To put it crudely, the dilemma facing the Democratic party comes down to this: Will Dems decide next time to stand with the working people, or will they stick with their big-money friends in finance and business? Some twenty years ago, Bill Clinton taught Democrats how they can have it both ways. Take Wall Street’s money—gobs of it—while promising to govern on a heart-felt agenda of “Putting People First.”
Continue reading What Does the Democratic Party Actually Believe? | The Nation
Une société sans croissance: la politique à l’heure de la «grande stagnation» | Slate fr
Fabien Escalona [bing_translator]
L’entrée des démocraties occidentales dans une ère sans croissance paraît de plus en plus crédible. Or, le triomphe de l’Etat nation libéral-démocratique et social a été profondément lié aux «Trente Glorieuses». Que peut-on en attendre pour l’avenir de nos régimes politiques? Continue reading Une société sans croissance: la politique à l’heure de la «grande stagnation» | Slate fr
By the Numbers: US Poverty | BillMoyersHQ
US poverty (less than $19,090 for a family of three): 46.5 million people, 15 percent
Children in poverty: 16.4 million, 23 percent of all children, including 39.6 percent of African-American children and 33.7 percent of Latino children. Children are the poorest age group in the US
Lessons In Manhood: A Boys’ School Turns Work Into Wonders | NPR
This summer, All Things Considered has been taking a look at the changing lives of men in America. And that means talking about how the country educates boys.
In Berkeley, Calif., a private, non-profit middle school called the East Bay School for Boys is trying to reimagine what it means to build confident young men. In some ways, the school’s different approach starts with directing, not stifling, boys’ frenetic energy. Continue reading Lessons In Manhood: A Boys’ School Turns Work Into Wonders | NPR
A Stronger Bill to Limit Surveillance – NYTimes.com
The Senate is about to begin debate on a bill that could, at long last, put an end to the indiscriminate bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records and bring needed transparency to the abusive spying programs that have tarnished the nation’s reputation.
Continue reading A Stronger Bill to Limit Surveillance – NYTimes.com
Academic Study on ALEC Policy Strategy for Education | Resist the Privatization of America
This article is excerpted from an extensive academic study done by researchers with New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Continue reading Academic Study on ALEC Policy Strategy for Education | Resist the Privatization of America
.@ShakaSenghor: Why your worst deeds don’t define you | #TED Talk
In 1991, Shaka Senghor shot and killed a man. He was, he says, “a drug dealer with a quick temper and a semi-automatic pistol.” Jailed for second degree murder, that could very well have been the end of the story. But it wasn’t. Instead, it was the beginning of a years-long journey to redemption, one with humbling and sobering lessons for us all.
Everyone one has the potential to find redemption and a purpose in life. Everyone.
Rima
Please watch and share.
Curated from www.ted.com
Paul Waldman: How Did the #GOP Turn Into Such a Bunch of Clowns?
Democrats used to marvel at Republicans’ political skill. But it’s been a decade since the GOP won a victory in policy or elections that wasn’t pre-ordained by circumstance.
For a lot of reasons, the current era will probably be seen as unusually consequential in the history of the two parties, particularly the GOP. For Republicans, it has been a time of ideological hardening and bitter infighting. But one aspect of the Republican dilemma hasn’t gotten as much attention as those: This is a time of unusual, even stunning, Republican political incompetence.
Continue reading Paul Waldman: How Did the #GOP Turn Into Such a Bunch of Clowns?
Jared Bernstein: A Quick Check-in on the Wage Front
We don’t yet have all the data I need to update my full-monty-wage-mash-up, but a few series to which I pay attention are now available for the first half of the year: median weekly earnings (MWE) of full-time workers and two flavors of average hourly earnings. What do they show?
Not much, in terms of wage pressures. MWE is a very noisy series–medians are a more volatile statistic then means–so in order to show underlying pace in nominal weekly earnings, I’ve smoothed the series (using an HP filter; both figures show year-over-year changes). Amidst the jumpiness, the deceleration is clear.
Continue reading Jared Bernstein: A Quick Check-in on the Wage Front
Get The Money Out of Politics: Install Greenhouse | Expose Corruption
A sixteen year old programmer named Nicholas Rubin created a browser plugin that, when installed, will recognize the names of political officials and will pop-up known campaign contribution data available online, with just a hover of the mouse. You can read more about him on Bill Moyers’ write-up. Continue reading Get The Money Out of Politics: Install Greenhouse | Expose Corruption