Dear Readers,

I have some good news and bad news. In keeping with the spirit of this column, I'll give the bad news first. The Daily Outrage is retiring today. I would like to thank Matt Bivens for starting it; Katrina vanden Heuvel for recruiting me; Peter Rothberg for his daily edits; and three ace researchers, Sam Graham-Felsen, Liliana Segura and George Zornick.

Now the good news: I'm relocating to Washington to take on more substantial projects for The Nation as a contributing writer. I'll be writing frequent web dispatches and longer pieces for the magazine--a great opportunity I couldn't pass up. The Nation's web site will continue to grow, with high-profile guests and Nation writers blogging.

Finally, I'd like to thank all my readers, especially the regulars. I'd urge you all to stay informed, write letters to the editor, start your own blogs or newsletters, and be active in your communities. If you feel particularly inspired, run for political office, regardless of the level. If a politician does something you admire, consider donating your time or money. If you care about certain legislation, organize on its behalf. And march in Washington at the antiwar rally on September 24.

Very Best,

Ari

Comments (42)

1. Wow....good luck, and "bummer" it was a good piece and a lively blog!

   Posted by leftofcenter at 08/26/2005 @ 11:38am

2. Congratulations on your promotion, Mr. Berman.

   It's well earned.

   Posted by Jack Rabbit at 08/26/2005 @ 11:43am

3. I can't say I'm too sad, now you'll be in DC! Great town! ;)

   Posted by RG at 08/26/2005 @ 11:53am

4. I usually enjoy Ari Berman's posts and find him to be pretty sharp and on the ball. But I believe that this one misses the mark. While he has done a good job listing the most important ISSUES facing America today, the article was billed incorrectly as a list of great IDEAS. There's a big difference. Questions are easy to come up with, but answers are more difficult. For example, to me, the need to wean ourselves off of foriegn oil is obvious, but the tough question is- How? I'm no expert but from what I've heard it may be possible, but will be very difficult. All alternative fuel sources are too expensive and inefficient to replace oil in the immediate future. Of course, as most environmentalists know, the answer is a combination of measures such as more mass transit, better hybrid technology, wind power, biodeisel fuels, and etc. But still, all of these solutions fall far short of being able to fulfill our ravenous, bottomless appetite for oil. The same criticism could be made for all of Berman's so-called "ideas." Progressives need more SOLUTIONS, and perhaps even more importantly, these solutions need to be discussed more and need to be taught more to the public at large.

   Posted by stevo at 08/26/2005 @ 11:56am

5. Ari - sounds like a promotion. Best of luck!

   Posted by Zero at 08/26/2005 @ 12:09pm

6. Bravo Stevo. I second your motion. Enumerating and understanding the problems is Step One. Step Two involves identifying desired outcomes. Identifying workable solutions the next. The process of educating the public, gaining political support through election and political wrangling once in office to implement ideas comes last. I speak as though this was simple; of course, the devil is in the details.

   What liberals need most is to be clear about what their agenda is and why they believe it is better than what others have to offer. If our formulations resonate with the public, and our candidates have a little charisma, the left should prove much more formidable opponents.

   Posted by rdberg42 at 08/26/2005 @ 12:19pm

7. STEVO, Just as landing a man on the moon seemed a monumental challenge, so does satisfying the world's need for energy. There are ideas, though. For one, which I have favored for a couple of years now, the USA could launch an "Apollo Project" for energy. It would include funding research as well as funding higher education for american citizens who want advanced degrees in the physical sciences and engineering. Personally I'd like to see such a project paid for by redirecting the corporate welfare that our government hands out.

   Posted by ILOVEPHYSICS at 08/26/2005 @ 1:36pm

8. Best Wishes in your new position. We will be hearing more from you, of course! Peace. Phil Quigley

   Posted by philbq at 08/26/2005 @ 2:35pm

9. good luck Ari, and thanks for a daily source of news and headaches.

   Posted by simonak at 08/26/2005 @ 2:37pm

10. Does this mean that I can't hassle Ari over his web log photograph anymore? I mean, seriously - he needs to get some shirt advice from Corn and Nichols! Those stripes went out with the Cold War, man!

    ;)

    Posted by Zero at 08/26/2005 @ 2:54pm

11. We will miss the outrage, but don't worry; we'll remain outraged enough without you.

    Posted by connorlrar at 08/26/2005 @ 3:12pm

12. I'm OUTRAGED. There, I went and said it. I'm okay now. Will watch for where the winding road leads. Thanks for letting us know.

