ALIVE AND KICKING: IN THESE TIMES TURNS 30 FEBRUARY 2007 Say what? A politically correct BEST POLITICAL COVERAGE lexicon for today Jehangir Pocha on the world in 2037 KAREN J. GREENBERG REPORTS PLUS: Who’s to blame for America’s new torture techniques? Mischa Gaus investigates Changing the South and Southwest Will Change America Working people in states such as Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Colorado are uniting for justice with the support of our union— SEIU—and our local communities. In Houston, more than 5,000 janitors who made $20 a night doubled their income and won health insurance for the first time. In Florida, more than 4,000 nurses and other employees at six hospitals formed unions to improve the quality of care and win a better future for their families. As working people in the South and Southwest unite, we will help build progressive majorities not only in our own states but in the nation. To win affordable health care for all, immigration reform, and other changes, we need a national movement that unites working people in every region. And that takes all of us—innovative and dynamic unions, effective community organizations, and committed activists—working together in 2007 and beyond. For more information, see www.SEIU.org. 5111.900H kp 1.18.07 FEBRUARY 0 0 7 IN THESE T I MES Changing the contents VOLUME 31 - NUMBER 02 FROntLINE South and Southwest 8 FAMILI E S B E HIND BA R S Immigration policies are putting children in jail BY KARI LYDERSEN Will Change America ALSO : –Vets fight for their benefits –Why is the EPA closing its libraries? 48 56 –U.S. corporations decry Chinese labor reform Working people in states such as Texas, –Declassified, but unavailable 12 APPALL-O-M E T er Florida, Arizona, and Colorado are uniting BY DAVE MULCAHEY for justice with the support of our union— SEIU—and our local communities. VIEWS 15 D R OPPIN’ A DIM E Media reformers amass in Memphis In Houston, more than 5,000 janitors who BY LAURA S. WASHINGTON made $20 a night doubled their income and 26 11 16 T H e THI R D cOAST won health insurance for the first time. Barack’s black dilemma BY SALIM MUWAkkIL In Florida, more than 4,000 nurses and CULTURE other employees at six hospitals formed FEATURES 54 I N YOU M O R E T HAN unions to improve the quality of care and YOU R S E LF The Internet, a frog and a bottle of win a better future for their families. 24 EIGHT REASONS TO CLOSe GUANTÁNAMO beer Enumerating why the rest of the world shuns us. BY SlAVOJ ŽIŽEK BY KAREN J. GREENBERG ALSO : As working people in the South and 26 INTERROGATIONS BEHIND BARBED WIre –Peter Boyle’s dark night Southwest unite, we will help build Who’s to blame for America’s new torture techniques? of the soul BY MiSCHA GAUS –The dark life of progressive majorities not only in our own Dinesh D’Souza’s soul states but in the nation. 30 VISITING AMerICA’S GULAG –Sayonara, Mr. Smith A personal tour of a legal no-man’s land 45 He A LT H & S C I E N ce BY H. CANDACE GORMAN Faith healing with homeopathy BY TERRY J. AllEN To win affordable health care for all, immigration reform, and other changes, we 32 DreAMING UP NeW POLITICS need a national movement that unites working people in every region. Thinking differently in an age of fantasy BY StEPHEN DUNCOMBE 46 LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD Don’t trust anyone over 30—except ITT 36 A POLITICALLY COrrecT LeXICON And that takes all of us—innovative and dynamic unions, effective community BY JOHN B. JUDIS, SHERYL LARSON AND OTHER Your “how to” guide to avoid offending anyone IN THESE TIMES ALUMS organizations, and committed activists—working together in 2007 and beyond. BY JOEL BLEIFUSS 48 EYES OFF THe PrIZE 38 SOLIDARITY AcrOSS BORDerS What will the world look like in 2037? It’s not just corporations that are multi-national BY JEHANgiR S. POCHA BY DAVID MOBERG 52 KUCINICH COMES BACK IN ’08 42 EDUCATION reFORM: PASS Or FAIL? The Ohio representative talks about being right on Assessing the damage of NCLB Iraq all along BY ADAM DOSTER BY DANIEL StURM For more information, see www.SEIU.org. 5111.900H kp 1.18.07 IN THESE T I MES FEBRUARY 0 0 7 editorial “With liberty and justice for all...” Thirty More Years FoundinG EditoR and PublisHER James Weinstein (1926-2005) ack in 1976, when James Wein- thanks to Sinclair’s work, Roosevelt signed EditoR Joel Bleifuss stein decided to move to Chi- the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. EXecutive EditoR Jessica Clark cago to start In These Times, his Though coined by Roosevelt as a pe- actinG MANAGING EditoR Phoebe Connelly inspiration was Appeal to Rea- jorative, “muckraker” became a badge of Associate EditoR Brian Cook EditoR-at-LARGe Sheryl Larson Bson, a socialist weekly published out of honor by journalists willing to risk soci- SenioR EditoRs Craig Aaron, Terry J. Allen, Patricia Girard, Kansas, between 1895 and 1922. ety’s disapproval