Consider the following basic difference between modern progressives and the market fundamentalist right.

For most progressives, the world is a complex and imperfect place in which humans struggle to address the problems that confront them – both individually and collectively. In this worldview, society makes use of public and private structures (government and the market) as part of an ongoing effort to build a better, freer, healthier, and fairer world.

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Unfortunately, it’s not an April Fools joke

Ever wondered if Raleigh’s market fundamentalist “think” tanks had too much time and money on their hands? Well, if you had any doubts, you probably ought to check out the John Locke Foundation’s recent attacks on that most pernicious of socialist conspiracies, the public greenway.

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More irresponsible fiscal proposals from the far right

Whatever its flaws (and rest assured, there are a lot of them) one thing can be said for certain about what goes into crafting the state of North Carolina’s budget each year: It is a complex and challenging process. Even at its closed door worst, in which only a few powerful lawmakers pull almost all the strings, putting together a balanced $20 billion budget for an entire state is serious business.

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Latest slander against one of America’s greatest accomplishments is part of the right’s long-term strategy

During his recent visit to North Carolina, scholar and social commentator George Lakoff helped demystify some of the startling political and policy successes enjoyed by the American far right over the last few decades.

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How some national and local conservatives deal with the wacko right

For progressives who see him as a cranky, old, anti-choice war hawk it’s sometimes hard to understand why the far right dislikes and distrusts John McCain. A recent essay in the New Yorker magazine, however, captures the essence of that divide in the following McCain monologue from his “Straight Talk Express” campaign bus:

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The Bush administration’s proposed farmworker rules

One of the great schisms in modern American (and North Carolina) conservatism is the divide between pro-business wing and the xenophobic talk radio crowd – particularly around the issue of immigration and immigrant workers.

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The far right’s latest misleading rhetoric on criminal justice

By Rob Schofield

One of the greatest challenges to sound, democratic government is the tendency of legislative bodies to be swept up in the tide of public emotion and to act based upon what sounds like good policy rather than what actually is good policy. A glance at the period that followed September 11, 2001 and the enactment of the disastrous “USA Patriot Act” (in which few if any members of Congress even had the opportunity to read the massive new law before it was rammed through is the classic modern example).

In such instances, even ordinarily thoughtful lawmakers who know better can be caught up in the opinion tidal wave and opt for the political safety of going silently along with the flow rather than the politically risky course of public opposition.
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New Year’s resolutions for the right wing

By Rob Schofield

In the spirit of the season, this edition of Radical Right Reality Check offers our take on some traditional New Year’s resolutions and how they might be of use to our friends on the ideological right (and maybe even to a few progressives as well). [...]

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And the right wing’s absurd attempt to blame the subprime mortgage crisis on borrowers

By Rob Schofield

Next month, one of Raleigh’s market fundamentalist “think” tanks will hold an event in Charlotte at which it will charge attendees $60 to hear from George Will. For the sake of those in attendance, let’s hope they’re serving a pretty good meal. [...] [Continue Reading...]

Politicians and “free market” think tanks sacrifice principles for political expediency on immigration

By Rob Schofield

North Carolina’s ongoing debate over immigration and, in particular, the admission of a few hundred undocumented students into our community college system has produced a significant amount of hot air of late. As noted recently in this space, this should come as no particular surprise. Raising fears about “the other” has always been a surefire way for cynical politicians and public figures to motivate and mobilize constituents – especially when the tide of events is turning against them on the core issues that really make a difference in people’s lives. more… [Continue Reading...]

By Rob Schofield On Friday November 9, State Representative George Cleveland of Onslow County sent a document to all “exchange users” of the North Carolina General Assembly email system (i.e. all legislators and legislative staff) entitled “Interesting Statistics.”  Cleveland, you may recall, was the person who uttered this statement in support of his proposal to [Continue Reading...]

North Carolinians need to keep their heads when it comes to immigration    By Rob Schofield Recently, the North Carolina Justice Center sent out its weekly on-line newsletter, NC Justice News. Among other things, the newsletter featured four very brief articles about current policy issues. One article contained a critique of recent efforts [Continue Reading...]

The press release you didn’t see on the latest poll on health care By Rob Schofield The J.W. Pope Civitas Institute released its latest “News Makers Poll” this week. As is usually the case each month, the “spin” that accompanied the poll results was as interesting as the poll numbers themselves. According to the press [Continue Reading...]

Deciphering the Far Right’s Hot Air on Global Warming By Rob Schofield There are two schools of thought in the progressive community about the far right’s persistent campaign to deny the existence of global warming. Many argue that the best approach is to simply ignore it. According to this point of view, the hard reality [Continue Reading...]

The Right Tries to Usurp the Words “Life” and “Family” By Rob Schofield It has long been understood that things like packaging and labeling are important in politics and the societal “battle of ideas.” Theodore White’s bestseller The Making of the President 1960 made millions aware of the way in which JFK was the first [Continue Reading...]