Category: politics

NYT’s attacks on Bernie

Tithi Bhattacharya: The NY Times attacks on Bernie are really nothing compared to what they will pull if he gets the nomination.

It is crucial that the Sanders campaign tack radically left right now and not try to prove his “electability” –(whatever the hell that is).

This means to emphasise, not downplay, the anti-racist, feminist and anti-imperialist aspects of our vision–rather than push/occlude them under banal universalities–like “we are for everyone”.

We are not for everyone–we are for the working class and the oppressed of this world.

Bernie Sanders Believes in Mass Politics – Something the NYT Can’t Wrap Their Minds Around

if u want to go beyond the facile man vs woman binary, u might want to read this. also, capitalism is killing us.

Meagan Day: By all accounts, Warren wants to take measures to subordinate economic power to state power somewhat, while leaving the overall capitalist structure of the economy intact. To that end, she’s keen to implement and enforce strict regulations that will rein in some of the worst excesses of capitalism.

Sanders agrees with Warren on the need for rules and regulations in bringing economic power to heel. But there are some major differences between the two candidates. One is that, unlike Warren, Sanders doesn’t limit his goals to creating “markets with rules”: he’s more interested in taking the things people need out of capitalist markets altogether.

The other major difference is how they propose to curb economic power. Warren speaks mainly of harnessing state power through the use of expert planning and savvy negotiating. But Sanders, appearing to view this theory of change as implausible or naive, adds something else into the mix.

It’s clear from his rhetoric that Bernie believes the existing state is subservient to capital, that this is a problem, and that it will be difficult to make it behave otherwise. That’s why he insists on trying to tap into a powerful force outside the state that can bend it in the right direction, against its nature. To put it in Wright’s terms, Bernie proposes to use social power to compel state power to discipline economic power. That’s what all the rallies are intended to accomplish.

The recent questioning of Bernie Sanders by the New York Times editorial board revealed that they see no difference between right-wing populism and democratic socialism. But Bernie wants to mobilize people to discipline the power of big business, not scapegoat the oppressed. More here.

we have to do better

someone i care about broke my heart this morning. she’s a young woman in her mid thirties, divorced, with young kids. she lives with a boyfriend who seems to be abusive. she works at two jobs to make ends meet. she told me she makes $20,000 a year. she cannot afford to leave her boyfriend. her family doesn’t help. the tears began to flow as she shared all of this with me. how is one supposed to survive on $20,000? what kind of society would think that it’s ok to pay someone such a pittance? the inequality in our country, in our world, is nothing less than gross. those who have, are told they are entitled to it because they are better than others (smarter, more hardworking, more entrepreneurial) but in truth, they were just lucky at some point in their lives (mostly at birth) and might not have been able to hack it under different circumstances. everyone’s work is valuable. it’s what makes our community strong, stimulating, and simply functional. there is no justification for such disparities. this is just one story. there are many worse. we have to do better.

Bernie Sanders leads Donald Trump by widest margin of all 2020 candidates

but nobody likes him and he’s not electable…

Senator Bernie Sanders leads President Donald Trump by the widest margin of all the candidates in the Democratic Party’s 2020 race when Americans are asked to choose in a face-off against the Republican incumbent, according to a poll. More here.

Rochesterian advocates for equity despite facing racism, sexism, and ableism

the incredible luticha doucette <3

Noelle C. Evans: Luticha Doucette is the equity coordinator at Rochester City Hall. Currently, she’s working on the Race Equity and Leadership Initiative (REAL) for city government. REAL is part of a program with the National League of Cities aimed to address structural racism through policy and civic engagement.

She says that while there are conversations in Rochester around racial equity, like REAL, there isn’t as much visibility for disabilities.

“Disability is often put to the wayside. And you can’t separate the two. I’m not disabled on a Sunday, right? I’m disabled 24/7 just like I’m black 24/7,” she says.

For Doucette, she says a mix of sexism, racism, and ableism — which is discrimination against those with disabilities — put her in a life-threatening situation a few years ago when she was having health complications. More here.

parasite – my review

‘parasite’ is hard to love. it’s a dark comedy full of grift and grotesquerie. the characters are complicated – neither heroes nor villains – and so they don’t offer the kind of clarity or predictability that we expect from american films. as a piece of art, the film is a masterpiece of meticulous structure, powerful performances, blunt metaphors, and unapologetic political commentary. class struggle, the lack of worker solidarity, climate change, the violent and precarious nature of capitalism, and the vulgar society/culture it spawns are all addressed sharply in the film. it’s a bold questioning of south korea’s neoliberal restructuring (IMF-style) and its present-day hyperconsumerism. bong joon-ho has much to say and i cannot wait to hear more.

