The ability to learn from past mistakes, think with subtlety and nuance, and understand current events as a complexity of forces always in flux is an attribute voters should look for in all political candidates.
When the infamous superhawk repudiated Likud's 'Greater Israel' fantasy, was he pragmatically acknowledging reality or cynically manipulating world opinion?
In 1969, an anti-war demonstration in Washington drew more than half a million protesters and had a profound effect on government policy. A huge turnout at Saturday’s demonstrations could have a similar effect.
Some Democrats have spoken out against the war, but only as individual dissidents rather than leaders of the opposition. Time has come for Democrats to speak as one.
In the pantheon of founding fathers, John Adams is the least appreciated. But this forgotten President was one of our country's great visionaries, a brave and incorruptible public servant.
While symbolically important, the McCain-Feingold Bill does very little to alter the system of legalized bribery by which political candidates get elected.
Posted on Jun 27, 2000, Source: Brattleboro Reformer
One of America's most delightful myths is that Louis Armstrong was born on July 4th, 1900. It's not true, but the myth speaks volumes about Louis's place in American culture.
Posted on May 26, 2000, Source: Brattleboro Reformer
Corporate America spent big to get the House of Representatives give China most favored nation trading status. But with a growing coalition opposing unfettered free trade, the battle over China will continue.
Posted on May 19, 2000, Source: Brattleboro Reformer
Proponents of free trade make good arguments in favor of granting China permanent normal trade relation status. At least they sound good until you look at the historical record.
"The reason why a rise in the minimum wage is difficult to pass and a liveable wage is still a pipe dream for millions of working Americans is not because of economic theory. It's because of campaign contributions and that good old-fashioned conservative value -- greed."
"The fatal shooting of African immigrant Amadou Diallo was clearly a case of racial profiling. But the police neither invented racism nor set the conditions in which it flourishes. As individuals, the four police officers are probably no more or less racist than anybody else. In the assumption behind their racial profiling, they reflect society and represent all of us."
