Intrepid Liberal Journal Abstracts

Brick By Brick: A Civil Rights Story

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 21:53:59 GMT

In 1985, the US vs. Yonkers ruling challenged the institutionalized housing and educational discrimination of an entire city. It was the first time housing discrimination was linked to a segregated school system and this ruling codified a remedy for both. The fallout from the litigation exposed the naked bigotry of Yonkers, New York as the white community resented any effort to expand access to better, more integrated housing for minorities. On February 9th, at 9:00 PM, Brick By Brick: A Civil Rights Story, a one-hour documentary about Yonkers will air on New York’s local PBS station Channel 13. This important documentary was produced and directed by William Kavanagh. I’m hoping with the help of the progressive netroots, PBS will be persuaded to show his documentary to a national audience. As Kavanagh put it to me,

“The fact that Yonkers (as well as other cities which were not held to account in court) essentially kept their foot-dragging and evasion going for so many years after going into contempt of the Federal courts in 1988 is symbolic of the turn that civil rights enforcement has taken since the end of the Carter Administration, when US vs. Yonkers was originally filed. The film title is a bit of tribute to the folks who pressed on, despite the odds, to fight for an equitable end to the situation there.”

Read, "Brick By Brick: A Civil Rights Story" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

The Mixed Legacy of Gerald R. Ford

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 06:31:18 GMT

The mainstream media prefers to lionize former presidents when they die and Ford is regarded as a decent caretaker who restored confidence in the republic. Ford does deserve credit for not resorting to the politics of slash and burn when campaigning for reelection in 1976. Unfortunately, Ford’s political weakness helped pave the way for the ascendancy of dark political forces responsible for much of America’s abysmal leadership today. And that too is part of Ford’s legacy.

Read, "The Mixed Legacy of Gerald R. Ford" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Democracy's Mr. Fix It: A Podcast Interview With Author Joel S. Hirschhorn

Fri, 22 Dec 2006 04:43:13 GMT

Prostitutes are held in higher esteem then today’s politicians because at least they’re providing a service. Our elected leaders appear to only service themselves and their cronies as Hurricane Katrina exposed to our national shame in 2005. Many progressive political activists such as myself believe the best approach is to take over the Democratic Party the same way conservatives captured the GOP. Joel S. Hirschhorn, author of Delusional Democracy: Fixing The Republic Without Overthrowing The Government (Common Courage Press) disagrees. He advocates for the systematic dismantling of the two parties “duopoly” instead and he agreed to a healthy give and take in a podcast interview.

Listen To, "Democracy's Mr. Fix It: A Podcast Interview With Author Joel S. Hirschhorn" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Memo To Incoming Congress: Save Our Country

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:59:11 GMT

Iraq continues to burn, the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan and America is perceived as a rudderless giant. Under the Bush regime America is weak and immoral. That is a recipe for calamity. Triangulation and splitting hairs is not an option. Our national security is under the command and control of a sixty-year old adolescent (Bush), a feculent viceroy (Dick Cheney), an inept bureaucrat (Condi Rice) and a scandalous Washington retread (Robert Gates on December 18th).

Ten members of the Washington elite establishment known as the Iraq Study Group released their highly anticipated report. Their language was blunt in casting blame on the Bush Administration and dispelled the notion we’re winning in Iraq. It didn’t however go far enough in setting a timetable for withdrawal because they wanted to maintain a bipartisan veneer and not be rejected by Bush. The only bipartisanship I’m interested in is for congressional Democrats to stiffen their spines and hopefully a few congressional Republicans will develop a soul. Either way, congress has only three options: Impeachment, Invoking the War Powers Act or Cutting Off Funding.

Read, "Memo To Incoming Congress: Save Our Country" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Memo To Democrats: Repeal Bush's 2005 Bankruptcy Law

Thu, 07 Dec 2006 03:48:21 GMT

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 was arguably the most odious piece of domestic legislation the previous congress passed. President Bush and his party typically cited it as among their “accomplishments” and the media seldom questioned whether it was a good idea. Indeed, it illustrated the sheer indecency of the Republican Party machine and pervasive influence of banks, credit card companies and the financial services industry as a whole.

