Thorne Webb Dreyer, Editor
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Author Archives: Thorne Dreyer
MARTIN MURRAY / CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE / Lt. Burt Gerding and I
Photo by Belmer Wright published in Austin’s underground paper, The Rag, January 15, 1968. By Martin Murray / The Rag Blog / August 19, 2025 Lt. Burt Gerding served in the Austin Police Department (APD) in the Criminal Intelligence Division from … Continue reading
Posted in Rag Bloggers, RagBlog
Tagged Austin 'Red Squad', Austin Police Department, Burt Gerding, Burt Gerding Papers, Criminal Intelligence, Dirty Tricks, Espionage, Martin Murray, Police Informants, Sarah Clark, SDS, Students for a Democratic Society, The Rag Blog, University of Texas
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MICHAEL MEEROPOL / POLITICAL COMMENTARY / Vice President Vance says people who fought in the Civil War have a larger claim to citizenship than people living here today
J.D. Vance by DonkeyHotey. This caricature of J.D. Vance was adapted from a Creative Commons licensed photo from Gage Skidmore’s Flickr photostream. By Michael Meeropol / The Rag Blog / August 5, 2025 The following is an expanded version of a … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Commentary, Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, Michael Meeropol, Political Analysis, Rag Bloggers, Vice President
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BRUCE MELTON / CLIMATE SCIENCE / It’s flooding down in Texas
Climate change has undersized our world’s engineered infrastructure, and increased modern flood safety has created complacency in a flood world far different from the safe one we recently vacated. Caption: Cow Creek and what was Texas State Highway 1431, just … Continue reading
LAMAR HANKINS / THE BOMB / The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years out
The bombings of Hiroshima, left, and Nagasaki. Photos in the public domain. By Lamar Hankins / The Rag Blog / July 27, 2025 I have lived now for 80 years in the only country that has used an atomic bomb … Continue reading
Posted in Rag Bloggers
Tagged Atomic Bomb, Hiroshima, Imperialism, Lamar Hankins, Military Atrocities, Nagasaki, Terrorism
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MICHAEL MEEROPOL / TRUMP / The war with Iran should not distract us from important domestic issues
E. Jean Carroll, 2006. Photo by julieannesmo. Creative Commons image. By Michael Meeropol / The Rag Blog / July 3, 2025 The following is an expanded version of a commentary delivered over WAMC-FM on June 27, 2025 by Michael Meeropol … Continue reading
NORMAN SOLOMON / POLITICS / When will the Democrats put up a fight?
Democratic party leaders just met for the first time in months. When will they take real action? By Norman Solomon / The Rag Blog / June 10, 2025 This article was originally published at The Guardian and was cross-posted to … Continue reading
MICHAEL MEEROPOL / ECONOMY / Is there a danger that the stagflation of the 1970’s is coming back?
By Michael Meeropol / The Rag Blog / June 4, 2025 (Michael Meeropol and Houston-based historian John Moretta will discuss this commentary and related material on Rag Radio, KOOP-FM in Austin, Friday, June 6, 2025, from 2-3 p.m. It will … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged 1970's, Economics, Economy, John Moretta, Keynes, Michael Meeropol, Stagflation, Thorne Dreyer
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THORNE DREYER / INTERVIEW / Ronnie Dugger: The Reporter
Ronnie Dugger. Photo by Alan Pogue / The Rag Blog. By Thorne Dreyer / The Rag Blog / May 29, 2025 (On Friday, May 30, 2-3 p.m., Rag Radio is rebroadcasting our June 8, 2012 interview with the late Ronnie … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Deaths, Interview, Journalist, Making Waves, Obituary, Rag Bloggers, Rag Radio, Rag Radio Interviews, Ronnie Dugger, Texas Observer, The Rag Blog, Thorne Dreyer
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BRUCE MELTON / CLIMATE & POLITICS / The dumbest climate plan in history
By Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog / April 17, 2025 The title of this article is not solely meant to highlight the level of knowledge of this current administration, but to draw attention to the strongly conservative Wall Street Journal article,“The Dumbest Trade War … Continue reading
Posted in RagBlog
Tagged Bruce Melton, Climate Change, Donald Trump, Environment, The Rag Blog, Trump Administration
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ROBERT COTTRELL / BOOKS / A Trip Through the Long Movement
A Review of Thorne Dreyer’s new book, ‘Notes From the Underground’ By Robert Cottrell / The Rag Blog / April 9, 2025 Notes From the Underground: 77 Articles That Bring the Past to Life, the second collection of Thorne Dreyer’s … Continue reading
CARL DAVIDSON / COMMENTARY / Trump as big-city crimefighter?
Cartoon courtesy of LeftLinks. By Carl Davidson / The Rag Blog / August 15, 2025 This article was originally posted on August 15, 2025, as a weekly editorial on LeftLinks by its editor Carl Davidson and is cross-posted to The … Continue reading →