JOHN P. RUEHL – The United Steel Workers must navigate factionalism while championing labor rights amid rising anti-union pressures and global trade fragmentation.
Category: Archive
The Limitations of Military Might
LAWRENCE WITTNER – Rather than continuing to pour the wealth of nations into the failing system of national military power, how about bolstering other global instruments for attaining international security and peace?
1300 May Day Protests Are Just Part of Resistance to Trump’s Agenda
RIVERA SUN – May Day is the International Labor Day and people across the world took action.
The Vietnam and Gaza Wars Shattered Young Illusions About U.S. Leaders
NORMAN SOLOMON – Many young eyes recognized the war policy positions of Hubert Humphrey and Kamala Harris as immoral. Their decisions to stay on a war train clashed with youthful idealism. And while hardboiled political strategists opted to discount such idealism as beside the electoral point, the consequences have been truly tragic – and largely foreseeable.
Reimagining U.S. Priorities: How Canada’s Costed Platforms Could Shift Spending from Military to Human Services
MICHAEL MORRILL – “Costed platforms” refer to election platforms where the proposed policies and promises have been analyzed for their financial impact, usually including detailed budget estimates. When a party proposes universal childcare or climate reform, they are required to submit their plans to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Independent economists test each promise: How much will it cost? Who pays? What is saved? It isn’t perfect system, but it’s a compass. It points away from fantasy, toward responsibility.
The power and pitfalls of protest: how to speak out without falling victim to Trump’s playbook
JONATHAN SMUCKER – As mass protest surges against Trump and Musk, how can we show up as effectively as possible?
Mr. “Peace President,” Where is the Peace?
KELSEY COOLIDGE – We cannot build peace without the voices for peace in government. We also need strong voices outside of the government to advocate for pro-peace policies. Peace movements, non-profit or non-governmental organizations, and the charitable foundations that support them are all involved in this work. These civil society organizations do more to represent a war-weary American public than a government that cuts all funding for peace.
Analyzing Four Disgraceful Trump Actions
By Mel Gurtov Act 1: US and El Salvador Won’t Return Wrongly Deported Man No disgraceful act of the Trump administration is more dangerous than its denial of due process of law, judicial decisions, and unquestionable facts in the deportation…
Florida Shooting Leads to “Worst Day of My Life”
LAURA FINLEY – I got one of the worst text messages a parent can receive at 12:05 p.m. on April 17. “Active shooter.”
Straight Talk to Democrats (and the Rest of Us)
DR. PRU LEE – Dear Democratic Party: I need more from you. You keep sending emails begging for $15, while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time. This administration is not simply “a different ideology.” It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control. And you? You’re still asking for decorum and donations. That won’t save us. I want strategy. I want fire. I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one.
Guide to Becoming an Environmental Leader and Inspiring the Next Generation of Eco-Defenders
SAM DAVIS – Your community needs leaders who care about the environment. As climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity threaten our planet’s health, we can’t afford to wait for governments or corporations to solve these problems. We need individuals who are willing to take action, inspire others, and make a difference. And those differences need to happen right in our backyards.
What would a general strike in the US actually look like?
Calls for a general strike in the US are growing. It’s important to understand how to organize one, given their key role in overcoming tyrants around the world. By Jeremy Brecher Something is in the air: A perception that American…
Oregon scores 9th in the nation for energy efficiency
ISABEL CHARLE – Oregon ranked ninth this year on The State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research organization, ranked states based on their latest policy developments and efforts to save energy.
What to do if the Insurrection Act is invoked
DANIEL HUNTER – With the Insurrection Act looming, now is the time to learn how it might unfold and the strategic ways to respond.
Will America’s Golden Age End in Rage and Frenzy?
BOB TOPPER – In 1258, illiterate and misguided Mongols sacked Baghdad, destroying libraries, hospitals, and other cultural institutions. That marked the end of the Islamic Golden Age. The Trump-Musk administration is destroying America’s great institutions and is on a mission to end America’s golden age. But the Trump regime is built on deception and seems fundamentally unstable. It may implode. We the people are waking up to his madness as the price of eggs continues to rise and retirement accounts shrink.
