The march against the RNC
To Volunteer or Register Individuals To Vote:
http://www.goodgovernment.org
http://www.votervirgin.com
http://www.hiphopconvention.org
http://www.citizenactionny.org/volunteer2004.html
http://www.moveon.org
http://www.counterconvention.org
Cinema
"Fahrenheit 9/11"
The most pertinent aspect of Moore's film is not the political theses it makes but the national dialogue it suggests we should be having. Every American, of whatever political stripes, should see this film and then argue, argue, argue what it suggests about the society we live in. Fahrenheit 9/11 is not a cinematic masterpiece but is surely engaging moviemaking. The footage of African-Americans in Congress resisting W's election is riveting and maddening. The Bin Laden/Bush family connections and Saudi complicity seem just the tip of the iceberg while the plight of the lower class poor sent to fight the Iraq war is one of the most damning, enraging points Moore's film makes. Manipulative? Of course - all strong filmmaking is. Hilarious at times, heartwrenching at others, Fahrenheit 9/11 is a preaching-to-the-choir (yet challenging all to consider) tour-de-force befitting a man mad, mad, mad, using the only tools he knows how to right a country he feels needs saving.
"Control Room"
Jehane Noujaim's film is a chronicle of that most fascinating of news entities, the Arab language Al Jazeera, and that station's coverage of the lead up to and beginning stages of the war in Iraq. The idea of bias in news coverage and the nature of "embedded" journalism are explored. The soldier heading the U.S. military's Central Command press center in Doha, Qatar, 700 miles from Baghdad comes across as one of the most intelligent, self-reflective individuals concerning the war and its images in recent memory. An enlightening film.
"The Agronomist"
Jonathan Demme's doc chronicles the life and subsequent murder of the fascinating Jean L. Dominique, a man who devoted his life to the idea of social change in the political calamity that is Haiti. An inspiring, tragic story about the fight against the mechanisms of power and ignorance.
"The Corporation"
Devastating documentary about the philosophy behind and ramifications of the existence of "corporations" historically and in our modern societies from the makers of the seminal Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and The Media. This may well be the most terrifying film I have ever seen, I kid you not. I haven't been this frightened, angry, and outright shocked by a film since that Henry Kissinger doc of a couple of years back, and probably tenfold so here. What this film has to say about the corporate social order we live in and how we got there will either have you wanting to move as far away from so-called civilization as you can get or start up a new chapter of the Weathermen.
"Axis of Eve" Protest Panties
The ladies at Axis of Eve (http://axisofeve.org) have joined the election battle this year by designing (and displaying at events all over NYC - ooh la la!) a series of political slogan panty underwear, proceeds from the sale of which are donated to their sister non-profit organization Daughters of Eve. The panties and t-shirts are manufactured by employee run anti-sweatshop clothiers American Apparel (http://www.americanapparel.net/), who are ethically minded entrepreneurs.
Periel Aschenbrand & Triple 5 Soul
Along the same lines writer/designer Periel Aschenbrand has created a line of political and social minded slogan t-shirts for boys and girls (and dresses and skirts) under the moniker "Body as Billboard" which challenges individuals to "advertise for shit that matters." (http://www.bodyasbillboard.com/) In New York hipster design corps Triple 5 Soul have filled all of their shops with the socially-minded fashion wear that sports ideas about AIDS in Africa, date rape, "torture", and the now infamous, "the only bush I trust is my own."
International Court of Justice Advisory on the Legality of the Israeli Wall in Occupied Palestinian Territories
Reuters article:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5631227
International Court of Justice written advisory statement:
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/idocket/imwp/imwpframe.htm
Definition, "The Dreads"
from Rasta and Resistance by Horace Campbell, Africa World Press
"The obscene consumption and imitative nature of the petty bourgeoisie provoked a cultural and anti-capitalistic response from the youths who called themselves Dreads and who identified with the resistance of the Rastafari of Jamaica. These youths were rendered unproductive by the inability of the society to provide meaningful employment for them. Instead of chasing the American and Canadian embassies for visas to migrate from their communities, the Dreads linked their destiny to the future liberation of the region and to the liberation of Africa. Through the medium of reggae, the sounds of resistance were circulated and these youths identified with the force and energy of this movement. . . . The Dreads sought to form agricultural communes in the rural areas and adopted the symbols of resistance which had become so well known in Jamaica - the locks; tam; lion; ites; green and gold; and the use of the herb for spiritual and social communication and inspiration."
"Blind Ness" by Ping Chong at La Mama Etc. in June
Chong's theatrical multi-media tour-de-force traverses King Leopold II's atrocities in the Belgian Congo and their reverberations into 20th century colonial Africa while also exploring Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Using text, movement, performance, shadow puppetry, and stunning visuals that have been hallmarks of Ping Chong's work for over 30 years, Blind Ness intercuts the dramatic saga of Conrad's classic characters, Kurtz and Marlow, with such real-life figures as Roger Casement, Edmund Dene Morel, William Sheppard, Henry Morton Stanley, Patrice Lumumba and other heroes and villains of the 19th and 20th centuries. Stunning.
Alternative News Sources
BBC News: a conservative but nonetheless enlightening alternate perspective to the U.S. press.
