At over 350 small coffee shops across the country today, Americans are witnessing the birth of a new movement. It's not Democrat or Republican, it's not progressive or conservative, it's not young or old. It's not about issues so much as a new way of seeing politics. It's not even the Coffee Party (full disclosure: I am a lifelong tea drinker); as someone said this morning, "We're the Coffee, Tea and We Party."
I attended the first organizing event of the nascent Coffee Party at an ungodly hour of a rainy morning in the welcoming Busboys & Poets coffeeshop in downtown Washington, DC. I had persuaded my friend Mary Panke to go with me, believing in her ability to think positive thoughts and to see creative solutions in every issue. I attended mostly out of curiousity and the cynical fear that the Coffee Party was attempting to copy the Tea Party's tactics.
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March 13, 2010
March 12, 2010
Race to Nowhere: The Case Against Homework
“Brothers In Arms”: One Son’s War & Peace Playlist As We Prepare to Enter “The Pacific”
Back in World War II, my late great father Stanley Wild -- who we lost exactly one year ago on Sunday -- was a very young, very scared and very brave Naval Lieutenant serving his country in the Pacific. Though my father was not shy about sharing some colorful war stories with his kids, the truth is I have probably learned more about our Second World War from Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg than I ever did from Dad or any of the other great teachers in my life. To me that's a true public service and a rather excellent use of our airwaves and time. Band Of Brothers forever deepened my understanding of war, peace and history, and so I will meekly but fittingly honor my father's guts and grace by tuning into HBO on Sunday night to begin a whole new journey into The Pacific. I only wish my Dad were still here to watch it too.
To put myself in the proper mindset to enter The Pacific, I've come up with a playlist of great songs that -- at least for me - speak powerfully to the very big subject of war & peace from a variety of perspectives and eras. Though I'm no expert on history, I'm fairly certain they did not have iPods on Naval ships during World War II. Yet if they did, here are a few songs I might load onto one for Dad as he shipped off to serve this country and help try to save the world.
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To put myself in the proper mindset to enter The Pacific, I've come up with a playlist of great songs that -- at least for me - speak powerfully to the very big subject of war & peace from a variety of perspectives and eras. Though I'm no expert on history, I'm fairly certain they did not have iPods on Naval ships during World War II. Yet if they did, here are a few songs I might load onto one for Dad as he shipped off to serve this country and help try to save the world.
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In Zimbabwe, the Voice of the Worker
Cross posted from Border Jumpers, Danielle Nierenberg and Bernard Pollack.
Imagine being one of only five opposition voices in a country of thirteen million people, where all radio, print and television is strictly controlled by the government. That's Ben Madzimure's uphill battle everyday as editor of "The Worker," the voice of the labor movement, in Zimbabwe -- especially because his newspaper is only printed once a month, with only 5,000 copies distributed throughout the country.
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Imagine being one of only five opposition voices in a country of thirteen million people, where all radio, print and television is strictly controlled by the government. That's Ben Madzimure's uphill battle everyday as editor of "The Worker," the voice of the labor movement, in Zimbabwe -- especially because his newspaper is only printed once a month, with only 5,000 copies distributed throughout the country.
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March 11, 2010
State Legislatures Take Aim at Women
State legislatures are often fertile ground for contentious or ribald behavior. And, while great strides have been made in the past decade to diversify our state representatives, the good ol' boys network seems to be prevailing. Just in the past month two shockingly retro bills have either passed or been discussed in legislatures on opposite sides of the country.
Let's start with my home state of the past 18 years, Virginia. Never known for its progressive politics or willingness to embrace change, things are not looking up in the state that once proudly used the slogan "Virginia is for lovers." In recent years, we have not been a warm and loving place for gay people to live. Now it's looking less friendly for heterosexuals, at least based on a recent bait-and-switch ploy in the Virginia statehouse.
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Let's start with my home state of the past 18 years, Virginia. Never known for its progressive politics or willingness to embrace change, things are not looking up in the state that once proudly used the slogan "Virginia is for lovers." In recent years, we have not been a warm and loving place for gay people to live. Now it's looking less friendly for heterosexuals, at least based on a recent bait-and-switch ploy in the Virginia statehouse.
