Salon.com > Teresa Cotsirilos

Standing up to the pro-Israel establishment

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:29:00 +0000

In the two years since Jeremy Ben-Ami founded J Street, which bills itself as a "pro-peace, pro-Israel" voice for a two-state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian dispute, his organization has been attacked as "morally deficient" and "appallingly naive" by critics in the American Jewish community and on the right end of the political spectrum. And in Israel, members of the Knesset have even formed a committee to determine whether J Street is "anti-Israel" and should be publicly condemned.

In his new book, "A New Voice for Israel: Fighting for the Survival of the Jewish Nation," Ben-Ami confronts his critics and presents his case for what, exactly, has gone wrong in Jewish politics both here and in Israel. The fundamental problem, as he sees it, is that the existing pro-Israel establishment isn't willing to apply the pressure needed to bring about an end to Israel's dead end occupation of the West Bank and the creation of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state.

Are libertarians misunderstood?

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch, the editors of the leading libertarian publication Reason, see hope in their fellow Americans' increasing disenchantment with the political system. In their new book "Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America," they note that independents now account for the largest bloc of voters in the country and urge more defections from the two major parties. Only by dismantling this hierarchical system of power, they maintain, can we achieve real deregulation of government-run services, which will lead to increased consumer choice and a more thoroughly democratized society.

Say what you will about libertarian arguments, but they're always fun to discuss. So we sat down with Gillespie and Welch earlier this week and talked about their philosophy over a sushi lunch:

Your book urges the American public to embrace an unregulated market free of government control. But you also include a quote from Julian Assange, a self-described libertarian, stating that "a free market ends up as a monopoly unless you force it to be free." So basically, some external body has to exist to ensure the freedom of a market -- doesn't that imply that free markets are inextricable from some form of government control?

The woman who started the Civil War

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:01:00 +0000

When Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1852, the American slave trade was a thriving institution. The courts condoned it and, as Southerners were quick to claim, so did the Constitution and the Bible. Twelve American presidents had been slave owners, and the abolitionist movement was fragmented and marginal.

But Stowe, a seminal figure in American liberalism, had a knack for making radical concepts palatable to the general public, and her novel became one of the first genuine pop culture phenomena in American history. Within 10 years of its publication, the United States devolved into civil war. And as historian David S. Reynolds argues in "Mightier Than the Sword," a new book that explores Stowe's life and the global impact of her work, it was "Uncle Tom's Cabin" that catalyzed the conflict.

Is racism on the way out?

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:45:00 +0000

When veteran journalist Ellis Cose wrote "The Rage of a Privileged Class" in 1993, his editor was so shocked by his thesis -- that black middle-class professionals were deeply frustrated by enduring discrimination in the workplace and remained unable to achieve the same level of success as their white colleagues -- that he pulled him aside to ask if it was really true. Published just a year after the L.A. riots, that book struck a responsive chord with the black community and was received to wide acclaim.

Now, nearly two decades later, Cose is revisiting the black middle class in his new book, "The End of Anger," and finds that much has changed. He describes an emerging generation of optimistic young black professionals, but notes that their attitudes are complicated by white anger, racism and divisions within the black community. We spoke with him last week.

Where will the birthers strike next?

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:01:00 +0000

President Obama's disclosure of his long-form birth certificate this week has yet to deter many birthers -- including the ones elected to public office.

Less than 24 hours after the president's press conference on Wednesday, for instance, Oklahoma's House of Representatives passed a bill requiring presidential candidates to provide proof of identity and U.S. citizenship in order to appear on the state's ballot. In all, about a dozen similar bills have been introduced in legislatures across the country. (In Arizona, a birther bill actually passed earlier this month, only to be vetoted by Gov. Jan Brewer.) Some of the proposed laws have some interesting twists -- including one that would declare any voter who cast a ballot for an ineligible candidate guilty of a crime.

Here are a look at the five most notable birther bills that are still pending:

Oklahoma

Revisiting the murder of Dr. George Tiller

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:01:00 +0000

It's been almost two years since George Tiller, who was one of the country's few providers of later-term abortions, was gunned down in his church in Wichita, Kan. His brutal murder was followed by a heated national debate over who and what was responsible for it. Tiller's killer, Scott Roeder, was a diagnosed schizophrenic who appears to have acted alone. But anti-abortion activists and several prominent commentators -- most notably Fox News host Bill O'Reilly -- had spent years issuing heated attacks on Tiller for his work. Did their emotionally charged rhetoric -- O'Reilly would ridicule the doctor as "Tiller the baby killer" -- create a climate conducive to Roeder's action?

