Derek Postlewaite
Born on December 29, 1983, I am a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in History. I am an avid reader, a critical socio-political pundit, and an experienced musician in the genre of Alternative Hip-Hop.
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- 8/25/2009
Education/Experience
California University of Pennsylvania, B.A. HistoryInterests
Music, Politics, Books, History, Writing, Organic Foods, Home Brewing, Craft Beers, GardeningMotto
"Let us not mistake personal freedoms for civic freedoms." - Ralph NaderFavorites
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Displaying Results 1 - 84 (of 84) for All Content
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Ruminating on the Left & Right Divide in American DiscourseIt is rare when my thoughts about America's divided political citizenry are so clear to me. Today, yet again, has me ruminating on the American Right or more specifically, the modern conservative or neoconservative.
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Let the Market Mantra Die & Save Yourselves!"Let the market decide" is a glib one-liner that the politically minded hears quite often these days. It's the republican solution to everything from health care to smoking bans. But, does it really work?
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Response to CH 17 of Life-Span: Human DevelopmentIssues, concerns, concepts & theories surrounding our “final challenge,” death and dying, are thoroughly discussed in CH 17 of Life-Span: Human Development.
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An Essay on Television & Cognitive DevelopmentAn essay examining television's impact on cognitive development.
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Response to "A Brief History of Social Studies"The reforms of the early 20th century, as noted in the chapter, brought an emphasis on an applied form of study, in complete opposition to the insipid, academic nature of history.
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"Where Did Social Studies Go Wrong?"A brief response to the Foreword & Introduction of "Where Did Social Studies Go Wrong?"
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Wake Up America, They're Ignoring the MajorityLast night's Republican Debate on MSNBC (Sept 7, 2011) was a disgrace.
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A Primary Challenge and a Republican Nomination, That's the TicketTwo truths could not be clearer in my mind as I write this today: (1) without a primary challenge to President Obama and the nomination of Ron Paul as the Republican Party's pick for president, I will not cast a vote in the 2012 presidential election. (2)
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An Open Letter to Giant EagleAn open letter to Giant Eagle, Inc regarding deceptive marketing and framing natural gas as "green." -
Weiner Should Have Whipped the Washingtonian Media ComplexAnthony Weiner missed his chance to have a positive, lasting impact on American culture & discourse. -
Phone ProblemsTwo stories involving cell phones, parents and children.
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Jobless Report No Longer, Webmaster TerminatedThe Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that it will no longer issue monthly employment reports. Why? Because the Webmaster of BLS.gov has been laid off due to the austere political climate in America. -
The Torture Debate & the Bigger MouthThe debate over whether or not torture led to the finding of Osama bin Laden is over for some. For me, it's been a fascinating, albeit frustrating, lesson on just what war our country is fighting at home: the information war. -
"Let The Market Decide!"If we wouldn't let the tax cuts expire for the richest 1%, why cut anything at all?
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Greatest AccomplishmentsA satire.
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A Short Essay on "Conservative America" & Diversity in the UniversityDiscussion of conservative talk radio, Fox News misinformation & the notion of liberal indoctrination at U.S. colleges & universities.
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State-Wide College Walk Out & Protest 3/18/2011A state-wide College Walk Out & Protest will take place on Friday, 3/18/2011, at 11:30 AM. -
We're Not All CapitalistsThe first thought that came to mind after reading the synopsis to an Associated Press video of President Obama revealing a plan to allow individual states to opt out of the health care law or the Affordable Care Act was...
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A Short Essay on Class StatusChildhood to young adult reflections on class status perceptions.
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Third Place or Third World?In 2011, would it be un-American to suggest that America is in decline? Beyond the blatant effects of the recession, has this country not already caught a glimpse of its economic descent? -
Let Them Deny It, Compel Them to ChangeDespite the right in this country's refusal to accept any degree of a role in last weekend's tragic events in Arizona, harsh criticism just might force a change in the style, tone and format of conservative media.
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The Threat of Limitless Corporate Contributions to American DemocracyAn examination of the ramifications of big money in American politics, and what the Supreme Court's January 2010 ruling on Citizens United vs FEC means for America's future. -
Thanking Those Who Toil on Christmas DayLet's not forget all those who toil on Christmas day.
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For President Obama, Red Ties for ChristmasReporters keep calling the proposal to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for everyone a compromise, but it's nothing of the sort. President Obama has capitulated.
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A Real Campaign for ReformI suggest a bipartisan effort for reform in America: Ron Paul for President 2012, with Ralph Nader as his running mate. -
The Republican PromiseWhat have we been promised by the newly elected Republican Majority? -
Why Voting is a Privilege that is Not GuaranteedRevealing to a number of people that I did not vote this past Tuesday has resulted in many scornful facial expressions. My message or response, to put it simply is: be bitter all you want; I really could care less. -
Voters, Where's Your Mandate?The saddest fact about America's political system is this: by voting into the corrupted duopoly, embodied by the Republican and Democratic parties, you're sacrificing the power of a political mandate.
