by Elaheh Farmand I came to America 21 years ago with rose-colored glasses,a suitcase of memories,and my mother’s dreams unfolded. I came to Americawith little Englishand a lot of bitterness becauseour struggle as new immigrantsembarrassed me. But I came with hopeand from my mother,I learned that I was lucky,privileged,fortunateto be livingthe American … [Read more...] about This Freedom
democracy
FYI: ‘Stuff, Wealth, and the End of Democracy’
An economy based on expansion and consumerism is destructive to humanity and the planet's environmental health, and the greed that drives globalization and capitalism is also driving the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, yet another 'free trade agreement' that has a little to do with trade & is destructive of freedom & democracy. Some excellent articles — all well … [Read more...] about FYI: ‘Stuff, Wealth, and the End of Democracy’
FYI: Capitalism, Financialism, & Democracy
Here are some recent news articles and blog posts that are 'must read' if you're concerned about the extent to which unregulated capitalism & financialization of the economy are strongly anti-democratic: The Next American Revolution Has Already Begun (interview with Gar Alperovitz) Capitalism in Crisis: Opportunity for a new System, by Margaret Flowers & Kevin … [Read more...] about FYI: Capitalism, Financialism, & Democracy
FYI: Whistleblowers for democracy [UPDATED]
The mainstream media seem to parrot the government line that whistleblowers are a threat to national security. [In reality, they are only a threat to the corrupt officials who are the real threat to our nation.] Why the Ruling Class Is So Upset About Edward Snowden, by Gary Leupp on CounterpunchThe Anti-Empire Report #118, by William BlumEdward Snowden: Profile in Courage, … [Read more...] about FYI: Whistleblowers for democracy [UPDATED]
Ted Morgan: From Occupation to Democratization
From Occupy Wall Street to Occupy (Everywhere) Together and now to Saturday’s Global Occupation protests, the protest moment has spread like wildfire. For me, this brings to mind the way a four-student sit-in at the Woolworths’ lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina grew and spread rapidly until, in two short months, over sixty southern cities were experiencing student … [Read more...] about Ted Morgan: From Occupation to Democratization
Two Republicans Who Saw the Danger
Among the many Republican presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower anticipated the current self-reinforcing aggregation of wealth and power to corporations and the already-wealthy. In 1864, in a letter to William F. Elkins, Lincoln wrote: “As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power … [Read more...] about Two Republicans Who Saw the Danger
Class Warfare in Madison WI
by Gary Olson — Describing what's happening in Madison, Wisconsin as class warfare is neither an exaggeration nor meant to be inflammatory. It's simply a fact. The financial elite who run this country are seeking to solve the financial crisis on the backs of middle income, public sector workers, especially unionized ones. Only 11.9 percent of all workers are organized and … [Read more...] about Class Warfare in Madison WI
Why Students’ Rights Are So Important
Although some schools act as if the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to students in school, the Supreme Court of the U.S. has made clear that it does apply. In many schools right here in the Lehigh Valley, students are denied the right to hand out leaflets, to wear clothing that expresses their opinions, to form clubs, and even to wear their hair as they please. In some cases, the … [Read more...] about Why Students’ Rights Are So Important
Students’ Rights in Pennsylvania
Lehigh ValleyThe U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions guarantee certain rights, and most of them apply to students in public schools. The Pennsylvania School Code and the federal Equal Access Act spell out some additional rights for public-school students. For instance, students have the right to: Wear clothing, armbands, and buttons that express their views, even if they are … [Read more...] about Students’ Rights in Pennsylvania
Electronic Voting Machines
Some thoughts on what is needed to ensure the integrity of our votes if computerized equipment is used: 1. Open source code – Computer code in any machine used to record, count, or total votes should be available for examination and analysis by election officials and any qualified person. Secret 'proprietary' code cannot be permitted in any machine used to record, count, or … [Read more...] about Electronic Voting Machines