Month: July 2012
  • Autonomy and Solidarity AUTONOMY AND SOLIDARITY by Scott Thompson ccording to social scientist Geert Hofstede, culture is the “collective programming” that leads members of a group to see the world in certain ways. Cultural programming determines how people think about issues such as authority, group membership and decision-making processes. Hofstede describes culture in terms of four dimensions or […] No responses 7 min read July 9, 2012
  • Tortures, the American Way TORTURES THE AMERICAN WAY Poetry by Athena M. Henderson Commentary by Scott Thompson Athena’s lifelong involvement with activism began when she served in the Greek Resistance against the Nazis as a young teenager. In 1967, a military junta known as the Regime of the Colonels seized power in Greece with the support of the CIA […] One response 3 min read July 8, 2012
  • The Neighborhood Democracy Project THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOCRACY PROJECT by Scott Hargarten I one of us expects our democracy to be perfect, but we share a faith that it *can* work. Our faith is that each individual can invest in our democracy, and by virtue of collective action make our government more just than it is now to create a […] No responses 4 min read July 7, 2012
  • Direct Action and the Future of Collective Bargaining DIRECT ACTION AND THE FUTURE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING by Scott Thompson ]he failure of the Walker recall in Wisconsin is being interpreted as a huge blow to the survival of traditional labor unions. As disappointing as the election results may be to both Occupiers and union organizers, we can learn something vitally important from what […] No responses 4 min read July 6, 2012
  • Money MONEY by James C. Henderson Previously published in: Crossings at Carnegie, ed. The Tenth Annual Poet Artist Collaboration, Zumbrota: Theis Printing, Inc., 2011. Money, money, money… The whole world goes to bed and wakes up worrying about how there’s not enough—money. The capitalists tell us this is the natural order of things. They point out […] No responses 2 min read July 5, 2012
  • What Do the Riot Police and the Black Bloc Have In Common? WHAT DO THE RIOT POLICE AND THE BLACK BLOCK HAVE IN COMMON? by Scott Thompson hat do riot police and Black Bloc have in common? I’m not talking about the obvious answers. Some people might say they have violence in common, but this isn’t an essay about “diversity of tactics.” I’ve never seen a Black […] No responses 4 min read July 4, 2012
  • Corridors CORRIDORS by Athena M. Henderson When the corridors are empty you hear the piercing noise of the iron gates slam shut. The echo penetrates your soul. You sit in a tiny cell a single bed, a table, a chair— eating potatoes swimming in clear water. You eat because you are hungry. Babies cry as they […] No responses 0 min read July 3, 2012
  • Gnats GNATS by Athena M. Henderson The crown of my head touches the wall my toes touch the opposite wall as I lie on my grime-encrusted mattress. Gnats buzz about me and bite my arms, legs, stomach, face. My nails are full of blood from scratching. A soldier kicks my cell door and yells, “Don’t scratch.” […] No responses 1 min read July 2, 2012
  • Alienation and Solidarity ALIENATION AND SOLIDARITY by Scott Thompson Previously published on the Occupy Saint Paul and Women Against Military Madness websites lienation is the defining feature of our whole civilization, and it operates on multiple levels—the mind is alienated from the body, both are alienated from the spirit, people are alienated from the natural world, races and […] No responses 5 min read July 1, 2012