tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-281791102012-01-29T05:47:50.395-06:00The Rag BlogBrought to you by the miracle of functioning anarchy.The Raghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15985130753260648425noreply@blogger.comBlogger86021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-52741209488200791212012-01-26T03:21:00.024-06:002012-01-26T16:22:27.639-06:00Thorne Webb Dreyer : Peace and Justice Activist Tom Hayden on Rag RadioAs Port Huron turns 50:Peace and justice activistTom Hayden on Rag RadioBy Thorne Webb Dreyer / The Rag Blog / January 26, 2012Peace and justice activist Tom Hayden, a driving force in SDS and the Sixties New Left, was our guest on Rag Radio on January 6 and January 20, 2012. On the two hour-long programs we discussed the legacy of SDS and Sixties activism, as well as contemporary American thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-67119360191973158142012-01-25T11:54:00.013-06:002012-01-26T11:58:24.279-06:00BOOKS / Bob Simmons : Two on the American Radio RevolutionDead Air and Early '70s Radio:The formatting revolutionin American radioBy Bob Simmons / The Rag Blog / January 26, 2012Kim Simpson, author of Early '70s Radio, and Jan Reid, editor of Bill Young's Dead Air, will be Thorne Dreyer's guests on Rag Radio, Friday, January 27, 2012, 2-3 p.m. (CST), on KOOP 91-7-FM in Austin and streamed live to the world. They will discuss the American radio thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-20475509151146678442012-01-25T10:36:00.007-06:002012-01-25T11:09:10.735-06:00Carl Davidson : Shameless Republicans and the State of the UnionNewt and the "Food Stamp President." Image from The Economist / Keep on Keepin' On!We're all in the same boat?On the topic of Obama, theGOP can't even blush anymoreBy Carl Davidson / The Rag Blog / January 25, 2012If Hollywood gave Oscars for shamelessness, the Republican responses to President Obama's State of the Union speech last night, Tuesday, January 24, would have swept the field.Take thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-19535786013511553092012-01-25T10:25:00.001-06:002012-01-25T10:29:50.499-06:00Robert Jensen : The Plow and the iPhoneFree market Egyptian plow, circa 1200 BC. Image from Wikimedia Commons.The plow and the iPhone: Conservative fantasies aboutthe miracles of the marketAs is often the case in faith-based systems, reconciling doctrine to the facts of history can be tricky. By Robert Jensen / The Rag Blog / January 25, 2012A central doctrine of evangelicals for the “free market” is its capacity for innovation: New thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-17824529748775811802012-01-24T21:29:00.008-06:002012-01-24T22:11:23.351-06:00Jack A. Smith : Tough Times AheadEmbattled Captain America. Cartoon by Bryant Arnold / CartoonADay.com.A new year of tough times aheadIt is certainly legitimate to worry about the direction in which American politics is heading domestically, coupled with a probable global future of more wars, more poverty, and environmental disaster.By Jack A. Smith / The Rag Blog / January 24, 2012The new year has dawned upon a deeply troubled thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-13848331471463390062012-01-24T12:27:00.006-06:002012-01-25T10:45:32.427-06:00Bob Feldman : Segregation and Lynchings in Texas, 1890-1920Unidentified African-American man lynched in Texas, 1910. Image from Legends of America.The hidden history of TexasPart IX: Segregation and lynchings in Texas, 1890-1920/1By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / January 24, 2012[This is the first section of Part 9 of Bob Feldman's Rag Blog series on the hidden history of Texas.]Between 1890 and 1920, the number of people who lived in Texas increased fromthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-7135644248784296212012-01-24T11:20:00.007-06:002012-01-25T16:10:47.086-06:00Leonardo Boff : Will It All End in Greece Where it Began?Dualism via Magritte. Image from Natalie Sanders. It all began in Greece. Will it all end in Greece?By Leonardo Boff / The Rag Blog / January 24, 2012Our Western civilization, now globalized, has its historic origins in ancient Greece, during the VI Century, before the current era.The world of myth and religion, which was then the organizing principle of society, collapsed. To bring order into thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-28943821087084702822012-01-23T18:14:00.006-06:002012-01-25T21:16:18.089-06:00Bill Freeland : A Balanced Budget for All Citizens!Graphic by Bill Freeland / The Rag Blog.Proposed:A balanced budget amendment for all citizensThe guys who now work at bank loan departments and refinance companies would finally have to go out and find honest work.By Bill Freeland / The Rag Blog / January 23, 2012Like many Americans, I am thrilled by the Republicans’ bold support for a balanced budget amendment.It’s the best way to get our fiscalthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-14158269311156724752012-01-23T16:51:00.008-06:002012-01-25T21:17:19.028-06:00Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman : Hell of a Way to Begin a YearImage from DNY59 / iStockphoto / MNN.Apocalypse now!Death knell for civil libertiesIt's a hell of a way to begin a year many believe will mark the end of the world.By Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman / The Rag Blog / January 23, 2012In case you missed it, President Barack Obama has signed a death knell for the Bill of Rights. It's a hell of a way to begin a year many believe will mark the end ofthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-18110302687664869702012-01-23T11:30:00.010-06:002012-01-23T16:38:20.420-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : Praising Jesus at the Hays County CourthouseHays County Courthouse. Image from tripadvisor.'In Jesus' name':Hays County Commissioners Courtpromotes sectarian prayerBy Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / January 23, 2012SAN MARCOS, Texas -- No principle is more fundamental to the founding of this country than the right of all people to follow their own religious beliefs without interference from or influence by government. Last summer, the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-31700725810519939102012-01-19T10:11:00.002-06:002012-01-19T19:09:28.616-06:00Jonah Raskin : Maverick Judge Reichbach Offers Verdict on CubaJudge Gustin Reichbach on the bench. Image from AP.Rag Blog interview: Maverick U.S. Judge Gustin Reichbachoffers verdict on Cuba todayBy Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / January 19, 2012For nearly 14 years, the Honorable Gustin Reichbach has served as a Supreme Court Judge in Brooklyn, New York, where he presides over grim murder trials and sentences defendants found guilty to long prison terms.He’thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-74962606262445368942012-01-19T09:44:00.001-06:002012-01-19T09:46:52.466-06:00IDEAS / Bill Meacham : Is Science a Religion?Images from Wikimedia Commons (top), NASA, via Science Meets Religion.Is Science a Religion?'Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense,' says the Buddha.By Bill Meacham / The Rag Blog / January 19, 2012I was asked recently whether science is a religion. My answer: No, not at all, but thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-11973385415817264032012-01-18T20:54:00.014-06:002012-01-26T11:42:53.846-06:00Rag Radio : David Edwards on Transformative Trends in World AffairsUniversity of Texas Government Professor David Edwards in the KOOP studios in Austin, Friday, January 13, 2012. Photo by Thorne Dreyer / The Rag Blog.UT-Austin Government Prof David Edwardsdiscusses transformative trends in international relationsand the crisis of the capitalist empire --on Rag Radio with Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here:Tom Hayden, director of the Peace and Justice Resource thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-14944561202754642602012-01-18T19:24:00.002-06:002012-01-18T19:36:08.219-06:00FILM / Alan Waldman : A Look Back at My Favorite FilmsJames Gandolfini in the British film, In the Loop.From 2003 to 2010:Looking back at my favorite filmsBy Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / January 18, 2012[Last week we posted Alan Waldman's 10 Favorite Films of 2011, with his list headed by The Help, The King's Speech, and The Guard. Now Alan presents his favorites, by year, going back to 2003.]2010:CITY ISLAND is a wonderful comedy drama about thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-4755897716640507282012-01-18T14:32:00.004-06:002012-01-19T15:02:51.207-06:00Jorge Rivas and Jamilah King : SOPA and the Internet BlackoutWhat is SOPA? Here are five things you need to knowWikipedia was among several websites to shut down Wednesday in protest of anti-piracy bills now in Congress that critics say could amount to censorship.Instead of the usual encyclopedia articles, visitors to Wikipedia's English-language site were greeted by a message about the decision to black out its Web page for an entire day."Imagine a World thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-49024882759398631432012-01-18T12:30:00.001-06:002012-01-18T19:42:53.606-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : Funeral Costs Need not Require CharityMaking an informed decision:Paying for a funeral need not require charityMany families succumb to grief, social pressures, and salesmanship by a funeral director and spend much more on the funeral than they can afford.By Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / January 18, 2012I was startled last Friday to see a news item in the Austin American-Statesman about a family that needs $8,700 in additional thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-65044033726256195212012-01-18T11:05:00.008-06:002012-01-18T11:28:58.215-06:00Scott Galindez : Black Churches to 'Occupy the Dream'Young people participating in the Occupy the Dream rally in front of the Federal Reserve in Washington DC, January 16, 2012. Photo by Scott Galindez / RSN.Occupy the Dream:Black churches join the Occupy movementRallies throughout the country are designed to pick up the mantle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. By Scott Galindez / Reader Supported News / January 18, 2012In 16 cities around thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-73490375253036255522012-01-17T09:20:00.007-06:002012-01-17T10:15:04.481-06:00Tom Hayden : Preventing the Coming War with IranImage from Antinews.Preventing the coming war with IranRational self-interest is not always enough to prevent what Barbara Tuchman has called 'the march to folly.'By Tom Hayden / The Rag Blog / January 17, 2012Peace and justice activist Tom Hayden and Rag Blog editor Thorne Dreyer will continue their discussion on Rag Radio this Friday, January 20, 2-3 p.m. (CST) on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin, and thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-81723420031326508802012-01-17T09:10:00.005-06:002012-01-19T12:21:08.703-06:00Harry Targ : 'Right to Work (for Less)' in IndianaWorkers in Indiana opposing HB 1104. Image from PR Watch.'Right to Work (for Less)' in Indiana:The historic battle against workersBy Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / January 17, 2012WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana -- Fifty working people assembled at a town hall meeting in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday, January 14, to share information about the latest phase of Indiana’s battle over a new “thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-17130869612123212352012-01-16T22:36:00.004-06:002012-01-17T08:41:41.664-06:00William Rogers : Austin Workers Rally to Recall Scott WalkerAt the Recall Walker rally in Austin: Travis Donoho, left, organizer for Education Austin (American Federation of Teachers) and Steve Rossignol, Texas State Association of Electrical Workers. Photo by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog.As Scott Walker speaks in Austin:Unions rally to support recallefforts of Wisconsin workersBy William Rogers / The Rag Blog / January 16, 2012See more photos, thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-1566457253205775562012-01-16T16:16:00.002-06:002012-01-16T16:19:21.691-06:00Kate Braun : Dark Moon MagickDark Moon. Image from The Sage Grove.Moon Musings: Dark Moon(January 20 – 22, 2012)By Kate Braun / The Rag Blog / January 16, 201210 a.m. is the best time to perform Dark Moon magick for the garden. This moon-phase is excellent for removing what’s not needed, as gardening lore states that whatever is pruned, trimmed, weeded out, etc. during the moon’s fourth quarter and dark phases will not thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-54185270886076620132012-01-16T10:42:00.006-06:002012-01-23T21:37:46.051-06:00Ted McLaughlin : Class Conflict and the Disappearance of the Middle ClassClass conflict risesas middle class disappearsThe growing inequality of wealth and income in this country has reached a point where it is now causing a conflict between the rich (the 1%) and the vast majority of Americans. By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / January 16, 2012The graphic above (from Think Progress) shows what has been happening to the American middle class in the last 40 years. To thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-15306547927611341932012-01-12T09:44:00.000-06:002012-01-12T09:44:22.908-06:00Paul Krassner : Predictions for 2012Lessee here: Paul Krassner will bring The Realist out of retirement, resurrect cartoonist Wally Wood, and publish a Republican Party Orgy centerfold. The Republican Party will not be amused.Predictions for 2012Ron Paul will unite with Ru Paul and they’ll perform on Dancing With the Stars.By Paul Krassner /The Rag Blog / January 12, 2012Politics: The electoral college will be replaced by a system thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-42779574550767624352012-01-12T09:39:00.000-06:002012-01-12T09:39:35.295-06:00Tony Platt : Remembering Alex Haley and Mario SavioAlex Haley. Image from Gather.A Better Day:Remembering Alex Haley and Mario SavioBy Tony Platt / The Rag Blog / January 12, 2012Let me drink from the waterswhere the mountain streams floodLet the smell of wildflowersflow free through my bloodLet me sleep in your meadowswith the green grassy leavesLet me walk down the highwaywith my brother in peaceLet me die in my footsteps Before I go down underthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-76523913977070521692012-01-11T14:03:00.003-06:002012-01-18T17:24:55.924-06:00Alan Waldman : My 10 Favorite Films of 2011Octavia Spencer in The Help.The Help is powerful, complex:My 10 favorite films of 2011By Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / January 11, 2012As was the case last year, some of the films I was most anticipating (The King's Speech then, The Descendants now) hadn’t played in my hometown of Corvallis, Oregon, by the time I was compiling my list, so they will be eligible for next year’s list.In addition to thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-64252099856543889342012-01-11T13:01:00.015-06:002012-01-12T10:25:59.269-06:00Bruce Melton : What Can Be Done About Climate Change in Texas?What a mess. Even without the fires, our natural environment has been devastated by these droughts. This scene was taken in late August just around the corner from my house in southwest Austin. Fortunately I have only lost a handful of immature trees and a few 12-foot shrubs. -- B.M. Photo by Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog.What is to be done?Welcome to climate change in Texas / 3By Bruce Melton / thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-67618788428275106812012-01-11T08:12:00.004-06:002012-01-11T08:24:04.018-06:00Paul Robbins : Switching on the SunshineFlipping the switch at solar farm near Austin, Texas. Rag Blog photo.Let the sunshine in:On being young and crazy in AustinThey say that victory has 1,000 parents, but defeat is an orphan.By Paul Robbins / The Rag Blog / January 11, 2012AUSTIN -- On Friday, Jan. 6, Austin officially commissioned its new 30-megawatt solar plant. It is one of the largest solar installations in the U.S. Austin and thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-8491362967212456672012-01-10T23:30:00.001-06:002012-01-11T07:39:54.119-06:00Richard D. Jehn : Moving Through the End of GrowthTransformation time. Image from Fluxed Up World.Moving through the end of growthand the collapse of the U.S. as we know itWelcome to the New World.By Richard D. Jehn / The Rag Blog / January 10, 2012Although my headline implies catastrophe, and I firmly believe that there are now factors beyond our control that strongly suggest we are in for an unprecedented hard time, this article is actually thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-83671031126038963382012-01-09T15:44:00.008-06:002012-01-11T08:13:01.846-06:00Carl Gibson : Grow Up, Ron PaulRunning away from home. Image from goodbuddies inc.Grow up, Ron PaulRon Paul's right-libertarian ideology does espouse a new kind of freedom, just as rebellious children who fantasize about running away from home dream of a new kind of freedom.By Carl Gibson / Reader Supported News / January 9, 2012Like most other little kids, all I wanted to do was eat junk food, play video games, and goof thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-84768242475907731872012-01-09T15:02:00.007-06:002012-01-09T20:53:39.329-06:00Ted McLaughlin : Are We Marching to War With Iran?Dogs of war. Graphic from Press TV.Dogs are barking:Are we marching to war with Iran?By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / January 9, 2012The animosity between the United States and Iran has a longer history than most Americans realize. Before 1950, most of the oil assets of that country were owned by Western powers (mainly the United Kingdom and the United States).The countries paid the Shah (King)thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-85776046033686538032012-01-09T14:45:00.002-06:002012-01-09T16:20:31.153-06:00Harry Targ : Brute Facts and Political Choices, 2012Protesters at the State Capitol building in Madison, WI., demonstrating against Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-union legislation. Photo by Mark Hirsch / Getty Images.Brute facts and political choices:Thinking about 2012By Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / January 9, 2012The year 2011 was truly an exciting year for progressives. Arab spring sent shock waves across the Middle East, launching a campaign for thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-38152023576469683742012-01-05T10:25:00.003-06:002012-01-05T12:33:09.602-06:00Chellis Glendinning : In Bolivia, 'The Repression Strengthened Us!'Native demonstrators march on La Paz to protest highway construction. Photo from AFP.Letter from Bolivia:'The repression strengthened us!'The ragtag band walked day and night in flip-flops, and the hearts of Bolivians went out to them...By Chellis Glendinning / The Rag Blog / January 5, 2012LA PAZ, Bolivia -- One wrong move, forgetting to take your hat off, the interruption of a phone ringing thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-6144874323860340452012-01-05T10:20:00.001-06:002012-01-05T10:58:45.581-06:00THEATER / Jonah Raskin : Zayd Dohrn's 'Outside People'Cast of Outside People at the Vineyard theater in New York. Inset photo: playwright Zayd Dohrn.We’re all outsiders now:Zayd Dohrn’s new play, Outside PeopleThe play -- which is part situation comedy, part soap opera, and part prophecy -- plays with and deconstructs stereotypes of Americans and Chinese.By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / January 5, 2012Zayd Dohrn’s new 90-minute drama, Outside thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-59369914473482487882012-01-04T22:52:00.003-06:002012-01-04T23:04:32.069-06:00Bruce Melton : Has Texas Crossed a Climate Threshold?Downtown Austin seen from near the intersection of Loop 360 and US 290/71 West. This photo was taken in early September 2011. The brownish yellow- and red-leaved trees in the left and bottom right foreground are elms. They naturally shed their leaves early during our hottest summers and September is still summertime in Central Texas! The fall leaf drop does not start until October. This year is thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-47224781020701919602012-01-04T17:40:00.011-06:002012-01-18T20:51:54.379-06:00Rag Radio : Bruce Melton on the Real-World Effects of Climate ChangeClimate change activist Bruce Melton, left, with Rag Radio host Thorne Dreyer, in the KOOP studios in Austin, Texas, Friday, Dec. 30, 2011. Photo by Tracey Schulz / Rag Radio.Environmental activist Bruce Melton discussesthe real-world effects of climate change on Rag Radiowith Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here: Tom Hayden, progressive political activist and SDS founder, will be Thorne Dreyer's thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-88455758053362669952012-01-04T14:20:00.008-06:002012-01-04T17:36:40.168-06:00Bob Feldman : Populism, Labor Organizing, and White Chauvinism in Texas, 1876-1890Flag of the Texas Farmers Alliance. Image from HHS AP US History.The hidden history of TexasPart VIII: Populism, labor organizing, and white chauvinism in Texas, 1876-1890By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / January 4, 2012[This is Part 8 of Bob Feldman's Rag Blog series on the hidden history of Texas.]Between 1870 and 1890 the number of people who lived in Texas increased from 818,000 to 2,235,000 thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-45007613210069035332012-01-04T11:04:00.010-06:002012-01-04T17:36:57.374-06:00Ryan Holeywell : Meet Occupy Wall Street's Favorite BankerThe Bank of North Dakota: The country's only publicly-owned state bank.The Case for public state banks:Meet Occupy Wall Street's favorite bankerBy Ryan Holeywell / SolidarityEconomy.Net / January 4, 2012See clip from Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, Below.Try to find a bank president that’s beloved by supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement. It’s not impossible. You’ll just have tothorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-19098859055628282662012-01-03T19:04:00.006-06:002012-01-03T20:18:10.582-06:00Harry Targ : Sleeping Through the NewsTalking heads. Image from Today's Word on Journalism.Sleeping through the news:'I suppose there is nothing we can do...'By Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / January 3, 2012While I sleep through some of the news shows hosted by Ed Shultz, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC every night I am conscious of at least part of each. In addition, I watch an hour’s worth of whoever is hosting the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-42273363301817550392012-01-03T17:27:00.007-06:002012-01-03T19:06:30.041-06:00David Van Os : The Homeland Battlefield BillImage from Chocolate City.The Homeland Battlefield BillWith the stroke of Obama’s pen, the United States military has become a domestic law enforcement authority and American citizens on American soil are subject to the loss of every fundamental right to due process of law.By David Van Os / The Rag Blog / January 3, 2012At this turn of the standard solar calendar from the year 2011 to the year thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-52422666877211623672012-01-03T12:01:00.009-06:002012-01-03T19:06:48.699-06:00Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman : Defending Democracy Against Stolen ElectionsIn a landmark report, the NAACP directly takes on the new Jim Crow tactics passed in 14 states. Image from NAACP.org.Has America’s stolen election process finally hit prime time?By Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman / The Rag Blog / January 3, 2012It took two stolen U.S. presidential elections and the prospect of another one coming up in 2012.For years the Democratic Party and even much of the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-87477912208606193192011-12-29T09:34:00.002-06:002012-01-04T22:13:07.039-06:00Bruce Melton : Welcome to Climate Change in TexasTree Kill in Central Texas, drought of 2011. Photo by Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog.Drought and wildfires:Welcome to climate change in TexasBy Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog / December 29, 2011Environmental researcher and climate change activist Bruce Melton will be Thorne Dreyer's guest on Rag Radio, Friday, Dec. 30, from 2-3 p.m. (CST), on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin and streamed live on the web. (The thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-65010964712361005392011-12-29T09:29:00.000-06:002011-12-29T09:29:49.492-06:00Rebecca Solnit : Occupy Your HeartPhoto by Ian MacKenzie / Occupy Wall Street.Occupy your heart:Compassion is our new currencyOccupy arrived and, as if swept by some strange pandemic, a contagious virus of truth-telling, everyone was suddenly obliged to call things by their real names and talk about actual problems.By Rebecca Solnit / TomDispatch / December 29, 2011Usually at year’s end we’re supposed to look back at events just thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-53976376787529514482011-12-28T16:04:00.008-06:002012-01-02T18:30:03.136-06:00Bob Feldman : Reconstruction in Texas/2African-Americans voting in 1867. Image from the Texas Liberal.The hidden history of TexasPart VII: Reconstruction in Texas, 1865-1876/2By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / December 26, 2011[This is the second section of Part 7 of Bob Feldman's Rag Blog series on the hidden history of Texas.]According to Alwyn Barr’s Black Texans, after the Civil War “the vast majority of ex-slaves” in Texas “settledthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-69570654452133211302011-12-28T12:36:00.006-06:002011-12-28T17:05:30.593-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : What Have We Learned From the Iraq War?President Obama shown speaking to troops at Fort Bragg, N.C. Photo by Gerry Broome / AP.Lessons we should have learned from the Iraq WarAfter all the phony reasons for war in Iraq were found wanting, Bush and his neoconservative advisers resorted to saying that the venture was a humanitarian mission to free the Iraqis.By Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / December 28, 2011By one measure -- the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-39847372619741161052011-12-28T11:46:00.002-06:002011-12-28T17:08:59.350-06:00Ulysses : The Hip Hop Revolution of the Arab SpringEl Général performing at the first meeting of Tunisia's main PDP opposition party on Jan. 29, 2011 in Tunis. Photo by Fethi Belaid / AFP / Getty.The hip hop revolutionof the Arab SpringBy Ulysses / openDemocracy / December 28, 2011See videos of Arabic hip hop artists, Below.[In the midst of the Arab Spring there is a group of dedicated young hip hop artists who are using their medium to thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-90343071573880697822011-12-27T20:45:00.002-06:002011-12-27T20:45:43.384-06:00FILM / Gregg Barrios : 'Melancholia' Is von Trier's Final RefrainMelancholia:Von Trier's final refrainBy Gregg Barrios / The Rag Blog / December 27, 2011It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. – REMA crescendo of superlatives: Lars von Trier’s Melancholia opens with the most incredible cinematic prelude since Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The eight-minute scene encapsulates the film succinctly and symbolically: Birds’ fall from the sky, thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-24890321000254259812011-12-27T14:00:00.000-06:002011-12-29T11:50:44.192-06:00CARTOON / Charlie Loving : Rick Perry on Foreign Oil!Political cartoon by Charlie Loving / The Rag Blog.The Rag Blogthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-34843697130920702722011-12-27T07:35:00.000-06:002011-12-27T07:36:06.623-06:00Harry Targ : Korea and the U.S. Policy of Perpetual War"War Street," by Sue Coe / Revista Amauta.Let's be frank:The United States has beenin perpetual warWith the onset of the Korean War, the politics of fear converged with the politics of empire.By Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / December 27, 2011Liberal cable commentators have been waxing eloquent about the withdrawal of the United States military from Iraq while ridiculing and scorning the recently thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-58798723561328475832011-12-22T09:38:00.001-06:002011-12-22T09:43:02.152-06:00Jim Rigby : Christmas Cancelled as Security Measure!Three wise men arrested for illegal possession of “frankincense” and “myrrh.” Art from Dare to Create.Christmas is no time totalk about war and peaceWhen the angels sang, 'peace on earth good will to all,' they were expressing the song written in every heart. But, that song calls us out of empire and into our entire human family.By Jim Rigby / The Rag Blog / December 22, 2011When I heard the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-22532584766010658482011-12-22T09:23:00.000-06:002011-12-22T09:23:55.818-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : A Humanist Looks at ChristmasOrator and humanist Robert G. Ingersoll. Image from the Council for Secular Humanism.Robert Green Ingersoll:A humanist looks at ChristmasBy Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / December 22, 2011Robert Green Ingersoll is one of the least known orators of the 19th century, yet he lectured six or seven times a week from the Civil War until his death in 1899. He was vastly influential and campaigned thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-4901894362391801822011-12-21T17:49:00.006-06:002011-12-21T20:35:13.604-06:00Rag Radio : Texas Music Hall of Fame Singer/Songwriter Eliza GilkysonEliza Gilkyson. Photo by Alan Pogue / The Rag Blog.Texas Music Hall of Fame Singer/Songwriter andPolitical Activist Eliza Gilkyson on Rag Radiowith Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here: Eliza Gilkyson was Thorne Dreyer's guest on Rag Radio, Friday, December 16, 2011.Gilkyson, a Grammy-nominated recording artist and a member of the Texas Music Hall of Fame, is one of the most respected musicians in thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-45527802862818845132011-12-21T17:08:00.001-06:002011-12-21T17:09:18.914-06:00Anthony Cristofani : Cops 'Peacefully Evacuate' Occupy LAProtester busted by LA cops at Occupy Los Angeles encampment outside City Hall. Photo by Lucy Nicholson / AFP / Getty Images.The 'peaceful evacuation' of Occupy Los Angeles'Evacuation' is what kindly firefighters do when buildings are in danger of collapsing. This was an attack on people exercising their first amendment rights to assembly and speech in a public space. By Anthony Cristofani / The thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-80510053900883710602011-12-21T12:20:00.001-06:002011-12-21T12:22:19.876-06:00Peter L. Myers : Pepper Spray Gazette (Numbers Don't Lie)Lt. John Pike, who was photographed pepper spraying passive protesters at U.C. Davis, is shown here doing the deed in Andrew Wyeth's "Christina's World." Graphic by Brady Hall / Pepper Spraying Cop / Tumblr.Pepper Spray Gazette:Numbers don't lie!By Peter L. Myers / The Rag Blog / December 20, 20112011 will be remembered for historic world-wide uprisings against despotism and against the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-14380592953374531002011-12-20T07:33:00.001-06:002011-12-20T07:38:02.931-06:00Danny Schechter : Occupy Wall Street Marks Anniversary With New York Street ActionsBishop George Packard climbs a fence along with other protesters. Photo from Getty Images.Seeking 'sanctuary' at Trinity Church:Protests mark third anniversaryof Occupy Wall StreetTrinity Church may be there to serve God, but the defense of their real estate portfolio seems to come before their pretensions to social justice.By Danny Schechter /The Rag Blog / December 20, 2011NEW YORK -- This pastthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-78714257506151809892011-12-19T12:53:00.007-06:002011-12-19T20:21:55.993-06:00BOOKS / Jerry Harris : Carl Davidson's 'Lost Writings of SDS'Collection of 'lost' SDS writings revealsdepth of Sixties radical thinkingBy Jerry Harris / The Rag Blog / December 19, 2011[Revolutionary Youth and the New Working Class: Lost Writings of SDS, edited by Carl Davidson; (Pittsburgh PA: Changemaker Publications, 2011.)]Carl Davidson has done a tremendous service to anyone who studies the history of social movements or anyone interested in the 1960sthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-8964777753954186892011-12-18T18:36:00.008-06:002011-12-22T12:10:48.195-06:00Willie Nelson : Occupy the Food SystemWillie Nelson at Farm Aid 2011.Occupy the food systemFrom seed to plate, our food system is now even more concentrated than our banking system.By Willie Nelson / Reader Supported News / December 18, 2011Thanks to the Occupy Wall Street movement, there's a deeper understanding about the power that corporations wield over the great majority of us. It's not just in the financial sector, but in all thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-79598389493965759142011-12-18T17:58:00.005-06:002011-12-18T18:29:57.228-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : The Gospel According to TebowDenver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow shown "Tebowing." Whose side is God on?The Gospel according to TebowBy Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / December 18, 2011I don’t normally write about an individual’s religious beliefs unless that person is a politician using religion to further his or her political career. But the religion of Tim Tebow, the current quarterback for the Denver Broncos, fits thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-86336223985313635562011-12-16T08:26:00.008-06:002011-12-18T22:55:37.097-06:00Harvey Wasserman : The Timeless Joy of George Whitman's Shakespeare & CompanyGeorge Whitman at Shakespeare & Company. Image from Oh, by the way...The timeless joy of GeorgeWhitman’s Shakespeare & CompanyEyeing me suspiciously, George asked if I was a writer. I said I’d been a college editor, and had aspirations. He said OK... I could have a week on the mattress.By Harvey Wasserman / The Rag Blog / December 16, 2011Never doubt that simple acts of generosity and solidarity thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-72955415905430192652011-12-16T08:17:00.001-06:002011-12-22T12:33:07.592-06:00Harry Targ : The State of Indiana Vs. Universal Human RightsEleanor Roosevelt viewed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as her greatest achievement. Image from Creative Commons.The State of Indiana vs. theUniversal Declaration of Human RightsBy Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / December 16, 2011WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana -- The massive atrocities of World War II led nations to commit themselves permanently to the protection of basic rights for all human thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-83905723406295259522011-12-14T00:34:00.002-06:002011-12-15T11:51:03.767-06:00MUSIC / Jan Reid : The 'Old Mad Joy' of the GourdsImage of The Gourds from thegourds.com.Old Mad Joy:No Last Waltz for the Gourds'Most bands grow out of rock and roll when they get to be our age,' Russell told me with a laugh. 'We've done everything kind of backward.'By Jan Reid / The Rag Blog / January 14, 2011In the 40-odd years since Austin became more than a backwater of American music, none of its talents have been more rousing and enduringthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-43687050463205638362011-12-14T00:22:00.003-06:002011-12-18T22:54:27.335-06:00BOOKS / Jonah Raskin : Sean Stewart's Spirited History of the Underground PressSean Stewart's On the Ground is a livelyanecdotal history of the underground pressAmply illustrated with art, cartoons, drawings, and covers from the colorful, eye-catching papers of the Sixties, it comes closer to the spirit of the in-your-face underground papers.By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / December 14, 2011[On The Ground: An Illustrated Anecdotal History of the Sixties Underground Press inthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-70619750050408833522011-12-13T12:32:00.018-06:002011-12-19T17:59:15.286-06:00BOOKS / Mariann G. Wizard : scott crow's 'Black Flags and Windmills'Black Flags and Windmills:Hope, Anarchy, and the Common Ground Collectivescott crow's book tells of the abandonment of a great American city by the powerful, the refusal of its poorest and most vulnerable citizens to lay down and die, and the necessity for community self-reliance that is Katrina's great lesson.By Mariann G. Wizard / The Rag Blog / December 13, 2011[Black Flags and Windmills: Hopethorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-61910372688413022522011-12-13T10:46:00.015-06:002011-12-13T12:16:16.594-06:00Rag Radio : We Interview Nonviolent Activist Val Liveoak and Author Robert