Monthly Archives: September 2012

Global campaigns to surround parliaments

We saw the reemergence of broad and disruptive anti-austerity protests in Greece and Spain this week.  Although the causes of fiscal crisis and dramatically increased borrowing costs in the two countries, the proposed remedy from Europe was the same: strict … Continue reading

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Perils on the journey from activist to elected official (Akin edition)

Rightwing Watch is promoting a video of Representative Todd Akin, Republican candidate for Missouri’s US Senate seat, acknowledging an arrest long ago for his ongoing efforts against abortion.  Here’s the video that’s everywhere at the moment: I doubt that many … Continue reading

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Policing police at Davis

Nearly a year after a campus police office at the University of California pepper sprayed students nonviolently protesting against tuition hikes–under the banner of Occupy–the University has reached a settlement with the students.  The LA Times reports that the police … Continue reading

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Celebrities of all sorts extend Pussy Riot

When Aung San Suu Kyi visited Washington, DC last week to pick up the Congressional Gold Medal, she made time to meet not only with the president, Secretary of State, and leaders of Congress, but also the husband and child … Continue reading

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Anti-Occupy demonstration in New York is tiny

Anti-Occupy protesters turned up outside Rockefeller Center yesterday, demonstrating against those who would speak for the 99 percent.  The rally was organized by Americans for Prosperity, which was founded–and substantially funded–by the Koch brothers.  AFP was one of the most … Continue reading

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Is Occupy one?

I mean: is Occupy now one year old?  Is it still around?  Is it unified? A year ago on September 17, the Occupation of Zuccotti Park began, with a beautiful poster and far less participation and promise than it soon … Continue reading

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Arab Fall

To paraphrase the old Boston politician, revolution ain’t beanbag.  The wave of revolutionary action across the Middle East and North Africa about a year and a half ago captured the imagination of democratic reformers around the world.  But it wasn’t … Continue reading

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Chicago teachers, commitment and numbers

Thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of people rallied to support the Chicago Teachers Union, as its representatives moved closer to a negotiated agreement with the city that would bring them back to work–and send 350,000 students back to school. Mayor … Continue reading

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DREAMers inside and outside the Democratic convention

Benita Veliz, who apparently overstayed a tourist visa when she was eight years old, had a few minutes to address the Democratic convention from the podium.  Veliz quickly acknowledges that she has been living in the United States without legal … Continue reading

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Clint, Eva, and partisan celebrities

A counterpart to Clint Eastwood, Eva Longoria will address the Democratic Convention tonight, prior to President Obama’s speech.  Longoria has promised that there will be no empty chairs, and there’s every reason to believe that her remarks, like those of … Continue reading

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