Shoq Value » Explainers & Primers

Some Essays That Every Progressive Should Read

Shoq — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:53:38 +0000

In the past year, and especially the past few weeks, a number of articles and videos have appeared that examine many of the key problems facing Progressivism in the United States, and by implication, the United States itself. I grow weary of tweeting them individually, so I thought I would combine them here. Where appropriate,

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The Flat Tax vs Fair Tax – Links For Flat Heads

Shoq — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:46:54 +0000

People are using Flat Tax vs Fair Tax interchangeably. And as usual, our congenitally lazy media is happy to oblige any and all misunderstandings by virtue of not understanding it themselves. So here’s a few links that will help you have this annoying discussion with anyone, especially wingnuts who won’t understand any definition you give

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Grey Parker Educates Breitbart’s Dana Loesch: Because Someone Had To

Shoq — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:55:05 +0000

Grey Parker is one of those bloggers you stumble upon when someone in your stream says "you gotta read this." I did that some months ago, and ever since, I eagerly snap at his posts like a Venus Fly Trap that just got lucky. Today, Grey decided to respond to the execrable new Tokyo Rose

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A Long and Bloody Legacy Of Right Wing Hate, Extremism, Violence and Terrorism in America

Shoq — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:10:24 +0000

Since Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the brain while doing her job representing the people of her Arizona district, a lot of disingenuous noise has rung out across the land from the right wing, in an aggressive effort to deny that there is any such thing as right wing violence or extremism in this

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About Comcast & The New “RightNetwork”

Shoq — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:15:13 +0000

blockquote { height:auto; } .box{background-color:#F5F7F3; background-color:#F8FAF6; background-color:#F9FAF8; padding:8px; } End Game

This issue has been mostly concluded for dozens of news organizations and Keith Olbermann. So who am I to wonder why no one is now interested in this "Ed Snider" person who makes big investments in right wing networks, allowing them to borrow his parent company (Comcast)'s name for their
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Wall Street’s Big Short: They Bet Against The World–And We Lost.

Shoq — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:12:32 +0000

'The Big Short' By Michael Lewis

Probably The 'Best Piece Of Financial Journalism Ever Written'— Felix Salmon

Even if you have no intention of reading this important book by this brilliant writer, see the video of Michael Lewis appearing on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart below. See it, and then get angry about this shit. Because

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Who Broke America

Shoq — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:54:33 +0000

New America Foundation's Barry Lynn (author of Cornered), has a very important article in Washington Monthly called:

"Who Broke American Jobs."

In my view, all of our problems, from campaign financing, to media consolidation, to the government dysfunctionalism and hyper partisanship that is breaking down anything that ever made American a worthwhile

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Our Real Enemy: Progressive Passivity

Shoq — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:29:48 +0000

This is the very essay I was going to try and tackle this week. These fine folks have done a superb job of writing it for me. You must read it, and then see my note that follows:

How To Do Effective Political Activism: What Always Worked And What Never Did — by Peterson

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Supreme Court’s Obscene Power Grab

Shoq — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Background

The Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission is seen by many as probably the most frightening and destructive decision in the history of the Supreme Court and the United States of America. Far worse than the Dred Scott decision, which was horrific and some believe led directly to the Civil War. Here is some reading

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Has Social Media Ruined the Internet?

Shoq — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:26:16 +0000

I missed "Why this Decade Sucked," by Ed Edroso, back in December. Wish I hadn't. While it's over the top in spots, by and large, it's spot on, and reminds me of Norman Solomon's words in the mid 90s, when he quite rightly warned that the Internet would empower the status quo, while

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