While attending graduate school I interned at the corporate library of American Express in 2001. I maintained a journal of my experience and memorialized a conversation with a Vice President I occasionally performed research for and was on good terms with. I asked this gentleman why American Express was targeting less affluent people and wondered if they were assuming an unreasonable risk in doing so. He told me,

“They’re all going to have to pay eventually. The lawmakers are on our side because of heavy campaign contributions from our
industry. First we have to get Joe and Jane Smith hooked on the great American drug: credit.”

Well now the political landscape has changed with newly elected populists poised to take control in January. I didn’t phone bank after hours and weekends prior to Election Day because it was fun. I did it because I want change. The bankruptcy law of 2005 is a prime example of what Democrats need to change forthwith.

Read, "Memo To Democrats: Repeal Bush's 2005 Bankruptcy Law" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Wanted: An Atheist Candidate For President

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:14:26 GMT

Every time I read a poll that says candidates must be people of faith to be considered viable by religious voters I cringe. It shouldn’t be that way. First we need to break a barrier and have an atheist throw their hat in the ring. Hopefully a courageous trailblazer will enable the public to perceive future individuals as candidates who happen to be atheists instead of an “atheist candidate.” And that will be better for everyone.

Read, "Wanted: An Atheist Candidate For President" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Tears For the Once and Future King

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:12:42 GMT

The Presidency beckons. You attract citizens ready to follow the banner of segregationist George Wallace and followers of Martin Luther King. Older people who crave order and inspired youth envision their salvation through your candidacy. Migrant workers, Native Americans and the poor believe you’re the one who understands their need for respect and dignity.

And there is the horrible war. The country is losing faith and wants an honorable exit. Civil unrest intensifies as America’s social fabric unravels. Your soul mate Martin Luther King is gunned down like your brother. A crowd is engulfed by grief and ready to erupt in violence. You remind them that you lost too and want no more senseless killing.

All this is happening and to millions you’re the singular figure that can heal, soothe and deliver peace. How can others feel despair or hopeless when you’re quoting George Bernard Shaw:

“Some look at things that are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were and ask why not?”

And you’re taken from us and all that promise is left unfulfilled.

Read, "Tears For the Once and Future King" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

ILJ's One Year Anniversary

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:31:05 GMT

Whenever reading about bloggers in the mainstream press I’m amazed at how we’re portrayed: “dangerous,” “extreme” and with subversive values. Recently at a Barnes & Noble I spoke with someone at the history section. Somehow the topic of liberal bloggers came up and I admitted I was one. Her response to me was, “oh you’re one of those people.” I had to laugh.

Yes I’m one of “those people” whatever that means. And who are we? True enough the blogosphere has characters I would rather not be associated with – inevitable considering its size. For the most part bloggers resemble your neighbors down the street.

If you take a look at my left sidebar, underneath “Friends of ILJ” you’ll notice Joe Irvin's Blog. An editor of a small city newspaper for 35 years, Joe served in the U.S. Army and raised two children with his wife. Yes, I see why people might fear someone like that. Decent people with sense are dangerous.

Read, "ILJ's One Year Anniversary" in Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Capitalism's Redeemer: A Podcast Interview With Author Peter Barnes

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:25:00 GMT

Peter Barnes, the author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide To Reclaiming The Commons (Berrett-Kohler Publications, Inc.) began his career as a reporter for the Lowell Sun (Massachusetts) and later wrote dozens of articles for Newsweek and The New Republic about economics.

“But my real economic education began in my thirties, when, after a midlife crisis, I abandoned journalism and plunged headfirst into capitalism.”

Specifically, Barnes considers how modern life has diminished “the commons”: a generic term like the “market” or “state” referring to assets we inherit such as the ecosystem or the culture we create.

His book partly explains how capitalism’s past and current “operating systems” have devoured nature and he provides a blueprint to upgrade it for modern life. In devising this upgrade Barnes believes society must go beyond the antiquated paradigms of government regulation or market solutions. He contends societies should construct “trusts” that preserve the commons for future generations instead.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of the Natural Resources Defense Council praised the book:

“Using his years of experience as a successfully entrepreneur, Barnes shows how capitalism can be upgraded so that it protects rather than devours our planet. Required reading for everyone who looks further than the next quarter’s results.”

Barnes agreed to an interview with me about his book and ideas for upgrading capitalism.

