Contributions by:

Lauren Langman

Fooled Again: How The Right Stole The 2004 Election & Why They’ll Steal The Next One Too (unless We Stop Them), By Mark Crispin Miller

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Fooled Again?  Hell, we were more than fooled, we were screwed.  It is hard for me to review this book from the dispassionate stance of my day job as a social scientist. Perhaps such “objectivity” is not possible. Rather, I read the book as a vindication for a progressive activist who felt dumfounded on election…

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Picture Imperfect: Utopian Thought For An Anti-utopian Age, By Russell Jacoby

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These Are The Times That Try Men’s Souls” (Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, December 23, 1776) In dark times hard-pressed people frequently fall into cynicism and, ultimately, nihilism. An infectious despair can persuade many citizens to accede to authoritarianisms of various stripes. But some exceptionally hardy spirits nevertheless manage to generate hope – moreover, hope…

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Bush On The Couch

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Critics suggest that G. W. Bush’s presidency may well be the most important fact misshaping the 21st century; the long-term consequences may endure for generations. His less than compassionate conservatism has seen massive retrenchments from already niggardly social programs, and his disregard of the environment accelerated global warming. His economic policies created the largest budget…

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Why Obama Will Win the Election . . . and the Left Should Hope So

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Every four years, there is a major debate within left circles as to whether or not movement leftists, often identified with various socialist perspectives, should or shouldn’t participate in the election. As many perhaps correctly argue, there’s not that much difference between the bourgeois parties insofar as both are bought and paid for by the…

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Das Kapital One Hundred Fifty Year Later

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Both the admirers and critics of Das Kapital agree that it was one of the most influential books of the 19th century. As Nancy Holmstrom said, it is “an unsurpassed explanation of the very specific nature and development of the system of capitalism.” 150 years later, people believe that it still provides a relevant and…

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