    Posted by Delmark.G at 08/26/2005 @ 4:57pm

13. Good news for Ari and even better news for the rest of us that a writer with Ari's perspective is moving up the Nation food chain.

    Posted by john.halle at 08/26/2005 @ 5:15pm

14. Ari, thanks for all the wonderful (and horrible) outrages. I certianly will miss them. good luck with DC!

    Posted by rel6igi6ous at 08/26/2005 @ 5:27pm

15. Ari,

    Take care and I wish you the very best in your new assignment for The Nation. Although your Daily Outrage articles will be missed, I look forward to reading your reports from the nation's capitol.

    Maybe I will see you at the antiwar rally on September 24; I'll be the dark, good-looking guy wearing a ballcap that says "Les Miserables".

    Best of luck,

    John

    Posted by oraibi1952 at 08/26/2005 @ 5:31pm

16. The best of luck to you Ari.

    I'm looking forward to reading your future works.

    Posted by Munich at 08/26/2005 @ 11:39pm

17. dear ari berman,

    just read your fine piece on "the strategic class." bravo! stay the course with your sharp insights re the democrats, whose leaders are apologists for empire and murder.

    but the article only deepens my frustration with the nation. i have been moved over the decades by the fine insights of kopkind, pollitt, williams, cockburn and, long ago, even hitchens. their and your insights, however, simply bounce off the deflector shields of an editorial policy that laments about the democrats and then urges us each four years to support these war criminals.

    like violence against women, the abuse will only stop when the abused stand up and say no: when the editors end their support for the bankrupt and reactionary dlc-led democrats.

    john marciano santa monica, ca

    Posted by johnmarcian at 08/26/2005 @ 11:46pm

18. i've been lurking on this blog for quite awhile. sad to see it go, or as a good friend of mine is want to say, "it's an outrage!"

    meanwhile, welcome to dc.

    Posted by nyknicks12 at 08/27/2005 @ 12:06am

19. Congratulations, Ari. See you in the capital city.

    Posted by world citizen at 08/27/2005 @ 12:50am

20. Congrats Ari, this is one of my favourite sites, the outrage will be missed..Good Luck with everything.. Link: A Kuwaiti Online [kwtia.blogspot.com]

    Posted by kwtia at 08/27/2005 @ 10:14am

21. Good luck Ari!! We're thrilled that you'll still be writing for The Nation!

    Posted by frank_07 at 08/27/2005 @ 10:49am

22. Congratulations on your promotion. Just beware, D.C. is the land of double speak and intrigue. . . I know, I live there!

    Posted by hhemwm at 08/27/2005 @ 11:46am

23. .

    This Is the End

    Washington DC is not the end, or the beginning of the end, or even just the end of the beginning.

    But it is the pits.

    Strange that The Nation should have no idea of this nation. It only has an idea of New York City, and Washington DC. Neither stand for America. They are the most untypical of American places. They are only riches in the conventional gripes, saws and lunacies.

    Strange haunts for a magazine with an interest in "unconventional wisdom."

    .

    Posted by nacl at 08/27/2005 @ 1:22pm

24. Ari,

    I'll miss your blogs. They were informative, and I was definitely "outraged" on more than 1 occasion by learning something from your post. I hope that someone on this site will continue your hard work.

    Posted by Daniel Rubin at 08/27/2005 @ 2:57pm

25. To the Editors of The Nation,

    Although Ari is going on to bigger and better things with The Nation, we still need a Daily Outrage or something similar.

    Those who agree with my statement above, please add your own to this blog or write a letter to the editors of The Nation.

    Posted by oraibi1952 at 08/27/2005 @ 5:33pm

26. Daily Outrage....

    It would indeed be an outrage if we had no daiuly outrage....(albeit circular logic?)

    Posted by leftofcenter at 08/27/2005 @ 6:18pm

27. I personally would love to see a piece ennumerating the most important overlooked news stories. There used to be (or perhaps still is) a group who compiled a list of the 30?most important but overlooked stories of the past year. Something along those lines, but on a more day-to-day basis, I think, would be great.

    Posted by jorcheim at 08/27/2005 @ 9:56pm

28. Here to for...

    It's not that solutions just happen to matter... IT'S HOW MUCH THEY MATTER!!! ... They really mean... EVERYTHING that matters for the whole world at this very point. Who doesn't get that? It's about TIME just as much as it is about MATTER.

    Science Now is 20 years late. Check the facts. I love to see Stevo and Ilovephysics here keeping true to tonic, but the idea, or mentality, of allowing another 20 years of impediment and devastation to the only world solutions by illegitimate, confounded government corruption and it's corporate elite only because citizens of wherewithal have no conviction or real investment for it all is absolutely... you might as well say, "This is the end".

