Many thanks to Michael DeLang & Phyllis Feigenbaum for their generous financial contribution.
"Tax cuts for the wealthy stimulate the economy." "Offshore corporate profits benefit American workers." Such are examples of financial propaganda repeated ad nauseam until they are taken at face value despite the facts that belie them, to the extent that when we are told with a straight face that job creation increased along with unemployment, we believe the contortionists' spin that the economy is improving! Yet, if we can send the best trained soldiers to take out Osama bin Laden, why can't we call upon the brightest economists to battle the economic terrorism that is defeating the middle class and dismantling social safety nets? Our resident political economist, Gilles d'Aymery, whom our president has yet to summon, provides some shocking statistics about corporate taxes and other myths that the elites would rather not share, and some very simple solutions to the economic morass that they will not permit -- at least until they've drained the consuming masses completely dry and realized that their future depends on a non-bankrupt population. Still hoping for change? Consider Mr. Obama's selection to head his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness: Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO and chairman of General Electric -- a gem of hypocrisy, given that GE continues to squeeze its labor force to maximize its profits, paid no taxes in 2010, and in fact got a $3.2 billion refund! What rate did you pay on your 2010 taxes, and how did you enjoy your refund? If you think we can vote our way out of this death spiral, consider Jan Baughman's assessment. After years of promoting third-party candidates, she's contracted a serious case of Tea Party envy for their financial backing, plethora of candidates from which to choose, and constituents who actually vote their ideals. And as Michael Barker points out, portrayals of Hollywood as a left-wing establishment are as illusionary as the myth that many Hollywood films challenge American supremacy, and the political influence of the loose liberal establishment of actors fades into insignificance when compared to the Murdochs of this world.
One of the century's most notable public intellectuals and committed political activists wanted no followers or imitators, but thirty years after the publication of The Question of Palestine, Jonah Raskin remembers Edward Said, a provocative and controversial man of convictions who aimed to follow in Sartre's footsteps -- to be optimistic, to defend populism and public politics -- ideals that deserve our attention today. Turning to a different brand of political activism, Greg Elich interviews Mickey Z on his latest two books as microcosms of American society. Peter Byrne checks out Salvatore Scibona's book The End, which turns the gray quotidian of American immigrant life into one of the few quality reads of recent memory, while Charles Marowitz reviews Eric Wilson's My Business Is To Create: Blake's Infinite Writing, a treatise on creative writing using the poet William Blake as a guide to its mysteries. In the cultural corner, Raju Peddada considers the power of water, sharing a painful 10 seconds that shook him to the core; Guido Monte describes his nostalgic feelings of past years; and we close with your letters, including a correction on author A. Craig Copetas's book and affiliation, a misguided defense of Paul Ryan's economic shenanigans, and more on Geronimo and Rexroth.
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Gilles d'Aymery: Blips #110
A few shocking issues that landed on the Editor's desk, from the loonies in Congress who would put our credit at risk to the ignorant minds that believe their narrative; America's corporate tax boondoggle, the unconscionable repatriation tax holidays, and other gimmicks; to individual taxes and some simple solutions for solving the economic crisis; and more, much more, for those who care to look (and think). More...
Jan Baughman: Tea Party Envy
Considering the record of the so-called progressives, the author envies the Tea Party for voting for its ideals and not the lesser-evil concession. More...
Michael Barker: The Reality Of American Supremacy In Hollywood
Review of Matthew Alford's book Reel Power: Hollywood Cinema and American Supremacy (Pluto Press, 2010). More...
Jonah Raskin: The Question Of Edward Said: Mongrel Intellectual
Thirty years after the publication of The Question of Palestine, Jonah Raskin remembers Edward Said as a scholar, an intellectual, and an activist who made the United States his home and who remained always at heart a Palestinian. More...
Gregory Elich: Raise Your Weapons: An Interview with Mickey Z
Gregory Elich interviews Mickey Z regarding his latest books, Personal Trainer Diaries and Darker Shade of Green. More...
Peter Byrne: The End Or The Beginnings Of A Novelist
Salvatore Scibona turns the gray quotidian of American immigrant life into one of the few quality reads of recent memory in his 2008 novel The End. More...
Charles Marowitz: Eric G. Wilson's My Business Is To Create: Blake's Infinite Writing
In My Business Is To Create: Blake's Infinite Writing, Eric Wilson analyzes the stages through which our psyche must pass in order to produce meaningful work and illustrates how for William Blake the role played by divine inspiration was a source in which he deeply believed. More...
Raju Peddada: Rescued By The Rescued
The author tells the story of the dreadful visual of his boy's struggle in the Des Plaines River on the frightening day of July 12, 2008. More...
Guido Monte: Pensieri
Guido Monte describes his nostalgic feelings of past years, his memory of times that cannot return. More...
A correction on author A. Craig Copetas's book and affiliation, a misguided defense of Paul Ryan's economic shenanigans, and more on Geronimo and Rexroth. More...
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