Gore Vidal: His Life and Legacy

Truthdig was honored to have been the home of the author and iconoclast Gore Vidal since 2006. In addition to publishing a multitude of essays on our site, Vidal participated in a number of interviews on a wide range of subjects, including U.S. elections, Cuba and solar power.

In a tribute to his memory, and to celebrate his life, we present to you a collection of essays, interviews, photos and stories about the amazing Gore Vidal.

Posted on Aug 5, 2012 READ MORE  | 2019 READS

Occupy Wall Street 24/7

We have a new Dig where you can find all of our Occupy movement coverage from Truthdig editors, contributors and commenters, as well as the latest from Twitter and around the Web.

Posted on Oct 13, 2011 READ MORE

The Questions Education Reformers Aren’t Asking

Mike Rose notes that no one in power is asking fundamental questions about the purpose of education and whether much-hyped reforms might do more harm than good.

Posted on Mar 19, 2010 READ MORE  | 2404 READS

When China Rules the World

China will soon become “the most powerful and influential country in the world,” says celebrated journalist Martin Jacques. But to what end?

Posted on Dec 17, 2009 READ MORE  | 795 READS

Financial Meltdown 101

Getting a grip on the economic catastrophe that rocked the country during the fall of 2008 is no easy feat, what with so many players, back-room deals, bills, upswings and meltdowns to consider. Updated

Posted on Nov 24, 2008 READ MORE  | 185 READS

Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig is excited to collaborate with Capzles.com on a unique new way of telling a story – in this case, about VP hopeful (and, yes, possible president) Sarah Palin – using video, audio and text “moments” along an interactive timeline.

Posted on Oct 6, 2008 READ MORE  | 126 READS

Inside the Data Mine

The Bush administration’s domestic spying program has depended on the willing participation of America’s telecommunications giants, and all but one, Qwest, were willing to comply. Truthdig contributor Onnesha Roychoudhuri investigates the complex world of national security and regulation to find out whether Qwest’s extraordinary bad luck in recent years has been more than a coincidence—and what it means for what’s left of your privacy.

Posted on Aug 9, 2007 READ MORE  | 319 READS

Scott Ritter: Calling Out Idiot America

The former weapons inspector and military intelligence officer plumbs the depths of American ignorance and offers this history of Iraq, the Mideast and Islam. When so few of our politicians, and even fewer of the citizens who elect them,  understand the forces at work in Baghdad and beyond, is it any wonder the occupation has been a disaster?

Posted on Mar 23, 2007 READ MORE  | 189 READS

A Coalition of the Unwilling

While America is still begrudgingly coming to terms with the climate crisis, British politicians, scientists and newspapers have been shouting from the rooftops for years. So why is the U.S. so far behind its closest ally? Truthdig foreign correspondent Sarah Stillman spoke with more than 20 experts to find out.

Posted on Mar 6, 2007 READ MORE  | 85 READS

The Nightmare Scenario

A former arms control expert in the Soviet Union argues that Bush, in his obsession with North Korea and Iran’s relatively minuscule nuclear threat, has effectively ignored the much more perilous threat of Russia’s 10,000-strong nuclear arsenal.

• UPDATE #2: Check out three new pieces relevant to nuclear proliferation (including one by Gorbachev)
• UPDATE: The Nuclear “Doomsday Clock” Ticks Two Minutes Closer to Midnight
• Also: Watch professor Stephen Hawking explain why the clock was moved.

Posted on Dec 11, 2006 READ MORE  | 588 READS

Afghan Autopsy

America began its so-called war on terror with the intention of driving the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. Five years later, the Taliban is back, Osama bin Laden is still alive, and insurgent fighters cite the U.S. presence in the country as their main wellspring of rage. How did it come to this? Truthdig contributor Christian Parenti, just back from Afghanistan, reports.

Posted on Nov 28, 2006 READ MORE  | 20 READS

Sowing the Seeds of Fascism in America

Author Stan Goff, a retired 26-year veteran of the U.S. Army Special Forces, sounds a warning call that many of the historical precursors of fascism—white supremacy, militarization of culture, vigilantism, masculine fear of female power, xenophobia and economic destabilization—are ascendant in America today.

Posted on Oct 3, 2006 READ MORE  | 257 READS

Robert Scheer: Gaping Holes in the 9/11 Narrative

Truthdig Editor Robert Scheer puts the 9/11 conspiracy theories in perspective.

Posted on Sep 10, 2006 READ MORE  | 275 READS

Israel’s Barrier to Peace

Chris Hedges, the former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times, argues that there can be no hope for peace in the Middle East as long as America continues to aid Israel in its dehumanizing practices.

Posted on Jul 25, 2006 READ MORE  | 260 READS

The Occupation of Iraqi Hearts and Minds

Truthdig contributor Nir Rosen, an American reporter who has lived for the last three years in Iraq and who can pass as Middle Eastern, describes what it’s like to live under the boot of a culturally callous—and sometimes criminal—occupying force in Iraq.

Posted on Jun 27, 2006 READ MORE  | 127 READS

The Many Faces of Abu Musab al Zarqawi

He led Al Qaeda in Iraq, but who was he? What drove Zarqawi to his murderous ends? And what can we learn from his death? Nir Rosen, one of the only Western journalists to have reported extensively from inside the Iraqi insurgency, lays out some answers.

Posted on Jun 9, 2006 READ MORE  | 68 READS