    If one poor joe figured out how to run his VW on french fry grease years ago, while the whole world is engulfed in quagmire for OIL... created by a confounded government's corruption and it's corporate interests... not to mention America's and countless people who have and are dying for it, what the hell does that say for the intelligence, prerogatives at large, and progress for us as a country... a world? You know what it says. It's practically unspeakable. And yet the front along to get along continues.. to get nowhere. Come on Degeneration X. Figure out Y, and really mean something in real time. We've allowed a 3rd world mentality (corruption's own)... The world is only as strong as it's weakest person. Yeah, I was Infantry and know what that means. Where's the world's real focus on Common Wealth... of all disciplines?

    If, hell choose someone, most anyone... Dustin Hoffman... Tim Burton... DMB... every and anyone relative... all of progressive Hollywood, all in affinity, and all in suit.. Nader... PLAN... affiliates of MLK's surviving relatives for goodness sakes... everyone put their foot in the door and called up the leading Benign Energy Manufacturers to invest and promote this resource... initially mandating and motivating this manifesto, this world solution.. (there's production value for you, and certainly worth infinitely more than any 2 hour movie....HELLO) and even regular joe's could operate sustainable energy "farms" with gov grants/ loans to power their towns... there's the start. Boom. Done. It just takes the right appropriations and initiatives. Do you need to diagram motor functions in order to take the step? Subjectivity can be devastating.

    Concurrently and perhaps more imparticular (Tavis Smiley inflection), the same investment in the research and manufacturing of an immediate transitional apparatus (if not already done) to amalgamate engines with the same technology... would make reality in relative short term as well. The wherewithal is right here. Who knew?

    The tables would turn. It's that easy. It would snow ball. In a very short period of time we'd have a vast number of cars in the shops and running off this technology. And the bill would concurrently pass for tax breaks and incentives... from the government who's right minded agenda got mandated by and for the people, finally!!! Car manufacturers would have no choice but to catch on. Boom. Independence and the world's greatest Benign Energy outlet.

    Don't anyone dare come up with, "It would hurt the immediate economy." I'll tell ya about the ******* economy... ecology... the world's health per capita.

    So, this is a win-win-win... solution. Not hard. Just figure it out. The battle with pharmaceutical companies happens the same way. BY THE PEOPLE... That's how to reform a government gone wild. Invest and pipeline the sciences and get the cures out. They're there. We must do in order for the government to follow, at this point.

    People are fighting the war like fighting fire with fire. It does nothing but make it all worse, balances the hell. So the troops come home. Come home to what??!!! And who "wins" in the meantime. No one, except perhaps the same few corrupt wealthy in their own little wrought interests...

    Life is delicate, people are dying in the world for our misgivings. And all we can do is have shows like Now and Charlie Rose where solutions are almost implied, but God forbid if they're ever ******* uttered or actually realized. A butterfly flaps it's wings... If we allow corrupt government and it's corporate elite (earth's "superpower") to impede real progress and keep the country and world in degeneration in dissolution... everybody's world hurts in every way, shape, and form and it's inevitable macro chain reaction will devastate for generations all around to come. Yes, many people died just now in many places because of the world's so called super power, it's untimely corruption, and it's very citizens who lack conviction and initiative.

    "Inconceivable." "I do not think that word means what you think it means." - The Princess Bride

    How many Pelican Briefs have to come out? Take a real stand. Be More. Be much, much more, PBS!

    Brought to you by the letters B and E... and the number infinity.

    PS. Can somebody please put me in touch with somebody...??! I can't seem to really get through to anyone.

    I won't even get into my devastated situation due to this very relative quagmire. I'll edit no more. "Oh no I've said too much, I haven't said (done) enough."

    Posted by emg at 08/28/2005 @ 01:50am

29. Billions of years of evolution... All came down to Bush and Co. The world's immediate future dictating the rest of all time all came down to demonstrations in Crawford?

    Come now people. Here's some more people living at present. You can fill in all the people you know:

    Adam Horovitz, Alan Alda, Al Pacino, Alex Trebec... Ben Stiller, Bill Cosby, Bill Murray, Bob Dylan... Charlie Rose, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood... Danny Devito, Dave Matthews, Denzel Washington... Eric Guinn, Ewan McGreggor... Fred Savage... Gene Hackman, Gene Wilder, George Lucas... Henry... Ishmael... James Earl Jones, Jeff Bridges, Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts... Kevin Spacey... Liam Neeson... Mike Diamond, Morgan Freeman... Noah... Oliver Stone... Paul Newman... Quincy Jones... Robert Redford, Ralph Nader... Sean Penn, Sylvester Stallone, Spike Lee... Tim Robbins, Tom Cruise... U... Val Kilmer... Willem Dafoe... Xavier... Yates... Zebedee... ...............................................................................................................................

