The Coming Food Crisis
They're coming for your food. Multinational corporations. Animal rights extremists. Climate crusaders. Together, they're waging a relentless assault on America's farms--and your freedom to eat what you choose. In The Coming Food Crisis, John Klar rips back the curtain on the hidden power grab reshaping how and what we eat. Every year, more farm families vanish, replaced by corporate giants and imported products. As food prices soar and supply chains wobble, Klar exposes the powerful forces--political, activist, and corporate--turning America's and the world's food supply into a tool of control. He reveals how agenda-driven climate and animal rights policies drive up costs and destroy family farms, how reckless economic policies and global monopolization threaten famine and chaos, and how ultra-processed food is undermining our health. This book is Klar's urgent call to wake up, fight back, and reclaim food sovereignty before disaster strikes. If Americans don't stand up for their farms, they surrender control over their most basic human need. Because once you lose your food, you lose everything.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (II)
Hichem Karoui's "Diplomacy and Human Rights: Building Bridges in a Changing World" represents the second volume in the critically acclaimed "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" series, offering scholarly yet accessible analysis of one of international relations' most pressing concerns. This meticulously researched work examines the complex relationship between diplomatic practice and human rights advocacy within the framework of contemporary global politics. The book's comprehensive approach spans twelve expertly crafted chapters, beginning with foundational concepts and progressing through complex contemporary challenges. Karoui demonstrates that "global development" is one of the most influential factors in the field of diplomacy, showing how "international relations have undergone radical transformations as a result of political, economic, and social developments at the global level." This transformation has created new imperatives for diplomatic engagement with human rights issues.The author skilfully navigates the tension between traditional state sovereignty and universal human rights principles, exploring how "the new international system is witnessing growing conflicts and challenges that require diplomatic strategies different from those that were customary in the past." The work examines how international organisations have shaped human rights standards and how technology presents both opportunities and challenges for rights advancement.Particularly valuable is the book's exploration of practical diplomatic strategies for human rights promotion, acknowledging that in today's world, "human rights organisations and international human rights treaties represent key bases for shaping international policy and guiding international relations." The work concludes with a forward-looking perspective on developing "diplomacy based on awareness and responsibility".This volume serves as an indispensable resource for international relations professionals, academics, policy analysts, and graduate students seeking to understand the evolving landscape of rights-based diplomacy in the twenty-first century.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (II)
Hichem Karoui's "Diplomacy and Human Rights: Building Bridges in a Changing World" represents the second volume in the critically acclaimed "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" series, offering scholarly yet accessible analysis of one of international relations' most pressing concerns. This meticulously researched work examines the complex relationship between diplomatic practice and human rights advocacy within the framework of contemporary global politics. The book's comprehensive approach spans twelve expertly crafted chapters, beginning with foundational concepts and progressing through complex contemporary challenges. Karoui demonstrates that "global development" is one of the most influential factors in the field of diplomacy, showing how "international relations have undergone radical transformations as a result of political, economic, and social developments at the global level." This transformation has created new imperatives for diplomatic engagement with human rights issues.The author skilfully navigates the tension between traditional state sovereignty and universal human rights principles, exploring how "the new international system is witnessing growing conflicts and challenges that require diplomatic strategies different from those that were customary in the past." The work examines how international organisations have shaped human rights standards and how technology presents both opportunities and challenges for rights advancement.Particularly valuable is the book's exploration of practical diplomatic strategies for human rights promotion, acknowledging that in today's world, "human rights organisations and international human rights treaties represent key bases for shaping international policy and guiding international relations." The work concludes with a forward-looking perspective on developing "diplomacy based on awareness and responsibility".This volume serves as an indispensable resource for international relations professionals, academics, policy analysts, and graduate students seeking to understand the evolving landscape of rights-based diplomacy in the twenty-first century.
Public Service in Tough Times
A scathing indictment of austerity policy In 2016, Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba successfully campaigned on a platform to reduce taxes and restore the balance between revenue and spending. The years that followed their victory saw wages frozen, emergency rooms closed, intensive care unit beds reduced, healthcare jobs eliminated, Manitoba Housing funding slashed, and payments to foster parents decreased, as the civil service was diminished by 27 percent. Public Service in Tough Times gives voice to the people behind the balance sheets, shedding light on the vicious cycle of understaffing, burnout, attrition, and despair created by austerity policy. Using survey data from thousands of public sector workers and carefully compiled statistics on spending and staffing, editors Jesse Hajer, Ian Hudson, and Jennifer Keith, demonstrate how cuts to government expenditures disproportionately benefit the wealthy and exacerbate poverty and inequality. As the virtues of small government, tax cuts, and private sector investment continue to be the rallying cry of right-leaning politicians worldwide, this impeccably researched case study delivers a crushing critique of austerity and its consequences.
Public Service in Tough Times
A scathing indictment of austerity policy In 2016, Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba successfully campaigned on a platform to reduce taxes and restore the balance between revenue and spending. The years that followed their victory saw wages frozen, emergency rooms closed, intensive care unit beds reduced, healthcare jobs eliminated, Manitoba Housing funding slashed, and payments to foster parents decreased, as the civil service was diminished by 27 percent. Public Service in Tough Times gives voice to the people behind the balance sheets, shedding light on the vicious cycle of understaffing, burnout, attrition, and despair created by austerity policy. Using survey data from thousands of public sector workers and carefully compiled statistics on spending and staffing, editors Jesse Hajer, Ian Hudson, and Jennifer Keith, demonstrate how cuts to government expenditures disproportionately benefit the wealthy and exacerbate poverty and inequality. As the virtues of small government, tax cuts, and private sector investment continue to be the rallying cry of right-leaning politicians worldwide, this impeccably researched case study delivers a crushing critique of austerity and its consequences.
Positive Politics
You can make a positive impact through politics NOW.The sneaky secret of politics is that the people on the inside want it to look complicated so you'll leave it to them. When you see politicians on TV, you're seeing the perfectly polished version of what they want you to see.Neil Thanedar has been backstage with the president, next to the speechwriters, reading the teleprompters. These are all real people: stressed, tired, and doing their best-and you are absolutely capable of being one of them. You have the skills, you have the drive, you have the vision. You just need to get started.Positive Politics shows you exactly how to get into politics, with real strategies from people who went from complete outsiders to making history. Discover how to harness professional skills you've spent years honing to build political power, win elections, and positively change the world.
Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice
Proudly printed in America, this definitive 1812 edition of Thomas Jefferson's landmark work continues to inform the rules and procedures of the United States House and Senate today.As vice president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson presided over the Senate. To improve its procedures, he wrote A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. First published in 1801, Jefferson's Manual has been the basis for the rules of Congress ever since. In 1812, a second edition of the Manual was published with Jefferson's input, marking his final word on the book. Now, for the first time, Jefferson's Manual of 1812 is printed with all of Jefferson's additions, along with an introduction detailing the history of the text and tracing the discovery of Jefferson's revisions. This new edition includes Jefferson's additions that serve as the basis for changes to the "House Rules and Manual," published by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025. Author Brian Alexander presents groundbreaking research using Jefferson's own writings in this historic Manual of Parliamentary Practice, now in its definitive edition.
President Next
When the Unlikely Becomes InevitableFrom smoke-filled rooms to social media storms, American presidential politics has been transformed by candidates who weren't supposed to win. A Catholic senator proves his electability in Protestant heartland. An obscure Georgia governor converts his outsider status into the White House. A first-term senator defeats the most prepared candidate in Democratic history.President Next reveals the patterns behind political breakthroughs that changed America, and the harsh realities that determine which shooting stars burn out and which reach the presidency. Drawing on deep archival research, David Carlucci takes you behind the scenes of sixteen pivotal primary insurgencies from 1960 to 2024. But this isn't just campaign history. It's a roadmap for understanding how American democracy renews itself through the insurgencies that threaten to tear it apart. Whether you're a political junkie or a citizen wondering how we choose our leaders, President Next is full of insight and information. David Carlucci is a trailblazing former New York State Senator and the visionary founder of Carlucci Consulting. Celebrated for his groundbreaking bipartisan leadership in mental health and addiction policy, he combines insider political savvy with razor-sharp analytical insight. A frequent commentator on Fox News, and BBC. Carlucci is known for making complex political dynamics accessible to broad audiences.
Correction
NYT EDITOR'S CHOICE - Peabody Award finalist - National Headliner Award winner - WASHINGTON POST BEST NONFICTION OF 2023 - Shortlisted for the 2024 Chicago Review of Books Award - FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF HIGH-RISERS comes a groundbreaking and honest investigation into the crisis of the American criminal justice system-through the lens of parole. Perfect for fans of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow and Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy"Correction ranks among the very best books on life inside and outside of prison I have ever read." ―Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted "Correction provides a revelatory lens for examining mass incarceration." -The Washington Post A Most Anticipated Book of 2023: Chicago Review of Books, The Chicago Tribune, The Next Big Idea Club The United States, alone, locks up a quarter of the world's incarcerated people. And yet apart from clich矇s--paying a debt to society; you do the crime, you do the time--there is little sense collectively in America what constitutes retribution or atonement. We don't actually know why we punish. Ben Austen's powerful exploration offers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of parole. Told through the portraits of two men imprisoned for murder, and the parole board that holds their freedom in the balance, Austen's unflinching storytelling forces us to reckon with some of the most profound questions underlying the country's values around crime and punishment. What must someone who commits a terrible act do to get a second chance? What does incarceration seek to accomplish? An illuminating work of narrative nonfiction, Correction challenges us to consider for ourselves why and who we punish-and how we might find a way out of an era of mass imprisonment.
Positive Politics
You can make a positive impact through politics NOW.The sneaky secret of politics is that the people on the inside want it to look complicated so you'll leave it to them. When you see politicians on TV, you're seeing the perfectly polished version of what they want you to see.Neil Thanedar has been backstage with the president, next to the speechwriters, reading the teleprompters. These are all real people: stressed, tired, and doing their best-and you are absolutely capable of being one of them. You have the skills, you have the drive, you have the vision. You just need to get started.Positive Politics shows you exactly how to get into politics, with real strategies from people who went from complete outsiders to making history. Discover how to harness professional skills you've spent years honing to build political power, win elections, and positively change the world.
How to Save the Internet
The global, open internet is fragmenting. As democracies seek to rein in the power of Big Tech, as Silicon Valley pivots to an America-first agenda, as authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia segregate their populations from the rest of the internet, the most powerful tool ever created for bringing the world together risks being dismantled. Taking us behind the scenes at Meta and his interactions with world leaders, Nick Clegg, Meta's former President, Global Affairs, sets out where Big Tech has gone wrong, how Silicon Valley's insularity has blinded it to its missteps, and the radical reforms of the global platforms that are now needed if they are to secure a long-term future. But he also makes the case that many of the charges against them - including that their algorithms polarize, manipulate and harm - are vastly overstated or simply untrue. And while new laws that regulate these corporations are essential, imposing national borders on the internet cannot be the answer. That will fatally undermine its capacity for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, education, trade, medical and scientific research, and ultimately for the improvement and empowerment of billions of lives. Radical, reasonable, deeply felt and disarmingly honest, How To Save the Internet sets out a blueprint for the global cooperation we need in order to reform Big Tech while preserving the fundamental openness of the internet on which our future so depends.
The Problem with Plastic
"Plastic pollution has reached crisis proportions, and false solutions abound. But as The Problem with Plastic shows, there are real solutions out there. And, fortunately, there are people like Judith Enck working to enact them." --Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction A powerful look at plastic's impact on human health and the environment, and how we can fight back by putting people and the planet over plastics Plastic is everywhere--wrapped around our food, stitched into our clothes, even coursing through our veins. Once a marvel of modern science, plastic has become so inextricably woven into our lives that imagining a world without it can seem impossible. Over the last seventy-five years, plastic has cradled our planet in a synthetic embrace. 	The Problem with Plastic critically examines the paradox of this material, first celebrated for its innovations and now recognized for its devastating environmental and public health impacts. With clarity and urgency, the book reveals how plastic pollution contributes to poisoned oceans, polluted air, a warming planet, and overwhelming waste, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities who bear the brunt of petrochemical pollution. Revealing the alarming extent of microplastics infiltrating both the natural world and the human body, this compelling narrative challenges the illusion that recycling alone will save us. It unpacks the mechanisms of environmental racism and the deceptive greenwashing strategies used by the plastics industry to maintain the status quo. 	More than a critique, The Problem with Plastic emphasizes the urgent need for action against plastic's toxic legacy. It highlights powerful stories of frontline resistance in places like Louisiana, Texas, and Appalachia, and equips readers with practical tools--including a "Household Waste Audit" to track and reduce plastic consumption, as well as model policy guides for driving legislative change. Urgent, eye-opening, and ultimately empowering, The Problem with Plastic reminds us: plastic is a problem--but together, we can be the solution.
