Throw the Reactionary Rulers of Iran onto History's Rubbish Heap
Nearly all of the world’s people, who are overwhelmingly wage laborers and peasants, endure oppression. Of course, societies vary considerably in both the degree and openness of this oppression. Sweden is no doubt a less repressive nation than is the United States, and the latter is less coercive than is Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, the lot… | more |
A Nation of Immigrants: Part Two
Since the publication of Part One of this post a few days ago, President Obama has decided not to nominate immigrant-rights advocate and attorney, Thomas Saenz, to head the Civil Rights division of the Justice Department. Saenz is currently Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa’s chief legal advisor, and he has a long history of commitment… | more |
A Nation of Immigrants: Part One
Every night on CNN, Lou Dobbs bashes immigrants. No matter what the subject, he manages to turn it into a horror story about the evils of people he calls “illegal aliens.” They steal; they cheat; they use drugs; they murder innocent people; they transmit diseases; they have filthy habits; they take jobs from decent hardworking… | more |
Michael Steele is a Nitwit and Wolf Blitzer is a Jackass
Economic ignorance is widespread in the United States. People think they know something about the subject, but few do. My mother is convinced that China is the cause of all our economic problems. When I challenge her, she doesn’t think it matters that I have spent forty years studying and teaching the dismal science. If… | more |
Note: Parts of this are taken from the new edition of my book, Why Unions Matter, which will be published by Monthly Review Press next month. Labor unions have been on the ropes in the United States for many years. In 2007, union density (the share of employed workers in unions) was around 12… | more |
[Note: This first appeared in Counterpunch at http://www.counterpunch.org/yates10102007.html. It is based upon a story in the book.] Alan Greenspan’s new memoir has put his tenure as Federal Reserve chairman on the hot seat, as critics ask whether he bears responsibility for the housing bubble and for his failure to vocally reject the Bush tax cuts.… | more |