The core argument of the hysterical Republican diatribe against Obamacare is that it will push Americans down a slippery slope into the nightmare of, gasp, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE! The phrase regularly trips from the lips of GOP reactionaries. Here’s Texas Senator…
Author Archive for jeff.faux
Larry Summers and the Economists’ “Greed Exception”
by jeff.faux •
It is said that the late economist Milton Friedman was once asked how much money it would take for him to change his position that humans are primarily motivated by greed, which was at the core of Friedman’s free-market fundamentalism.…
Best for Obama: Lose Syria Vote
by jeff.faux •
On the merits, Barack Obama has already lost the Congress on his proposal to intervene in the Syrian Civil War. What’s left is an argument on the politics. The White House’s message to Democrats is that rejection will doom the…
Americans Are War-Weary, But Washington Is Not
by jeff.faux •
Barack Obama’s arguments for pushing the United States into the Syrian Civil war make little sense to most Americans. It seems clear that poison gas was used in Syria on August 21. Not so clear is who used it, and…
Fifty Years Later: How Far Have We Marched?
by jeff.faux •
The March on Washington 50 years ago was the first of many I would make — for civil rights: against one war, then another; against poverty and low wages; for women’s rights; for gun control; for the environment; and now…
Complacent Consensus on China
by jeff.faux •
Within the next few years, China will surpass the United States as the world’s largest economy. Anticipating the impact of this milestone on our national psyche, the US policy class has been assuring Americans that there is nothing to worry…
Brazilian Protests; Could They Happen Here?
by jeff.faux •
“Bread and Circuses” were the means by which ancient Rome’s elite diverted the attention of ordinary citizens from the corruption and folly that eventually destroyed the Republic. Throughout history, self-proclaimed democratic leaders have pursued variations on this theme to placate,…
Where’s the Change?
by jeff.faux •
The Democratic Party’s long-term prospects have dramatically improved since the November election. They will control the White House for another four years. The Republicans, who lost the total vote for the House of Representatives, remain captive of an unpopular reactionary…
The Fiscal Cliff: A Box Office Hit for the Governing Class.
by jeff.faux •
The latest episode of the political melodrama “Fiscal Crisis” has ended, and the next one – the vote on the debt ceiling in two months — is already being promoted. It promises to follow the familiar story line. Fiercely ideological…
Election Over: Time for Progressive Dems to Face the Truth
by jeff.faux •
Terrorized by the prospect of a complete takeover of the U.S. government by right-wing reactionaries — progressive Democrats swallowed their unhappiness with Barack Obama throughout the campaign. They gamely defended his policies on the economy, health care, budget priorities and…