Securing Access to Life-Saving Treatments
In recent years, the European Union (EU) has witnessed recurrent disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain, highlighting the urgent need for robust policies that guarantee access to critical medicines. While these shortages are detrimental to the general patient population, they pose a particularly severe threat to the rare disease community, whose treatments often rely on niche manufacturing processes with limited production capacity. Against this backdrop, the Securing Access to Life-Saving Treatments has emerged as a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening resilience in Europe's pharmaceutical sector. The Act's core objectives-such as mitigating overreliance on non-EU suppliers and establishing a secure framework for essential medicines-are commendable. Yet, RareGen Youth Network, an international youth-led NGO dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and rare diseases, proposes additional measures to maximize the Act's impact and safeguard the needs of vulnerable populations.
Letters to the Editors...
From the moment Donald J. Trump glided down his golden escalator at Trump Tower in June of 2015, Linda B. Gefen started to share her observations on the hypocrisy and horror of his presidential race against Hillary Clinton in letters to the editors of major newspapers. Many were published as Opinions and Letters to the Editor. Hearing his toxic words inspired Linda B. Gefen to put her feelings out there and that suddenly grew into almost nine years of late-night or early-morning writings, creating an outlet for her to share her dismay at what America's future was heading towards. The "Letters" progressed through Trump's first term, including the pandemic, two impeachments, his loss to Biden in 2020 and the January 6 insurrection, 34 convictions on criminal counts, and, believe it or not, his second presidential race...which Trump...after all the negativity, most surprisingly won. Because of that happening ...this journey is far from over! My letters began to flow almost simultaneously with Trump's decision to run for President in June 2015, as I was shocked that he would be chosen for the top of the GOP ticket. A few writings grew into the hundreds, bringing history from my view, center-left, to the pages of this book. The end is never the end, it just passes us by and continues. I am sure if you open any page and read a letter, it will remind you of that certain moment in time. It is a compilation of eight to almost nine years of passages filled with my passion for truth to power. I am still searching for it, especially now again with Trump's negative messaging. "Letters" is history in a personal story-like version...seen through my more liberal eyes!
Letters to the Editors...
From the moment Donald J. Trump glided down his golden escalator at Trump Tower in June of 2015, Linda B. Gefen started to share her observations on the hypocrisy and horror of his presidential race against Hillary Clinton in letters to the editors of major newspapers. Many were published as Opinions and Letters to the Editor. Hearing his toxic words inspired Linda B. Gefen to put her feelings out there and that suddenly grew into almost nine years of late-night or early-morning writings, creating an outlet for her to share her dismay at what America's future was heading towards. The "Letters" progressed through Trump's first term, including the pandemic, two impeachments, his loss to Biden in 2020 and the January 6 insurrection, 34 convictions on criminal counts, and, believe it or not, his second presidential race...which Trump...after all the negativity, most surprisingly won. Because of that happening ...this journey is far from over! My letters began to flow almost simultaneously with Trump's decision to run for President in June 2015, as I was shocked that he would be chosen for the top of the GOP ticket. A few writings grew into the hundreds, bringing history from my view, center-left, to the pages of this book. The end is never the end, it just passes us by and continues. I am sure if you open any page and read a letter, it will remind you of that certain moment in time. It is a compilation of eight to almost nine years of passages filled with my passion for truth to power. I am still searching for it, especially now again with Trump's negative messaging. "Letters" is history in a personal story-like version...seen through my more liberal eyes!
Regional Planning in India
Despite the existence of a few books on specialized aspects of regional planning in India, a comprehensive academic text has been notably absent. The field has lacked a systematic treatment from a pedagogical perspective, one that encompasses the entire scope of regional planning, highlights the valuable contributions of Indian scholars, and directly focuses on the unique challenges faced within the country.This book is a dedicated attempt to fill that critical gap. Its twelve chapters are meticulously designed to provide a thorough foundation. They not only explore the fundamental concepts, methods, and techniques essential to regional planning but also delve into specific, pressing issues concerning regional development in the Indian context. Key areas of focus include the persistent problem of regional imbalances, strategies for effective rural development, the formulation of policies for backward areas, and the particular needs of tribal area development. This focused approach provides the necessary orientation, clearly illustrating the diverse and crucial directions in which regional planning proves its relevance for a nation as complex and dynamic as India. It serves as an essential guide for understanding the subject's application to real-world problems.
Den of Spies
"A persuasive affirmation of a shocking conspiracy theory." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Unger has pursued the story of the October surprise for more than 30 years, often to his own cost. ...peppered with amazing details... Den of Spies comes out in a world where dark machinations to win power no longer seem so unthinkable as in the days of Carter, Reagan and Bush."--The GuardianThe explosive inside story of the October Surprise conspiracy, a stunning act of treason that changed American history. New York Times bestselling author Craig Unger reveals his thirty-year investigation into the secret collusion between Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and Iran, raising urgent questions about what happens when foreign meddling in our elections goes unpunished and what gets remembered when the political price for treason is victory. It was a tinderbox of an accusation. In April 1991, the New York Times ran an op-ed alleging that Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign had conspired with the Iranian government to delay the release of 52 American hostages until after the 1980 election. The Iranian hostage crisis was President Jimmy Carter's largest political vulnerability, and his lack of success freeing them ultimately sealed his fate at the ballot box. In return for keeping Americans in captivity until Reagan assumed the oath of office, the Republicans had secretly funneled arms to Iran. Treasonous and illegal, the operation--planned and executed by Reagan's campaign manager Bill Casey--amounted to a shadow foreign policy run by private citizens that ensured Reagan's victory.Investigative journalist Craig Unger was one of the first reporters covering the October Surprise--initially for Esquire and then Newsweek--and while attempting to unravel the mystery, he was fired, sued, and ostracized by the Washington press corps, as a counter narrative took hold: The October Surprise was a hoax. Though Unger later recovered his name and became a bestselling author on Republican abuses of power, the October Surprise remained his white whale, the project he--as well as legendary investigative journalist, the late Robert Parry--worked on late at night and between assignments.In Den of Spies, Unger reveals the definitive story of the October Surprise, going inside his three-decade reporting odyssey, along with Parry's never-before-seen archives, and sharing startling truths about what really happened in 1980. The result is a real-life political thriller filled with double agents, CIA operatives, slippery politicians, KGB documents, wealthy Republicans, and dogged journalists. A timely and provocative history that presages our Trump-era political scandals, Den of Spies demonstrates the stakes of allowing the politics of the moment to obscure the writing of our history.
Green Thinking
Green Thinking is about unlearning, discarding, damaging, outdated ideas deeply rooted in our societies. It seeks to "compost" the views of dead white men (Ren矇 Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Norman Borlaugh) and of some not white or dead (Francis Fukuyama, Richard Dawkins, Richard Thaler), and explores the flowering of probiotic Green thinking.Natalie Bennett understands the foundation of life is cooperation, not competition; that diversity is essential to resilience and health of systems; that humans are just one more species of animal, or rather, holobiont; that reductionism has to be replaced by relational thinking; that financialising society has destroyed - as it was meant to do - relationships essential to wellbeing; and, perhaps most crucially at all, that we have to draw on the knowledge and wisdom of indigenous societies that have maintained themselves and their environments in healthy balance for thousands or tens of thousands of years. That means acknowledging the time, energy and talents of all life must contribute to a new way for humans to live in balance with the more-than-human world.This book will appeal to fans of David Graeber, Kate Raworth, Tyson Yunkaporta, Jason Hickel, Anna Tsing, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ursula Le Guin, Bruno Latour, Wangarii Maathai, Merlin Sheldrake, Vandana Shiva, Lynn Margulis, Kim Stanley Robinson, as well as listeners to the New Books Network, Past Present Future, and HPS podcasts.
The Captive Superpower
In a world where information circulates at unprecedented speed, the perception of a nation's credibility has become a crucial issue. This book offers a rigorous investigation of the forces that truly shape US foreign policy, far beyond public statements. It reveals how a web of financial, media and geopolitical interests has created a powerful system of influence that guides decisions at the highest levels of government.The book details the central role of financial power, from campaign contributions to the relentless lobbying of powerful interest groups. It highlights how these entities use their resources to shape legislation and secure policies favourable to their agendas, both nationally and internationally.The analysis extends to the media sphere, demonstrating how control of discourse has become a strategic weapon. The author explains the symbiotic relationship between political institutions and the mainstream media, a dynamic that promotes the dissemination of biased narratives and the marginalisation of critical perspectives. This manipulation directly affects how American actions are perceived around the world and serves to garner public support for controversial policies.Using the relationship between the United States and Israel as a central case study, the book illustrates these mechanisms in concrete terms. It analyses American media coverage of settlement projects and how Washington's policy aligns with a specific geopolitical vision, at the risk of undermining its own global credibility.Ultimately, this book argues that the America that fought fascism has given way to a power whose actions increasingly serve the interests of big capital through unpopular wars. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the hidden dynamics of power, the complexity of modern international relations and the true cost of influence.
Echoes of Deception
Lies have always traveled fast, but today they move at the speed of a click-rewiring politics, reshaping societies, and eroding trust across the globe. From viral memes that turn fringe ideas mainstream to state-sponsored influence campaigns that destabilize democracies, disinformation and propaganda have become the most powerful weapons of the digital age.This book pulls back the curtain on how and why falsehoods outperform facts. It reveals the psychology that makes people vulnerable, the algorithms that amplify outrage, and the deliberate strategies that corporations, governments, and extremist groups use to flood the world with noise. Drawing on gripping case studies-from election interference and climate denial to deepfakes and information warfare-it exposes the mechanics of deception in a way that is both unsettling and clarifying.For readers concerned about media manipulation and political influence, educators teaching digital literacy, or citizens seeking a clear lens in an era of post-truth politics analysis, this book offers not easy answers but sharper tools. It shows why echo chambers algorithms thrive, how cognitive bias and belief formation shape our choices, and what countermeasures actually work to resist manipulation without falling into paralyzing distrust.By the end, you will gain a practical framework to spot patterns of deceit, evaluate narratives with new clarity, and recognize when your own emotions are being played. In a world where lies spread faster than truth, discernment is no longer optional-it is survival.
Inquiry Into The Origin And Course Of Political Parties In The United States
A revelatory window into the birth of American politics rediscovered, restored, and reborn for a new generation. Inquiry Into The Origin And Course Of Political Parties in the United States delivers Martin Van Buren s firsthand analysis of how factions became enduring institutions in the young republic. Rooted in 19th century US politics and informed by Van Buren s experience as a statesman, this work traces the origin of US political parties, the founding political ideologies that shaped them, and the mechanics of party evolution that still echo in today s political landscape. Readers will find lucid argumentation on the American political system origins, sharp portraits of early American political thought, and a rigorous historical political discourse that reads as both prophecy and case study. This Alpha Editions release restores a text long out of print, carefully edited and preserved for today s readers and future scholars. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and cultural treasure essential for anyone exploring the political history of the United States, researching Martin Van Buren writings, or cataloguing the evolution of American political parties. Whether you re a casual reader curious about US political party evolution or a collector of classic political literature, this volume offers indispensable Van Buren political insights and a richly contextualized account of American political parties analysis. Reclaim the origins of US political history book scholarship with this definitive restoration.
South Africa
In this unflinching examination of post-apartheid South Africa, Angus Douglas offers a provocative critique of the nation's complex racial dynamics and political landscape. Drawing on personal experiences and historical analysis, Douglas challenges conventional narratives about race, civilization, and governance in a country still grappling with its divided past. Douglas takes readers on a journey through South Africa's tumultuous transition from white minority rule to African majority governance, exploring the unresolved tensions that continue to shape national identity. From the 2021 riots to state capture under Jacob Zuma, from the legacies of figures like Jan Smuts and Steve Biko to the contemporary challenges of tribal politics and race relations, the book offers an insider's perspective on a society at a crossroads. Neither sparing white South Africans from criticism nor indulging in simplistic post-colonial narratives, Douglas argues that South Africa's future depends on honest dialogue about the nature of race, civilization, and the responsibilities of citizenship. His central thesis-that indigenous race-cultures and European race-cultures must find common ground while acknowledging their differences-will challenge readers across the political spectrum. Bold, erudite, and deeply personal, this book provides essential context for understanding one of the world's most fascinating and troubled democracies as it struggles to define its identity in the 21st century. If you enjoyed "My Traitor's Heart," "Country of My Skull," and "Born a Crime," you'll love "South Africa, In the Name of the Father."
