Deep Culture in the Public Sphere

By Ed Knudson - To understand politics it is necessary to examine deep patterns in the beliefs and attitudes of the American public. Here are some starting ideas for doing so.

Off Dead Center: William Appleman Williams

By Greg Grandin - Teaching and writing in Wisconsin and Oregon, this historian saw empire and foreign policy different from Arthur Schlesinger and Reinhold Niebuhr.

Business and Labor Now Must Both Support Industrial Policy

Conservative hostility to the very idea of 'industrial policy' has helped lead to the present economic crisis. Time for a new look...

Inequality Starves the States

By Sam Pizzigati - At mid-century the states built infrastructure for the middle class, then the rich began investing in politics to finance anti-tax movements.

Learning from Canadians about Health Care

By Sara Robinson - There are real practical daily life style benefits for everyone in Canada due to its health care system. The American system? So bad it's hard to believe.

The Massive Power of Rhetoric

By David Michael Green - Words are deeds, they make a difference, and Barack Obama knows how to talk, his content is more important than his style. But will he follow-through?

Democrats Failing to Govern with Real Change

By William Greider - The American people want real change in economic and social policy, but Democrats so far are timid and uncertain. Here is what to do: organize against usury!

Ecosocialism for the 21st Century: The Global Crisis of the Left

By Eric Toussaint - Recent years have seen strong political change in Latin America and the United States, as well as in Europe. Here is a discussion of new directions for the global left.

Equality in Norway

By Sam Pizzigati - A discussion of a report by Ådne Cappelen and Lars Mjøset, Can Norway Be a Role Model for Natural Resource Abundant Countries?

How Capitalist Orthodoxy Failed Then and Now

By Robert Kuttner - Four books on the economic crisis are reviewed, by Richard Posner, George A Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller, Liaquat Ahamend and Dean Baker.

The Erosion of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

A review of the current status of employer health care plans and the number of workers not covered.

Social Justice in a Global Age

The Policy Network publishes a major new book on social democracy in this time of globalization.

Obama in Latin America

By Greg Grandin - As the new president visits Latin America here is some history on the approach of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the same region.

Cultural Collapse

By Sam Smith - It is not only the economy but the culture that is lacking since the 1980s. What's lacking is logic, pragmatism, imagination and common sense.

Peak Oil and Peak Capitalism

By Rick Wolff - If corporations are run by the decisions of boards of directors, then current economic problems are the result of those decisions. Here is an option.

By Ed Knudson:  Personal commentary, updated throughout the month, tracking the news and politics and unusual stuff here and there.
March 31: Auto Company Debt. It`s the last day of the month and I haven`t explained what I mean by the title phrase for this month`s blog, "the herd has gone on strike." The auto company debt is a good example. Reading the news about the Obama administration`s plans for GM and Chrysler it becomes clear what is one of their biggest problems: too much debt. The firms have tried to renegotiate their debt but the people to whom they owe the money don`t want to give up any of their money. Thin     More...

The Right-Wing, Neocon Orientation of the Washington Post

By Robert Parry - An insidious power of a propagandistic newspaper – especially one with great influence – is how it can 'frame' an issue so the assumptions behind a story guide readers to a preordained conclusion.

Capitalism Hits the Fan

A DVD explaining how the American dream turned into a nightmare featuring Richard Wolff.

Stop the Bailout, Fix the Fed

By William Greider - With aid of the work of Jane D'Arista, Greider shows how the Federal Reserve should be restructured to get things moving again.

Real Solutions: A Tax Credit for Paid Time Off, A Financial Transactions Tax

By Dean Baker - Tom Delay on Hardball blamed the market crash on those govt programs, Fannie and Freddie. Dean Baker knows what did it, and offers real solutions.

Civil Religion and Social Democracy

By Ed Knudson - One reality for Social Democrats is the continuing influence of religion in politics globally and in the United States. Michael Harrington had some advice on this.

The City Belongs to All of Us

By Phillip Cryan - New organizing on economic issues is fueled by the idea of an urban commons. Ideas from Boston, Oakland, Portland and the Twin Cities.

Take Over the Big Banks, Fire Existing Management, and Break Them Up

By Nick Baumann - James K. Galbraith proposes several bolder actions to fix the economy than the Obama administration has contemplated.

Media Marxists in Reverse

By Jamison Foser - Why do so many in the media, like Michelle Bernard, Carlos Quintanilla, Jennifer Loven, and Jeanne Cummings, talk about class warfare when they don't know what they are talking about?

Broder's Bad Call on Who has been Gambling with America

By Ed Knudson - David Broder seriously misses the mark in his column on Obama as gambler. It's the financial gamblers who have messed things up so bad.

