IPS Blog

This week in OtherWords, we’re mixing food and politics. Wenonah Hauter skewers the government’s lackadaisical regulation of genetically engineered salmon, Jill Richardson calls for a fresh outlook on the relationship between weight and health, Jim Harkness asks whether the Farm Bill has met its demise, and Jim Hightower urges cubicle captives to stop using their keyboards as lunch trays. Donald Kaul, William A. Collins, Alana Baum, and I discuss Obama’s inauguration from different angles.

Below you’ll find links to our latest work. If you haven’t already subscribed to our weekly newsletter, please do. 

1. The End of the Farm Bill? / Jim Harkness
   We must build a new policy framework for a fair, sustainable, and healthy food system.
2. Don’t Put a Fork in It / Wenonah Hauter
   Despite consumer opposition, the FDA is one step away from approving genetically engineered salmon.
3. Dumped by Time Warner Cable / Josh Stearns
   The story of independent voices struggling to gain a place in our media system is all too common.
4. Why I’m Singing the Inauguration Blues / Alana Baum
   Like Paul Ryan and Henry Marsh, I had a bad day on the mall.
5. Obama’s Battle Hymn of the Republic / Donald Kaul
   When he tried conciliation, all he got from the Republicans was implacable hostility, unyielding obstructionism, and insults.
6. Hogging the Global Pie / Sam Pizzigati
   The richest 100 people in the world are earning much more than enough to end the world’s worst poverty.
7. Fat Demons / Jill Richardson
   There are no shortcuts to health.
8. Step Away from That Desk / Jim Hightower
   Don’t let your boss steal your lunch break.
9. Uttering the G Word / Emily Schwartz Greco and William A. Collins
   Conservatives will miss gay-bashing as an electoral strategy.
10. Fishy Genes / Khalil Bendib cartoon

This week in OtherWords, Ron Carver puts today’s gun control debate into a personal and historical context, drawing on his experience on the front lines of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and research into what prompted the Founders to enshrine the right to bear arms in our Constitution. Donald Kaul finds a striking similarity between the Manti Te’o scandal and the Republican Party’s fantasies, Sam Pizzigati explains what’s wrong with the Washington Beltway’s new “Lexus lanes,” and Martha Burk describes a new advantage French women have over their American sisters.

On our blog, you’ll find my summary of seven steps President Obama can take if he wants to belatedly embrace a progressive agenda, and Sarah Anderson’s four practical suggestions raising much-needed revenue.

Below you’ll find links to our latest work. If you haven’t already subscribed to our weekly newsletter, please do.

1. Second Amendment Vigilantes / Ron Carver
   It’s a myth that the right to bear arms stemmed from the Founders’ wish that Americans be free to stage an armed rebellion against our own government, should it become tyrannical.
2. Border Fears Riddled with Holes / Raul A. Reyes
   Despite the rhetoric from immigration hardliners, we are indeed securing our borders.
3. Making Caregiving Count in France / Martha Burk
   French women who take time off to have kids won’t get a big fat zero in their Social Security accounts like most of their sisters in the United States.
4. A Chance to Invest in TV News / Jason Salzman
   TV stations should say, “we’re sick of gross political ads, too, and we’re going to hire reporters with our election-year ad windfall.”
5. Forget Fake Girlfriends, Republicans Have an Imaginary President / Donald Kaul
   One of our major political parties has become infected with the Notre Dame virus.
6. The Capital of Inequality / Sam Pizzigati
   The Washington region’s increasingly rich elite are now zipping along in Lexus lanes.
7. Coke Still Needs to Get Real / Jill Richardson
   The soda giant’s slick campaign to make us think its products are getting healthier might change public perceptions — but it won’t make soda good for you.
8. Duck and Cover 2.0 / Jim Hightower
   The police-industrial complex aims to deploy thousands of domestic drones in the next few years.
9. The High Cost of Free Trade / William A. Collins
   Negotiations over the new Trans-Pacific Partnership are secret — not even members of Congress get to see the drafts.
10. Automatic Congressional Allegiance / Khalil Bendib Cartoon

     

    Emily Schwartz Greco is the managing editor of OtherWords, a non-profit editorial service run by the Institute for Policy Studies. OtherWords.org

This week in OtherWords, Jill Richardson says that Beyoncé's high-profile association with Pepsi makes her unfit as a role model for Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign and Andrew Korfhage calls on President Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline. Donald Kaul explains why he thinks that Chuck Hagel would make a good Pentagon chief and Sarita Gupta praises Hilda Solis's performance as Labor Secretary.

Below you'll find links to our latest work, which is all available on our website at OtherWords.org. If you haven't already subscribed to our weekly newsletter, please do.