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Roy Sekoff: Massa Is The Navy’s Problem Now (VIDEO)
Roy Sekoff appeared on "The Ed Show" Wednesday to weigh in on yesterday's bizarre media blitz by former Democratic congressman Eric Massa.
When asked by Ed Schultz if Democrats should respond to Massa's claims that the health care reform bill will "destroy this country," Sekoff argued that the party should let it go. Massa isn't their problem anymore. "Yesterday, it was a problem for the Democrats. Last night it was a problem for Glenn Beck. Today it's a bigger problem for the Navy."
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When asked by Ed Schultz if Democrats should respond to Massa's claims that the health care reform bill will "destroy this country," Sekoff argued that the party should let it go. Massa isn't their problem anymore. "Yesterday, it was a problem for the Democrats. Last night it was a problem for Glenn Beck. Today it's a bigger problem for the Navy."
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March 10, 2010
Healthcare Is a Moral Right
I find it absolutely absurd when I hear people, especially elected officials, saying, "The debate on healthcare has been too short. How can we expect to figure out such a massive change in our country with such a short conversation?" For those that don't realize -- a group that I hope would not include elected officials -- we have been talking about healthcare and fixing our system since the beginning of the 20th century. Almost 100 years! Is that a short debate? Is that not enough time to understand that corporations making billions of dollars on the health of our citizens is an immoral and irrational way to render care? Is it not enough time, from Presidents Theodore Roosevelt to F.D.R to Truman to Eisenhower to Kennedy to Johnson to Nixon to Carter to Clinton and now Obama, to figure out that we need to overhaul and change how we provide insurance and healthcare for our citizens?
The "not enough time" argument is just a smoke screen for the "we are not interested in doing this" argument, which opponents of healthcare reform are too afraid to say out loud. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "we get millions of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other industry lobbyists and we like that money" argument. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "those who can afford healthcare are doing fine and those can't, well, work harder" argument that perpetuates a horrible trend in America that the wealthy dictate what the rest of the country has access to. It is time for this to end, and we are very close to making that happen.
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The "not enough time" argument is just a smoke screen for the "we are not interested in doing this" argument, which opponents of healthcare reform are too afraid to say out loud. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "we get millions of dollars in campaign contributions from insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other industry lobbyists and we like that money" argument. The "not enough time" argument is a smoke screen for the "those who can afford healthcare are doing fine and those can't, well, work harder" argument that perpetuates a horrible trend in America that the wealthy dictate what the rest of the country has access to. It is time for this to end, and we are very close to making that happen.
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Last Thursday, CNN was in Washington. Maybe they should have been in Coral Gables.
During the healthcare blahblahthon at Blair House, we watched on national TV how extreme politics poisons Washington's ability to resolve our most pressing problems. The same day, another meeting occurred in Coral Gables.
There, leaders of some of the country's most innovative organizations for social change met to advance their mission: finding more effective solutions to the challenges facing communities throughout the country with less government bureaucracy and fewer taxpayer dollars.
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There, leaders of some of the country's most innovative organizations for social change met to advance their mission: finding more effective solutions to the challenges facing communities throughout the country with less government bureaucracy and fewer taxpayer dollars.
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‘Granny D’ Dead: Doris Haddock, Campaign Finance Reform Activist, Dies At 100
DUBLIN, N.H. (AP)-- A New Hampshire woman who was known as Granny D and walked across the country a decade ago to publicize the need for campaign finance reform has died. She was 100.
Spokeswoman Maude Salinger says Doris "Granny D" Haddock died Tuesday night at her home in Dublin. Salinger, who is also a family friend, says Haddock died of chronic respiratory illness, surrounded by her family.
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Spokeswoman Maude Salinger says Doris "Granny D" Haddock died Tuesday night at her home in Dublin. Salinger, who is also a family friend, says Haddock died of chronic respiratory illness, surrounded by her family.
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