The Rag Blog | The Latest in News and Views from the Progressive Front

Ed Felien :
Straight talk about Crimea

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Was the referendum on Crimea’s independence legitimate? Does Catalonia have a right to secede from Spain? Scotland from Britain? Texas from Mexico?

A man walks past a billboard in Crimea that reads, “Stop Fascism.” Photo by Baz Ratner / Reuters.

By Ed Felien | The Rag Blog | March 17, 2014

Crimea is a dangling appendix to the Ukraine. It is connected by a narrow patch of land barely 10 miles across. The total area of the Ukraine is about 233,000 square miles. The total area of Crimea is about 10,000 square miles, so Crimea represents only 4.3% of the total area of the Ukraine.

Russia has based its naval fleet at Sevastopol in Crimea since 1783. After Ukraine got its independence in 1991 it signed a partition treaty with Russia in 1997 that allowed Russia to maintain its naval base and two air bases and station as many as 25,000 troops in Crimea.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Crimea, Crimean Conflict, Crimean Referendum, Eastern Europe, Ed Felien, Rag Bloggers, Right Sector, Russia, Ukraine, Ukranian Fascism, Vladimir Putin, World History | Leave a comment

Kate Braun :
Lady Moon brings intense water energy on the Vernal Equinox

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Balance is an important consideration for this celebration: hours of daylight and darkness are equal, hence the term ‘equinox.’

Balance egg; turn off computer. Image from Friday Fun Facts.

By Kate Braun | The Rag Blog | March 17, 2014

“Pretty colors…everywhere / Mother Nature, she still cares…”

Thursday, March 20, 2014, is the Vernal Equinox. Lady Moon is in her third quarter in Scorpio, bringing intense water energy that balances Lord Sun’s position in fiery Aries as he continues his cycle of growth and prominence.

Balance is an important consideration for this celebration: hours of daylight and darkness are equal, hence the term “equinox.” The Wheel of Life has turned one-quarter of its total rotation and is now half-way toward the Summer Solstice; it is a good time for you and your guests to consider how you balance work, play, and spirit in your lives.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Astrology, Celebration, Kate Braun, Metaphysics, Rag Bloggers, Ritual, Spirituality, Vernal Equinox | Leave a comment

Tom Hayden :
The Taliban are winning

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

This war never should have happened because it was always unwinnable, unaffordable, and therefore unpopular.

Karzai meets with representatives of the Taliban. Image from Jihad Watch.

By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | March 12, 2014

The U.S. national security elite, mainstream media, and therefore most of the American people, are in strategic denial of the fact that the Taliban are winning the war in Afghanistan.

Why is the denial “strategic”? Because our government and military establishment cannot easily admit failure without damaging our superpower status and their multiple careers. However, such a denial also risks never learning the lessons.

Defeat has multiple possible meanings. It doesn’t mean the insurgents will overrun Kabul any time soon. It is possible, however, that the Afghan security forces will implode along with the Humpty-Dumpty regime of President Hamid Karzai.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Afghanistan War, Al Qaeda, Anti-War Sentiment, Hamid Karzai, Imperialism, Military Intervention, Public Opinion, Rag Bloggers, Taliban, Tom Hayden, U.S. Foreign Policy | Leave a comment

Michael James :
‘Rising Up Angry’: Porch climbers, greasers, popcorn girl, and a family, 1968-’69

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

After my work in Uptown, I focused on bringing the movement, the revolution, to working class white kids, who had been overlooked by organizers.

Greasers, Kankakee River State Park, Illinois, 1969. Photos by Michael James from his forthcoming book, Michael Gaylord James’ Pictures from the Long Haul.

By Michael James | The Rag Blog | March 12, 2014

[In this series, Michael James is sharing images from his rich past, accompanied by reflections about — and inspired by — those images. This photo will be included in his forthcoming book, Michael Gaylord James’ Pictures from the Long Haul.]

In September of ’68, while liquored up on Jim Beam, I took in the reactionary flick Wild in the Streets at a rinky-dink theater in Yellow Springs, Ohio. This was a tale of wild-ass, rebellious, fascist hippies under 30 overthrowing the over-30 elders deemed worthless to the New World Order.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Chicago, Community Organizing, Michael James, New Left, Pictures from the Long Haul, Rag Bloggers, Rising Up Angry, SDS, Sixties, Wild in the Streets, Working Class Organizing | 11 Comments

James McEnteer :
Iguanas trek to Buddha Ball

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Their ancient primitive bodies soak up the subtropical heat in desert cactus hills or along the humid grapefruit coast.

Iguana (and iguana) head for Buddha Ballpark. Image from USA Today.

