Bulletin N° 774
Subject : CONFESSIONS OF A SEXIST: “nolo
contendere!”
22 November 2017
Grenoble, France
Dear Colleagues and
Friends of CEIMSA,
Growing up male in sexist
society has many parallels with growing up white in racist society, or living
in the epicenter of an Empire. The gender roles we were supposed to learn were
often oppressive, never intended to liberate us from the weight of the past,
but rather to deflect our attention away from our own repression by oppressing others, in this case
females. Some of us opted for the alternative, cultivating “female” mannerisms
to fit into a gay community, or more recently committing ourselves to
transgender identity. These decisions remain “sociological” in nature; which is
to say, they assume the values of the predominant social order. They do not confront
the fundamental question: “male/female or human being?” The same can be
said of the role played by race – “white/colored or human being?” or the ethos
of the Empire – “Who will dominate whom?” Growing up in 19th-century
Louisiana, a white person –male or female – could not be expected to overcome
racial biases. Only the most “maladjusted” whites could escape this “Norm”; and
they were few in number and were made to suffer for their nonconformity.
Imperial practices produce the same results at the local level.
The push to enlarge the
capitalist/imperialist, exploitative system without
challenging its right to exist is, of course, an essential move to prolong its
existence. “Equal opportunity” is at best a way to push some people out, in
order to bring others into "the good life." The politics of this shuffle by no means assures
justice, and therefore can guarantee no social peace. The most capitalist
“revolutions” can offer is a violent effervescence, until the end of time . . .
.
The micro politics of
fighting against sexism is an important dimension at the grassroots of society.
The molar displacements, at the macro level of politics, offer at best empty slogans instead of a vision for meaningful social change. Replacing Tweedledee for Tweedledum will
not end corporate capitalism and its myriad of wars. Corporate aggression does not originate with individual character
traits – of male/female, or of white/colored skin – but rather this daily
violence stems from the coercive force of a system, reinforced with its
considerable payola and its charismatic leaders.
Contradictions must
intensify before people break out of the mold which confines them and proceed
to reinvent their own lives, abolishing as they appear the structural obstacles
which threaten to dehumanize them. For this to happen, the political culture
must be advanced enough to condemn tyranny from any source, including from
males, females, whites, people of color – or any combination of the above.
Single-issue politics simply won’t do the job!
The
17 items below are an attempt to reflect on the social context of late
capitalist relationships, to provide perspectives on the complexity of the decline of capitalist
society and focus on the material contradictions which are growing more apparent and
may eventually help us to liberate ourselves from the conundrum we now face
in our scramble for a bigger piece of the pie.
Sincerely,
Francis Feeley
Professor emeritus of American Studies
University Grenoble-Alpes
Director of Research
University of Paris-Nanterre
Center for the Advanced Study of American Institutions and Social
Movements
The University of California-San Diego
a.
“The
Real Reason That Rich People Should Barely be Taxed: Because They’re
Better Than Losers Like You.”
https://www.facebook.com/NickHanauer/posts/1935128059892970
by (not) Paul Ryan
I tried to warn you that
the pitchforks were coming. I told you that if inequality kept growing, things
would get real ugly real fast. And here we are. But now that everything’s going
south, I’m not about to sit back on my yacht and do nothing. That’s why I’ve
created Civic Action, a social media and email campaign
where we won’t just whine and talk about resisting—we’ll make trouble. We’ll
hold Republicans and, yes, Democrats accountable. We’ll champion causes that
aren’t embraced by the political mainstream. And most of all, we’ll take
action. The age of passivity is over.
Civic Action is going to be a
signal in the midst of all this Trumpy noise. Please,
follow us on Facebook. The only way out of this mess
is action. The past few months have been tough for progressives. The dumb
economic policies that hurt American workers are making a comeback.
We’re launching Civic Action to
build on the progress being made in cities and states all over the country. A
higher minimum wage, paid sick leave, protecting the environment and affordable
healthcare are possible for every American - if we fight for it!
