RE: [Marxism] Katrina's real name

["Austin, Andrew" <austina@xxxxxxxx>]

Marxmail,

This is extremely important essay, Lou.  We cannot exaggerate the crisis 
biological life faces today because of global warming.  Please see my article 
on the Bush administration, the oil companies, and US foreign policy in the 
most recent issue of Capitalism, Nature, Socialism.  See also my book chapter 
on the subject in Bernd Hamm's Devastating Society.  For German readers an 
expanded German-language version of the book, Gesellschaft zerstören, is 
available.  You might also want to check out my article on the 
anti-environmental countermovement in the academic journal Sociological 
Spectrum (2002).  The fact that my article was given an award for best article 
of 2002 suggests that a growing number of academics are concerned about this 
matter.  Had I published the article earlier it likely not only would have not 
been recognized as an award-winning article, but it probably would have been 
suppressed.  Indeed, corporate gatekeepers attempted to suppress the article 
when I first submitted it for publication.  I first sent it to an east coast 
journal.  The reviewers enthusiastically endorsed the paper, but the editor, 
who admitted that he had not read the paper carefully when he sent it out for 
review, erected artificial hurdles to prevent the article from reaching the 
light of day.  For example, he wanted me to put a disclaimer at the beginning 
stating that my evidence was problematic.  I did some research on this fellow 
and found an extensive history of obtaining grants from industry.  I was a grad 
student at the time so I didn't push an ethics case against him (I regret 
that).  It is interesting that a southern journal wound up publishing it.  
Fortunately, there were no industry whores on the editorial board of the 
Spectrum at the time to suppress it.  The article has since emboldened many 
environmental sociologists to get tougher in their research projects and press 
the critique of corporate propaganda.  

(There is a lot more that has happened to me because of my work in this area, 
including a smear campaign by right-wing AM radio and College Republicans, as 
well as hostile e-mails and phone calls from around the United States and 
Canada.  We are a paper mill town, and I have been pursuing the issue of the 
destruction of the Fox River and the bay.  The industry mounted an impressive 
propaganda campaign to sabotage my tenure, but, my record being as it is, there 
was no way the powers-that-be could have found a way to stop me from obtaining 
tenure.  It is an irony that my award for best article in 2002 contributed to 
my getting tenure in a city shaped by the interests of polluting corporations!)

I recall that several years ago when I was first on this list there was 
considerable skepticism of global warming.  I hope that the overwhelming 
accumulation of facts regarding this deadly phenomenon have convinced all 
Marxists of the seriousness of the challenge we face.  Moreover, I hope the 
anti-capitalist community realizes that an opportunity to critique capitalism 
independent of the labor exploitation line is now more obvious than ever.  In 
the Capitalism, Nature, Socialism article I challenge the left to make the 
struggle against environmental depletion and destruction central to the fight 
against capitalism.

Peace,
Andrew

-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Louis Proyect
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 12:22 PM
To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; PEN-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Marxism] Katrina's real name

The Boston Globe
Katrina's real name

By Ross Gelbspan  |  August 30, 2005

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