Heresies

THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE ABOUT THE FUTURE

January, 1998 until the present

Click here for older Heresies articles.

Updated: Mon, 10 Jul 00 13:46:32 -0700 (PDT)

Fund-Raising Temple Scandal Raises Deeper Problem For Gore
By Franz Schurmann
Date: 06-29-00
We tend to see presidential campaigns through a domestic prism, but acts and statements often have repercussions far beyond our shores. PNS associate editor Franz Schurmann looks at the implications of a yes decision by Attorney General Janet Reno to appoint a special counsel to investigate Al Gore's fund raising activities. Schurmann, professor emeritus of history and sociology at UC-Berkeley, has written widely on foreign affairs.
New Korean Peace Accord Spells Disaster For Pentagon War Planners
By Michael T. Klare
Date: 06-22-00
This month's summit between the two Koreas throws the Pentagon's key rationale for billions in defense into question. With the "rogue states" becoming friends rather than foes, military planners are hard put to justify rising military expenditures, not to mention some $60 billion earmarked for a national missile defense (NMD) system. PNS analyst Michael T. Klare is a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., and author of "Rogue States and Nuclear Outlaws" (Hill and Wang, 1995).
Will Farmers Be Partners Or Serfs In The New "Biobased Economy"?
By Walter Truett Anderson
Date: 06-20-00
It may seem far-fetched, but the next Silicon Valley may well spring up amidst rows of corn. A momentous change in the way we grow and use crops seems very likely in the near future, and farmers will have to make a crucial choice about what role they will play. Third in a series of several articles on a biobased economy. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson is the author of "The Future of the Self" (Tarcher Putnam, 1997).
After Oil -- Fuel From The Farms?
By Walter Truett Anderson
Date: 06-13-00
One certainty in this changeable world is that sooner or later there will be very little or no oil left. Imagine, then, the implications of an energy system based on fuel derived from material any farmer can grow. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson is the author of "The Future of the Self" (Tarcher Putnam, 1997).
Why Africa Trade Act May Hurt More Than Help
By Donal Brown
Date: 06-12-00
When President Clinton signed the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act last week, he touted it as a giant step forward in African economic development. But the act will do little to reverse the impact of a decade of malign neglect. PNS commentator Donal Brown monitors African affairs for New California Media.
Moving Toward A Biobased -- And Away From An Oil-Based World
By Walter Truett Anderson
Date: 06-06-00
In a very quiet but determined way, we may be moving away from our costly and often dangerous dependence on oil and oil byproducts. The signs of a turn toward (perhaps back to) the use of plant material for fuel and many other purposes are everywhere -- and the consequences fascinating to contemplate. First of several articles on a biobased economy. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson is the author of "The Future of the Self" (Tarcher Putnam, 1997).
"Abilidad" -- The Secret Weapon That Could Bring The Philippines Into The Digital Age
By Rene Ciria-Cruz
Date: 06-05-00
In the Philippines, the ability to get by on very little -- called "abilidad" -- has long been an everyday necessity. This has fostered a culture of imitation, but there are signs that the Internet may open the way to innovation -- and a more important place at the table. PNS associate editor Rene Ciria-Cruz, together with photographer Rick Rocamora, is on special assignment in the Philippines for New California Media and the San Francisco Examiner. Ciria-Cruz is a long-time editor of Filipinas Magazine. Photographs are available to PNS subscribers on request (e-mail slouie@pacificnews.org). This is the first of two stories.
Charges Against Jamil Could Put Spotlight On Growing Us Muslim Community
By Nadya Salaam
Date: 05-10-00
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Imam Jamil al Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown), charged with killing two police officers. People in the Muslim community who have worked with Jamil for 20 years and more find the accusations hard to believe. PNS commentator Nadya Salaam is a freelance journalist based in Oakland, CA.
Skip The Poles And Wires -- Changing The Way We Light Our Way May Be Our Only Hope
By Peter Asmus
Date: 04-11-00
The most important concern for Earth Day celebrants may be the way they think about meeting their power needs. Peter Asmus is author of the forthcoming "Reaping The Wind" to be published by Island Press this fall.
