US politics

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The positioning of Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis, as a “liberal” or “progressive” in American politics is incorrect and indeed a little bizarre. The Pope is a conservative. In fact, he has railed against “adolescent progressivism” and against secularism, which he calls “the devil.” Pope Francis opposes […]

Christians

Why the Pope and America won’t leave each Other Unchanged

contributors

By Massimo Faggioli | (The Conversation) | – – The papal trip to the United States that Francis will begin on September 22 is the most difficult of his pontificate so far. This is because of what I call the pope’s “American problem” – a cultural and ideological distance between the more socially minded Jesuit […]

Elections

Dark Money Surge: Conservatives Buoyed by Historic Flood of Contributions

contributors

By Sarah Lazare, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org) – – A new report from Center for Responsive Politics finds single-candidate groups have spent $16.2 million total so far—- over 55 times levels seen in 2012—- and conservatives disproportionately benefit. Political spending by outside groups seeking to the influence the 2016 presidential election is already dramatically […]

Featured

Has the GOP given up on winning the Presidency? Carson, Trump on Muslims, Latinos

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Ben Carson’s and Donald Trump’s comments about Muslims over the weekend again showed the GOP as the party of exclusion, not inclusion (though to be fair Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Chris Christie had the intestinal fortitude to denounce those comments, unlike the rest of the […]

National Security State

Putting Pacifists on a No-Fly List is a way of Disciplining us All

contributors

By Rebecca Gordon | (Tomdispatch.com) | – – It was August 2002. My partner Jan Adams and I were just beginning our annual pilgrimage to Massachusetts to visit my father and stepmother. At the check-in line at San Francisco International Airport, we handed over our driver’s licenses and waited for the airline ticket agent to […]

Bernie Sanders

Why Won’t Bernie Sanders Take “Socialist” As An Insult?: Stephen Colbert

contributors

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | – – “It’s hard to insult Bernie Sanders when he doesn’t mind being called a socialist. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: ” Why Won’t Bernie Sanders Take “Socialist” As An Insult?”

Immigration

How the GOP’s decades of Angry Resentment Led to Frankentrump

contributors

By Randall Stephens | (The Conversation) | – – The latest Republican presidential primary debate had it all: denunciations of President Obama, angry rants about America’s future, and all manner of bile. It seems like a new low – but in reality, Republican candidates have been singing this tune for years. In the fall of […]

Featured

How GOP Candidates would Deal with Syria, Short Version

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Political Satire In the course of the second GOP debate at CNN, anchor Jake Tapper asked the candidates about Syria policy. They for the most part did not actually answer the question, but occasionally said something. But they often said it at great length. Here is […]

Featured

Pope Francis Endorses Iran Deal: Another Dilemma for GOP Catholic Candidates

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Republican presidential candidates are virtually unanimous that human-caused climate change is a hoax and burning fossil fuels is good for us; that Obamacare is evil and must be repealed; and that the UN Security Council’s deal with Iran restricting its nuclear enrichment program must be […]