December 7, 2009 Issue

Cover art by: Cover design by Gene Case & Stephen Kling/Avenging Angels

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Feature

California Scheming

In the latest push to privatize public education, regents at the University of California have raised tuition by 32 percent.
Ben Ehrenreich
The Secret US War in Pakistan

Inside sources reveal that the firm works with the US military in Karachi to plan targeted assassinations and drone bombings, among other sensitive counterterrorism operations.
Jeremy Scahill
Tell ‘The Nation’: Recession Stories

In response to Lizzy Ratner’s "Generation Recession," young readers from across the country wrote to The Nation to share how the recession has impacted them.
Our Readers
Round Two: The Coming Battle Over Abortion Funding

The prochoice movement stops playing nice in the fight for healthcare reform.
Sharon Lerner
Shareholders Alone Can’t Correct ‘Too Big to Fail’

At major US banks, shareholders actually want their executives to be rewarded for taking on excessive risk.
Zach Carter
Searching for CCS

Will carbon capture and sequestration help us avoid runaway climate change?
Holly Wren Spaulding
Zombie Nuke Plants

Our crumbling atomic power stations and the government agency that loves them.
Christian Parenti
Where’s the Clean Energy?

Promising local initiatives are pointing the way forward for national policy.
Robert S. Eshelman
The UK’s Climate Rebels

Some of the best activism is happening in Britain—but in policy terms, payoff has been slight.
Maria Margaronis
The Global South Bloc

Poor countries can make big gains in climate talks if they stick together, argues Saleemul Huq.
Mark Hertsgaard
An Inconvenient Solution

In Our Choice, Al Gore explains what must be done. But is there the political will to do it?
Bill McKibben
Regreening Africa

In the dry Sahel, farmers are already adapting to climate change.
Mark Hertsgaard
The Road to Copenhagen

A timeline.

The Nation

Editorial

In the Shadow of Hoover

Deficit spending is a cure for our troubles, not the cause. If Obama reduces the red ink, the Great Recession could be born again
William Greider
Red Scare, Black Scare

The birthers, the anticommunist crazies, the “Obama as Witch Doctor” caricatures: they’re all of a piece, welded to sex.
JoAnn Wypijewski
The China Debt Dance

The Chinese own so much of us that they’re stuck with us.
Chris Hayes
Why Not Tax Wall Street?

In Washington, big ideas for financial reform are suddenly gaining momentum.
William Greider
Noted.

You don’t have to go to Copenhagen to join the activists racing against the ticking environmental bomb.
The Editors
American Justice on Trial

To try alleged 9/11 perpetrators without handing Al Qaeda a propaganda victory, the trial must be fair beyond question.
David Cole
Beyond Copenhagen

Many obstacles stand in the path of a successful global agreement. But Obama can still take the lead on fighting climate change.
The Editors
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Column

The NFL’s Concussion Conundrum

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to understand that when athletes play with a concussion, it is bad for their health–and for business. But do his reforms go far enough?
Dave Zirin
Absolutely No Excuse

It is manifestly barbarous that children should be tossed into jail for life.
Patricia J. Williams
‘The New Republic’: Bad for the Jews

TNR‘s more significant sin is to weaken the bond between Israel and liberal American Jews–which is to say, most of them.
Eric Alterman
On CEO Lloyd Blankfein’s Statement That Goldman Sachs Is ‘Doing God’s Work’

The Lord has got an itch to see these folks filthy rich.
Calvin Trillin

Books & the Arts

Across the Great Divide: David Finkel’s Iraq

Against the background of the surge, David Finkel twists the concept of wartime good into a cosmic joke.
Akiva Gottlieb
Missed Chances

Stephen F. Cohen’s Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives surveys a political landscape of reform, struggle and reconciliation.
Jochen Hellbeck
This Seeming Brow of Justice

In their discussions of justice, Michael Sandel and Amartya Sen endorse communal good but slight collective endeavor.
Samuel Moyn
The stakes are higher now than ever. Get The Nation in your inbox.

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Letters

Afghanistan & Obama

Congratulations on the excellent coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan in your November 9 special issue…
Our Readers and Corey Robin

Crossword

Puzzle No. 3194

ACROSS

1 Two points I start to get: sharpen weapons, speak carefully. (5,4,5)
Frank W. Lewis

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December 7, 2009 Issue

Feature

In the latest push to privatize public education, regents at the University of California have raised tuition by 32 percent.

Inside sources reveal that the firm works with the US military in Karachi to plan targeted assassinations and drone bombings, among other sensitive counterterrorism operations.

In response to Lizzy Ratner’s "Generation Recession," young readers from across the country wrote to The Nation to share how the recession has impacted them.

The prochoice movement stops playing nice in the fight for healthcare reform.

At major US banks, shareholders actually want their executives to be rewarded for taking on excessive risk.

Will carbon capture and sequestration help us avoid runaway climate change?

Our crumbling atomic power stations and the government agency that loves them.

Promising local initiatives are pointing the way forward for national policy.

Some of the best activism is happening in Britain—but in policy terms, payoff has been slight.

Poor countries can make big gains in climate talks if they stick together, argues Saleemul Huq.

In Our Choice, Al Gore explains what must be done. But is there the political will to do it?

In the dry Sahel, farmers are already adapting to climate change.

A timeline.

Editorial

Deficit spending is a cure for our troubles, not the cause. If Obama reduces the red ink, the Great Recession could be born again

The birthers, the anticommunist crazies, the “Obama as Witch Doctor” caricatures: they’re all of a piece, welded to sex.

The Chinese own so much of us that they’re stuck with us.

In Washington, big ideas for financial reform are suddenly gaining momentum.

You don’t have to go to Copenhagen to join the activists racing against the ticking environmental bomb.

To try alleged 9/11 perpetrators without handing Al Qaeda a propaganda victory, the trial must be fair beyond question.

Many obstacles stand in the path of a successful global agreement. But Obama can still take the lead on fighting climate change.

GET UNLIMITED DIGITAL ACCESS FOR LESS THAN $3 A MONTH!

Column

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell seems to understand that when athletes play with a concussion, it is bad for their health–and for business. But do his reforms go far enough?

It is manifestly barbarous that children should be tossed into jail for life.

TNR‘s more significant sin is to weaken the bond between Israel and liberal American Jews–which is to say, most of them.

The Lord has got an itch to see these folks filthy rich.

Books & the Arts

Against the background of the surge, David Finkel twists the concept of wartime good into a cosmic joke.

Stephen F. Cohen’s Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives surveys a political landscape of reform, struggle and reconciliation.

In their discussions of justice, Michael Sandel and Amartya Sen endorse communal good but slight collective endeavor.

The stakes are higher now than ever. Get The Nation in your inbox.

Letters

Congratulations on the excellent coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan in your November 9 special issue…

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Two points I start to get: sharpen weapons, speak carefully. (5,4,5)

ACROSS

1 Two points I start to get: sharpen weapons, speak carefully. (5,4,5)