Listen to, "Capitalism's Redeemer: A Podcast Interview With Author Peter Barnes" in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Turning On the Jane's and Phone Banking

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 19:58:12 GMT

A conversation I had with a woman from Cuyahoga County, Ohio Friday evening especially illustrates the challenges we face in getting out the vote this Tuesday. As with numerous others I’ve spoken to in recent days she was cynical and resistant to the idea of voting at all. We’ll call her Jane.

Jane’s immediate response to my inquiries about whether she intended to vote or knew where to go was,

“I’m not waiting online all day like last time. Screwed up my whole day and my vote for Kerry didn’t count anyway. It was stolen.”

Jane is a single woman raising two kids and a nurse. She’s living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to be a good mother. Her children are twelve and nine years of age. Jane’s job does not allow her to be home for her kids after school.

Jane had two younger brothers. One died in Afghanistan in 2003 and the other was killed in Iraq in 2004 when he was forced to endure another tour of duty. The one in Afghanistan signed up shortly after 9/11 even though he had a football scholarship. Her other brother enlisted in the National Guard prior to 9/11 and had no choice about going to Iraq. She’s angry about losing both of them to “Bush’s wars.”

“My brother in Afghanistan might be alive but they don't get enough support because of Iraq. My brother in Iraq was supposed to come home.”

Read, "Turning On the Janes and Phone Banking" in the
Intrepid Liberal Journal.

FDR and the Holocaust: A Podcast Interview With Author Robert N. Rosen

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 02:44:19 GMT

FDR was singularly responsible for defeating Nazi Germany’s brutal anti-Semitic regime. Yet sixty-one years after his death, FDR’s legacy is entwined with allegations he was anti-Semitic and disinterested in the Holocaust.

As a liberal Jewish American I was always conditioned to regard FDR with an asterisk. Many times I’ve heard my predominantly liberal family say, “FDR was a great President, but …” And they proceed to indict him for being unsympathetic to European Jewry during the Holocaust. In particular, FDR’s critics cite the SS St. Louis, which arrived in Havana Harbor on May 27, 1939 with 936 European Jews seeking asylum, but were turned away.

Author Robert N. Rosen is challenging FDR’s critics with his book, Saving the Jews: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Holocaust (Thunder’s Mouth Press). In the Afterward to Rosen’s book, Alan M. Dershowitz writes,

“If journalism is the first draft of history, then revisionism is the second. Typically third and fourth drafts are required to set the record straight.

The history of FDR’s role in the Holocaust is currently undergoing this process. Robert Rosen’s carefully researched and beautifully written book may well prove to be the final draft.”

Listen to, FDR and the Holocaust: A Podcast Interview With Author Robert N. Rosen in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Full Circle: From Jim Wright To Dennis Hastert

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:32:25 GMT

Seventeen years ago Jim Wright was forced to resign because his party was cowardly and weak. In 2006 Dennis Hastert is fighting to stay in power because he and his party have no shame. We've come full circle.

Read, Full Circle: From Jim Wright To Dennis Hastert in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Talk Radio's Middle Class Champion: A Podcast Interview With Thom Hartmann

Sat, 23 Sep 2006 23:25:42 GMT

Thom Hartmann is a dynamic voice for the aggrieved middle class. After one commercial break on a recent broadcast, the national radio host proudly declared,

“Welcome back to the Thom Hartman show where our talking points come from Jefferson and Madison, not some right wing think tank.”

His syndicated radio show is carried on more than 80 radio stations daily from noon to 3 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Sunday mornings from 10 AM to 1 PM EST. Hartmann is also an award-winning, best selling author of fourteen books, an entrepreneur, and an innovator in the fields of psychiatry, ecology and economics. Most recently Hartman authored, Screwed: The Undeclared War On the Middle Class - And What We Can Do About It (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.).

Hartmann graciously agreed to an interview with me about his new book and political philosophy.

Listen to, Talk Radio's Middle Class Champion: A Podcast Interview With Thom Hartmann in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

The Contrarian: A Podcast Interview With Professor Khaleel Mohammed

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 00:51:44 GMT

San Diego University’s Associate Professor of Religion, Khaleel Mohamed, PH.D is a controversy magnet. Born in the South American republic of Guyana and educated at Montreal’s McGill University, Professor Mohammed is a Muslim who believes Israel belongs to the Jews. Indeed, Professor Mohammed even references the Koran to support this claim.

