working together for social inclusion in America

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Dog Faces Always Lose

The United States isn't the first country to have to confront homegrown fascism, nor will it be the last. As the natural outgrowth of industrial economies with imperial ambitions, totalitarian regimes wedded to authoritarian religions are simply something we have to deal with.

While prevention is preferred over cure, we don't always have the luxury of a choice in the matter. And while non-violent subversion of fascist states is the ideal, sometimes things get so out of hand that violence is the only remedy.

This may not sit well with progressives and pacifists, but then they probably won't be the ones who have to do the dirty work. The dog faces always lose.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Buying Bigotry

Cox Publishing Ohio, a recipient of advertising revenue from the Clarion Fund in promoting the anti-Muslim DVD, has now scrubbed the hate crimes stories by its own reporters. We saw this type of cover-up by Gannett Corporation in the 1990s to protect white collar businessmen who were funding racist vigilantes in Puget Sound. Evidently with Cox, where bigotry doesn't pre-exist, it can be bought.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Fending for Themselves

Tragic as the present is, the future will be worse, precisely because the progressive philanthropic sector has neglected to invest in research, education and organizing for power.

Instead, at a time when there are more young people looking for a way to be effectively and meaningfully involved in our society than ever before, the only funding is for pious posturing. None of the lessons they could be learning about social change are available in any significant way, because those who could mentor them are for the most part excluded from academia, media and NGOs.

Leaving another generation to fend for themselves in this hostile environment, created by market economics and party politics, is a travesty of immense proportions.