Publisher’s Note: Our answer. Decentralism and the Commons. Read the whole article from the always-insightful Martin Jacques at The Guardian newspaper. Here’s a slice:

A Trump America would mark a descent into authoritarianism characterised by abuse, scapegoating, discrimination, racism, arbitrariness and violence; America would become a deeply polarised and divided society. His threat to impose 45% tariffs on China, if implemented, would certainly provoke retaliation by the Chinese and herald the beginnings of a new era of protectionism.

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Trump may well lose the presidential election just as Sanders failed in his bid for the Democrat nomination. But this does not mean that the forces opposed to hyper-globalisation – unrestricted immigration, TPP and TTIP, the free movement of capital and much else – will have lost the argument and are set to decline. In little more than 12 months, Trump and Sanders have transformed the nature and terms of the argument. Far from being on the wane, the arguments of the critics of hyper-globalisation are steadily gaining ground. Roughly two-thirds of Americans agree that “we should not think so much in international terms but concentrate more on our own national problems”. And, above all else, what will continue to drive opposition to the hyper-globalisers is inequality.

August 21, 2016

“Neoliberalism” Imploding: What Comes Next, Other Than Trump’ism?

Publisher’s Note: Our answer. Decentralism and the Commons. Read the whole article from the always-insightful Martin Jacques at The Guardian newspaper. Here’s a slice: A Trump America […]
August 18, 2016

Broadway’s “Hamilton” Whitewash: Orwellian Theater for the Neoliberal Age

Publisher’s note: Thanks to Paul Street for this brilliant critique of “Hamilton: The Musical,” which swept the 2016 Tony Awards with its clever and creative (if historically […]
August 18, 2016

Con Versus Con: The 2016 Presidential “Election” Charade

Publisher’s note: Thanks to Chris Hedges for this article, originally published on Truthout on June 19, 2016. During the presidential election cycle, liberals display their gutlessness. […]
August 9, 2016

Primary Day: VOTE Today for a 2nd Vermont Republic

  Publisher’s Note: Today, August 9, is Primary Day in Vermont. As our friend and neighbor Gwen Hallsmith writes below, our elected leaders will move us […]
August 7, 2016

FORTUNE magazine covers Vermont Independence

High summer in the 2nd Vermont Republic, and we’re taking August off – more or less – to enjoy all that summer in the Green Mountain […]
July 12, 2016

Drilling in Vermont: On Psychodrama, “Crisis Acting,” and Our Zombie Nation

Let’s connect some dots here. First, take a close look at this recent Craig’s List post inviting “crisis actors” to apply for paid work here in […]
July 12, 2016

S is for “Sheepdog,” and Democracy Is Bern’ing.

Let’s be honest. We all knew Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign would come to this. And, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter either […]
July 5, 2016

From “Brexit” to “Vexit” – The Twin Myths of Cosmopolitanism and Efficiency, from an Independent Vermont

Thanks to THE ATLANTIC and POLITICO for reporting on Plan V – our blueprints for a 2nd Vermont Republic – in the wake of the Brexit. […]
July 1, 2016

“Plan V”: The Nuts and Bolts of Vermont Independence

June 27, 2016

Vermont Independence on the Vermont RADIO Airwaves

Thanks to WGDR radio host Jim Hogue for hosting us last week for a wide-ranging 90 minute conversation on the past, present, and future of Vermont […]
May 4, 2016

GMO Labeling in Vermont: Retailer Experience, Data Dispute Cost Concerns

While many large media outlets have described Vermont’s mandatory GMO labeling initiative as a “controversial” move, independent research indicates that no fewer than 64 countries containing […]
May 4, 2016

Center for Research on Vermont: Annual Meeting on May 11, 2016!