The Roman philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero said "Freedom is participation in power." By that standard Americans are not free. We do not participate in power. We do not even have power over our own economic lives; our elected "representatives" ignore us and listen to the moneyed interests sending...

We are all Tim DeChristopher. That is made clear by the government in its official sentencing recommendations to Federal Judge Dee Benson. The prosecutors write: "many are watching to see the eventual sentence" and therefore DeChristopher's "sentence should effectively communicate that similar acts will have definite consequences." Their purpose...

I can't remember a time when the U.S. military has been stuck in so many war quagmires at once. Libya seems destined to fail unless the U.S. gets a lucky shot and kills Gaddafi. U.S. militarists are openly maneuvering to stay in Iraq -- the war Obama told us was...

A new anti-war movement that can really challenge U.S. militarism is being born. People from across the political spectrum joined together opposing U.S. war and empire. In a letter organized by, Come Home America, they cite a combination of events that present a "historic opportunity to redirect U.S. foreign...

It is a shame to have to ask whether democracy is a mirage in the United States, no doubt most Americans would rather be celebrating U.S. democracy than questioning it. But the reality of the disconnect between government and the people has become so stark it is impossible to ignore.

The 2012 presidential election promises to have the most anonymous campaign donations in U.S. history. Unless the Obama administration acts, unknown corporate and wealthy interests will fund massive advertising campaigns against and for candidates but the voters will not know who they are or their real agenda. The Obama administration...

The credibility of the military justice system is being undermined by the prosecution of Bradley Manning. His abusive punishment without trial violates his due process rights; his harsh treatment in solitary confinement-torture conditions violates the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment; and now the commander-in-chief has announced his...

On April 15^th, a concert and protest against Bank of America was held in Union Square Park. This was the first event organized by Its Our Economy, and it was co-sponsored by 16 other groups concerned about hunger, health care, housing, economic justice and ending war. Big finance and...

President Obama announced the outlines of his deficit plan, leaving a lot up for negotiation. He planted his poll at the center right and where he ends up, with his history of compromising to bring right wing Republicans and Democratic corporatists together, can only be worse.

I was pleasantly surprised...

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

Soldiers Oath

On March 20^th, Americans, in a vet-led assembly, gathered to support PFC Bradley Manning...

Are you tired of big banks making record profits, paying giant executive salaries and bonuses and then cooking the books so they avoid paying taxes? We are. And, we are responding. Join us.

On April 15 in Union Square Park in New York City at 11:00 AM we...

It was hard for some peace activists to look at the planned attack by Col. Gaddafi on Libyan rebels and oppose the no-fly zone approved by the U.N. Col. Gaddafi is a vicious leader who promised to make the streets run red with blood so this was an issue that...

At its one year anniversary the Obama health care law is shrinking while the health care crisis grows. Americans who lack any health coverage still exceeds 50 million, over 45,000 deaths occur annually due to lack of health insurance, and 40 million Americans, including over 10 million children, are...

The Quantico command has shown it does not respect the Constitution; now they are denying our freedom of speech.

As one of the organizers of the non-violent event this Sunday at Quantico in support of Bradley Manning I have been negotiating in good faith with the Marines at Quantico to...

Reports that Bradley Manning is being held nude every night at the Quantico Brig, then forced to stand naked in the hallway while he waits for his clothes, shows the inconsistency of the treatment of Manning with basic American values of due process, fair trial and human dignity.

The race to the bottom has picked up its pace. As state and federal governments face budget deficits, they are cutting critical programs with austerity budgets that will weaken education, health care, essential services and the economy.

Wisconsin is ground zero for the race to the bottom. I will be...

How WikiLeaks is democratizing journalism, redistributing power and increasing transparency

If there were ever a doubt about whether the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, is a journalist, recent events erase all those doubts and put him at the forefront of a movement to democratize journalism and empower people.

The U.S....

President Obama and the Congress have taken 66% of discretionary spending in the federal budget off the table -- the Security Budget -- while proposing a freeze to the rest of the budget and deep cuts to some programs that provide necessities for the American people. His budget crystallizes...

The unrelenting narrative from the corporate media -- that Obama must mend fences with American business -- is disconnected from the reality of Obama's policies and appointments. It is inconsistent with the rise in the stock market, the record profits and the hordes of cash big businesses are sitting on.

Egypt is an alarm that highlights the urgent need for change in U.S. foreign policy. It provides President Obama with an opportunity to transform a foreign policy that has often had the opposite effect that was sought and is undermining U.S. economic and national security.

The list of recent...