Middle Ground
A powerful, eye-opening account of life on the frontlines of Britain's broken social housing system - told by Joe Carpenter, who has spent over a decade inside it.In Middle Ground: A Frontline Journey In Social Housing, Joe Carpenter draws on 13 years and over 14,000 repairs to expose the human cost of a system in collapse. From leaking ceilings and mould-covered walls to evictions, neglect, and dangerous repairs left undone, this gripping memoir pulls back the curtain on the crisis facing thousands of UK tenants, and the workers sent to fix it.Behind every repair ticket, Carpenter found something bigger: broken systems, silenced voices, and families abandoned by bureaucracy. He shares stories rarely heard outside frontline workers - from securing homes overtaken by gangs, to working in a block where a tenant's body was left unnoticed for over two years.Middle Ground is part memoir, part expos矇, and part call to action. It explores the human cost of policies driven by KPIs, call centres, and distant decision-makers. Drawing on landmark housing tragedies as well as everyday failures that rarely make headlines, this book reveals the urgent need for change.But it's not just about failure. Carpenter celebrates the tenants, tradespeople, and frontline staff who still believe in the promise of safe, decent, affordable homes - and offers a blueprint for rebuilding the system from the ground up.If you've ever lived in social housing, worked on the frontline, or wondered how things got this bad - this book is for you.
Priced Out! Building Homes at Fair Prices, Including Future Generations
The United States can build homes and rentals at fair prices. It's possible, doable, and customers are waiting. It's not that the U.S. doesn't have the private funding. It's not that the U.S. doesn't spend enough tax money. In fact, the U.S. already spends tax money on homes at the same rate as the European nation of Austria, which has plenty of homes and rentals at fair prices. It's not that U.S. workers can't pay for their own homes and rentals out of the wages that they have right now, if the prices were fair. It's not any of those things. It's that U.S. elected officials and leaders have avoided the decision to commit to a housing inventory for the middle class and for working families of America. Upscale real estate takes over, in region after region. It's coming your way, if it hasn't already. The economic and social stakes are high. Expensive rent and high home prices take too much of the income of average earners. This is a leading root cause of rising unfair economic inequality. It makes it harder to avoid financial instability for half the nation, well into the middle class, certainly not anymore just for the poorest of the poor. This financial instability increases wider social instability, which brings social strife and personal strife. It does not have to be this way.Three real estate methods can lead to home ownership and rentals at fair prices: (1) property tax caps for average earners and seniors; (2) inventory commitments for starter homes and apartments; and (3) agreements for future generations. These methods have been proven to work through many decades of real-world use. As more and more hard-working, striving people are being priced out, these decisions await.
The Improved Antidote, Supposed To Be More Active In Expelling Poison, Than A Late Invention, By The Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. In Which The Catholics Are Vindicated From His Abuse, And Their Claim
Ignite a forgotten controversy: a spirited defense of conscience and rights that once rattled the corridors of power. The Improved Antidote is a sharp, witty 19th-century pamphlet that answers the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees critique with an eloquent Catholic vindication. Framing its argument as an antidote to poison expulsion the toxic rhetoric of anti-Catholic rhetoric this pamphlet mounts a philosophical and political case for unrestricted emancipation, laying out the moral, legal, and historical claims for Catholic rights. Part polemic, part moral reasoning, the text engages religious debate and political discourse with clarity and heat, invoking classical touchstones (even nodding to Philodemus writings) to expose fallacies and advocate justice. Historically significant and trenchant in style, this restored edition brings back a pamphlet that had long been out of print. Republished by Alpha Editions, it has been carefully restored for today s and future generations, balancing faithful transcription with readability. More than a reprint, this volume is a collector s item and a cultural treasure for historians of 19th-century Catholicism, students of political discourse, and anyone fascinated by the struggle for civil rights. Discover a vivid artifact of religious debate and political argumentation an essential read for casual readers, classic literature collectors, and scholars exploring Catholic emancipation, historical pamphlet culture, and the enduring fight against sectarian poison.
The Great Illusion; A Study Of The Relation Of Military Power To National Advantage
What if the greatest victories of nations were won not on battlefields but at the ledger? In The Great Illusion, Norman Angell demolishes the old myths of conquest with lucid moral force and economic clarity. A landmark national advantage study and military power analysis, this book argues that modern war is anachronistic: the economic impact of war, the intertwined fortunes of trade, and the costs to political power dynamics make military conquest self-defeating. Angell blends sharp historical military analysis with prescient international relations theory, offering conflict resolution insights and a powerful case for peace and prosperity. He maps how military influence on nations is reshaped by commerce, finance, and public opinion transforming how we think about geopolitical strategy and war and economics. Historically significant and surprisingly modern, Angell s book helped shape debates before two world wars and remains essential reading for students of global affairs, policymakers, and thoughtful citizens. This Alpha Editions release restores a classic long out of print: carefully edited, cleaned, and formatted for today s readers and future generations. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and a cultural treasure perfect for casual readers seeking clarity and for classic literature collectors completing a thoughtful shelf. Rediscover Norman Angell s visionary challenge to the sword with facts, moral urgency, and eloquence an indispensable guide to the economic logic of peace and the real costs of conflict.
Dignity Not Citizenship
Immigration has reached a breaking point. After four decades of political gridlock--and four years of President Biden's incredibly reckless open-borders policy--Americans are demanding real solutions, but such solutions require the political willpower to cross party lines, stand up, and say, "enough is enough." ICE raids and mass deportations won't solve the problem--they will make things far worse. And neither will blanket amnesty and wide-open borders. Dignity Not Citizenship is Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar's urgent answer to the most divisive question facing our country today: How do we finally solve immigration and make America better for all Americans? In this bold and timely book, Salazar lays out her revolutionary legislative plan: the Dignity Act--a pragmatic, compassionate, complete, and bipartisan proposal to fix our broken system once and for all. Drawing on decades of experience, Salazar makes the case for a solution that secures our borders, strengthens our economy, and gives millions of long-term undocumented immigrants--many here for 5, 10, even 20 years--a plan to step out of the shadows. In the process, it makes cities safer, adds trillions to our economy, puts money in your pocket, and ensures our position as the greatest country in the world. With clarity, conviction, and courage, Dignity Not Citizenship charts a course that restores our humanity and reclaims America's moral leadership. This isn't just a book of policy--it's a book about people, the very people who--day in and day out--make this country great. It's time for a new vision. It's time for Dignity.
Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail?
