February 23, 2009 Issue

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

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Feature

Few Peacemakers in Israel’s Knesset

Israeli voters have elected a majority of lawmakers who are against the two-state solution. Now it’s up to the world–and the Obama administration–to respond.
Neve Gordon
Screwed by the Fine Print

Hidden in the fine print of credit card agreements, patient consent forms and job contracts is an arbitration clause that deprives you of your rights. Congress needs to fix that.
Kia Franklin
The New Gold Standard: Jobs

Keeping labor costs down used to be the standard to measure productivity. Now, it’s all about creating jobs–and we can’t afford to wait for the private sector to provide them.
Ken Miller
Angry America and the Bailout

As the bailout state goes into overdrive, popular anger at the lords of Wall Street is raging. In 1929, that anger was harnessed to result in huge change. Is the same change possible in 2009?
Steve Fraser
How Will Obama Engage on Human Rights?

Bipartisanship promises to be even harder to achieve on human rights than it is on a stimulus package. Two pending decisions at the United Nations will reveal the depth of the administration’s commitment.
Barbara Crossette
Save the Solis Nomination

Labor secretary-designee Hilda Solis is not a toxic asset in the Obama personnel portfolio. The GOP is wrong to equate her husband’s tax dispute with the infractions of high rollers like Geithner and Daschle.
John Nichols
Will Sri Lanka Drive the Tigers to Extinction?

The Liberation Tigers may be on the verge of final defeat. But will a government military victory really solve the Sinhalese-Tamil conflict?
Sumana Raychaudhuri
Say No to Nukes in the Stimulus Package

The nuclear power industry has dropped a $50 billion bomb into the Senate version of Obama’s stimulus package for projects Wall Street wouldn’t finance when it was flush.
Harvey Wasserman
Mail Matters

Will the Obama administration reaffirm the civic mandate of the Postal Service that was damaged during the Bush years?
Richard R. John
Toxic Coal in Tennessee

A massive coal sludge spill reveals the Tennessee Valley Authority has become a poster child for the failures of self-regulation.
Kelly Hearn
The People’s Sheriff of Chicago

A tenant protest compels Cook County’s Tom Dart to suspend foreclosure evictions.
John Conroy
Jobless in America

Listen to the voices of the newly unemployed, as they tell their stories, vent their frustrations and share ideas of what government must do to help.
Our Readers and Nicholas von Hoffman

Editorial

Tiny Tim Sings Off-Key

Geithner was condescending, vague and infuriating as he lectured us on the troubled financial system, feeding a suspicion that he’s still working for the other side.
William Greider
Steadfast Before Goliath

A leading Palestinian politician defends his people and their nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation.
Mustafa Barghouti
Jim Harney, 1940-2008

Guided by the principles of liberation theology, he devoted his life to the pursuit of peace and social justice.
Laura Foner and David Weinstein
Reflections of a Troubled Israeli

The Israeli left has emerged from the Gaza offensive weakened, dispirited, but not irrelevant. The bedrock of a change-oriented and open civil society exists.
Naomi Chazan
France in the Streets

In cities and towns across France, people are calling for an in-depth economic revamping that favors the working class.
Marc Perelman
Noted.

The fall of Tom Daschle and the RNC’s choice of Michael Steele.
The Editors
Biden v. Summers

As Larry Summers takes a dominant role in crafting economic policy, it’s up to Joe Biden to protect the interests of the middle class.
Chris Hayes
Don’t Escalate in Afghanistan

For the sake of the country, his presidency and peace in South Asia, Obama should take the US-led military escalation in Afghanistan off the table.
The Editors
‘Retire Bush’ Contest Winner

The prize, an original drawing by Edward Sorel, is awarded to Kristen Wack. Here is what she thinks Bush should do in retirement, along with some other ideas.
The Editors
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Column

Foreclosed Americans Fight Back

As a horrified nation sees millions evicted, community organizations–and at least one lawmaker–advise them to hold their ground.
Nicholas von Hoffman
No Tough Love for Bankers

If you still get those chatty e-mails from the Obama campaign, remind them that we voted for a community organizer from Chicago, not some hack carrying water for Wall Street.
Robert Scheer
A-Rod, Anabolic Agonist

When it comes to steroids, no one, as A-Rod’s alleged paramour Madonna might say, is like a virgin.
Dave Zirin
Settling Scores With Wall Street

A lot of angry people in America are lusting to bring Wall Street geniuses who engineered the financial collapse to justice. And they just might succeed.
Nicholas von Hoffman
All of Them Must Go

As cities around the world are rocked with protests, it’s clear governments that respond to economic crisis with the discredited free-market agenda will not survive.
Naomi Klein
The Kindness of Strangers

The global economic crisis is showing how wishful was the notion that philanthropy could save the world.
Katha Pollitt
Auguries in the Dawn of Obama-Time

At almost every level, his choices of people and policy have been calibrated to appease the establishment.
Alexander Cockburn
Incentives

Lose some, win some.
Calvin Trillin

Books & the Arts

Angry America and the Bailout

As the bailout state goes into overdrive, popular anger at the lords of Wall Street is raging. In 1929, that anger was harnessed to result in huge change. Is the same change possible in 2009?
Steve Fraser
Mail Matters

