The angry unemployed of the 1930s

A long one but a good one from the International Socialist Review:

The Unemployed Movement of the 1930s

Some inspiring history, especially if you've spent the past few years profoundly underemployed and wondered what the hell a person is supposed to do about it. There may still be time to form "unemployed councils" to agitate, say, for extended benefits, or, better, for a real stimulus that creates jobs instead of going straight into employers' pockets. (Instead of spending, banks are hoarding, instead of hiring, companies are wringing higher productivity out of current employees.)

Note all the sectarianism on the left at the time, and the disgusting abuse of the Communist Party under Stalin's direction. Note also, though, how parties and groups ended up learning from the average people affected by the Depression, who became leaders themselves.

The movement catalyzed "a profound ideological shift regarding the unemployed," reversing the direction of blame for joblessness from the individual to society.

Looking at today, the author suggests, "Perhaps our generation’s defining struggle will be for health care...the climate may be ripe for 'under-insured councils.'"

There is in fact a March for Jobs in DC on October 2, that might be worth going to. It's crucial to think creatively, and realize that organized action can in fact win.

What do you say?

Books a-borrowed

I have stacks of books that belong to other people, some abandoned, some still on loan, I think. Ben, you know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, most of your books are back at my parents' house, safe in a box under the bed.

The point is, I'm going to read them, the ones I brought to NM with me. Then I'll let everyone know if they're any damn good:

Ben, I've already read The Thin Man, a rad detective novel - with about 100 movie spinoffs starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, all good - and The Marx Family Saga, which had, um, interesting punctuation.

City of Light, City of Dark, from Margaret Fleming. She lent this "comic-book novel" to me about 100 years ago, for some reason, and I think I'll go ahead and read it.

Two from Annie, who couldn't help but one-up her sister:

The Brooklyn Follies - more Auster, which is always good;

and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a thriller by deceased Swedish Trotskyist Stieg Larsson. Pretty psyched.

The Known World. This one's from Danny, recommended to him by Eric. Did you even know I had this, Danny? I'll give it back to you if you give me back my Cuentos espanoles / Spanish stories Dover dual language book that you let Monica steal, goddamn you. Or my shitty little Oscar Wilde book, which I know you still have.

Lastly, The Orchard Keeper, actually a gift (I think?) from Sterling. The perfect thing to get me going back into some Cormac McCarthy I haven't read or want to reread.

First I have to finish my jaunt over F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's been a fruitful jaunt: The Great Gatsby still takes first, but Tender is the Night is coming up on it. And of course his short stories are witty and poetic.

Feel free to send me more of your books, or maybe just make recommendations. I promise to be a better book borrower from now on! So do your worst!

France: a new round of racism from Sarkozy

I had meant to bring some attention to this a while back:

Widespread Support For Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe Pew Research Center

In July the French national assembly passed the ban. I thought this was all pure political cynicism by a sad and isolated Sarkozy, but I guess the old imp had some support: 82%, in fact.

I'm sharing because the issue comes up surprisingly often out on the party circuit.

Note that 65% of Americans disapprove.

Well, back to Sarkozy's villainy. His pathetic argument for the full veil ban - women's rights, secularism, security - is belied by the fact that he's an authoritarian bigot. He's recently ordered round-ups of illegal Roma, breaking up camps and stirring up memories of the Nazis. This, after a riot in which police fired on and killed a Gypsy* youth, reminiscent of riots and police killings there in 2005 and 2007. In 2005 he referred to poor immigrants as "scum" and said he wanted to hose down their neighborhoods.

I'd love to argue one way or the other, but I can't see very clearly whether lowest common denominator politics have legitimized fringe xenophobia, or if that fear is a reaction to something else (possibly the economy). But something must account for that number: 82%! I mean, that hardly leaves enough room for the people affected by the ban plus those who you'd think would side with them! I think what we can tentatively predict, at least, is that those numbers don't bode well civil rights in France. The government almost has a mandate for things like Gestapo-style roundups and crackdowns, this Roma affair possibly representing the first of them.

Come on, France! Qu'est-ce qui se passe??

*Associated Press says 'Gypsy' (capitalized) or 'Roma'. Christian Science Monitor article does not capitalize, and the article says that, in France, 'Roma' refers to foreign Gypsies, 'travelers' to French Gypsies. I like to go with AP, but I have no idea what the Roma themselves would like to be called.

Drink or die!

Perhaps some disappointing news: drinkers live longer than non, even heavy drinkers! Or it's cheering news, I don't know.

The study, by a University of Texas team, followed 1,824 oldish participants over 20 years. In that time, 69% of "never-drinkers" died, followed by 60% of heavy drinkers and 41% moderate.

Moderate drinking, by the way, is defined as having one to three drinks per day. Hey, does a fifth of whiskey count as "a drink?"

Death's sister is hot

It's always important to read about sleeping:

"On a typical day, a third of the adults (34%) in the United States take a nap." Pew Research Center.

The numbers stay pretty constant across groups. Thought you should know! Go back to sleep now!

O! Blogs and Blogging

Hello! I feel more posts coming on, but for now let me admit that I've felt like running and hiding from my blog the past few weeks. Every natural instinct has told me to take everything down and disappear, but I've fended the feeling off with distractions - books and a kitten.

There's so much to share. Too, too much, so let's all just chill out, and let me get organized.

If it's any consolation, I may have revived Science and Socialism. I've been wanting to write about fighter planes for a while, and I think I might have my chance. No word from Red Squirrel, but I've been keeping an eye out for animal news. Other than me having a kitten! Did I mention that??

In brief: got a kitten; got a raise; reading lots of fiction; thinking about stuff; cooking - we'll have to have a meatless sloppy joe's contest, fancy Kevin. Quitting smoking, sick of drinking. And, lastly, I have kitten, fuck yeah!

Landlord. Boss. Hero.

Julie, I hope you don't mind me stealing this superlative photo of your father.



Let me tell you about Tom, artist, landowner, engineer. Fast Tom. Refloored my former residence. Put a bathroom in the party closet. You all know Tom and that infamous piece of property. 9 Tucker nearly killed us, you know. But Tom, hero to all, swooped in and fixed the furnace, which, had we been affluent enough to use it, would have spewed CO into our brains. Apparently it was jolted loose during a party in the basement, a source of infinite amusement to Tom.

Tom once worked 12 hours in the hot sun without taking a sip of water. His mustache has killed a man. I'm told he takes good pictures. With his handsome wife Terri, he's borne over one hundred daughters. He enjoys beer, Budweiser I think. Here's to you, Tom.