They laughed when I told them I was writing about Oprah’s interview with Meghan Markle and ex-Prince Harry. “You’re taking that BS seriously?” They were Gen Z. My boomer friends had a different laugh, thinking I would be ridiculing the ex-royals, like reviewing a really bad movie. History is a really bad movie. Yet historians … Source ..read more

Despite the mayor’s threats to retaliate against teachers who refuse to return to in-person teaching,  71% of teachers voted to authorize a strike.  Is it safe for Chicago’s teachers and students to teach in person? Mayor Lightfoot says the science is clear  and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have meet safety standards. Why won’t that pesky … Source ..read more

How the terrorists won It was a failed coup, but the terrorists’ assault on Congress was the kind of failure the “losers” can boast about. True, they didn’t manage to hang Mike Pence or capture or kill any representatives or senators, or seize the electoral college votes or stop the count. And the attack has … Source ..read more

Urgent:  I need help! I’m so stressed out about Nov. 3. I not only have to decide whether I should vote for a normal politician over a racist nutter, I also have to decide whether I should vote “Yes” for an amendment that will lower my taxes! “Yes” sounds like the smart vote. But all … Source ..read more

Trump or Biden may be the apocalyptic contest, but the lives of thousands of Chicagoans depend on whether incumbent State’s Attorney Kim Foxx defeats her challenger Pat O’Brien. The winner will be in charge of the second largest prosecutors’ department in the country, whose 700 plus state’s attorneys charge and prosecute thousands of mostly poor … Source ..read more

First the protests were against police. Then Black Lives Matter activists went on to expose the role of prosecutors, and now we have reformers elected as state’s attorneys, district attorneys and state attorney generals. Kim Foxx in Cook County was one of those, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Chesa Boudin in San Francisco. But when will … Source ..read more

If you think defeating Trump is the most important task for progressives and socialists, here are some things you can do and organizations that can help you do them. While it’s always important to volunteer, volunteers are especially important since enthusiasm for Biden is low and his volunteer operation lags. Fortunately, enthusiastic loathing of Trump … Source ..read more

Part I of this article discussed some reasons Sanders lost the South Carolina primary, questions raised by polling, perceptions of the campaign in the Black press, and the role of the Democratic establishment. Could different campaign decisions have made a difference? Black critics, including campaign staff, criticized the South Carolina campaign’s whiteness. Some complained that … Source ..read more

This is a companion to another article on “Why Sanders Lost,” which looks at the role of the party establishment, why “moderate” voters preferred Sanders’ policies but chose Biden, and misconceptions about voter “ideology” and polarization. This piece aims at a more fundamental problem:  Why the most progressive presidential campaign since the thirties was unable … Source ..read more

The obviously electable candidate It is obvious to many of us why Sanders lost to Biden, just as it was obvious why Clinton lost to Trump. But we’re still arguing about the lessons of 2016 and I see no end to arguments about the lessons of 2020. Was the intervention of the party establishment the … Source ..read more