H. FrankNonviolent Activist Val Liveoak of Peacekeeping en Las Americason Rag Radio with Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here: Also listen to New York Times Columnist Robert H. Frank,Author of The Darwin Economy, on Rag Radio, here: (Texas Music Hall of Fame Singer/Songwriter Eliza Gilkyson will be Thorne Dreyer's guest on Rag Radio, Friday, December 16, 2011, from 2-3 p.m. CST on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin andthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-8348789290280672072011-12-13T10:13:00.007-06:002011-12-14T12:32:24.680-06:00Mike Klonsky : Let's Not Get All 'Warm and Fuzzy' About Teddy RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt's "New Diplomacy." Political cartoon courtesy of Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog.Before we start feeling all warmand fuzzy about Teddy Roosevelt...By Mike Klonsky / The Rag Blog / December 13, 2011Let's remember that Teddy Roosevelt, eulogized in President Obama's Osawatomie speech on "New Nationalism" last week, was at his best a tame economic reformer and at his worst, a racistthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-19634676243143442922011-12-12T20:51:00.014-06:002011-12-14T09:52:22.417-06:00SPORT / Dave Zirin and Zach Zill : The Death of SocratesBrazilian soccer legend Socrates before a World Cup match in Guadalajara, Mexico, June 16, 1986. Photo by Wolfgang Ratta / Reuters.The death of Socrates:Celebrating the Brazilian soccer legendSocrates was one of those rare athletes whose outsized personality and effervescent humanity transcended the game.By Dave Zirin and Zach Zill / The Rag Blog / December 12, 2011International soccer lost a thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-24969277115401683462011-12-12T19:45:00.007-06:002011-12-12T20:35:16.136-06:00FILM / Lamar W. Hankins : 2008 Economic Crash Was an 'Inside Job'The economic crash of 2008:An 'Inside Job'By Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / November 8, 2011A fair summary of the award-winning documentary Inside Job is this: The economic crisis that culminated in bailouts in 2008 was caused by 30 years of deregulation of the financial services industry.I have no way of knowing how many of the Occupy Wall Street participants have seen this film, released inthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-19598875964411757812011-12-12T17:15:00.007-06:002011-12-14T13:08:52.101-06:00The Rag Blog : Technical Difficulties!After the apocalypse:We're baaack!By Editors / The Rag Blog / December 12, 2011You may have noticed that there hasn’t been much activity on The Rag Blog for the last week or so. And, if you are a subscriber, you may have wondered what happened to last week’s Rag Blog Digest.Well, we’ve had an onslaught of what are known in the trade as “technical difficulties.” We had a computer crash at our homethorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-86278506916945176272011-12-07T23:06:00.001-06:002011-12-07T23:15:28.483-06:00Jenny Brown : Workers Challenge Big FoodImage from Food Chain Workers' Alliance.From farm to fork:Workers challenge Big FoodBy Jenny Brown / Labor Notes / November 7, 2011Workers and students gathered at "Food Day" events on dozens of campuses to link decent jobs to decent food. The event was so successful making connections that a week later Pomona College banned students and workers from talking to each other in the dining halls.“thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-70447192241037774522011-12-06T21:55:00.013-06:002011-12-14T15:06:13.056-06:00David Bacon : From 'Planton' to OccupyBanners at Occupy Seattle. Photo by David Bacon / The Rag Blog.From planton to Occupy:Unions, immigrants, and the Occupy movementBy David Bacon / Truthout / November 6, 2011OAKLAND, California -- When Occupy Seattle called its tent camp "Planton Seattle," camp organizers were laying a local claim to a set of tactics used for decades by social movements in Mexico, Central America, and the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-85741393614130922302011-12-06T20:49:00.008-06:002011-12-07T23:13:11.082-06:00Harry Targ : Vince Emanuele, Anti-War Vets, and the 99%Anti-war vet Vince Emanuele. Photo by Jessica A. Woolf / nwtimes.Veterans unplugged:Hoosier anti-war activist connectsreturning veterans to the 99%By Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / November 6, 2011“I grew up in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Working-class family, father was a Union Ironworker... mother was a stay at home Mom.” Vince Emanuele joined the Marines after graduating from high school. “I thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-25220513539779889732011-12-06T14:40:00.007-06:002011-12-07T23:13:45.775-06:00Carl Davidson : The Pundits' Obsession About 'Specific Demands'Occupy Wall Street poster from Lalo Alcaraz / laloalcaraz.com.Occupy and the pundits:Do we really want 'specific demands?'By Carl Davidson / The Rag Blog/ December 6, 2011I’m getting fed up with pompous pundits lecturing the "Occupy!" movement for not having a set of specific demands.A case in point: A case in point: New York Times financial columnist Joe Nocera quoted at length in a story by thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-84024634106497320902011-12-06T12:35:00.006-06:002011-12-07T23:14:15.548-06:00Ted McLaughlin : It's Everyone's FightTypical 99% parasite. Image from Jobsanger.CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGEIt's everyone's fight'The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and for government to gain ground.' -- Thomas JeffersonBy Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog/ December 6, 2011The quote at the bottom of the picture above shows what the right wing would like for Americans to believe -- that the Occupy Wall Street movement isthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-83717242794573285072011-11-30T11:40:00.002-06:002011-12-07T23:11:50.580-06:00Bill Meacham : What is Truth? (In 400 Words)The Chinese character for truth.(In 400 words)What Is Truth?By Bill Meacham /The Rag Blog/ November 30, 2011Philosophy Now magazine runs an occasional contest: Write an answer to a philosophical question in 400 words or fewer. The winning essays are printed in the magazine. My essay in answer to the question “What is Truth” was selected[1], and I am pleased to present it here, followed by anotherthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-21197762347855163512011-11-30T10:41:00.008-06:002011-11-30T15:26:50.221-06:00Allen Young : Is 'Mic Check' Just 'Political Shouting?'Image from Pragmatic Witness.An email string:Analyzing 'mic check'Polarizing behavior, besides being wrong, simply creates more polarization...By Allen Young / The Rag Blog / November 30, 2011“Mic check,” as it is known, is short for “microphone check,” a name that was chosen with irony because in fact the speech amplification technique known as “mic check” was introduced by Occupy Wall Street thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-26143737980257642712011-11-30T10:30:00.002-06:002011-12-07T23:15:58.082-06:00Paul Rosenberg : American DeceptionalismPhoto by Gallo / Getty Images / Al Jazeera.American DeceptionalismUnder the growing influence of the 1 per cent, American exceptionalism has become American deceptionalism.By Paul Rosenberg / Progressive America Rising / November 30, 2011From the dawn of the colonial era, long before they even