Democracy

By Hsain Ilahiane | (Informed Comment) | – – The Founding Fathers wrote the electoral college in the United States Constitution. In late summer 2004, I became a naturalized United States citizen in Des Moines, Iowa. The following November election day, with my voting card in hand, sure-footed and full of excitement, I walked over […]

Democracy

5 Surprising Signs of Positive Change in 2016

Juan Cole

Sarah van Gelder | (Yes! Magazine) The election divided the year into “before” and “after.” But there remain signs of hope for 2017. It was a year blown up by the election results. There are now two very different 2016s—the one before and the one after we learned that Donald Trump would become president of […]

Democracy

Demonization of Putin as “Personally” behind Clinton Hack is old Propaganda Technique

Juan Cole

Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The leaked allegations supposedly from the CIA that Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” directed how hacked emails from the Clinton campaign should be treated with a good deal of skepticism. I have already said that the allegations of effective Russian interference in the US election do not […]

Democracy

From Wanda Sykes to ACLU: How to Show Solidarity in the Age of Trump

contributors

TeleSur | – – Building a wall of support against Trump’s wall of rhetoric is the way forward. Wanda Sykes, a Black lesbian comedian, was booed because she dared to rant against the new U.S. president-elect just five minutes into her set. “I am certain this is not the first time we’ve elected a racist, […]

Democratic Party

Growing Global Nuclear Threat – as if Election 2016 weren’t already bad enough

contributors

By Michael T. Klare | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – Once upon a time, when choosing a new president, a factor for many voters was the perennial question: “Whose finger do you want on the nuclear button?” Of all the responsibilities of America’s top executive, none may be more momentous than deciding whether, and under […]

Democratic Party

Polls: Capt. Trump aiming GOP Flight 2016 at nearest mountain

contributors

David Faris | (Informed Comment) | – – In weighted opinion polls, Hillary Clinton crushed Donald J. Trump in Wednesday night’s debate, with a 10 to 13 percent spread. On Wednesday night, an accomplished, intelligent woman with painstakingly constructed plans for the future of American society and a wonk’s grasp on policy once again spent […]

Dissent

Shadows of Plutocracy darken over our Democracy in this Election

contributors

By Bill Moyers | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | – – Sixty-six years ago this summer, on my 16th birthday, I went to work for the daily newspaper in the small East Texas town of Marshall where I grew up. It was a good place to be a cub reporter — small enough to navigate but […]

Bill of Rights

Can Americans get back their Democracy from the Oligarchy?

contributors

By John Scales Avery | (Inter Press Service) | – – COPENHAGEN, (IPS) – As many observers around the world have pointed out, the United States is no longer a true democracy. It is an oligarchy. The US government ignores the safety, wishes and needs of the majority of its citizens, and instead makes decisions […]