Author Archives: David S. Meyer

Unknown's avatar

About David S. Meyer

Author and professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine

Occupy Maidan

Posted on August 1, 2014 by David S. Meyer

They’re still there.  At least some of the protesters who toppled Ukraine’s president Viktor Yanukovich months ago never left the Maidan, Kiev’s public square.  According to Steven Zeitchik’s report in this morning’s Los Angeles Times, the overwhelming majority of  the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tea Party business

Posted on June 26, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Maybe the more important story of the conservative, mostly unsuccessful, primary challenges to incumbents isn’t the few victories nor the political shifts rightward from scared legislators.   Maybe the big story is the money, millions dumped into primary campaigns by challengers … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thirty-five feet

Posted on June 26, 2014 by David S. Meyer

I used to go to a wonderful dentist whose office, on Beacon Street in Brookline, was next door to the Planned Parenthood clinic at the center of today’s Supreme Court decision.  Once, accompanied by my wife (I’m very squeamish about … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mississippi turning

Posted on June 25, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Drawing the line back from Senator Thad Cochran’s narrow victory in the Republican primary run-off to the contentious politics of the Mississippi Project fifty years earlier is a little easier than you’d think, although it’s doubtful that many of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is the Tea Party at the polls?

Posted on June 12, 2014 by David S. Meyer

A professor beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia’s 7th district’s Republican primary; pundits are competing to find the right metaphor (earthquake?).  The common capsule description is that Dave Bratt, a professor of Economics at Randolph-Macon College, represented the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Occupy Recapture on wheels

Posted on May 10, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Phil Lyman, elected a county commissioner for San Juan County in Utah, thinks that people should be able to use public land near them as they see fit.  The Federal Bureau of Land Management disagrees, at least partly. Since 2007 … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stanford, Steyer, and institutional allies

Posted on May 8, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Here’s a little wrinkle on yesterday’s news about Stanford’s coal divestment: Billionaire Tom Steyer sits on Stanford’s board of trustees; actually, he’s vice-chair.  Steyer, formerly an extremely successful hedge fund manager, has been raising money for liberal and Democratic candidates … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stanford and the Fossil Free campaign

Posted on May 7, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Stanford University announced that it would work to divest holdings in coal companies from its investment portfolio.  It’s a relatively small blow to the coal industry, which is bracing for some bigger hits soon.  It’s also a big victory for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP is not going to hold a dinner to honor Donald Sterling and Leland Spencer, as it had previously announced.  Its unpaid president, Leon Jenkins, is stepping down from his position, and the national … Continue reading →

Posted on May 2, 2014 by David S. Meyer | Leave a comment

May Day 2014

Posted on May 1, 2014 by David S. Meyer

Same as it ever was, May Day is an international day of protest for workers rights.  Below is a picture of a march in Turkey, taken from Al Jazeera, which reports on protests around the world. In the United States, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment