Monthly Archives: March 2011

Beck and Piven IV: Is Anyone Marginal Anymore?

We’ve got separate updates to report on Glenn Beck, pundit, and Frances Fox Piven, professor, that throw some light on the nature of American politics and culture. Of course, we’ve covered some of the background on their disturbing and antagonistic … Continue reading

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Cesar Chavez Day

On my campus, we commemorated Cesar Chavez Day early, yesterday, rather than March 31 (his birthday), by closing.  The state established the holiday in 2000, and six other states have followed suit.  In California, the legislature calls upon public schools … Continue reading

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Tipping Points and a “No Fly Zone” in Libya

The Arab Spring has played out differently in each country in which it appeared, largely a function of just who is willing to defect from supporting the regime and throw in with the dissidents.  In Egypt, the military was willing … Continue reading

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Where’s the Peace Movement: The Problem of Urgency, Exhibit B

Antiwar activists have had a hard time agreeing on goals and strategies and commanding public attention.  This is striking, particularly when President Obama has just engaged American military forces in action in Libya, while the wars continue in Iraq and … Continue reading

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GLBT Fundraising Falters: The Problem of Urgency, Exhibit A

It was a good year for the gay and lesbian movement.  The last few years have included policy victories: the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in the military, a few favorable court decisions, and the institution of same sex … Continue reading

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Global Antinuclear Revival

No nuclear plant outside Japan is less safe today than it was before the horrific earthquake/tsunami combination that unleashed an unfolding nuclear nightmare in Japan. But the accidents in Japan underscore the risks of planning only for crises that might … Continue reading

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Out of the (Sesame) Street and into the Capitol

The Sesame Street cast and crew appeared in Washington DC yesterday, to lobby against cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The House has already voted to zero out the appropriation, which totals about $420 million dollars. Although that’s a … Continue reading

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Nuclear Power and Protest

The continuing disaster in Japan hasn’t closed the nuclear debate in the United States, even as many national political figures, including President Barack Obama, have been trying to invigorate the nuclear power industry. This is a social movement story. In … Continue reading

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On Wisconsin: After Defeat, Activists Pick New Arenas

When a door closes, start trying the windows.  A defeat in Wisconsin has spurred a new wave of activism, and advocates have turned their attention beyond the state senate. In the United States, when activists lose a battle in one … Continue reading

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Investigating Religions: Congress, Muslims, and Terror

I’m deeply troubled by the hearings in the House of Representatives that opened today, “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response.”  Initiated by Representative Peter King, a Republican from Long Island, it’s hard to … Continue reading

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