Mar 7, 2022Democracy’s Peril and Promise: Let the Ukraine Crisis Awaken ActionThe attack on Ukraine focuses the mind on a most critical question for humanity: In our fast-changing world, what is democracy’s future? Certainly, a strong argument can be made that democratic governance is more important than ever as humanity faces at least two unprecedented challenges: the existential threats of the…Ukraine4 min readUkraine4 min read
Feb 23, 2022Free Market Mythology Is a Freedom-KillerBeyond monopoly’s power to limit our freedom to choose and earn a fair wage, our freedom is also compromised by the dominance of corporate power within our political system. Americans love freedom…and who doesn’t? To be happy, most of us need a sense of agency and abhor the thought of…Free Market5 min readFree Market5 min read
Feb 20, 2022Breaking Free from Three Deadly Thought TrapsThe assumption held by many Americans that our nation enjoys relatively equal opportunity in part reflects widespread lack of awareness of how extreme U.S. economic inequality has become. For decades I grappled with one puzzle. Why would we homo sapiens, supposedly the brightest species, be creating a world together that…Democracy5 min readDemocracy5 min read
Feb 2, 2022American ‘Exceptionalism?’ Yes, but Not in a Good WayIt can be painful to acknowledge the stone-cold truth that we are indeed exceptional, but by many measures, not in ways we can celebrate. Americans’ long-held view of ourselves as the world’s “best everything” stands in the way of progress. …Democracy4 min readDemocracy4 min read
Jan 25, 2022Is All This “Polarization” a Cause or a Symptom?Mistrust of government and the tensions between segments of society have been intentionally constructed and aggravated. Once you recognize that, the solutions to the crises we truly face become more clear. “We are a polarized nation!” Seems self-evident, right? But to me the refrain feels more like judgment than explanation…Polarization5 min readPolarization5 min read
Jan 13, 2022Now’s Our Chance — We Can Reverse Democracy’s DeclineFed up, everyday citizens are stepping up to reverse a whole slew of assaults on our democracy — from voting rights to gerrymandering to removing money’s grip. Seven out ten of Americans believe the U.S. democracy is “in crisis and at risk of failing.” And in this moment is our…Voting Rights6 min readVoting Rights6 min read
Jan 6, 2022Did Horror of January 6 Crush Your Optimism? Try “Possibilism” InsteadThat which is essential to address all our major challenges — democracy truly accountable to the people — is not an option. It is an absolute necessity. And so we must fight on. A new year is supposed to trigger the energy of new beginnings, requiring at least a bit…Democracy4 min readDemocracy4 min read
Dec 8, 2021Hunger Is Over, If We Want ItGlobally, in this now-or-never moment, we can remake governance to answer to all of us, to finally make policy with the understanding that hunger will only be uprooted if we tackle the anti-democracy forces at its roots. The United Nations Food Systems Summit in New York City this September called…Hunger5 min readHunger5 min read
Nov 3, 2021America’s Killer DietOur food is increasingly implicated in such major killers as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, and certain cancers. My title is not hyperbole. I sure wish it were. In composing a new opening chapter for the 50th-anniversary edition of Diet for a Small Planet, I dug into…Diet6 min readDiet6 min read
Jan 21, 2021Democracy as DignityDispersions of power, transparency, and mutual accountability. — Celebrating the inauguration of a new president and an end to years of attacks on democracy is a perfect moment to probe together: What do we mean by democracy in the first place? Here’s where I start. Beyond our physical essentials, to thrive every human needs to experience three states…Democracy4 min readDemocracy4 min read
