The upcoming Palestine Writes Literary Festival to be held at Penn has drawn the predictable charges of anti-semitism, where any criticism of Zionism or the state of Israel is conflated with being against the Jewish people or Judaism. If this is an issue that interests or troubles you — or if you care about academic freedom — I suggest you take time to read the attached … [Read more...] about Palestine Writes Literary Festival
World Affairs | War & Peace
IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report
The long awaited AR-6 report was released a few days ago. There are no surprises for anyone who's been paying attention, but there's lots of confirmation of how serious the problem has become and that there are still possibilities for reducing the impact — with actions, not words! Sticking to the basics, here are some statements about AR6: “The world is in deep trouble … [Read more...] about IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report
Emerging realities in Europe and here
Long-time Alliance member Dick Lane responds to 'The deafening silence of intellectuals in the face of growing global conflicts' from The Real News, which says 'intellectuals should… not shrink from denouncing what they see as destructive of culture, values, and truth, notably when such destruction claims to be carried out in the name of these “domains of spirit.” I'll add … [Read more...] about Emerging realities in Europe and here
Left Turn – Winter 2023 issue now available online
Go to the Winter 2023 Table of Contents to see what's in this issue and to download in PDF format. [link below Table of Contents] Look for some great work by Elaheh Farmand, Gary Olson, Lenny Flank, Michael Yates, Robert Jensen, and Vijay Prashad, among others. This issue is at the printer now, and we should have printed copies available early in March. … [Read more...] about Left Turn – Winter 2023 issue now available online
Timely reminder of the horrors of war
It's the 50th anniversary of the Paris treaty that was supposed to end of the war in Vietnam — but the war continued for several more years. Despite all the other wars and losses since then, the US is now involved in “a protracted proxy war supporting Ukraine seeking separation and autonomy from Russia with no end in sight and likely in a similar stalemate like the Vietnam … [Read more...] about Timely reminder of the horrors of war
Obscene treaty symbolizes what’s wrong
The Energy Charter Treaty referred to in the story is obscene — putting corporate profits over the lives of future generations and punishing governments that try to protect their people. (Although most governments today also seem to put corporate profits ahead of people.) Whether it's coal, oil, or natural gas, we need to keep it in the ground! No elaborate — and often bogus … [Read more...] about Obscene treaty symbolizes what’s wrong
LEPOCO seeks part-time staff person
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT — LEPOCO is looking to hire a new part-time staff person.…The November issue of the LEPOCO newsletter contained the following description of the staff position: "We are looking for someone with a commitment to nonviolence and to promoting LEPOCO's work for peace and justice. Enthusiasm for community building and for working collaboratively, are important. … [Read more...] about LEPOCO seeks part-time staff person
Biden not living up to pledge about Cuba
The Biden administration has made some positive moves, but their overall record on Cuba is poor. As Cuba's foreign minister says, the Biden administration “is the one that has most aggressively and effectively applied the economic blockade” — worse than the Trump administration. (As is almost always the case, of course, US sanctions hurt the people far more than the … [Read more...] about Biden not living up to pledge about Cuba
A better world is possible — it’s up to us to make it happen
Some people, including right-wingers and liberal Democrats, may not appreciate Chomsky's forthright criticism of US foreign policy — including the war in Ukraine — but his analysis is worth taking the time to understand. Sanctions, of course, almost always hurt the people, whether you're talking about Russia, Iran, or Cuba. Noam Chomsky: Another World Is Possible. Let's … [Read more...] about A better world is possible — it’s up to us to make it happen
Defining Racism: Individuals and Institutions, Systems and Structures
Robert Jensen We are at a dramatic point in the racial history of the United States, perhaps the most important moment since the civil rights and more radical black/brown/indigenous movements of the 1960s and ‘70s. Two dramatically different currents in American life are gaining strength: White supremacy has reasserted itself in the mainstream of public life, and at the … [Read more...] about Defining Racism: Individuals and Institutions, Systems and Structures