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Al Jazeera: aforementioned Arab language heroes challenging status quo perspectives, in English.
http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage
The Newshour with Jim Lehrer: either the most conservative of alternative news sources or the most honest investigative of the mainstream TV press. Daily on the PBS station in your market.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour
CounterPunch: rational alternative perspectives, often incendiary.
http://www.counterpunch.org
Independent & Guardian: solid British sources.
http://www.independent.co.uk
http://observer.guardian.co.uk
American Politics Journal - Pundit Pap: a summary of the Sunday pundit shows and the low-down on political happenings in Washington. Oftentimes hilarious.
http://www.americanpolitics.com/punditpap.html
The Weekly Standard: yep, that alternative conservative view that puts events (and the 'enemy') in perspective.
http://www.weeklystandard.com
Salon.com: straight, fun-loving left of center news, articles, and perspectives, with excellent arts and cultures criticism to boot.
http://www.salon.com
The Memory Hole: whenever you hear about controversial photos or videos that have been unearthed you can be sure of finding them here or links to where you might find them.
http://www.thememoryhole.org
The Boondocks comic strip by Aaron McGruder
Hilarious, urban-fabulous comic as politically astute as a Black Panther in league with the Congressional Black Caucus. I get it emailed to me daily. http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks
Shades of Thought and "Truth"
I imagine that much of this might well be construed as "controversial." I find these alternative opinions on much discussed topics welcome perspectives on held beliefs.
The War on Terror by Congressman Ron Paul:
http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2001/cr112901.htm
Debunking Israeli Myths:
http://electronicintifada.net/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/4/865
Corporations and Slavery Reparations:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/general/2002/02/21/slave-reparations.htm
Noam Chomsky on Iraq War:
http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20030811.htm
Former CIA agent on Islamic Fundamentalism
http://www.counterpunch.org/christison1.html
Protest Art Images
"The Capital System" mini-essay by Doug `
Chomsky speaks of capitalism as being enslaving in that to survive within the system individuals are forced to work, often under compromising circumstances through whatever means they can find. I hypothesize further that not to work under these circumstances would mean to be swallowed whole by the system: debt is accrued, must be paid off, rent is due, bills outstanding, etc. To survive one must work, however one can, plain and simple. To allow segments of the population not to participate in this system would be to allow capital (individuals producing work, more importantly purchasing product) out of the system and therefore minimize the profit of those who benefit most from such a system.
Capitalism is "corrupting" and itself self-sustaining in that one either exploits within the system or is exploited by it, to varying degrees. If one is "below" the sustenance level one fights hard, indeed must fight, to reach levels of prosperity, to keep from being exploited, and once that level is reached, or surpassed (the "American Dream") one is obliged to sustain this level of material comfort, to in effect exploit others to varying degrees (open a bar, produce a film, charge fees), to continue to prosper. Non-participation is not an option in that the system is structured to punish those who don't participate: One must spend (participate) to exist, and to spend one must work.
Once a particular level of comfort is reached a host of measures must be undertaken to sustain this level of comfort. (In New York people who make $80K a year are oftentimes 'rent poor.' How often do you hear of individuals able to 'downsize' their lives - once you have a house you must furnish it, heat it, repair it, pay property taxes, etc. You are in essence "locked in.") The desire to spend is amplified by the sheer necessity of doing so in light of institutions like rent, power bills (bottled water, fabric softener, etc.). You are in essence a slave not through physical coercion but through the gravitational forces of the market, a "social coercion" one cannot escape. Advertising, television, entertainment, news (and now the internet) further the agenda, compelling you to participate in this system. It is the correct way to live. Produce (and lay claim to varying degrees of profit) then consume. Be exploited, to varying degrees (workers building an apartment complex, journalists for news conglomerates), or exploit (to varying degrees). It is the proper way to live. (Does this sound fatalistic?)
Motorsoft's "The Decline and Fall of All Y'all"
Norman Coady's sci-fi novel, rock band, and art installation "conceptual arena" (http://www.millionstories.com ) about a dying, quarantined New York City of the future in dire need of being resurrected.
Frank Rich in the Sunday New York Times
Living up to the Times bad rap as a left-leaning rag, every Sunday for months Mr. Rich has written an article on the arts that ostensibly one way or another damns the Bush administration and their policies. He is unapologetic and relentless.
http://www.nytimes.com/top/features/arts/columns/frankrich/index.html
PS1 Radio
Not political per se but this web based radio station of the PS1 art space in Queens here in New York is full of historically astute perspectives on questioning one's environment, if only through an examination of art, music, history, and performance.
http://www.wps1.org
Vote on November 2nd
So much is at stake - civil rights, assaults on the constitution, honesty in government, prosperity for all working classes, gay civil rights, Supreme Court appointments, corporate malevolence, world law and justice, women's rights, peace in the Middle East, tax inequity, and so much more. More importantly, make sure your friends, colleagues and cousins vote - especially in the so-called blue & red "swing states" - Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Arkansas, Washington, Iowa, Wisconsin, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon, and West Virginia. These are the states where influence and activity count, folks!! Let's step up to the plate and save America!!
peace,
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world: Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead