Dear Friends,
This week we highlight the schedule of the Rouge Forum Conference coming up on March 14 to 16 In Louisville. The conference schedule is linked here.
This promises to be our best and biggest Rouge Forum to date, drawing education activists, artists, community organizers, students, parents, professors, and independent researchers together in an honest, earnest, quest to connect reason to power. Check out this schedule for a convincer on why it is you should be there and participate.
The wars are still on And the growing debt crisis, in part the result of the military adventures which create nothing of value for most people, hence fanning inflation’s flames, now hits tens of thousands of people whose incomes pose them on the brink of homelessness. Here is Chalmers Johnson on the debt debacle.
And here is Michael Klare demonstrating the central role of oil in these crises.
Meanwhile, the election circus continues with renewed ferocity. There is considerable debate inside the Rouge Forum as to the efficacy of capitalist democracy, elections, and voting itself. Many of us are liberal reformers, perhaps to the left of Clinton and Obama, while others are libertarians, often to the left of Paul, and still others are Greens, or look forward to another Nader run.
Still others see this government as little more than an executive committee of the rich, and their armed weapon. Inside the committee, elites work out their petty differences, then allow the rest of us to pulverize each other over secondary issues like abortion, immigration rights, etc., while the central issues of exploitation, imperialist war, and the connections of inequality and capitalist development go unquestioned. In that context, voting just deepens alienation, serves as yet another quest for a savior when nobody will save us but us.
In good friendship, we will discuss the election and the “What is to be done?” question at our March conference.
Whatever the case, we share a common concern about education and the destruction of reason that we see everywhere, education undermined by regimented curricula, racist anti-working class high stakes exams, and the militarization of schools.
In California, Rouge Forum members, combined with Cal Care led by Susan Harman, plan direct action organized legal opt outs for the coming exam season. Suggestions on how to build the base to do that are always welcome. And you are welcome to join us.
Thanks to Sean, Amber, Wayne, Kev, Elvira, Steve, Perry, Marc, Curry, Sue, SM, Kerry N, Sharon A, Z mag, George and Sharon, Greg, Bill, M and J, Shelly, Alan S, MM, Connie and Doug, Ofira, Candy, RC, :LAM, Maddie, Randy Matthews and Don Alcorn.
All the best, r
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