Since our last publication, the Vatican has managed to bury its anti-Semitism kafuffle by digging itself into an ever-deepening hole with its assertion that celibacy is not to blame for pedophilia, but rather homosexuality. Now that it has unwittingly made suspect the sexual orientation of its priests, thereby acknowledging that you can't pray away the gay, how will the church justify its homophobic stance? We'll wait with bated breath for the next sacred spin. Meanwhile, on to more credible matters: Michael Barker's investigation into an ostensibly progressive magazine that works in the service of imperialism may take the breath out of unsuspecting progressives, yet it is essential that we understand these links if we wish to influence meaningful change. Charles Marowitz, for one, would like to see a return to honesty and fair play in politics, unlike what was revealed about the combatants in the battle over health care reform. Charles Pearson asks for a bit of outrage over price hikes, British politicians' greedy lobbying practices, and the scandal of privatization of the National Health Service, and from Harvey Whitney Jr.'s perspective a little knowledge would go a long way toward holding our leaders -- and the voters who elect them -- accountable for their decisions. Case in point: Ghana. Femi Akomolafe recently traveled to Paris to celebrate the fifty-third anniversary of her independence, concluding that Africans remain their own worst enemies...
On Swans we strive to hold journalists and activists, along with voters and politicians, accountable, so Michael Doliner, who studied with Hannah Arendt, addresses Reuven Kaminer's distortion of Arendt's ideas on totalitarianism, while Louis Proyect takes Jared Diamond to task over his 2005 book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. For his part, Paul Buhle continues to support radical art and recommends the new World War 3 Illustrated #40 for the freshness of topics and treatment by old hands in the enterprise of radical politics and artist-activists.
On the cultural front, Peter Byrne directs a short play in which the husband who just wanted silence gets his comeuppance. Le coin français features Jean-Claude Seine on Justice sociale and Jean Ferrat's ass (of the hooved sort), Simone Alié-Daram's analysis of the precautionary principle, Marie Rennard's look at the history of relics, and the poetry of Christian Cottard, who finds love a bit complicated. We close with the linguistic blending of Guido Monte and Novella Nicchitta, and your letters with an appeal to Jan Baughman to keep shouting, plagiarized praise for Gilles d'Aymery's The Scourge Of Plagiarism And Scrubbing, two Shays converged in this polyglot, under-financed, small piece of art that keeps fighting for justice; and more.
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Michael Barker: Mother Jones And The Defence Of Liberal Elites
How an ostensibly progressive magazine works in the service of imperialism. More...
Charles Marowitz: A House Divided
The battle over health care reform provided unflattering insight into the nature of the combatants. More...
Charles Pearson: Outrage Needed
Exposure of British politicians greedy lobbying practices and the scandal of privatisation of the NHS. More...
Harvey E. Whitney, Jr.: The Current Knowledge Crisis
This article suggests that the current crises in politics are manifestations of greater epistemological disagreements. More...
Michael Doliner: Reuven Kaminer On Hannah Arendt: A Response
Michael Doliner, who studied with Hannah Arendt, responds to Reuven Kaminer's 2007 article about Arendt, "On the Concept 'Totalitarianism' and Its Role in Current Political Discourse." More...
Femi Akomolafe: Happy Birthday, Ghana, But...
Femi Akomolafe traveled to Paris to celebrate the fifty-third anniversary of Ghana's independence, concluding that Africans remain their own worst enemies, and there is nothing Ghanaians can do to bring back that which is lost. More...
Louis Proyect: The Collapse Of Jared Diamond
Louis Proyect reviews the book Questioning Collapse: Human Resilience, Ecological Vulnerability, and the Aftermath of Empire, and documents the collapse of Professor Jared Diamond based on flawed, pro-corporate, defender-of-Empire analyses. More...
Paul Buhle: Back Again! The Return Of World War 3 Illustrated
The new World War 3 Illustrated #40 (2010), "What We Want.", is notable for the freshness of topics and treatment by old hands in the enterprise of radical politics and artist-activists. More...
Peter Byrne: Silence Please
A short play in which the husband who just wanted silence gets his comeuppance. More...
Justice sociale et Jean Ferrat
Jean-Claude Seine
Cayenne, la France d'ailleurs, celle qui reçoit parfois le corps français traditionnel.
Sorti des cartons de Jean-Claude Seine, un souvenir de Justice Sociale. More...
Jean-Claude Seine est un auteur, journaliste et reporter photo qui vit à Nîmes, France.
Le principe de précaution : Entre utopie et entropie
Simone Alié-Daram
Le principe de précaution, une avancée sociale ou le progrès de la peur ? More...
Simone Alié-Daram, à la retraite d'une carrière distinguée en médecine, est une auteur et poète qui vit à Toulouse, France.
Reliques
Marie Rennard
Un petit tour de l'histoire des reliques, des esprits faibles et des esprits forts. More...
Marie Rennard est une auteur et poète qui vit à Annecy, France. Elle est l'éditrice en chef du coin français.
L'amour c'est quand même un peu compliqué
Christian Cottard
Pourquoi on aime, pourquoi on s'aime pas. More...
Christian Cottard est né en 1953 et vit à Velleron où il exerce la profession de professeur d'EPS.
Guido Monte & Novella Nicchitta: Pavese and Bible, Blending of Translations
Monte and Nicchitta examine Pavese in light of Genesis and the Ecclesiastes. More...
An appeal to Jan Baughman to keep shouting and not give up on progressives; plagiarized praise for Gilles d'Aymery's The Scourge Of Plagiarism And Scrubbing; two Shays converged in this polyglot, under-financed, small piece of art that keeps fighting for justice; and more. More...
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