Foreign Policy Successes Could Make Clinton Kingmaker Even After November 7
By Franz Schurmann
Date: 04-11-00
Chances are good President Clinton could chalk up several stunning foreign policy successes before summer begins. The biggest result would be bringing peace to a good part of the world. And peace would keep the bull market going way beyond election day. But these successes could also bring about a landslide victory for the Democrats and make them the dominant party for many years to come. As the one who brought this miracle about Clinton's power, influence and extraordinary fundraising capacities would make him the continuing leader of this new powerhouse for years to come. Franz Schurmann is professor emeritus of UC Berkeley and writes extensively on foreign and domestic issues. In his regular weekly column "Predictions" he predicted last December 7 that come April 2000 Bill Clinton would be the kingmaker of the Democratic Party.
China Eyes California As Model For Development Of Its Own Far West
By Franz Schurmann
Date: 03-23-00
A major development project, comparable to those launched in California during the depression, is now beginning in China's Xinjiang province. Its attractions include not only the hope of economic development, but a chance to emulate the American way of life. PNS editor Franz Schurmann, professor emeritus of history and sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, is author of numerous books on China and monitors the Chinese-language news media for New California Media (www.ncmonline.com).
Like It Or Not, The Times Are Changing The Lawyers' World
By Walter Truett Anderson
Date: 03-17-00
It seems the computer and the Internet will affect even that most tradition-bound of all professions, the law. There is already solid evidence of this in both the way clients look at the law and in the way lawyers themselves operate. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson is the author of "The Future of the Self" (Tarcher Putnam, 1997).
Current Oil Crisis May Help Mideast Peace Process But An Even Bigger Crisis Looms
By Franz Schurmann
Date: 03-08-00
Rising gas prices, unrest in the Middle East, threats of a recession or worse -- all very lively topics in recent weeks -- echo the events of October, 1973, the "oil crisis." The resemblance is no accident, writes PNS editor Franz Schurmann, as many of the same forces are in play, but this time overshadowed by an even more ominous crisis. Schurmann is the author of "The Foreign Politics of Richard Nixon" (Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley) in which he extensively analyzes earlier oil crises.
Native Americans Rally For McCain
By Koren L. Capozza
Date: 01-31-00
American Indians, who have historically voted Democratic, are rethinking their loyalties this year. The message reverberating among the nation's 2.4 million Native Americans is that Senator John McCain is the candidate to bolster. PNS associate editor Koren L. Capozza writes on Native American affairs for New California Media's website www.NCMonline.com.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Message -- Move Beyond Racialism
By Gregory Stephens
Date: 01-13-00
Most young people today think of Martin Luther King, Jr. as a "black leader" whose message is directed to Afro-Americans. But this ghetto-izing of King only underscores our inability to free ourselves from the mental slavery of racialism. PNS commentator Gregory Stephens is the author of On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison and Bob Marley (Cambridge University Press). Stephens has taught American Studies and Mass Communication at the University of California. gstephen@weber.ucsd.edu.
Making History -- Seattle Protests Signal Beginnings Of A Profound Change
By David Bacon
Date: 12-02-99
Amidst the tear gas and noise, it is possible to see something historic in the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in Seattle. Protesters represent a remarkably broad coalition, and are learning -- and will spread -- some vital lessons. PNS associate editor David Bacon writes widely on immigrant and labor issues.
"Green Money"--Local Currencies Filling A Niche In the Global Economy
By Walter Truett Anderson
Date: 11-22-99
The buzz among economists is about how money systems are evolving into regional currencies, possibly even one global currency. Yet the more important change may be the emergence of highly localized currency systems -- alternative forms of money --that allow local people to operate independent of the official currencies. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of numerous books on future trends, is a political scientist and co-founder of Meridian Institute.
Ideologies Battling To Shape The World Of 2000
By Franz Schurmann
Date: 09-24-99
Three ideologies are battling for the hearts and minds of people around the world -- globalism, nationalism and fundamentalism. PNS editor Franz Schurmann explores their roots and trajectories. Schurmann is a professor emeritus of history and sociology at UC-Berkeley and author of numerous books on global politics.
