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The New Bulgarian Left

John Feffer | Posted 01.27.2013 | World
John Feffer

In the same way that the New Left in the United States distanced itself in the 1960s from the old-style Communist Party and its fellow travelers, this new left in Eastern Europe has taken pains to distinguish itself from the Communist Party politics of the Cold War era.

The End of the Right-Wing Coalition -- And Where We Go From Here

Nathan Newman | Posted 01.26.2013 | Politics
Nathan Newman

The America of nostalgic visions of clean-cut suburban lawns, self-sufficient breadwinners, and homogeneous communities heard its death rattle on election night.

Happy Thanksgiving, President Obama (And Some Second-Term Advice)

Chris Weigant | Posted 01.21.2013 | Politics
Chris Weigant

Millions of Americans will start off their Thanksgiving statements with, "I am thankful Barack Obama will be our president for four more years. The biggest lesson we hope he learned from over the past four is to not start negotiating from a compromise position.

Two Geographies of the Left and Right

John Cooker | Posted 12.24.2012 | Politics
John Cooker

Conservatives inhabit the wide open countryside, mostly in the south and Midwest; Liberals inhabit the densely populated urban mega-cities concentrated in the northeast and west coast. How do these different landscapes affect their political beliefs?

Proud Member Of The Spiritual Left

Nancy Cronk | Posted 07.09.2011 | Religion
Nancy Cronk

When a person studies world religions, he or she soon finds there are many spiritual traditions in the world that are not obsessed with damning people to eternal hellfire.

Suggestions for Obama's Medicare Counterproposal

Chris Weigant | Posted 06.12.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

It's going to be very easy for whatever Obama comes up with to look a lot better than just handing seniors a voucher and saying: "Good luck with that medical insurance marketplace."

The Left Edge of the Possible

Robert Kuttner | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Robert Kuttner

We need to take back our politics, so that what is sensible is also possible. Maybe, just maybe, events in Madison and elsewhere are the beginning of that process.

Who We Fight for and Why it Matters

Mark Olmsted | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Mark Olmsted

I saw The Eagle this weekend, and thought Tatum Channing acquitted himself remarkably well, considering how contemporary he might have seemed in a his...

Mourning the Silence of True Liberalism

Byron Williams | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Byron Williams

Somewhere between the civil rights movement and the anti-Vietnam protest, liberalism lost its voice. And by tangible indicators it has yet to regain its voice -- at least not in any comprehensible way.

Get Progressively Trained

Cliff Schecter | Posted 05.25.2011 | Media
Cliff Schecter

As someone who has been involved somewhat in the punditry circuit (for lack of a better term), I have been asked by progressive friends what I think i...

The F Word: Constitutional Lessons For the New Congress

Laura Flanders | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Laura Flanders

The Republican lawmakers who read the Constitution out loud as their very first act in the new Congress better bask in their Tea Party glow -- because they're not going to feel the love from Constitutional scholars.

How Much Longer Will the US Get 'Poned' by Israel? Until it Changes the Rules of the Game

Mark Levine | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Mark Levine

The US and Israel might be close "allies," but Barack Obama is being treated as little better than an opponent to be vanquished rather than a patron to be respected.

Dirksen,Ā Kennedy Nuclear Compromise Would Be Called Treason By Today's Zealots

The New York Times | JAMES WARREN | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics

Democrats are riding a tiger, as a friend put it, and best not be naĆÆve about positive aspects of the Tea Party victories. They seem weak, unfocused,...

Left Reaches New Low: Begging for Inaction

Douglas Faneuil | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Douglas Faneuil

I have always accepted Obama's personal stance on gay marriage. I never took issue with his lack of enthusiasm for gay rights. I don't need him to be our champion. But our Scrooge?

Friday Talking Points [141] -- Rahm's Exit Contest Winner Announced

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

I will begin today's column by drying a tear as we all wish Rahm Emanuel a fond farewell. Actually, I am lying. I am drying no tears for Rahm becaus...

Friday Talking Points [140] -- Pledging Nonsense

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

The White House has been in the news this past week, mostly for who will be leaving it soon. One is tempted to insert the old "will the last to leave...

The Importance of Being Hitchens: Get Well Soon, Christopher

Zachary Stockill | Posted 05.25.2011 | Books
Zachary Stockill

Christopher Hitchens has always encouraged his audiences to think, which is the ultimate accomplishment of any writer. I wish him a swift recovery.

New Tea Party Media Strategy: No Media

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

A full-scale interview on one of the prestigious Sunday shows is normally the gold prize for a campaign. There's a reason for this -- it is free. That was then, though, and this is now.

The F Word: Sexy Primary Victories On Both Sides

Laura Flanders | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Laura Flanders

The other day on the show, Melissa Harris-Lacewell suggested media "need to be covering the left as much as we cover, with anxiety, the right." Anxie...

To Lefties: How Does Obama Disappoint?

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

While the major fallout from Gibbs' "the professional left" flap has died down a bit, a second round of examination seems to have begun -- one much more introspective and much less knee-jerk than the first round.

What's Left?

K.J. Dwyer | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
K.J. Dwyer

Many of us on the Left are left angry and confused as we are continually left out of the left-wing political debate. We're told we're out in left field and that the president should be left alone.

What "Professional Left"?

Andrew Levine | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Andrew Levine

In politics, circumstances change and self-fulfilling prophecies happen. Gibbs' words about the "professional left" could become true. Let us hope that they do; the world will be far better off.

Friday Talking Points [134] -- Some Reality For Gibbs

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

Happy Friday the Thirteenth, everyone. It's actually a fitting day for this column, which I'll explain in a bit. Because before we get to that, we si...

With Friends Like These...

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Chris Weigant

Robert Gibbs recently expressed his frustration with what he called the "professional left." Who would have thought that Obama's biggest problem in his first few years in office would be one of communication?

"You Lie": Myths the Right Tells About the Left

Mark Olmsted | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Mark Olmsted

One of the most irksome aspects of the current political divide is the conservative caricature of progressive stances on economic thinking.