In 1906, the German sociologist Werner Sombart published an essay called, “Why is there no Socialism in the United States?” in which he tried to address a question that had puzzled political thinkers for decades: why did European labor movements adopt socialist goals (like the overthrow of the capitalist system and the nationalization of property, for instance) while [...]
America has a terminal case of hubris. Yes, we were one of the first, if not the first, countries to guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom to protest, as well as many other paradigm-shifting rights. It’s possible that without us, the outcome of World War II may not have been the [...]
By now I’m sure many of you have heard about the new voter identification laws that some states are beginning to enforce. And good for you if you discovered this through academic sources, but I am far from ashamed to say that I learned of these absurd regulations by none other than Sarah Silverman. If [...]
…in a democracy like America, it’s not just politicians or elites who are responsible for American foreign policy. [...] Every American, including you and me, bears some responsibility for these policies, and Americans who disagree with them are obligated to express their dissent and do something about it. It’s a powerful claim, but what can the average American do?
Anyone who pays even marginal attention to politics knows that media outlets think it’s never too early to start talking about the upcoming presidential election. I try to avoid that wave of premature coverage myself until the year of, but now that 2012 has finally arrived, I’ll allow myself to dig in. Rather than discussing [...]
Some essential reading on the Occupy movement is Ned Reskinoff’s “From an Occupation to a Movement,” in which he opines on the future of the occupation after OWS’s eviction from Zucotti Park. It’s a great piece, and my favorite part is when he discusses the consensus model that OWS operates with: It’s also less democratic than it [...]