Professor Mohammed also contends that violence in the Muslim world stems from politics not the Islamic faith. His opinions have provoked sharp rebukes from scholars who insist that Jihad, Anti-Semitism and fundamentalism are directly linked to the Koran itself. The academic believes those who link fundamentalism with the Koran are Islamophobes.

Overall, Professor Mohammed has two categories of critics: westerners who regard him as an Islamic apologist and Muslims who believe him to be disloyal to their culture. The professor considers himself a scholarly advocate for moderate Islam and he graciously agreed to an interview with me.

Listen to, The Contrarian: A Podcast Interview With Professor Khaleel Mohammed in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Taking Genocide Personally

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 20:41:28 GMT

I visited Poland shortly after turning 21. It was March 1990 and I was fortunate to be studying in England my junior year of college. The tour group put Auschwitz and Birkenau on our itinerary. For me Birkenau had the greater impact. It was usually hot as we walked the grounds. Days earlier when we first arrived in Poland it was bitter cold. There were crematoriums only partially destroyed by the Nazis in their attempt to conceal evidence prior to the war's conclusion.. A lake where the ashes of cremated Jews was dumped remained.

I was the only Jew among our small group and sensed I was impacted differently than the others. Physically I was nauseous and struggled to walk. The others were horrified as decent human beings but it wasn’t quite the same for them – at least that’s how it seemed to me. I strolled by myself to an area overlooking a crematorium pit and reflected. Among the people in our group was a kind-hearted graduate student from Cambodia and survivor of the Khmer Rouge. Empathetically he observed, “For you this is personal.” We chatted and I learned about his personal history. He was a few years older than me and had a British accent. The Khmer Rhouge murdered his parents in the 1970s and he had no family in Cambodia. Surveying the scene and stillness of Birkenau he said “all genocide is personal to me.”

Read, Taking Genocide Personally in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Reminiscing About the Future: Chuck Hagel vs. Hillary Clinton

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 20:10:38 GMT

Perception usually triumphs reality in politics. That is apparent in Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel’s nascent campaign for president. Hagel is shrewdly positioning himself as the sole antiwar candidate in the Republican Party. Ironically, Republicans just might nominate a candidate running on an anti-war platform in a brazen display of chutzpah and hypocrisy.

Read, Reminiscing About the Future: Chuck Hagel vs Hillary Clinton in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Power, Politics, Principle and Overpriced Latex Gloves

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:55:44 GMT

America’s unique blending of corporate militarism and Christian radicalism has resulted in a dysfunctional culture of plutocracy and Puritanism. As the mega rich avoid paying taxes and playing by the same rules as everyone else, the middle class and working poor can’t earn a living wage or afford healthcare. A corporation such as Kaiser Permanente is not accountable for their misdeeds but there are women who can’t buy morning after pills from their local pharmacies.

This duality of maximum autonomy for corporations and plutocrats while eroding civil liberties and prosperity for individuals is producing an era of entropy. Entropy at home and abroad is the legacy of modern conservatism and our collective susceptibility to their assault on truth. Meanwhile, the so-called libertarians and “moderates” dismiss their culpability for empowering a reign of indecency and decay.

What is the antidote to this condition? We need more than a “new direction” or change from Republican rule to Democrats. America needs a progressive reformation that detoxifies our culture from corporate militarism and Christian theocrats. The time has come for a modern enlightenment.

Read, Power, Politics, Principle and Overpriced Latex Gloves in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

At Long Last Have You No Sense of Decency David Brooks?

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 20:46:45 GMT

David Brooks is a lightweight whom I typically ignore. Other progressive bloggers critique his sophomoric punditry and infantile analysis with enthusiasm. Until Friday, I considered attacking Brooks akin to abusing the Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Standing on an overcrowded A-Train with malfunctioning air conditioning, I read Brooks’ column "Bye-Bye Bootstraps" while commuting to Manhattan from Brooklyn. Brooks had the temerity to suggest that a “Wal-Mart leisure class” was emerging in America. One wonders how my fellow passengers suffering from the heat as we commuted to our jobs would’ve responded to this soft minded propagandist of America’s plutocracy.

