Stories by Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the new book, "Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow." (Wiley, March 2008) He publishes the monthly "Hightower Lowdown," co-edited by Phillip Frazer. subscribe to Jim Hightower's feed

A Labor Day Call to Arms

Posted on: Aug 28, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Labor day is not some vague tribute to men and women who labor. Rather, it's a radically democratic declaration of the intent to build and sustain a middle class in America.

Thieves in High Places

Posted on: Aug 24, 2003, Source: AlterNet

We've been able to hold our diverse and sprawling country together over the decades because of one thing -- our people's ingrained belief in America's democratic values of fairness, justice, and opportunity for all.

Does Wal-Mart Need More Power

Posted on: Aug 24, 2003, Source: AlterNet

An awfully ugly little bill is quietly squirming its way through the congressional machinery -- a bill that would be devastating for small business, consumers, and our communities. It's the "National Bank of Wal-Mart" bill.

Living In a Kleptocrat Nation

Posted on: Aug 20, 2003, Source: Texas Observer

The essence of democracy -- our power to control decisions that affect us -- has steadily and quietly been pilfered by corporate Kleptocrats.

Flag Hucksters

Posted on: Aug 18, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Slap a picture of Old Glory on it, and I'll bet some people would buy frozen vials of Mad Cow disease.

The Modern Monopolist in Our Midst

Posted on: Aug 18, 2003, Source: AlterNet

We must diligently work to free the market of conniving monopolists who try to lock it down and rule like autocrats.

They Love Me, They Really Love Me

Posted on: Aug 11, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Well, imagine my surprise to get a personal letter from Dick Cheney.

Bush Plays Games with Layoffs

Posted on: Aug 11, 2003, Source: AlterNet

I recently talked with a hospital worker who said she was living on a "fixed income" these days -- and she's looking for whoever fixed it!

Greasing the Skids for Corporate Welfare

Posted on: Aug 4, 2003, Source: AlterNet

For Boeing Inc., it was a steal of a deal, wrapped in the flag and delivered on a silver platter.

GOP Goes from Ironic to Intimidation

Posted on: Aug 4, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Apparently the Bushites think that "Irony" is the name of a far off planet, for they never seem able to see it in their own work.

A Wilting Bush

Posted on: Jul 27, 2003, Source: AlterNet

The bloom is fading on the rose -- the rose being the carefully tended image of our boy Bush, whose professional handlers are constantly fertilizing, misting, polishing, and arranging him for public display.

Bringing in the Clowns

Posted on: Jul 27, 2003, Source: AlterNet

As we keep learning, the antidote to progress in America... is congress.

Bush the "Warrior"

Posted on: Jul 21, 2003, Source: AlterNet

George W's chest-thumping, "Me Big Chief" schtick has gone from laughable to pathetic... to dangerous.

Nike on Trial

Posted on: Jul 21, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Nike's assertion that corporations have the right to lie will be argued in court in a case brought by a lone consumer activist.

Dishonoring America's Troops

Posted on: Jul 14, 2003, Source: AlterNet

There should be a medal for some of our top officials who also are so richly deserving of public recognition in times of war: The Dishonorable Badge of High-ranking Hypocrisy.

George, The Truth Deflector

Posted on: Jul 14, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Even if you're a Bush backer, you have to admit he's never going to win the Little George Washington "I-cannot-tell-a-fib" award.

A Very Exclusive Gold Card

Posted on: Jul 7, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Well, it seems my friend and Marc Racicot have become regular political pen pals.

Teaching Commercialism

Posted on: Jul 7, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Why send kids to the farm when we can send them to Petco, the national chain that sells animals to kids?

A Peek Into Congressional Corruption

Posted on: Jun 30, 2003, Source: AlterNet

How do you get your congressman to pay attention to your concerns? Just write your request on the back of a big campaign check.

Whatever Happened to Corporate Reform?

Posted on: Jun 30, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Hoo boy, we're really teaching those high-flying, finagling CEOs a lesson in corporate ethics, aren't we?

