The Voices

Progressive Opinion

What the Future May Hold

By Bob Herbert
From nytimes.com
November 17th, 2009

nytimes.com — What will the United States be like in 20 years when today's toddlers are in college or trying to land that first job or maybe thinking about starting a family? The answer will depend to a great extent on decisions we make now about the American infrastructure.

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The Story Behind The Recovery Numbers

By Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins
From jackandjillpolitics.com
November 3rd, 2009

jackandjillpolitics.com — One number — 640,329 — figure represents the number of jobs that have been created or saved so far through the Recovery Act, according to a report released by the Obama administration. But the true significance of this number lies in the people behind it. Their stories show the true return on investment that America’s communities are reaping from Recovery Act funding.

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Democracy Vs. Capitalism, or, Money Isn't Everything, Part 2

By Natasha Chart
October 7, 2009

Yesterday, I looked at what Michael Moore's call for a democratic economy would mean at the national level. Today, I wanted to look at what it means at a smaller scale, at individual workplaces and for the values that each of us carries around. more »

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Natasha Chart's picture

Democracy Vs. Capitalism, Or, Why We Don't Have Supertrains, Part 1

By Natasha Chart
October 6, 2009

Michael Moore's latest movie Capitalism: A Love Story, not only warns against greed and the love of money, but calls for a democratization of the economy. more »

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Mike Elk's picture

Labor Movement Gets Tough and Threatens to Cut Off Cowardly Democrats

By Mike Elk
September 1, 2009

For a long time, Corporate Democrats have taken advantage of organized labor to mobilize voters for them and fund their campaigns. However when big votes come up against powerful corporate interested, these Democrats continually abandon organized labor on key issues like the public option, Employee Free Choice Act, trade agreements, and other issues important for working people. more »

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Mike Elk's picture

Stop The Teabaggers, Give Them Green Jobs: Lessons From the Coalfields of West Virginia

By Mike Elk
August 27, 2009

West Virginia shows us how we could easily win over this key segment of society, working class whites, with a New Deal-style industrial policy. more »

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Mike Elk's picture

Specter-Sestak Attack Each Other From The Left on Free Trade

By Mike Elk
August 14, 2009

Trade policy may become a flash point in the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary, as both candidates at Netroots Nation sought to criticize the other as too supportive of unfair trade agreements. more »

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Forging Recovery On The Assembly Line

By Harold Meyerson
From washingtonpost.com
August 12th, 2009

washingtonpost.com — It's not just that the United States uniquely lacks an industrial policy. It's that the United States uniquely has an anti-industrial policy. Turning that around could help the economy as well as convey some political rewards to an administration that could use some rewards just now.

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Dems, You Have the Power!

By James Thindwa
From inthesetimes.com
August 11th, 2009

inthesetimes.com — This Republican disarray means that the policy debate in Washington is for the Democrats to lose. But first, in order to win, Democrats must acknowledge the root of the problem. For more than 30 years they have failed to defend the state in the face of conservative attacks. This failure has facilitated a dangerous expansion of corporate power and weakened public confidence in government.

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Lobbyists Paid Off by China vs. 30,000 U.S. Workers: Which Side Will Obama Choose?

By Mike Elk
August 10, 2009

As the International Trade Commission considers comments on its recommendation to impose tariffs on Chinese tire imports, President Obama stands at a crossroads in the fight to rebuild the American economy. more »

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