http://www.swans.com/ May 9, 2005 - In this issue:
Note from the Editor: In contrast to the recurring auto-flagellation in the main media (mainly caused by the loss of readers and audience -- read $$) and the irrepressible but undeniable and expected co- optation of the blogosphere by commercial and political interests, we are entering our tenth year of uninterrupted publication committed to journeying along a road less traveled, with a quest for unity based upon respect and acceptation of diversity of political views and autonomy of perspectives among us. Onward to a new Swans year and on to this issue!
The American interstate: Symbol of our freedom to roam the open roads, consume and pollute at will, shop on a whim and devour poison food on the way to the redwoods and through the canyons on a path that links us all, inextricably, to Baghdad's Road of Death. Phil Rockstroh and Angela Tyler-Rockstroh combine the power of their words and images to illustrate this somber corridor of destruction. Amidst the babble about the need for an "energy policy" and "new technology," the most creative proposal is to reduce the speed limit and the toughest question is, "why do we pay so much for a gallon of gas?" Let then Richard Macintosh ask some tough questions on free- market hypocrisy, socialized militarism and profit-based medicine in the Empire's staged reality. Perhaps as more of the Bush administration's unreal realities come to light its effectiveness will be diminished...yet Philip Greenspan fears the tactics to which it may resort to regain power. Its credibility with other countries is further eroded when it admonishes Putin for neither listening to the people nor practicing democracy. The irony is that Bush, in his arrogance, can't even see the irony... Still, Jan Baughman tries to illustrate it for him. The fact remains that the people and polls have little bearing on policy. But if you are Anheuser-Busch, you're in a completely different league. Case in point: the intention of Ventria Bioscience to put human or animal DNA in genetically-engineered rice to produce pharmaceuticals -- in the fields of Missouri, the beer company's headquarters. Read Don Fitz's account of this political fight and the frightening implications of such rice contaminating the food system.
This week marks the anniversary of Marxist revolutionary James Connolly's death. Executed in Dublin by the British after taking up arms in the 1916 Easter Rising to liberate Ireland, Connolly's legacy is remembered by Joe Davison. Upon founding the Irish Socialist Republican Party, Connolly put forth his view that national liberation and socialism were complementary rather than antagonistic, and that "...no matter what the form of government may be, as long as one class owns as private property the land and the instruments of labor from which mankind derive their substance, that class will always have it in their power to plunder and enslave the remainder of their fellow creatures." With the interests of the working class in mind Julio Huato expands his views on the reasons US Socialists should cooperate strategically with the Democratic Party to advance the workers' movement -- here is a perfect example of the diversity of political views and autonomy of perspectives that we advocate.
>From politics to culture and the politics therein, Charles Marowitz describes the inherent conflicts of wearing two hats -- one of theatre critic and one of director; "a fashion statement fraught with danger," as Marowitz relays. Wearing the two hats of populism and nationalism is equally fraught with danger -- see Milo Clark's review of the latest John Lukacs book. In poetry, the plight of a fallen fighter is Gerard Donnelly Smith's subject, and the dangers of depleted uranium, which seem to vary depending on whether it is us or them who are exposed, is one of the many controversial topics that landed on our Editor's desk along with, of course, your letters and John Steppling's review of our last edition.
Last but not least, we are also recognizing the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War by re-running our 25th anniversary retrospective. We continue to hope that, in the words of Carl Sandburg, "Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come."
As always, please form your OWN opinion, and let your friends (and foes) know about Swans.
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Here are the links to all the pieces:
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/procks46.html Running On Fumes: A Journey To The End Of Empire - by Phil Rockstroh With a (great) graphic by Angela Tyler-Rockstroh
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/rmac34.html "Un-American" Questions - by Richard Macintosh
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/pgreen64.html Will The Withering Shrub Recover? - by Philip Greenspan
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/jeb144.html American Diktat, Russian Polls: The Presidential Press Conference - by Jan Baughman
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/dfitz01.html Mommy, Is Aunt Sally In The Rice Puffs? - by Don Fitz
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/joedav09.html Remembering James Connolly - by Joe Davison
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/jhuato01.html Workers, Socialists, And Democrats: Reflections On Strategy - by Julio Huato
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/cmarow17.html Wearing Two Hats: The Director Takes On The Critic - by Charles Marowitz
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/mgc158.html John Lukacs's "Democracy and Populism, Fear and Hatred" - Book Review by Milo Clark
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/gsmith47.html "La Muerte de Nadie" - Poem by Gerard Donnelly Smith
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/desk018.html Blips #18 by Gilles d'Aymery
http://www.swans.com/library/art6/vnam00.html Introduction to "Vietnam: A Retrospective" (May 2000)
http://www.swans.com/library/art11/letter66.html Letters to the Editor and John Steppling's review of our last edition.
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