Read, At Long Last Have You No Sense of Decency David Brooks? in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Wanted: A Twenty First Century George Kennan

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:33:45 GMT

In July 1947, George F. Kennan published an article in the quarterly edition of Foreign Affairs entitled “Sources of Soviet Conduct." America was an exhausted nation in 1947 and Kennan’s ideas helped President Harry Truman mobilize a war weary population for long-term struggle against Soviet expansionism. Ostensibly, Kennan wanted to firm America’s resolve against the Soviets but the greatest legacy of “containment” is that almost sixty years later the world is still spinning.

Today, civilized nations of order desperately need a credible strategy that firmly stands up to the challenge posed by radical Islam without igniting another world war. The lynchpin to any containment policy against radical Islam is a rapprochement between Israel and the international community.

Read, Wanted: A Twenty First Century George Kennan in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Brooklyn's Liberal Conscious: A Podcast Interview With Congressional Candidate Chris Owens

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 11:54:18 GMT

The 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York is a human mosaic of 654,000: 60 percent blacks, 20 percent whites, 12 percent Hispanics, 4 percent Asians and 4 percent other ethnicities. The minorities, mostly Caribbean Americans and other immigrants, comprise 80 percent of the district.

This district is historically significant because it was created pursuant to the Voting Rights Act. In 1968, the 11th elected the first black woman to Congress – Shirley Chisholm. Since then the predominantly black population has been represented in Washington by one of their own. The incumbent, Major R. Owens is retiring after serving in Congress since 1984. An African-American, Representative Owens is highly regarded among progressives for his commitment to strengthening public education.

Al Sharpton among others has advocated that two of the black candidates withdraw from the race to unify the black vote against Yassky. To this point none of the three black candidates are inclined to sacrifice their ambitions and each believes they have a viable chance of prevailing in the September 12th primary.

Chris Owens, the son of Representative Owens, is among the three black candidates competing in the Democratic primary. He’s promoted himself as “The Real Progressive” in the race. Owens supports our immediate withdrawal from Iraq, President Bush’s impeachment, single payer health care and opposes the Atlantic Yards development project to provide a Brooklyn home for the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

Listen to, Brooklyn's Progressive Conscious: A Podcast Interview With Congressional Candidate Chris Owens in the Intrepid Liberal Journal

The Politics of War: Then and Now

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:15:43 GMT

An unpopular war raged but the president refused to acknowledge error or change course. A talented and ambitious congressman continued to support his president in spite of private doubts and even misgivings from his own children. He largely supported the president’s domestic agenda and as a Washington insider received many briefings from the Pentagon, State Department and CIA.

They all told him the administration’s policies were working and a premature withdrawal was tantamount to weakness. The war was of course Vietnam. LBJ was in the White House. And a Massachusetts congressman named Tip O’Neill was on a collision course with President Johnson after years of steadfast support.

Read, The Politics of War: Then and Now, in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Broadcasting Humanity: An Interview With Link TV's David Michaelis

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 16:22:25 GMT

Two years ago, David Michaelis, an Israeli citizen and Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian-American traveled to their mutual birthplace in Jerusalem and filmed a groundbreaking documentary called "Ocuppied Minds." The film originally aired in 2005 and powerfully illustrated the widening gulf between two entangled peoples in pain.

Both men grew up in Jerusalem just a few miles apart but in entirely different universes. Jamal’s roots in Jerusalem can be traced to the 7th century, while Michaelis was born in Jerusalem to parents who left Germany in the 1920’s because of escalating anti-Semitism.

For Michaelis, “Occupied Minds” easily fits into the tapestry of his career. Born in 1945, Michaelis earned a degree in philosophy and sociology at Hebrew University. He has produced and directed documentaries on social-political issues for the BBC Channel 4 in the UK as well as for ARD and ZDF in Germany. Michaelis also served as a news editor in London and Washington for ARD. The primary focus of the documentaries and talk shows he’s worked on is to legitimize the rights of minorities in Israel.

Michaelis is currently on the Board of Directors for Internews and is the Director of Current Affairs for Link TV in San Francisco. Link TV is a network dedicated to presenting global news, issues and culture. Before co-founding Link TV, Michaelis was the producer of “Popolitika,” the most popular news program on Israeli TV.