Fellow rabble-rousers, are you ready to
join us? http://bit.ly/join-Civic-Action
b.
The CIA’s House of Horrors: Frank Olson’s Fatal
Trip
c.
Chomsky: Trump is a
Distraction, Used by the Deep State
to ‘Systematically
Destroy’ Amereica
d.
Virginia Governor Defies Trump on Paris Climate
Deal,
Pushes Investments in Solar and Wind
e.
Harvey Weinstein Hired Israeli Spies to
Silence
His Victims
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:20487:Harvey-Weinstein-Hired-Israeli-Spies-to-Silence-His-Victims
f.
Dual Citizens in Congress?
“You
are not entitled to that information!” That’s what a staffer in Senator
Markey’s office bluntly told me when I called to ask for help in identifying
Members of Congress who hold dual citizenship. Seems that’s a question no one
wants to hear. The Internet sources are flaky, with only unreliable estimates
for both House and Senate. So I telephoned the Washington, DC offices of my
three Congressional representatives from Massachusetts to ask for their help in
obtaining definitive data from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which
responds to Congressional offices, but not to the general public.
+
Members of the US government with
dual-citizenship
to the US and Israel
http://michaelruark.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/members-of-the-us-government-with-dual-citizenship-to-the-us-and-israel/
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/dualcitizensobamaadmin23aug12.shtml
http://investmentwatchblog.com/members-in-us-politics-who-hold-dual-usisraeli-citizenship/
g.
Saudi Arabia Wants to Fight Iran to the Last American
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48224.htm
by Trita Parsi
Both Tel Aviv and Riyadh viewed Washington’s reorientation towards
Asia with concern. They feared it would weaken Washington’s commitment to their
security while also potentially making the United States more inclined to reach
an accommodation with Iran. Those fears rose dramatically as Obama resisted the
Saudi and Israeli push to bomb Iran, and instead opted for diplomacy. To the
Saudis, Obama had sided with Iran. The details of the nuclear deal were
irrelevant to Riyadh: the problem was the very idea of the United States
striking a deal with Iran, which by definition would signal the end of
Washington’s policy of fully balancing Iran and leave Saudi facing its Persian
rival without unreserved American backing.
Saudi Arabia’s only prospect of balancing Iran today remains
the same as it was ten years ago: by dragging the United States back into the
region militarily. If Iran’s nuclear program or its role in Iraq won’t compel
Washington to bomb Iran, the Saudis must instigate a crisis that will force
America back into the squabbles of the Middle East. Lebanon can serve this
purpose precisely because it brings in a critical factor absent in both Iraq
and Yemen—the Israeli angle and its American political potency. What the
American public needs to fully understand, though, is that Riyadh is not
seeking a one-off in Lebanon but rather a perpetual U.S. confrontation with
Iran, a never ending war on behalf of Saudi Arabia
h.
War on ISIS - Whose Side
Are We Really On?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48221.htm
by Ron Paul & Daniel McAdams
On Sunday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a press conference that the US military
would remain in Syria for the long haul, "as long as there are ISIS who
want to fight" he said. He falsely claimed that the US operates in Syria
with UN permission. According to a blockbuster BBC report, however, the US
government was part of a secret deal to allow thousands of ISIS fighters and
their families safe passage from Raqqa
-- with their weapons! What's going on here? Join us for today's Liberty
Report:
i.
Saudi Coup Signals War And The New World Order Reset
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48222.htm
by Brandon Smith
For years now, I have been warning about the relationship of interdependency between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and how this relationship, if ended, would mean disaster for the petrodollar system and by extension the dollar's world reserve status. In my recent articles 'Lies And Distractions Surrounding The Diminishing Petrodollar' and'The Economic End Game Continues,'
I point out that the death of the dollar as the premier petrocurrency is actually a primary goal for establishment globalists. Why? Because in an effort to achieve what they sometimes call the "global economic reset," or the "new world order," a more publicly accepted centralized global economy and monetary framework is paramount. And, this means the eventual implementation of a single world currency and a single global economic and political authority above and beyond the dollar system.
j.
