POLITICS & ECONOMICS - TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

UNDERSTANDING HOW THE WORLD REALLY WORKS · War & Peace . Global Democracy · The Political Process . Canadian Politics . US Politics . Politics in Struggling Nations . Frames, Left & Right · Corporatism, Free Trade & Distorted Markets · Understanding Economics . Consumer Power . The Media · The Education System updated Jan. 1, 2007

War & Peace If War Isn't the Answer What Is? and Another Alternative to War (April, 2003) how to change regimes peacefully Is Your Country War-Prone? (June, 2003) the predictors of war Hidden Landmines (July, 2003) The need to rid the world of landmines, which have no military purpose The Cause of Violence (November, 2003) population pressure impacts how we mistreat our young, and what they become as a result Terrorism is a Reaction not an Action (November, 2003) why humanitarian investment is the only solution to terrorism How to Be a Bioterrorist (November, 2004) the enormous and ignored threat of biological terrorism The Politics of Victimization (November, 2004) Mel Gilles says the only way to deal with bullies is to walk away Peace is Not the Same as Justice (November, 2004) Arundhati Roy's Sydney Peace prize speech Women and Children First (January, 2005) The way in which we treat women and children says a lot about our culture What Makes a People Commit Mass Atrocities? (Jan.20, 2005) #1412 - Stress, shame, misery, hopelessness, denial, fear: That's the recipe Environmental 'Security': Bridge or Trap? (Feb. 23, 2006) #1446 - Declaring nature an 'enemy' to be tackled by defense and security programs is a predictable neocon folly and doomed to extravagant failure The War on the Desperate (August 1, 2006) #1602 - That is what the so-called "war on terror" really is The End of Drugs (Sept. 6, 2006) #1635 - A cautionary tale on the 'war on drugs' and how oligopolies work Global Democracy Liberty Before Democracy (April, 2003) taking regime change one step at a time Ten Things to Keep You Awake at Night (June, 2003) some seemingly insurmountable problems Illiberal Democracy (June, 2003) Fareed Zakaria's book on the future of freedom, & lessons for America The Fourth Turning (November, 2003) an excellent history of Anglo-American culture, and an annoying prophecy The Vicious Cycle of Illiberal Democracy (March, 2004) a systems chart showing how and why democracy in the absence of constiutional liberalism and uncorrupted institutions cannot work Peter Singer's 'One World' (April, 2004) the need for global responsibility, and the possibility of global government Richer, Meaner, Less Secure (June, 2004) more and more military spending is coming out of humanitarian aid budgets, creating a vicious cycle What is Our Responsibility to People of Other Nations (July, 2004) humanitarian, peacemaking and military options and when they make sense A Paean to Sovereignty (August, 2004) a controversial call for butting out of other nations' business Veil of Truth (September, 2004) the French are clued out about Islam, like everyone else How Europe Sees the US (September, 2004) shared values with the people of America, loathing for the leader and his policies The Power of Nightmares (November, 2004) BBC shows how fear strategies work in politics What Conservatives and Liberals Fear (February, 2005) why we fear different things, and how Darwin would explain it The 10 Most Important Ideas of 2004: Politics & Society (February, 2005) There is No Justice (July 18, 2005) #1214 - With what we know about human nature and human history we should not be foolish enough to expect it in large, conservative, unwieldy governments, corporations and nation-states. And the road to peace, in the absence of justice, is a social one, not a political one Three Philosophers: Noam Chomsky, Doug Rushkoff, George Carlin (August 25, 2005) #1254 - Three interviewees in Conversations at the Edge of the Apocalpyse make it clear that, today, no one is in control Hurricane Stan, Darfur, Niger and the Forgotten Victims of Disaster (Oct. 21, 2005) #1313 - The six factors that unfairly determine which disasters we learn about and respond to Our Imperialist Heritage (June 23, 2006) #1567 - The gap between affluent and struggling nations grows ever wider The Political Process Separation of Church & State (February, 2003) what it is and why it's so important Rights, Power & Revolution (March, 2003) organize, communicate, investigate: how to take back power Corruption in Olympic Sports (April, 2003) the never-ending scandal: why don't we fix it? Why Has the Anti-Smoking Movement Succeeded while the Animal Rights Movement Has Failed? (April, 2003) preconditions for change The Tipping Point (May, 2003) how political change reaches a point of no return Commencement (June, 2003) speech by Tony Kushner to a graduating class on the courage to take power Why Don't People Vote (September, 2003) seven reasons, and how to overcome them More on the Sports Doping Scandal (October, 2003) new steroid, new whistle-blower Whistle-Blowers: Heroes or Fools? (October, 2003) how to do it smartly and safely Pillar to Post: Abandoning the Mentally Ill (October, 2003) out of asylums and into prisons or the street Voting System Integrity (October, 2003) a simple answer to ensure fair elections When Workers Die (December, 2003) the NYT great investigation of corporate and government negligence on worker safety Dec.10 Decision Day for American Democracy (December, 2003) the US Supreme Court deliberates on the constitutionality of gerrymandering and other redistricting abuses Pharmacopia (January, 2004) substance abuse affects one in six North Americans, but the insane 'drug war' only makes things worse Why Does Small Business Vote Conservative? (June, 2004) why the victims of corporatism support parties that perpetuate it When Commons Can't Be Self-Managed (August, 2004) size matters, but not in a good way Ten Reasons to be Optimistic (August, 2004) it's not all bad, once you get past politicians and corporations Making Politics Politically Correct (August, 2004) re-engaging the politically disenchanted The Decline of Democracy, Constitutional Liberalism and the Rule of Law  (October, 2004) in the new world, the rich and powerful don't need or want citizens, soldiers, rights or dissent - only passive, dumb consumers PR-STV A Better Way to Select a Government (October, 2004)  citizens in BC propose a system that's rated #1 by experts and works in practice A Theory of Balkanization (December, 2004)  why the community is the best political unit, and why it doesn't happen in practice The Tyranny of Structurelessness (December, 2004)  Back in 1970 Jo Freeman asked whether progressives could really get along without structure and rules, and we're still not sure what the answer is All About Power, and Three Ways to Topple It (February, 2005)  capacity, revolution, incapacitation, and a 4-step process to incapacitate power Resolving Conflicts (May 11, 2005) #1141 - A discussion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and where they do, and do not, work Why We Hate Government (July 8, 2005) #1204 - The reasons why people of all 4 political stripes hate -- and need -- government The Bird Feeder and the Tragedy of the Commons (Sept. 12, 2005) #1271 - Conservation is unnatural, which is why bird feeders and other commons attract squabbling There Is No Superpower (Sept. 15, 2005) #1275 - All we need to do is to refuse to recognize czars' and tyrants' power over us -- no, to recognize that they have no power over us -- to break their hold Spin, the Three P's and the Politics of Learned Helplessness and Learned Optimism (Oct. 31, 2005) #1325 - We may be afraid of the wrong things, but we're not stupid The Impotence of (Most) Information (June 2, 2006) #1545 - Arundhati Roy explains that without detailed context, insightful analysis and potential for personal action, information is useless Canadian Politics Why Canadians Fear America (April, 2003) what Bush has done to the image of the US in the rest of the world The Mad Cow Furor: a Mixed Blessing (May, 2003) how the US embargo could help the Canadian economy Everything You Need to Know About Canada in Ten Minutes (March, 2004) When Will They Ever Learn (April, 2004) Canada's pathetic response to Mad Cow and Avian Flu Canada's Democratic Balancing Act (May, 2004) the courts sustain campaign finance reform laws, and the government allows RU486 OTC Canada's Federal Election (May, 2004) and Canada Heads Into Political Chaos (June, 2004) a minority government looms, with no stable coalition possible, and yet another election probable Canada Votes (June, 2004) a fractured turn to the left, and an unstable minority government Canadian Productivity (September, 2004) we don't have a problem taking back our own economy won't fix Canada: Liberal vs Conservative Areas (November, 2004) a stark contrast to the US map shows liberals dominate almost everywhere in Canada This is the Way the World Ends (November, 2004) Ontario farmers rebel against a bill designed to protect farmland, and the environment, from real estate speculators Striking Out On Our Own: A Radical Course for Canada . (May 13, 2005) #1143 - A proposal to reinvent Canada as the model for a post-industrial, perhaps even post-civilization, society Bush Shows His True Stripes on 'Free' Trade (August 12, 2005) #1241 - Bush flagrantly ignores a NAFTA ruling that calls for $5B stolen from Canada to be returned Mulroney's Revenge: The Breakup of Canada (Jan. 9, 2006) #1401 - The 'new' Conservative Party's deal with the devil Think Twice Canadians: Harper Reasserts Plan to Renege on Kyoto and Sabotage Charter of Rights with Insidious Neocon 'Property Rights' Clause (Jan. 13, 2006) #1405 Canadian Election Results: What They Mean and What Comes Next (Jan. 24, 2006) #1417 - Will the Liberals now commit suicide by electing Ignatieff, as the Conservatives did with Mulroney? Canada's Dirty Oil (Feb. 11, 2006) #1434 - The environmental disaster of the Alberta Tar Sands An Apology for