Print Magazine

October 30, 2006 Issue

The Editors skewer new Labor Department rules, Peter Plagens considers the limits of public art, William D. Hartung argues for a new securit…

Cover art by: Cover photograph by Christian Parenti, design by Gene Case & Stephen Kling/Avenging Angels

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Editorial

Pamuk’s Prize

If Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk is a political writer, it is by virtue of his sympathy for what is old and faded, for what no longer matters, or what never did.

Maria Margaronis

Microcredit, Macro Issues

The Swedish Academy bestowed this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, the father of microcredit. It's easy to believe Yunus's low-interest loans to the poor are a silver b...

Walden Bello

Greasing the Skids

OK, market forces control oil prices. But market forces--with a lot of push from Republicans--are driving down the price of gas. And you can be sure they'll rise again after the el...

Nomi Prins

Israel’s Cassandra

If Israel is to fulfill the Zionist vision of being a state like any other, it must take responsibility for the ever-more explosive Middle East.

Arno Mayer

Anna Politkovskaya

The killing of Anna Politkovskaya has rallied her journalistic colleagues and fellow citizens in a way few other recent events have.

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Ban’s First Challenge?

South Korea's quiet-spoken and principled Ban Ki-moon, who has just been nominated to replace Kofi Annan as the UN Secretary General, may find it difficult to confront US unilatera...

Ian Williams

Bush Busts Unions

Bush's NLRB has redefined what it means to be a supervisor, and as a result some 8 million healthcare, construction and manufacturing workers no longer have the right to organize. ...

The Editors

Shock Waves From Kilju

A forgetful world was reminded this week that Kim Jong Il now holds in his hand the same pitiless weapon possessed by a growing number of nations.

Jonathan Schell

Column

The Killing Fields of Iraq

The carnage the US has visited upon Iraq in the name of fighting terror has taken more than 600,000 lives. We are not building democracy, we are creating mayhem.

Robert Scheer

Escape From Iraq

Bring back Saddam. Spring him from the slammer and put the old dictator back to work. Otherwise, we're never gonna get out of Iraq.

Nicholas von Hoffman

No ‘Comments’

How can the MSM maintain they hold themselves to higher standards than the Drudge-driven political blogosphere when they ape its most irresponsible practices?

Eric Alterman

Warlords of the First Amendment

A right-wing radio host on the vanguard of the English Only movement provides a platform for religious crazies to keep them from ruining the funeral of murdered Amish girls.

Patricia J. Williams

As Denny Hastert Stumbles Through an Array of Denials That He Knew About Mark Foley’s Behavior and Did Nothing About It

Calvin Trillin

Letters

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

Portland, Ore.

Trudy Lieberman and Our Readers and Max Blumenthal

Feature

A Devil’s Bargain

The United States may well have its way and exclude Venezuela from the UN Security Council, in retribution for Hugo Chávez's diabolical roast of George W. Bush. But doesn't ...

Ian Williams

Netroots Challenge Dems’ Electoral Strategy

Democratic House candidates who once were long shots now have a crack at winning. Will party power-brokers lend them a hand?

Ari Melber

Google, YouTube and You

The Google/YouTube merger is not just a big media deal: It's the leading edge of a data-driven marketing system that will follow our every move and immerse us in interactive market...

Jeffrey Chester

The Coming Gay Republican Purge

How will the GOP woo back values voters after the Foley scandal? How about a purge of gay Republicans in Congress? That's the Rev. Don Wildmon's idea.

Max Blumenthal

Needed: A New Security Plan

The failure of Bush's foreign policy should open the way for Democrats to present substantial alternatives and rethink what makes us safe. Sadly, that is not happening.

William D. Hartung

Laboring Toward Election Day

Despite the split following the 2004 election, labor groups are gearing up for the November elections like never before.

David Moberg

Pelosi’s Moment

If Democrats take control of the House, they could revitalize national politics by convincing reluctant senators and presidential candidates to embrace a more progressive agenda.

William Greider

Who’s Running Afghan Policy?

Even if the United States has the will to do the hard work necessary to rebuild Afghanistan, there are few signs that senior Administration officials are engaged.

David Corn

Taliban Rising

If the corruption of Karzai's government is Afghanistan's new cancer, then the Taliban are increasingly seen as chemotherapy: an unpleasant but necessary remedy.

Christian Parenti