By James McEnteer | The Rag Blog | March 11, 2014

They come by the tens of thousands, from near and far. No one really knows how many there are or where each odyssey begins. Iguanas young and old join this annual ritual, but the old outnumber the young by a huge margin. Their ancient primitive bodies soak up the subtropical heat in desert cactus hills or along the humid grapefruit coast.

Lizard skin hangs in folds from their jaws. Their hooded lids blink in the blinding sunshine their bodies seem to crave. Unlike their tropical vegetarian cousins these northern species are omnivorous. They will eat almost anything, including nachos, hot dogs, and kettle corn.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Baseball, Baseball Fans, Buddha Ball, James McEnteer, Rag Bloggers, Ritual, Spring Training | 1 Comment

Bob Feldman :
A People’s History of Egypt, Part 19, 1976-1989

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

U.S.-aligned Sadat regime answers labor uprising with mass arrests; Sadat assassinated; poverty worsens.

From left: Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and Anwar Sadat at Camp David, September 7, 1978. Image from Jimmy Carter Library / Wikimedia Commons.

By Bob Feldman | The Rag Blog | March 11, 2014

[With all the dramatic activity in Egypt, Bob Feldman’s Rag Blog “people’s history” series, “The Movement to Democratize Egypt,” could not be more timely. Also see Feldman’s “Hidden History of Texas” series on The Rag Blog.]

In January 1977, the U.S. government-aligned Sadat regime again made mass arrests when mass demonstrations broke out in Cairo and the 12 other main Egyptian cities. The demonstrators were protesting the Egyptian government’s efforts to take away food subsidies the government had been providing for Egypt’s still-impoverished masses.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Anwar Sadat, Bob Feldman, Egyptian Communists, Egyptian History, Muslim Brotherhood, People's History of Egypt, Rag Bloggers | Leave a comment

Alan Waldman :
Dramatic Brit series ‘Chancer’ introduced me to dynamic leading man Clive Owen

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Owen is a lovable con man who helps pals out of jams, plots against slimy villains, and romances lovely ladies in this fine 1990-’91 series.

Chancer recounts the adventures of likable con man and rogue Stephen Crane.

By Alan Waldman | The Rag Blog | March 10, 2014

[In his weekly column, Alan Waldman reviews some of his favorite films and TV series that readers may have missed, including TV dramas, mysteries, and comedies from Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland. Most are available on DVD and/or Netflix, and some episodes are on YouTube.]

Chancer is a British television drama that offers us theft, gambling, plots and counter-plots, revenge, betrayal, imprisonment, insider trading, embezzlement, paternity questions, suspected arson, and seduction — all the things American audiences crave.
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Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Alan Waldman, British Television, Chancer, Clive Owen, Criticism, Rag Bloggers, Vintage Television | Leave a comment

Tom Hayden :
Is a new Cold War upon us?

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

From the residue of the old Soviet Union, a new nationalist, nuclear-armed, resource-rich Russia has risen to challenge Western claims of triumphalism.

Obama-Putin face-off. Photo by Evan Vucci / AP.

By Tom Hayden | The Rag Blog | March 5, 2014

Haven’t the Republicans, the neoconservatives, and the mainstream media been telling us all these years that America won the Cold War? They spoke too soon. From the residue of the old Soviet Union, a new nationalist, nuclear-armed, resource-rich Russia has risen to challenge Western claims of triumphalism. The new Cold War is upon us, and the American elites have no suggestions except to fight it again.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Cold War, Lindsey Graham, Obama Foreign Policy, Pussy Riot, Rag Bloggers, Russia, Russian Nationalism, Soviet Union, Stephen F Cohen, Tom Hayden, U.S. Foreign Policy, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin | Leave a comment

Thorne Dreyer and Bob Simmons :
VIDEO | Austin’s ‘Underground Goes Overboard’ with Ayers and Dohrn

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Bill and Bernardine lead an engaging and often very funny community conversation at The Rag Blog’s launch party — all captured on Bob Simmons’ video!

Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn host an entertaining and provocative discussion at The Rag Blog‘s launch party for its new website, January 17, 2014. Video by Bob Simmons / The Rag Blog. You can also watch it on YouTube.

By Thorne Dreyer | Video by Bob Simmons | The Rag Blog | March 5, 2014

AUSTIN, Texas — The Rag Blog launched it’s new website (TheRagBlog.com) before a large and receptive crowd at an event billed as “The Underground Goes Overboard,” a lively “launch party” held at Austin’s 5604 Manor Community Center on January 17, 2014.

The event, produced by the Friends of New Journalism, featured live performance by the Melancholy Ramblers, ample beer and barbeque, and an hour-long presentation by activist-scholars — and former Weather Undergrounders — Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, who had been our guests on Rag Radio earlier that day.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Austin Activists, Bernardine Dohrn, Bill Ayers, Bob Simmons, New Left, Peace Movement, Rag Bloggers, Sixties, The Rag, The Rag Blog, Thorne Dreyer, Underground Goes Overboard, Video, Weather Underground | Leave a comment

Mariann G. Wizard :
VERSE |’Texas gay marriage: Soon come?’

