Monday, November 15, 2004

Sidney Hook: "Out of Step" Why did I read it? Because Saul Bellow said "He was right on the Cold War." Up to a point it was interesting. Lots I didn't know. Then when I was bored I thought let the dead bury their dead. PS: Then more interesting again. The chapter on Bertrand Russell v. entertaining, then the chapter on the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace in New York in 1949 ("The Communist Peace Offensive"), and then Sartre, de Beauvoir and Merleau-Ponty. I'm back on board. V. interesting to see a different perspective on the anti-communism I remember so clearly. 9:26:41 PM    comment []  trackback []

How low can you sink? On this day in 2004 my contribution to the potluck was mozarella, tomatoes and fresh basil on Italian bread, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 9:24:08 PM    comment []  trackback []

Worst What's in Store List - with solutions (?) From "How to Save the World" "Are you ready for this?: • Elimination of environmental & labour protections; total deregulation of business, and the selling off of most remaining public land and resources for commercial purposes • Encouragement as 'natural and inevitable' the outsourcing and offshoring of millions of jobs • Indemnification of corporations against citizen litigation for misconduct Launching of pre-emptive attacks on Iran, then Syria, and then, when the House of Saud is overthrown, Saudi Arabia • Elimination and privatization of government social services • Instituting of a flat tax, repeal of the estate tax, and other subsidies for the rich • Re-introduction of Patriot Act II • Ban on abortion, after replacement of retiring Supreme Court members with religious zealots • Erosion or dismantling the separation of church and state • Substantive withdrawal of the US from the UN in favour of unilateralism And are you ready for absolutely no action on this?: • The right to universal quality health care and education • Election and campaign finance reform • The right to clean, healthy air, water and food • Millions of hard-working Americans unable to get decent-paying, meaningful jobs to provide for their families I'm not either...." [Follows the long part of the essay: 8 well-elaborated points. These are the headlines, to jog my memory.] 1. Political Organization Starting Now: MoveOn, MeetUp and ReachOut 2. Street Demonstrations & Street Theatre: Wearing Opposition on Our Sleeves 3. International Sanctions and Ostracism 4. Unapologetic Alternative Media 5. Court Challenges, Filibusters & Obstructionism 6. Consumer Power 7. Campaign Finance and Electoral Reform 8. Public Discourse 7:53:35 AM    comment []  trackback []