22
We Have To Get It Right: Only Gun Owners With Lots of Guns Tend to be Angry, Unstable, Impulsive
Gun research is scarce so when it does come out progressive gun regulation advocates have to report on it accurately.
Articles by Deborah Foster
Deborah is a former social work professor who taught social policy, mental health policy, and human diversity. Proud to be called liberal, she happily pays her taxes after being raised in a home that needed long-term welfare. Contrary to the opinion of many, she is living proof that government investment in children leads them out of poverty having received services from Head Start to Pell Grants. Deborah works with low-income, first generation, and disabled college students who are at high-risk for dropping out of college in a program designed to help them graduate. She lives with her husband, stepson, and an aging cat.
46
The Democratic Party Is Not Your Abusive Partner, Progressives, It’s Your Problem Child
Calls for the Progressives to “break up” with the Democratic Party as an abusive partner miss the mark. The problems is actually their neglect of the party.
18
‘Guaranteed Conflict Theory’ As An Explanation For Why The Police Keep Killing Black People
The broken windows policing tactic is a major reason why we see conflict between the police & African Americans. In fact, it guarantees death.
60
Supreme Court Opens the Door to Harassment So Should Liberals Take Advantage of It?
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled anti-choice protesters can harass women going into clinics. Should liberals likewise protest this way?
44
African American Woman Compared To Ape in Instagram Photo by Coworkers
Lisa Fisher, an African American woman, was shocked to find her photo posted on Instagram by coworkers, being compared to an ape.
30
Louisiana Lawmakers Act to Become Accessories to Murder
Louisiana lawmakers voted to force abortion doctors to identify themselves on the internet in an effort to scare them off or get them killed
43
No, the Fact Elliot Rodgers Killed More Men Than Women Doesn’t Change His Misogyny
Some men have been suggesting Rodgers’ killing of more men than women means he wasn’t a misogynist. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2
Did Conservatives Kill School Busing Because It Was Actually Working?
As the successes of school busing have been forgotten, maligned, and legally deterred, school segregation has become the norm again
4
The Revenge of the Poor, Betrayal of the Elite Now Leads to The Rise of Super Bugs
Neglecting the conditions and healthcare of the poor has contributed to drug-resistant microbes which have reached crisis proportions.
38
It’s All Too Easy to Relate To The Documentary ‘The Brainwashing of My Dad’
An upcoming documentary, “The Brainwashing of My Dad” traces how right wing media morphed a mild-mannered Democrat into a racist Republican. It happens all the time.
0
A Guide to White Privilege for White People Who Think They’ve Never Had Any
Economically disadvantaged white people have the hardest time accepting that they have white privilege, but they do.
25
King Ended the Reign of Terror So Now It’s Time For the Truth About White Privilege
White people have largely ended violence. Now, it is time for telling the truth about privilege and facing what it means to lose it.
5
Eliminating Poverty Is More Than Just Putting Dollars In The Pockets Of The Poor
An implicit goal of the War on Poverty was to make the US a true meritocracy, and in this sense, it missed its target.
13
Liberals Have Fought Alone Since the War on Poverty Ended in 1980
The snide satisfaction conservatives gloat in their declaration that the War on Poverty failed is apropos given how they sabotaged it
8
On This Thanksgiving, A Long-Term Poverty Survivor Gives Thanks
Liberals can take a moment to pat themselves on the back. There are poor people everywhere who are grateful for their help. Here’s my thanks.
5
Low Wage Work Rebellion May Finally Bring Down Our Poverty Rate
People should not work full-time for wages that put them below the poverty line, but it is all too common. Now, they’re taking a stand.
5
Recent Judicial Decisions Show How Crucial It is To Fight for Obama’s Nominees
Recent appalling decisions by Bush-appointed judges show the importance of getting some Obama-appointed judges on the bench. If only he could
23
The Real Villains Behind the Criticisms of Obamacare
The media is quick to look for anything negative about Obamacare, but they protect the real culprit: insurance company behavior
26
Stop-and-Frisk is Back, So If You’re Black, Assume the Position
NYC’s stop-and-frisk program was going to start seeing reforms including oversight and cameras on patrol, but a federal court has halted it.
0
Can The Conservative Mind Be Changed?
Accumulating research suggests political beliefs are hard-wired into our biology, so can conservatives change their minds?
15
Let’s Get this Straight, the Kochs Are Menacing, Soros is Benevolent
Conservatives incessantly drone on and on about George Soros as a villain, when the Koch brothers are discussed. Who’s the real villain?