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

Ah, Gay Paree! Image from first Gay Marriage Show in Paris, 2013. Photo by Francois Guillot / AFP.

Texas Gay Marriage: Soon Come?

By Mariann G. Wizard | The Rag Blog | March 5, 2014

Candidates claiming to support the Constitution
need to get hip: Love’s sweet institution
will soon be respected in fair distribution.

Today’s headlines say gays may marry here;
this makes me feel glad, if not fully queer!
I congratulate warmly dear friends lez and gay;
I’m delighted for you on this wonderful day.
But as marriage comes to you, tread carefully, please:
like any rosegarden, it’s buzzing with bees!
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Gay Marriage, LGBT, Mariann G. Wizard, Poetry, Rag Bloggers, Verse | 1 Comment

Harry Targ :
Who makes U.S. foreign policy in the 21st century?

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

U.S. efforts in Venezuela and the Ukraine exemplify imperialism engineered through an embedded, extra-political ‘deep state.’

The ‘deep state’ at work? Digital illustration by ThranTantra / Deviant Art. Image from Online University of the Left.

By Harry Targ | The Rag Blog | March 4, 2014

I have been teaching courses on United States foreign policy for about 40 years now and my sense of outrage at the enduring ruthlessness of that policy never abates.

We are just a few months away from what was a threatened U.S. attack on Syria which was beaten back by popular pressures. However, the hawks from scholarly, journalist, and political communities are ratcheting up pressure to return to the war option against that country; hoping that the American people’s capacity for resistance will have dissipated. In related demands, many foreign policy influentials are calling for the U.S. to withdraw from serious negotiation of differences with Iran.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Covert Operations, Deep State, Harry Targ, Hugo Chavez, Interventionism, Military Intervention, National Endowment for Democracy, Neoliberal Capitalism, Obama Foreign Policy, Peace Activists, Rag Bloggers, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. Imperialism, Ukraine, Venezuela | Leave a comment

Lamar W. Hankins :
Legislative harassment: The plan to destroy women’s constitutional rights

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Thorne Dreyer

For the last 40 years, a cabal of authoritarian, mostly religiously-inspired people has worked to diminish women’s constitutional right to control their bodies.

Political cartoon by Pat Bagley / Salt Lake Tribune.

By Lamar W. Hankins | The Rag Blog | February 4, 2014

Human beings are constantly trying to change reality. I don’t object to this characteristic. In fact, I’ve spent a good deal of my life opposing some of the worst realities of the species: war, poverty, racism, sex discrimination, environmental destruction. What I have never tried to do is diminish anyone’s constitutional rights. But this is the chosen work of some in this country when it comes to women’s control of their reproductive processes.

By reproductive processes, I mean not only childbirth, but also contraception and termination of unwanted pregnancies, whether because of personal circumstances, the health of the fetus, or the physical or mental health of the woman.
Continue reading →

Posted in RagBlog | Tagged Abortion Rights, Constitutional Law, Constitutional Rights, Family Planning, Health, Lamar W. Hankins, Personhood Movement, Rag Bloggers, Religious Right, Reproductive Rights, Roe v. Wade, War on Women | 4 Comments

Was the referendum on Crimea’s independence legitimate? Does Catalonia have a right to secede from Spain? Scotland from Britain? Texas from Mexico?

Balance is an important consideration for this celebration: hours of daylight and darkness are equal, hence the term ‘equinox.’

This war never should have happened because it was always unwinnable, unaffordable, and therefore unpopular.

After my work in Uptown, I focused on bringing the movement, the revolution, to working class white kids, who had been overlooked by organizers.

Their ancient primitive bodies soak up the subtropical heat in desert cactus hills or along the humid grapefruit coast.

U.S.-aligned Sadat regime answers labor uprising with mass arrests; Sadat assassinated; poverty worsens.

Owen is a lovable con man who helps pals out of jams, plots against slimy villains, and romances lovely ladies in this fine 1990-’91 series.

From the residue of the old Soviet Union, a new nationalist, nuclear-armed, resource-rich Russia has risen to challenge Western claims of triumphalism.

Bill and Bernardine lead an engaging and often very funny community conversation at The Rag Blog’s launch party — all captured on Bob Simmons’ video!

Texas Gay Marriage: Soon Come?

U.S. efforts in Venezuela and the Ukraine exemplify imperialism engineered through an embedded, extra-political ‘deep state.’

For the last 40 years, a cabal of authoritarian, mostly religiously-inspired people has worked to diminish women’s constitutional right to control their bodies.

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