[Pen-l] Swans Release: April 20, 2009

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Swans Commentary http://www.swans.com/ April 20, 2009

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Note from the Editors:  So much to write about, so little space -- from 
 teabagging conservatives to gay-marriage directives; torture methods 
exposed  and its perpetrators absolved; Somali pirates and Portuguese 
Water Dogs; to  cracking open the Cuban lockbox to let loose evil 
socialism and gain access  to the country from which Texas want to 
secede... All diversions from, or  consequences of, the economic tidal 
wave that is gaining strength by the day.  As we hold our collective 
breath in fear of being swept up in the next Great  Depression, many are 
already there. The financial meltdown and its psycho- social 
consequences led Charles Marowitz to revisit William Styron's memoir  of 
madness, concluding that for all the lives that have been derailed, a 
Styron-like depression may well be in the cards. On a far less serious 
note,  Jan Baughman found herself swept up in the unanticipated 
consequences of an  election-day oil change just as the Big Three spun 
out of control, a story  (with photos) that is emblematic of our 
increasingly dystopian economic  system. If you're grasping at the 
glimmers of economic hope shed by the  president and those who stand to 
benefit most from the bailout, read Gilles  d'Aymery's Martian Blips on 
the big shoes that are preparing to drop, his  bailout proposal that 
puts Main Street before Wall Street, among other  financial tidbits and 
shenanigans.

Sure to create a stir are the works by Steven Salaita, who takes on 
Cornel  West's book "Democracy Matters," which employs the liberal 
American  vocabulary regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict while 
ignoring its root  cause; and Michael Barker, who continues to expose 
the elite imperial  crusaders behind "humanitarian" organizations such 
as the International  Crisis Group. Nigeria, as Femi Akomolafe informs 
us, has successfully adopted  Western-style disparity, with the 
political and religious leaders of the  world's 13th poorest nation 
amassing obscene wealth and their own private  jets. And reporting from 
France métropolitaine through English spectacles is  Graham Lea, who 
provides a unique coverage of President Obama's recent  European 
rock-star tour.

After all the above, it's time to offer a taste of optimism as only 
activist  Martin Murie can inspire; a sing-along with Charles Marowitz 
that Peter Byrne  conducts; the heart-wrenching poetry of Guido Monte 
from the earthquake- stricken Italy; a first-hand look at the role of 
women in Indian culture by  Raju Peddada; and your letters, on our 
economic analyses, "le nouveau coin de  Swans," and a reminder from Paul 
Buhle about the genre of nonfiction comics.

As always, please form your OWN opinion, and let your friends (and foes) 
know  about Swans. It's your voice that makes ours grow.

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http://www.swans.com/library/art15/cmarow135.html Depression Redux - 
Charles Marowitz

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/jeb206.html Roger, My Chevy, And Me - 
Jan Baughman

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/desk085.html Blips #85 - From the 
Martian Desk - Gilles d'Aymery

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/salaita01.html Cornel West And The 
Ethics Of Faithful Equivocation - Steven Salaita

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/barker18.html Imperial Crusaders For 
Global Governance - Michael Barker

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/femia09.html Nigeria: The Plane Truth 
- Femi Akomolafe

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/glea01.html Obama Does Europe - 
Graham Lea

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/murie68.html Optimism - Martin Murie

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/pbyrne97.html Singing Along With 
Marowitz - Book Review by Peter Byrne

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/gmonte66.html Today n.2 - 
Multilingual Poetry by Guido Monte

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/rajup12.html The Queen Of Kukatpally 
- Raju Peddada

http://www.swans.com/library/art15/letter163.html Letters to the Editor

                                           # # # # #

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