Canada's Treatment of Animals (March 5, 2006) #1456 - Not just seals: Canada's treatment of all animals is a disgrace for a 'civilized' nation Canadian Minority PM Abandons Environmental Protection, Embraces Neocon Ideology & Tactics (April 25, 2006) #1507 - Harper's even worse than we feared Harper Doesn't Speak for Canadians (May 25, 2006) #1537 - Harper misrepresents and embarrasses us on the global stage The Canadian Terrorist Incident (June 6, 2006) #1549 - A gang of young unemployed losers get international attention just because they're Islamic and play war games US Politics Psychopathic Leaders (February, 2003) Vonnegut says the Bush inner circle is clinically psychopathic A Man Consumed With Rage (February, 2003) the madness that drives Bush The Wisdom of Containment   (March, 2003) the need to contain Bush Why Canadians Fear America (April, 2003) what Bush has done to the image of the US in the rest of the world The Freedom 2004 Meme Project (May, 2003) my suggested memes for the Democrats in 2004 What the Freedom 2004 Meme Must Address (June, 2003) Bush's dangerous domestic ideology How the Democrats Can Win in 2004 (June, 2003) Help America Work Again: the meme we need What's That About Slavery, Mr. Bush? (July, 2003) the regime's hypocrisy and neglect of Africa Post Bush: Rebuilding the American Civil State (August, 2003) five things to start doing now to undo the damage Advice for the Democratic Nominee in 2004 (August, 2003) how to defeat Bush Some Questions About Howard Dean (August, 2003) is he liberal enough? Dubya Does Niccolo (September, 2003) Bush's behaviour sounds like he's studied Machiavelli, the children's edition Environmental Damage: The Bush Legacy (September, 2003) a succinct summary of Bush's awful environmental record from the New Yorker Enemy Aliens (October, 2003) Ashcroft's war at home Maybe the Republican Establishment Doesn`t Like Bush Either (October, 2003) The party faithful aren't faithful when voter support is tracking Nixon's Margaret Wheatley on America's Darkest Night (December, 2003) America on the edge of an abyss, unaware Anti-Democratic Forces Show Their Stuff (December, 2003) The police, goaded on by Homeland Security, lose it in Miami Kucinich Remains the Progressive Standard-Bearer (December, 2003) Four Stories the Media Mostly Missed (January, 2004) Republicans hack Dems database, Canadian torture victim sues Ashcroft, CIA warns Bush about Iraq civil war risk, Environment groups debate population policy Unsteady State (January, 2004) Hertzberg on the dreadful Bush legacy, and another report showing Iraqis want the occupiers out now Chris Britt on Bush's Guard Duty (February, 2004) A chilling cartoon The Boston Tea Party as Eco-Terrorism (February, 2004) new anti-terrorism laws make advocacy and corporate sabotage 'terrorist' acts Advice for the Democrats (February, 2004) Issues, approaches, and who to pick for VP John Kerry Needs an Anthem (March, 2004) The Dems' campaign, astonishingly,  lacks passion Global Warming & the Crime of Denial (March, 2004) Bush's ostrich act on global warming threatens the planet The NYT on the Environment (April, 2004) Maybe the reporters should get out more to see what's going on The US is No Longer Free, Nor a Democracy (April, 2004) US courts legitimize gerrymandering, and muzzle the ACLUs constitutional challenge of the Patriot Act Essential Reading (May, 2004) on US imperialism, addiction to oil, Rumsfeld's role in torture, why low interest rates suck, and the dangers of databases on private individuals in psychopathic hands Bush's Disregard for the Geneva Conventions (May, 2004) it threatens the safety of Americans everywhere -- why isn't Kerry speaking up? The November Elections (July, 2004) terrible choices for progressives American Progressives get Angry (July, 2004) Bill Moyers explains why they should be, and the United Progressive Alliance unifies them Money's On Another Republican Sweep (August, 2004) The IEM predicts Bush and his cronies will win again Worst Case Scenario (August, 2004) Bush's second term agenda A Time to Weep (September, 2004) Noam Chomsky, George Lakoff and Theo Sorenson lament the death of progressive values Crimes Against Nature (October, 2004) RFK calls Bush to account, Putin finally gets it, but Bush is unrepentent Revenge of the Moderates (October, 2004) maybe there are more of them, and maybe they're smarter, than the pundits give them credit for What Do We Do if Bush 'Wins' (October, 2004) stepping up the resistance, the vigilance, and the public protest Anthems, and There is a Choice (October, 2004) recaps and satires of Bush's ghastly record Bill Moyers on the Latest Corporate Tax Pork (October, 2004) Moyers lambastes corporate America for not doing or paying their share A Better Plan for Energy (October, 2004) 25 ways to achieve energy self-sufficiency, save billions, and create jobs in the process Hunting for Intelligence (November, 2004) the new FBI reformer tells staff 'hunt don't gather, disseminate don't just aggregate'