 Andrew Campbell’s neighbourhood between Little Wittenham and North Moreton, UK. All lousy political news this week, so I’m only including the most important items, and starting with a funny editorial: Buy My Ballot Please: An intentionally hilarious rant by Dirk Olin in the NYT about the fact that corporatists get to sell their influence to politicians, but voters can’t. Grist Checks Out How Green the US 2008 Presidential Candidates Are: And finds the Democrats mostly a pale green, and the Republicans mostly grey. Not nearly good enough, any of them. John Gray Sums Up the Iraq Situation: “The most important – as well as most often neglected – feature of the conflict shaping up around Iraq is that the US no longer has the ability to mould events. Whatever it does, there will be decades of bloodshed in the region. Another large blunder – such as bombing Iran, as Dick Cheney seems to want, or launching military operations against Pakistan, as some in Washington appear to propose – would make matters even worse.” And the Iraq Humanitarian Crisis Worsens: Ten million Iraqis need emergency aid, and millions are fleeing, hollowing out the country, says Oxfam. Another US ‘Surge’, This Time to Canada: No point hanging around there until they bomb Iran. China, the Endless Catastrophe: If poisoning the rest of the world, driving up oil demand just as supplies have peaked, and wreaking the worst environmental disaster in the history of civilization wasn’t bad enough, now comes word that China’s glaciers are melting at astonishing rates, threatening decades of droughts, floods, famine and heat waves. Thoughts for the Week: Two inspiring and lovely thoughts on community, discovered while finishing up (yes, it’s finished!) my book: Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free. — Eugene Debs
We clasp the hands of those that go before us, |
Dave, let me be the first to congratulate you on completing your book. I am hoping to produce my own rather unique communication over the next year, but more on that later.I notice there is no place to make a paypal donation on your site.I mention it, because while reading the “Buy My Ballot Please” article, I continually thought of a song/story that had randomly been coming up (repeatedly) on my iTunes in the last couple of days.I thought to myself, I should buy this for Dave, as I thought you might enjoy it. So, if you are willing to invest a dollar and 5 minutes of your time, download this from iTunes:”Direct Action 4:52 Ani Difranco & Utah Phillips Fellow Workers $0.99 Rock”It is a story about a 1910 worker rebellion spoken over a music track. I found it fascinating and was pondering how the ideas could be translated to work effectively in a modern environment.If you decide it’s worth checking out, but don’t have a buck, just e-mail me & I’ll be happy to reimburse you.enjoy.
congrats on finishing up that book!
Congratulations on finishing your book! Excellent Eugene Debs quote, and you’re the second person I’ve seen post a Wendell Berry poem recently, both choices resonating in my mind.