The Age of Paine

Scott Tucker / Truthdig Jul 3, 2009 “That filthy little atheist,” as Thomas Paine was called by Theodore Roosevelt, has few monuments dedicated to his memory. Building a bronze and marble monument to Paine will never revive the republic, but his words still carry an electric current of freedom. His intellectual and political energy is always available for rediscovery. Dig deeper ( 32 Min. Read )

Prop. 8 and the Misery of the Law

Scott Tucker / Truthdig Jun 5, 2009 The right to rebel is my real subject here, but the misery of the law is not incidental. No good case can be made for rebellion as an unqualified good in itself. But the right to rebel also cannot be limited to the rebel causes that were won long ago and have passed over into our national mythology. Dig deeper ( 23 Min. Read )

Borders, Bullies and Global Health

Scott Tucker / Truthdig Apr 21, 2007 Australian Prime Minister John Howard is hurting politically, and so he has despicably turned against the vulnerable, arguing recently that Australia should have a blanket ban against HIV-positive immigrants. Dig deeper ( 13 Min. Read )