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...
What the end of the NSA’s bulk phone record collection really means
Dec 2, 2015 | Civil Liberties, 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...
2 Ways We Need to Redefine ‘Masculinity’ in American Foreign Policy
Jul 7, 2015 | Bullying, Foreign Policy, Gender and Sexism, 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...
The TSA can’t find hidden explosives because the security state is failing you
Jun 2, 2015 | Civil Liberties, 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...
4 surprising reasons Rand Paul might be the liberal candidate you’re looking for
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...
5 ways Republicans can reboot their brand in the Internet era
May 28, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Immigration, Liberalism, 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...
Why Rand Paul can win
May 27, 2015 | Criminal Justice/Prison-Industrial Complex, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Libertarianism, 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...
It’s time to kill the PATRIOT Act
Mar 26, 2015 | Civil Liberties, Foreign Policy, 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...
The NSA is still spying on you – so why did Americans stop caring?
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...
“They don’t see what I see”: Why FBI’s claim against North Korea is so dubious
Jan 12, 2015 | Arts and Entertainment, Foreign Policy, Military-Industrial Complex/Security State, Salon.com, Science and Technology
Published: Salon (January 12, 2015) Whether he realizes it or not, James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, has made a rather brazen request of the American people. As he attempted to reinforce the government’s case that North Korea was...