The Central Role of Power and Violence in the Creation of Wealth

By Marcellus Andrews - Climate change will force us to abandon the practice of creating disposable classes of persons as buffers who absorb the risks of life at the cost of their bodies and souls.

Government is Good for Business

By Jeff Madrick - Finland, Sweden and Norway, all with high taxes and generous welfare systems, are considered by business executives among the 10 most competitive nations.

Conservative Intellectual Incoherence

By Paul Krugman - Bobby Jindal had a tough time following Barack Obama, but it's what he actually said that was the biggest problem for Republicans.

Explosive Growth in Climate Change Lobby

By Kim McGuire - More than 770 companies and organizations hired 2,340 lobbyists to work on climate change policy in 2008.

Taking Charge of the Public Agenda

By Ed Knudson - Barack Obama's speech to Congress and the American people on his budget is a remarkable event demonstrating real competence and confidence.

The American Institutionalist School of Economic Theory

By Goncalo L. Fonseca - A brief introduction to this school of economic theory including Thorstein Veblen.

Toyota: Auto Industry Race to the Bottom

By Barbara Briggs - As the U.S. auto industry collapses, more people should know Toyota's history. Unpaid overtime, union-busting, sweatshop suppliers. You might not feel so proud of your Prius after reading this.

Can There Be Honor and Purpose in Politics Anymore?

Democratic pollster and consultant Stan Greenberg is interviewed by Politics Magazine, talks about Dick Morris and Mark Penn, and says the candidate who defines the fight wins.

Historical Interpretation in Political Practice

By Ed Knudson - The study of history is critical to understand or become involved in politics. Here are resources on this website: historical figures, events, documents.

A Profile of Eduard Bernstein, 1850-1932

German Social Democratic Party leader and main instigator of the 'revisionist' version of Marxism.

Massive Civil Unrest Possible Due to Economic Crisis

By Chris Hedges - The new director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, warns extremism of the 20s and 30s may threaten social stability and national security.

Hubert H. Humphrey - A Social Democrat - 1911 - 1978

This is a brief profile of Humphrey with highlights from his life and times.

New Network for Young Elected Officials is Organized

By Cindy Yurth - Andrew Gillum spearheaded the formation of a new network which now boasts 480 members in all states.

Organized Violence Against Labor, and Otherwise

By Kevin Baker - A review of a book by Beverly Gage, The Day Wall Street Exploded. Violence in labor disputes has a long history in this country.

The Social Democratic Prospect

By Sidney Hook - Reflection on this speech by a leading intellectual in the history of Social Democracy can stimulate thought on how it can become a more wide-spread political philosophy today.

Bayard Rustin: The Whole Story (1912 - 1987)

By Velma Murphy Hill - A PBS documentary paints a dynamic portrait of a dedicated, fearless, multi-faceted, and charismatic social activist.

The Stimulus and the Threat to Stability

By Carl Bloice - In January, 2009, the black jobless rate hit 12.9 percent (9.2 last January). Republican politics threatens economic stability.

The Democratic Promise: Saul Alinsky and His Legacy

'I tell people the hell with charity, the only thing you will get is what you're strong enough to get.

Politics and Struggle in the New Era of Obama

The election of Barack Obama constitutes a sea-change in popular consciousness according to voices from the left.

Social Security Now Threatened by Entitlement Reformers

By William Greider - Behind closed doors, advocates of entitlement reform are pushing Obama to tap the Social Security surplus to pay for bank bailouts. It could be a defining test for new politics in the Obama era.

Strange: When Republicans Fail to be Bipartisan the Press Blames Obama

By Jamison Foser - Media coverage of the economic recovery bill and Judd Gregg's resignation as Commerce Secretary says Obama is failing. A little weird?

Why Planning and Policy are So Important!

By Ed Knudson - Three reasons for why the work of public planning professionals is important for all of us.

Martin Luther King was a Social Democrat

By Paul Sweet - Among many well-known figures in history, Martin Luther King spoke out in favor of economic justice for all.

The American Way: A Short History of Business Handouts

By Stephen Lendman - Howard Zinn is discussed here, along with Charles Beard's article: The Myth of Rugged American Individualism.

A Radical Leftist: Dwight D. Eisenhower - 1953

Just how extreme are the policies of George W. Bush is reflected in this speech by Dwight D. Eishenhower in 1953.

Sovereign Power, Bare Life and Oikonomia

By Giorgio Agamben - An interview with Giorgio Agamben on a conference on Walter Benjamin. This deals with Foucault, 'oikonomia' and the origins of modern economic concepts which can influence the idea of 'free society'.

