This seems like a good time to re-post this three-part series. It remains one of the best pieces I’ve written. Part one, my Jewish identity: my journey to palestinian solidarity and the myth of the self-hating jew Part two, my awakening: my journey to palestinian solidarity and the myth of the
Continue readingTag: war and peace
wmtc: a genocide is happening right now and nations are doing nothing to stop it
Right now the State of Israel is committing genocide against the people of Gaza. Many humans around the globe are horrified, grieving, raging. But people with the power to stop it are either defending it or remaining silent. And as we know, silence equals complicity. In this post, I have
Continue readingwmtc: 11.11
Revolutionary thought of the day: I would like to see every single soldier on every single side, just take off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at the side of some shady lane, and say, nope, I aint a gonna kill nobody. Plenty of
Continue readingwmtc: rtod: nope, i ain’t gonna kill nobody
Revolutionary thought of the day: I would like to see every single soldier on every single side, just take off your helmet, unbuckle your kit, lay down your rifle, and set down at the side of some shady lane, and say, nope, I ain’t gonna kill nobody. Plenty of rich
Continue readingwmtc: we can stand with ukraine but i cannot stand the hypocrisy
Every day brings new images of war crimes and atrocities, destruction and suffering in Ukraine. Every day brings new declarations of love and solidarity for the Ukrainian people. And every day I shake my head and seethe over the hypocrisy of the US, US media, and of many Americans, wondering:
Continue readingwmtc: frank showler: called to be faithful
Frank Showler, born in 1919, died last week at the age of 102. Frank was a foundational figure in the social-justice activist community, seemingly participating in every demonstration, rally, vigil, and campaign. It was a universal saying: It’s not a demo until Frank shows up. And show up he
Continue readingwmtc: 11.11 readers’ advisory meets "at your library" in the north island eagle
At Your Library by Laura Kaminker Celebrate and commemorate Remembrance Day with a good book or three Readers have told me they enjoy the themed booklists I’ve shared. Remembrance Day is an occasion to share another list. The Great War, as it was known at the time, has inspired countless
Continue readingwmtc: the only lesson to be learned from afghanistan: war is a waste
Veterans for Peace protest, 2016 As the US finally ends its occupation of Afghanistan, watching the media obsess on the specifics of the pullout has brought me no end of head-shaking. The violent chaos of the exit makes for sensational images and startling headlines, always good for the business of media.
Continue readingwmtc: robert fisk, rest in power
I was very saddened to hear of the too-young death of Robert Fisk, veteran war journalist, author, and truth-teller. Fisk was often criticized for “politicizing” war reporting, or for not being “objective”. Most war journalists are little more than propaganda mouthpieces for the wealthy countries that invade and
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: political graphic nonfiction: wobblies, studs terkel’s working, people’s history of american empire
Continuing the series, started here. I’ve decided not to review these books, but instead to post a cover image and a quote. It was difficult to choose quotes for these books, since they are books about ideas and events, with hundreds of different people quoted and referenced. After flipping through
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: syria’s secret library: reading and redemption in a town under siege
Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege is a tribute to the power of books to heal, to offer refuge, and to nourish communities. It’s also a tribute to the spirit of resistance to tyranny and oppression. In 2013, the Syrian town of Daraya was targeted
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: syria’s secret library: reading and redemption in a town under siege
Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege is a tribute to the power of books to heal, to offer refuge, and to nourish communities. It’s also a tribute to the spirit of resistance to tyranny and oppression. In 2013, the Syrian town of Daraya was targeted
Continue readingwmtc: laundromats, underground libraries, and criminal charges: a library link round-up
I have so many cool stories about libraries and librarians, scattered through multiple email and social media accounts. Lucky for you, I wanted to gather them all in one place. Thanks to everyone who ever sent me one of these. * * * * * Librarians in laundromats! Community librarians
Continue readingwmtc: laundromats, underground libraries, and criminal charges: a library link round-up
I have so many cool stories about libraries and librarians, scattered through multiple email and social media accounts. Lucky for you, I wanted to gather them all in one place. Thanks to everyone who ever sent me one of these. * * * * * Librarians in laundromats! Community librarians
Continue readingwmtc: 11.11: there is no glory in war
Eleven people, on war. * * * * Imprisoned for opposing U.S. involvement in thewar in Europe, Debs ran for President from jail. He garnered 1,000,000 votes, at a time whenthe US population was 103,208,000, andonly men could vote. These are the gentry who are today wrapped up in the
Continue readingwmtc: harry leslie smith — rest in power, and thank you
Harry Leslie Smith, who sometimes called himself “the world’s oldest rebel,” died in late November 2018. I was unable to acknowledge his passing on wmtc at the time. Smith, a writer and an activist, was a steadfast critic of neoliberal policies, especially the austerity agenda. He spoke out constantly and
Continue readingwmtc: 11.11
11 anti-war books, parts 1 and 2. 11 anti-war songs. Robert Fisk: “…Heaven be thanked that the soldiers cannot return to discover how their sacrifice has been turned into fashion appendage.” Why no red poppy, why no white poppy: It’s that time of year again, the week when no one dares
Continue readingwmtc: how the media (invisibly) props up capitalism and other hidden biases
I recently read these somewhat old, but still relevant, letters to the New York Times Book Review. Cost of the CrashTo the Editor: In his review of “Crashed,” by Adam Tooze (Aug. 12), Fareed Zakaria asserts that “the rescue worked better than almost anyone imagined.” He notes there was no
Continue readingwmtc: on poppies, veterans, trolls, and doxing
First of all, I do not apologize. I have nothing to apologize for. No one should apologize for having an unpopular opinion, or an opinion that the majority finds offensive. Second, I said nothing disrespectful to veterans. My utter lack of respect — my undying contempt — is for rulers
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: rolling blackouts, graphic novel that asks many big questions
I see by the wmtc tag “graphic novels” that I intended to write about graphic books I read and enjoyed…and I see by the scant number of posts with that tag that I have not been doing so! The last wmtc post tagged for graphic novels is from four years
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