Labor's New Reality -- it's Easier to Raise Wages for 100,000 than to Unionize 4,000

Harold Meyerson Los Angeles Times
Unions historically have supported minimum wage and occupational safety laws that benefited all workers, not just their members. But they also have recently begun investing major resources in organizing drives more likely to yield new laws than new members. Some of these campaigns seek to organize workers who, rightly or wrongly, aren't even designated as employees or lack a common employer, such as domestic workers and cab drivers.

Why the Founding Fathers Thought Banning Torture Foundational to the US Constitution

Juan Cole Informed Comment
We will likely hear these false appeals to an imaginary history a great deal with the release of the Senate report on CIA torture. It seems to me self-evident that most of the members of the Constitutional Convention would have voted to release the report and also would have been completely appalled at its contents.

The Disruption This Time

L.A. Kauffman The Baffler
What has made these protests stand out is not their size, though some have been quite large. And this is not the first time protesters have used their bodies to block bridges, tunnels, intersections, and roadways around town. But I can’t come up with another time when protesters have engaged in as much spontaneous and simultaneous disruptive action as they have in the two weeks since Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson was not indicted for shooting Michael Brown.

Friday Nite Videos -- Feb 8, 2013

Video Moderator Portside
How the Super Bowl defines what it means to be an American: dueling ads. Stephen Colbert wrestles with bipartisan immigration reform. Republicans think CIA nominee Brennan gives the public too much information. The Union of Concerned Scientists says we can cut oil consumption in half, and who's standing in the way. Beasts of the Southern Wild imagines a surreal realm where little girls and mythical animals coexist.

Half the Oil: A Practical Solution

The Union of Concerned Scientists says using less oil is practical, achievable, and benefits us all. Yet one powerful group is intent on blocking progress. Who’s standing in the way? See for yourself. For more information about how we can cut U.S. oil consumption in half in 20 years, go here.