How can science prevail when policies fall short?Political, military, and intelligence professionals alone can't resolve all global threats. Sometimes, when other solutions have faltered, scientists step out of their classrooms, labs, and offices to help resolve these dangerous crises--often at considerable personal risk. Whether as official ambassadors for their governments or by less formal (or even secret) means, scientists have played pivotal roles in numerous critical moments in modern history, including during the negotiations leading to the Paris Climate Agreement, the global response to the COVID crisis, and many more.What compels them to enter the high-stakes atmospheres surrounding international emergencies, and what are some of their success stories? Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail? vividly recounts Nobel laureate Dr. Peter Agre's metamorphosis from a physician-scientist who studied malaria and other diseases into a trusted global voice for scientific collaboration and consensus building. In his travels, he has met with kings, presidents, prime ministers, and other formidable leaders--including Cuba's Fidel Castro, North Korean officials, Zambian tribal leaders, and the inner circles of the Islamic Republic of Iran--to form relationships and defuse tensions.The dynamic results of scientific knowledge sharing and capacity building shift often tense cross-border relationships, reducing global threats such as climate change, famine, conflict, and epidemics. Thousands of scientists are working on the frontlines--from active volcanoes to remote medical field stations to the halls of government--to help inform policy, change the course of international catastrophes, and build the bonds that promote safety and prosperity.Johns Hopkins WavelengthsIn classrooms, field stations, and laboratories in Baltimore and around the world, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professors of Johns Hopkins University are opening the boundaries of our understanding of many of the world's most complex challenges. The Johns Hopkins Wavelengths book series brings readers inside their stories, illustrating how their pioneering discoveries benefit people in their neighborhoods and across the globe in artificial intelligence, cancer research, food systems' environmental impacts, health equity, planetary science, science diplomacy, and other critical arenas of study. Through these compelling narratives, their insights will spark conversations from dorm rooms to dining rooms to boardrooms.
Reforming Primary Elections
The American system of partisan primary elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate is often blamed for contributing to political polarization and conflict in Congress. These concerns have increased in recent decades, as both parties have at times failed to nominate candidates who would have broad general election appeal.This book considers how primary elections have changed over the past decade and why they so often yield extreme or unpopular candidates. It provides detailed studies of how representative primary voters are of the population and how primary candidates plan their campaigns. The book uses this information to determine how reforms such as nonpartisan primaries might affect primary electorates, candidates, and legislators.Collectively, the chapters in this book show that reform of primary election laws could improve the quality of American elections, but we are far from consensus about which reforms would be best or what the effects of existing reform proposals has been. This is the most comprehensive study of contemporary primaries, featuring many of the leading scholars on parties and elections in the United States.
Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World
New, practical approaches to confronting today's most daunting global issues Fighting climate change, saving democracy, and eradicating poverty are urgent global challenges, yet the world's leaders continue to pursue outdated policies that focus on one while worsening the tradeoffs between each of them. Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World shows how the nations of the world can achieve all three objectives. Dani Rodrik provides a bold new vision of globalization, one in which we accelerate the green transition to achieve a sustainable planet, shore up the middle class to restore democracy's foundations, and hasten economic revitalization in the developing world to put an end to poverty. The rising tide of authoritarianism has demonstrated our inability to alleviate economic anxieties. Economic nationalism has raised the specter of increased protectionism and deteriorating prospects for economic growth. And automation and other new technologies have undercut the advantages of low-cost, unskilled labor in manufacturing and export-oriented industrialization. Rodrik reveals how we can restore prosperity through new forms of collaborative public-private action--to promote renewables and green industries, middle-class jobs, and enhanced productivity in labor-absorbing services--even in the absence of global cooperation. He explains why this new kind of globalization must also recognize the legitimate desire of governments to pursue their economic, social, and security interests autonomously. Turning conventional economic wisdom on its head, Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World builds on practices that work while radically transforming those that don't, presenting a grounded, clear-eyed approach to tackling the problems that affect us all, at home and around the world.
That City Is Mine!
This thesis is about urban ideal images. It is about dreams - not fictitious beliefs, but dreams that humankind can realize tomorrow. It is about images from intellectuals, pastry cooks, urban planners and firemen. About people who deeply care about their cities, about their hopes, frustrations, anger and optimism. They describe their ideals in city debates to gain support, and try to eliminate those with different urban ideal images. They grouse, cuddle, quarrel, adore allies and blacken enemies. But are they successful? Do people change their urban ideal images because of these discussions? Does the local planning council change their plans because they conflict with ideals of citizens? The answers can be found in this book.
Water Wars
The twenty-first century will not be defined by oil, territory, or ideology-it will be defined by the struggle for water. From rivers that cross hostile borders to melting glaciers that once sustained empires, the world is entering a precarious age where water scarcity geopolitics determines the survival of nations, the stability of cities, and the security of billions.This book reveals how the hidden battle for the planet's most vital resource is already reshaping the global order. Drawing on history, science, and diplomacy, it shows why the global water crisis is more than an environmental issue-it is the new frontline of power. Case studies from the Nile, Indus, and Colorado rivers expose how transboundary rivers conflict can trigger war or force cooperation. Stories of collapsing aquifers, vanishing glaciers, and crumbling urban infrastructure highlight why groundwater depletion crisis and mismanagement put every society at risk.Readers will also discover how technology and policy are rewriting the map of survival. The politics of desalination, the rise of water diplomacy, and the complex world of hydropolitics reveal the opportunities and dangers of treating water as both a commodity and a right.This book is written for globally minded readers-policy watchers, students, professionals, and anyone concerned with climate change and water security-who want more than warnings; they want clarity. It offers a sharp framework for understanding why some nations thrive in the age of scarcity while others collapse, and what ordinary citizens can do to shape the future.By the final page, you will see water not as a silent backdrop to civilization but as the decisive force that will chart the next century's conflicts, alliances, and survival itself.
Echoes of Injustices
James M. Violon, born June 6, 1990, in Valencia City, Bukidnon, Philippines, is a distinguished academic and legal professional. He graduated cum laude with a BA in Political Science from Central Mindanao University in 2012 and earned a Master in History degree from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology in 2016. In 2021, he completed his Juris Doctor at Bukidnon State University and, in 2024, obtained a Doctorate in Education in Leadership and Management from Liceo de Cagayan University, graduating with the highest academic honor, Meritissimus. Professionally, Violon served as an Associate Professor V at Bukidnon State University and is currently the Executive Assistant IV at Central Mindanao University. An active researcher, his work focuses on leadership development and opportunities for women in higher education leadership roles.
The Half-Built Nation
Why does the world's most populous democracy, with space missions, digital innovation, and geopolitical clout, still struggle to provide clean water, functioning schools, and safe toilets to millions? This is not just a paradox-it's a wake-up call.This urgent and unflinching book explores why India is still poor despite its global rise, dissecting the cracks in its foundation even as the superstructure soars. It reveals the hard truths behind india's development crisis-how glitzy economic growth often masks deep local inequality, institutional fragility, and the unmet promise of democracy.Written for policy thinkers, engaged citizens, students, and anyone invested in India's future, it goes beyond surface-level commentary to ask the toughest questions: - Can economic growth vs human development be reconciled? - Why has indian public policy failure become systemic? - How do caste, gender, and infrastructure gaps derail the path forward?Drawing on real stories, sharp data, and a panoramic view of India's political and economic journey, this is not a tale of decline-but a call to build differently. It compares india vs china development trajectories, questions the obsession with GDP, and argues for re-centering dignity, access, and justice as core national goals.The insight is clear: india global power means little without broken infrastructure being fixed, without the unseen majority gaining visibility and voice. Readers will walk away with a deeper understanding of the future of Indian economy-and what it will truly take for a rising power to rise from within.
