Category Archives: Politics

Errata to City Court Article

Posted on 11/01/2011 by Belden Fields

I would like to correct two errors of fact that I made in an article on Champaign’s City Court in the November 2010 issue of the Public i  First, I stated that the “court/expense fee,” the fee that a guilty … Continue reading →

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Consumer Debt’s Central Role in Finance-led Capitalism and Class Warfare-An Organizing Opportunity

Posted on 10/18/2011 by David Green

“For at least five thousand years, popular movements have tended to center on struggles over debt—this was true long before capitalism even existed. There is a reason for this. Debt is the most efficient means ever created to take relations … Continue reading →

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The New Operation Wetback? Immigration and Mass Incarceration in the Obama Era

Posted on 08/23/2011 by James Kilgore

(This article first appeared in Counterpunch Online August 4, 2011) Last week Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) joined a demonstration in Washington D.C. to protest the refusal of President Obama to use his executive powers to halt the deportations of the … Continue reading →

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Progressive Voice Needs Clearer Expression Prior to the 2012 Elections

Posted on 08/23/2011 by GaryStorm

Progressive Voice Needs Clearer Expression Prior to the 2012 Elections Progressives need make a much simpler and more direct case for their positions going into the Fall 2012 elections. Tea Party advocates have managed to capture the rhetoric being used … Continue reading →

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From Athens to New York, a Flotilla is a Demonstration with Press Coverage

Posted on 08/23/2011 by Robert Naiman

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/bfields/Desktop/Naiman%20post%20Flotilla.doc @font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } (1,010 words)   From Athens to … Continue reading →

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NFL Labor Lessons

Posted on 08/23/2011 by Neil Parthun

The NFL lockout is over! At the outset, things did not look good for the players. There were worries about DeMaurice Smith, the new executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), having to learn the ropes during first labor … Continue reading →

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Urbana Adopts a Soliciting Ordinance

Posted on 08/09/2011 by Belden Fields

Urbana Adopts a Soliciting Ordinance Belden Fields   After several meetings with active public participation, on August 1, the Urbana City Council adopted an ordinance banning “ aggressive solicitation of money or other thing of value, including a request to … Continue reading →

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Last Call to Save Free Speech for People, Not Corporations.

Posted on 07/07/2011 by David Roknich

Start calling the White House while you read this, and I’ll explain why you need to keep that switchboard well lit. Few people fully understand the greatest threat to democracy today is the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. … Continue reading →

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Wanted!: Empire. Dead or Alive

Posted on 06/27/2011 by Jodi Byrd

By Jodi A. Byrd and Manu Vimalassery When President Obama stepped from the Oval Office into a live broadcast to announce the killing of Osama bin Laden this past May 1, by “beltway” estimates of American political conversation he had … Continue reading →

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On Civil Unions with Kevin and Brandon Bowersox-Johnson

Posted on 06/17/2011 by Marti Wilkinson

Residents in Illinois now have the opportunity to apply for and be joined in a civil union, which recognizes a legal commitment between two adults who wish to have the same rights and privileges afforded to married couples. However, this … Continue reading →

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The Tunisian Revolution: Dignity, Expression, Gender, and Religion

Posted on 05/20/2011 by Belden Fields

The Tunisian Revolution:  Dignity, Expression, Gender, and Religion Dignity The Tunisian uprising that deposed dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali is of enormous historical significance for the entire region of North Africa. A recurring and resounding call during the uprising has … Continue reading →

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Awakening to The Limits of the Obama Presidency

Posted on 05/20/2011 by Antonia Darder

There are folks who seem to keep hoping that Obama has a “progressive” side which we will all soon see emerge—reminiscent of the transformation of Clark Kent to Superman in the phone booth. Yet, I can’t help wondering if all … Continue reading →

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