This week in OtherWords, Ryan Alexander points out that Congress could have averted the government shutdown had it done “its constitutionally mandated job” while Marc Morial warns that unless lawmakers raise the debt ceiling, an economic disaster could ensue. Donald Kaul blames the shutdown and the debt-ceiling perils on “zombie lawmakers,” and John Cavanagh and I highlight the Institute for Policy Studies’ remarkable history. IPS, which runs OtherWords, is celebrating our 50th anniversary this weekend. If you can make it to Washington, D.C., I hope you can join us.
Do you want to make sure you don’t miss the latest from OtherWords? Then subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. Do you value our sharp analysis and bold ideas? Please make a tax-deductible donation today to keep this valuable service running. We can’t do it without your support.
- Forging Ahead at 50 / Emily Schwartz Greco and John Cavanagh
Not every think tank could weather FBI infiltration, scapegoating by right-wing extremists, and even a car-bomb assassination. - Shut Up and Work / Ryan Alexander
We wouldn’t be at this point if Congress had done its job over the last several months. - This Political Game Jeopardizes the Economy / Marc Morial
This Political Game Jeopardizes the Economy. - Cleaning Up Campaign Finance to Save the Environment / Michael Brune
The assault on our democracy is a bigger problem than the temporary closure of national parks. - Attack of the Zombie Lawmakers / Donald Kaul
The tea-partying faction’s influence wouldn’t be so out of proportion to its numbers without the cowardice of more moderate Republicans. - Subsidizing Economic Inequality / Sam Pizzigati
The push to privatize the public sector through contracting out is expanding our economic divide. - More Food Doesn’t Guarantee Less Hunger / Jill Richardson
Increasing the world’s food supply won’t end hunger unless we address inequality and injustice. - McDonald’s Takes Its Time Cooking Up a New Menu / Jim Hightower
The fast-food chain swears it will offer plenty of healthy choices at all its restaurants but not until seven years from now. - The New Operating System / William A. Collins
If you can’t make a bundle in the digital world, you can join the gold rush of speculation in the financial industry. - The Slow Road to Better Fast Food / Khalil Bendib CartoonEmily Schwartz Greco is the managing editor of OtherWords, a non-profit national editorial service run by the Institute for Policy Studies. OtherWords.org
The Slow Road to Better Fast Food, an OtherWords cartoon by Khalil Bendib