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Vol. 22 No. 8September 2011
Columns
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Land of the Free, Home of the Turncoats
In its nihilistic demonization of government, the right has declared war on America. -
The Bachmann Mystique
How can a woman be an avatar for an evangelical movement that argues that women must obey men?
Culture
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A Rich History and a Strange Reticence
Daniel Yergen's long-awaited follow-up to The Prize tells a ripping tale of the global energy complex, but it waffles when considering alternatives to fossil fuels. -
The Dirty Work
In their new movies, George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh capture the conflicting strains of Obama culture. -
The Public Sources of Prosperity
Alexander Field argues infrastructure spending during the Great Depression did wonders for American productivity. -
Smooth Operator
In her biography of Robert Strauss, Kathryn McGarr waxes nostalgic -- too nostalgic -- for the old days of backroom power brokers. -
A Surefire Solution
David kennedy's program for reducing urban violence is only half the equation.
Departments
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Letters
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The Commons
Zipcar and Flexcar started an economic revolution in urbanized America. But how much are we willing to share?
Special Report
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Under the Influence
Over the last decade, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has spent a huge amount to tilt state courts its way. -
Disorder in the Court
How an anti-gay-marriage campaign upended Iowa's model judiciary -
Stanching the Cash Flow
A flood of special-interest money has corrupted our courts. How can we fight back? -
Beware: Judges With a Vision
The Supreme Court's historic role has been to slow, not accelerate, social reform.
Features
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All the President's Frenemies
In publicly attacking Obama are Tavis Smiley and Cornel West upholding the tradition of MLK or acting out of personal pique—or both? -
History's Missed Moment
Why did the greatest failure of laissez-faire capitalism since the Great Depression lead to a turn to the right rather than the left in both Europe and the U.S.? -
Did the Founding Fathers Screw Up?
Gridlock in Washington is no accident. It's built into the Constitution.
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Vol. 22 No. 7August 2011
Columns
Culture
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Same As It Ever Was
American culture has not changed radically in the years since the attacks—certainly not as much as many predicted—and that may speak well of us. -
Old Frontier
Mad Men has provoked nostalgia for the 1960s -- the pre-counterculture 1960s. -
How Gun Control Got Murdered
In Gun Fight, Adam Winkler misses the point that the only way to reduce homicides is to reduce the number of handguns. -
Bubble Trouble
Departments
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A City Divided
September 11 was good for Washington, D.C.'s economy, but the expansion has not helped many on the bottom. -
Letters: Messaging Matters
Features
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Solidarity Squandered
The attacks brought us together until we let them turn us against each other -- and damn near everyone else. -
The 9/11 President
If the attacks hadn't occurred, it's impossible to imagine Barack Obama would have been elected—but the legacy of those attacks continues to burden his presidency. -
Muslim and American
Living under the shadow of 9/11 -
Extreme Measures
Since September 11, the Fourth Amendment has been eroded in ways we do not even know. The scary part is that it's going to take years to undo the damage. -
The Global Patriot Act
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Solidarity Squandered
The attacks brought us together until we let them turn us against each other -- and damn near everyone else. -
Solidarity Squandered
The September 11 attacks brought us together until we let them turn us against each other--and damn near everyone else.
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Vol. 22 No. 6June 2011
Columns
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Ever the Accused
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Debtors' Prison
Sometimes, loans simply cannot be paid. -
Discovering a Better Left
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When Your Base Is Nuts
In today's Republican Party, the truth shall set you down, and out.
Culture
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Imagining Malcolm X
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How They Wrecked the Economy
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The Manichean World of Tim Wu
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A Man With a Clear Conscience
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Whose Point of View?
If Wikipedia is where the masses go for information, then progressives should be there to help get the facts right.
Departments
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Noted
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Noted
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Tea Party Crasher
A new right-wing magazine launches and inadvertently redefines the meaning of "diversity." -
The Question
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We Don't Need No Stinkin' Breitbart
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Dialogue: Let's Talk About Sex
Special Report
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Standing Up for Government
At the core of nearly every roiling fiscal debate today is an argument over the role of government in American society. -
Wisconsin: From Protest to Movement
Organizers see We Are Wisconsin as less aligned with the Democratic Party, and more like a "Tea Party of the left." -
Talking Taxes in Connecticut
The state's current governor, Dannel Malloy, has taken it upon himself to make Connecticut's taxes more progressive. -
(Not) Talking Taxes in New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's high popularity has meant that he hasn't had to court the Democratic base, so he has chosen to target public-sector unions. -
Florida, Inc.
If a state were a business, CEO Rick Scott would be shown the door. -
Pinching Pensions
Why is the right attacking public employee retirement benefits?
Features
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Wrong Turns
Blocked by failed negotiations with Israel and an ambivalent Obama administration, Palestinians look to the international stage. -
Reality Bites
The science-based community once was split between Democrats and Republicans -- but not anymore. -
Segregation Nation
Omaha's radical attempt at school integration shows how beneficial diversity can be -- and how hard it can be to sustain. -
Once Made in the USA
The U.S. may soon reach the point where it can't rebuild its manufacturing base.
