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Poems on Surveillance

We invited poets to contribute new works, entering into a larger dialogue on what it means to have open eyes and ears in the twenty-first century. Poems by Armantrout, Ashbery, Bernstein, Pinsky, and others.

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What Killed Egyptian Democracy?

The promise of democracy lies in its potential to cultivate political virtue over time. But Egypt's liberals, unnerved by the policies of the legitimate Muslim Brotherhood government, refused to wait.

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The Moral Responsibility of Volunteer Soldiers

Traditional just war theory has it wrong. Soldiers are morally culpable for fighting in unjust wars, and thus deserve the option of selective conscientious objection.

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The Truth About GMOs

Genetically modified foods are safe for humans and pose no special environmental risk. Yet there are serious policy questions to consider.

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Beyond Blame

The philosophy of personal responsibility has ruined criminal justice and economic policy. It's time to move past blame.

Barbara H. Fried

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Can Global Brands Create Just Supply Chains?

Private efforts to improve global working conditions have failed.

Richard M. Locke

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What Are Foundations For?

The modern foundation is an institutional oddity in a democracy. A democratic society is committed to the equality of citizens, but foundations are the voice of plutocracy.

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Discussion: War Is Betrayal, Redux

Any story of war is a story of elites preying on the weak, the gullible, the marginal, the poor.

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Sweet Forgiveness

Debt relief is fair. It would also be good for the economy. Why isn’t it happening? Politics.

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Promoting Social Mobility

The accident of birth is a principal source of inequality in America today. American society is dividing into skilled and unskilled, and the roots of this division lie in early childhood experiences.

James J. Heckman

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Under the Influence

Democracy requires that all citizens—rich and poor alike—have influence over the policies their government adopts.

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Poetry on the Brink

Increasingly, the “true voice of feeling” is the one you discover with an inspired, if sometimes accidental click.

Marjorie Perloff

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