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5 Billion is Far Too Much, It's Time for Publicly Financed ElectionsWith the 2010 general election campaign spending nearing $4 billion, it's due time we consider foregoing the corrupting route of big money and hold publicly financed elections. -
Texting While DrivingTexting while driving is becoming a dangerous epidemic on American roads.
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Enough with the Abortion Debate, Let's Get SeriousIt's about time we step away from the abortion debate and discuss the real issues facing our country.
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Hands Off Our Poor Health CareA new study suggests that the real culprit behind American's declining life expectancy happens to be the quality of care that covered Americans are receiving. -
Tough Economic Times For...Millionaires?A recent report shows that many households with income over 1 million dollars filed for unemployment compensation due to the recession in 2008.
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The Wolves Ate Plenty & the Sheep Are HungrySo the executive branch thinks there may be cause for some optimism and that taxpayers may turn a profit? Give us one good reason why the money left over shouldn't be put toward an extension of unemployment compensation. -
Assigning Blame Through CircumstanceA sociology activity sheds light on who we are as Americans.
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Painkillers, a Whipping Boy, and a Profitable GiantThe Justice Department recently divulged some numbers regarding the rising abuse of prescription painkillers for non-medical use that may surprise you.
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For the Unemployed, the Recession Isn't OverSo the latest news about the economy is that the recession has ended. Has it really?
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HFCSRecent news of the Corn Refiners Association's request to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to "corn sugar" has spurred a lot of discussion on the differences between cane sugar & "corn sugar."
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Saving, Spending, & Dying to Pay RentA new study suggests the wealthiest Americans save their income from tax cuts rather than spend it, and another asserts that the middle-class only tax cut extension still finds the wealthiest among us raking it in.
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Inadequate Encouragement for the UnemployedAmerica's unemployed may have been encouraged by Monday's Labor Day stimulus speech, but many experts believe the proposal will fall far short of what our economy requires to get moving again.
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Fearing for Net NeutralityIs the end of net neutrality coming and what does it mean for society & the online community?
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The Holes in Conservative LogicQuite honestly it can be pretty hard to consider conservative logic and in the end award it any intellectual credit. After all, some conservative tenets can't even climb as high as the common sense peak.
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The Plight of the Unemployed & Republican IntransigenceSince the Obama administration took office in January of 2009, it has become extremely depressing yet easy to acknowledge that the Republicans believe there is only one side to every coin.
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Beer, Alcohol, & the Threat of Advertising InvincibilityDespite what I'm soon to assert, according to the Sociology Department of State University of New York, alcohol consumption is in no way related to alcohol. Are they wrong, or are they just overlooking important considerations?
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"Pill Head," a MemoirA new book, "Pill Head," explores the cultural epidemic of "pill-popping," or the addiction to prescription painkillers.
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A Grand Isle Town Hall Meeting W/ BPWhat the major media refuses to show us regarding the feelings of citizens affected by the BP oil spill.
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A Sham of AccomplishmentsApologists for what really amounts to an insidious half-hearted exercise of true liberalism are wrong again. Obama's accomplishments, thus far, are shams of civility.
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Too Much Special Interest & We're to BlameWhen it comes to the special interests distorting American politics, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
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Eye Sores, Tar Balls, & the Dirty Energy ScapegoatThe latest estimate has us preparing for a crude Christmas, as experts say it may take until late December before BP finally is successful in capping the well.
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Should it Even Matter?Employers added over 430,000 American jobs in May, but some experts have said the numbers are mostly described by government jobs. Should it even matter?
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AccountabilityIn light of all the recent exposure of Wall Street's shady practices that sparked the recession in the fall of 2008, what this economy needs most is a stringent standard of accountability.
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What Happened to the Silence at the Library?Clearly some libraries have turned into multimedia hangouts, especially the libraries that are part of a college or university.
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Keep One Eye on the Enemy While Holding One Palm Over the OtherMy father told me when I was still a teenager "to watch the enemy" in response to me asking why he was watching Bill Oreilly's show. I watch now, but sometimes it's really painful.
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An Essay on Culture & DemocracyAn essay examining various definitions of democracy & vetting culture's impact on its perpetuation.
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Beefing with Supermarkets & Fast-Food ChainsOver the last few months I've noticed a few things in the market that irritate me.
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ImagineThe arguably 50 million Americans that are uninsured could have a huge impact on American democracy by voting outside of the two-party system.