Water Wars
The twenty-first century will not be defined by oil, territory, or ideology-it will be defined by the struggle for water. From rivers that cross hostile borders to melting glaciers that once sustained empires, the world is entering a precarious age where water scarcity geopolitics determines the survival of nations, the stability of cities, and the security of billions.This book reveals how the hidden battle for the planet's most vital resource is already reshaping the global order. Drawing on history, science, and diplomacy, it shows why the global water crisis is more than an environmental issue-it is the new frontline of power. Case studies from the Nile, Indus, and Colorado rivers expose how transboundary rivers conflict can trigger war or force cooperation. Stories of collapsing aquifers, vanishing glaciers, and crumbling urban infrastructure highlight why groundwater depletion crisis and mismanagement put every society at risk.Readers will also discover how technology and policy are rewriting the map of survival. The politics of desalination, the rise of water diplomacy, and the complex world of hydropolitics reveal the opportunities and dangers of treating water as both a commodity and a right.This book is written for globally minded readers-policy watchers, students, professionals, and anyone concerned with climate change and water security-who want more than warnings; they want clarity. It offers a sharp framework for understanding why some nations thrive in the age of scarcity while others collapse, and what ordinary citizens can do to shape the future.By the final page, you will see water not as a silent backdrop to civilization but as the decisive force that will chart the next century's conflicts, alliances, and survival itself.
The Half-Built Nation
Why does the world's most populous democracy, with space missions, digital innovation, and geopolitical clout, still struggle to provide clean water, functioning schools, and safe toilets to millions? This is not just a paradox-it's a wake-up call.This urgent and unflinching book explores why India is still poor despite its global rise, dissecting the cracks in its foundation even as the superstructure soars. It reveals the hard truths behind india's development crisis-how glitzy economic growth often masks deep local inequality, institutional fragility, and the unmet promise of democracy.Written for policy thinkers, engaged citizens, students, and anyone invested in India's future, it goes beyond surface-level commentary to ask the toughest questions: - Can economic growth vs human development be reconciled? - Why has indian public policy failure become systemic? - How do caste, gender, and infrastructure gaps derail the path forward?Drawing on real stories, sharp data, and a panoramic view of India's political and economic journey, this is not a tale of decline-but a call to build differently. It compares india vs china development trajectories, questions the obsession with GDP, and argues for re-centering dignity, access, and justice as core national goals.The insight is clear: india global power means little without broken infrastructure being fixed, without the unseen majority gaining visibility and voice. Readers will walk away with a deeper understanding of the future of Indian economy-and what it will truly take for a rising power to rise from within.
Gilded Rage
** A PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOK OF 2025 **** A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2025 **'Lively and provocative.' FINANCIAL TIMES'Makes a convincing case for how tech became radicalized.' BLOOMBERG'Revelatory.' THE BULWARK'sharp and ominous...an essential unmasking of the growing extremism among America's wealthy.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY What happens if the world's richest and most powerful men decide to dismantle democracy? In Gilded Rage, New York Times bestselling author Jacob Silverman takes us inside the surreal, high-stakes world of Silicon Valley. This is the story of the political awakening and radicalization of a cabal of tech billionaires and their descent into ideological extremism. Flush with cash from the zero-interest era, addicted to their own mythology, these men have began reshaping the world in their image -- and it should terrify us all. At the center is Elon Musk, the mogul whose obsession with the "woke mind virus" has turned him from a tech innovator to an ideological crusader. But Musk is just the beginning. Silverman maps a sprawling network of radicalized elites - from Peter Thiel and JD Vance to the financiers bankrolling Donald Trump's return - who are using their platforms and their money to ensure a political revolution that's already underway. This is not just a book about tech. It's about power. We meet the billionaires funding life-extension labs and embracing apocalyptic visions of AI. We examine the populist rhetoric that is leading to the ruthless dismantling of democratic norms. And we enter the strange, darkly comic world of the tech-oligarchy where libertarian dreams meet authoritarian impulses, and where the people with the most influence over our lives are the least accountable. Silverman travels from San Francisco to Miami, New York to DC, following a movement that's rewriting the rules and oftentimes fighting a war against reality itself. With sharp reporting and a cast of extraordinary characters, Gilded Rage is a gripping, essential dispatch from the front lines of the billionaire revolution. If you want to understand who is trying to control the future, and why, then this is the book you need to read.
A Seventh Man
Why does the Western world look to migrant laborers to perform the most menial tasks? What compels people to leave their homes and accept this humiliating situation? In A Seventh Man, John Berger and Jean Mohr come to grips with what it is to be a migrant worker--the material circumstances and the inner experience--and, in doing so, reveal how the migrant is not so much on the margins of modern life, but absolutely central to it. First published in 1975, this finely wrought exploration remains as urgent as ever, presenting a mode of living that pervades the countries of the West and yet is excluded from much of its culture.
What Fresh Hell?
What Fresh Hell? brings together ten years of reporting and commentary on war and peace, infrastructure, the coastal and global environment besieged by climate change, and politics and society in the Obama and Bush-Cheney years. The New Orleans-dedicated, New York-based blog Levees Not War was founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. This collection serves up liberal portions of sharp, spirited writing and interviews with experts like Ivor van Heerden, tributes to activists and civil rights leaders such as Tom Hayden and Medgar Evers, and on-the-ground reporting from Occupy Wall Street (2011) while marching with nurses, teachers, and transit workers. "This is not the fringe. This is the middle class."
The Candidates 1980
The Candidates 1980: Where They Stand represents a major effort by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research to contribute to educated and informed public discourse on the issues facing the American people not only in the 1980 presidential campaign but throughout the 1980s. The book is an outgrowth of AEI's continuing research project in social and political processes.
Human Rights, Gender and Environment
Addressing students, teachers, and the general reader, this book serves as a vital introduction to human rights. It meticulously explores how violations of these rights profoundly impact critical issues of gender and the environment. The narrative skillfully traces the underlying interconnections between these concepts against the stark backdrop of existing social inequalities, including those based on class, caste, gender, race, and ethnicity.Furthermore, the text delves into globalization's complex impact on societies already fraught with such disparities. It passionately argues for the urgent need to forge a more equal, non-discriminatory, and free world. As a comprehensive resource, it encourages readers to not only understand but also to critically think and engage with these pressing issues, helping them formulate their own informed positions. An excellent tool for students, educators, policy-makers, and concerned citizens alike, this book is an essential guide for anyone committed to building a more just global society.
