Politics

The Rise of the Tea Party in Electoral Politics

Written by Cloee Cooper

This fall the Tea Party “movement” is playing a pivotal role in the 2010 midterm election cycle.  Two years ago many would have laughed at the thought.  Now, even Biden says the tea party should be taken seriously.  How is this possible?

According to Wikipedia, 17 candidates running for the upcoming midterm election have benefited from support from the Tea Party movement.  Rand Paul, the son of Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas has played a central role in putting the Tea Party on the map.  On Sunday, a New York Times article mentioned “Mr. Paul invariably opened his speeches by declaring that ‘a Tea Party tidal wave is coming.’ … Read more

Negative Population Growth is Recruiting Environmentalists

Written by Rebecca Poswolsky

The anti-immigrant movement is attempting inroads into the environmental movement yet again.  This time, Negative Population Growth (NPG) has taken up the torch.  NPG is campaigning for both a National Population Policy and a “sustainable society.”  NPG begins its open letter to environmentalists, “It’s a proven fact in politics that there’s power in numbers.”  According to NPG, this message is being spread, “to hundreds of environmental groups throughout the U.S. – both large and small – inviting them to join us in co-sponsoring a set of powerful media ads to get members of Congress, policymakers, and other elected leaders focused on the critical need for a National Population Policy.”  So why are environmentalists being recruited… Read more

Politics

White Electorate Engages in Civil War

Written by Eric Ward

Writers, bloggers, and pundits assert that national polls, both past and present, show a large slice of the white electorate has embraced a strange brew of bigotry mixed with a healthy measure of outlandish racial and religious conspiracies.  In actuality these polls may more accurately show that whites are engaged in an ideological civil war with each other — an intra-racial struggle over national identity and belonging.

Recently, writing for the Village Voice, Steven Thrasher announced in the title that “White America Has Lost Its Mind.” Thrasher succinctly argues correctly that in both poll and deed the domestic political backlash against President Obama, immigrants, and Muslims is indeed basting in a soup of racist… Read more

Politics

Cross-Post: Media Matters on Rick Sanchez Should Apologize

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

During an appearance on Stand Up! With Pete Dominick CNN’s Rick Sanchez discussed life as a Cuban-American and the difficulties minorities face when working in broadcasting.  The conversation soon shifted to Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, who occasionally makes jokes at Sanchez’s expense.

Sanchez expressed frustration and anger toward Stewart’s brand of comedy, originally calling him “bigoted,” later recanting and setting on “prejudicial” and “uninformed.” Prodded for more information by Dominick, Sanchez said he believes Stewart has unfavorable views toward “Everybody else who’s not like him.”

Politics

Cross-Post: Alternet on US apologizes for sex-transmitted disease tests in Guatemala

Written by Imagine 2050 Editors

The United States apologized Friday for a study conducted more than 60 years ago in Guatemala in which US-led researchers infected hundreds of people with syphilis and gonorrhea without their consent.


The study conducted between 1946 and 1948 was “clearly unethical”, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement issued jointly with Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in which the two officials extended an apology to “all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices.”

Clinton told Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom by phone of her “personal outrage and deep regret that such reprehensible research could have occurred,” Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela told reporters.

News

Comedian Stephen Colbert – A Thorn in the Anti-immigrant Movement’s Paw

Written by MJ Olahafa

A few days ago, comedian Stephen Colbert testified before Congress, more precisely a House subcommittee on immigration, about his experience packing corn and picking beans on a farm. Over the summer, United Farm Workers launched “Take Our Jobs,” a campaign that challenged U.S. citizens to replace immigrants in farm work. Colbert was there to relate his experiences during this campaign, in which he spent a day with immigrant farm workers.

Also appearing alongside Colbert was United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez, who testified that less than twenty citizens or permanent residents have taken him up on his offer, shattering the widespread accusation spread by the anti-immigrant movement that immigrants are taking citizens’ jobs.… Read more