Nathaniel Stratton When discussing the latest controversies regarding climate change, you have to talk about Line 3. Line 3 was a pipeline built in the early 1960s from the oil fields in southern Canada down through Minnesota, transporting hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil to the states each year. Over the years, the pipeline corroded significantly, cutting its … [Read more...] about A Rejection of the Rights of Nature
civil liberties
Violence in the Capitol, Dangers in the Aftermath
Glenn Greenwald From the Cold War to the War on Terror: the harms from authoritarian “solutions” are often greater than the threats they are ostensibly designed to combat. In the days and weeks after the 9/11 attack, Americans were largely united in emotional horror at what had been done to their country as well as in their willingness to endorse repression and … [Read more...] about Violence in the Capitol, Dangers in the Aftermath
‘Anarchist jurisdiction’ State of Mind…
Some thugs like to Lie all day— strip our rights away, make The People pay, Chanting, “U-S-A…!” Hopping flights of fantasy for the greedy bourgeoisie And the confederacy— But we’re taking an Anti-fascist stand: ‘Cause we’re in an ‘Anarchist jurisdiction’ State of Mind… It seems so easy Lying day to day— stripping … [Read more...] about ‘Anarchist jurisdiction’ State of Mind…
Violence, looting, destruction of property
Today, many newspeople & elected officials are complaining about looting & destruction of property. Why have they been silent about ongoing oppression and racist, structural violence? Did they forget what we learned as children: that one of the foundational acts of this country was the ‘Boston Tea Party’, an often-glorified case of property destruction used to … [Read more...] about Violence, looting, destruction of property
Orwell’s Doublethink, Alive and Well in Trump’s America
Anthony DiMaggio George Orwell’s 1984 is a dystopian novel about authoritarianism, and is widely understood as a critique of Stalinism and centralized communist states. But Orwell believed that propaganda functioned in both communist and capitalist states alike. His insights about the uses and abuses of propaganda are remarkably relevant when studying American and … [Read more...] about Orwell’s Doublethink, Alive and Well in Trump’s America
‘Bethlehem City Council ignores people and the law’
I am appalled at the actions of Bethlehem’s administration and city council. At Wednesday’s meeting, the council ignored the passionate pleas of residents, business owners, and community revitalization experts — and they even ignored the advice of their own solicitor. Bethlehem City Council backs 9-story South Side building over strong objections, by Lynn Olanoff of the … [Read more...] about ‘Bethlehem City Council ignores people and the law’
Boston & ‘the Muslim exception’ to the Bill of Rights
A lot has been written about the Boston bombings, the Tsarnaev brothers, and the way the case was handled. I don't want to add to that, but here are links to some of the more insightful articles, along with a brief excerpt from each: Lockdown, USA: Lessons From the Boston Marathon Manhunt, by Henry Giroux The collective expressions of relief, compassion, and adulation were … [Read more...] about Boston & ‘the Muslim exception’ to the Bill of Rights