You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2023.
I think that Reed’s arguments are more nuanced then most tankies of today’s variety, but this is a discussion I have with fellow leftists all the time dating back to the 1980s when some on the left didn’t want to acknowledge that in the ongoing CIA-funded war on them, the Sandinistas had begun to lose their way – until they did the most radical thing any Marxist-Leninist government has done to date – they gave up power when they lost an election. Why did they lose? There are the standard left answers to the question focusing on the chaos caused by Reagan’s policy, and it certainly was a factor. But it wasn’t the only factor. A revolution has to find a way to work, even while under attack. If it doesn’t, it will fail. This conversation between Emma Goldman and John Reed isn’t necessarily verbatim, but much of the dialogue are taken verbatim from their writings, so even if this conversation didn’t literally happen while they were in the same room, it is accurate as to their discussion generally, and yes they were friends. Great movie by the way!
I’m going to try to be charitable here. In the past when Republican Presidents have presided over the economy, there was always – going all the way back to Reagan – a bittersweet element for me as I was afraid that it would result in reelection of the Republican. I think for right wingers it’s the same as it has been for me – it’s not that we want people to suffer so that they don’t vote for the incumbent. It’s that we think that the long-term suffering of the nation if the person is re-elected might exceed the shorter-term benefit of a good economy. And the irony is that the President, regardless of the party or politics, really only has a limited effect on the economy. I actually think the Fed has more control, and the President can’t control the Fed. But as noted, the bills that Democrats passed last year have led to the investment which has sustained the economy under recessionary factor pressure. This is why you have Republican members of Congress touting the federal money being spent in their states and districts even though they voted against those measures – they have to join the bandwagon or they may lose their elections in swing districts. I get it. But basically, the calculus of American politics is that the economy is going to be a bigger factor in swing voters’ decisions than anything pertaining to criminal actions against Trump, Hunter Biden, and maybe even abortion (although this is the issue which has drawn out youth vote for Democrats). “It’s the economy stupid,” was James Carville’s mantra for the 1992 Presidential race which ended the era of Reaganism. If there is no recession next year, and no major medical issue, Biden will probably win reelection.
The Hill is asking about whether Feinstein’s and McConnell’s recent stumbles are raising the issue of age in politics. We now have the oldest (by average) Congress ever. It’s the second oldest Senate and third oldest House. Some have suggested a mandatory retirement age of 75, or at least mandatory cognition tests once you reach that age. That would require a Constitutional amendment.
But let’s keep it in perspective. There is age and there is age. Bernie Sanders is older than Biden and he still plays basketball.
I do intend to watch it, but if these omissions hold true, it is going to be a disappointment. I strongly recommend the early 1980s PBS miniseries starring a young Sam Waterston in the role.
IMO, Oreos are best when bitten into intact.
Am I out of line?
Did a really fun show on KMUD last night. We discussed American political movies. Not necessarily the best or most artistic, but in your mind which are the most influential or iconic movies of a political nature, either overtly or of allegorical nature? And no documentaries – fiction only. In my list: Dr. Strangelove, Reds, In the Heat of the Night, Norma Rae, All Quiet on the Western Front, Citizen Ruth, The Day the Earth Stood Still, They Live, Seven Days in May, The Girl from Monday, The Trial of the Chicago Seven, Don’t Look Up, Do The Right Thing, and City of Hope.
For right wing movies, I give Birth of a Nation, Last Plane Out, the Rambo movies, Red Dawn, and although it’s not “right wing” per se, I count On the Waterfront among them as it was basically Elia Kazan’s apologetics piece for singing like a bird during the McCarthy era.
Two callers brought up Wag the Dog, which is popular around here. I didn’t argue with them, but I actually think it’s overrated. It’s fun, but it plays into overblown media conspiracy theories and exagerates the power of the media everyone loves to hate these days.
What movies would you add to the list?
Sohum Parlance II 
Recent Comments