The Republican Party's staggering win in the 1994 mid-term elections brings with it renewed concern over the role of the radical religious right in American politics. Has the GOP sold its soul to the Christian Coalition for the sake of electoral success? And at what cost to American democracy?
Cover Story:
The Myth of a Liberal Media
by Michael Parenti
According to conservative politicians and pundits, the mainstream media pushes a leftist agenda. Yet a look at the media landscape reveals that the "liberal press" actually reflects the views of corporate America. Is it true, as A.J. Liebling once said, that freedom of the press belongs only to those who own one?
Environmentalists Cause Malaria! (And Other Myths of the "Wise Use" Movement)
by Tim Callahan
According to the "Wise Use" movement, malaria was nearly eliminated from the planet until Rachel Carson and other "neo-pagan" environmentalists succeeded in banning DDT. That story is false in almost every particular, but the question remains: why can't the "Wise Use" movement tell the truth?
Public Policy and the "Wicked Stepmother": The Ideological War Against Institutional Child Care
by Michael A. Pawel, M.D.
The dirty little secret about institutional child care is not the (grotesquely inflated) stories of widespread abuse and neglect but, rather, the fact that institutional child care can work--and would work even better if we were to devote adequate resources to it.
Welfare-Bashing Redux: The Return of Charles Murray
by Jared Bernstein
Ten years before The Bell Curve, Charles Murray made his reputation by arguing that welfare benefits were hurting the poor. Although he claims his theory is scientifically sound, many social scientists say that the statistics do not bear him out. What is actually driving the increase in single-parent families, and what can we do about it?
Personal Insights from the 1994 Humanists of the Year
by Mary and Lloyd Morain
Upon jointly accepting their award, these humanist leaders offer their thoughts and perspectives on a variety of topics and recount some exciting experiences.
Toward and American Renaissance in Art and Ideas
by Alexandra York
A new organization of artists--advocates of "Romantic Realism"--propose an affirmative ideal of beauty, optimism, and human triumph, and with it look to forge a new cultural renaissance.
