The questions of US imperialism, economic hegemony and corporate control of the world’s resources are the subject of massive popular discussion in a time of escalating conflict, inequality and deepening economic recession. Following the mass public mobilisation during the Obama election campaign, the US government is placed in a role of critical responsibility and must now lead the way in fostering greater international cooperation.
The rise of the Tea Party movement in the US presents a barrier to progressive efforts to democratise the economy so that it can better serve human needs and protect the environment, rather than be driven solely by profit-maximisation, argues Roger Bybee.
Failure to assert an inspiring alternative to neoliberalism in the US has led to economic and political stagnation. Progressives must advocate a broader vision - one that upholds democratic decision-making, greater equality and cooperation instead of competition, argues Walden Bello.
Detroit, the site for the second US Social Forum, has become a symbol of the devastation of deindustrialisation following the collapse of its automobile industry. Now, the city’s bottom-up renewal is inspiring activists around the country to imagine a new, more co-operative way of life.
With the financial system heading towards collapse, the tantalising illusions offered by America’s ‘cult of the self’ are vanishing. Once citizens discard the belief that democracy lies in maximising consumer choice, freedom will no longer be conflated with the free market, writes Chris Hedges.
By passing the landmark bill on healthcare reform, the US House of Representatives may have ushered in a new era in social welfare. Will the new system ensure universal care, or will the insurance industry be the main beneficiary?
After his first year in office, many commentators suggest that President Obama has fallen short of achieving a progressive agenda for change. Three reviews explore the performance of the US administration in economic, social and foreign policy.
Following the financial crash of 2008, the US media focused
on a devastated middle class forced into poverty. No one reported on the
millions of poor already living in an economic system that takes sustained human
suffering as a given, write Katie Beran and Celine-Marie Pascale.
