by Gary Olson There is only one thing the ruling circles have always wanted — and that’s everything.— Michael Parenti A recent lead editorial in The New York Times reads “Another Way the 2020s Might Be Like the 1930s.” Written by Jamelle Bouie, an African-American millennial (age 33) on the paper’s editorial staff, the piece contains the following opening and closing … [Read more...] about Is The New York Times Trying to Foster Working Class Consciousness?
Focus on Pages
The "Focus On" section provides in-depth information and opinion on many facets of sustainability. (Although these topics may appear quite distinct and separate, it’s important to remember that they are interconnected and interdependent in multiple ways — in general, the 4 basic principles of ecology apply to all complex systems.)
When you select a Focus On… topic, the system will select all the articles and posts in that category with the most recent pages at the top, just under a brief introduction to the topic. (Many articles appear in multiple categories.)
Background & detail information is organized into the main categories listed in the left sidebar.
Voices of the Valley
The Voices of the Valley category includes work by members of the Lehigh Valley community.
You can access Voices of the Valley essays that were published in the Alliance’s Sustainable Lehigh Valley booklet (listed by year published) or via the alphabetic list of authors, which also includes items published online and in Left Turn.
You can also search for individual essays (& other content) by category or tag.
Introduction to The Manifesto & a reprint of abridged version of Das Capital
by BoB WeicK In a café in Paris in 1844 two young, brilliant revolutionary thinkers met, spent ten days in spirited wine-soaked debate and formed a lifelong bond. A friendship that would last 40 years. Their body of brilliant economic and philosophical writings would inspire revolutions, shake the foundations of political economy, and thereby change the course of … [Read more...] about Introduction to The Manifesto & a reprint of abridged version of Das Capital
Finding Privilege in Quarantine
by Elaheh Farmand In quarantine, my mother and grandmother recall their time in prison in Iran. They see some similarities: an uncertain future, a sense of fear, a sense that death is closer to home. In lockdown, both women feel restless. My grandmother sits by the telephone in her apartment in Tehran, alone with her god. My mother in the apartment she shares with my father … [Read more...] about Finding Privilege in Quarantine
“U.S. Crimes Don’t Matter”
by Faramarz Farbod The U.S. has a bloody history of trampling on the sovereignty of other nations and committing atrocious acts, including torture, against the peoples of these countries. The U.S. also uses all means it deems necessary to stop others from effectively challenging the impunity it enjoys in the international arena for its nefarious behavior. However, none of … [Read more...] about “U.S. Crimes Don’t Matter”
Kent State and Divided America: 50 Years Later
by Ted Morgan The past is never dead. It’s not even past.William Faulkner For some of us, the killing of four students at Kent State on Monday, May 4, 1970 is a moment we will never forget. It was certainly one of the iconic moments of 1960s-era protests, immortalized in Neil Young’s “Ohio,” with its refrain, “four dead in Ohio.” Students on campuses across the nation … [Read more...] about Kent State and Divided America: 50 Years Later
Notes from the Editor
“Everything Hurts” “I’m claustrophobic, my stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts, some water or something, please, please, I can’t breathe officer, don’t kill me.” These were some of the last words uttered in desperation by George Perry Floyd Jr before he was pronounced dead as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Since then millions of … [Read more...] about Notes from the Editor
Notes from the Editor [LT3]
Notes from the Editors The essays in this issue are of two sorts. The one we present first focuses on grassroots actions of the you-are-the-leaders-you’ve-been-looking-for persuasion. Mostly. Their focus tends to be on doings in the US: the black community, bingo workers, teachers and unions, meritocracy (an analytic counterpoise dealing with the wealthy), a grassroots … [Read more...] about Notes from the Editor [LT3]
“No. It’s Capitalism, Stupid.”
by Gary Olson The title is a riff on James Carville’s disingenuous (and stupid) phrase from 1992 when he was Bill Clinton’s campaign director. Carville’s pithy quip, “It’s the economy, stupid,” became the campaign’s de facto slogan. It functioned as a clever ruse to help Clinton beat Bush by pandering to workers and creating the impression that his policies would actually … [Read more...] about “No. It’s Capitalism, Stupid.”
Martin William Boksenbaum
1939–2019 We bid fond farewell to Martin Boksenbaum, co-founder of the Alliance who was deeply involved in preparing each of the previous 16 issues of this Sustainable Lehigh Valley booklet. It’s hard to think of the Alliance—and especially this publication—without Martin. He was integral to nearly every aspect of it from its inception. Martin died last summer, but we’re … [Read more...] about Martin William Boksenbaum
Sustainable Food for Thought
by Eirlys Chui As times are changing, so are the trends we see in today’s food system. People are growing interested in natural, organic, locally sourced, and sustainable food. They are exploring dietary selections such as vegetarian and vegan options that benefit personal health and that of the environment. Yet there are also arising obstacles—environmental degradation, … [Read more...] about Sustainable Food for Thought