Tag Archives: American dream

As neo-Nazis come to Trump’s defense, the United States House of Representatives condemns his blatant racism in a 240 to 187 vote

By Mark | July 16, 2019

Today, while Kellyanne Conway demanded to know the ethnicity of a reporter questioning her outside the White House and Mitch McConnell dodged questions about how he’d take it of someone told his Asian wife “go back” to Taiwan, the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed Resolution 489 condemning our racist President for telling four freshman Congresswomen […]

Posted in Civil Liberties, Michigan, Politics, Uncategorized | Also tagged anti-immigrant, Benjamin Franklin, Brian Fitzpatrick, Daily Stormer, Donald Trump, FDR, Fred Upton, H.R. 489, House Resolution 489, immigrants, immigration, impeachment, invaders, John F. Kennedy, Justin Amash, Kellyanne Conway, Mitch McConnell, neo-Nazi, oversight, racism, Ronald Reagan, white nationalism, Will Hurd | 64 Comments

Davy Rothbart on following hunches, being persistent, ceding control, and beating David Duchovny to the punch: The story of Medora

By Mark | December 11, 2013

This Thursday night, the documentary Medora will be making its Michigan debut at Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater. The film, which is the most recent production of Found Magazine’s Davy Rothbart, is ostensibly about a small town basketball team’s seemingly impossible struggle to break a two-year losing streak. As you quickly realize when you watch […]

Posted in Ann Arbor, Art and Culture | Also tagged 8 Ball, Andrew Cohn, Bain Capital, basketball, Beachside Films, Byron Case, Chaz Cowles, Cory Booker, David Duchovny, Davy Rothbart, deindustrialization, documentary film, Dylan McSoley, ESPN, Film, Found Magazine, Gummo, high school, Hoop Dreams, Hoosiers, Indiana, John Branch, Kansas City, Kickstarter, Little Miss Sunshine, manufacturing, Mary Manhardt, Medora, Medora Hornets, midwest, My Heart Is an Idiot, New York Times, Perry Street Tavern, poverty, Rusty Rogers, Safety Not Guaranteed, school consolidation, Stanley Tucci, Street Fight, The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison, underdogs, Zach Fish | 14 Comments

The myth of the social mobility in America

By Mark | November 1, 2011

Last night, I had the following to say about Eric Cantor’s appearance at U-M: …In his speech, Cantor apparently talked about his ancestors and how they made good lives for themselves in America by a plying themselves and working hard. The implication, of course, is that others can do the same. Unfortunately, the facts say […]

Posted in Observations, Politics | Also tagged Abe Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, class warfare, Eric Cantor, fairytales, Herman Cain, leveling the playing field, Mitt Romney, Ponzi scheme, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Robert Reich, self-made man, social mobility, wealth inequality | 3 Comments

Rebuild the Dream rolls out their ten-point plan for setting America back on the right track

By Mark | August 8, 2011

I don’t usually like it when adults hire adorable little kids to deliver their political messages, but, judging from my response to this short video just put out by Van Jones and the folks at Rebuild the Dream, I guess I’m alright with it when said kids are articulately and enthusiastically parroting ideas that I […]

Posted in Politics | Also tagged Bush tax cuts, clean energy, Contract for the American Dream, energy independence, England, green jobs, health care reform, London, minimum wage, populism, public education, public option, Rebuild the Dream, riots, single-payer system, social security, Van Jones | 20 Comments

Van Jones sets out to counter the Tea Party, and Rebuild the American Dream

By Mark | June 26, 2011

Obama’s former green jobs czar, Van Jones, launched a campaign in New York on Thursday called Rebuild the Dream. I’m watching video of the inaugural event now, and I’m torn. On one hand, I appreciate the thought behind it, and very much like the idea of a progressive, reality-based equivalent to the conservative Tea Party […]