Throughout much of the Western tradition, human subjectivity has been regarded as a major source of error. Thus, adapting universal standards devoid of corrosive human influences has been thought to be a requisite for building an optimal society. This tendency, which is predicated on social ontological realism, historically encouraged projects of colonization, as Western standards of development became synonymous with universal reason and civilization. Currently, neoliberal globalization is an extension of this realist legacy and demands all aspects of social life to be determined by the...

Grading the 44th President: A Report Card on Barack Obama's First Term as a Progressive Leader is written in clear language that is free of jargon and from a leftist perspective, offering a comprehensive analysis and critique of Obama's performance as a progressive president during his first term. The authors provide in-depth analyses with respect to Obama's handling of specific issues, including the economy, education, healthcare, criminal justice policy, the environment, immigration, Iraq and Afghanistan, race relations, gender issues, and gay/lesbian issues, covering topics in detail that...