The Ukraine war has raged for more than a year now. The U.S., with NATO following its lead, has contributed massive amounts of military aid to Ukraine, while resisting all calls to engage in diplomacy aimed at ending the bloodbath and restoring peace. The latest move to escalate the war occurred just this weekend, with … Continue reading Sectors of political right and left sharply criticize U.S. warmaking, but differ wildly on reasons for it

Social work practitioners have long known and even celebrated the "social construction of reality" - i.e. the understanding that to a significant extent our daily life worlds are constituted by commonly held ideas, beliefs, and values. Change those ideas, beliefs, and values, and "reality" itself changes. This understanding underlies social work's deep appreciation of cultural … Continue reading In this fraught moment, social workers must evade and overcome these three pitfalls in particular

I've long known that May 1 is recognized throughout the world as International Workers Day. May Day is at least an acknowledgement, if not everywhere a celebration, of a simple truth, i.e., that workers at every level of society, not owners or their financiers, are the real driving force that makes the world go round. … Continue reading Why is International Workers Day (May 1) officially “Loyalty Day” in the U.S.?

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is showing his hand. McCarthy spoke at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange this week, calling on the handmaidens of the "investor class" to support the Republican party's demand for massive cuts in domestic social spending in return for approving an increase in the federal debt ceiling, and thereby … Continue reading Social workers: Here comes perhaps the greatest assault on social welfare in U.S. history

As a dedicated coffee consumer, some years ago I was gifted by a loved one with a favored poster (it remains hanging in my office even after multiple purges) featuring a classic cartoon devil figure (i.e. horns, flaming hair, pitchfork) hawking Devil Brand Coffee with the tag line, "Wake the hell up!" The story below … Continue reading Mississippi social workers, take note! The rising tide of fascism is coming for us “woke folk.”

A sizable antiwar protest occurred in Washington D.C. a week ago. Thousands of demonstrators showed up at Lafayette Park (in front of the White House), calling for an end to U.S. war making, and especially to its perpetuation of the Russia-Ukraine war. The occasion was the 20th anniversary of the U.S.'s illegal invasion of Iraq … Continue reading Promising development – A revived U.S. antiwar movement. Are social workers in or out?

Nearly three decades of experience teaching social welfare policy at BSW, MSW, and DSW levels suggests that the vast majority of social work students operate with a deeply flawed understanding of how the U.S. political/policy making system actually operates.  A superficial and idealized model of policy making in turn misdirects student thinking about policy change … Continue reading We need a “new civics” for social workers

It's true that most of the national and global news these days is frightening stuff - wars, wild weather and climate disasters, train derailments and toxic spills, mass shootings, earthquakes and building collapses, desperate migrants dying at sea and in unforgiving deserts, and on and on. Add to all that the political madness of book … Continue reading Some good news on labor and antiwar organizing

Some Mississippi leaders would have citizens believe that the state's condition has never been better. After all, the state's coffers are so flush (largely with federal cash) that many of the same leaders are itching to eliminate the mildly progressive income tax. Why tax when you have more money than you need to keep essential … Continue reading Here we go again: Mississippi leads U.S. in newborns with syphilis

I'm pretty sure you won't hear much of this from mainstream media - rock legend Roger Waters (79 yr-old co-founder of Pink Floyd) speaking eloquently on the Ukraine War at the United Nations this week - so here are highlights from Waters' remarks: "...With your forbearance, I shall endeavour to express what I believe to … Continue reading Roger Waters calls out global warmongers at the UN, voicing a peace vision social workers can embrace