Rosalie “Daystar” Jones – Using art to carry tradition forward

The beautiful Rosalie M. Jones who choreographed and performed for The Injured Body: A Film about Racism in America <3

Rebecca Rafferty: Jones has had an active and impressive career as a pioneer of what she called Native Modern Dance, which draws inspiration from Indigenous inter-tribal dance as well as the modern dance she studied in her postgraduate days at Juilliard (where she hung out with the legendary Martha Graham).

She was born on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. Her mother was Chippewa and her father was a Welsh-Canadian railroad worker who crossed the border at 18 and met her mother on the reservation.

“I think because the both of them had hard childhoods and really no opportunities for formal education, they wanted to give that to me,” Jones said. “So consequently, I was encouraged from the very beginning to get college degrees, university degrees, and pursue my own talents and ideas for my lifetime work.” More here.

An evening to remember

This evening a fabulous friend organized a dessert extravaganza at her home, baked exquisite cakes, made flan and even kulfi (for real?) and invited some of the beautiful women I am blessed to call my friends. They are poets, writers, artists, photographers, dancers, choreographers, curators, lawyers, journalists, feminists, activists, professors, philosophers, counselors, storytellers, community leaders, my sisters. I wrote about each of them because I wanted them to know what they mean to me. It was emotional. I had to focus hard in order to keep my voice steady. The beauty around me was overwhelming. Thank u Sabina for joining us, and thank u Amanda, Annette, Debora, Erica, Kristin, Lauren, Liz, Lu, Mariko, Pamela, Reilly, Sady, Sejal, Smriti, and Yvonne for being who u are. Love u all <3

Tamil rapper Arivu’s fiery ‘Sanda Seivom’ takes on CAA-NRC

The song’s video was published on the Therukkural YouTube page on Pongal day along with the message: “In solidarity to the CAA protests happening all over the country and to the students who are sacrificing their valuable time and energy for a secular society and to save the constitution of India.”

The lines “Who am I? Who are you? Who is your grandfather? Will NRC dig out all of that?” take jibes at the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was implemented in Assam and which the Indian government intends to extend to the rest of the country in due course. The song has powerful lines on citizenship, equality and discrimination based on one’s religion.

“Come forward Tamizha, let us fight! In the streets, let us fight. United as one, let us fight. If our rights are taken, let us fight!” In his latest song ‘Sanda Seivom’, Tamil rapper Arivu whose album Therukkural released last year, calls for Tamil people to unite against the discriminatory… More here.

Sanders vs Warren – here are the receipts

Tana MAOgeau @StealYoRedBull:

In the 1990s, when Bernie Sanders beat an incumbent Republican and co-founded the Progressive Caucus, and was fighting for single-payer, Elizabeth Warren was a Republican working as a corporate lawyer for oil and insurance companies and giving speeches to the Federalist Society.

Since this blew up (thanks to Kyle’s RT) here are the receipts if you want them:

Warren was a Republican until 1996

Work as a corporate lawyer

Federalist Society (think Gorsuch, Kavanaugh) speech

an open letter of solidarity by jewish and muslim activists

after the hanukkah attack in nyc (late last year) and the surge in islamophobia accompanying american aggression and a possible war with iran, young jewish and muslim activists based in rochester wanted to raise their collective voice and recommit to solidarity. theirs is a solidarity rooted in a desire for justice and a political understanding of their respective struggles. in their view, solidarity is safety.

thank u Smriti Jacob and the Rochester Beacon for publishing our open letter. thank u Nate Baldo, Arseniy Justice, Tori Madway, Halima Aweis, Ian Layton, Hatun Guler, Fatimah Arshad, and Mawia Elawad for ur profound understanding of our world.

“In the wake of the December 2019 Hanukkah attack in New York City, Gov. Cuomo announced an increase in security including a $45 million grant administered by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for communications equipment upgrades. This is meant to assuage Jewish communities and make them feel safer.

But actual safety comes from solidarity, not greater state scrutiny and criminalization, which disproportionately impact people of color and vulnerable communities. Employing state forces as barriers between our fractured communities only furthers our fragmentation and contributes to future distrust and misunderstandings.

We, Muslim and Jewish activists based in Rochester, understand this and are committed to a decolonial understanding of our histories and struggles. We aim to stay invested in and show up for one another, and we urge all our diverse communities to do the same. Let’s band together against the rising tides of violence, in our country and across the globe. Solidarity is safety.” More here.

Anti-War Protest Highlights Link Between US Militarism and Climate Chaos

wonderful report by darien lamen in which he gives protestors the opportunity to voice their concerns and their reasons for being there, rather than framing the rally himself. thank u for ur important work darien.

Rochester-area youth organized a rally Thursday to oppose war with Iran. Many protesters highlighted the link between imperialism and climate change. Reporter Darien Lamen spoke with Hridesh Singh, Scott Wagner, Crescenzo Scipione, Mara Ahmed, and Emily Good. Listen here.