Taiwan -- East Asia's Other Island In Turmoil
Franz Schurmann and Song Xiang
Date: 09-17-99
Ever since Taiwan President Lee Tung-hui's explosive "two-state" assertion disclaiming eventual reunification with China, Chinese language newspapers have spotlighted mounting concerns among Overseas Chinese and in Taiwan itself over that island's future. Ironically, while the West has championed the independence cause in East Timor, the Clinton Administration clearly objects to Taiwan's unilateral proclamation of secession from China. Largely off the radar screen of U.S. media, people in Taiwan are growing nervous. Prosperity prevails, yet the politics of next year's presidential elections are getting more turbulent. There still is confidence that the island will muddle through, but there is also fear that something could happen.
Moscow's Dagestan Dilemma -- Prelude To The Breakup Of An Empire By Thomas Goltz Date: 09-14-99 Russia's troubles in Dagestan and Chechnya, highlighted in recent days by bombings in Moscow, are complex with experts offering widely different scenarios. The bottom line is that we are witnessing the end of an empire -- not the Soviet but the Russian empire. PNS commentator Thomas Goltz, author of "Azerbaijan Diary" (M.E. Sharpe, 1999) is currently working on a book on ethnic conflict in the post-Soviet Caucasus.
Elections 2000 -- Sinners Beware By Rene Ciria-Cruz Date: 09-03-99 With the economy doing well, and Democrats having embraced economic conservatism, elections in the year 2000 will pivot on moral issues, predicts Seymour Martin Lipset, one of the nation's leading sociologists. Even as the popular culture champions individual choice, the election campaign will be dominated by bruising arguments over personal character, choice and values. Lipset explains the seeming contradiction in a conversation with Rene Ciria-cruz, editor of New California Media, a collaboration of ethnic news media which hosts the first multi-ethnic portal on the Internet at ncmonline.com.
Foster Care Need May Rise As Welfare Rolls Drop By Nell Bernstein Date: 08-30-99 As "welfare reform" takes hold, there are signs that removing recipients from the rolls may have unexpected consequences for the children of some families. Add in a new law designed to speed adoption, writes PNS commentator Nell Bernstein, and we may be looking at a major, if unnoticed, shift in our view of the value of the family. Bernstein is the editor of YO! (Youth Outlook), a magazine by and about young people published by the Pacific News Service.
If Dagestan Islam Spreads It Could Bring Down Russia By Franz Schurmann Date: 08-19-99 An Islamic revolution is going on in the Middle East. Iran (1979) was a quantum leap. So is the Taliban victory this year in Afghanistan. The establishment of an Islamic Republic in Dagestan marks another stage. The West is affected by its need for oil, cultural clash and now through the threat Dagestan poses to Russia's unity. Franz Schurmann, co-founder of PNS and professor emeritus of history and sociology at UC Berkeley, has been writing on oil and Islam for many years.
Los Angeles Shooting -- Are Black Women the New Menace to Society? By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 05-25-99 Police shot and killed a homeless woman in Los Angeles recently, allegedly for threatening an officer with a screwdriver. The death raises questions that go beyond the conduct of the LA Police Department, according to PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson, and point to a change in attitude toward black women. Hutchinson is the author of "The Crisis in Black and Black."
Star's High Flight Should Not Disguise Home Truths About Wealth, Race and Other Realities By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 01-18-99 Superlatives of every sort greeted the announcement that basketball's superstar Michael Jordan will retire. But the impressive numbers should not be allowed to obscure several important cautionary lessons. PNS contributor Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of "The Crisis in Black and Black."
Green Power -- A Scam or an Issue of Personal Responsibility? By Peter Asmus Date: 01-13-99 The concept of "green" power is less than a year old and already it's generating a heated debate in California over just how much good it's doing for the environment. Since deregulation is the trend of the future, and California has progressed furthest along the green marketing path, the issues being debated in that state are bound to crop up around the world in the coming decade. Peter Asmus is the Sacramento-based co-author of "Reinventing Electric Utilities: Competition, Citizen Action and Clean Power" (Island Press, 1997). He is currently writing an Island Press book about wind power.
