http://www.theittlist.com/ The ITT List is a weblog run by the editors and staff of In These Times magazine. en adambcase@yahoo.com 2009-07-09T21:21:00-06:00 This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/lX4ZdxQ9O-Y/ Many in the West are unaware that China is a multicultural nation. There’s nothing like an uprising to bring this fact to the forefront. The recent unrest in Xinjiang province parallels similar complaints by some of China’s other ethnic minorities. Beijing’s policy of settling the ethnically dominant Han Chinese in the region has created tension. Many of the native Uighurs feel they are being discriminated against, with the majority Han receiving the better jobs and opportunities. The Chinese government has found the War on Terror to be a convenient means to paint Uighurs dissidents as terrorists. The Uighurs, being Turkic… Adam Case 2009-07-09T20:21:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/chinese_minorities_and_their_discontent/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/cX8z-Tv4uVQ/ It turns out Stonewall didn’t really start the gay-rights movement. A new social history of the early gay and lesbian rights movement is shocking in its depth and breadth. And thankfully, its academic tone never grows monotonous. C. Todd White starts his Pre-Gay L.A.: A Social History of the Movement for Homosexual Rights with the foundation of the homosexual rights group Mattachine, the launch of ONE magazine and the relationships that formed amongst these progressive individuals. Combining historical fact, social commentary and personal anecdotes, Pre-Gay L.A. is both engaging and informative. Mattachine was formed in 1948—21 years before the Stonewall… Andrew Gaines 2009-07-09T17:35:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/before_the_stonewall_riots/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/39J6qI4enbo/ The immigration discussion is sometimes reduced to symbols or a war of "sides," be it on blogs, comment threads, or conference calls between legislators, media outlets, and activists. But it's important to remember what this fight is about: People. In last week's Wire, we covered the White House's June 25th meeting with lawmakers, during which an intention to address immigration reform was formally announced. The meeting yielded much celebration and discussion by advocacy groups and activists alike, but waiting for reform does not change the situation on the ground. This week, we look at everyday situations—from students who are deported… Nezua, Media Consortium 2009-07-09T16:16:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_immigration_wire_the_white_house_vs_reality/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/vrdDQ-9Buqc/ “The evil that men do live after them, the good is oft interred with their bones”—so wrote the bard. Robert McNamara—Secretary of Defense under JFK and LBJ, and president of the World Bank after that—may live up to the quote, having been responsible for both good and evil in his life. With his passing Monday, the meaning of his legacy is once again being debated. An architect of the Vietnam War, he was reviled by the anti-war movement.) An architect of the Vietnam War, McNamara's love for and expertise in statistics led him to gauge success in Southeast Asia through… Adam Case 2009-07-08T21:44:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/farewell_troubled_mcnamara/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/hKWaZFbgs6Y/ Another stunning reminder of the U.S. economy's dire condition arrived last Thursday. The nation shed a total of 467,000 jobs in June according to the Department of Labor. That's 35% more than it lost in May. Despite talk about "green shoots" from Wall Street, a meaningful recovery with full employment and rising incomes is a very long way off. It's time to start pushing another round of economic stimulus to help those searching for jobs get back on their feet, according to several independent media outlets. The situation is grim, but not hopeless, as Ruth Coniff notes for The Progressive.… Zach Carter, Media Consortium 2009-07-07T15:07:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_audit_time_for_a_second_stimulus/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/6oSPjcGsRbA/ After postponing twice, President Obama finally met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on June 25 to discuss moving immigration reform legislation forward. The meeting was applauded by activists and advocates for immigration reform, as the issue seemed to have stalled, and the acrimonious tone of the debate has proven deadly. All parties emerged from the meeting with positive feelings about the prospect for progress, as I heard on last Friday's White House debriefing conference call. A confluence of positive factors are contributing to the momentum: Major labor leaders are united for reform, Democrats are leading much of Washington, and… Nezua, Media Consortium 2009-07-02T15:05:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_immigration_wire_white_house_meeting_a_first_step_to_reform/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/MaqVUVHWudQ/ Progressives are demanding that Obama's healthcare reform package include a public plan, aka a government-administered health insurance option for all. A good public plan would cover more people while cutting costs and improving care. The key committees in the House drew up a bill with a public option, but the Senate is much less friendly to the idea. The real test of a healthcare reform plan is whether it can pass the Senate, as the House Dems have the votes to pass whatever health reform bill is put before them. But not all public plans are created equal. There's a… Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium 2009-07-01T15:54:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_pulse_all_public_plans_not_created_equal/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheITTList/~3/cATEhISNz60/ Now that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner isn't going to impose pay restrictions on bailed out Wall Street executives, it's critical to remember that severe economic inequality was a major factor in the financial meltdown. Our tax code funnels money into the hands of our wealthiest citizens, which means that our financial system protects the interests of the affluent—not the the average citizen. The broad divergence between our core democratic values and the existing U.S. economic structure must become part of the public debate over financial reform. As Les Leopold notes in a roundtable discussion with GritTV's Laura Flanders, much of… Zach Carter, Media Consortium 2009-06-30T14:50:01-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_audit_radical_inequality_fueled_the_wall_street_meltdown/ http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_immigration_wire_reform_stagnates_polarization_grows/ President Obama has often stated that immigration reform cannot be approached in a piecemeal fashion, and that his administration would tackle the issue in 2009. This week, Obama will be meeting with members of Congress to kick off a bi-partisan approach to reform. These meetings don't guarantee any legislative action will take place this year, but are at least an encouraging sign. In the meantime, the deportation industry shows no sign of slowing, hate crimes are rising and hate groups are being main streamed. As a result, the polarization between reform advocates and foes is getting worse. New America Media's… Nezua, Media Consortium 2009-06-26T16:04:00-06:00 http://www.theittlist.com/site/ittlist/ind/weekly_pulse_public_insurance_option_is_not_optional/ During a press conference yesterday, President Obama voiced support for government-administered health insurance for all who need it (aka the "public option"), as a key component of healthcare reform. Though Obama stopped short of threatening to veto a bill that didn't contain such an option, he said that a public option is needed to enforce market discipline. If the system is going to reform, the health insurance companies can't just keep selling the same bad coverage with bigger public subsidies for their monopolies. Essentially, Obama isn't about to force taxpayers to buy overpriced insurance from private companies. "The public plan,… Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium 2009-06-26T16:01:00-06:00