If you landed on Swans while searching for an answer to whether Michael Jackson had a nose when he died, or if it's appropriate for a First Lady to don shorts; if you're looking for the scoop on John Edward's love child or Mark Sanford's mistress, you've come to the right place! Because it's time to turn off the television and redirect your attention to matters that matter... For example, why is US foreign policy so focused on Afghanistan (and Iraq, and Yugoslavia...)? The answer is neither new nor "democracy" -- but if you need a geopolitical primer read Gilles d'Aymery's treatment of the spectacle and reality of the West's Eurasia interests. Nor did Hillary Clinton visit Africa recently to export democracy -- as Femi Akomolafe reports from Ghana, she did what Western leaders always do best...when it comes to colonialism and imperialism. And if you're a post-racial liberal, you'll find Michael Barker's research on liberal philanthropy's cooption of anti-racism activism an eye-opener.
Britons are rightly concerned about their military presence in Afghanistan and the rise in casualties, while being fed the same "fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" rhetoric. Peter Byrne considers the aftermath of terrorism in London and New York, along with the novelists capitalizing on the new wealth of material. Time to put down the terror novels and pick up Tiziano Terzani's Letters Against the War. Martin Murie continues his exploration of this powerful collection, with a review of Terzani's letter from Afghanistan in the days following 9/11. Jan Baughman takes a sardonic stab at the "death by socialism" rhetoric that's infecting the health care debate; while Charles Marowitz challenges our president (with his sharp tongue -- certainly not a gun) to take off his community-organizer / coalition-builder hat and put serious pressure on Congress for reform. And for a Kafkaesque moment, Michael Doliner follows Franz's confused spiritual journey in the midst of the Enlightenment and revolution.
Dans le coin français, Graham Lea concludes his colorful observations on the riders, politics, and pharmacology of the 2009 Tour de France; Xavier Robert examines our role in making the planet uninhabitable and our responsibility to reverse course; Marie Rennard shows how liberalism is trumping solidarity and failing retirees; Patrice Houzeau pens a lunar-inspired literary fantasy; and we share the 1753 anti-Twitterati, legendary discourse of Mr. de Buffon on style and prose. The poetry corner is enriched by Guido Monte, who considers the mystery of the universe; Jeffery Klaehn, who exalts a mysterious love; and Art Shay, who recalls his former photographic subject, the recently-departed Robert McNamara. The looming departure of summer means the ramping up of football -- Raju Peddada reviews the diluted state of the game. Finally, we close with your letters, on Saul Bellow, the Cash for Clunkers scam, and more.
As always, please form your OWN opinion, and let your friends (and foes) know about Swans. It's your voice that makes ours grow.
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Gilles d'Aymery: Eurasian Spectacle And Reality
An analysis of the spectacle behind, and the reality of, America's meddling in Afghanistan, where once again our oil & gas interests are repackaged in humanitarian terms -- no matter the party of the president. More...
Femi Akomolafe: Oh, Shut Up, Mrs. Clinton!
Femi Amokolafe reports from Ghana on Hillary Clinton's African tour in which she did what Western leaders always do best when it comes to colonialism and imperialism. More...
Michael Barker: Liberal Foundations And Anti-Racism Activism
Liberal philanthropy and the cooption of anti-racism research and activism. More...
Peter Byrne: Counting The Dead In London
London has unveiled a memorial to the victims of the July 7, 2005, bombings, while the future of New York's ground zero remains in a stalemate. Meanwhile, post-terrorism novelists on both sides of the Atlantic continue to capitalize on the new source of material. More...
Martin Murie: An Opportunity
Murie reviews Tiziano Terzani's post-9/11 letter against the war from a bin Laden training camp. While Terzani tells the unembedded truth from the front lines, he does fail to address corporate/government collusion. More...
Jan Baughman: Death By Socialism
A semi-humorous look at the threat of socialism and anti-health care reform vitriol, with some thoughts on how to real reform might be achieved in the future. More...
Charles Marowitz: "Yes We Can" -- But We Won't!
President Obama needs to take off his community organizer hat and get tough on Congress to pass serious health care reform. More...
Michael Doliner: How Kafka Became So Kafkaesque
Michael Doliner examines the life of Franz Kafka and his confused journey out of and back into Judaism in the midst of Enlightenment and revolution. More...
Graham Lea: Le Tour De France -- Part Two: So were the Riders all Heroes?
The second part of Graham Lea's reporting on the 2009 Tour de France examines Armstrong vs. Contador, team dynamics, sponsor politics, and doping allegations, along with his usual colorful observations on this epic sport. More...
Xavier Robert: Gaïa et ses prophètes
Le surdéveloppement de l'humain a sur notre planète des conséquences qui risquent de la rendre, demain, inhospitalière à son plus féroce prédateur. Aveuglé par son bénéfice immédiat, l'homme hypothèquera son avenir, sauf à développer la notion d'un futur collectif et à devenir activement responsable de son élaboration. More...
Marie Rennard: Libéralisme et Solidarité : Quand le système faut -- Volet I - Les retraités
La retraite s'annonçait, dans les années 80, comme la période la plus heureuse et facile d'une vie. On se rend compte qu'hélas les choses ont bien changé, et qu'une proportion non négligeable des retraités français, après avoir travaillé toute leur vie, se retrouvent après la fin de leur activité professionnelle dans une situation de précarité qui va quelquefois jusqu'au plus simple dénuement. More...
Patrice Houzeau: Douze brefs lunaires et d'autres lieux
Une fantaisie littéraire inspirée de la lune. More...
Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon: Discours sur le style
Un discours vieux comme le monde et présent comme le Big Bang à pros de l'usage de la langue, qu'elle soit française or otherwise. Buffon et Boileau, les 'ennemis' de la Twitterati... More...
Guido Monte: Mystery Of The Universe
Guido Monte thinks about the mystery of the universe, and the vanity of everything. More...
Jeffery Klaehn: So In Love
A love poem for the mysterious and beautiful woman with whom he is so in love. More...
Art Shay: Snapshot Of A Strange (Love?) Before His Time
Art Shay pays poetic tribute (so to speak) to the late Robert McNamara, whom he photographed in 1956, and again in 1961 as the soon-to-be Dr. Strangelove was leaving Ford to run the Vietnam War. More...
Raju Peddada: Is The NFL Losing Its Game?
Raju Peddada contemplates the watering down of the National Football League, hoping that the new season will bring a return to the big hits and the Neanderthal attitude that encapsulated the original spirit of the game. More...
Praise, from another disappointed Saul Bellow reader, for Louis Proyect's 2005 retrospective on the author; kudos for Gilles d'Aymery's take on the Cash for Clunkers scam, which is in keeping with Swans traditions; fan mail for Art Shay, with a typical Shayvian response; and lessons to be learned from Guy Debord. More...
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