The Stupidity of Federal Drug Policy

Posted on: Jun 22, 2003, Source: AlterNet

The authoritarian Ashcroft is on a prosecutorial crusade against California and the eight other states that have passed medical marijuana laws.

Leave No Hummer Owner Behind

Posted on: Jun 22, 2003, Source: AlterNet

The millionaire class will enjoy an average of about $93,000 a year from Uncle Sugar after George W's tax giveaway.

A Loophole for Busting High-Tech Wages

Posted on: Jun 16, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Once again, we're offered a sterling example of the incredible ingenuity of big American corporations -- outfits that never cease to amaze with their clever ability to stiff their own employees.

The FCC's Rape of the Public Interest

Posted on: Jun 16, 2003, Source: AlterNet

The FCC action was reglulatory rape, stripping the belt off and ripping apart the rules that protect our public airwaves from monopoly control.

The Rewards of Mediocrity

Posted on: Jun 9, 2003, Source: AlterNet

The rules are different for those at the top. If you're a CEO, a fifteen percent loss in profit could win you a 150 percent pay raise.

Beating the Bush for Healthcare

Posted on: Jun 9, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Tucked into Bush's massive giveaway to the Wall Street crowd is a little something that will help folks from our streets.

The Horror of Double Taxation

Posted on: Jun 2, 2003, Source: AlterNet

George W has looked around the country, surveyed the growing economic woes of our people, and reached this compassionate conclusion: The rich are hurting.

Invasion of the Privacy Snatchers

Posted on: Jun 2, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Thanks to a little known law that congress passed four years ago financial institutions now can share all of your personal data.

The Power Grab for Our Public Airwaves

Posted on: May 25, 2003, Source: AlterNet

You've got to love the Bushite's orchestration of Orwellian wordplay when they issue new edicts to gut the public interest.

Our Lying President

Posted on: May 25, 2003, Source: AlterNet

What a Wonderland World it is in Washington! Wrong can be right, down can be up, a lie can be truth -- all because the president says it's so.

The Tinhorn President

Posted on: May 19, 2003, Source: AlterNet

George W spared no expense in putting together an ad for his upcoming election campaign. Unfortunately, he stuck us taxpayers with the bill.

Mccarthyism Redux

Posted on: May 19, 2003, Source: AlterNet

To know where we're going, it helps to pause, look back, and see if we've been down this path before.

Bush's Tax Crackdown

Posted on: May 12, 2003, Source: AlterNet

At last, the IRS, prodded by the Bush White House and Republicans in congress, is cracking down on tax cheats!

Bringing Pollution Right to Your Table

Posted on: May 12, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Not only is pollution nasty and deadly, but it's also a spoiled-brat kind of substance that just won't stay put.

Shredding Ashcroft

Posted on: May 5, 2003, Source: AlterNet

One of the most inspiring — and unexpected — sources of resistance to Ashcroft’s wild schemes is America’s librarians.

The Shameful Greed Of Airline Ceos

Posted on: May 5, 2003, Source: AlterNet

As the airline industry continues to sink into the muck, CEOs are raking in salary bonuses while slicing employee wages and benefits.

The Return of the Taliban

Posted on: Apr 28, 2003, Source: AlterNet

They're back. The Taliban. Remember them -- the repressive and murderous regime of religous fanatics that ruled Afghanistan and shielded Osama bin Laden?

Ashcroft's Latest Assault on Liberty

Posted on: Apr 28, 2003, Source: AlterNet

"Jumping Johnnie" Ashcroft, the loopiest and spookiest attorney general of all time (and that's really saying something), never lets up.

Flying the Corporate Colors

Posted on: Apr 21, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Oh what a wicked web of deceit is weaved by corporations promoting their global brands in an area of global unrest!

The Internal Assault on America

Posted on: Apr 21, 2003, Source: AlterNet

Under the insanity of our brave new BushWorld, the most innocent of people are treated as criminal and the most innocent of acts produces a Code-Red rush of police-state tactics.

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