November 3, 2008 Issue

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

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Feature

Obama the Philosopher

Suddenly, Obama’s making a pretty good case for why Americans should once again care for one another.
Linda Hirshman
The Cold War That Wasn’t

Deconstructing the New York Times fairy tale about how nasty Russia invaded innocent Georgia.
Mark Ames
Milk Scandal Taints China’s Self-Image

The tainted milk crisis could prod China to act responsibly.
Anna Greenspan
A Lesson for the Next President

Will our next president have the courage to scrap No Child Left Behind?
Demitrious Sinor
Jörg Haider’s Legacy

Austria’s most notorious right-wing politician died as spectacularly as he had lived–and in a Europe stunned by financial crisis, leaves a dangerous legacy.
Slavenka Drakulic
Smearing Colonel Vandeveld

Military commissions officials are using punitive psychological evaluations as part of a strategy to discredit and silence a former colleague turned whistleblower.
Ross Tuttle
Will the Youth Vote Swing This Election?

In state after state, the number of new voters has swelled like never before. They’re mostly under 30 and solidly backing Barack Obama.
Cora Currier
Hard Knocks in the Workplace

The rights of workers get little attention from the court, and employers know they can violate those rights with impunity.
Eric Schnapper
Debtor Nation

The Supreme Court has done little to protect a nation of debtors from predatory lending practices.
Robert M. Lawless
Senior Rights & Wrongs

It’s increasingly difficult for older Americans to protect themselves from age discrimination, nursing home abuse and loss of pension benefits.
Harper Jean Tobin
Health Cares

The United States stands alone among wealthy nations in failing to assure its population reasonable healthcare.
Sara Rosenbaum
Safety Last

Pro-business judges who now dominate the Supreme Court undermine consumers’ right to sue when they are injured by unsafe products.
David C. Vladeck
The Supreme Court and the Election: What’s at Stake

The next president and Congress must reverse the conservative tide of the Bush judiciary.
Herman Schwartz
When the Gloves Come Off

On the campaign trail, new lies are being pumped into the political bloodstream.
Jonathan Schell

Editorial

Report From the Socialist International Conspiracy

Our operatives on Wall Street were doing a good job bringing down capitalism one hedge fund at a time. But then Goldman Sachs staged a counter-coup.
Barbara Ehrenreich
Scenes From the Crackup

Behind the scrim of boom times there was always debt and sex–and the intimate economy of panic and desire.
JoAnn Wypijewski
Waiting for the Barbarians

The GOP’s machinery of hate has taken on a life of its own.
Richard Kim
Noted.

John Nichols on Sarah Palin’s “vindication,” David Cole on phone sex and national security, Danielle Douglas on Haiti.
The Editors
Dr. Paulson’s Magic Potion

As Bush and Paulson throw money at the problem, Obama is moving rapidly to adapt to the crisis that awaits the next president.
William Greider
Left and Right

If nationalizing banks is suddenly on the table, what else might be placed there?
The Editors
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Column

Merrittocracy

Merritt Paulson, son of Henry Paulson, asks the city of Portland to fund his new sports stadiums even though he can afford it.
Dave Zirin
The Battle for Obama’s Economic Soul

Let’s hope he listens to Paul Volker and Warren Buffet–and keeps at bay Rubin, Summers and others responsible for the current debacle.
Robert Scheer
Obama’s Virginia Territory

So far in the once-red state of Virginia, things are going Obama’s way.
Gary Younge
It’s Sliming Time (Again)

Politics ain’t beanbag, but the thuggishness of McCain and Palin and their conservative media enablers have infected our political discourse.
Eric Alterman
Predatory Scapegoating

The real scandal of the year is that Eliot Spitzer, brought low by his own bad behavior, had predatory lenders in his sights.
Patricia J. Williams
‘He’s Not One of Us’

The wisdom of the crowd.
Calvin Trillin

Books & the Arts

Obama the Philosopher

Suddenly, Obama’s making a pretty good case for why Americans should once again care for one another.
Linda Hirshman
Seeing Past the Ivy: Do Literary Mandarins Put Reading At Risk?

