Democracy Archives - Page 43 of 97

Feature

The Fall of the Brazilian Ancien Régime

A view towards the future

July 5, 2018 • by Sebastião Ventura Pereira da Paixão

All the groups that participated in the Brazilian redemocratization process have come to power. Yet, despite the promises, many hopes have turned to dust. Once elected, the policymakers disappointed with their unpreparedness, arrogance, or dishonesty. But there has been some progress, such as the stabilization of the economy and the ...

Feature

Why Trump’s Battle with NFL Players Reveals His Racist View of Patriotism

Athletes have the right to express their political views

July 4, 2018 • by Peter Dreier

We can expect President Donald Trump to use the July 4 holiday as an occasion to whip up his political base by challenging the patriotism of anyone who disagrees with him. He’s been doing this ever since he announced he was running for president, but he’s reserved a particular brand of ...

Why Trump’s Battle with NFL Players Reveals His Racist View of Patriotism

Blue Monday

God Bless the Child?

Reflections on Families Belong Together, Trumpism, and the politics of resistance

July 2, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout, and I wrote some blues." -Duke Ellington While recent primaries have furnished some reason for modest hopefulness (see for example my piece last week on the primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), in a broader sense recent political developments have further darkened the already dark ...

Feature

American Behavioral Fascism, Anti-fascism and Democracy

Dark Thoughts from Paris on a Hot and Sunny Friday

June 29, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

I’m in Paris today visiting my daughter and her family for a week, and then bringing my bi-lingual grandson, who has dual citizenship, back to New York for the summer. Since he was born over eight years ago, the family has been anticipating doing this. It’s a wonderful time for ...

American Behavioral Fascism, Anti-fascism and Democracy

Uncategorized

Two Hearty Cheers for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

The congressional primary win is a bright spot for democrats amongst the slew of recent political losses

June 27, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

This morning as I drank my coffee I watched Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on TV, listened to her speak, and read with pleasure the numerous reports of her primary victory over incumbent and party boss Joe Crowley in New York City’s 14th Congressional District. I was exultant. And I am exultant still. So much ...

Two Hearty Cheers for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Blue Monday

It’s Happening Here and Now

Thoughts on the recent immigration detentions and William E. Connolly’s ‘Aspirational Fascism’

June 25, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout, and I wrote some blues." -Duke Ellington Donald Trump has occupied the Oval Office for the past year and a half. It has been a particularly dark time for Americans who care about freedom, human rights, and democracy. During this period a ...

Feature

Editors versus Algorithms

Reflecting on not so distant suffering at home and abroad in a moment of American state sponsored child abuse

June 22, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

My morning ritual includes reviewing my email messages, looking at my Facebook feed, and reading “the paper,” i.e. the print edition of The New York Times, which arrives at my doorstep sometime between 5:00 and 5:30. I try to read the paper first, though sometimes, I can’t. The paper arrives late, ...

Feature

Trump’s State Sponsored Child Abuse

The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy

June 21, 2018 • by John Lawrence

Having been the main congressional staff person behind the drafting and passage of a major federal child welfare law in 1980, I would have to say that Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the Jordanian diplomat who serves as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, has got it about right. Donald ...

Blue Monday

Bucharest Reflections on Political Corruption

Romanian Echoes of Trump

June 18, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

"I merely took the energy it takes to pout, and I wrote some blues." -Duke Ellington Everything is political. But not everything is political in the same way. In liberal democracies the law is the outcome of contests of power and political negotiations that are uneven and yet constrained by constitutional procedures; ...

Bucharest Reflections on Political Corruption

Feature

All the News That’s Fit to Print?

Reporting on the possible hegemony of the paranoid style of American politics

June 15, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

The New York Times on May 29th, the front page headline: “Trump Endorses Shadowy Plots, Eroding Trust,” followed by a subtitle: “Theories from Fringes,” with a further subtitle: “Agencies Undermined by Claims of Deep-State and Spygate.” The article by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Maggie Haberman is smart and informative, packed with ...

Blue Monday

Thinking Politically in the Age of Trump

Introduction to #AgainstTrump: Notes from Year One

June 11, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

A note from the author: This seems like a good time to follow up Jeffrey Goldfarb’s column of last week by posting the Introduction to my new Public Seminar book, #AgainstTrump: Notes from Year One, which is available from Public Seminar as a free download here. "I merely took the energy it takes to pout, ...

Thinking Politically in the Age of Trump

Feature

#AgainstTrump

A re-invitation to read Jeffrey C. Isaac’s Notes from Year One

June 8, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

With the Donald Trump now virtually declaring, “L'Etat, c'est moi,” in his attempts to avoid possible indictment, I can think of no better time than now to highlight Public Seminar’s second book, Jeffrey C. Isaac’s brilliant #AgainstTrump: Notes From Year One (for a free download click here). The book was officially published to coincide with Adam Michnik’s visit ...