Table of Contents - June 2009

Commentary

FROM THE WEB: Net Briefs - June 2009 by Various Contributors *

Single Payer Protest David Swanson (afterdowningstreet.org) sent news of a May demonstration at a California State Finance Committee meeting on healthcare. When the chair, Max Baucus,... More / Printer-Friendly version

FOG WATCH: Corporate Reform in an Age of Intensified Class Warfare by Edward Herman *

In a system where corporations are central in economic activity, economic crises have always and necessarily produced plans and programs of renovation and improvement designed to make... More / Printer-Friendly version

CONSERVATIVE WATCH: Sarah Palin & Divine Agents by Bill Berkowitz

During the presidential campaign, the religious convictions of the candidates frequently dominated the headlines. However, unlike stories about whether Barack Obama was really a Muslim... More / Printer-Friendly version

EYES RIGHT: Reed Larson and the National Right to Work Committee by Chip Berlet

The National Right to Work Committee (NRTWC) is a major player in the effort to block the pro-union "Card Check" legislation officially called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).... More / Printer-Friendly version

Activism

LABOR ORGANIZING: A Battle for Labor's Future by Dan Clawson *

At the 1935 AFL convention, John L. Lewis of the Miners punched Big Bill Hutcheson of the Carpenters, a fight that marked the formation of the CIO and its split from the AFL. Today a similar fight... More / Printer-Friendly version

GAY & LESBIAN COMMUNITY NOTES: Stonewall: Requiem for a Riot by Michael Bronski

It was a just another hot city night in late June. The streets of Greenwich Village were filled with cruising queens, displaced street youth, drug dealers, and musicians trying to gather a small... More / Printer-Friendly version

FOOD SYSTEMS: Urban Agriculture and Social Justice by Olga Bonfiglio

I want to be an urban farmer," said Tom Howe, 19, a first-year student at Wayne State University (WSU). "I want to start a community garden in some kind of ecovillage with farmers and... More / Printer-Friendly version

PEACE & JUSTICE: Protesting Militarism Under the Obama Administration by Jeff Nall

On Saturday, March 21, 2009 the U.S. anti-war movement held its second national mobilization against U.S. militarism since Obama's inauguration. Marking the 6th Anniversary of the Iraq war, about... More / Printer-Friendly version

Features

HISTORICAL AMNESIA: The Torture Memos by Noam Chomsky *

The torture memos released by the White House in April elicited shock, indignation, and surprise. The shock and indignation are understandable—particularly the testimony in the Senate... More / Printer-Friendly version

LABOR TODAY: Is Labor Prepared to Fight? by Roger Bybee

Plant closings across the U.S. in recent decades have dramatically re-shaped America's economic and physical landscape. A new wave of shutdowns has gathered force since the Wall Street meltdown and... More / Printer-Friendly version

SCHOLARSHIP: The Dark Side of Online Journals by Lisa Richmond *

College & Research Libraries—perhaps the most eminent journal addressing academic library issues in the United States—recently published an article that offers a clear and... More / Printer-Friendly version

INTERVIEW: Interview With Jack Rasmus by UI Newsletter

Jack Rasmus is professor of economics at St. Mary's College and Santa Clara University in Northern California. He is a member of the newly formed National Steering Committee of the Workers... More / Printer-Friendly version

INTERVIEW: A Conversation with Bill Ayers by Jeff Gore

Bill Ayers, former 1960s radical and now a professor of education, became a household name after last year's presidential campaign. Less than a month before Election Day, he was clumsily... More / Printer-Friendly version

INTERVIEW: Costas Gavras Talks About Z, 40 Years Later by John Esther *

A riveting action thriller about political assassination at the highest levels, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Z. Not the magazine in front of you, but the Academy Award-winning 1969 film... More / Printer-Friendly version

Culture

BOOK REVIEW: Stanford in Turmoil by Darwin BondGraham *

By Richard Lyman; Stanford University Press, 2009, 248 pp. During the Clinton era, many politically engaged students identified themselves as "activists" and sought policy reforms,... More / Printer-Friendly version

BOOK REVIEW: Mexico Unconquered by John Gibler

By John Gibler; City Lights Publishers, 2009, 356 pp. Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, calls Mexico home, as do millions of impoverished citizens. From Spanish colonization... More / Printer-Friendly version

BOOK REVIEW: Labor Law for the Rank and Filer by Michael McGehee

By Staughton Lynd and Daniel Gross; PM Press, 2008, 110 pp. Staughton Lynd was a professor at Spelman College where he helped organize activities with SNCC's Freedom Schools and later went on... More / Printer-Friendly version

Zaps

FREE LISTINGS: Zaps - June 2009 by Various Contributors

Events CHICANA/O ART - The opening reception for the Chicana/o Biennial Exhibition is scheduled for June 5 in San Jose, California. The exhibition will run through August 8.... More / Printer-Friendly version

Z VIDEO PRODUCTIONS: New Z DVDs for June 2009 by Z Staff

Z Video Productions has four new DVDs this month. Click here for a printable PDF order form, which you can print out and send back to us. More info, and links to the online store pages where you... More / Printer-Friendly version