Friday, Feb. 4
News & Politics
Does Social Security shortchange blacks? Bush says it does -- but the facts show that he's dealing this race card off the bottom of the deck
By Farhad Manjoo
Bush's dirty little secret Here's what the president didn't tell you in his State of the Union address: His plan to privatize Social Security will be hugely expensive and will make the average worker worse off
By Jeff Madrick
The making of an Iraqi cop Cadets being trained to take over the battle against insurgents have to take a midterm (one question: "Which of the following could be a suicide bomber?"), but it's nothing next to the daunting job ahead
By Rory Carroll
Standing up to the State of the Union Iran and Syria, cited as "sponsors of terrorism" by the president, strike back
By Julian Borger
Integrity at risk The head of the U.N.'s oil-for-food program faces disciplinary action for allegedly accepting bribes from Saddam Hussein's regime
By Suzanne Goldenberg and Ewen MacAskill
Opinion
Joe Conason Bush used windy rhetoric and outright deception to sell his privatization plan. What else is new?
Letters Salon readers weigh in on the State of the Union, the Iraqi elections and the battle over Social Security
Power to the people In a gutsy move, the president proposes to privatize the federal deficit by creating a debt ownership society, one "that will allow the have-nots to fully have naught"
By Joyce McGreevy
Salon Blogs
Scott Rosenberg The Wall Street Journal gives up on the notion of a token liberal columnist. Plus: A pro-Bush ringer in the White House press corps
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Arts & Entertainment
"The Wedding Date" Dermot Mulroney single-handedly scoops up this movie -- in which Debra Messing plays a woman who hires an escort to take her to her sister's wedding -- and carries it across the threshold
By Stephanie Zacharek
"Nobody Knows" This deceptively simple Japanese film about four children abandoned by their mother evokes the work of Vittorio De Sica and Satyajit Ray
By Charles Taylor
The Fix Jackson calls Eminem dig "painful" and "sad"; Lohan's lawyers threaten the press; Gandolfini gets dumped.
Books
The ideas that conquered the world "The Neocon Reader" is must reading for liberal losers who want to get their mojo back
By Ann Marlowe
Technology & Business
Ask the pilot From the farthest north to the deepest south, no degree of latitude is left unexplored. Also, the pilot seeks a showdown with one of the world's most fearless journalists
By Patrick Smith
Life
Since you asked ... L.A.'s got me all confused -- can I go home again?
By Cary Tennis
Table Talk
Yesterday, today and tomorrow Table Talkers share distant and recent memories, and ponder the future of Social Security
Comics
Tom the Dancing Bug Super-Fun-Pak Comix: Red-blooded Heterosexual Americans, Deathkiller and more!
By Ruben Bolling
Recently in Salon
Making the case for Social Insecurity The struggle over Social Security will be the defining political battle of Bush's second term. His game plan: The same one he used to successfully sell the Iraq war
By Farhad Manjoo
Sidney Blumenthal If Bush believes what he said Wednesday night -- that we must stand with our allies to prevent tyranny -- he should stop his incoherent saber rattling over Iran's nuclear plans and join Europe in real negotiations
Arianna Huffington The White House waxes triumphant over Sunday's elections and the media play along -- but Iraq is still a debacle
Beyond the Multiplex A haunting French film about a temp worker, a Swedish portrait of modern anomie, and the Kingdom of Bhutan's first feature film. Plus: The Oscar-nominated film about the children of sex workers in Calcutta
By Andrew O'Hehir
The most liberal president of the 20th century Nick Kotz's new book about the civil right years argues convincingly that the true hero of the American left is LBJ
By Charles Taylor
"Grand Theft Auto: Myst" In the most gorgeously conceived AND ultraviolent video game in history, you can open fire on passing cars with a bazooka while exploring universal archetypes!
By Jason Roeder
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