Political Realism and Religious Engagement

By Byron Williams - The world is broken. People of faith must reckon with that fact as they consider political engagement. Reinhold Niebuhr provides some insight for today.

Do Web Research Right Here, Suggest Links

Visitors and Members are asked to help us build the web research functions of the website.

The Audacity of Hope Tackles the Enormity of Inequality

By Sam Pizzigati - The new White House faces an uphill battle on executive compensation, quoting new IRS reports.

The Icelandic Volcano Erupts

Can a Hedge-Fund Island Lose Its Shirt and Gain Its Soul? By Rebecca Solnit

Defining Social Democracy: A Serious Option for the Current Economic Crisis

By Sheri Berman - The author of The Primacy of Politics, here gives solid reasons why Social Democracy won the debates among the left over capitalism.

This Can Be Done: Tax the Speculators!

By Ralph Nader - How to Lighten the Income Tax Load on the American Worker .

The Obama Era: A Time for Organizing and Advocacy

By Deepak Bhargava - Assessing the first days of the Obama administration from the perspective of community organizing.

Social Democrats Asked to Form New Government in Iceland

Iceland's president asks the Social Democrats to form a new government to lead the island nation through a financial meltdown,.

It's Not Going to Be OK

By Chris Hedges - The economic crisis could plunge the U.S. into a long period of social instability. Our democracy is in peril. Sheldon Wolin discussed here.

Fantasy Wars Continue at the Pentagon

By Chalmers Johnson - The author of Blowback and other books here talks about fantasy weapons going forward in a time of economic crisis.

Plunder and Blunder: How the 'Financial Experts' Keep Screwing You

By Dean Baker - An excerpt from Dean Baker's new book on the rise and fall of the bubble economy.

Time to Jettison the Filibuster from Senate Rules

By Hugh Spitzer - Some strong arguments that the Senate filibuster rule is totally undemocratic.

Northeast becomes Least Religious Region

New Gallup poll ranks the most religious states in South. Catholics leaving church in the northeast.

Fundamentally Flawed Stimulus Coverage

By Jamison Foser - Foser of Media Matters reviews the coverage of the media of the stimulus bill and how it fails to comprehend economic facts.

Unpopular Rush Limbaugh Now Leads Republican Party

By Max Blumenthal - Congressional Republicans have turned to Rush Limbaugh to lead the battle against Obama. One problem: A poll says he's less popular than Jeremiah Wright.

Nationalized Banks are the Only Answer

By Joseph E. Stiglitz - In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz talks about nationalizing banks, the outlook for developing countries.

Liberal Media Promote Conservative Spin

By Ed Knudson - Why liberals in the media present conservative views when a liberal is president. It's happening again!

Global Social Democracy is Possible Now

By Walden Bello - A consensus is emerging now for a new economic order, says Walden Bello. Obama is in a position to do it.

A Revolution in Spirit: The Market Should Serve Society

By Benjamin R. Barber - Benjamin Barber writes of a fateful struggle for the soul of capitalism. The economy should serve people.

Environmental Sustainability is a Social Problem

By Michael Muller - Michael Muller, State Secretary in the German Environment Ministry, talks about the environment and social policy.

A Social Democratic Economist for Our Times: John Kenneth Galbraith

By J. Bradford DeLong - A biography of Galbraith by Richard Parker is reviewed by J. Bradford DeLong. Democratic leaders lost their nerve to do what Galbraith thought best.

Taking from the Poor and Giving to the Rich

By Dean Baker - The banks are bankrupt. Ordinary folks have trouble believing that the economic system is as corrupt as it is, along with political leaders.

Deep Ecology and Paradise

By Arne Naess - The founder of the concept of deep ecology, Arne Naess, dies at 96. Here he briefly talks about his thinking.

Bold Proposal: Seriously Restructure Taxes in the USA

By David Cay Johnston - Want fair taxes and real economic justice? Read this article by David Cay Johnston and write congress now!

A New Global Economic Order

By Joseph E. Stiglitz - Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz says markets can't govern themselves. He proposes specific institutions for global economic governance.

Americans Still Blindly Obey Authority

A famous study by Stanley Milgram is repeated showing that Americans are willing to inflict harsh pain on others.

Karl Rove in Sweden

By Amy Goodman - This is about the Nobel prizes and how Karl Rove is helping Sweden’s prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt.

The Awful Reality of Millions of Uneducated American Adults

By Chris Hedges - Huge segments of our population, especially those who live in the embrace of the Christian right and the consumer culture, are completely unmoored from reality.

History and Manifesto for Social Democrats USA

By David Hacker - This document by David Hacker is aimed at reviving a historic social democratic organization.

