John de Graaf: The Progressive Politics of Happiness

Once upon a time, in a far-off land of green valleys and soaring mountains, a boy of 16 was crowned King—and began in a quiet way to change the world. The year was 1972—not so long ago. The faraway land was a tiny Himalayan Kingdom called Bhutan. And the 16-year-old king was Jigme Wangchuck, who, when asked what he would do to increase Bhutan’s Gross National Product, replied that, as far as he was concerned, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.”

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Like Glenn Beck, Ayn Rand Peddled Garbage As Truth -- Why Did America Buy It?

St. Petersburg in revolt gave us Vladimir Nabokov, Isaiah Berlin and Ayn Rand. The first was a novelist, the second a philosopher. The third was neither but thought she was both.

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Austerity Anger Grows in Europe

Tens of thousands protested against austerity cuts in Spain and Denmark Tuesday as Germany's powerful unions warned of mass action and Hungary became the latest debt-ridden nation to slash spending.

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Chris Hedges: The Christian Fascists Are Growing Stronger

Tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement known as the Christian right, have begun to dismantle the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. They are creating a theocratic state based on “biblical law,” and shutting out all those they define as the enemy. This movement, veering closer and closer to traditional fascism, seeks to force a recalcitrant world to submit before an imperial America.

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Real People v. Corporate “People”: The Fight Is On

In 2009, Riki Ott was on the road for 252 days educating people about the dangers of "corporate personhood." She mostly spoke in academic settings, and there was some interest in the idea, says Ott, but not much. All that changed on January 21, 2010, when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

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The Really Creepy People Behind the Libertarian-Inspired Billionaire Sea Castles

What happens when Americans plunder America and leave it broken, destitute and seething mad? Where do these fabulously wealthy Americans go with their loot, if America isn't a safe, secure, or even desirable place to spend their riches?

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Tom Engelhardt: Living in the 51st State (of Denial)

Graduates of the class of 2010, I’m honored to have been asked to address you today, but I would not want to be you.

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US cult of greed is now a global environmental threat, report warns

Excessive consumption has spread to developing countries and could wipe out efforts to slow climate change, Worldwatch Institute says.

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George Lakoff: Obama’s Missing Moral Narrative

Barack Obama may be one of the best communicators of this generation, but he is not living up to his own talents. In a year of disasters, communication failure doubles the disasters.

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Linh Dinh: Quantifying Culture

Since 51% of Americans don't believe in evolution, they apparently cannot comprehend that we are squandering millions of years of carbohydrate in one bloody speed orgy. Having a telescoped notion of the past, they also cannot project into the distant future. Hankering for the world to end, obsessed with end time, they are counting the days and don't care that this earth is being destroyed.

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