The presidential election of 1972 was a great turning point in American politics. The Democratic Party initiated new internal reforms that allowed the primaries to decide on the candidate instead of the party machine, choosing someone who unequivacolly opposed the Vietnam war. Unfortunately, because the convention ran long, McGovern's speech was made after 1:00 A.M. so many voters did not hear it. This is a shame since it is one of the finest convention speeches of the 20th century.

 
The use and preservation of the commons becomes ever more relevant as corporations attempt to privatize and copyright all aspects of culture. Since the commons, in its many forms, are hard to manage then there is a need to create associations of commons that keeps each one distinct and local.

 
The study of utopias reveal something about the political imagination and what one sees beyond a position in time, space, and society. Utopias are considered to be non-existent yet still not be fictional. It is all a matter of a construction of institutions and the elimination of overriding problems that define a utopian perspective.

 
The current economic situation is explained as a rising budget deficit offset by an increasing monetary supply and the selling of bonds to foreign nations. The increase in money without an increase in economic activity creates inflation, and the nations that are buying bonds are using money that U.S. consumers spent on foreign goods. This is overall a precarious place for the United States.

 
The Downing Street Memo is a memo written to the British Prime Minister before the Iraq war that stated that intelligence on Iraq had to be manipulated to show a reason for invasion by the U.S.. This reveals a deliberate attempt by the U.S. to provoke a war based on lies and there is a growing response to this memo and a demand for an investigation. Some believe that this will lead to a possible impeachment.

 
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the death of James Dean. Acclaimed for the three films he starred in, there is always speculation about what his extended career would have been. He could have floundered in his later years like Marlon Brando, or continued to excel like Paul Newman.

 
The use of school uniforms, especially in public schools, may seem to be a case of hiding disparaging social and class differences and speeding up the process of getting ready for school in the morning. But it hides the fact that conformity becomes more stressed in a school environement, and there is an assumption among many that young people must be prepared to be a non-individual throughout their lives.

 
Amy Goodman is the host of the radio show Democracy Now! and is one of the true progressive voices on talk radio overall. She offers a real critique of the staus quo whether or not it is lead by Republicans or Democrats, and shows that there can be a real media independent from corporations and government intrusion. The real hope lies in the fact that her approach and model spreads as an alternative.

 
Here is an interesting comparison between the philosophers Heidegger and Foucault. Heidegger deals with the manifestation of being, while Foucault deals with the manifestation of power in the body. Both show how being and the body is similarly subsumed by inauthentic existence and subjectification to power.

 
Here is a novelty gift that also sends an environmental message. It is a mug that has a map on its side where land disappears when something hot is poured into the mug. It acts as a visual aid for global warming.