The 10 Most Important AlterNet Articles That You Missed in 2006

Here were the big stories from 2006 that AlterNet published that didn't get the readership they deserved.

10. What the War on Terror Has Done to Texas

By Mary Jo McConahay, Texas Observer

The number of National Guard expected to serve on the border in the next two years will reach into the tens of thousands. Yet Bush insists, "The United States is not going to militarize the southern border."

9. How Much Is That Dog Dress in the Window

By Stan Cox, AlterNet

This Christmas, America's pets will be tearing open $5 billion worth of presents, making them luxury consumers in their own right.

8. Wind Power Is Energy for Optimists

By Charles Komanoff, Orion Magazine

Is fossil fuels for pessimists? Acceptance of wind farms could be our generation's way of avowing our love for the next.

7. How Environmental Pollutants Are Causing Reproductive Problems

By Molly M. Ginty, Women's eNews

Across the U.S., female animals exposed to toxic chemicals are suffering from a flurry of health problems, from shrunken ovaries to spontaneous abortions. What does this mean for female humans?

6. Justice for A Genocide, in Book Form

By John Dolan, The eXile

A decade after the 'lessons learned' of World War II, British colonizers slaughtered at least 300,000 in Kenya. Only now has the first serious history been published detailing the crimes.

5. The Hard Truth About Suicide Bombers

By Nichole Argo, AlterNet

Though many Americans assume otherwise, most suicide bombers are not poor, violent Muslims, as explained in this special report from MIT's Center for International Studies.

4. The Byline Gender Gap

By Ann Friedman, AlterNet

It's time for progressive editors to stop paying lip service to the idea of gender parity and start making some real changes.

3. America's Eating Disorder

By Krista Walton, LA CityBeat

The author of 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' discusses how we demonize food, eat too much corn, and read too much 'grocery lit.'

2. Tavis Smiley: America's Next Media Mogul

By Amy Alexander, The NationTavis Smiley has a bestselling book, a popular website and successful talk shows. What's next for this "modern-day cross between Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr."?

1. Iraq: A Shocking Waste of Money

By Matthew Yglesias, The American Prospect

Forget those early estimates about the cost of our failed war in Iraq; the final tally is likely to be over $1 trillion.