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POPSA Bill Of Rights--Now And Then "Research shows that students who have the opportunity to participate in simulations such as legislative hearings, mock trials and, yes, even constitutional conventions not only learn more but develop greater civic skills and interest in politics. Although we need to make sure our children are proficient in math and reading, it is vitally important to the future of our democracy that they also learn what it means to be a competent and involved citizen."
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POPSKing And Nonviolence Yes it's true that September 11th changed a lot of things and reminded us how vulnerable we are. It made us realize we face a dangerous and diabolically clever enemy. It strengthened our resolve and triggered important steps to prevent future attacks, actions that made us more secure as a nation. But 9/11 did not and could not change the basic ground rules: War or incitement to violence is justified only when it's in response to a deliberate attack and only when it's undertaken as a last resort. And even during wartime, nations must observe the highest moral standards. It's so easy to incite violence. And it's so wrong.
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POPSA Guide to Understanding the Tactics of the Southern Poverty Law Center in the Immigration Debate It is therefore essential that we thoroughly examine and respond to the charges and the motives of those leveling the accusations. This publication is designed for the media, legislators and others who are actively involved in writing about or formulating immigration policy. Its purpose is to provide: * An overview of the unscrupulous tactics now being used in the immigration debate which distort factual reporting and limit meaningful debate. * A summary of FAIR’s 30-year record of advocacy on immigration. * An examination into the SPLC’s motives, terminology and techniques used against FAIR and others. * An objective third party analysis of the SPLC’s tactics and motivations. * Conclusions and suggestions for fair reporting and open mindedness.
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POPSRemebering the roots of a REAL Civil War
More: After decades of mistrust and recrimination over the conflict between slavery and free labor, many in the North and South now found themselves even more fundamentally at odds. As Northerners increasingly hailed Brown as a hero, panicky Southerners execrated him as the devil himself. The tempest over John Brown appeared to shatter any hope of regional reconciliation. As one South Carolina editor put it, "The day of compromise is passed there is no peace for the South in the Union." It would be too much to claim that John Brown's raid made the Civil War inevitable. But it is fair to say that it helped to create an unbridgeable gap between the free states and the slave power that could only be, as Brown himself put it, "purged away with blood." There are many lessons that can be drawn from John Brown's raid, but the experience of the Civil War ought to stand as a permanent rebuke to the irresponsible incitement of contemporary political figures who trade so easily
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POPSWith Al-Qaida Fading, Why Expand the Afghan War? Consider the testimony of Dr. Marc Sageman before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On Oct. 7, he presented before the committee a long and meticulous examination of the nature and limits of the al-Qaida organization today, and of the groups associated with it, the people who belong to it, the nature and limits of its present situation, the real (and limited) success of its terrorist actions and projects during the years since its founding in 1988—especially during the eight years since the 9/11 bombings—and, finally, its strength and operational potential today.
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POPSProfessional Trolls* "So, are any of our regular trolls pros? I've got a suspect in mind, but I'll leave it for your conjecture in the comments."
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POPSThe Politics of Lying When lying and deceit become normalized in a culture, they not only serve as an index of how low we have fallen as a literate society, but also demonstrate the degree to which language and education have become corrupted, tied to corporate and political power and sabotaged by rigid ideologies as part of a growing authoritarianism that uses the educational force of the culture, the means of communication and the sites in which information circulate to mobilize ignorance among a misinformed citizenry, all the while supporting reactionary policies. Especially since the horrible events of 9/11, Americans have been encouraged to identify with a militaristic way of life, to suspend their ability to read the word and world critically, to treat corporate and government power in almost religious terms and to view a culture of questioning as something alien and poisonous to American society.
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POPSDurga Puja is coming up. Swami Sivananda says: do not sacrifice animals for Devi Commentary from Swami Sivananda, founder of the Divine Life society, on the observance of Durga Puja. Traditionally, animal sacrifice has often been a part of the ritual, but Sivananda declares this a violation of the principle of ahimsa, which is binding on all Hindus no matter what caste, jati, or situation they belong to. An interesting example of second-order discourse in contemporary non-Western religion.
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POPSThesis: How American Media Covers "Terror Plot" Stories This week's stories about alleged plots in NY and Colorado, etc. are beyond pure journalist reporting, and have a very inflammatory slant to them consistent with this objective and scholarly thesis. The media has a power that is far too great to overlook when reading or watching about such news. While Bush (justly) gets the blame for tricking Americans into war in Iraq, he could not have done it without the MSM media. Neither could have Wilson or FDR for that matter.
