News for February 20

Time for a Global Stimulus  |  The American Prospect

Global coordination of this sort would be difficult to undertake. Indeed, it would largely be unprecedented. But the economic crisis is also without precedent. Or, rather, it carries with it the scary precedent of the Great Depression. In the 1930s and 1940s, the international dimension of the situation eventually did come to the rescue of the global economy. But it came in the form of a horrifically violent war, which first served as a jobs program for the belligerent countries and then managed to destroy so much of Europe and Asia that the world was left with ample “shovel ready” projects simply rebuilding. That, however, is not a model we want to emulate. The only alternative is a serious effort at a global coordination of recovery programs.

Why Michelle Obama’s Vogue Cover Matters  |  Racialicious

For better or worse, Vogue is viewed as a key arbiter of what’s considered beautiful in American society. Having the magazine shine a spotlight on First Lady Michelle Obama’s decidedly non-European brand of beauty — with her dark skin, full nose and lips, and athletic build — means a lot to millions of people of color.

Five Myths About Prison Growth  |  Slate

The United States has a prison population like nowhere else. With one out of every 100 adults behind bars, our incarceration rate is the highest in the entire world. … Reform is inevitable. But if we are going to rein in our prison populations, we should do so based on facts, not on unfounded perceptions or shocking anecdotes. So let’s start by dispelling some of the myths that surround the breathtaking prison growth of the past three decades.

• Related link: Latinos New Majority in Federal Prisons |  RaceWire

The Tyranny of Dead Ideaas  |  Fora.tv

In the wake of Obama’s call for change, Matt Miller has been a longtime advocate for re-evaluating our government’s foundation to ensure a safe and secure future for all Americans. He discusses the American attitude of entitlement and excess and says it has led us down the path to financial ruin and threatened our viability as the world leader. Miller outlines how to overcome these “dead ideas” to help our nation and its people flourish. He served as an aide to President Clinton and is trusted on both sides of the aisle as a visionary with solutions.

And Baby Makes How Many?  |  The New York Times

Back when the average woman had more than three children, big families were the Kennedys of Hickory Hill and Hyannis Port, “Cheaper by the Dozen,” the Cosbys or “Eight is Enough” — lovable tumbles of offspring as all-American in their scrapes as in their smiles. But as families have shrunk, and parents helicopter over broods tinier yet more precious, a vanload of children has taken on more of a freak show factor. The families know the stereotypes: they’re polygamists, religious zealots, reality-show hopefuls or Québécois in it for the per-child government bonus. And isn’t there something a little obsessive about Angelina Jolie’s quest for her own World Cup soccer team?

• Related link: Are Children a Form of Wealth?  |  GetReligion