Israel, Saudi
Arabia Setting Preconditions for War
with Hezbollah
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48249.htm
SouthFront has just released a very interesting video analysis
warning about the possibility of a war involving Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and,
possibility, Syria, Iran, and Israel. That, of course, also means that Russia
and the US would be involved. First, please see the video here:
https://southfront.org/israel-saudi-arabia-setting-preconditions-for-war-with-hezbollah/
What I propose to
do is go over the implications of such a scenario.
The
context: a total AngloZionist failure on all fronts . . . .
k.
Seven
J20 Activists go to Trial This Week
http://therealnews.com/t2/story:20504:Seven-J20-Activists-go-to-Trial-This-Week
Executive Producer
Eddie Conway speaks with Industrial Workers of the World organizers about the
current status of their court case dealing with protests at Trump's
inauguration
l.
Dissent
Under Attack By Government & Corporations
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48242.htm
by
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
It
is often hard to tell how close popular movements are to success or whether they
are even a threat to the status quo power structure.
Despite
vigorous protests, it is common to worry whether or not movements are having an
impact. One tell-tale sign is when government and big business interests take
action to stop or silence a movement. These days, there is a lot of push back
against resistance movements in the United States. While it may be riskier for
us when they fight back, it is a positive sign and means that the movement
needs to escalate, build power and increase its pressure. One absurd example of
suppression came from Los Angeles where police are enforcing an ordinance that
makes it a crime to speak longer than your allotted time when testifying before
the city council. When someone goes 20 seconds more than the time they are
allowed, police arrest the citizen.
Escalating
Punishment for Protesters:
This
week, the trial of nearly 200 people arrested at the inauguration of Donald
Trump began. Each person going to trial is facing 60 years in prison. Their
collective sentence, if convicted, would total 12,000 years.
m.
Behind
the Mask of the ‘Moderates’
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/behind-mask-moderates/
Pity Canada. Its citizens watch the stages of U.S. decline and
then, a few years later, inflict on themselves the same cruelties. It is as if
the snuffing out of democracy across the globe and the rise of authoritarian
regimes are a preordained Greek tragedy and all of us, in spite of our yearning
for liberty, must ominously play an assigned part.
Canada is
currently in the Barack Obama phase of self-immolation. Its prime minister,
Justin Trudeau, is—as Obama was—a fresh face with no real political past or
established beliefs, a brand. Trudeau excels, like Obama, French President
Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel, in empty symbolism. These “moderates” spew
progressive and inclusive rhetoric while facilitating social inequality, a loss
of rights and the degradation of the environment by global corporations. They
are actors in skillfully crafted corporate advertisements.
'Slaughterbots' Film Shows Potential Horrors
Of
Killer Drones
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/48243.htm
o.
The
Economic End Game Continues
http://www.alt-market.com/articles/3310-the-economic-end-game-continues
by Brandon Smith
I
point out that the death of the dollar as the premier petrocurrency is actually
a primary goal for establishment globalists. Why? Because in an effort to
achieve what they sometimes call the "global economic reset," or the
"new world order," a more publicly accepted centralized global economy
and monetary framework is paramount. And, this means the eventual
implementation of a single world currency and a single global economic and
political authority above and beyond the dollar system.
p.
Empire
Files: What the Russian Revolution Proved Possible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAK9G8f87fw&feature=youtu.be
Nov.
7, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the seizure of power by workers and peasants
in the Russian Revolution, regarded as the most world-altering event in the
history of civilization. To understand the context of this first socialist
experiment, how it happened and what caused the many problems it faced, Abby
Martin sits down with Brian Becker, long-time socialist organizer and co-author
of the new book “Storming the Gates: How the Russian Revolution Changed the
World.”
q.
From: "World Socialist Web Site" <list@wsws.org>
Sent:
Tuesday, 21 November
Subject:
Video: The ruling class is censoring the Internet
Video: The
ruling class is censoring the Internet
|
