Todd Gitlin
Salon.com
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Todd:
From Salon's archives: Todd Gitlin on "Back to the civil rights barricades" after the 2000 election
This column by Todd Gitlin was originally published in 2000 → Read More
Trump in crisis wants to recreate Nixon's law and order campaign. But 2020 is not 1968.
My sense of tragic doom in 1968 was realized in assassinations and war. At least now there is hope we can rediscover our better angels this fall. → Read More
Denying, ignoring and making up facts are the real Trump-era obstacles to common ground
Democrats are playing baseball and Republicans are playing fantasy football. From climate to Christmas to Ukraine, you can't compromise with a fantasy. → Read More
We need news to use about climate. Give us a daily carbon dioxide count with the weather.
What’s the story? It's that the world is in jeopardy every day. Journalism that ducks the climate emergency withers into a distraction machine. → Read More
The Roots of Trumpian Agitprop
“Trump 2020” is the Triumphant Will jump-cut at microchip processor speed. It aims to overwhelm in the fidgety style of the twenty-first century. It proclaims adoration, it rewards the faithful. If you like the idea of an America of more rallies, more flags, more fists, you’ll love this commercial. Of course, Trump is not Hitler. MAGA rallies are not Nuremberg rallies. There is bombast but… → Read More
This was the most gutting month for liberals in half a century
Does the arc of the moral universe still bend toward justice? → Read More
This was the most gutting month for liberals in half a century
Does the arc of the moral universe still bend toward justice? → Read More
The Missing Music of the Left
Marxism was not the only ideology to crystallize its aims into a song; in fact, it is hard to think of one that doesn’t. There is a reason why nation-states develop national anthems. The theme is not always uniform, not always in march time, but it must be rousing. What I am calling the music of an outlook or a movement captures the overall spirit of the enterprise: that combination of mental… → Read More
The Missing Music of the Left
Marxism was not the only ideology to crystallize its aims into a song; in fact, it is hard to think of one that doesn’t. There is a reason why nation-states develop national anthems. The theme is not always uniform, not always in march time, but it must be rousing. What I am calling the music of an outlook or a movement captures the overall spirit of the enterprise: that combination of mental… → Read More
1968: Year of Counter-Revolution
Counter-revolutions, like their revolutionary bêtes noires, suffer reversals and take time to cohere. The post-1968 counter-revolution held the fort against a ... → Read More
The Second Coming of 'Yes, We Can' –
Doug Jones’ convincing victory in Alabama is a hallelujah (and Hanukkah) moment for Americans who refuse to truckle under to the vicious, knuckleheaded maniac in the White House — not for one reason but for every decent reason a democratic majority can muster. But the Jones tide that washed over Alabama is more than cause for a day of exuberance. It points toward a solution for the wrecking-ball… → Read More
Apocalypse When? –
But seriously, who does not quaver a bit as, day by day a partly updated Book of Revelation is tweeted out from the inner sanctum of viciousness? → Read More
Roy Moore, From the Gadsden Mall to the Ten Commandments Monument
Both Roy Moore and Harvey Weinstein held privileged positions in a protective culture where men get away with whatever they can get away with. → Read More
The Fakebook Inside Facebook
This post first appeared at BillMoyers.com. Beginning in 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and his companions made a historic contribution to the annals of alc... → Read More
The Fakebook Inside Facebook
Facebook is the grandest, most seductive, most profitable attention-getting machine ever. Unfortunately, ease of disinformation is a feature, not a bug. → Read More
How Robert And Rebekah Mercer Bought A Huge Stake In ‘Populism’
This post first appeared at BillMoyers.com. A hoary riddle comes to mind. Question: Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit? Answer: Anywhere it please... → Read More
How Robert and Rebekah Mercer Bought a Huge Stake in ‘Populism’
Without the support of Robert and Rebekah Mercer, Steve Bannon's 'Breitbart News' would have croaked when its founder died. → Read More
Todd Gitlin: The News Media’s Challenge in Our Constant State of Emergency
It’s old news that Donald Trump abuses reason, knowledge, decency and dark-skinned people. You can’t tear your eyes away. You can already write tomorrow’s story: Today the vicious, deranged freak-show star trashed Enemy A, picked a fight with Failed Insider B, invited unconstitutional action C, insulted population D, declared his intent to abrogate Agreement E or make war on Country F, and… → Read More
The Unending State of Emergency
It’s old news that Donald Trump abuses reason, knowledge, decency and dark-skinned people. You can’t tear your eyes away. You can already write tomorrow’s story: Today the vicious, deranged freak-show star trashed Enemy A, picked a fight with Failed Insider B, invited unconstitutional action C, insulted population D, declared his intent to abrogate Agreement E or make war on Country F, and… → Read More
The Unending State of Emergency
Making intelligible the everyday nonsense without losing the sense of the ways in which it is nonsense is the tallest of journalistic orders. → Read More