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POPSJohn Maynard Keynes: Don't call it a comeback And yet today, you can't click your way three links through the econoblogosphere without stumbling into a flame war between reenergized triumphalist Keynesian supporters of government intervention in the economy and bewildered, angry market fundamentalists who have just watched their painstakingly constructed world crumble around them. Just a few years ago the heat of the debate would have been unthinkable -- Keynes seemed to have about as much relevance to current economic policymaking as Winston Churchill does for the Middle East peace process.
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POPSFrom Victimhood to Aggression: Jewish Identity in the light of Caryl Churchill’s Seven Jewish Childr
'...it seems as if the entire spectrum of Jewish political identity is a tribally orientated exclusivist practice. ... as if the entire spectrum of Jewish identity politics lacks the true awareness and acceptance of universal attitudes as an acknowledgment of being amongst others. This behavioural pattern can be easily grasped in historical retrospective. Bearing in mind that the discourse of identity arose as a reaction to 20th century disastrous nationalist reality, identity was an outlet that allowed a sense of belonging in a newly formed tolerant civic reality. However, the course of Jewish identity politics was very different. Within the concept of Jewish identity, Jewish suffering and victimhood are set as unique Jewish symptoms. For a Jew to celebrate his identity means to celebrate Jewish pain, to visit and to revisit the agony. To be a Jew is to religiously believe in the Holocaust,... is to be chased,...is to be able to find an anti-Semite under every stone ...'
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POPSSteele denounces 'race card' Glad that he is stepping forward...as are several black bloggers. But no matter what the GOP or conservatives do many will continue to believe the Liberal dogma because it keeps them in victim-mode and provides the division that the Dems need to retain their influence.
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POPSThe Rise of the Uncouth Hypocrites. It's just that now it's their ox that's being gored and with the internet, bloggers, and "un-named sources" there is no hiding anymore.
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POPSFAIR's Media Activist Kit Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting: “Media have tremendous power in setting cultural guidelines and in shaping political discourse. It is essential that news media, along with other institutions, are challenged to be fair and accurate.” The site gives advice on how to detect bias in the media, offers guidelines on writing to journalists who show signs of bias, lists world’s 10 biggest media companies, provides a list of Media Activism Groups, as well as a Media Contact List (top network/cable television, radio, newspapers and magazines) addresses, phone numbers and websites. The increasing number of people using social media sites are proof that we are no longer the ‘silent majority’. Now let’s carry this progress one step further. When we find bias in the media let’s make sure the people responsible for passing their lies on as news learn that we are not going to take it any more.
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POPSFmr. Bush aide: Beat Joe Wilson at the polls Mark McKinnon says: "as long as louts ... can spout off ... and get rewarded with re-election, then louts will continue to spout off. And we will continue to claw our way to the very bottom of the political swamp." Gives $1,000 to Wilson's opponent.
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POPSGlenn Beck and Sarah Palin Make sure you understand what they are talking about......it is critical to the country to be aware of the possibilities inherent in these symbols and this ideology. It's no longer just a couple of wing-nuts. It's an army of the most despicable characters than one might imagine to have any kind of voice in legitimate political discourse. This is all being brought to you by the so-called "fair & balanced" Fox News (aka Faux News, and FoxPac). If you like listening to: Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Savage,....etc. then stay tuned to FoxPac cable network, and the Wing-Nut radio stations. You need to make sure that you are throughly brainwashed, so that you can get out them guns and overthrow the government, and be a member of the group that calls themselves PATRIOTS! Thanks Fox News for taking such a big part in this Anti-American shameful show of hysterical, bigotry!
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POPSTNH: "Some things I know about moderating conversations in virtual space" It’s an inescapable truth that for some people, the most interesting way to participate in online discourse is to kick holes in the conversation. Others—many of them young, but some, alas, old enough to know better—have a sense of entitlement that leads them to believe that their having an opinion means the rest of us are obliged to listen to it. Still others plainly get off on verbally abusing others, and seek out conversations that will offer them opportunities to do so. Teresa Nielsen Hayden, who has been dubbed "the troll whisperer" for her moderation skills, on the dynamics of trolls and flamers, and how to moderate a discussion to encourage participation and discourage rudeness and abusive behavior.
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POPSStruggling together towards diversity and respect More: You have your comfort zone, where you are singing in the shower. And you have your danger zone, where someone is physically threatening you and you have to get away. In between are zones of dissonance, where you take risks and where learning happens. In order to learn, you have to be willing to explore those zones of dissonance. Hence, Experience Discomfort. Expect and Accept Non-Closure. It’s hard. My Spanish is pitiful, my Cantonese non-existent, and I don’t like being the one who is struggling to keep up. But it’s essential. To me, my work on intersectionality and race is an essential part of my geek feminist identity. It’s about deconstructing how I feel when I am the marginalized one, and applying those insights to other spheres of my life, where I am the one doing the marginalization. It’s about belonging to a community that does real work and overcomes real challenges. This is what I want for my daughters.
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