Why the commentariat’s response to hand-wringing about “the decline of reading” condescends to the large mass of nonspecialist readers.
William Deresiewicz
Back Talk: Paul Offit

A doctor defends scientific research against the potentially fatal misperceptions of the anti-vaccine movement.
Christine Smallwood
Walter Benjamin Forever: A Critic’s Coveted Afterlife

Following the quirky, revolutionary life path of one of the most celebrated twentieth-century intellectuals.
Noah Isenberg
Rooted in Reconstruction: The First Wave of Black Congressmen

Without the courage of the forgotten black legislators of the Reconstruction era, it would be impossible for a black man today to run for president.
Eric Foner
Collateral Damage: Reporting the War in Iraq

Three new books vividly portray the devastating impact of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Chris Toensing
This Town Is Going Out of Business

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

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Letters

POW/MIAs & John McCain

POW/MIAs & John McCain
Montclair, N.J.
Our Readers and Sydney H. Schanberg

Crossword

Crossword Classic #22

From the March 13, 1948, issue.
Frank W. Lewis
Puzzle No. 3142

ACROSS

1 Divvying a very quiet beginning, otherwise turning into this with a gin sling. (12)
Frank W. Lewis

Log In

November 3, 2008 Issue

Feature

Suddenly, Obama’s making a pretty good case for why Americans should once again care for one another.

Deconstructing the New York Times fairy tale about how nasty Russia invaded innocent Georgia.

The tainted milk crisis could prod China to act responsibly.

Will our next president have the courage to scrap No Child Left Behind?

Austria’s most notorious right-wing politician died as spectacularly as he had lived–and in a Europe stunned by financial crisis, leaves a dangerous legacy.

Military commissions officials are using punitive psychological evaluations as part of a strategy to discredit and silence a former colleague turned whistleblower.

In state after state, the number of new voters has swelled like never before. They’re mostly under 30 and solidly backing Barack Obama.

The rights of workers get little attention from the court, and employers know they can violate those rights with impunity.

The Supreme Court has done little to protect a nation of debtors from predatory lending practices.

It’s increasingly difficult for older Americans to protect themselves from age discrimination, nursing home abuse and loss of pension benefits.

The United States stands alone among wealthy nations in failing to assure its population reasonable healthcare.

Pro-business judges who now dominate the Supreme Court undermine consumers’ right to sue when they are injured by unsafe products.

The next president and Congress must reverse the conservative tide of the Bush judiciary.

On the campaign trail, new lies are being pumped into the political bloodstream.

Editorial

Our operatives on Wall Street were doing a good job bringing down capitalism one hedge fund at a time. But then Goldman Sachs staged a counter-coup.

Behind the scrim of boom times there was always debt and sex–and the intimate economy of panic and desire.

The GOP’s machinery of hate has taken on a life of its own.

John Nichols on Sarah Palin’s “vindication,” David Cole on phone sex and national security, Danielle Douglas on Haiti.

As Bush and Paulson throw money at the problem, Obama is moving rapidly to adapt to the crisis that awaits the next president.

If nationalizing banks is suddenly on the table, what else might be placed there?

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

Column

Merritt Paulson, son of Henry Paulson, asks the city of Portland to fund his new sports stadiums even though he can afford it.

Let’s hope he listens to Paul Volker and Warren Buffet–and keeps at bay Rubin, Summers and others responsible for the current debacle.

So far in the once-red state of Virginia, things are going Obama’s way.

Politics ain’t beanbag, but the thuggishness of McCain and Palin and their conservative media enablers have infected our political discourse.

The real scandal of the year is that Eliot Spitzer, brought low by his own bad behavior, had predatory lenders in his sights.

The wisdom of the crowd.

Books & the Arts

Suddenly, Obama’s making a pretty good case for why Americans should once again care for one another.

Why the commentariat’s response to hand-wringing about “the decline of reading” condescends to the large mass of nonspecialist readers.

A doctor defends scientific research against the potentially fatal misperceptions of the anti-vaccine movement.

Following the quirky, revolutionary life path of one of the most celebrated twentieth-century intellectuals.

Without the courage of the forgotten black legislators of the Reconstruction era, it would be impossible for a black man today to run for president.

Three new books vividly portray the devastating impact of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

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

Letters

POW/MIAs & John McCain Montclair, N.J.

Crossword

From the March 13, 1948, issue.

ACROSS 1 Divvying a very quiet beginning, otherwise turning into this with a gin sling. (12)

POW/MIAs & John McCain
Montclair, N.J.

ACROSS

1 Divvying a very quiet beginning, otherwise turning into this with a gin sling. (12)