Impeachment Debate is Not Just Party Politics -- It's a Battle in the Culture War By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 12-22-98 Party lines cannot always be defined in terms of "Republicans" and "Democrats" even when the divisions between them seem especially pronounced. This is most definitely true of the debate over impeaching President Clinton, which is in reality an explosion of major cultural differences. PNS editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Why African Americans Are Splitting Hairs Over Hair By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 12-04-98 Women's hair has always been a deeply dividing issue among African-Americans. The recent controversies in North Carolina and New York have brought the issue to the forefront. PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson explores the economics and politics of how some black women wear their hair. Hutchinson is the author of "The Assassination of the Black Male Image" and "The Crisis in Black and Black."
A Vapid Vision -- Why There Will Never Be a Drug-Free America By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 11-02-98 It's official U.S. policy, and the topic of a multi-million dollar promotional campaign, but "a drug-free America" is neither a reasonable nor a desirable goal. What we need, rather, is a society -- people and government -- able to understand the values and costs of drug use in a rapidly changing world. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Aromatherapy to Dialysys-- Medicine is Going to the Dogs... Also Cats, Horses, Birds... By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 09-24-98 The fight against disease and injury has advanced swiftly on several fronts, ranging from the latest technological advances to recently rediscovered alternative approaches. Among the beneficiaries are some who never say "thank you" and cannot pay. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Why Russia Went Wrong and China Went Right -- Lessons for the United States By George Koo Date: 09-09-98 Policy makers in the United States have had a tendency to see the world's two communist giants as peas out of the same pod. But the current situation in Russia, which followed U.S. advice, and China which did not, suggests both the diagnosis and prescription should be reconsidered. PNS commentator George Koo is an independent business consultant, former Chairman of Silicon Valley based Asian American Manufacturers Association, a Human Relations Commissioner of Mountain View, Ca. and a member of Committee of 100, a national organization of prominent Chinese Americans.
Food for Thought -- Maybe Cannibalism Wasn't So Abnormal After All By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 08-20-98 The idea of cannibalism has long occupied a small and frightening niche in human imagination -- and is generally considered both aberrant and more talked about than practiced. Some current work in archeology, however, suggests that the practice is both more common and more widespread than people; (including archeologists) like to think. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Issues for Tomorrow -- Who Owns a Dead Body's Parts? By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 06-30-98 The ability to transplant bodily organs from one human to another is among the most significant advances of modern medicine. It may also lead to a most significant problem as organs become commodities -- and demand outstrips supply. PNS associate editor Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Killing Out Own? Disclosure of Nerve-Gas Assassinations of U.S. Servicemen in Laos Evens Up MIA Arithmetic By Yoichi Clark Shimatsu Date: 06-10-98 Revelations that a secret U.S. Special Forces unit used sarin gas to eliminate alleged U.S. deserters in Laos may resolve the 20-year-old puzzle of American MIA's in Indochina. A full investigation is desperately needed to determine whether acts until now only imagined in Hollywood movies were actually committed. PNS commentator Yoichi Clark Shimatsu is former editor of The Japan Times Weekly in Tokyo.
As Globalization Foes into High Fear, The Left Goes Into Reverse By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 06-03-98 As the world moves more and more toward global interconnections, opposition comes more and more from those long identified with an internationalist view -- the left. In the process, words and forms associated with the right have been adopted wholesale, a process that PNS commentator Walter Truett Anderson finds ironic and sad. Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
Showpiece or Scapegoat? Army's Trial of Top Noncom May Signal Old Racism More Than New Sensitivity By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 03-02-98 The continuing court martial of Gene McKinney, the army's top noncommissioned officer, has been hailed as a sign that the military is ready to pay serious attention to questions of sexual �harassment. Yet the fact that no white officers appear to have faced similar charges, writes PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson, leaves room to wonder whether the court martial is not simply an example of scapegoating. Hutchinson is the author of including The Assassination of the Black Male Image and the forthcoming The Crisis in Black and Black.
