Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer

Harry Targ : Military Spending and our National Priorities

Breakdown of projected government spending for fiscal yer 2013. To see how these figures were determined, go here.Poor are paying the price:Military spending and our natioal prioritiesBy Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / March 18, 2012 “From Forrestal’s day … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

VERSE / Mariann G. Wizard : Hiatus

Image from Dzinepress.Hiatus The plazas are empty, swept clean of debris,smug analyses already written.Elections are coming, everyone run to see:is it Newton? or El Ron? or Mittens? But out of the glare of the media stare,the knowledge unerringly spreads:the old … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

David Bacon : How U.S. Policies Fueled the Great Mexican Migration

So many migrants from Veracruz have settled in North Carolina and the South that they name markets for their home state. Because of ferocious anti-immigrant laws, however, many businesses have lost customers as immigrants flee the state. Photo © David … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

BOOKS / Ron Jacobs : Sparks and Wildfires

Sparks and wildfires:Wisconsin and the global revolutions:By Ron Jacobs | The Rag Blog | March 15, 2012 It Started In Wisconsin: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Labor Protest, by Mari Jo Buhle and Paul Buhle (Verso: 2012); … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

RAG RADIO / Thorne Dreyer : Bobby Bridger on the Lasting Impact of Native American Culture

Singer/songwriter and author Bobby Bridger at the KOOP studios in Austin, March 9, 2012. Photo by Ken McKenzie-Grant / The Rag Blog.Rag Radio:Bobby Bridger discusses the lasting impactof Native American culture on our society By Rag Radio / The Rag … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BOOKS / Mariann G. Wizard : Jonah Raskin’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Women’

Portraits of a Generation:Jonah Raskin’s Rock ‘n Roll WomenBy Mariann G. Wizard | The Rag Blog | March 14, 2012 [Rock ‘n’ Roll Women: Portraits of a Generation, by Jonah Raskin (Santa Rosa, CA: McCaa Books, 2012); Paperback, 40 pp.] … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Robert Jensen : Holding Onto the Joy in Teaching

Pompous professor. Image from Canadian Mysteries.Holding onto the joy in teaching We are the best teachers when we aren’t afraid of the dark. By Robert Jensen | The Rag Blog | March 13, 2012 I am a tenured professor in … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Republican Roulette: Romney vs. The Rebels By Bill Freeland Super Tuesday has come and gone but Republicans are hardly any closer to selecting a nominee. Mitt Romney pulled out wins in three more states where he competed with his current … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Leave a comment

Rag Blog : ‘Feed Your Head’ on April Fool’s Day!

Art by Jim Franklin; poster by James Retherford / The Rag Blog.‘Feed Your Head’ on April Fool’s Day:Legendary Austin Bands at Rag Blog Bash Go to the Facebook “Feed Your Head!” event page. “Old Skool” will be in session on … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bob Feldman : Texas Oil Industry Emerges; O. Henry Publishes, 1890-1920

William Sydney Porter (later to be known as O. Henry) in Austin, circa 1880’s. Image from Austin History Center, Austin Public Library / Wikimedia Commons.The hidden history of Texas Part IX: 1890-1920/4 — Oil business emerges; O. Henry publishes By … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Brendan Smith and Jeremy Brecher : Labor’s Keystone Dilemma

Unions and the Keystone dilemma. Image from Kansas Watchdog.Dirty vs. green jobs:Labor’s Keystone dilemma Outside of Washington, the very same unions that support the pipeline are down in the trenches fighting for a transition to a green economy. By Brendan … Continue reading

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lamar W. Hankins : Religion and Secularism in the Public Square

Sen. John F. Kennedy speaks attempts to allay fears about his Caltholicism before the Greater Houston Ministerial Association on Sept. 12, 1960. Photo from Houston Chronicle / AP.Religion and secularism in the public square Opposing the promotion of religion and … Continue reading

Posted in Rag Bloggers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment