Whatever pundits say, this election was not a wholesale repudiation of liberalism.
Robert Kuttner
Robert Kuttner is co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect, and professor at Brandeis University’s Heller School. His latest book is Notes for Next Time: Surviving Tyranny, Redeeming America. Follow Bob at his site, robertkuttner.com, and on Twitter.
Posted inDepartments
An Uncertain Trumpet
Whatever pundits say, this election was not a wholesale repudiation of liberalism.
Posted inArticle
Attacking American Tolerance
Back in the 1950s, political scientists celebrated America for its “pluralism.” That meant people had multiple, cross-cutting identities. Maybe you were a Catholic and also a trade unionist, a sport fisherman, a member of a veterans group, and an engaged PTA parent in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. No single identity absolutely defined you. Why was this […]
Posted inArticle
Let’s Move On
President Bush should enjoy his victory celebration while he can. He will soon face the most determined antiwar movement since the 1960s. The Iraq situation is becoming more and more reminiscent of the Vietnam disaster. American troops mostly stay in heavily fortified barracks. When they do venture out, their sweeps don’t achieve durable pacification. Militants […]
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Flu-Shot Fiasco
This winter, about five times more people will die for lack of flu vaccine as died on September 11. Flu kills tens of thousands of people each year. Without vaccine, some 15,000 elderly Americans will needlessly die. The 9-11 disaster caused President Bush to turn our foreign policy and our Bill of Rights upside down. […]
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The Art of Stealing Elections
The Republicans are out to steal the 2004 election — before, during, and after Election Day. Before Election Day, they are employing such dirty tricks as improper purges of voter rolls, use of dummy registration groups that tear up Democratic registrations, and the suppression of Democratic efforts to sign up voters, especially blacks and students. […]
Posted inBooks, Arts and Culture
What Would Jefferson Do?
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism By Susan Jacoby • Metropolitan Books • 432 pages • $27.50 Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Christians and Jews Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain By María Rosa Menocal • Back Bay Books • 272 pages • $26.95 The Pity of It All: A Portrait of […]
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How Kerry Can Win
John Kerry gained ground in the first two debates to the extent that he was tough and clear. He is credible as a tough leader on terrorism not based on how many times he uses the words “kill terrorists” but based on how tough he is in standing up for what he believes. To the […]
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Exiting Iraq
On November 3, whether the president-elect is John Kerry or George W. Bush, popular pressure for the United States to withdraw from Iraq will increase dramatically. If it’s Bush, much of the anger that coalesced behind Kerry will convert to a new antiwar movement of a breadth not seen since Vietnam. If it’s Kerry, he […]
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Rethinking Free Trade
When Paul Samuelson, the dean of American economists, begins questioning the benefits of free trade, it is a bit like the pope having doubts about the virgin birth. But Samuelson, a Nobel laureate and the author of America’s best-known economics textbook, has reopened a debate on the most settled issue in economics. He’s done it […]