15
It’s Amazing What the American People Will Believe About Obamacare
The fact that there are people who still believe in death panels is pathetic enough, but now they think there will be forced home visits.
6
ALEC Continues to Push Failed Market-Based Educational Reforms
Market-based educational reform is an utter failure, and yet we still can’t shake the nasty remnants of its bad policy influence
7
Can Government Pick Up Where Unions Left Off?
With union power waning, governments are implementing workers’ rights. It’s time to build a national movement built on grassroots efforts.
65
Detroit Sinks Deeper Into Hell As It Faces Right Wing Utopian Fantasies
Detroit faces austerity, vulture capitalists, and privatization as right wing ideologues pounce. Of course, no good will come of it.
9
The New Terrorists: How Ordinary American Activists are Receiving This Dangerous Label
The trend to label ordinary American activists as domestic terrorists is alarming, bringing to new reasons to revisit the PATRIOT act.
3
Criminalizing Students Cripples Their Future and Lines the Pockets of the Corrections Industry
The alarming trend of criminalizing youth will only lead to increased criminal behavior, but the prison industry is eager for the business
5
Even Conservatives are Finding Nearly Two Trillion in Potential Savings in the Defense Budget
Long a target for cuts by liberals, two fiscally conservatives groups have now also joined the call for reduced defense spending.
5
President Obama’s Leadership on Mental Health Goes Largely Unnoticed
This week, the President led an important conference with new initiatives on mental health, but it was overlooked in favor of other news.
12
A Brief Summary of Corporate Depravity Shows How They Earn Our Contempt
It is all too easy to find corporate malfeasance. It is the basis of their nasty reputations, and the reason they need to be regulated.
10
Poverty, Race, and Obama’s Morehouse Speech
Some people became upset with Obama’s “Racism is no longer an excuse” speech. Perhaps people gripped by poverty were what made them wince.
22
No, Conservatives, People Aren’t Gaming the Disability Benefits System
Conservatives have been whining that people are getting disability benefits they don’t deserve. As usual, they are completely wrong.
6
Injustice For Most: Our Two-Tiered Justice System Is In Desperate Need of Intervention
Inequities in our justice system continue to widen with wealthy, white criminals continuously managing to escape punishments faced by others
12
Republicans Have Created a World Where Going to Work Can Get You Killed
The consequences of Republican deregulation and their weakening of OSHA has been an ongoing threat of death for American workers.
7
Sequester Tantrums Reveal Yet Again That Republicans Are Developmentally Stunted
Republicans are enthusiastic about sequester cuts until it affects their wealthy constituents. Then, they throw temper tantrums.
13
The Iraq Invasion Could Be a Worse Foreign Policy Decision than the Vietnam War
This month, an article argued the Iraq War was the single worst foreign policy decision in US history. This may be more than just hyperbole.
10
The DEA Has Become Too Powerful as a Lobbying Force to Keep the Disastrous War on Drugs
This week, no less than eight former directors of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) signed onto a public letter to two Senators accusing the Obama Administration of abandoning the War on Drugs simply because he has indicated he plans to largely respect the decisions of voters in Colorado and Washington when they legalized marijuana in…
10
One Woman’s Crisis Shows How Affordable Housing Policy Turns Its Back on the Poor
One woman’s tragic story provides a glimpse into the plethora of problems the U.S. faces with a lack of affordable housing and homelessness
38
Republicans Are Ready to Traumatize Poor Children
No matter how much they try to blame sequestration on Obama and the Democrats, Republicans set it up, and the victims will be the poor.
15
While Republicans Focus on Public Debt, the Real Issue is Private Debt
Could the answer to the ongoing economic woes of the country be a forgiveness of household debt? At least one economist thinks so.
11
Are We Giving Up Liberty for Perceived Security?
Trends in militarization, surveillance, and civil liberties violations raise disturbing questions about the exchange of liberty for security.
11
The Most Effective Dismantling of Reproductive Rights Comes From Stigma
People actually willing to vocally support reproductive rights have become less and less common owing to the success of stigmatization
108
Sickening Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory Needs to Be Debunked
While debunking the sickening Sandy Hook conspiracy theory may seem to dignify beyond what it deserves, it has to be done
14
Could Obama’s Best Climate Change Strategy Be Thwarted by Religious Fundamentalism?
Fossil fuel barons need to join the efforts to stem climate change, but their religious beliefs may be an unrecognized barrier to progress.