Once seen as a symbolic protest, the nuclear ban treaty is growing teeth
OLAMIDE SAMUEL – In just four years, the TPNW has evolved beyond the caricature of a “protest treaty.” It offers something the traditional forums often cannot: a willingness to confront the uncomfortable truths about nuclear weapons, from their humanitarian consequences to the fragility of deterrence itself. The TPNW is not about dismantling the system overnight; it’s about ensuring we have the courage and the foresight to imagine a future where nuclear arsenals—and the assumption that we need them—no longer exist.
Our Times Call For Nonviolent Resistance. Humor is an Important Component.
TOM H. HASTINGS – Winston Churchill once said that Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the rest that have been tried. That’s still true. And nonviolence is the worst form of uprising and resistance, except for all the other methods that have been tried.
The UN Today: “Mankind’s Best Hope” Is Not a Poker Chip
REBECCA A. SHOOT – We all need to remind our legislators that what transpired in San Francisco 80 years ago was not a poker game but a promise to humankind and our planet.
How News Reporters Are Being Deceived by Fake Groups of ‘Moms’ and ‘Parents’ Attacking Public Schools
MAURICE CUNNINGHAM – Fake groups of ‘Moms’ and ‘Parents’ attacking Public Schools are the creation of deep-pocketed conservative networks, not “grassroots” advocates.
Why “Pro-Israel, Pro-Peace” Advocates Cling to Genocide Denial
NORMAN SOLOMON – It would be untenable to publicly acknowledge the reality of Israeli genocide while continuing to support shipping more weaponry for the genocide. That’s why those who claim to be “pro-peace” while supporting more weapons for war must deny the reality of genocide in Gaza.
Portland is building a model for migrant solidarity under Trump
KEVIN FOSTER – With the Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigrant policies, community is more important than ever among migrant rights advocates. Portland’s Asylum Seeker Solidarity Collective is building trust and community through mutual aid.
Resistance to Trump is everywhere — inside the first 50 days of mass protest
RIVERA SUN – From mass refusals to boycotts to walkouts, regular Americans are bravely pushing back against the administration. Their actions are diverse and multiplying — and already having an impact.
Are We Fine with Empty Seats? The Policy of Othering
PATRICK T. HILLER – Resisting the Trump administration’s agenda is not about partisanship. And no, it is not about being “sore losers,” as someone called us during the protest. It is about humanity. If we ignore the signs, we may one day see more empty chairs in our schools, workplaces, and communities—not because of a protest, but because a government decided certain people do not belong. I refuse to stay silent. When my son comes home from school, asking why his classmates’ seats are empty, I want to tell him I resisted.
There’s a new silent majority — and they need to be activated
NATHAN STOCK – Most Americans still support democracy and oppose political violence. The task before us then is to build a vocal majority, planning and organizing across the political divide to stand up for the values that so many of us share.
Mahmoud Khalil, David Bohm and the Fight for America
KARY LOVE – Your fathers and mothers, your long-gone ancestors, fought and won against monstrous evil in the past to win your rights; surely you can stand now against the trembling bone-spur weakling purporting to be authorized to chainsaw away the nation’s principles. Rise, join the innumerable ranks of the ghosts of patriots and brothers and sisters in arms, and those who march today, who refuse Kings and Empires and march together, invincible in their right, to succor “freedom and justice for all.”
Propaganda About AI and Nuclear Power Continues, but Does Not Hold Up
M.V. RAMANA – Lewis Mumford once despaired: “our technocrats are so committed to the worship of the sacred cow of technology that they say in effect: Let the machine prevail, though the earth be poisoned, the air be polluted, the food and water be contaminated, and mankind itself be condemned to a dreary and useless life, on a planet no more fit to support life than the sterile surface of the moon”.
Article one: Trump and the Viable Road to Peace in Ukraine; Article two: Ukraine Timeline Tells the Tale
JACK MATLOCK – Malock did not vote for Trump and has been critical of most of his moves. But in regard to the war…he believes Trump is on the right track.
