Long ago, and in all four of our print editions, the OTC ran a feature called “The Shifting Geography of Protest: A Global Digest,” in which we listed and summarized all the different areas of the world in which protests had erupted. The feature was inspired by a blog written by the late, distinguished sociologist …
Ever since Ronald Reagan busted the air traffic controllers union (PATCO) in 1981, [1] the union movement in the United States has been in decline. Back then, one in 5 workers in the U.S. was a union member; today that number has fallen to one in 10. This decline in the unionized workforce, in turn, …
Read moreThe UAW Leadership Shake Up and the Need to Speak Up for Unions
Though the Occupy movement continues to fade from public memory, references to our signature chant of “We are the 99%!” still abound. They are of interest either because we feel ripped off when mainstream political candidates claim to be and/or represent 99-percenters or because we are glad to be reminded of the cooperation and solidarity …
Read moreOn Reading “Notes for a Feminist Manifesto” While in My Rust Belt Hometown
In his January 13 column for the Arizona Daily Star, “Downscale spots in downtown Tucson in danger of disappearing,” Tim Steller makes two important points: 1) It’s possible that soon there won’t be any places downtown “that don’t cater to moneyed people”; and 2) The overuse of tax incentives offered by the city of Tucson …
Read moreThe Class and Cultural Cleansing of Downtown Tucson Nears Completion
On January 15, 2015, my review of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twentieth Century was posted on this site. In that review I highlighted the importance of the documentation of increased inequality among many of the countries of the world as a reflection of the gross concentration of wealth among the one percent, exemplified by …
Read moreContre-Piketty. Askenazy’s “Tous Rentiers” (a review)