had a national identity, Americans have always felt they had a special role in the world, though the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-56099724502145957902011-11-30T09:12:00.010-06:002011-12-07T23:14:55.826-06:00Robert Jensen : Occupy CongressNorman Solomon. Image from Nation of Change.Occupy Congress:Norman Solomon sees arole for progressive legislatorsBy Robert Jensen / The Rag Blog / November 30, 2011Conventional politics in the United States focuses on elections, while left activists typically argue that political change comes not from electing better politicians but building movements strong enough to force politicians to accept thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-65758486541518803222011-11-29T16:37:00.007-06:002011-11-29T16:59:31.349-06:00Marc Estrin : Who Needs Tear Gas?"Port-A-Potty." Art by Ali Spagnola / alispagnola.com.Who needs tear gas?The switch from blameworthy military attack to invisible counterinsurgency is a smart one for cities and towns strapped for budget.By Marc Estrin / The Rag Blog / November 29, 2011BURLINGTON, Vermont -- Nonchalantly pepper-spraying sitting students, or charging with batons swinging into nonviolent crowds, or thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-74391746233804240152011-11-29T15:39:00.007-06:002011-11-29T16:28:21.071-06:00Bob Feldman : Reconstruction in Texas, 1865-1876The Freedman's Bureau in Texas. Image from Afrotexan.com.The hidden history of TexasPart VII: Reconstruction in Texas, 1865-1876/1By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / October 26, 2011[This is the first section of Part 7 of Bob Feldman's Rag Blog series on the hidden history of Texas.]Just before the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865, “the Confederate troops in Texas got out of hand and began thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-69886716513145750092011-11-29T11:01:00.002-06:002011-11-29T16:31:36.119-06:00Jack A. Smith : The U.S. and Irreversible Climate ChangeCartoon from Saida Online.With U.S. leading the way:Irreversible climate change loomsBy Jack A. Smith / The Rag Blog / November 29, 2011The Obama Administration has largely remained passive about the critical imperative to reduce greenhouse gases to limit catastrophic global warming.Washington continues to insist upon exercising world leadership in all key global endeavors, including the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-60167917251731399762011-11-29T09:47:00.002-06:002011-11-30T17:26:29.102-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : Ayn Rand and the Sophistry of the LibertariansArt from Salon.The sophistry of Ayn Rand libertariansThe profiteers, using libertarian justifications, help corporations dominate American life to satisfy their quest for greater profits.By Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / November 29, 2011In 1964, I roomed with Wally. Wally had discovered Ayn Rand and talked frequently about rugged individualism -- his desire to be left alone by the state, by thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-8865227021627684802011-11-28T17:27:00.008-06:002011-11-29T21:43:32.932-06:00Danny Schechter : The Media and Occupy Wall StreetJon Stewart covers Wall Street coverage.But for how long?Occupy Wall Street is all over the mediaBy Danny Schechter / The Rag Blog / November 28, 2011One of the oldest patterns of media coverage can be summed up this way:First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. Then they realize you are a story and fall in love. So they build you up but then, all at once, tear you down.You may not have thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-52717988468701021392011-11-27T18:07:00.004-06:002011-11-27T18:12:01.203-06:00CARTOON / Joshua Brown : Life During Wartime: March of HistoryPolitical cartoon by Joshua Brown / The Rag Blog / September 18, 2011.[Joshua Brown is the executive director of the Center for Media and Learning/American Social History Project, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York and is a professor of history at CUNY. Find more political cartoons by Joshua Brown on The Rag Blog.]The Rag Blogthorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-13690965476934207222011-11-26T15:07:00.013-06:002011-11-30T15:31:40.904-06:00Ted McLaughlin : Congressional Insider Trading is a Crime! Or Should Be...Image from Dallas News.There oughta be a law:Stop Congressional 'insider trading'By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog/ November 26, 2001Last week it was revealed that members of Congress regularly do something that, if done by other Americans, would be considered a criminal act. It is "insider trading." This is when someone uses information not available to the general public to make trades in the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-10239069547311473732011-11-23T09:25:00.001-06:002011-11-29T11:10:30.913-06:00Steve Russell : Will Rogers on Occupy Wall StreetGet the point? Image of Will Rogers from the Will Rogers Museum.Will Rogers on Occupy Wall StreetBy Steve Russell / The Rag Blog / November 23, 2011"It’s all right to let Wall Street bet each other millions of dollars every day but why make these bets affect the fellow who is plowing a field out in Claremore, Oklahoma?"My all time favorite Cherokee, Will Rogers, wrote that in 1924. Today, most thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-31019898453146175582011-11-23T09:09:00.008-06:002011-11-29T11:10:56.787-06:00Paul Krassner : Sex, Corruption, and the Kool-Aid MassacreThe Rev. Jim Jones.Sex, Corruption,and the Kool-Aid MassacreBy Paul Krassner / The Rag Blog / November 23, 2011November 18th marked the 33rd anniversary of the Jonestown massacre.Jim Jones, founder of the 8,000-member People’s Temple in San Francisco, once asked Margo St. James, founder of the prostitutes’ rights group, COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), how he could obtain political thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-21950371777275298522011-11-23T09:05:00.007-06:002011-11-29T11:11:28.608-06:00Mike Davis : Protest in the Driver's SeatImage from the Schumin Web.Chevy to the levee:Protest in the driver's seatThis is the ultimate American way: protesting in a car (or on a bike) while obeying the law. The possibilities for serene family tourism are endless and mind-boggling.By Mike Davis / The Rag Blog / November 23, 2011The sickening repercussion of hardwood against a protestor’s skull is the soundtrack to too much of thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-42281815532011685582011-11-22T19:07:00.003-06:002011-11-29T11:12:01.734-06:00Lamar W. Hankins : Judge Ken Anderson Still Can't Tell the TruthFormer Williamson County prosecutor Ken Anderson, now a county judge, shown before testifying about his role in the murder trial of Michael Morton. Photo by the Texas Tribune / KUT News.Judge Ken Anderson still can’ttell the truth about the Morton caseThere is nothing new in Anderson’s conduct... While prosecutors love to tell jurors that they have a duty to see that justice is done, what they thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-62905531170948775862011-11-22T16:18:00.004-06:002011-11-22T17:03:25.141-06:00Nicole Berland : Occupying Ideas in AustinPhotos from Occupy Austin Reading Group / Facebook.The ideas behind the actions:Occupy Austin Reading GroupBy Nicole Berland / Fringe Magazine / November 22, 2011[The