Not So Green-- Neighbors See Only The Ugly Face of Recycling By David Bacon Date: 09-23-97 Public concern with environmental quality has made recycling a major growth industry, especially in areas like Los Angeles. The benefits of recycling, however, are lost on the immediate neighbors of plants that handle massive amounts of glass, concrete, and dirt. PNS associate editor David Bacon is a Bay Area writer specializing in labor and immigration issues.
Those Who Save for College Subsidize Those Who Do Not By Bob Beyers Date: 08-26-97 As the college year begins, parents' thoughts tend to turn to matters of finance. They may be surprised, but not best pleased, to learn that the careful savings of years may end up paying for the college education of the children of spendthrifts. PNS commentator Bob Beyers ran the Stanford News Service for over 20 years. He is board chairman of Editorial Projects in Education.
The Other Side of the Population Explosion -- Finding Room for the Dead By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 08-07-97 Everybody talks about population growth, but little attention is paid to an inevitable byproduct of that problem -- the growing number of dead bodies. Limitations of space, environmental concerns, local laws, even larceny complicate attempts to resolve the situation, according to PNS commentator Walter Truett Anderson. Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
New Defense Megacorporations Will Change Domestic Power Equation By Sanford Gottlieb Date: 07-15-97 New mergers will make the world's largest defense contractors even larger, leaving three behemoth corporations dominating the field. Although the mergers have proceeded with the blessings of the Clinton administration, the giant firms -- with subcontractors spread all across the country -- will be able to exert extraordinary pressure on members of Congress. PNS commentator Sanford Gottlieb is author of "Defense Addiction: Can America Kick the Habit?" published by Westview Press, and has worked for over 30 years for private organizations in the field of international arms control.
The Fire Next Time --- Lessons of the Shabazz Tragedy By Mae Jackson Date: 07-11-97 One lesson to be learned from the tragic story of Malcolm X's 12-year-old grandson setting fire to his grandmother's apartment is that violence unleashed against one generation will continue to play itself out in succeeding generations. Survivors must deal with the consequences, or risk being consumed by "the fire next time." PNS commentator Mae Jackson is a New York-based poet and director of "Children Without Walls," a program teaching art to the children of women in prison.
Once They Straddled the Line Between Animal and Angel -- Why Today's Athletes are Becoming Brutes By Richard Rodriguez Date: 07-07-97 Athletes have always straddled the line between animal and angel. But it was their self-control -- the poetry of body and spirit exemplified by the wrestler, the runner, the boxer -- that writers have long celebrated. Last week, the spectacle of Mike Tyson biting his opponent revealed how the brutishness of the streets has invaded the sports arena. While Americans were shocked by the bite, we barely noticed the riot after the fight. PNS editor Richard Rodriguez is author of "Days of Obligation" (Viking) and a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times Sunday Opinion.
Minor-League Cannibalism -- Tyson's Violence Represents the Beast Within All of Us By Joe Loya Date: 07-01-97 Disgust and a chilly superiority have marked the response to Mike Tyson's use of his teeth in a boxing match. This may be reassuring, but PNS commentator Joe Loya, speaking from direct experience, suggests we might be better advised to realize that there is something of all of us in Tyson's action. Loya is a writer based in Los Angeles who recently completed a prison term for bank robbery.
Joe Camel Dominates More Than Billboards in Black America By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 06-23-97 For decades black activists have fought to excise the tobacco industry from its influential role in black life. But statistics showing the lethal impact of smoking on black Americans hasn't been enough to cut many groups and causes from their dependency on cigarette dollars. PNS commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of "Beyond OJ: Race. Sex and Class Lessons for America." His e-mail address is <ehutchi344@aol.com>.
In Defense of Joe Camel By Charles Jones Date: 06-23-97 Just what impact does Joe Camel (and other cigarette advertising) have on young people? One African American writer recalls his encounters with the cool camel from a very young age on. He concludes that Joe Camel is not the proper target for the anti-smoking campaigners because his appeal never had much to do with the cigarette in his mouth. Charles Jones writes for YO! (Youth Outlook), a newspaper by and about young people published by Pacific News Service.
