From Counterpunch, are there really oil wars? Kevin Phillips on why the economy is worse than we know. Page by page, a good book can rewire your brain. From ResetDOC, a referendum on America: A forum with Andrew Arato, Benjamin Barber and Jim Sleeper (and part 2). From TAP, a look at why Obama is not a God; and an article on how the Left can avoid a new education war. Obama wonders what's up with all those "English-only" whiners — learn Spanish, already; and debates over language reflect the anxiety that some people feel about America's changing cultural landscape. Jesus loves you and your orgasm: The religious right is celebrating sex to stroke its conservative message; liberals better rise to a secular defense soon (and more on the war on sex). Why Fox News shouldn't be allowed to talk about sex. A review of The Tremendous World I Have Inside My Head: Franz Kafka: A Biographical Essay by Louis Begley, and a review of Kafka's Letter to My Father (and more). A review of The Road He Travelled: The Revealing Biography of M. Scott Peck by Arthur Jones. From Modern Age, Robert Beum on the divinization of democracy. Ex-prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi accuses Bush of murder. After 40 years and 1,500 concerts, Joe Queenan is finally ready to say the unsayable: new classical music is absolute torture, and its fans have no reason to be so smug.