Occupy Wall Street movement is often judged by its most visible and dramatic and mediagenic aspects. By the size of its gatherings, by the zanier of its participants, by the occasional acts of civil disobedience, and by the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-47220197672031703482011-11-22T12:00:00.009-06:002011-12-13T13:24:50.982-06:00Rag Radio : Singer/Songwriter, Author, and Actor Bobby BridgerBobby Bridger performs live on Rag Radio, Friday, November 18, 2011, at the KOOP studios in Austin. Photos by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog.Singer/Songwriter, Author, Actor, and Artist Bobby Bridgeron Rag Radio with Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here: Also listen to Author and Sustainabilty Advocate Ellen LaConte on Rag Radio, Below.Bobby Bridger, who was our guest on Rag Radio Friday, November 18, thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-8559244511740603742011-11-22T09:35:00.003-06:002011-11-22T19:01:41.933-06:00FILM / Jonah Raskin : Eastwood's Biopic of Kinky HooverFormer FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, the subject of Clint Eastwood's new biopic, is shown here in a still from a 1936 documentary, You Can't Get Away With It.Kinky Hoover:Clint Eastwood’s biopic of the FBI directorEastwood presents Hoover as a crusader who protected the nation against the bomb throwers of the 1920s... What J. Edgar doesn’t show is how out-of-control Hoover and his band of thugs thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-6050201788451913622011-11-21T20:31:00.006-06:002011-11-23T15:43:04.400-06:00Harvey Wasserman : Stop the Attack on IranBumper sticker on a car in Texas. Photo by Zereshk / Wikimedia Commons.Our future depends on stopping an attack on IranBy Harvey Wasserman / The Rag Blog / November 21, 2011The global Occupy Movement has come to life just in time.War is the health of the corporate state. The 1% needs its endless cash flow to stay in power.As the slaughters in Iraq and Afghanistan transform into something less thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-60230184130533909752011-11-21T19:40:00.006-06:002011-11-23T15:53:14.885-06:00SPORT / Dave Zirin : The Redemption of Tim Tebow?One of the hottest items on the sports marketing scene is the Tebow number 15 jersey with "Jesus" on the back.Tebow redeemed?Tim Tebow is awful,but he finds a way to winHe’s not awful in the turgid unwatchable way that, say, a Kate Hudson movie is awful. He’s fascinating/awful. He’s Reefer Madness awful. He’s old Nic Cage in Vampire’s Kiss awful.By Dave Zirin / The Rag Blog / November 21, 2011"thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-35596207965968822562011-11-21T17:07:00.009-06:002011-11-21T19:49:23.160-06:00Harry Targ : Higher Education, Capitalism, and the 'Paterno Effect'Virtual Penn State Nittany Lion by Avatar Sculptor Cheen Pitney / Cheen Pitney's Peacefools.The 'Paterno effect':Thinking about capitalism,higher education, and moral repugnanceBy Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / November 21, 2011“And when I think of all the talent and energy which daily go into devising ways and means of making their torment worse, all in the name of efficiency and productivity but thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-7385798783803411742011-11-20T17:55:00.013-06:002011-11-23T09:07:18.499-06:00Ted McLaughlin : Playing the Debt Blame GameChart from brillig.com.With forgetful elephants...Playing the debt blame gameBy Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / November 20, 2011The Treasury Department admitted this week that the national debt of this country has, for the first time, topped $15 trillion. That's an incredibly large figure, and just about equals the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country for one year. And the thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-57423775080631925052011-11-17T01:00:00.006-06:002011-11-22T10:04:26.985-06:00FILM / David McReynolds : Clint Eastwood's 'J. Edgar'Clint Eastwood's J. EdgarIt is precisely because Eastwood has made the sexual angle central to the film, without playing games with it, that the film is so powerful. By David McReynolds / The Rag Blog / November 17, 2011[This is the first of two Rag Blog reviews of Clint Eastwood's new film, J. Edgar. Also see "Eastwood's Biopic of Kinky Hoover" by Jonah Raskin.]J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) who, thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-32692382626922013162011-11-17T00:21:00.000-06:002011-11-17T00:21:48.338-06:00Mike Davis : Ten Immodest CommandmentsFollowing in Charlton Heston's immodest footsteps.Ten immodest commandmentsWhat, indeed, have I learned from my fumbling-and-bungling lifetime of activism?By Mike Davis / The Rag Blog / November 17, 2011A friend in Canada recently asked me if the Sixties’ protests had any important lessons to pass on to the Occupy movement.I told her that one of the few clear memories that I retain from 45 years thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-78613403158340632942011-11-17T00:06:00.003-06:002011-11-17T00:16:56.056-06:00Bill Freeland : With 'Occupy,' the People are the PointImage from Addicting Info.‘Occupy America’: The people are the pointBy Bill Freeland / The Rag Blog / November 17, 2011The “Occupy” movement, which began as a small gathering in a private park near Wall Street in New York City in September, has already swept across America and into another dozen countries around the world.While these gatherings are local, their concerns are global. They are thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-64053998890569575902011-11-16T22:40:00.008-06:002011-11-17T00:11:35.214-06:00Eric Newhouse : Half of Returning Warriors are WoundedPhoto by RunItsTheFuz / Flickr / Truthout.Half of vets returning from Iraq andAfghanistan need medical attentionBy Eric Newhouse / Truthout / November 16, 2011More than half of America's former warriors are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with medical and mental problems that need treatment, according to new statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."These are thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-81290551653662046252011-11-16T20:38:00.002-06:002011-11-17T06:41:00.202-06:00Thomas McKelvey Cleaver : It's 'How You Play the Game'Vince Lombardi was famous for saying, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Image from Great American Things.Did winning become everythingfor Penn State's Joe Paterno?By Thomas McKelvey Cleaver / The Rag Blog / November 16, 2011Forty-eight years ago, Vince Lombardi was quoted as saying, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" (words that were first uttered by UCLA coach Red thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28179110.post-56761842539146704232011-11-16T08:13:00.008-06:002011-11-17T00:14:12.723-06:00Rabbi Arthur Waskow : Burn Their Books, Mayor BloombergPeople's Library at Occupy Wall Street. Photo by David Shankbone / Flickr.NYPD apparently destroys 'American cultural history'More than 5,000 books in the Occupy Wall Street library were reportedly thrown away when police moved in to remove protesters from Zuccotti Park in New York early Tuesday.During the police raid, Occupy Wall Street librarians tweeted, "NYPD destroying american cultural thorne dreyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16274390474388668913noreply@blogger.com0