Progressive Issues

Less than a decade ago, LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa inspired hope among progressives, minorities and the disenfranchised when he became LA’s first Latino Mayor since 1872. But now, he has taken a tacky lobbying job with Herbalife, a company facing charges it’s operating a pyramid scheme.

The sorry spectacle of the Senate vote calls to mind its opposite: John Kennedy’s 1956 book, Profiles in Courage. Written while he was still a senator, it highlights the political courage of eight senators from John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) to the Republican Robert Taft (1889-1953).

Some people were shocked when Occupy Wall Street — a protest movement that aimed to expose the excessive power of the financial industry and its corrupting influence on government — suddenly came to life through grassroots efforts to bring relief to individuals and communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Stephen LendmanOctober 7 is the moment of truth. Venezuelans get to choose between populism and neoliberal harshness. They’re not stupid. They won’t tolerate reinventing the bad old days. Expect Bolivarianism to triumph. Too bad it can’t everywhere when it’s most needed.

When you mention the City of Bell, people immediately remember the scandals that garnered national attention. From a city of just two square miles and fewer than 40,000 people, the high salaries, high property taxes, voter fraud, and even mismanagement of city administration seemed unimaginable. How was this level of corruption possible? Why had this gone on for so long?