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After much anticipation and drama, the French people have spoken, electing François Hollande as their new president and tossing Nicolas Sarkozy into the lion's den, where he joins 10 other European leaders who fell victim to the global economic crisis. Gilles d'Aymery gives his short post-election analysis of why Sarkozy lost and the challenges facing France today. In light of this change, one can only imagine that US President 44 fears he will be relegated to number 12 in that den as the US economy remains anemic. The best campaign slogan he can offer this time around is the uninspired "Forward." Eppur si muove... Speaking of change, Manuel García, Jr. posits that Americans are presently too fearful and without vision to rise up and overturn neo-liberalism. Jan Baughman, sartorially speaking, finds them too unwilling to give up their creature comforts, as exemplified by the hypocrisy of a NASCAR Earth Day event. Jonah Raskin's essay on the rich and those who serve them may help explain the disconnect between the 1%, and the 99% who continue to vote against their own interests. Also disconnected were the public and private lives of Emma Goldman, whose sexual politics, according to Michael Barker, may not have been quite as advanced as we might be led to believe.
On the cultural front, it's unfathomable that only 70 years ago, in a dark period of US history, Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps -- comic artist Kevin Pyle keeps the issue alive in a book reviewed by Paul Buhle. Writing in our contemporary dark period, the Global War on Terror and its myriad victims, Peter Byrne's monologue tells of the returning security forces struggling to translate their war zone skills to defending the Homeland on its own turf. Raju Peddada continues his series on Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, a philosophical meditation on the dissolution of time and the distortion of our memory. In the French corner, Marie Rennard lends a unique perspective to fecal matter; Christian Cottard's creative tale -- we hope it's fictional! -- tells of a wintery weekend misadventure; and Simone Alié-Daram's acrostic poem speaks of solitude and serenity. On the poetry front, John Marshall channels a night spent on his brother's front porch, and Guido Monte describes a visionary image of an unknown God in front of the world's evil. We close with your letters on Europe, France, hope, and Manuel.
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Manuel García, Jr.: Why Don't Americans Rise Up?
Americans are presently too fearful and without vision to rise up and overturn neo-liberalism. More...
Jan Baughman: How I Spent Earth Day 2012
A sardonic tale of an Earth Day celebration that was anything but green. More...
Jonah Raskin: The Help For The Wherewithal
Thoughts on the Americans who work in the homes of the wealthy, some aspiring to be like them; others realizing their place in society. More...
Michael Barker: Emma Goldman's Sexological Obsession
A feminist critique of Emma Goldman. More...
Paul Buhle: A Graphic Reminder Of Japanese-American Internment
A review of Take What You Can Carry, an illustrated look at Japanese-American internment, by Kevin C. Pyle. More...
Peter Byrne: On Guard
A short story about the War on Terror security forces struggling to translate their skills to defending the Homeland on its own turf. More...
Raju Peddada: The Magic Mountain: Thomas Mann's Humanistic Enterprise (Part II)
Part II of a series on Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain. More...
Gilles d'Aymery: Exit Sarkozy, Enter Hollande
A post-election short analysis of the defeat of French president Nicolas Sarkozy by François Hollande. More...
Marie Rennard: Caca
Traitons sérieusement d'un sujet trivial, ou tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur le caca sans jamais oser le demander. More...
Christian Cottard: Les ders des ders...
Mésaventure hivernale, ou un week-end pas tout à fait ce qu'on avait prévu... More...
Simone Alié-Daram: Acrostiches
Poème sur deux acrostiches, solitude et serenité. More...
John M. Marshall: Martha Metre
A night spent on my brother's front porch with Elizabeth Grey Fussell. More...
Guido Monte: To an unknown god
Guido Monte describes a visionary image of an unknown God in front of the world's evil. More...
Europe, France, hope, and Manuel. More...
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