Category Archives: RagBlog

Do The Shoes Impact Daily Life in Baghdad?

Tamuz Bridge, Baghdad, leading to July 14 Monument.Did the shoe cause rebellion at Baghdad’s July 14 Bridge?By Mohammed al Dulaimy / December 17, 2008 BAGHDAD — The square in front of the July 14 Bridge in Baghdad is closed by … Continue reading

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Don’t Escalate Afghan War; Send in the Peace Corps

Taliban troops in Afghanistan. Photo from AFP. ‘The basic ingredients of further Afghan disasters are in place,’ warns Norman Solomon, executive director of the Washington-based Institute For Public Accuracy, ‘including, pivotally, a dire lack of wide-ranging debate over Washington’s options.’ … Continue reading

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It’s a Narnia Christmas : A Hodgepodge of History Bound Together by Love

Drawing by Jeffrey Fisher. Copyright 2008 / New York Times.‘Narnia is a mongrel thing, and so is Christmas. As is often the case, this mongrelizing is the source of its strength.’By Laura Miller / December 18, 2008 Every Christmas, I … Continue reading

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Obama Invocation a Split Ticket : Civil Rights Legend; Raging Homophobe

Rev. Rick Warren with President-elect Obama. Warren’s reactionary views on gays, abortion and other social issues have made his pick highly controversial. Photo by Buck / EPA. Rev. Joseph Lowery of Atlanta, a long time civil rights leader, shown here … Continue reading

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Fidel Discusses the Tar Sands, Bank Bailouts

Reflections by Comrade Fidel: The Unjustifiable Destruction of the EnvironmentBy Fidel Castro Ruz / December 15, 2008 Can the capitalist society avoid it? News about this issue are far from encouraging. The project to be submitted for approval on December … Continue reading

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College: American Dream Evaporates, Item by Item

Bye Bye College Education: The Path to Upward Economic Mobility is Fading AwayBy Joel Hirschhorn / December 12, 2008 Try to imagine just how much the cost of a college education has increased over the past 25 years. Take your … Continue reading

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Obama Picks Duncan and Salazar : A Hit and a Miss?

Arne Duncan, Barack Obama’s nominee for Education Secretary, comes with some impressive references. Here’s a “thumbs up” and a “thumbs down” from a progressive perspective on two of President-elect Barack Obama’s most recent Cabinet nominees. Arne Duncan appears to be … Continue reading

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Cheney Admits to Torture Role; Says He’d Still Waterboard

Vice President Dick Cheney says he approved waterboarding at Guantanamo. If I said what I’d like to say on reading this (and hearing it all day), the NSA agents who are monitoring this board would be sending the Secret Service … Continue reading

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Invasive Procedures : Privacy, and Online Behaviorial Targeting

Privacy advocates meet with Obama’s people concerning online advertising and the use of behavioral research.by Wendy Davis / December 17, 2008 Privacy advocates met Tuesday with members of President-elect Barack Obama’s Federal Trade Commission transition team to urge that the … Continue reading

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Avoiding Ecological Collapse in the Gulf Dead Zone

Satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, October 2005.Scientists: act now on Gulf of Mexico’s dead zoneBy Cain Burdeau / December 12, 2008 NEW ORLEANS — Scientists have issued a report urging immediate government action to reduce urban … Continue reading

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Vitamin D May Be Important for Diabetics

D for diabetes: Study says vitamin D may be needed for diabeticsBy Stephen Daniells / December 16, 2008 Over 75 per cent of young type-1 diabetics may require vitamin D supplements, after a US study reported ‘surprisingly’ high levels of … Continue reading

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Cuba: Ahead of the Curve on Food Sustainability

A banana plantation is seen in San Antonio de los Banos in Havana in this July 18, 2008 file photo. Photo: Reuters/Enrique De La Osa/Files.In ‘Eat Local’ Movement, Cuba Is Years AheadBy Esteban Israel / December 16, 2008 HAVANA – … Continue reading

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