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Today's final round of French parliamentary elections gave the absolute majority to President François Hollande's Sociality Party, but what can be accomplished with such mandate remains to be seen. As Gilles d'Aymery tells it, the modern-day French political vaudeville and its cast of characters, including but not limited to François Hollande, Ségolène Royal, Valérie Trierweiler, Olivier Falorni, Nicolas Sarkozy, Marine Le Pen, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, would be great fodder for the late comic playwright Georges Feydeau. In Greece, the New Democracy (pro-bailout, pro-euro) Party appears to have won -- watch how "The Market" responds tomorrow. In Egypt, voters are forced to choose between a rock and an even harder place -- welcome to democracy... And on the US front, with 16 European leaders having been ousted over the economic crisis, Barack Obama must be pondering if he's next in line, and many including Manuel García, Jr. are asking whether the Republicans deliberately crashed the US economy to further their agenda and ensure a win in the November 2012 election. Speaking of next in line, Jan Baughman illustrates that whether it's the Number 2 leader of al Qaeda or the World's Oldest Person, the headlines remind us that someone is always waiting in the wings to assume the distinguished title when Number 1 dies.
From the political to the pious, the creation of a spiritual realm to amass money and influence is certainly not new -- Michael Barker tells the story of Helena Blavatsky and her 1875 establishment of a religion she called "Theosophy," while Edmund Berger responds to Barker's last piece with his own view on New Age belief systems, H.P. Lovecraft, Deleuze and Guattari, and the concept of postmodernism. Reaching for the book, Jonah Raskin reviews The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge, and Raju Peddada gives us a primer on how to read Proust. Peter Byrne's short story is apropos in light of the recent tremors that have rattled nerves across Italy and beyond, while Isidor Saslav transports us to East Texas and the production of Stephen Temperley's play Souvenir. John Marshall's poem, inspired by the public shooting of an Iranian citizen by the state police, is reminiscent of Pablo Neruda and blood in the streets; Guido Monte's poem describes the imaginary last words of Ulysses; and as always, we save the existent last words for your letters.
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Gilles d'Aymery: French Political Vaudeville
The modern-day French electoral vaudeville would have provided great fodder for the late comic playwright Georges Feydeau. More...
Manuel García, Jr.: Why Republicans Crashed The US Economy
The Republicans crashed the US economy to gain exclusive control of it as a plutocracy. More...
Jan Baughman: Next In Line?
Editorial cartoon: Whether it's the Number 2 leader of al Qaeda or the World's Oldest Person, someone is always waiting in the wings to take over the distinguished title. More...
Michael Barker: The Roots Of Theosophy
Part I of an introduction to the magical world of Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society. More...
Edmund Berger: Aliens To Autonomy: Gauging Deleuze And Guattari's "Ridiculousness"
A response to Michael Barker on Deleuze, Guattari, and Lovecraft, and the concept of postmodernism. More...
Jonah Raskin: Picking Up The Pieces
In the year of the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary, Jonah Raskin reviews The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge. More...
Raju Peddada: How To Read Marcel Proust
How to linger over and appreciate the sublime prose of Marcel Proust. More...
Peter Byrne: Tremor
A multi-cultural short story that is rattled by the Italian 2012 earthquakes. More...
Isidor Saslav: Florence Foster Jenkins Lives Again
A review of Stephen Temperley's play Souvenir as recently presented by the East Texas Music and Theatre Company. More...
John M. Marshall: The Red Street
A poem inspired by the public shooting of an Iranian citizen by the Iranian state police. More...
Guido Monte: Last words of Ulysses
Guido Monte describes the imaginary last words of Ulysses, about the meaning of his eternal travel. More...
Why the June 4 issue shows what Swans is all about; Paul Buhle on H.P. Lovecraft and the handful of interesting moments of 35 years in Providence; poignant thoughts on Northern Italy's earthquakes from Guido Monte's students; and a different perspective on Francois Hollande's presidential victory. More...
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