Regional Cities May End Urban Sprawl

By Suzannah Lessard - A review of a book by Peter Calthorpe and William Fulton discussing Lewis Mumford and the failure of urban renewal.

History and Manifesto of Social Democrats USA, Part Two

By David Hacker - This is the final chapter 8 which contains principles for a revived Social Democratic organization in the U.S.

A Critique of Interest Group Liberalism

By Alex Schmidt - A review of 'The End of Liberalism' by Theodore J. Lowi which presented a powerful argument against one form of liberalism.

The Sublime Joy of Historical Meaning

By Kaitlin Barker - Kaitlin Barker of Sojourners expresses a quasi-religious emotion on the election of Barack Obama.

The Election of a President with a Public Theology

By John Schmalzbauer - The Immanent Frame discusses the religion and politics. This article discusses the religious factor in the thinking of Barack Obama.

The Civil War Is Finally Over with this Election

By Ed Knudson - The cultural wars of the past decades fought by religious conservatives were really a continuation of the civil war. With this election a new solidarity is possible.

Electing a Black President: A Clash of Interpretations

By Ed Knudson - Tracking the last month of the 2008 presidential election using a theory of backlash politics. 'A new politics for a new day.'

The Financial Bailouts Reward Incompetence and Greed

By Howard Zinn - Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a free market. The financial bailout rewards incompetence and greed.

The Financial Market Crash of 2008: The End of Unregulated Capitalism

By Ed Knudson - Tracking the failure of the market to provide financial stability for Americans. A new era lies before the American people and the world.

Real Americans are Not a Benighted Bunch of Easily Manipulated Bigots

By Frank Rich - how McCain-Palin get Americans wrong, and how the press focuses on race. Americans have grown up now.

The Devastation of Iraq by Market Fundamentalists

By Michael Schwartz - Telling the truth about what has happened in Iraq and why.

Beyond Professionalism and the Meritocratic American Dream

By Aziz Rana - In a profound analysis, Aziz Rana says Obama and Democrats must open their eyes to a new-old vision of American society.

Social Democracy as a Conservative Movement

By Ed Knudson - Ed Knudson criticizes Jon Meacham in Newsweek when he says that Obama should govern with a center-right orientation.

Chairman Bush and Comrade Paulson

By Craig Miller - The financial crisis is bringing corporate socialism to America.

A Hedge Fund Manager Says Goodbye: 'I Hate It'

By Andrew Lahde - A professional tells what it's like to work inside the financial system that has now crashed, the people he took money from, and what government should do.

Republicans Blame Blacks for Financial Crisis

By Ed Knudson - Conservatives are looking for a scapegoat upon which to blame the failure of Wall Street; it's the fault of black people. Fox News is the biggest culprit.

Decades of Political Idiocy

By Thomas Frank - Pollsters-consultants represent a great decline in understanding what it means to be an American from what Norman Mailer did for the 60s.

Democracy Incorporated: Managed Democracy and the Specter of Inverted Totalitarianism

By Chalmers Johnson - A new, comprehensive diagnosis of our failings as a democratic polity by one of our most seasoned and respected political philosophers, Sheldon Wolin.

Casino Capitalism: On Presidential Blindness and Economic Catastrophe

By Mike Davis - Seeing into the chasm of the current crisis and policy alternatives, talks about Obama.

The Era of the Faith-Based Economy

By Arjun Appadurai - The economy as understood by George W. Bush is faith-based in a way not so good for Main Street.

Hank Paulson Says Financial Executives Cannot be Trusted

By Ed Knudson - Can rational, selfish greed explain why highly paid executives educated at excellent business schools drove their companies into the ground?

The Real Truth: Our Democracy is in Peril

By Chris Hedges - The economic crisis could bring on a political crisis also, pointing to the analysis of Karl Polanyi.

Sarah Palin's Pentecostal Governance: No Codes, No Civic Oversight, No Planning

By Jonathan Raban - What Sarah Palin did as mayor of Wasilla, and what she might do if elected as vice-president.

Race and Regionalism in a Turning-Point Election

By Chalmers Johnson - The 2008 election is a possible realignment of American politics, depending on race and regionalism as well as the economy.

The Real West Is an Urban West

By Carl Abbott - A Portland State University professor says Nancy Pelosi is a better representative of the West than Sarah Palin.

Without Economic Planning: Economic Destruction

By Ed Knudson - Republicans hate economic planning; that's what has caused the current crisis.

The Left Today: A Social Democratic View

By Mitchell Cohen - An interview with Mitchell Cohen of Dissent Magazine by Robert Swarg, including comments on Obama and McCain on foreign policy.

