Swans Commentary
http://www.swans.com/
March 9, 2009
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Note from the Editors: "Attempting to solve problems using the tools,
techniques, and thoughts that created them is silly," as Milo Clark often
averred in these pages -- a notion of thinking outside the box to which Swans
subscribes. Yet with the global economy facing seemingly insurmountable
challenges, the technique most prominently at play in the mainstream is the
well-honed propaganda that seduces We the Sheeple into tolerating obscene
executive compensation packages while our wages shrink; believing the economy
will collapse if taxes on the wealthy increase; and considering
redistribution of riches and universal health care as evil and socialistic,
when we direly need a piece of those riches and sorely lack access to that
health care. Gilles d'Aymery covers the latest round of economic excesses and
ecchymoses, and shares a glimpse of the scary French social system, the
Wal*Mart paradox, and more. Following on propaganda, Michael Barker
investigates the US government's manipulation of the media and the role of
the recently formed Center for International Media Assistance, while Charles
Marowitz critiques, to put it mildly, the bombastic bursts of political
clichés spewing across the airwaves from Rush Limbaugh and his ilk, who hope
that the Obama ship will sink, not understanding they too are on board.
Obscene financial packages for the powerful are not just Made in America, by
the way -- Femi Akomolafe reports from Ghana on the mind-bending pensions
that his former president and parliament awarded themselves after turning
this once proud nation into a groveling vassal state of the imperialists.
From Ghana we turn our sights to Istanbul, with Peter Byrne leading our tour
through his wonderful experiences, past and present. We then make a stop at
the silver screen with a treatise by Raju Peddada on the art of critique and
the kitschy state of film reviewing in our contemporary culture. And an
innocent request to Art Shay for an explanation of Chicago politics resulted
in the debut of a musical, 21st century movie-murder-fantasy screenplay --
perhaps the only way he could capture the craziness of the genre that most
recently produced Rod Blagojevich.
From the reading room, Charles Marowitz explains his life-long love for
writer William Saroyan, who lives on through his celebration of the ordinary
and of being, while poetry comes to life through Guido Monte's simple word
that breaks the chain of war and Marie Rennard's polesy on the earth-bound
music that makes it worth sticking around. Scott Porter has some thoughts on
how humanity might escape from the darkness, and we close with your words,
including an open letter to President Obama; thoughts on Dmitry Orlov,
socially irresponsible doomsters, and survivalism lite; peeling back the
propaganda to understand the tragic events in Gaza, and more.
# # # # #
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/desk082.html
Blips #82 - From the Martian Desk - Gilles d'Aymery
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/barker15.html
Global Media Managers - Michael Barker
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/cmarow132.html
The Bum's Rush - Charles Marowitz
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/pbyrne94.html
My Istanbul - Peter Byrne
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/femia06.html
Ghana: The Audacity Of Looting - Femi Akomolafe
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/rajup09.html
Reviewing The Reviewers - Raju Peddada
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/ashay09.html
The State Of The State Of Elanoys: Waiting For Blago - Art Shay
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/cmarow131.html
William Saroyan's "Where The Bones Go" - Book Review by Charles Marowitz
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/gmonte63.html
War n.4 (The End) - Multilingual Poem by Guido Monte
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/marier27.html
No Way To Leave - Poem by Marie Rennard
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/porter15.html
The Cave Revisited - R. Scott Porter
http://www.swans.com/library/art15/letter160.html
Letters to the Editor
# # # # #
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Gilles d'Aymery
--
Swans
"Hungry man, reach for the book: It is a weapon." B. Brecht
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