JOE LAURIA – Without historical context, which is buried by corporate media, it’s impossible to understand Ukraine. Historians will tell the story, but journalists are cut short for trying to tell it now.
Will Trump Return the Power to Declare War to Congress?
KARY LOVE – I almost never agree with Mr. Trump. However, having wasted a life as a lawyer trying to resurrect the Constitution of “limited, specifically enumerated powers” and checks and balances to avoid tyranny, I found myself reading his February 19, 2025, executive order proclaiming that, “ending Federal overreach and restoring the constitutional separation of powers is a priority of my Administration,” with hope and amazement.
Alert! More Nuclear Power Bills Scheduled for Senate Hearing
OREGON PEACEWORKS – More Nuclear Power Bills are scheduled for Senate Hearing.
A Cruel Hoax: The Political Economy of Anti-immigration
RICHARD D. WOLFF – As with immigration, the political economics of other Trump-Musk projects (and much of Project 2025) raise similar profound questions about their logic, blind spots, and unintended consequences. The deep contradictions of anti-immigration—and other projects—are not overcome by hiding them under the veneer of slogans like “America First.” We continue to experience the American version of what “declining empire” means.
Time to Junk the Munich Analogy
ARNOLD OLIVER – The lessons to be learned from the events in Munich in 1938, in which Prime Minister Chamberlain signed off on the Nazi seizure of Czechoslovakia, are of course relevant, but they have also been used to justify all manner of wars and violence that have had little justification. Perhaps even worse, the Munich analogy has been used to justify the refusal to negotiate with adversaries. Were it up to me, Arnold Oliver, I would banish that analogy from the English lexicon. I will briefly explain my reasoning.
How movements can make courts play their role in defending democracy
DOUG COLTART – Even under authoritarian regimes, pro-democracy movements can still advance their goals by strategically engaging the courts.
The Legislature, Oregon AG, Governor Tina Kotek, and Relevant Agencies Take on Trump’s Depredations
OREGON HOUSE DEMOCRATS – In addition to the legislature, Oregon’s Governor, Attorney General and relevant agencies are working to respond to the harmful actions of the current administration. Here is an up-to-date timeline of Oregon’s response.
Peltier’s Release: The Backstory
ROBERT C. KOEHLER – “. . . I write today from a position rare for a former prosecutor: to beseech you to commute the sentence of a man I helped put behind bars.” Thus begins one of the most stunning letters Robert Koehler has ever read, written almost four years ago by former U.S. Attorney James H. Reynolds to President Joe Biden, pleading with him to exonerate former American Indian Movement (AIM) leader Leonard Peltier
How to Make an Impact at a Protest
LAURIE WOODWARD GARCIA – Protesting is a powerful tool for civic engagement, allowing individuals to voice their concerns, demand change, and unite with others around shared causes. To make the most of your participation, it’s essential to be prepared, informed, and strategic. Here’s a guide to help you make a meaningful impact at a protest.
The Trump/Musk Wrecking Ball Must Be Stopped
RIVERA SUN – It doesn’t matter if you voted for or against Trump in the last election. This chaos isn’t what any of us voted for. Musk with unlimited powers isn’t something we voted for. The destruction of the United States isn’t something we voted for. This illegal, unconstitutional, anti-American authoritarianism isn’t something we voted for.
Trump’s Horrific Plans for Guantanamo
ROBERT KOEHLER – Trump’s plan is to expand the infamous Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, part of the U.S. naval base in Cuba, which George W, Bush began using as he waged his horrific “war on terror” in the Middle East.
The Promise of America and the Demise of Foreign Aid
VOLKER FRANKE – Dreams shattered. Hopes crushed. Visions for a better future destroyed. Possibilities replaced with anguish, anxiety and fear. All with the stroke of a sharpie. President Trump’s Executive Order to reevaluate US foreign aid suddenly halted hundreds of humanitarian assistance projects in countries around the world that had been promised help, support and hope.
