The Undocumented American Dream
A new anthology of autobiographical stories written by undocumented immigrant college students serves as a reminder that we’re neglecting some of the country’s best and brightest.
Business as Usury
Before Congress goes after bank misdeeds on Wall Street, let’s stop the petty theft on Main Street — predatory mortgages and usurious loans. Had we protected the poor and the weak, the problems of our mighty banks might not be so great.
Rules of Attack
Did September 11 signal the end of liberal internationalism — the polestar of American foreign policy from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton — as the Bush administration claims?
Religiously Equal?
In her new book, philosophical titan Martha Nussbaum questions the separation between church and state, arguing that constitutional law has more often derived from prejudice than principle.
Multiculture Club
“Kids these days” belong to the most diverse generation America has ever had. No wonder they like music that blends sounds from all around the world.
Listening to Iraq
The news coverage of the Iraq War almost always ignores the daily lives of ordinary Iraqis. Seeking out those personal stories could help us understand the war’s human cost.
Borrowing Ill Health
Hospitals are getting more aggressive about sending debt collectors after under-insured consumers.
Lessons From California
The Schwarzenegger plan was a near miss, but well worth the trouble. The stage is set for the next effort.
Why Not Connecticut?
A model grassroots organizing campaign mobilizes public opinion for universal coverage in a state long dominated by private insurers.
Maverick or Manueverer?
John McCain has enjoyed a reputation for “authenticity” because of his commitment to “reform.” But this reputation is evidence of Washington’s sadly twisted standards, not McCain’s virtue.
Health Reform You Shouldn’t Believe In
What the Massachusetts experiment teaches us about incremental efforts to increase coverage by expanding private insurance.
What Really Ails Medicare
The cost crisis of Medicare gets a lot of attention. The program can be fixed only by universalizing the larger health system in which Medicare resides.
Lullaby of Baghdad
Are we winning the Iraq war, or is what little progress we have achieved actually an illusion?
Good Jobs for Americans Who Help Americans
Human services is the fastest-growing labor market. Here’s how to restore middle-class earnings by making every human-service job a good job.
Bubble and Bail
For most of the 20th century, America manufactured things. For the past 30 years, though, it has chiefly manufactured debt. Wall Street, with the aid of both political parties, gravely damaged the economy.
The Primacy of Prevention
Addressing the whole range of behaviors that affect health is the key to a healthier society. This requires a universal health care system.
How We Got Into This Mess
Trade, the war on unions, and underfunded schools all lowered wages. Cheap credit propped us up — but now the debt is due. Herewith, a national economic strategy to turn America around.
The Elusive Politics of Reform
Once again, a new administration and Congress will try to bring us universal health insurance. This time, despite urgent cost pressures, will they do it right?
The Green Gap
As the number of green-collar jobs rises, pioneering activists are working to ensure that many of those jobs go to inner-city residents.
What Path to Universal Coverage?
The next administration will expand health coverage. Will they fix what is broken — or just inflate costs?
The Militarist
Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain may protest that he hates war, but no American leader has promoted it more avidly. McCain is not only the most hawkish neocon on the horizon; he genuinely sees war as America’s most ennobling enterprise.
Multiculture Club: Videos
Watch and listen to some of the artists featured in this month’s culture piece.
