Politics and Faith in the Democratic Party

It's Sunday! NPR's "Speaking of Faith" looked at the role of faith and spirituality within the Democratic Party this morning and I thought some of you might want to check it out. If you click here, you will find a few different options on how you can listen. Here is their brief intro to the program:

The Religious Right has gotten a fair amount of coverage in recent years, while the political Left has rarely been represented with a religious sensibility. Our guest, a national correspondent for Time magazine is a political liberal and an Evangelical Christian who has been observing the Democratic Party's complex relationship with faith and the little-told story of its response to the rise of the Religious Right.

Any thoughts about the nexus between spirituality, faith, religion and the liberal/left in American politics? I'd be interested to hear what you think...

This Brave Nation

The venerable liberal magazine, The Nation, has teamed up with Brave New Films to create and distribute a new series of online video dialogues between activists and thinkers. The series, called "This Brave Nation," aims to bridge the gap between experienced activists who have been working on social justice issues for a long time and a new generation of progressive-minded folks who are seeking ways to act meaningfully in their communities. The creators of the series hope to provoke interesting discussion that is positive, proactive and forward-looking. The episodes are well worth some of your time...

Here is the preview clip This Brave Nation created to introduce the series:


Here are some reactions from folks who have taken a look online:

"Hearing directly from those who began the movements that changed history makes the idea of creating social change accessible to all of us."
- A S in Denver via email

"If I had seen these episodes in high-school I would have gone on to college actually believing I could make a difference."
- D L in Los Angeles via email

"I really think this new project could be subtitled This American Life meets Frontline thinkers and activists."
- The Group News Blog

"I think this series deserves maximum exposure."
- N. Lin in St. Paul

"I hope it makes it to college campuses too... lots of young adults feeling very disenchanted with the whole scene."
- Fran from Siren Chronicles

"I found fascinating their discussion about the role of culture in social change and why artists today seem less invovled than in the 60s"
- Future Majority

"As an aging progressive who majored in film, I salute you for your new series and thank you for the eloquent way you present the possibility for change"
- P.C. via email

Here is the first dialogue between Carl Pope and Van Jones on "Environment, New Media, Civil Rights & the Economy":

INTRO: In any other profession, Carl Pope might be considered a "company man." He has worked loyally and tirelessly in the name of the Sierra Club for thirty years, running the organization – the largest of its kind in the country – since 1992. Van Jones has founded several organizations within the last decade, including The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Green For All. They both live in the Bay Area. They both care intensely about saving the environment. The thing is, they use very distinct methods, although the lines differentiating those methods are blurring as we race further into the 21st century. From the environment to the economy, from old fashioned door-to-door fliers to streaming internet video, Pope and Jones discuss the myriad elements effecting our lives today and the many possible solutions that are nearly within reach.

What do you think?

The Project for the Old American Century

As I've written several times before, I really like "political art," also known as propaganda. Good political art requires a certain kind of skill. Of course, it is usually heavy-handed, but when done well, it can also be very interesting and provocative.

I was reminded recently of this really good progressive propaganda website called The Project for the Old American Century. Here is their "Statement of Principals." In essence, the group is a reaction to the radical rightwing Project for a New American Century, which formulated the policy foundation for all the lunacy of the Bush years. The folks at The Project for the Old American Century are pissed about all this and are doing something creative about it.

The Project for the Old American Century has a fine collection of propaganda posters patterned on old war posters, advertisements, labor iconography and other government propaganda. They also have other resources at their website, like pamphlets, charts, documents, articles, and more, so I hope you'll click the link above and check it out further over there. In the meantime...

Here are a few of the posters that are critical of the Bush administration and their policies:




These fall under the "say it loud, I'm liberal and proud" category:



Uhhhh... this one sums up the Bush years pretty nicely, I think...


Do you know of any other good political art websites? If so, let me know. Leave a comment...