Sam Adams — the man, not the beer — knew a bit about agitating, organizing, and fighting for democratic values and liberty. Adams was the founder of the Sons of Liberty and the organizer of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Even after the colonists had defeated King George III and established our fledgling democracy, […]
Editor’s Note
Corporate ethics lesson
If you’re a rank-and-file employee and you don’t produce, you’re handed a pink slip. But if you’re a top executive who doesn’t produce, you get a golden handshake. Wall Street giant Morgan Stanley recently gave us yet another demonstration of this inequity and hypocrisy that goes to the core of modern corporate ethics. In late […]
Summer in the city
My summer reading has turned to cities, realizing the good that is in them, solving their problems through leadership, and deciding what personal role to play. My books aren’t typical beach reads, not your fun fiction or the means to while away lazy days. I tend to take summer too seriously, using it to catch […]
Edible education
Emma Goldman said that she wanted no part of any revolution unless it included dancing. That’s good, but better yet is Alice Waters’ idea that a revolution should be “delicious.” Waters — who is both a fabulous chef and a pioneer leader of America’s sustainable-food movement — believes deeply in the transformative power of having […]
Monitoring Wal-Mart’s monitors
Wal-Mart has been running splashy ads asserting that, far from being a global sweatshop profiteer, it’s a model employer that constantly monitors its worldwide network of factories to assure humane treatment of workers. Before swallowing that, you might want to hear from one of Wal-Mart’s own factory monitors. James W. Lynn was recruited by the […]
The Army gets personal
Hey, youngsters — not only does Uncle Sam wants you, but he’s also got your number! Not yet sure what you want to do in life? Why not get paid and see an exotic part of the world while you’re getting it all together? Yes, you could summer in sunny Iraq — and be a […]
America, God is still watching
It was yet another report of the U.S. government’s participation in human-rights abuses. On Sunday, 60 Minutes reported on the CIA’s practice of kidnapping terror suspects and flying them to places of torture. According to CBS, more than 100 people have disappeared under a CIA practice called “rendition.” Masked men in an unmarked jet seize their […]
