June 24, 2021 News outlets are abuzz with opinions - right, left, and center - on "critical race theory," the scholarly movement (40 years old, by the way) that puts the social constructs of race and racism at the center of efforts to understand U.S. systems of power and privilege. From what I've read and … Continue reading Assaults on Critical Race Theory are serious business
Unemployed lose essential benefits as Fed fuels speculative feeding frenzy and debt accumulation
June 17, 2021 In the struggle for social justice, professional social workers exercise a de facto "preferential option" for the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. It's a matter of the most profound, non-negotiable, ethical commitment. Surely that commitment encompasses the hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers who have already lost, or shortly will lose, supplementary unemployment … Continue reading Unemployed lose essential benefits as Fed fuels speculative feeding frenzy and debt accumulation
Yes, social work students, it’s a class war
June 9, 2021 Mega-rich investor Warren Buffett years ago famously acknowledged the existence of a class war, and quipped "my class is winning." And how. Any doubt about just how bad the war is going for ordinary working people should be finally and fully erased by the report just published by ProPublica - https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax - … Continue reading Yes, social work students, it’s a class war
Is it time for social workers to use the F word?
June 5, 2021 The "F word" is "fascism." And yes, it's time. The indicators are too many to ignore. The Republican party is no longer the party of conservative values and virtues; it is, completely and unabashedly, the party of Donald Trump, a virtual cult. Insufficient loyalty to Trump, the Faultless and Unchallengeable Leader, is … Continue reading Is it time for social workers to use the F word?
Social workers should support labor organizing
May 19, 2021 Three-quarters of a century ago, in the struggle for worker rights, social workers were known for their support of organized labor. They should be again, for at least these four reasons: Self-determination is a core value of professional practice. Yet any realistic meaning of self-determination is stripped away by the virtually totalitarian … Continue reading Social workers should support labor organizing
Hawaii declares climate emergency; other 49 states should rapidly follow suit
May 10, 2021 Nearly 2000 collective entities of one sort of another - including cities, town councils, entire countries, and even the European Union - have by now declared a "climate emergency," signaling the need for drastic action to address the building climate crisis. Hawaii, however, is the first state - not coincidentally, the only … Continue reading Hawaii declares climate emergency; other 49 states should rapidly follow suit
“Short course” in thinking about social welfare policy making in the U.S. today
April 30, 2021 I just wrapped up delivering three undergrad courses in social welfare policy and programs. We covered a lot of detailed ground over the term, to be sure, but the main purpose of these courses is not to master detail, but to sharpen thinking about both the process and content of social welfare … Continue reading “Short course” in thinking about social welfare policy making in the U.S. today
My response to Secretary of State Watson’s charge that “far left” professors teach students to hate America
April 24, 2021 Mississippi Secretary of State Watson poked a hornet's nest when he criticized H.R. 1 for inducing so-called "woke"-but-ignorant college students to vote - a rather curious position for the state's top voting official, whose job is generally considered to include increasing citizen participation in the democratic electoral process. You can a read … Continue reading My response to Secretary of State Watson’s charge that “far left” professors teach students to hate America
Social workers know that Derek Chauvin’s conviction is just the tip of a deep and dangerous iceberg
April 21, 2021 It's no surprise that the guilty-on-all-counts verdict in the George Floyd/Derek Chauvin case has been burning up the media since it was announced yesterday afternoon. From what I've seen so far, the most common reaction is relief, an "exhalation" after a long stretch of nail-biting, hold-your-breath fear that yet another black-man-murdering cop … Continue reading Social workers know that Derek Chauvin’s conviction is just the tip of a deep and dangerous iceberg
Uncle Joe inches to the left on social welfare, but takes too long to get where we need to go
April 8, 2021 President Biden, now in the seventy-some-odd day of his presidency, is decidedly not turning out to be the austerity-minded corporate-leaning centrist many progressives feared he would be. On the other hand, though a picture of Franklin Roosevelt now occupies a prominent place over the mantle of the Oval Office, Biden is surely … Continue reading Uncle Joe inches to the left on social welfare, but takes too long to get where we need to go
