Mormon, I can’t imagine how they reconcile themselves to their adopted city.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
12-03-2009 |
Commentary
Ideologues Take Full Advantage of America's Amnesia About Tom Painenew
"The idea that Glenn Beck and others whose ideas are opposite to Paine's have adopted him to distort his ideas is extremely disturbing, but not surprising," writes Alaine Lowell, executive director of the Thomas Paine Society.
Pasadena Weekly |
Kevin Uhrich |
11-16-2009 |
Commentary
Why is the Political Settlement in Honduras a Big Win for Americans?new
It's harder to justify your existence as a bulwark against U.S. bullying when the U.S. has quit acting like a bully.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Andisheh Nouraee |
11-10-2009 |
Commentary
Politics are Crippling California's Services to the Disablednew
In addition to being a lifeline for needy disabled Californians, the state Department of Social Services' In-Home Supportive Services program is a cash cow for Democrats. The program's political status has made it a target for Republicans, who characterize it as a bastion of fraud and corruption, and thus ripe for $1.1 billion in cuts.
SF Weekly |
Matt Smith |
10-28-2009 |
Commentary
The Manipulations and Media Machine Behind the Assault on Progressive Ideasnew
The right-wing commentators' success lies partly in their ability to harness core human emotions such as paranoia or envy, says Bryant Welch, a clinical psychologist, author, and expert on political manipulation.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Rebecca Bowe and Sarah Phelan |
10-22-2009 |
Commentary
A Different Kind of Reality TV is Keeping Health Care Reform Alivenew
I'm optimistic -- uncharacteristically -- that something good might come of the great debate on health care legislation. If it does, it will because the people -- and their real stories -- will rule.
Arkansas Times |
Max Brantley |
10-22-2009 |
Commentary
As 2010 Senate Race Draws Near, the Health Care Debate Reminds Us Why Primaries Matternew
Joe Lieberman might have veto power over health reform. Establishment Democrats might remember that when they support Arlen Specter over progressive challenger Joe Sestak in 2010.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Brendan Skwire |
10-19-2009 |
Commentary
How the Nuclear Double Standard Endangers Us Allnew
As long as the U.S. and other nuclear powers hypocritically uphold a double standard in which we claim nuclear weapons are essential for our national security, but other nations such as Iran are not allowed to make this claim, we are probably in a losing struggle for the cause of disarmament
Pasadena Weekly |
John Grula |
10-19-2009 |
Commentary
Analyzing the Media's Lazy Reporting on ACORNnew
The current causus belli is ACORN's alleged promotion of voter registration fraud and voter fraud during the 2008 election campaign. That continuing assault and news media complicity are the subjects of an independent media study by Peter Dreier and Christopher Martin.
Cincinnati CityBeat |
Ben L. Kaufman |
10-16-2009 |
Commentary
Wallowing in Pessimismnew
Sometimes I feel as if we are starting to relive the narrative told in the pages of William Shirer's, The Rise and Fall of the The Third Reich.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
10-09-2009 |
Commentary
Why We Need a Public Optionnew
I'm not so naive as to think any government bureaucracy will get it all right. But a public option will change the playing field so that the patients -- the American citizens -- get a fair break.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Dr. James Kahn |
09-28-2009 |
Commentary
Afghanistan War Promises Victory So Glorious We Never Shall Winnew
The old joke says that since 2003, U.S. soldiers have been between Iraq and a hard place. With a sanctioned Iraqi withdrawal underway at last, our troops are now in the hard place. It's no joke.
Birmingham Weekly |
Courtney Haden |
09-24-2009 |
Commentary
Why Jerusalem Mattersnew
It is not a stretch to say that much, perhaps most, of the vague distemper that arose and exploded around health care this summer can be traced pretty directly to the failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Arkansas Times |
Ernest Dumas |
09-24-2009 |
Commentary