to write honestly about Aufderheide, Lakshmi Chaudhry, Susan J. Douglas, At its peak in 1912, the paper had 761,000 the world they lived in. Christopher Hayes, David Moberg, Dave Mulcahey, Salim Muwakkil, David Sirota, Silja J.A. Talvi, Kurt subscribers—including 38,000 in Okla- In These Times was—and is—inspired Vonnegut, Laura S. Washington homa. When the Post Office banned its by those muckrakers. One of the maga- ContRibutinG EditoRs Dean Baker, Frida Berrigan, special issues, which had print runs in the zine’s original subscribers, the late Sen. Will Boisvert, Phyllis Eckhaus, Barbara Ehrenreich, Annette Fuentes, Mischa Gaus, Juan Gonzalez, millions, subscribers around the country, Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) put it this way: Miles Harvey, Paul Hockenos, George Hodak, Doug “the Appeal army,” circulated it by hand. “Meaningful democracy cannot survive Ireland, John Ireland, Hans Johnson, Kari Lydersen, Appeal to Reason was founded at a time without the free flow of information, even Naomi Klein, John Nichols, James North, James Parker, Kim Phillips-Fein, Jehangir Pocha, Aaron when American society confronted both (or especially) when that information Sarver, Fred Weir, Adam Werbach, Slavoj Žižek the effects of the industrial revolution and threatens the privileged and the powerful.” PRoofReadeRs Alan Kimmel, Brian O’Grady, the emergence of corporations as domi- Today’s agenda is different from that Norman Wishner nant players in national politics. In Ameri- of the Progressive Era, but citizens face a InteRns Michael Burgner, Nick Burt, Brandon can cities the majority of citizens had little similar challenge. The wars we started in Forbes, Chelsea Ross, Wanda Victores control over their own lives. The places Afghanistan and Iraq are spiraling out of ART DIRectoR Rachel Jefferson they lived were unsanitary, the food they control. More and more families cannot IllustRatoR Terry LaBan ate unsafe, the conditions of their work afford health insurance. Civil liberties are web DIRectoR Seamus Holman horrendous and their pay meager. Chil- increasingly violated. Cataclysmic dam- PublisHER Tracy Van Slyke dren were exploited for their labor. Wom- age to the Earth’s environment is ignored. Associate PublisHERS Erin Polgreen, Anna Grace Schneider en lacked the right to vote. Blacks, Chinese And the Bush administration, abetted by CIRculation DIRectoR Peter Hoyt Americans and Indians suffered institu- the corporate media, has repeatedly lied PUblisHinG InteRns Katharine Goktuna, Kelly tionalized racism and discrimination. to the public in order to win elections and Ragusa, Gabrielle Sinclair Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Helen Hunt reward its wealthiest supporters. IN THese Times PublisHinG ConsoRtium Jackson, Lincoln Steffans, Abraham Ca- In These Times was founded on the be- Grant Abert, Theresa Alt, Aris Anagnos, Stuart han, George Seldes and many others wit- lief that a healthy democracy requires a Anderson, Collier Hands, Polly Howells and Eric Werthman, Betsy Kreiger and David Kandel, Nancy nessed this injustice and decided to do thoughtful and independent media—a Kricorian and James Schamus, Lisa Lee, Chris Lloyd, something about it. In newspapers and watchdog for the people. In a democracy, Edith Helen Monsees, Dave Rathke, Abby Rockefeller magazines, they chronicled the misery a crusading press and an informed public and Lee Halprin, Perry and Gladys Rosenstein, Lewis and Kitty Steel, Ellen Stone-Belic, Dan Terkel, Studs in their midst. In league with the writers, can, together, create change. Terkel social reformers and political activists In the forward to Appeal to Reason: BoaRD of DIRectoRs Joel Bleifuss, Janet Geovanis, of the day—people like Henry Demar- 25 Years In These Times (the 2002 book Robert McChesney, David Moberg, Dave Rathke, est Lloyd, William Dean Howells, Ida B. edited by former Managing Editor Craig Beth Schulman, Tracy Van Slyke Wells, Frank Norris, Jane Addams, Eu- Aaron), Weinstein wrote: In These Times (ISSN 0160-5992) is published monthly by the Institute for Public Affairs, 2040 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60647. Periodicals postage gene V. Debs, Victor Berger and Florence paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address As small as In These Times is in the world changes to In These Times, 308 E. Hitt St., Mt. Morris, IL 61054. This issue (Vol. Kelley—these journalists became the of American media, it has played a vital 31, No. 02) went to press on January 26, for newsstand sales from February 9 to March 2, 2007. The entire contents of In These Times are copyright © 2007 backbone of the social movement that role in keeping honest journalism alive … by the Institute for Public Affairs, and may not be reproduced in any manner, ushered in the eight-hour work day, child either in whole or in part, without permission of the publisher.