From Dread to Defiance: US Resistance Is Rising … And It’s Working
RIVERA SUN – In the United States, this week (Jan. 27-Feb. 2) [saw] both authoritarian moves from the Trump/Vance Administration … and a heartening surge of resistance. In dramatic ways, people are shifting from paralyzed dread to outraged defiance. And defiance is working.
Trade Disputes are Not Wars
CHRIS HOUSTON – I long for a future with more international collaboration and dialogue. I dream of a Canada that promotes peace and a world where leaders prioritize dialogue. Until then, let’s not frame this economic upheaval as a war. Let’s not normalize war. The world doesn’t need more wars. It needs more peace.
A Felon Pardoning Felons Cannot Be Allowed to Stand
ROB OKUN – Pardoning violent criminals is Mr. Trump’s most egregious action since returning to the White House; we know it won’t be his last. Like LA fire department sirens blaring as their city burns, there is an urgent need—right now—for a citizen’s fire brigade to protect democracy from burning to the ground. Silence and turning a blind eye are not an option.
“Choose Democracy” offers needed perspective on Trump
GEORGE LAKEY – Trump can lose when we fight. He is not invincible and he is not all powerful.
Genocide lawsuits against Democrats foreshadow 2026 primary challenges
NORMAN SOLOMON – More than 800 Americans in Northern California have now joined in a class-action lawsuit against their Democratic congressional representatives, charging them with illegally helping to provide weapons to Israel for use in committing genocide in Gaza. News of the suit has caused a stir in the Bay Area, with media coverage putting the pair, Rep. Jared Huffman and Rep. Mike Thompson, on the defensive.
Big data centers, big problems
R.J. CROSS, QUENTIN GOOD, JOHANNA NEUMANN, and ABE SCARR – The rapid growth of data centers can deepen America’s reliance on fossil fuels and is putting consumers and communities at risk.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Provides a Way to Avert Nuclear Catastrophe
LAWRENCE WITTNER – Given the weapons-obsession of a small group of nations, the current prospect for an effective ban on nuclear weapons is bleak. But, longer-term, the revival of a massive antinuclear movement, combined with pressure from an empowered United Nations, could bring the holdouts into the treaty and, thereby, avert nuclear catastrophe.
Is Iran’s Weakness America’s Opportunity?
MEL GURTOV – Reflecting on long-term consequences should lead to a US policy based on win-win diplomacy rather than one based on zero-sum confrontation.
Doomsday Clock Announcement Highlights Global Danger from Nuclear Weapons
PETER BERGEL (contact) – The 2025 setting of the Doomsday Clock on January 28 will be yet another warning to the world, and especially the Nuclear 9, that we must either eliminate nuclear weapons or they will eliminate us.
How U.S. Media Hide Truths About the Gaza War
NORMAN SOLOMON – The Gaza war has received a vast amount of U.S. media attention, but how much it actually communicated about the human realities was a whole other matter. The belief or unconscious notion that news media were conveying war’s realities ended up obscuring those realities all the more. And journalism’s inherent limitations were compounded by media biases.
US Hastens Decline by Denying Internal Problems
RICHARD D. WOLFF – Societies survive and grow when they successfully navigate their contradictions. Eventually, however, accumulating contradictions overwhelm existing means of navigating them. Then social problems arise that persist or worsen inside such societies because they are unsuccessfully navigated or go unattended. Sometimes, the dominant conscious reaction to such social problems is denial, a refusal to see them. Denial of internal social problems displaces navigating the contradictions that cause them. The resulting social decline, like the set of internal contradictions it reflects, is denied and ignored. Instead, narratives or rhetorics can arise that position such societies as victims of abuse by foreigners. The United States in 2025 illustrates this process: its rhetorics of refusal aim to end its victimization.
Kamala Harris Paid the Price for Not Breaking With Biden on Gaza, New Poll Shows
RYAN GRIM – Twenty-nine percent of non-voters who supported Biden in 2020 said U.S. support for the genocide was the top reason they sat the 2024 election, according to a survey by YouGov.