Michaelis generously agreed to answer questions about his life experience and perspective of the Middle-East.

Read, Broadcasting Humanity: An Interview With Link TV's David Michaelis, in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Bush Yoyos While the U.S. Burns: An Interview With Economist Jared Bernstein

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 04:07:58 GMT

Jared Bernstein has promoted economic fairness on the national scene for over a decade. In 1992, he joined the Economic Policy Institute to direct their research on living standards. He is a widely published author in both the popular press and academic journals. Bernstein is also a frequent commentator for CNN and has been interviewed on PBS and National Public Radio. He earned a Ph.D in social welfare from Columbia University and is the coauthor of The State of Working America (Economic Policy Institute). Kevin Phillips, an esteemed conservative scholar praised the most recent edition:

“The State of Working America is the ultimate authority on what the American economy means to ordinary Americans.”

Bernstein proposes in his new book, All Together Now: Common Sense For A Fair Economy, (Berrett-Kohler Publishers, Inc.) that we’re ensnared in a “YOYO economy”. The acronym YOYO means, “You’re On Your Own.” Bernstein’s book illustrates how the “YOYOists” have schemed to transfer the burden of economic risk onto individuals and their families. From health care to globalization, it’s Bernstein’s contention that Americans yearn to replace our YOYO economy with a society based on the values of “WITT” (We’re All In This Together”). Bernstein presents both an economic plan and political strategy to alleviate the burdens of risk from working people and their families.

Former Senator John Edwards said that,

“Jared Bernstein provides a smart look at the American economy, one deeply rooted in American values. All Together Now explains the importance of having an economy that puts people first and ensures a fair shake for all.”

Bernstein generously agreed to respond to questions about his new book, the economy, and politics.

Read, Bush Yoyos While U.S. Burns: An Interview With Economist Jared Bernstein, in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Tue, 30 May 2006 03:37:30 GMT

The American Psychiatric Association officially acknowledged Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 1980. Symptoms include emotional numbing, quick tempers and re-experiencing traumatic situations through flashbacks. Such Symptoms may not surface for years but emerge with a disruptive vengeance. People with acute PTSD typically recover in three to six months, but chronic PTSD can remain for decades. Combat situations in Afghanistan and Iraq are already generating psychological casualties at an alarming rate. When otherwise morally upstanding people are compelled to behave immorally their souls is damaged. The stress of combat is horrific enough. Supplementing that trauma with the lingering despair of guilt is irreparable.

One tragic victim of PTSD was Jeffrey Lacey. His highly publicized suicide was hauntingly described by the January 2006 edition of the Physchiatric Times:

“When he returned home to Belchertown, Mass., he began drinking heavily and suffering from insomnia, night sweats, hallucinations and panic attacks. He received treatment at a Veterans Affairs facility, where he was described by one physician as having PTSD, depression with psychotic features, suicidal ideation and acute alcohol intoxication. One day, Lucey's father came home to find his son had hung himself in the cellar. On Lucey's bed were the dog tags of two unarmed Iraqi prisoners he said he had been forced to shoot.”

Read, Remember the Survivors, in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Sun, 21 May 2006 03:30:04 GMT

Progressives are struggling to synthesize a movement that can rise above identity politics and mobilize people under a unified theme. Robert W. Fuller, Ph.D. argues in his newly published book, All Rise (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.), that simple dignity is an elusive need that cuts across demographics of race, gender, age, and class. Fuller attributes this void to a culture of “rankism” which he defines as “abuses of power associated with rank.” In his writings Fuller advocates for a grassroots effort to establish a “dignitarian society.”

Fuller first wrote about the concept of rankism in his 2003 book, Somebodies and Nobodies: Overcoming the Abuse of Rank (New Society Publishers). The inspiration for Fuller’s book was his own life in which he experienced being both a “somebody” and a “nobody.” As Fuller reflected upon his own life experience, he had an epiphany about how our society is ordered. It would be only human to ponder how he went from persuading an American President to questioning his own relevance. Fuller’s journey appears to have engendered both a personal commitment to empathy and the ambition to quantify the most subjective human perspective of all – dignity. He graciously agreed to respond to questions about his new book as well as his opinions regarding current events.

Read, Dignity's Apostle: My Interview With Author Robert W. Fuller, in the Intrepid Liberal Journal.