At its core, populism in the United States remains what it has always been: a protest by ordinary people who want the system to live up to its stated ideals – fair and honest treatment in the marketplace and a government tilted in favor of the unwealthy masses, writes Michael Kazin in an essay in the current issue of Newsweek. “The best way for big men, and big women, to respond to such protests is to try to do what is moral, as well as popular — and treat Americans as partners in the grand enterprise of governance.”

OPEC nations are not huge recipients of non-military US foreign aid. Our “aid” to Saudi Arabia involves congress giving them permission to pay our defense contractors vast sums of money. Knowing all this, why do we feel entitled to dictate how quickly other soveriegn nations sell off a natural resource that is often their only source of wealth?

The Republican National Committee launched a new website to accuse Barak Obama of bad judgment in who he accepts donations from, but failed to do their homework which shows that the titular head of the organization accepted $5,000 from the same donor!

I always keep an eye out for interesting resources that can help me – and others – make sense of the world. I found one a couple weeks ago and I’d like to share it. The U.S. Department of State issues publications called “Background Notes” for 200 nations around the world.

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that would have overturned an appalling Supreme Court decision that practically abolished remedies for gender-based compensation discrimination in the workplace. (see: Republicans Filibuster Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act) This Act is designed to address the problems faced by workers of both sexes  Read more »