The Utopian Idea of the Free Market

By Fred Block - Karl Polanyi in 'The Great Transformation' identifies the origins of market concepts.

Bank Bailout: Rational Choice Theory? No, a Nation of Gamblers

By Otto Spengler - In the Asia Times Spengler goes after Hank Paulson for the blank check to the banks in the bailout. Why so little protest?

The Abortion Myth and School Segregation in the South

By Randall Balmer - This excerpt of a book by Randall Balmer connects the origins of the religious right to efforts to preserve segregated schools in the South.

Carl Schmitt Politics: Divide Americans from One Another

By Ed Knudson - The ideas of this German political theorist are being expressed in Republican political practice today.

Lesson for Political Candidates: Control of the Narrative

By Ed Knudson - Politics is a contest over which story is true. It 'reveals' who a candidate is, who the voters are, where they have been and where they are going.

The Resentment Strategy of Moral Relativists

By Ed Knudson - Paul Krugman wonders where the resentment of the 'angry right' comes from, how Democrats can be called elitists.

Working America Organizes

By David Moberg - About a new political organization of 2.5 million members: 'Working America,'

Finance Capital, Neo-Liberalism and Critical Institutionalism

By Dan Krier - Paper by Dan Krier, Iowa State University on Veblen and other theorists of institutional economics.

Unaccountable Vice: Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin

By Walter Mondale - Under Mondale, the vice presidency became important. Here he criticizes Cheney.

A Social Democrat Advocates Civil Rights Sixty Years Ago

By Ed Knudson - E. J. Dionne recalls Hubert Humphrey's speech in the 1948 Democratic Convention.

Kill the Prophet

By Ed Knudson - A true political preacher like Barack Obama is a rare thing, and dangerous for the opposition in power. That's why prophets must be killed.

Abortion and the Definition of the Human

By Ed Knudson - Columnist Kathleen Parker ought not to be pronouncing absolutes for either science or the church.

The Globalization of Civil Society

By Ed Knudson - The free society is asociated with human rights in the United States and around the world.

Crisis and Choice in European Social Democracy

By Patrick Diamond - Four strategic shifts are here discussed by Patrick Diamond along with a framework for policy development for Social Democrats.

Books, Books, and Ice-axe Books

A new book feature is added to this website. Here's why. And let us know if you want your own comments or reviews to appear here.

Manifesto for a Progressive Theatre

By Walter A. Davis - A free society is one where the cultural arts flower and are able to critique the domination of economy and government. Read what Walter Davis says here.

German Social Democrats: A Deep Psycho-demographic Malaise

By Tobias Dürr - Tobias Dürr's discussion of German Social Democrats can be applied also to the Democratic Party of the United States.

Recent History of Social Democrats, USA

By Gabriel McCloskey-Ross - Gabriel McCloskey-Ross discusses recent history of Social Democrats, USA and a proposal to revive the group.

Purpose-Driven Presidential Platitudes

By Ed Knudson - Media allow conservative evangelist Rick Warren to place himself at the center of presidential politics.

Humanity's Meltdown

By Mike Davis - Human solidarity itself may fracture and shatter from resource depletion, intractable inequality, and climate change.

White House Knew Iraq Had No WMD

By Ed Knudson - Ron Suskind's new book brings to the surface again that George W. Bush lied us into the Iraq war.

McCain Ad Cynically Encourages Religious, Hysterical Hatred of Obama

By Ed Knudson - Political advertising has reached a new low in an John McCain ad about Obama as 'The One'.

The Heart of the Economic Mess

By Robert B. Reich - What the wealthy refuse to realize: Ordinary people don't have enough money to make the economy healthy.

Stock Plunges, Social Security and Michael Harrington

By Ed Knudson - George W. Bush wanted to switch Social Security over to private investments. Where would it be now? Social Democrats like Michael Harrington made S.S. increases possible.

The Southern Dominance of Real Politics

By Ed Knudson - To understand politics for the past few decades it is necessary to realize the South wants to culturally dominate the country.

Interpretive Ethics: The Right, The Real, and the Good

By Ed Knudson - Basic categories for ethical reflection are presented in a simple concept scheme which can be useful for thinking about any moral issue in personal or social-political-economic life.

Serious Politics for a Free Society

By Ed Knudson - This page is a first introduction to the idea of New Social Democrats. It was written in May, 2008, as a prospectus for a Center for Social Democracy.

Strategy on Jeremiah Wright

By Ed Knudson - How to respond to the Jeremiah Wright issue and what the Obama campaign should do.

Quote from Dr. King presented on the day on January 19, 2009.
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, other centered men can build up." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.     More...