Read NPI’s review of “Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock”, a documentary in three parts about the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota.
Category: Views & Reviews
Posted inViews & Reviews
Documentary Review: “United States of ALEC” remains a timely and informative film
“United States of ALEC” is a Moyers & Company segment produced in late 2012 but is worth watching even five years later as, sadly, not much has changed.
Posted inEconomic Security
Documentary Review: “Saving Capitalism” highlights an important truth about markets
Read NPI’s review of former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich’s new film about what happened to our economy, now available to stream on Netflix.
Posted inOur Environment
Documentary Review: Everyone should see “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power”
Read NPI’s review of Al Gore’s 2017 documentary, which continues the story of his fight to combat the climate crisis and protect the Earth, our common home.
Posted inOur Environment
Documentary Review: “The Breach” sounds the alarm about threats to our wild salmon
Read NPI’s impressions of Mark Titus’ 2015 film, which explains why wild salmon are disappearing from the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Posted inMedia & Culture, Views & Reviews
Book Review: Bernie Sanders’ “Guide to Political Revolution” aims to be teen resource
Democrats still get into arguments about the merits (or lack thereof) of Hillary Clinton’s and Bernie Sanders’ candidacies for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. It’s why many of us on the left continue, inexorably, viewing contemporary events as a chance to re-litigate that contest and who was right. To say that Bernie Sanders: Guide to […]
Posted inMedia & Culture, Views & Reviews
Book Review: Read Zoë Quinn’s “Crash Override” to understand the Trump error
Read Crash Override to understand what can be done now as we live with forms of intimidation and harassment that never could have existed prior to the advent of an always on, Internet-connected culture — and what we still need to do as a society to confront and stamp out these toxic behaviors.
Posted inCivil Liberties, Media & Culture, Views & Reviews
Documentary Review: Ava DuVernay’s “13th” offers eye-opening look at mass incarceration
If you have yet to see Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning documentary “13th”, you should really make plans to screen it as soon as possible. This short commentary will surely not do it justice. Kevin Gannon, Professor of History at Grandview University, who is white, sums up the challenge we as country face today early […]
Posted inViews & Reviews
Book Review: Laura Spinney’s Pale Rider re-examines the biggest tragedy of the 1900s
It’s become a standard bit of twentieth century trivia that as terrible as the First World War was, the 1918 flu pandemic coinciding with the armistice killed more than the conflict itself. Now, an especially pedantic person might want to argue that WWI really was the beginning of the ‘Second Thirty Years War’. They might treat as […]
Posted inMedia & Culture, Our Environment, Policy Topics, Views & Reviews
Documentary Review: “We the People 2.0” examines the decay of American democracy
In order to protect our environment from messy oil and gas projects, hazardous waste, toxic pollution, and industrial agriculture threatening local farming, a new iteration of democracy is necessary. At least, that is the argument put forth in “We the People 2.0,” a 2016 documentary produced by Tree Media. This compelling film starts off by highlighting […]
Posted inMedia & Culture, Views & Reviews
Book Review: Sasha Abramsky’s Jumping At Shadows explores America’s culture of fear
Abramsky makes a convincing case that we’re clearly not worried enough about what’s actually commonly dangerous and preventable compared with things that are rare, unavoidable, or outright false.
Posted inPolicy Topics, Technology, Views & Reviews
NPI to Comcast: Stop spamming us with unsolicited offers for service we don’t want
Editor’s note: The following is an open letter to Comcast CEO, President, and Chairman Brian Roberts from the Northwest Progressive Institute. Dear Brian: I am writing to ask that Comcast cease and desist from sending us further “limited-time savings vouchers” or other solicitations for Comcast Business service. Since last summer, we have received dozens of […]
Posted inUnscheduled Programming, Views & Reviews, World Commmunity
American-ness and the Promise of Global Democracy
As governments transition and Egypt is figuring out what to do in the aftermath of a military coup, it is important to recognize this is not an event devoid of context, but is a product of a long history, one in which we have had no small part. “Wait a second”, it might be said,“what’s with […]
Posted inHolidays, Public Service, Views & Reviews
President Obama’s Second Inaugural Address: A heartening, uplifting call for progress
Four years ago, I stood on the National Mall in our nation’s capital and witnessed the swearing-in of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth President of the United States of America. It was a historic day — a happy and joyous day that offered a welcome respite from weeks of bad economic news and feelings of […]