Obama on the Arts

"Our nation's creativity has filled the world's libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. " So starts Senator Barack Obama's arts policy statement, headlined "A Champion for the Arts."
Read the fill statement.

Order Advance Copy of "Win With Creativity!"

You can order an advance copy of Tom's book, "Win With Creativity! Why and How Creative Professionals Should Run for Local Office" via PayPal for $20.00! Use the "Buy Now" button below and I'll send you a PDF copy via email.

American Fascists - Can't Happen Here? Too Late

I've been speaking on this issue since 1991. Here's what Publisher's Weekly says about Chris Hedges' 2006 book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, "The f-word crops up in the most respectable quarters these days. Yet if the provocative title of this exposé by Hedges (War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning)—sounds an alarm, the former New York Times foreign correspondent takes care to employ his terms precisely and decisively. As a Harvard Divinity School graduate, his investigation of the Christian Right agenda is even more alarming given its lucidity. Citing the psychology and sociology of fascism and cults, including the work of German historian Fritz Stern, Hedges draws striking parallels between 20th-century totalitarian movements and the highly organized, well-funded 'dominionist movement,' an influential theocratic sect within the country's huge evangelical population."

From page 25, "The power brokers in the radical Christian Right have already moved from the fringes of society to the executive branch, the House of Representatives, the Senate and the courts. The movement has seized control of the Republican Party. Christian fundamentalists now hold a majority of seats in 36 percent of all Republican Party state committees, or 18 of 50 states, along with large minorities in the states. Forty-five senators and 186 members of the House of Representatives earned approval ratings of 80 to 100 percent from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups: the Christian Coalition, Eagle Forum and Family Resource Council."

Come on, creative Americans, stand up for creativity in 2008! Vote for candidates who support creativity, innovation, freedom of expression and a positive politics of inclusion.

State of the Commons

"All Americans are joint owners of a trove of hidden assets. These assets - natural gifts like air and water, and social creations like science and the Internet - constitute our shared inheritance. They're vital to our lives and make our economy run. Though it's impossible to put a precise value on them, it's safe to say they're worth trillions of dollars." So begins the report, "The State of the Commons," by Friends of the Commons.

The report is a great introduction to a vital topic and offers an overview of our shared resources. The report concludes with a set of recommendations to stop the looting and degrading of the public commons.