In his new book, "The Wichita Divide: The Murder of Dr. George Tiller and the Battle Over Abortion," crime journalist Stephen Singular explores these issues -- and concludes that Tiller's murder can only be understood within the context of right-wing extremism that has become increasingly mainstream. We caught up with him earlier this week:

Operation Odyssey Dawn sounds like …

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:01:00 +0000

It's been five days since the U.S. and its NATO allies began imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, and the American public has plenty of questions. What's Obama's end game here? Why weren't congressional leaders consulted? And ... what exactly does "Odyssey Dawn" mean?

The official name of the Libyan mission is actually a product of the military's semi-randomized naming system, so it doesn't mean much at all. But to more than a few commentators, it sounds nothing like the name of a military operation and much more like:

The case for the dollar coin

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:03:00 +0000

In an effort to cut costs, the Government Accountability Office recently suggested that the federal government eliminate the one dollar bill. According to a report released last week, using a dollar coin instead could save up to $5.5 billion over the next 30 years. Here’s the argument in favor of the switch:

Coins are cheaper and more durable: Due to rising cotton prices, the dollar bill is now literally worth less than the paper it's printed on. Dollar coins cost considerably less to produce and last much longer. Dollar notes only last two to three years; dollar coins can last up to 30 years or more.
All the cool people are doing it: The European Union, Canada, and Britain have already made the switch, and now use mostly coin money. Their transitions took a coordinated government effort, but were also relatively painless. And given how easily Americans have adapted credit cards, online bill payments, and other forms of "digital money," the switch might not be too jarring.
Coins are more eco-friendly: Retiring greenbacks could actually make the U.S. economy more green. Because of the paper they’re printed on, dollar bills can’t be recycled, and retired notes are shredded and put into landfills. Fewer paper bills would mean less waste to bury.
No more jams in vending machines: Some argue that the dollar coin could boost some businesses, with companies now forced to spend up to a billion dollars a year in repair costs and sales on vending machines. The dollar coin would eliminate these costs.

The Supreme Court doesn’t think “fag” is profane?

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:45:00 +0000

As you probably know by now, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that members of the notorious Westboro Baptist Church -- the tiny, viciously anti-gay parish founded by Fred Phelps -- have a constitutional right to protest outside the funerals of U.S. military members.

But one line in Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion caught our attention: "The protest was not unruly. There was no shouting, profanity or violence." No profanity? Demonstrations by Phelps' church are infamous for their liberal use of the epithet "fag." Is Roberts saying that he and his colleagues don't consider this word profane? We turned to Suzanne Goldberg, the director of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law at Columbia University, for some help.

What is the legal definition of profanity, and are the Westboro's statements considered profane?

The Constitution does not protect obscene speech, but that's different from profane speech, and there is no one legal definition of profane. I would certainly think in either event that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to treat Westboro's speech as profane in a sense that you could block its use legally.

Q&A: The congressman who beat “Watson” on “Jeopardy”

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:01:00 +0000

John Connor lives, and he's a congressman from New Jersey.

Democratic Rep. Rush Holt, who helped run the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab before winning his House seat in 1998, scored a win for humanity on Monday night when he defeated "Watson," the "Jeopardy"-playing supercomputer that had previously crushed Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, two of the quiz show's most successful past champions. We caught up with the 62-year-old Holt, himself a former five-time "Jeopardy" winner, on Tuesday.

How does it feel to beat a supercomputer?

I think everybody should understand that Watson was operating -- I think he had a low-voltage night. But, of course, "Jeopardy" is fun --- we all love to play along, so it's fun to have the chance to play. But mostly it's fun to highlight what IBM is highlighting here, which is the importance of innovation and research, and developing new software. Before I came to Congress, I'd been talking about the need for good science education, the need for better investment in research. Because that's what this is about. That's what we're highlighting here.