Will the Obama administration reaffirm the civic mandate of the Postal Service that was damaged during the Bush years?
Richard R. John
Crash Landings: Paul Krugman’s Depression Economics

Reviewing Paul Krugman’s visionary book The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008.
Bernard Avishai
Happy Thoughts!: The Poetry of Kevin Davies

Poet Kevin Davies asks: are you better off than you were 13,000 years ago?
Jordan Davis
Waste Management

Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah, plus The Class and Coraline.
Stuart Klawans
Dust in a Word

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

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Letters

Letters

Obama’s First 100 Days?–Shut Up!
Carlisle, Pa.
Our Readers

Crossword

Puzzle No. 3157

ACROSS

1 On the pavement, you’ll see a snake! Stop! (7)
Frank W. Lewis

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February 23, 2009 Issue

Feature

Israeli voters have elected a majority of lawmakers who are against the two-state solution. Now it’s up to the world–and the Obama administration–to respond.

Hidden in the fine print of credit card agreements, patient consent forms and job contracts is an arbitration clause that deprives you of your rights. Congress needs to fix that.

Keeping labor costs down used to be the standard to measure productivity. Now, it’s all about creating jobs–and we can’t afford to wait for the private sector to provide them.

As the bailout state goes into overdrive, popular anger at the lords of Wall Street is raging. In 1929, that anger was harnessed to result in huge change. Is the same change possible in 2009?

Bipartisanship promises to be even harder to achieve on human rights than it is on a stimulus package. Two pending decisions at the United Nations will reveal the depth of the administration’s commitment.

Labor secretary-designee Hilda Solis is not a toxic asset in the Obama personnel portfolio. The GOP is wrong to equate her husband’s tax dispute with the infractions of high rollers like Geithner and Daschle.

The Liberation Tigers may be on the verge of final defeat. But will a government military victory really solve the Sinhalese-Tamil conflict?

The nuclear power industry has dropped a $50 billion bomb into the Senate version of Obama’s stimulus package for projects Wall Street wouldn’t finance when it was flush.

Will the Obama administration reaffirm the civic mandate of the Postal Service that was damaged during the Bush years?

A massive coal sludge spill reveals the Tennessee Valley Authority has become a poster child for the failures of self-regulation.

A tenant protest compels Cook County’s Tom Dart to suspend foreclosure evictions.

Listen to the voices of the newly unemployed, as they tell their stories, vent their frustrations and share ideas of what government must do to help.

Editorial

Geithner was condescending, vague and infuriating as he lectured us on the troubled financial system, feeding a suspicion that he’s still working for the other side.

A leading Palestinian politician defends his people and their nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation.

Guided by the principles of liberation theology, he devoted his life to the pursuit of peace and social justice.

The Israeli left has emerged from the Gaza offensive weakened, dispirited, but not irrelevant. The bedrock of a change-oriented and open civil society exists.

In cities and towns across France, people are calling for an in-depth economic revamping that favors the working class.

The fall of Tom Daschle and the RNC’s choice of Michael Steele.

As Larry Summers takes a dominant role in crafting economic policy, it’s up to Joe Biden to protect the interests of the middle class.

For the sake of the country, his presidency and peace in South Asia, Obama should take the US-led military escalation in Afghanistan off the table.

The prize, an original drawing by Edward Sorel, is awarded to Kristen Wack. Here is what she thinks Bush should do in retirement, along with some other ideas.

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

Column

As a horrified nation sees millions evicted, community organizations–and at least one lawmaker–advise them to hold their ground.

If you still get those chatty e-mails from the Obama campaign, remind them that we voted for a community organizer from Chicago, not some hack carrying water for Wall Street.

When it comes to steroids, no one, as A-Rod’s alleged paramour Madonna might say, is like a virgin.

A lot of angry people in America are lusting to bring Wall Street geniuses who engineered the financial collapse to justice. And they just might succeed.

As cities around the world are rocked with protests, it’s clear governments that respond to economic crisis with the discredited free-market agenda will not survive.

The global economic crisis is showing how wishful was the notion that philanthropy could save the world.

At almost every level, his choices of people and policy have been calibrated to appease the establishment.

Lose some, win some.

Books & the Arts

As the bailout state goes into overdrive, popular anger at the lords of Wall Street is raging. In 1929, that anger was harnessed to result in huge change. Is the same change possible in 2009?

Will the Obama administration reaffirm the civic mandate of the Postal Service that was damaged during the Bush years?

Reviewing Paul Krugman’s visionary book The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008.

Poet Kevin Davies asks: are you better off than you were 13,000 years ago?

Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah, plus The Class and Coraline.

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

Letters

Obama’s First 100 Days?–Shut Up! Carlisle, Pa.

Crossword

ACROSS 1 On the pavement, you’ll see a snake! Stop! (7)

Obama’s First 100 Days?–Shut Up!
Carlisle, Pa.

ACROSS

1 On the pavement, you’ll see a snake! Stop! (7)