GARLAND NIXON—Using their immense media/cultural power, the liberal establishment in the US, Britain and other “developed countries” in the West, have redefined the meaning of “the Left”. The upshot is a huge cultural and political theft. The “left” nowadays does not resemble the real, historical, Marxist or even liberal left at all. Today’s fake left is packed with zealous warmongers, compulsive free speech witch-hunters, it hates socialism, despises trade unions, can’t tell what a man or a woman is, and embraces all the core tenets of libertarianism, a form of latter-day Calvinism on steroids. The upshot is the disaster we witness today: society is disintegrating, war—including nuclear war—looms in every corner, the culture is desiccated and mostly uncreative, controlled by Wall Street bean-counters; artists, instead of rebels are cowards, sellouts, and conformists; and the political class is rotten to the core.
CULTURE & HISTORY
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FRANK SCOTT—The effect of the Holocaust on 21st century life continues to be as profound, and dangerous, as its impact on the previous century. What is euphemistically called “The Middle East Problem” was really created by the western holocaust, and dumped on the people of the Middle East. The solution to this problem involves the West confronting its own responsibility, and ending its punishment of the Arab world, especially the Palestinians, who have absorbed generations of abuse and had a horrific, biblical vengeance visited upon them for something they never did.
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EDITOR—The panel discusses the delicate situation engulfing the EU and the United States, where the anti-immigrant issue has gathered considerable momentum, presenting difficult problems (and opportunities) for the reigning oligarchy. It’s noteworthy, says Dust James, that in both the US (capital/imperial core) and Europe (the periphery, where a “labor aristocracy” developed) the capitalists are drifting toward fascism. In America, where the economy continues to worsen for the working class, and the immigration issue (exploited mercilessly by Trump), adds fuel to the flames, such situation could easily drive some sort of fascistic movement forward, even if Trump himself may not be fully aware (or concerned) about the chaotic consequences of his careless opportunism. Mass immigration is an issue with no easy answers, notes Billy Bob; socialists could arguably defend or oppose either side of the equation. There is no doubt, however, that lowly paid Americans—including many Latinos—are fiercely hostile to “illegal immigration”, since any mass influx of undocumented workers will inexorably depress wages.
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EDITOR—An in-depth examination of the rapidly exploding problem of homelessness in the US, a disturbing sign of its social, economic, and political disintegration, and the fact that the state, more than ever in the hands of the super rich, from the Supreme Court to municipal and state governments, is making homelessness a crime, and triggering divisions in the working class, instead of seeking perfectly viable solutions to this iconic problem of capitalist societies. Homelessness has clear causes, notes Sabby, ridiculously low incomes for many workers, for example, and the solution is in building more shelters and adequate housing for the working class, as well as health support systems, not unleashing more police harassment and jail on such people.
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TELESUR—On Wednesday June 26, hundreds of members of the Bolivian Armed Forces had mobilized under the order of General Juan Zúñiga in the center of La Paz and surrounded the Quemado Palace, attempting to stage a coup d’état. Their attempt was quickly diffused by a combination of the swift response from Bolivian President Luis Arce to replace the leadership of the military, an immediate and unanimous condemnation by the international community, and most importantly, the overwhelming mobilization of the Bolivian people to the center of La Paz to defend their democracy.