Who's Crazy Now? By Jayne L. Walker Date: 05-30-97 Hamlet went mad, the Marquis de Sade was insane, Jeffrey Dahmer psychotic -- the terms change, as part of an effort to destigmatize mental illness, but those changes cannot alter the fact that some behavior goes beyond the ordinary and frightens us. This disparity between words and reality has created considerable confusion, and this is particularly marked when it comes to attempts to guide public policy on mental illness. Jayne L. Walker is writing a history of "madness" in America since the '40s. She teaches at the University of California, Davis.
"Zero-Point Energy" Could Change the World -- If Anybody Can Find It By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 05-27-97 Burned by premature enthusiasm for cold fusion experiments some years back, the news media has shied away from reporting the multiple efforts to develop new energy sources. Yet one in particular -- the Patterson Power Cell which taps the mysterious properties of empty space -- may hold out real promise. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.
"I Never Had It Made" -- The Real Jackie Robinson Story By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 04-07-97 On the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first appearance in a major league baseball game -- breaking a solid color line -- President Clinton is expected to add his contribution to the self-congratulatory rhetoric of the hour. But the reality of Robinson's life left the hero of the hour himself in a position that was anything but celebratory. PNS correspondent Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of "Beyond OJ: Race. Sex and Class Lessons for America."
South Asian Superpower Running Out of Power By Andrew Robinson Date: 03-05-97 No less a figure than Microsoft chief Bill Gates has officially welcomed India to the 21st Century as a potential "software superpower." Speaking in Delhi, he did note this would require some "investment in basic infrastructure." Under the circumstances, writes PNS correspondent Andrew Robinson from New Delhi, where every house has a supply of candles, this may be something of an understatement. Robinson is a writer who has lived in India and Bangladesh for the last five years. See also the sidebar, "INDIA'S BEARABLE DARKNESS OF BEING"
Not Who, But Why? Flap Over Retrial of King's Assassin Offers a Chance for Reassessment By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Date: 02-26-97 News that James Earl Ray, convicted of murdering Martin Luther King, Jr., was near death in a prison hospital has renewed speculation about possible government involvement in the assassination, with King's widow, among others, asking for a new trial. But the important -- and still unanswered -- questions connected with that crime cannot be resolved without a look at the now-sealed FBI files detailing the agency's illegal campaign against King, a campaign that certainly helped create a climate that made Ray's action possible. PNS correspondent Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of "Beyond OJ: Race. Sex and Class Lessons for America." His e-mail address is <ehutchi344@aol.com>.
Gulf War Syndrome -- It's A Bug By David Zimmerman and Kenneth E. Goldstein Date: 02-19-97 While doubts about the reality of Gulf War Syndrome have been put to rest, the search for a cause continues. But this search has focused on chemical or biological weapons and other exotic agents while it is entirely possible the troubles can be attributed to common microorganisms. At least one researcher has found it hard to attract support for this line of inquiry while public pronouncements focus on conspiracy theories such as a "coverup" of poison gas exposure. David Zimmerman is editor and publisher of The Probe Newsletter; Kenneth E. Goldstein is emeritus professor of journalism (science-writing) at Columbia University.
Not Much Headwind -- Is Clinton Flying into the New Millennium on a Bully Pulpit? By Chris Lehmann Date: 01-23-97 Bill Clinton has let it be known that he admires Teddy Roosevelt -- a claim that can only cause alarm among those familiar with U.S. history. But the wording of his second inaugural address suggests to PNS commentator Chris Lehmann that Clinton may be more at home in a zeppelin than atop a bully pulpit. Lehmann is editor of Newsday's Sunday Currents Section.
Will There be Two Human Races in the Future? -- Life Enhancement Makes it Seem Possible By Walter Truett Anderson Date: 01-08-97 New discoveries and advanced techniques in medicine show promise of bringing basic change -- not only increasing length of life but improving the quality of that life. But even if that promise is realized, vexing questions of equity will not go away: who will enjoy the "enhancements" as they become available? PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson, author of the book "Evolution Isn't What It Used To Be" (W.H. Freeman), is a political scientist who writes widely on technology and global governance.

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