Social work leaders are charged with communicating and reinforcing central components of professional identity – notably (1) the professional values and ethics base, and (2) core beliefs and presuppositions concerning social reality and how to make change consonant with social work values and ethics. As the U.S. descends into a seemingly permanent state of division, … Continue reading Five presuppositions social workers need to rethink

The 27th "Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" just wrapped up a week of meetings in Cairo, Egypt. Most mainstream media coverage has directed attention to the "historic" decision of the COP to establish a "loss and damage" fund to help nations of the global South - those least responsible … Continue reading Five things social workers should know about COP27

The flood of midterm election analysis from the U.S. pundit class will continue for some time, no doubt, shortly to overflow into full-body immersion in the whirlpool of 2024 presidential horserace speculation. Some analysis will surely offer useful insight; much more of it won't be worth the digital newsprint on which it's published. Here are … Continue reading What should social workers take away from the midterm elections?

It's November 8, the day of midterm elections that will determine not only the composition of the next U.S. Congress, but also more than half the states' governorships, as well as a host of "lesser" officials ranging from secretaries of state to judgeships and school board members. I believe that it's fair to say, without … Continue reading Election day musings from a social work perspective

i have never been a big fan of progressive policy incrementalism - i.e., the advocacy approach, unfortunately favored by the social work profession, of gradually making small policy changes, usually through legislative action, that eventually add up to meaningful, if not structural and socially transformative, change. As far as I can tell from reading American … Continue reading US Supreme Court puts the last nail in the coffin of legislative incrementalism

President Kennedy made a profound speech at American University's commencement on June 10, 1963. Evidently reflecting his experience of managing the Cuban missile crisis barely eight months earlier, JFK spoke of harsh realities in inspirational terms: "I speak of peace because of the new face of war. Total war makes no sense in an age … Continue reading Both peacemakers and warmakers should revisit JFK’s 1963 address at American University

For one day this week - literally a single day - it appeared that the Congressional Progressive Caucus, chaired by Pramila Jayapal, had grown a spine, calling on Joe Biden to press for negotiations to end the disastrous and ever-escalating Russia-Ukraine war. But alas, the apparent show of backbone was an illusion. A letter sent … Continue reading A moment of sanity, then poof! – back to war-making mode for so-called progressive caucus

Given the sorry state of the world, i.e. the multiple crises plaguing humanity and planetary life as a whole, you'd think that the top priority of the world-hegemon United States of America would be global cooperation and forging a consensus for collective action based on negotiation and rational problem solving. Sadly, it simply is not … Continue reading Why is the U.S. flirting with starting World War III?

I'm pretty sure that you already know the answer to the headline question - COVID is not over; we're just pretending that it is. But why?, you might wonder if the facts suggest otherwise. For a small glut of reasons no doubt. It's true that people are certainly sick of worrying about getting sick with … Continue reading If the pandemic is over (Pres. Biden said so!), why are people still getting sick with COVID?

There's an old joke about an outspoken man of Christian faith who repeatedly refused to evacuate as a dangerous storm approached. First, a bus came through his community, picking people up as a booming loudspeaker urged residents to leave. "No, no," said the man, even as water was starting to fill his street, "the Lord … Continue reading Climate chaos is now – no joke!