Frustration with democracy in the US
In an essay for spiked, Frank Furedi argues that the oligarchs of the European Union have turned decisively against democracy, in favor of elevating technocrats to positions of power in order to impose punitive austerity measures that do not have the backing of the electorate. Reading Furedi’s article, I was struck ...
McDonald’s out-smarts San Francisco’s toy banners
Tomorrow San Francisco’s “Healthy Food Incentive Ordinance” – which prohibits restaurants from providing free toys with meals unless the food meets its guidelines – comes into effect. The city government ...
Rise in parents opting-out of vaccinations for kids
An analysis by the Associated Press finds that the number of parents that are opting out of vaccination shots for their kids has increased in more than half the U.S. states over the past five years. Eight states – mainly in the West and Midwest – now have levels ...
This week’s articles of note
“Pre-occupied: the origins and future of Occupy Wall Street,” The New Yorker, by Mattathias Schwartz
“Pepper-spraying taxpayers: ‘diversity’ boondoggles are the real scandal,” National Review Online, by Heather MacDonald
“How I stopped worrying and learned to love the OWS protests,” Rolling Stone, by Matt Taibbi
“‘The new Tammany Hall,'” ...
Occupy at Wal-Mart calls shoppers “cum-sumer whores”
Here is a video with Occupy types on Black Friday handing out leaflets to Wal-Mart shoppers, urging them not to be “cum-sumer whores”. This is the level of wit and analytical thinking we’ve come to expect from the Occupiers, who have set themselves up as directly opposed to the masses ...
Occupy’s “Buy Nothing Day”: a grotesque call for mass austerity
The Occupy protesters have launched a “Buy Nothing Day” to coincide with Black Friday. Their campaign oozes with disdain for the working class, and reveals the group’s true colors. It is truly grotesque that, at a time when people are struggling to get jobs and maintain living standards, Occupy is calling for austerity. It shows ...
Occupy: the sad reality and the mad fantasies
Far from being clear-eyed, Occupy Wall Street is a blank slate on to which every opportunistic op-ed writer is scribbling his or her pet concerns.
Read my spiked article in full here.
This week’s articles of note
“The Great Restoration,” New York Times, by David Brooks
“Claire Fox on freedom of speech,” FiveBooks Interviews
“The myths of Christian Europe,” Pandaemonium, by Kenan Malik
“Natural gas will repower America,” RealClearEnergy, by Rich Trzupek
“The end of the future,” National Review, by Peter Thiel
Turning protest into a freakfest
Why do the great and good of America want to be best friends with the Occupy Wall Street oddballs?
Read my spiked article in full here.
ABOUT SEAN COLLINS
I write about American current affairs for Spiked, the online magazine. I am a native New Yorker, and I divide my time between New York City and upstate New York.
In addition to articles for Spiked, The Australian and other publications, I contributed an essay, "BDS: Demonizing Israel, Destroying Free Speech," for the book Unsafe Space: The Crisis of Free Speech on Campus (2016). I also wrote a chapter on New York City's economy for the book London After Recession: A Fictitious Capital? (2012).
My writings have been cited in American Conservative, Arts & Letters Daily, the Financial Times, Fox News, the Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, the New York Times, Real Clear Politics, and the Times of London, among other media.
For more about The American Situation site, go here.
