Author Archives: David S. Meyer

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About David S. Meyer

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

Crisis and opportunities: Superstorm Sandy and climate change

Posted on November 1, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Catastrophes can be opportunities for activists prepared to exploit them.  Hurricane Sandy looks like a good chance for climate change activists to put their concerns on a national political agenda that has been incredibly inhospitable.  Their challenge is to attach … Continue reading →

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Calm before the storm

Posted on October 29, 2012 by David S. Meyer

While Hurricane Sandy slowly approaches, climate change activists appeared in Times Square, holding the parachute above.  It wasn’t a huge turnout, of course, but New York City is basically shut down, including Wall Street and the Subway system. Linking a … Continue reading →

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Students are revolting: school lunches

Posted on October 17, 2012 by David S. Meyer

With the help of a sympathetic teacher, students at Wallace County High School in Sharon Springs, Kansas, produced the video above.  They say, in a much more entertaining way than I will, that they’re not getting enough food to live … Continue reading →

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Strikes without unions: Walmart

Posted on October 12, 2012 by David S. Meyer

Workers (“associates” to their employers) have walked off the job at several Walmarts sprawled across the United States.  The workers at Walmart, like most workers in retail, and most workers in the private sector, and most workers in the United … Continue reading →

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Protesting the debates

Posted on October 3, 2012 by David S. Meyer

The frame of political discussion in the United States has steadily narrowed over the past year, as the election has crowded out attention for almost anything else.  Tonight the scope of politics will be limited to a small stage in … Continue reading →

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Global campaigns to surround parliaments

Posted on September 29, 2012 by David S. Meyer

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)

Posted on September 28, 2012 by David S. Meyer

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

Posted on September 27, 2012 by David S. Meyer

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

Posted on September 23, 2012 by David S. Meyer

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

Posted on September 21, 2012 by David S. Meyer

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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