Inequality, Inc.
I was much impressed by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian’s “The Inequality Industry” [Oct. 8/15]. While understandably not as objective as a peer-reviewed journal article, it came close. I read it as “wisdom in black and white.” Frank Dixon madison, va.
Overruling the Court
Regarding Richard Kim’s editorial “Court Reform, Anyone?” [Oct. 8/15]: It says right in the Declaration of Independence that when the government isn’t working for the people, they have the right, the duty, and the obligation to change the “forms to which they have become accustomed” and organize a government that better suits the people’s needs. And that’s what they did after waging a nine-year war.
The Declaration was the first step; the Constitution was the second. Yet when the rules for the Supreme Court were written, people didn’t live as long and retired earlier. These rules need to be reorganized to better suit the needs of people who live longer and retire later. After all, that’s what the Republicans are doing: reorganizing our inherited system of government to better suit the needs of the greedy and gluttonous, the few, the wealthy, the self-righteous.
Reorganize now!
Nancy Lindsay
A Flaming Outrage
I very much appreciated the article “Worse Than Lead?” by Jamie Kitman [Sept. 10/17]. After reading it, I tried to find out if my couch cushions had been treated with flame retardants, but there was no information. Is there a requirement to notify people of their use? My other questions: Where is the action component in your great work? How can we stop these dangerous chemicals? Jane Moosbruker acton, mass.
Jamie Kitman Replies
Unfortunately, in many cases, there is no way to know for certain whether a product contains flame retardants. Manufacturers are not required to disclose this information, and most companies don’t do so willingly. In California, upholstered furniture is now required to display a label revealing the presence of these chemicals.
Even before February 28, the reasons for Donald Trump’s imploding approval rating were abundantly clear: untrammeled corruption and personal enrichment to the tune of billions of dollars during an affordability crisis, a foreign policy guided only by his own derelict sense of morality, and the deployment of a murderous campaign of occupation, detention, and deportation on American streets.
Now an undeclared, unauthorized, unpopular, and unconstitutional war of aggression against Iran has spread like wildfire through the region and into Europe. A new “forever war”—with an ever-increasing likelihood of American troops on the ground—may very well be upon us.
As we’ve seen over and over, this administration uses lies, misdirection, and attempts to flood the zone to justify its abuses of power at home and abroad. Just as Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth offer erratic and contradictory rationales for the attacks on Iran, the administration is also spreading the lie that the upcoming midterm elections are under threat from noncitizens on voter rolls. When these lies go unchecked, they become the basis for further authoritarian encroachment and war.
In these dark times, independent journalism is uniquely able to uncover the falsehoods that threaten our republic—and civilians around the world—and shine a bright light on the truth.
The Nation’s experienced team of writers, editors, and fact-checkers understands the scale of what we’re up against and the urgency with which we have to act. That’s why we’re publishing critical reporting and analysis of the war on Iran, ICE violence at home, new forms of voter suppression emerging in the courts, and much more.
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And yes, advocacy is crucial. Consumers need to ask for products without added chemical flame retardants. Manufacturers care even more about what consumers want than what the chemical companies or regulators want. So they need to hear from shoppers, loud and clear. Ask online and at brick-and-mortar retailers whether a product has flame retardants. Ask for the manufacturers’ websites to be more transparent and for clear labels on their products. Additionally, consider making a contribution to one of the organizations that make up the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families coalition. These groups are getting state laws passed, filing lawsuits, testing products for toxic chemicals, and pressuring companies to make their products safer.
Jamie Kitman nyack, n.y.
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Jamie Lincoln KitmanJamie Lincoln Kitman, New York bureau chief for Automobile Magazine, won an investigative reporting award from Investigative Reporters and Editors for his Nation article on leaded gasoline. A member of the Society of Automotive Historians, Jamie Lincoln Kitman drives a 1966 Lancia Fulvia and a 1969 Ford Lotus-Cortina, both of which run fine on unleaded.