Jeffrey Abelson

Is the free market really free? Or does it come at the expense of civic values we neglect at our peril?

That's one of many questions I found myself pondering after reading What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits Of Markets -- the masterful new book by Harvard...

What's the role of art in political consciousness-raising? And when's the last time you really worried about nuclear war?

Views are mixed about the former. But virtually no one shivers about nuclear winter the way we did back in the Cold War era. Which is rather shortsighted, as the Mideast...

At the root of the polarization poisoning American politics is a fierce disagreement over the proper role of government. But do most citizens have a fully reasoned view of what we want government to actually do? Is that part of the problem?

Perhaps a little thought experiment would help.

What...

More people than ever have been tuning in to the Republican presidential debates. Critics claim it's all show biz, that the debates are playing as little more than a new form of Reality Show -- a contest, a drama -- who's up this week? -- who's...

While there continued to be much for comedians to ridicule in Saturday night's Republican debate on foreign policy, it must also be said that there were differences -- of a substantive and positive kind -- compared to previous GOP debates. Hosted by CBS and National Journal, and moderated...

Well, it's on. The latest political gold rush to form a viable 3rd party. At the top of the food chain, backed by hedge fund guys, is Amercans Elect, with Thom Friedman as cheerleader-in-chief. At the other end is the lone but sympathetic voice...

Have you ever dreamed of aliens from outer space invading and forcing us to grow up as a democracy? Sometimes it seems like that's the only way we ever will.

In the midst of extreme economic crisis and a withering of the American Dream, the symptoms of our national...

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." -- John Steinbeck --

Words matter.

During the holiday season, as you think about donating to your favorite charities, consider "thinking outside the wallet" as well. That's the message and motivating idea behind GreatNonProfits.org -- a wonderful web platform that makes it easy for people to write and read reviews about great...

They came, they talked, they listened -- to each other. They were attentive and respectful, with nary a voice raised in anger. A most unconventional political gathering. No, this wasn't a preview of Jon Stewart's Rally To Restore Sanity. It was the first national convention for the Coffee...

Today is Constitution Day, aka Citizenship Day -- a federal holiday celebrating the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. It's also a day to reflect on our extraordinary form of government, and reconnect with what it means to be an active citizen, and why it matters

For, in the...

Since the founding of the republic, editorial cartoons have played a meaningful role in shaping political discourse. But they depended on a flourishing newspaper industry, and comfort with controversy. It should come as no surpise then that political cartooning is a dying...

Well, the Lincoln Memorial Beckanalia has come and gone, and all the handwringing and ridiculing that led up to it has subsided. But there's one critical thing that still needs to be said. Regardless of what you think about Glenn Beck, or his crowd's political views, you at least have...

On the way into idyllic Aspen, I started thinking about these annual gatherings of brilliant, innovative, cutting edge minds, and the Big Ideas they share, and the collegial interaction among the attendees as well as speakers. And I wondered, how can this immense intellectual and inspirational resource, this vital natural...

All serious citizens claim to revere Thomas Jefferson. It might be worth noting how deeply rooted were his convictions and faith in the people's ability to govern themselves. A faith justified by what he saw in the common sense of the common man, and a faith in the power of...

From the angry Tea Party crowd on the right -- to disappointed Obama fans on the left -- most concerned citizens are frustrated that they can't seem to make their voices heard by elected officials. Some wave their fists and fume, but the vast majority of Americans grow cynical and...

Exactly 2,500 years ago this year, a war was fought that made the world safe for democracy. It's a fitting tale for Memorial Day, for it not only reminds us of the eternal debt we owe our warriors, but is also a much needed object lesson in what it really...

From big bank bailouts to big bad bonuses to mystery market meltdowns, Wall Street is nothing if not in our face these days. But each time there's an eruption, ordinary people are the ones caught in the lava flow while the gods of high finance watch blissfully untouched from their...

I've been thinking a lot about Martin Luther King lately, in the context of how legacies are formed after heroes pass on. For instance, we justly honor the beloved civil rights icon with a holiday every January. And since 1994, we even decided to double the honor, by also hailing...

Rising out of the fierce backlash to Citizens United v. FEC are a growing number of calls for a Constitutional Amendment to neutralize the effects of that controversial case. It's easy to empathize with these passionate activists -- after all, do corporations really need more political...