12
Conservative Cluelessness Seen Aboard Political Cruise
Mirroring their counterparts nationwide, conservatives on a post-election political cruise reveal they still don’t understand their faults.
20
There Has to Be Room for Dissent Among Obama Supporters
Harsh attacks by liberals on liberals who disagreed with the President’s Social Security proposal seem aimed at stifling democratic dissent
17
Not Voting in 2010 Could be the Costliest Mistake Democrats Have Made In Recent History
Will Republicans use the redistricting advantages they achieved after their 2010 sweep to change the way electoral votes are apportioned?
8
Need Some Quick Cash? Fleece a Conservative
A close look reveals that right wing blowhards and con men are successful with the same gullible audience.
10
Progressives and Corporatists Struggle for Control of the Democratic Party
The Democratic Party is a big tent. However, the party needs to refocus on its progressive values, not get led in a rightward direction
13
The Republican Austerity Bomb is the Real Threat to America
Budget negotiation drama is getting more intense as the fiscal cliff or ‘austerity bomb’ approaches. The stakes for the poor couldn’t be higher
16
Beware of the ‘Expert’ on Helping Liberals/Conservatives Get Along
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt has been selling the notion that he understands liberals & conservatives, while basically badmouthing liberals
12
A Revealing Look at Racism’s Role in Which Party White People Support
Ever since Democrats passed the Civil Rights Act and championed policies supporting minorities, whites have been defecting from the party.
56
Election Results Reveal White Racism Remains Firmly Entrenched
Analysis of the white vote reveals they choose Romney by significant margins. What does this mean when it comes to race issues in the USA?
1
States Offer Up Many Consequential Ballot Measures
Nearly 180 ballot measures face a vote on Tuesday. Here are a few of the most consequential initiatives to watch.
26
Liberals Need to Avoid Being Their Own Worst Enemy
Some liberals have the mind-boggling view there is no difference between Romney & Obama, and are even planning not to vote for Obama in swing states.
36
Why Will So Many of the 47% Still Vote for Romney-Ryan?
It would be self-defeating for members of the 47% to vote for Romney-Ryan, so why are so many still going to do it?
8
The Self-Made Myth Haunts America and Is Contributing to Our Demise
The self-made myth perpetuated by conservatives has been allowed to shape policy, demonize government, and deny how much is built together
4
Fracking Debate May Get a Chance to Use Science As a Reason for a Ban
No other state that’s allowed fracking has imposed a moratorium to study environmental and health effects. Can New York use these to ban it?
12
The Media’s Truth-Telling Double Standard is Penalizing Democrats
Democrats are subjected to a different set of standards than Republicans when it comes to their behavior including in political ads.
9
Corporations Unleash a Plague of Fake Citizen’s Groups
Deceptively named front groups, posing as grassroots organizations while actually representing corporate interests, are becoming rampant.
14
Obama, Poverty, Racial Politics, and the White Vote
Critics have been saying President Obama has not done enough to address poverty. They don’t seem to understand the reasons he couldn’t.
24
Republicans Won’t Stop Their Assault on Unions Until Every State is Right-to-Work
Collective bargaining has been under attack. Now, the upcoming elections are hazardous as the GOP seeks to impose more right-to-work laws
4
Ever Since Citizens United Unions Have Been Under Siege
Conservatives have steadily been eroding the power of unions in the wake of Citizens United since they are their only liberal financial foe
21
Racists Create Their Own Super PAC to Accuse Obama of Racism Against Whites
By accusing Obama of racism toward white people, the Fight Bigotry Super PAC is the perfect haven for real racists to invest their money.
1
The Dreams of Romney-Ryan Are Dangerous to Nearly Everyone
This ticket will absolutely depend on low-information voters enamored with right wing media. In point of fact, the vast majority of this country would be harmed by the policies these men represent.
3
The Case against Using Religious Freedom to Block Birth Control Access
As the birth control mandate went into effect this week, religious freedom arguments continue to threaten it. Here’s why they’re wrong.
5
As Our Institutions Fail, Will Americans Get Angry or Apathetic?
We need to believe in the competence of our public institutions for our society to function. When they don’t function, how should we react?
3
The Failure of Meritocracy in the United States
Meritocracy is in crisis and the potential remedies for this situation are not happening because of the power exercised by our corrupted elites.
18
Public Schools Face a New Nemesis in Parent Trigger Laws
Parent trigger laws are being pushed by ALEC and other right wing groups to allow parents to essentially ‘fire’ a public school, with the potential to make them into private, charter schools.
