P. GREANVILLE—We publish the whole uber-ballyhooed debate between the duopoly’s actors, Trump and Harris, whose disgraceful lack of substance is matched by their lack of independent agency and morality, each one trying to outgun the other in imperialist machismo and bloodlust, not to mention complete absence of actual solutions to the problems afflicting the US and the world. These enormous flaws, personal and systemic of the duopoly’s figureheads, are underscored by Jill Stein’s intelligent analysis of the political situation and the sensible requisite policies that will heal a nation tearing itself apart.
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BRUCE LERRO—Two points are worth mentioning. First, revolutions begin when situations get desperate enough to where formerly indifferent or hostile groups recognize they have more in common with other groups than they had first suspected. In this case the soldiers, who were supposed to be loyal to their commanding officers. But in reality, most soldiers are working class. They have more in common with the people in the streets than with their officers. When a critical mass of soldiers refuses to follow orders, it undermines and limits what loyal soldiers can do.
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EDITOR—Join us for a new show hosted by Midwestern Marx called The Global Class Struggle. International Affairs analyst and host of The Critical Hour Garland Nixon will break down the latest defeats for U.S. imperialism, from Ukraine to Venezuela.
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THOMAS FAZI—The Wagenknecht phenomenon is fascinating — and unique — for several reasons. Not only has she managed to establish the BSW as one of the country’s major political forces in a matter of months, but she’s also running on a platform that is unique in the Western political panorama, at least among electorally relevant parties. Though Wagenknecht tends to avoid framing her party in tired Left-Right terms, its platform can best be described as left-conservative.
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BRUCE LERRO—What is the place of shock in the arts? Surely one of the callings of the artist is to move a society beyond the comfortable, the taken-for-granted and the obvious. In the early part of the 20th century, Cubists, Dadaists and Surrealists did this as a reaction to the Renaissance and Baroque conventions. Before a society is crumbling this is a very important calling. However once social cracks appear and spread, too much shock from the arts is counter-revolutionary. The Romantic artist imagines that shocking people might propel masses of people into social action. This may be true. But too much shock can result in anesthetizing, not moving people. Past a certain point artists should be creating constructive visions of the future not tripping over themselves about how to outrage a public already frightened by social conditions.
