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Author Archives: politicaloptic
Do Liberals Have a Problem with Populism?
During the past four years, the Right has shown a marked ability to take advantage of popular discontent. In the face of one of the most severe financial crises of modern times, it was able to adopt a highly successful populist strategy to serve its anti-governmental … Continue reading
Posted in framing, political strategy, progressivism
Tagged E. J. Dionne, liberals, Occupy Movement, populism, progressives, Richard Hofstadter, Tea Party
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Ayn Rand Nation
There are more of them out there than you think. They hold to a philosophy of stripped down government, undiluted capitalism, and deliberate selfishness. Their guru is the 20th century novelist and essayist Ayn Rand, apostle of über individualism. Some idea of … Continue reading
Posted in book review, libertarianism
Tagged Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand, Ayn Rand Nation, Gary Weiss, Objectivism, Tea Party
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Deregulation Fever
Congressional Republicans, unlike the elephant that symbolizes their party, act as though they have short memories. A key example is their embrace of deregulation in the wake of two of the biggest regulatory screw-ups in generations: the 2008 financial meltdown and the … Continue reading
Posted in economic policy, framing
Tagged Darrell Issa, deregulation, red tape, regulation, small business
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The Public Starting to See Through the Republicans’ Game
Many Americans seem to realize what the Republicans are up to on the economy. According to a recent Daily Kos-SEIU poll, a plurality of citizens now believe the Republican Party is intentionally stalling the recovery. Most informed progressives would view this as … Continue reading
Posted in economic policy
Tagged aggregate demand, austerity, economic sabotage, job-creators, stimulus, unemployment
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Religious Liberty, or the Prerogatives of the Bishops?
The American bishops of the Catholic church have a problem with their parishioners, who tend to be pragmatic about how they apply Church principles. The divide between dogma and actual practice is perhaps best exemplified by the split over birth control. The hierarchy condemns … Continue reading
Is Anyone Minding the Hive?
The alarming decline of our honey bee population in the United States, a concern of environmentalists and farmers for several years now, points to an imminent danger with world-wide implications. The problem, known as colony collapse disorder (CCD), has been well documented by scientists, journalists, and … Continue reading
Posted in environment
Tagged American Chemical Council, Bayer, bees, CCD, colony collapse disorder, corn, EPA, pesticides
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Pro-Lifers at War with the Medical Profession
Republican law-makers have been up to their old tricks bashing abortion and passing invasive restrictions on women seeking it. Less publicized, but even more consequential I believe, are efforts that target a key institutional component of the issue: the teaching of abortion … Continue reading
Posted in abortion
Tagged ACGME, Coats Amendment, residency training, women's health
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What’s Wrong with Our Politics: “Asymmetric” Polarization
Not many would argue with the claim that our politics has become dysfunctional. The parties can’t seem to agree on anything, and the legislative process has been tied in knots for most of President Obama’s tenure as president. But typically, most … Continue reading
Political Optic 