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in The Nation
by
Michael T. Klare, 19 May 2008
As the major industrial powers become more desperate in their need for oil and raw materials, international interference and fierce bidding wars are becoming the norm. In a trend that dates back to the late 19th century, America has taken a proactive and potentially provocative approach to securing these dwindling resources, which increasingly threatens to devolve into violence to protect its interests. China and the United States are projected to burn through 35 percent of the world's remaining oil by 2025, but instead of working together to develop better fuel efficiency or alternative energy, as Klare astutely suggests, the atmosphere is increasingly hostile.
Posted 12:27, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Gallaway
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Stephen F. Cohen, 19 May 2008
In a fit of triumphant revisionism, the prevailing opinion in the United States is that the West somehow "won" the Cold War with Russia. While election debates bog down in bickering about former pastors and flag pins, no one mentions the nation with the capability to either destroy us or stabilize the region, and with whom our political credibility is steadily eroding. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago, the impetus to work together with the Russian people to bring prosperity and peace to the region has somehow been lost. Cohen offers real insight into the potential for a new cold war.
Posted 12:25, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Gallaway
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Betsy Reed, 19 May 2008
Reed presents a thought-provoking essay on how issues of sexism and racism have muddied the tone of a once-celebratory election season -- one that fields major candidates with high ideals and representing not only the old guard (John McCain) but also feminist success (Hillary Clinton) and racial equality (Barack Obama). Vicious gender-specific attacks launched at Clinton have inspired many feminists to back her unequivocally, but others have objected to her intimations that Obama's race is a drawback, that his patriotism is questionable, and that his stance on national security is weak. Ultimately, Reed notes, Clinton cannot count on gender solidarity.
Posted 12:24, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Cath Stockbridge
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Ari Berman, 19 May 2008
It's hard to fathom that Barack Obama's service on the board of the Woods Fund, a small community organizing foundation in Chicago, would cultivate political criticism, but as this article indicates, it has done just that. Because former '60s radical and Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers also served on the Woods Fund's board, Obama's opponents have launched a guilt-by-association attack campaign similar to accusations that Hillary Clinton herself has weathered. Berman injects some sense into the controversy by exploring the Woods Fund's mission and explaining how it helped shape his political identity.
Posted 12:17, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Brian Willett
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
The Nation, 19 May 2008
The Nation, continuing its consistently obstinate opposition to the mainstream media, complains of the triviality of the major news conglomerates' coverage of this "historic" presidential election. The editors are sound in their criticism of big media's emphasis on scandals such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy rather than essential issues such as the Iraq War and our "sputtering" economy. All in all, a sufficient if predictable introduction to the subjects covered in this week's issue.
Posted 12:13, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Nathan Conroy
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Robert Dreyfuss, 19 May 2008
Writing from inside Iran, Dreyfuss reveals a country very different than the "axis of evil" brand pushed by the present administration. While Islam continues to inform and dominate political decisions in this theocracy, many are dissatisfied with the government's hard-line approach to reform and the West. It is a dissatisfaction that is often spoken out of earshot of officials, however, as protesters are often thrown out of windows to their deaths or summarily executed. Dreyfuss' interview with former president Mohammed Khatami is especially enlightening, as the reformist leader holds out hope for better American relations after Bush leaves office.
Posted 12:13, 7 May 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Gallaway
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Katha Pollitt, 12 May 2008
Pollitt offers a scathing critique of the Catholic Church and its Pope. In the wake of the Texas raid on the outpost of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, she likens the Catholic Church's influence in restricting access to abortions and contraceptives to the extreme male dominance exposed within the FLDS. Pollitt calls the Vatican "a major obstacle to the advancement of women's human rights" and passionately argues that the Catholic Church has simply found a different way to "keep women pregnant and in their place."
Posted 3:55, 29 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
John Nichols, 12 May 2008
Discussing the burgeoning food crisis, Nichols blames the US government, the IMF, and the WTO for pushing free market solutions that benefited corporations instead of feeding the hungry; they long pressured farmers "to produce cash crops for export and alternative fuels rather than grow healthy food for local consumption." The result is widespread shortages of food at local levels. Looking forward, Nichols intelligently recommends providing a "strategic grain reserve" and a safety net for farmers to produce the food that Americans need. Additionally, the US should support trade and assistance policies that aid developing countries in feeding themselves, rather than corporations.
Posted 3:54, 29 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Pinoli
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Mark Hertsgaard, 12 May 2008
Peak oil -- it's not just for paranoid environmentalists anymore. In fact, with crude hitting $119 a barrel and global demand still rising, governments, corporations, and even the CEO of Shell Oil are slowly coming to grips with what the idea that cheap, abundant oil and gas supplies will no longer be able to keep up with demand. So where does a modern society founded on inexpensive, readily available energy go from here? Hertsgaard glibly suggests that perhaps it's time to go consult those activists who foresaw peak oil decades ago ... many of whom are now working on transitions to help communities prepare for a post-oil future.
Posted 3:45, 29 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Laura White
and edited by Brijit.
in The Nation
by
Alexander Cockburn, 12 May 2008
The official casualty tallies coming out of Iraq might be misleading. While the real total of recent veterans suffering from psychological trauma may never be really known, the RAND Corporation has completed a study that shows 18.5 percent of returning servicemen suffer from PTSD or depression and 19 percent suffered traumatic brain injury. Combined with physical casualties, the 500-page report that slipped quietly out the media, indicates that for every year of the conflict, over 100,000 servicemen return physically or psychologically scarred. Cockburn's statistics are hard to ignore and help to inform the discussion about a continued US presence in Iraq.
Posted 3:44, 29 April 2008
This abstract was written by
Jonathan Gallaway
and edited by Brijit.