1. Filling Solis’s Shoes Won’t Be Easy / Sarita Gupta
   Obama's first labor secretary has been a watchdog for workers.
2. A Key Proposal for the Administration’s Second Term / Andrew Korfhage
   It's up to Obama to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
3. What Happened to the Violence Against Women Act? / Leslie Watson Malachi
   Republican efforts to prevent expanded protections for these at-risk groups made all women lose important protections.
4. The Real Obama Emerges Again / Jill Stein
   Thanks to the budget deal, Obama's second term is starting with more of the same disappointments.
5. We Don’t Need a Secretary of Militarism / Donald Kaul
   Chuck Hagel proved to be an intelligent, reasonable man with a reputation for honesty in the Senate, and these days that qualifies for sainthood.
6. Making the Tax Code Safe for America’s Aristocracy / Sam Pizzigati
   Tax-free gifts are solidifying the nation's financial dynasties.
7. Beyoncé’s Not-so-Super Move / Jill Richardson
   Our president and first lady ought to reconsider their relationship with the popular singer now that she's becoming the face of PepsiCo.
8. Why does a university need a Chief Marketing Officer? / Jim Hightower
   "Let there be money" is the new academic aspiration.
9. Giving Away the Store / William A. Collins
   The whole business of giving tax breaks to businesses to lure them to a particular place is largely a scam.
10. Tar Sands Illustrated / Khalil Bendib Cartoon

He’s back. This week in OtherWords, columnist Donald Kaul makes a surprise return to weigh in on the chilling Newtown shootings. Since he’s still on the mend and says that life’s just so much better without deadlines, my best advice to his many devoted fans is to watch this space.

And we’ve got two other developments to report. First, we’ve revamped our website, making it more user-friendly and easier to access on mobile devices. Please take a moment to check it out and let me know if you have any concerns or other feedback.

Second, we’re launching a new weekly column by Jill Richardson. She’ll write about all aspects of the food system, from farm to fork. Today, she’s taking a good hard look at ham, which millions of Americans consider a holiday staple.

And since we’re in the middle of the holiday season, please do consider making a year-end tax-deductible contribution to OtherWords. Our service is free for newspapers, new media outlets, and engaged citizens. But professional editing, proofreading, and concerted efforts to get these bold opinions into news outlets require at least a modest budget. Any amount you can give will be used wisely and effectively to help us expand our nationwide reach. You can make a donation on our new and improved website or mail a check payable to OtherWords to this address: Institute for Policy Studies; 1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 600; Washington, DC 20036.

For contributions of $100 or more, we’ll send you or someone you designate a copy of columnist Sam Pizzigati‘s latest book: The Rich Don’t Always Win. For contributions of $150, we’ll also include our cartoonist Khalil Bendib‘s latest collection: Too Big to Fail. Both make great gifts.

Scroll down to see this week’s lineup and please subscribe to our weekly newsletter if you haven’t signed up yet.

1. Our Great Fiscal Opportunity / John Cavanagh
   This is a chance for the American public to engage in a critical debate over national priorities
2. Funding our Future / Sarah Browning
   Slashing federal arts spending would curb our collective imagination.
3. Turning our Tears into Action / Marc Morial
   We can’t go back to business as usual with gun violence in America
4. A Grim New Year for Women / Martha Burk
   Many of the choices that appear likely in the pending budget deal would throw women under the bus.
5. The New Agenda on Guns We Need after Newtown / Donald Kaul
   This time, the debate has to be about more than not offending the NRA’s sensibilities.
6. A More Humane Holiday Ham / Jill Richardson
   Some of the ingredients on your Christmas dinner table aren’t so sweet.
7. The Emperor of Avarice / Sam Pizzigati
   Gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson more than held his own against the stiff competition to be crowned the greediest American of 2012.
8. Michigan Bucks Democracy / Jim Hightower
   With no warning, no hearings, no public input, no floor debate, and no time for citizens even to know what was happening, Michigan’s Republicans rammed a union-busting bill into law.
9. Nixing Nuclear Energy / William A. Collins
   Japan backtracked on an ambitious plan to shut all of its nuclear reactors but Germany is blasting forward with an effort to do just that by 2022.
10. Good Company / Khalil Bendib cartoon

This week in OtherWords, columnist Jim Hightower and cartoonist Khalil Bendib lampoon the latest in airline abuse. If you're planning to board a plane to celebrate this holiday season with family or friends, I hope that your voyage is as stress-free as possible.

And speaking of this holiday season, please consider making a year-end tax-deductible contribution to OtherWords. Our service is free for newspapers, new media outlets, and engaged citizens. But professional editing, proofreading, and concerted efforts to get new outlets to run these bold opinions requires at least a modest budget. Any amount you can give will be used wisely and effectively to help us expand our nationwide reach. You can make a one-time or a recurring donation on our website or mail a check payable to OtherWords to this address: Institute for Policy Studies; 1112 16th Street, NW, Suite 600; Washington, DC 20036.

For contributions of $100 or more, we'll send you or someone you designate a copy of columnist Sam Pizzigati's latest book: The Rich Don't Always Win. For contributions of $150 or more, we'll also include our cartoonist Khalil Bendib's latest collection: Too Big to Fail. Both make great gifts.

Scroll down to see this week's lineup and please subscribe to our weekly newsletter if you haven't signed up yet.

1. Ripe for Reduction / Miriam Pemberton
   The pending budget deal must include long-overdue military spending cuts.
2. Our National Failure to Commit / Don Kraus
   The Senate hasn't approved any major multilateral treaties since 1997.
3. Jobs or the Environment? / Lee Ballinger
   Soon it will be too late and we'll have neither.
4. Billionaires with No Skin in the Game / Jason Salzman
   If the top two percent is up in arms about losing their Bush tax cuts, why aren't they generating any street heat?
5. In Fact, Fairly Taxing the Rich Won't Scare Them Away / Sam Pizzigati
   Recent research debunks some of the most common arguments against raising taxes on the richest Americans.
6. The Airline Industry's Fee-for-All / Jim Hightower
   Nearly every airline these days is addicted to fees.
7. Our Health Care System is Still Sick / William A. Collins
   The health industry is about making money, not healing.
8. Fly the Stingy Skies / Khalil Bendib cartoon