IPS Blog

In this week's OtherWords editorial package, Donald Kaul reflects on the Iraq War debacle, Chris Toensing explains that NATO's warplanes didn't necessarily "save lives" in Libya, and Jim Cason says that Washington's new reliance on drone warfare is too dangerous. Get all this and more in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

1. No Nuclear Nirvana on the Horizon / Robert Alvarez
   Nearly a year after the Fukushima disaster and more than three decades after the Three Mile Island accident, nuclear power remains expensive, dangerous, and too radioactive for Wall Street.
2. Washington's Dangerous New Military Strategy / Jim Cason
   Drones may seem like a way to wage war on the cheap, but the moral cost of this kind of warfare is too high.
3. Libya's Lessons / Chris Toensing
   Body counts would be embarrassing.
4. Congress Must Pass a Farm Bill in 2012 / Ben Burkett
   Our farm and food system is broken.
5. Iraq Takes It Personally / Donald Kaul
   "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" is terrifying in Arabic.
6. Treating Sick Rich Folks / Jim Hightower
   The plutocratic elite is perverting health care into a luxury commodity.
7. Raw Trade Deals / William A. Collins
   With cheap imports woven tightly into U.S. manufacturing and retail, corporations have a lot at stake.
8. Dr. Strangedrone / Khalil Bendib

In this week's OtherWords editorial package, Scott Williams explains why Congress should preserve funding that makes it safer to ride bicycles and John Feffer predicts that many political candidates will resort to anti-Islamic rhetoric between now and Election Day. You can also read my take on how the 2012 presidential race is shaping up on our blog. Get all this and more in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

1. Running Against Islam / John Feffer
   Politicians indulge in anti-Islamic sentiment with near impunity.
2. Soaking the Customer / Wenonah Hauter
   Private companies are aggressively trying to expand their share of the water service market, and too often we're getting a raw deal.
3. Shifting Gears / Scott Williams
   Just 1.5 percent of federal transportation funds support bicycling and walking projects.
4. Playing Politics with the Courts / Marge Baker
   Senate Republicans are blocking votes on judicial nominees, including uncontroversial ones.
5. Party of God / Donald Kaul
   You wouldn't think it would take Him four shots to pick a winner.
6. Stealing State Parks / Jim Hightower
   Top politicos in many states are closing many of their parks, slashing hours and services at others, or simply handing over the public's asset to profiteering corporations.
7. Costly Labor Scam / William A. Collins
   Savvy employers play one state against another when they plan new facilities.
8. Islamophobic Contest / Khalil Bendib

In this week's OtherWords editorial package, Raul A. Reyes points out the dangers of "self-deportation," Mitt Romney's plan for resolving the nation's immigration challenges, and Jason Salzman points out the pitfalls of the apparent GOP frontrunner's aversion to speaking directly to the media. Get all this and more in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

1. Coal Smoke and Planetary Fever / Daphne Wysham
   As the climate changes, a deadly disease is on the rise.
2. Go Deport Yourself / Raul A. Reyes
   Romney's "self-deportation" policy is no joke.
3. Dodging the Media on the Campaign Trail / Jason Salzman
   Mitt Romney's Colorado tour illustrates how shallow coverage becomes when candidates evade the scrutiny of real journalists.
4. Legislating Under the Influence / David Elliot
   Conservatives who want jobless Americans seeking unemployment benefits to submit to mandatory drug testing have a hidden motive.
5. The Fight over Reproductive Rights / Donald Kaul
   Liberals aren't trying to make anyone use birth control
6. Inside Rick Santorum's Head / Jim Hightower
   For him, the right to privacy doesn't exist.
7. Get Ready for War with Iran / William A. Collins
   All this imperial conniving is giving the Republican presidential candidates, except the isolationist Ron Paul, plenty to yammer about.
8. Pee for Food / Khalil Bendib

In this week's OtherWords editorial package, Salvatore Babones makes the case for boosting Social Security benefits instead of cutting them and Bartlett Naylor calls on the government to fulfill a commitment to curb reckless behavior on Wall Street. Get all this and more in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

1. The Real Social Security Crisis / Salvatore Babones
   It may be difficult to face facts in an election year, but the fact is that Social Security retirement benefits are just too low.
2. Black Women Make History Too / Martha Burk
   Coretta Scott King was MLK's equal partner.
3. Risky Business / Bartlett Naylor
   Astronomic compensation remains the norm on Wall Street.
4. Politics, Perpetrators, and the Plight of Women / Allyson Neville-Morgan
   Angelina Jolie's "In the Land of Blood and Honey" is an important reminder that the international community can't forgo its responsibility to respond to genocide.
5. Un-Presidential Primaries / Donald Kaul
   Despite the Santorum speed bump, it seems certain now that Mitt Romney will be the eventual nominee.
6. The Chief Twinkie Goes Ding Dong / Jim Hightower
   After sinking into bankruptcy, Hostess Brands is trying to squeeze its workers without disrupting its junk food sales.
7. Racist Double Whammy / William A. Collins
   African Americans are disproportionately impacted by the Great Recession and the Great Disenfranchisement.
8. American Roulette / Khalil Bendib

This week, OtherWords columnist Donald Kaul and New Priorities Network coordinator Mike Prokosch make the case for deep military spending cuts and Tiffany Williams reality-checks "The Help." On our blog, Lacy MacAuley explains why the Occupy movement "has the potential to change everything." Get all this and more in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet, please do.

1. Those Bad Old Days Are Still with Us / Tiffany Williams
   "The Help" is drawing attention to today's domestic workers.
2. Fracking Perils / Daphne Wysham
   The ongoing bonanza in the U.S. hydraulic fracturing industry marks a dangerous misstep on the road to U.S. energy independence.
3. Distorting Civil Rights History / Marc Morial
   New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has insulted the generations of men and women who put their lives on the line for equal rights.
4. Playing with Fire / Mike Prokosch
   Instead of firing teachers, closing libraries and senior centers, and cutting bus routes, let's put the Pentagon on a diet.
5. Profiting from the Pentagon / Donald Kaul
   A two-war strategy is like a two-car garage -- you'll own two cars sooner or later.
6. Save the Babies / Jim Hightower
   GOP lawmakers are howling to overturn the EPA's mercury regulations.
7. Whistle-Blowing Takes Guts / William A. Collins
   Bringing war crimes, diplomatic treachery, and animal abuse to light is dangerous.
8. Planned Parenthood / Khalil Bendib