#azspot

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The real choice isn’t “pragmatism” or “idealism.” It’s either allowing these trends to worsen – destroying what’s left of our democracy and turning our economy into even more of a playground for big corporations, Wall Street, and billionaires – or reversing them. And the only pragmatic way of reversing them is through a “political revolution” that mobilizes millions of Americans. Robert Reich (via azspot)

[marxsound]

been THERE. did not do That

that old guy really said “those who can*t remember history are doomed to repeat it ALONGSIDE those who can” (spinozza?) anyway richard nixon was complaining to his buddies about viet nam war protests and one of his cronies suggested cooling off the us economy... if folks are worried about jobs and food and rent they will have less time or energy  to protest. RMN and co. managed to slow down the economy (a lot) and young  folks became a lot more conformist and conservative in a rather short time. btw(1)  nixon*s “secret plan to end the war” was a total joke btw(2)what ended support for the viet nam war was the democratic led congress RAISED TAXES to pay for it-before that it was all borrowed money. support for the war cratered shortly after that. btw(3) if u r as OLD as i am and knew republicans then and now. u would know that the republican party has never forgiven the democrats for ending their little tea-party in such a underhanded fashion.... anyway when reagan took over in 1980 he used scarcity as a weapon against  young folks(most of the country was in a recession for most of the 80s) result more conformism and conservatism. oh boy by the time we get to gw bush folks were scared right off the bat. we just knew the economy was going down down down form the day he took office. yikes btw(4) did u know the birth rate in the USA cratered by sept of 2001 and didn*t return to normal till after obama was re-elected in 2012? guess where it is today? so now we have the trump virus and the trump recession and folks are acting scared and trying to move to the center of the herd.... i did not do all that in the 70s or 80s OR the 2000s and i ain*t doing THAT now

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Scare crow :: @PCraucamp

* * * * *

“What could lessen its power, drain it of some of that fuel? True solidarity. Humanism that unites people across ethnic and religious lines. Fierce opposition to all forms of identity-based hatred, including antisemitism. An international left rooted in values that side with the child over the gun every single time, no matter whose gun and no matter whose child. A left that is unshakably morally consistent, and does not mistake that consistency with moral equivalency between occupier and occupied. Love.”

— Naomi Klein

[azspot]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

+

…start with values, not policies and facts and numbers. Say what you believe, but haven’t been saying. For example, progressive thought is built on empathy, on citizens caring about other citizens and working through our government to provide public resources for all, both businesses and individuals. Use history. That’s how America started. The public resources used by businesses were not only roads and bridges, but public education, a national bank, a patent office, courts for business cases, interstate commerce support, and of course the criminal justice system. From the beginning, the Private Depended on Public Resources, both private lives and private enterprise.

George Lakoff (via azspot)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

By Zoe Si (from the "New Yorker")::

* * * *

SAG-AFTRA officially going on strike. This is the first time in over 60 years that both the actors and writers are on strike. This effectively shuts down the entire US film and Television industry.

azspot

“Now is the time to reconsider ourselves and how we approach the world. Because this mess doesn’t stop in Hollywood. Like climate change affects certain areas first and then spreads outward, this is going to seep into every part of our lives. And even if you enjoy a nice white-collar job, you need to understand that existence, which was a product of America’s ascension into a global hegemonic force, and was merely a symptom of globalism’s construction, is in danger, because as globalism recedes and the need for worsening exploitation grows, you will be on the chopping block as well.”

— More Than Television and Movies: AI, Art, and the Struggle for Humanity

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

In 1968 Finland banned for profit education, the few private schools that exist in Finland have to reinvest any profit they make or pay it back to parents. It has been in the Top 3 in education for the last 20 years. There should be no profit in education or healthcare.

[Bladeofthesun]

+

 The public defunding of universities, along with their seizure by corporations and the uber rich, is part of the slow-motion corporate coup d’état. The goal is to enforce conformity and obedience, to train young people to fill their slots in the corporate machine and leave unquestioned the status quo. The accumulation of vast wealth, no matter how nefarious, is prized as the highest good. Those who mold, shape, inspire and educate the young are neglected. Rutgers, like most large universities, pours resources into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs that “Corporate America” values. The fundamental aim of an education, to teach people how to think critically, to grasp and understand the systems of power that dominate our lives, to foster the common good, to construct a life of meaning and purpose, are sidelined, especially with the withering away of the humanities. 

Chris Hedges (via azspot)

+

 The final stages of capitalism, Karl Marx predicted, would be marked by global capital being unable to expand and generate profits at former levels. Capitalists would begin to consume the government along with the physical and social structures that sustained them. Democracy, social welfare, electoral participation, the common good and investment in public transportation, roads, bridges, utilities, industry, education, ecosystem protection and health care would be sacrificed to feed the mania for short-term profit. These assaults would destroy the host. This is the stage of late capitalism that Donald Trump represents. 

Chris Hedges (via azspot)

[marxsound]

is this on?

@truth-of-words had a quote about the morals of the many blah blah.... “a study of history” by toynbee tells us something else. SYSTEMS ROT OUT FROM THE TOP DOWN.  if the folks on the bridge start aiming at icebergs the folks in steerage die. really that simple. the shoddy activities of the masses fun to joke about. but one nut-job like dick cheney in the wrong place can lead to endless war, double the national debt and destabilze an entire region....( Uh cheers? )

[marxsound]

here*s a long rambling post for #kneipho

warning-your eyes may glaze over. SO #kneipho tagged me in a post about “songs i*m obsessed with”... and i couldn*t think of any oh well.... THEN i thot about it a different way and TA DA.... THERE ARE SONGS I MIGHT PLAY everyday for a week or two and then forget about for months.. like st thomas by sonny rollins or on green dolphin street(a european song from a movie- i learned it listening to dexter gorden) or maiden voyage or you*ll know when u get there by herbie hancock. kinda funny, lots of my guitar playing i stole from keith jarrett but i don*t play any of his tunes (???) if i could play “as long as you know you*re livinng yours” by him that would be grand but oh well. btw jarrett wrote that one for jan garbarek to play wish u could hear THAT. anyway here comes part two-YEMGO deluxe I*m also kinda “obsessed with THE #1 song in the usa in 1969-the year of woodstock and hendrix and “feel like i*m fixin to die” and led zeppelin(i could go on and on and...)AND I WILL. 1969 is the year of the elliot carter concerto for orchestra- a piece i could listen to every day for the rest of my life and not get bored(and i don*t even own that record any more.....) anyway so what was the #1 song in “america” in *69???? “sugar sugar” by the archies NO i didn*t make that up- i had to live thru it...  alas. a bunch of jingles players and singers pretending to be cartoon charactors can*t help but wonder how many of the boomers who liked sugar sugar by the archies in *69 grew up to vote for GW bush and donald trump.....vey iz mir