Stories by David Sirota

David Sirota is the author of the best-selling books Hostile Takeover and The Uprising. He hosts the morning show on AM760 in Colorado and blogs at OpenLeft.com. E-mail him at ds@davidsirota.com or follow him on Twitter @davidsirota. subscribe to David Sirota's feed

America's Dirty, Global War on Journalists

Posted on: Jun 28, 2013, Source: AlterNet

Worst of all, Obama is being aided by a cadre of high-profile Benedict Arnolds within the media itself.

Get Rid of Your Cable TV Package Now!

Posted on: Jun 3, 2013, Source: Salon

I was afraid, too. Then I cut the cord, saved a ton and can still watch whatever I want. Here's how to do it.

How Dropping the Draft Helped to Turn America Into a Militaristic State

Posted on: May 9, 2013, Source: AlterNet

In the absence of conscription, dissent - if it exists at all - becomes a low-grade affair (an email, a petition, etc.) but not the kind of serious movement required to compel change.

Time to Stop White-Knuckling It -- America Opens Up on Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Posted on: Feb 28, 2013, Source: AlterNet

The growing acceptance and lack of public prejudice shown to people with anxiety disorders will make it easier for people suffering in silence to seek help.

Could a Black Director Have Made 'Django'?

Posted on: Dec 28, 2012, Source: Salon

Tarantino's daring film would have been received differently by the media -- or never made -- if he wasn't white.

Forget Politics, Here Are 10 Things That Really Divide Americans

Posted on: Jun 29, 2012, Source: Salon

Americans aren't as divided over politics as the pundits say. But they disagree on everything else.

Big Food's Latest Ploy to Get Richer While Making Americans Fatter

Posted on: Jun 19, 2012, Source: Salon

Fast food restaurants lead "fourth meal" campaign.

5 Ways to Make America Less Fat

Posted on: May 16, 2012, Source: Salon

As relentless as the obesity crisis appears to be, its expansion doesn’t have to be a foregone conclusion.

America's Recent Gifts to the World: Guns and Obesity

Posted on: May 11, 2012, Source: AlterNet

These days, America has two favorite new exports: firearms and obesity.

Can Beer Save America?

Posted on: May 9, 2012, Source: Salon

How the battle between the macrobrew behemoths and the craftbrew insurgents reflects a path for America's troubled economy.

The Politics of Sight: If Seeing is Believing, Would Revealing America's Violent Truths Change Americans?

Posted on: Apr 27, 2012, Source: AlterNet

The Wild Hypocrisy of America's Conservative Christians

Posted on: Apr 20, 2012, Source: AlterNet

In Britain, the devout tend to be economic progressives. Why have American Christians embraced social Darwinism?

10 Most Obscene Lifestyles Choices of America's 1% Elite

Posted on: Mar 21, 2012, Source: Salon

Complaining about having to do their own dishes, or bragging about $800,000 car garages, the 1 percenters are all but screaming “let them eat cake” from the ramparts.

A Welcome Return to Basic Decency?

Posted on: Mar 14, 2012, Source: Nation of Change

Has America finally had its fill of bloviating right-wing hate talkers? It's possible that time has come.

5 Things Corporations Are Trying to Hide From You

Posted on: Mar 14, 2012, Source: Salon

These are but a few of many examples of a larger corporate opposition to basic disclosure.

Are we Afraid to Change Ourselves? Why Destructive Overconsumption is Still a Positive Norm in America

Posted on: Jan 27, 2012, Source: Creators.com

Are Ron Paul Supporters Bigots? Maybe Not, Says Sirota

Posted on: Jan 19, 2012, Source: AlterNet

The 2012 presidential campaign is inadvertently shining a light on our highly selective definition of bigotry.

"Daddy, What's a Union?" 10 Words Our Kids May Not Recognize

Posted on: Jan 6, 2012, Source: AlterNet

What will concepts like "civil liberties," "unions," and even "democracy" mean to our kids?

Christmas -- ’Tis The Season of Right-Wing Blowhards and Their Faux-Outrage Machine

Posted on: Dec 23, 2011, Source: AlterNet

That right-wingers feel the need to push their faith with such craven tactics in the non-existant "war on Christmas" speaks volumes about the nature of spiritual self-doubt.

Why Many Evangelical Christians Are More "Un-American" Than US Muslims

Posted on: Nov 29, 2011, Source: Salon

A new poll suggests that American Christians (unlike Muslims) are likely to put their faith before their country.

Why Do Young Voters Love Ron Paul?