The 8 keys to survival for runaway legislators

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:30:00 +0000

The future of American unions might come down to a game of political chicken. Unmoved by historic demonstrations against it, the Wisconsin state Assembly passed Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting bill last Friday amid raucous protests by Democratic lawmakers. Now, all that's preventing public sector workers in the state from losing their right to bargain collectively are the 14 Democratic state senators holed up across the state line in Illinois. If just one of them cracks -- or slips up and is caught returning to the state and compelled to come to Madison -- Walker's Republicans will have the quorum that has eluded them these past two weeks, and the bill will become law.

Libya snapshot: Three days of protests and government violence

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Through three days of major protests, Libya stands in stark contrast to neighboring North African countries Egypt and Tunisia. While the regimes in those countries countenanced anti-government protests to varying degrees, Libyan autocrat Moammar Gadhafi has struck down demonstrators with round upon round of violent and bloody repression. We've collected a number of links to help you get up-to-date on the conflict.

Libya has seen 42 years of authoritarian rule under Gadhafi. While the dictator once played the role of nemesis to the United States -- even heading up the list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" -- the country is now an oil-rich American ally. (Salon)
Inspired by recent pro-democracy revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, Libyan anti-government protests have spread to five major cities so far, and are particularly fierce in the eastern cities of Benghazi and Al-Bayda. (BBC)
On Thursday, Libyan protesters instigated their own "Day of Rage" against the regime. Prisons have been attacked by the families of inmates, and there have been multiple reports of mass breakouts, and of guards shooting prisoners. (The Telegraph)
Last night, Reuters reported that anti-government protesters have seized control of the city of Al-Bayda, after they were joined by members of the local police. (Reuters)
Governmental forces have shot into crowds of peaceful protesters in an effort to disperse them, and even denied medical supplies to hospitals. (BBC)
Security forces shot into a crowd of mourning protesters leaving a funeral today in the eastern city of Benghazi. At least 15 people were killed and several more injured. (AP)
Human Rights Watch reports that at least 84 people have been killed by government security forces over the past three days. (HRW)
The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan is collecting updates of the violence in Libya and firsthand accounts of its aftermath on his Daily Dish blog. (The Atlantic)
While social media sites have played a role in the protests, they are still more controlled in Libya than in neighboring countries. (NPR)
Despite widespread unrest throughout the nation, the capital city of Tripoli has remained relatively quiet. Gadhafi himself made an appearance in Tripoli's Green Square yesterday, to help lead a pro-government demonstration in support of himself. (BBC)
In contrast to Egypt and Tunisia, Libya's army is divided along tribal lines, and some experts believe that it is unlikely that it will rise in support of the protesters. (BBC)
These protests are reportedly the most serious challenge Gadhafi has faced during his 42 years in power. A pro-government newspaper warned that the dictator would continue to respond "violently and thunderously" to the uprising. (The Guardian)
President Obama condemned the recent violent repression of peaceful protests by Middle Eastern regimes, and urged "the governments of Bahrain, Libya and Yemen to show restraint in responding to peaceful protests." (The Atlantic)

Twenty-four killed in Libyan protests

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 21:19:00 +0000

At least 24 protesters have been killed by Libyan security forces during the anti-government protests in the past four days, Human Rights Watch reports.

Inspired by recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, anti-government demonstrations have engulfed five major Libyan cities. Yesterday, protesters instigated a nationwide "Day of Rage," a reference to an infamous day of protest that took place at the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution. Security forces shot into the crowds of peaceful protesters in an effort to disperse them, and then denied medical supplies to hospitals.

Protests have been particularly fierce in the eastern cities of Benghazi and Al-Bayda. This afternoon, Reuters reported that anti-government protesters have seized control of the city of Al-Bayda, after they were joined by members of the local police.

Does Shirley Sherrod have a case against Breitbart?

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:48:00 +0000

You've probably heard that Andrew Breitbart, the conservative commentator and media proprietor, is now being sued for defamation by Shirley Sherrod, the former Agriculture Department employee who was fired last year after an out-of-context excerpt of a speech she delivered was promoted by Breitbart's Big Government site. (When the full context of Sherrod's remarks was revealed, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack offered to rehire her, but she declined.)

With Breitbart claiming that Sherrod's suit is part of a "last-ditch attempt to shock me into silence," does Sherrod actually have a case? To find out, we spoke with Floyd Abrams, the renowned constitutional lawyer, who gave us a crash course in what Sherrod has to prove in court in the months ahead.