Terms of Servitude
This groundbreaking book documents how digital platforms and technology companies based in the United States support the Israeli settler-colonial project through censorship. Terms of Servitude demonstrates how social media has become a new tool of anti-Palestinian suppression even though these platforms were initially instrumental in advancing the Palestinian struggle. Features an introduction by Steven Salaita, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the American University in Cairo. [Terms of Servitude is a joint production of The Censored Press and Seven Stories Press.] Terms of Servitude explores the paradox whereby prominent digital platforms like Meta, Google, and X that initially facilitated the expression of activism and advocacy for Palestinian liberation have come to fortify Zionist settler-colonialism. Through anti-Palestinian censorship and erasure often justified by so-called "terms of service" or "community standards" violations, these Big Tech companies provide the Israeli occupation forces with AI technology and metadata used to streamline genocidal colonial violence against Palestinians. Through original analysis and careful documentation, Omar Zahzah, Assistant Professor of Arab, Muslim, Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies at San Francisco State University, traces the timeline from the Sheikh Jarrah uprisings of 2021 to the beginning of October 2023 to the most current developments to explain social media's role in advancing and suppressing Palestinian narratives. This revealing and alarming book explores what makes anti-colonial counter-narratives across digital platforms so urgent, and what resistance can and must mean in light of the consolidation of Big Tech with Israeli colonialism and genocide.
Extraction
Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process?Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In Extraction, she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium. Taking readers from the breathtaking salt flats of Chile's Atacama Desert, to Nevada's glorious Silver Peak Range, to the rolling hills of the Barroso Region of Portugal, she reveals the social and environmental costs of "critical minerals." In Washington, DC, and Brussels, she tracks the escalating geopolitics of green technology supply chains. And she takes stock of new policy paradigms in the Global South, where governments seek to leverage mineral assets to jumpstart green development. In the process, Riofrancos uncovers surprising links across history, from colonial conquest to the 1970s energy crisis, to our still uncertain green future.While unregulated mining could inflict irreversible harm, Riofrancos offers optimistic proposals to transform the governance of mining while also reducing the sheer volume of global extraction. A rigorous and hopeful call to action, Extraction shares how we can harmonize climate goals with social justice--and set the planet on a course to ecological flourishing.
Depression, War, and Cold War
Offering a powerful interpretation of U.S. political economy from the early-1930s to the end of the Cold War, Higgs refutes many popular myths about the Great Depression and New Deal, the World War II economy, and the postwar national-security state that is still so pervasive today. In Depression, War, and Cold War, the scholarly sequel to his acclaimed classic Crisis and Leviathan, Robert Higgs sheds pioneering light on some of the most important of these questions: What accounts for the extraordinary duration of the Great Depression? What about "wartime prosperity" and whether World War II "got the economy out of the depression"? How did the war alter relations between the government and the leaders of big business? How did the postwar military economy alter the business cycle? What is Congress's role in the military-industrial-congressional complex? This seminal book answers these and other crucial questions by presenting new insights, evidence, and statistical analyses. Depression, War, and Cold War offers a powerful, solidly grounded interpretation of U.S. political economy from the early-1930s to the end of the Cold War, and refutes many popular ideas about the Great Depression and New Deal, the World War II economy, and the postwar national-security state still so pervasive today.
World Watcher
World Watcher: On Manufacturing War is an anthology of articles on the relentless effort of Trans-Atlantica - the United States and its NATO partners - to overcome peace and perpetuate war, selected by a veteran analyst on world affairs from an oeuvre of her published works spanning the past quarter century. Diana Johnstone demonstrates how the end of the Cold War, rather than bringing about world peace, made it clear that "the communist threat" had above all served as a pretext for aggressive militarization Subsequent pretexts focusing on human rights violations, "authoritarianism" and imaginary scenarios were to follow. A new age of endless war has been deliberately manufactured by the dominating powers of finance, mass media, entrenched institutions and opportunistic politicians. This book addresses: - the ideological aspects of Western aggressivity. - the opening act of NATO's rebirth as aggressive war-maker with the destruction of Yugoslavia, using humanitarian pretexts to preserve and extend hegemony. - the murderous Western assault on Israel's adversaries in the Near East, - the degraded political systems of the United States and its European dependencies as governance is reduced to support for financial capitalism, the military industry and war, and - the relentless Western effort to revise its alliance of World War II by using Ukrainian ultra-nationalism to defeat and eventually even dismantle Russia. The greatest danger to the United States and Europe is not any external enemy or foreign ideology, but their own arrogant commitment to pursuing an enduring world hegemony. Trans-Atlantica's destructive hostility toward the rest of the world is accompanied by a general decline in standards of education, social tranquillity and economic well-being for the majority of its own people. Their publics' understanding of the world is distorted by mainstream media, which teaches them to accept violence as the effective, indeed only, way to settle differences. War is being constantly manufactured between nations, within targeted nations and even at home between identity groups. Historically inept Western politicians are leading their nations to disaster. As at this writing, it is by no means clear how Western populations can find the political means to change course.
Strong Floor, No Ceiling
A Bold Plan to Rebuild the American Dream--for EveryoneWe're not just divided--we're adrift. Strong Floor, No Ceiling presents a bold, radically moderate blueprint to reconnect our fractured country and restore belief in opportunity, fairness, and shared progress.Entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, and public policy thinker Oliver B. Libby delivers a hopeful yet pragmatic path forward that blends innovation with tradition, growth with equity, and compassion with common sense. If you're weary of the extremes and the noise and looking for a future grounded in real solutions, this book is your rallying point.Inside, you'll discover: A new "Strong Floor" approach to healthcare, education, and infrastructure How capital markets and innovation can coexist with social safety nets A powerful call for civic renewal and shared national Strategies to restore trust in institutions and elections A practical framework for bipartisan progress The launch of a Strong Floor/No Ceiling organization to support candidates who will lead on these principles We should have a strong floor--made of access to education, healthcare, homes, jobs, capital, and justice--that all our citizens can stand atop. But we cannot afford this without celebrating success, entrepreneurship, and innovation--there should be no ceiling to our aspirations. These ideas may seem like they come from the opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they are fundamentally linked into the engine of the American Dream itself.If you believe in fairness, freedom, and a future worth fighting for, now is the time to act.
