Jul 4, 2016 | Civil Liberties, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), History, Immigration, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State
Published: Salon (July 4, 2016) As America celebrates its 240th anniversary, the Donald Trump campaign confronts us with the vivid possibility that our democracy could look vastly different if he’s elected. No, I’m not implying that Trump is another Adolf Hitler. You don’t need to be a latter-day Fuehrer to hold positions antithetical to the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. That said,...
Dec 2, 2015 | Civil Liberties, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Terrorism
Published: The Daily Dot (December 2, 2015) It’s official: The NSA was legally required to terminate its bulk phone record collection program this week. That may not provide much comfort if you happen to use the Internet (and particularly if you communicate using social media)—but it's a major win worth acknowledging. If you’re wondering why the government can still monitor what you do online...
Jul 7, 2015 | Bullying, Foreign Policy, Gender and Sexism, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State
Published: Good Men Project (July 7, 2015) American foreign policy has long been governed by ideas of masculinity. Now it’s time to evaluate what that has meant for our nation – and how we should redefine “masculinity” in the future. Why do we equate “masculinity” with “aggressiveness” when conducting our foreign policy? “In the aftermath of September 11 Bush enacted a highly masculine...
Jun 2, 2015 | Civil Liberties, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State
Published: Daily Dot (June 2, 2015) A recent internal investigation revealed that the Transportation Security Administration failed 95 percent of its security checkpoint tests. When the Department of Homeland Security made 70 attempts to smuggle explosives and weapons past the citadels of American airport security, they succeeded 67 times. This is part of a larger pattern of post-9/11...
May 29, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Liberalism, Marijuana Legalization and the War on Drugs, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Political Ideologies, Race and Racism
Published: Daily Dot (May 29, 2015) At a time when the Republican Party has developed a reputation for voting and thinking in lockstep, it is worth noting that Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul has a surprisingly bipartisan appeal, which is becoming an important part of his growing presidential campaign. In the wake of an Internet-breaking filibuster on the Patriot Act, the outspoken National Security...
May 28, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Immigration, Liberalism, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans
Published: Daily Dot (May 28, 2015) In his new book, Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America, Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul declares that the GOP brand “sucks” and is “broken.” From those big declarations, he goes on to discuss his personal affinity for nature (describing himself as a “tree hugger”) and his ability to find common ground with racial...
May 27, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Libertarianism, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Published: Daily Dot (May 27, 2015) While Rand Paul’s name often appears on lists of leading Republican presidential nominees, his well-known libertarian streak is often cited as a prime reason why he most likely won’t be nominated. His National Security Agency opposition might make him popular on the Internet, but he’s the definition of a wild card. Make no mistake about it: If history serves...
Mar 26, 2015 | Civil Liberties, Foreign Policy, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State
Published: Daily Dot (March 26, 2015) It’s doubtful that the PATRIOT Act will be repealed in this legislative session, but make no mistake about it: Dispensing with this bill, one of the more pernicious legacies of the post-9/11 erosion of American civil liberties, is long overdue. First, here's an introduction to the measure that could theoretically pull this off: the Surveillance State Repeal...
Mar 4, 2015 | Civil Liberties, Foreign Policy, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State
Published: Daily Dot (March 4, 2015) America is rapidly approaching a new phase in its history, and virtually no one seems to care. The first sign became apparent on Saturday, when a federal court approved the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of the telephone records of American citizens. In theory, this shouldn’t mean very much; the controversial program needs to be re-approved every...
Jan 12, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, Foreign Policy, mic, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Original Source Salon.com, Science and Technology