Culture and Society

1. Toilet Paper. Instead of hoarding toilet paper for the coming disaster and anarchy that should never be out of your mind if you want to remain easily manipulable by cynical demagogues, invest in providing clean and accessible bathrooms for the homeless. This will radically improve the lives of millions of Americans and, as a happy side effect, make it much easier for us to engage in long-term demonstrations and nonviolent resistance actions in public places.

2. Paper Towels. Rather than quietly read more

February 10, 2011, 4:00pm
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, DC
That’s where you should be to help present Donald Rumsfeld with a very serious award for his noble defense of the mythical document the Tea Party refers to mysteriously as “The Constitution,” not to be confused with any document available in print.

This PDF schedule of CPAC’s upcoming festivities read more

Chris Hedges began a recent column, in these days just prior to congressional elections by announcing:

“The lunatic fringe of the Republican Party, which looks set to make sweeping gains in the midterm elections, is the direct result of a collapse of liberalism. It is the product of bankrupt liberal institutions, including the press, the church, universities, labor unions, the arts and the Democratic Party. The legitimate rage being expressed by disenfranchised workers toward the college-educated read more

By David Swanson

“It’s not meant to ridicule activism,” Jon Stewart tells NPR, speaking of his planned rally on the National Mall. But you can see where someone might have gotten that impression. In the video of Stewart’s announcement of the event, he rejects crazy right wing ideas and the idea that Bush allowed 9-11 to happen; he condemns read more

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 2010
The unanimous Declaration of the fifty united States of America, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, Guantanamo Bay, Assorted Offshore Oil Rigs, and the U.S. Servicemen and Women serving the Homeland in 177 nations around the globe, as drafted by the President

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to bomb the bejesus out of another people and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and hegemonic station to which the Laws read more

I know it’s not Friday anymore, but I’m running late and don’t want to miss a $5 Friday.  This week I’ve supported the Secular Student Alliance.

Had enough of Americans coming out of school believing humans lived with dinosaurs, environmentalism fails to properly value the afterlife, wars against people who believe the wrong nonsense are justified, and Bible-thumping morons make the best legislators?

Do something about it:

By David Swanson

According to USA Today here is “A snapshot of the goings-on in the average male brain as it matures:”

Fetal stage. Brain development starts eight weeks after conception.

Boyhood. High testosterone from 1 to 12 months; lower testosterone from 1 to 11 years. Major interest in winning, movement, chasing objects, exploratory play.

Puberty. A 20-fold increase in testosterone. Major interest in turf, social interaction, girls’ bodies, male hierarchy.

Single male. Visual read more

By David Swanson

I’d guess roughly 3% of the Americans who watch the new Disney movie Prince of Persia have any idea that Persia and Iran are the same place. A similar number are probably aware of Iranians’ demonstrations of sympathy following 9-11 and of Iran’s assistance to the United States in Afghanistan in 2001. But surely an even smaller percentage of Americans know that Iran, Turkey, and our own country read more

I’m going to do this. Will you? If so, blog and Email, Fbook and Tweet. –DS

From Jon Schwarz

Starting today, every Friday I’m going to give five dollars to someone who’s produced something funny/interesting/worthwhile and is giving it away on the internet(s).

Obviously the internet is the greatest distribution technology ever created for music and writing and video and journalism. But it’s also obvious it generally makes it more difficult for people producing such read more

We’ve lost one of the best.

This is a hard one to handle.

But we have his words to keep us company.

Watch THIS VIDEO.

By David Swanson

In 2004 I began speaking at rallies and forums around the country on issues of peace and justice, something I’ve done off-and-on ever since. Up through 2008, it was extremely unusual for questions from the audience to consist of pure defeatism. In 2009, it was rare to get through a Q&A session without being asked what the point was of trying.

And the defeatism is so contagious that it will be hard for me to make it through 2010 if people don’t shut up about how read more

By David Swanson

I resolve to do everything in my ability, while preserving my power to continue in future years, to reverse the destruction of the environment, the proliferation of weapons and wars, and the concentration of wealth.

I resolve neither to panic nor to behave as if we have a moment to lose.

I resolve neither to be gratuitously rude nor to value politeness above life-saving actions.

I resolve not to discriminate for or against elected officials or candidates on the basis of political read more