Posted on: Nov 28, 2011, Source: Salon

It's not because they're potheads. It's because they're sick of America's militaristic misadventures.

GOP Hits Shameless New Extremes to Protect Interests of Wealthy at the Expense of Everyone Else

Posted on: Nov 15, 2011, Source: Salon

From Iraq to OWS, Republicans are going to increasingly absurd measures to protect the wealthy.

Up with Chris Hayes: TV that Deserves the Name "Journalism"

Posted on: Oct 30, 2011, Source: Salon

Chris Hayes' new show on MSNBC provides a rare space for the expansive, non-partisan debates we need

Study: Wealthy Stockbrokers More Dangerous Than Psychopaths

Posted on: Oct 6, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The findings are a reminder of why now -- more than ever -- we must refuse to succumb to political apathy and laissez-faire demagoguery.

10 Things That Would Enrage the Right-Wing if They Were Introduced Now

Posted on: Sep 28, 2011, Source: Salon

Welcome to America at the edge of insanity, where even the most innocuous items are now considered diabolical threats to the culture.

White Liberals Have Cooled on Obama -- Does Race Have Anything to Do With It?

Posted on: Sep 27, 2011, Source: The Nation and Salon

Melissa Harris-Perry argues that we're seeing a "more subtle form of racism." But David Sirota counters that it's not racism but Obama's right-wing policies that are to blame.

American Idiocy: Binge Drinking A-OK, Zero Tolerance on Pot

Posted on: Sep 18, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We sell college students a destructive ethos that encourages them to party hard—but only with alcohol, a substance that is far more toxic than marijuana.

China's Making Everything in the US From Bridges to Civil Rights Memorials: That's a Huge Problem and China's Not to Blame

Posted on: Sep 4, 2011, Source: AlterNet

The Chinese invasion tells us the true problem is that America is no longer willing or able to invest in its own future.

White Privilege, Race and the Church of Denialism

Posted on: Aug 29, 2011, Source: www.DavidSirota.com

How Tofurky and Fake Bacon Actually Glorify Meat-Eating

Posted on: Aug 18, 2011, Source: AlterNet

It's not the meat industry advertising that makes it hard to raise a vegetarian kid--it's the vegetarian products themselves.

The Real Reason Big Macs Are Cheaper Than More Nutritious Alternatives

Posted on: Jul 15, 2011, Source: Salon

No, we can't blame this on Whole Foods. Healthy food is not inherently more expensive -- it all comes down to government subsidies.

Has America Become a Corporate Police State?

Posted on: Jun 2, 2011, Source: AlterNet

In just the last few years, the Corporate Police State has reared its head at every level of government.

Turning the Camera: Why Are Cops Allowed to Film Citizens, But Citizens Not Allowed to Film Police Brutality?

Posted on: May 20, 2011, Source: AlterNet

As more police officers use cameras to monitor our every move, they're discovering the power of video -- and they don't want it turned against them.

Time to Stop Giving Men a Free Pass at Being Overweight

Posted on: May 5, 2011, Source: AlterNet

Obesity can be a serious health risk but our culture only focuses on women's weight and yet men are more likely to be overweight.

IKEA Joins the Race To the Bottom With Its Treatment of U.S. Workers

Posted on: Apr 14, 2011, Source: AlterNet

A new report exposes racial discrimination, workplace mistreatment and union-busting by IKEA.

Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now

Posted on: Mar 25, 2011, Source: Ballantine Books

In his new book, David Sirota examines how '80s propaganda led us to reject the past and ultimately embrace the capitalistic future planned out for us.

6 Sadistic State Laws Conservatives Are Trying to Ram Through

Posted on: Mar 21, 2011, Source: AlterNet

We’re talking about true legislative sadists looking to go medieval on America.

5 '80s Flicks That Shaped the Way We See Our World

Posted on: Mar 1, 2011, Source: Huffington Post

Pop culture 30 years ago defined the way we think about progressive -- and not so progressive -- issues today.

Cutesy GEICO Gecko's Ad Fight Is a Deeply Disturbing Symbol of Our Economic Decline

Posted on: Dec 23, 2010, Source: AlterNet

The never-ending throwdown between GEICO and Progressive Insurance's virtual shills represents the worst of the imbalances in our economic system.

3 Reasons Right-Wing Lies About Joblessness Stick

Posted on: Dec 17, 2010, Source: Truthdig

Why do people keep insisting that unemployment has nothing to do with structural economic forces or rigged public policies and everything to do with individual motivation?

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