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Vol. 22 No. 5May 2011
Columns
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The Demise of the Moderate Republican
As the GOP presidential field shapes up, it's become clear that any moderate restraints on the party are now gone. -
Mitt Looks the Part
Why Mitt Romney still poses the greatest challenge to Obama in 2012 -
Running Away From "Mama Grizzly"
After the 2008 election, conservatives learned to talk about race and gender -- but not race and gender equality. -
Feelin' Bad
The American people will be in a funk until we fix the economy.
Culture
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Masked Identity Politics
Comic-book creators have grappled with how to handle race for decades -- but don't expect this summer's superhero flicks to reflect that struggle. -
The Real Significance of WikiLeaks
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The Contradictions of Common Sense
Politicians rely on the idea that what is popular is right -- except when it's not popular, it's still right. -
A Way to Win the Climate Fight?
Bringing business and greenies together
Departments
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The Bell Swerve
Charles Murray surveys the crisis in white America and isn't sure whom to blame. -
Noted
Special Report
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A Needless Housing Collapse
The success of a pioneering program for moderate-income buyers proves that the subprime disaster was not the fault of homeowners. -
Restoring the Dream
The collapse of the housing bubble need not destroy homeownership as the anchor of the middle class. But we need much bolder government action. -
Restoring the Dream
The collapse of the housing bubble need not destroy homeownership as the anchor of the middle class. But we need much bolder government action. -
Fannie, Freddie, and the Future
The secondary mortgage market worked better when it was a true public institution. -
Cleaning Up the Subprime Aftermath
Welcome to the Kafkaesque world of mortgage loan servicing. -
Not With My Home
Homeowners have been at the mercy of banks since the foreclosure crisis began. A network of activists and organizers is trying to change that. -
Reform that Hurts Homebuyers
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Designed to Fail
The Obama administration's mortgage-modification program was created more to help lenders than homeowners. It's time to reverse priorities.
Features
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Barack Obama's Theory of Power
Why the president's bipartisan, detached use of power hasn't worked. -
Fancy Talk
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Gone With the 2010 Win
White Democratic elected officials have vanished from Dixie. Can Southern Dems rebound as a black-and-brown party? -
Why Movements Matter
Paradigm-shifting elections don't shift paradigms if there aren't corresponding social movements for change.
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Vol. 22 No. 4April 2011
Columns
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In the Streets
Old-fashioned street demonstrations and picket lines are enjoying their most popular moment since the late 1960s. -
What's in a Word?
A philosophical defense of blogging
Culture
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The Lash or the Eyelashes
Amy Chua and Peggy Orenstein explore and illustrate the pitfalls of parenting. -
The Waning of the American World
America's recent assertive unilateralism may not be much of a departure from past American practice. -
A Liberal's Guide to Middle Earth
HBO's new show Game of Thrones goes beyond the black and white of good versus evil and delves into the gray. -
Green and Gold
Why environmental policies and healthy bottom lines go together
Departments
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Why Aren't You Married Yet?
Apparently, I'm responsible for the jerks I've dated. -
Don't Ask, Don't Play Identity Politics
Republicans have gotten the memo about diversity, but that doesn't mean they want to talk about it.
Special Report
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Wal-Mart -- It's Alive!
If Wal-Mart is a person, as the Supreme Court contends, it's a behemoth terrorizing the countryside. But when it comes to workers' rights, it remains curiously immune from lawsuits. -
Fighting Back
What the unions have learned—and what they may still need to learn—about fighting Wal-Mart's expansion -
Wal-Mart’s China Connections
From production to retailing, Wal-Mart’s China operations display a dystopian collaboration between low-wage employer and autocratic state. -
Wal-Mart Tries to Go to Town
America’s mega-retailer can’t boost profits unless it gains entry to America’s largest cities. Against stiff resistance, it’s still trying. -
Which Path for Europe?
Wal-Mart couldn’t cut it in Germany. But while neighboring Scandinavia still pays retail workers well, the low-wage model is making inroads into other European countries. -
How Wal-Mart Shapes the World
Will the economy follow Wal-Mart’s race to the bottom—or will social counterweights and other business models demonstrate a better way? -
The Greening of Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart’s new green-washed image is deflecting attention from the drag the company continues to inflict on workers’ wages and communities’ quality of life.
Features
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The Test Generation
What happens in the classroom when a state begins to evaluate all teachers, at every grade level, based on how well they "grow" their students' test scores? Colorado is about to find out. -
A New Union Contract
While public-sector unions fight for survival, Bob King proposes to rebuild the United Auto Workers for a new, and more vexing, century. -
Life on the List
Does publicly posting names of convicted sex offenders actually reduce the number of sexual offenses? -
Books Behind Bars
What are wardens thinking when they censor magazines and books?
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