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Taxes, HonestlyTaxes: the average American pays more than their fair share, and nothing has really changed in regards to tax inequity in America.
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The Collegiate-HMO ComplexEven as the senate bill intends to force health insurance programs on all Americans, colleges & universities have already begun fleecing us.
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A Government JobWith over 15 million unemployed we can't afford to let wall street off the hook anymore than it has already been afforded.
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Stop Proscrastinating & Assess His WorkIn just a few short days Barack Obama will have been in office for a full year. It is time for supporters to assess his work so far.
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Get Off the Backs of the PoorConservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh talks about taxes like the poor are the only people that should be paying them.
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What If Harry Reid Used the Word "Black?"He's been grilled for his offensive remarks, but what if he used the word "black" instead of "negro" to describe the dialect he thought Barack Obama lacked?
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McCain is Presently a Better PoliticianOutside the Lily-Ledbetter Act, Obama has achieved zero. His defeated 2008 opponent, on the other hand, has stood for America on more than one occasion.
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Things He KnowsDespite the obvious distortion and deception practiced by the Obama administration, loyalists to the administration don't seem to care.
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A Book Worth ReadingIt has almost been a month since the Obama adminstration committed over 30,000 more troops to the war in Afghanistan. Chris Hedges' "War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" is worth running back to.
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If Being Silent is Being a Democrat, I'm Glad I'm Not OneIn light of complaints from the far left over the disappointing state of the health care bill, news anchors like Chris Matthews are doing an awful lot of complaining themselves.
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So-Called Moderates Baffle MeA look at the modern day moderate, a label that baffles my mind in regards to its effectiveness in the political world.
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Jim Hightower is CorrectThe mass-media is forever citing the politics of "left & right," but I'm convinced that the battle is actually between the "top & bottom," like Jim Hightower has stated.
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The Thanksgiving Day Parade or a Long Line of Commercials?Is it a parade to celebrate our values, or a parade to further swallow our wallets and destroy the independent judgment of today's youth?
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Are the Loyal Viewers of Fox News Really Watching?Despite a number of so-called "mess-ups," viewers of Fox News seem to be undaunted by and unconcerned with the question of the legitimacy of Fox News. Or maybe they're just not watching.
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An Eco-Friendly ChristmasThis Christmas, buy gifts in honor of the environment, and ignore the ever beckoning call of a destructive, consumer-culture.
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Timing is EverythingThe House passed a "historic bill," handing 50 million customers over to the private, for-profit insurance industry, amidst news that the current administration might say "GO" to McChrystal's request.
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"No Matter How Much People Think They Understand War, War Will Never Understand People"As President Obama continues to mull the idea of sending more troops to Afghanistan, innocent people are dying daily. Understanding war just might be our best way out of it.
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So Right, but so WrongHouse Minority Leader John Boehner is right, but so wrong about Health Care reform.
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Pandering to IgnoranceThe Right's incessant claim of a liberal bias has even branched out to encompass the idea that one exists in our educational institutions. If so, what exactly is wrong with that?
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Ralph Nader Talks About Single Payer Health Care & New Book "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us"Ralph Nader speaks in Pittsburgh to expand the discussion on Single Payer health care & tout his new book "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us," which aside from his classic "Unsafe at Any Speed," is the "most important book" he's "ever written."
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The Error in Our ProtectionIn the midst of endless wars, industry bailouts, and a health care system that has become unaffordable for so many, it's time we took a closer look at who is protected during an economic collapse, and who is left in the flood.
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An Introverted Society is a Doomed SocietyWith amendments to the recently disclosed health care bill underway, its time we looked deeply at why the public option was removed, and why our public officials fail to meet the needs of our society.
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Maintaining Our For-Profit Health Care SystemBarack Obama has stated that a single-payer health care system, at this point, would be "too disruptive." But, up against our current system, who really poses the most disruption: Single Payer or For-Profit (with or without a public option)?
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A Summer of LiteracyDiscussion of some of the most enjoyable books I read this past summer, with recommendations for your own enjoyment.
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Another Industry in PainAfter the second-quarter of 2008, for the first time in 30 years, not one venture-backed IPO hit the books in Silicon Valley. Is it purely industry shrinkage, or are the heavy-hitters insidiously aiming to concentrate industry power?
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A Good Reason to Feel DupedA recent critique of the Obama administration's stances, waffling and downright mistakes, while playing fair and offering a few positive remarks.
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Reality in the EconomyDiscussion on our state of affairs, what it feels like when a colleague is laid-off, and the direction our country should move toward.
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Shopping Cart ChaosToday, two eyes toward the nearest parking lot describe a world in utter chaos. Is shopping-cart-clutter a reflection of our daily lives, or a description of our loss of values and respect?