    Imagine... All the people in the very same world that everyone else lives in actually doing something about the catastrophe and macro corruption happening in front of our eyes.

    ^^^^Well, there's a way.^^^^

    Posted by emg at 08/28/2005 @ 04:58am

30. And don't forget about Bill Crystal, Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, and Robin Williams... And all the real people they've represented.

    Not to mention the millions of other professionals that are directly involved one way or another.

    Posted by emg at 08/28/2005 @ 05:35am

31. Get in touch with reality folks.

    Posted by emg at 08/28/2005 @ 05:36am

32. EMG,

    The problem with your argument, with all due respect from a conservative point of view is all these people:

    "Adam Horovitz, Alan Alda, Al Pacino, Alex Trebec... Ben Stiller, Bill Cosby, Bill Murray, Bob Dylan... Charlie Rose, Chris Rock, Clint Eastwood... Danny Devito, Dave Matthews, Denzel Washington... Eric Guinn, Ewan McGreggor... Fred Savage... Gene Hackman, Gene Wilder, George Lucas... Henry... Ishmael... James Earl Jones, Jeff Bridges, Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts... Kevin Spacey... Liam Neeson... Mike Diamond, Morgan Freeman... Noah... Oliver Stone... Paul Newman... Quincy Jones... Robert Redford, Ralph Nader... Sean Penn, Sylvester Stallone, Spike Lee... Tim Robbins, Tom Cruise... U... Val Kilmer... Willem Dafoe... Xavier... Yates... Zebedee..."

    Most conservatives despise. They look at them as Hollywood elites who try to push their progressive political ideology down our throats by use of their bully pulpits with all the media attention they get all the time.

    I'm moved and more concerned with what these people think:

    Joel Osteen, James Dobson, Dr. Ed Young, Chuck Colson, Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, John Maxwell, Max Lucado.

    You get the picture..

    Todd

    Posted by Oksportsguy at 08/28/2005 @ 4:15pm

33. I heard the opinion today, that the Hollyweird types have the same status in American culture as the Greek gods had in classical Greek culture.

    And that makes Hollywood sort of Mt. Olympus.

    Seeing all those names in the previous post really reinforces that.

    Why anyone would take the opinions of people who make a living pretending to be other people at all seriously defies comprehension.

    Why, what possible reason, would anyone take them as seriously as the woman who served me coffee over at the diner earlier this evening? At least she has a useful, honest job.

    Alan Alda?

    Get real!

    Posted by jonb at 08/28/2005 @ 9:14pm

34. You missed the point. Actors or not. I simply focused on the most obviously known people with incredible wherewithal. That's all. Any entrepreneur with the right wherewithal could take the responsibility..!

    The acting community is fairly tight possibly making them the most ideal pipeline. And I wouldn't underrate them, though I understand your contempt for them perhaps at this point in time.

    How do you make a movie like the Constant Gardner, or any other... get paid incredible sums of money etc..., and then practically ignore the very reality...? .. with the very fortune and profficiency it takes...????

    In any case, you didn't get it AT ALL.

    Alan Alda? Yes. Anyone. Billy Graham??? Ok Fletch. Not anyone. Is this a progressive column, or a complete sham and waste of my time???

    Posted by emg at 08/29/2005 @ 12:00am

35. And it's far from ok there sports guy.

    I'm the only one being real. You could take that to the world bank if it weren't so par with the wrought course.

    This stagnant country has attracted every suckerhead there is to the administered pile of BUllSHit. Everyone's standing around like no one can possibly figure out for the life of them how to get to the point due time... or let's say, abstruseness (point A), to a bearing (point B) in due time.

    See the point?

    Corruption stinks. Stop calling it fertilizer.

    Posted by emg at 08/29/2005 @ 12:37am

36. Don't abuse the definition of what a conservative is by brandishing a prescribed and ultimately incongruent template.

    Everyone's a conservative. It's about what's trying to be conserved. People who label themselves a "Conservative" in this country really only mean, "Conserve the current, overt corruption, it's dissolution, the degeneration, and a macro disorder of things.." Like sometime early on in life, Jenny Jones became their surrogate mother, dropped them on their heads, and now they deny the gravity of it ALL.