6
Anti-Gay Legislators Aim to Dictate Professional Ethics
Michigan lawmakers are pushing through a bill that allows professionals to discriminate against GLBT clients in defiance of Codes of Ethics
3
Republicans Advance Their War on Minorities and the Poor With Public Transportation Cuts
The war on public transportation is in full swing, like the war on all things public waged by the right. Like so many of their offensives, the motivations include racism and hatred toward the poor.
19
The Left Cannot Afford to Keep Neglecting the Language and Framing of Politics
The right wing has been winning over Americans for decades by framing the political debate so liberals must reclaim the language of politics.
8
‘Religious Freedom’ Measure Targeting Women’s Reproductive Rights Goes Down in Flames
While Republicans pass alleged ‘religious freedom’ laws aimed at knocking down women’s reproductive rights across the country, at least one has gone down in flames.
8
How Many Otherwise Socially Liberal Men Have Abandoned Reproductive Rights?
Some of Ron Paul’s otherwise socially liberal followers are an example of men who have turned their backs on reproductive rights.
4
Citizens Strike Back Against Predatory Payday Lenders
Missouri citizens have petitioned to get a ballot initiative up for a vote that would limit interest rates on usurious payday loans
6
The Failure of Austerity Demonstrated by Scott Walker and Mitt Romney
Romney and Walker each pushed austerity politics only to end up with abysmal job records, yet polls say gullible voters keep supporting them.
37
Scrutiny of Mitt Romney’s Character Reveals Psychopathic Tendencies
Between his inability to stop laughing when he causes misery to others and his chronic deceitfulness, Mitt Romney is almost a psychopath.
4
Seven Reasons Why Obama Is the Obvious Choice for Women
All women have to do to emphatically support Obama in 2012 is compare his policies to the Romney and the Republicans, but here are 7 reason why the president is the obvious choice.
14
New Strategies Required to Respond to Republican Voter Suppression Tactics
Without the time to change new Republican laws suppressing voting rights before the election, advocates will need to utilize new Get Out the Vote strategies.
7
The Media Ignores Facts to Parrot Republican Social Security Bad Mouthing
In the wake of the 2012 Trustee’s Report on Social Security, the right wing continues to have the media as an ally in circulating myths about the program.
9
Michigan’s Emergency Manager Laws Are Dismantling Democracy from Within
It is no exaggeration to say that Michigan’s emergency manager laws are a threat to democracy, and the chance to repeal them faces an uncertain future
0
Not All Tax Dollars Go To War: Here Is a Program Liberals Can Be Proud Of
On tax day, it’s nice to take a look at one small positive slice of what the government does with our tax dollars
10
The Not-So-Miraculous Charter School Solution
Recently, isolated successes in charter schools have gotten big headlines, masking the numerous issues they present including undermining public education
7
Our Government’s Immoral Abandonment of People with Mental Illness
Despite the fact that people with mental illnesses end up in systems that cost taxpayers more money, state governments continue to slash funding for services.
15
The “Good News Club”: How the Religious Right is Taking Indoctrination into Public Schools
With the blessing of the Supreme Court, fundamentalist, right wing evangelists are taking religious indoctrination into the public schools.
Profiting from Punishment: The Dangers of Privatizing Imprisonment
Corporations are taking over the incarceration of prisoners to make billions of dollars in profit while lobbying against much needed reforms.
Conservatives Blow Off the Constitution to Degrade Poor People
Despite the fact it violates the Constitution, conservatives across the country keep proposing bills to test poor people seeking government help for drugs.
8
Dumbing Us Down: The GOP’s Assault on Higher Education
The GOP has led a assault on higher education which has included restricting access, for-profit exploitation, and controlling curriculum.
27
Taking the Low Road: The GOP’s Demonization of Government Benefits
In order to eliminate Social Security and Medicare, Republicans use entitlement society language to stigmatize using government benefits.
8
Obama Super PAC Decision Reinforces Need for Action
When even holdouts like Obama are feeling forced to use Super PACs, the American people need to effectively step in and require change.
21
Right Wing Denial and the Legacy of Slavery
Conservatives can’t handle the truth about the aftermath of slavery or neo-slavery and how it still affects African Americans lives today.
17
The Real Reason Saul Alinsky Strikes Fear Into The Heart Of The Right
- Uncategorized
The right’s Saul Alinsky phobia comes from a belief that only certain kinds of Americans should have power, and the rest should be passive recipients of whatever the powerful inflict upon them.