    "What you gonna do when the beat goes drop"

    They haven't had the proper wherewithal, and are not prepared to deal with a problem this monumental, yet somehow feel prepared to lend themselves to the very crux of the problem.. willingly sacrificing it all to go along to get along..

    "Progressives" are simply advocating more wherewithal, mental and physical, in order for the common wealth to get these "Conservatives" (Republicans) up to par. Until we have a "real" President that is actually integral and intelligent.. honest... legitimate.... the herd won't ever be enabled, or subject to know any better.

    When will they ever look and understand where the constellations really point?

    And then in defense of their inferiority complex they have the audacity to focus on progressive Hollywood and talk about political ideology getting pushed down throats... from a "bully pulpit"..... while mentioning Billy Graham in the very same post?? Convoluted political idiotology is more grammatically correct...

    "If you want to battle me you're in denial."

    The country's biggest and most obvious problem is it's outrageously confounded people that seem to be most everywhere these days. It's unfortunate that they're so bereft of wherewithal. That's what happens when you have corruption.. dissolution... degeneration.... and a disorder to the very values a country was founded upon. But it's no excuse. It's not like they have to have a profound sense of nuance regarding the state of things..! But I have to assume that when they come here, they are one step ahead of the rest..

    So, case in point, competent people, who we can all call "Progressive", need to get wise to the art and concept of unification/ initiative in order to pick up the slack for the incompetent labelling themselves, "Conservative", or "Republicans" by taking a tip... (look above)

    Posted by emg at 08/29/2005 @ 07:22am

37. "Alan Alda? Yes. Anyone. Billy Graham??? Ok Fletch. Not anyone. Is this a progressive column, or a complete sham and waste of my time???"

    If by that remark you are asking don't only progressives read this column. The answer would no, there are many conservatives that read this column.

    Todd

    Posted by Oksportsguy at 08/29/2005 @ 07:53am

38. Good Luck Ari!! I have been reading The Nation only a few months and recently subscribed. I looked forward to The Daily Outrage. Now I will look forward to your contributing writing!! Thanks, Don

    Posted by donjames at 08/29/2005 @ 09:22am

39. I know your first programmed reaction is to paint over the wall, but just keep rereading what's on the lines. I won't ask you to descry what's between them yet.

    In any case, whoever the hell is reading... Progress has yet to be found.

    I'm aware that there may be many a so called "Liberal" here, too...

    Whatever you want to call yourself, the facts don't change. The truth doesn't change. The solutions don't change. In terms of pragmatics, it really gets down to a science, and all anyone can seem to do is blow shit up. The obfuscations by and for the corrupt have haunted the world over for too damn long in ways most don't seem to comprehend, and the chain reaction continues. Where's the Ghostbusters when you need them? Think gestalt and get real.

    Democratic republic is simply a term meaning all the people as a whole. How it dissolved it's very core and fundamental reason separating and negating all intents and purposes has only opened the doors to wide scale corruption. Adding more sides only cancels everyone out as the meantime goes to the intents and purposes of the iniquitous...

    OPEN YOUR EYES!!!

    It means we've lost the initiative. It means we've become devastatingly subjective and lost the objective. Left against right against green against... all have made an alliance with corruption one way or another. Honestly, who's fooling who?

    "... All this faction, no satisfaction. We're all linked together like a chain reaction..."

    How about practicality?! Take the liberally conservative, democratic republican green party, and get real. Get human. People want solutions, but for lack of truth, common sense, integrity, leadership, etc... are shooting for WW3 like it's a natural phenomenon next in the regular sequence of things.

    Get civil and check out life. I've spelled it out for goodness sakes.

    Are we on line? Are we clear? Well, Ari... anybody?

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    Posted by emg at 08/30/2005 @ 05:49am

40. Welllllll, I'm gonna stay on this.

    How 'bout an organization of veterans who know what's ultimately best... for them... by taking their VA loan benefits and working out a way to invest in Benign Energy... whereby they can "farm" this energy and feed it into the power grid in their home town...?! Just another idea to work out... details. How do I start that... Privately initially, to assure no government impediment?

    Fight the real war.

    Follow Me.

    Posted by emg at 08/31/2005 @ 07:48am

41. Ari, no, Ari! Say it ain't so! Who's going to those stories that nobody else seems to find? It was your blog that brought me here, and your continued quality investigation that kept me. I miss you already.

    Posted by AnonymousDog at 08/31/2005 @ 11:21pm

42. Damn, I just found this and it is not gonna be here anymore? Now, I am really outraged!

    Posted by meowomon at 11/12/2005 @ 06:35am