Historians Against the War: Links to Recent Articles of Interest

Links to Recent Articles of Interest

“Japan, the Atomic Bomb, and the ‘Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Power'”
By Yuki Tanaka and Peter Kuznick, Asia-Pacific Journal, May 2 issue
Peter Kuznick teaches history at American University

“An Arab Spring for Women: The Missing Story from the Middle East”
By Juan Cole and Shahin Cole, TomDispatch.com, posted April 26
Juan Cole teaches history at the University of Michigan

“Did Obama’s Election Kill the Antiwar Movement?”
By University of Michigan News Service, CounterPunch.org, posted April 25

“Small Islets, Enduring conflict: Dokdo, Korea-Japan Colonial Legacy and the United States”
By Mark Selden, Asia-Pacific Journal, April 25 issue

“Washington on the Rocks: An Empire of Autocrats, Aristocrats, and Uniformed Thugs Begins to Totter”
By Alfred McCoy and Brett Reilly, TomDispatch.com, posted April 24
Alfred McCoy teaches history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Brett Reilly is a history graduate student there

“Is the World Too Big to Fail? The Contours of World Order”
By Noam Chomsky, TomDispatch.com, posted April 21

“Sleepwalking into the Imperial Dark: What It Feels Like When a Superpower Runs Off the Tracks”
By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com, posted April 19

“Review of Tim Bird and Alex Marshall’s Afghanistan: How the West Lost Its Way”
By Jeremy Kuzmarov, History News Network, posted April 18
The author teaches history at the University of Tulsa

“Don’t Betray Us, Barack – End the Empire”
By Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, New Statesman, posted April 14
On lessons from Kennedy and Gorbachev; Peter Kuznick teaches history at American University

WikiLeaks on Guantánamo

“The Guantánamo Files” (the documents)

“What Are the Guantánamo Files? Understanding the Prisoner Dossiers”
By David Leigh, The Guardian, posted April 25

“WikiLeaks: The Uses of Guantánamo”
By Amy Davidson, The New Yorker blog, posted April 25

“WikiLeaks: Just Eight at Guantánamo Gave Evidence Against 255 Others”
By Tom Lasseter and Carol Rosenberg, Truthout.com, posted April 26

“The Hidden Horrors of WikiLeaks’ Guantánamo Files”
By Andy Worthington, CommonDreams.org, posted April 28

Suggested articles from Historians Against the War

“Not Why But How: To the Shores of (and the Skies above) Tripoli”
By Andrew J. Bacevich, Tom Dispatch.com, posted April 12
The author teaches history and international relations at Boston University

“The Success of Revolutions That Do Not Succeed”
By Vijay Prashad, CounterPunch.org, posted April 8
The author teaches history at Trinity College

“Morocco: Can Dinosaurs Become Butterflies?”
By Stuart Schaar, The Indypendent, posted April 6
The author is a professor emeritus of Middle East and North African history at Brooklyn College

“The Censored War and You”
By Kelley B. Vlahos, antiwar.com, posted April 5
Compares coverage of the Vietnam and Afghanistan wars

“100 Years of Bombing Libya: The Forgotten Fascist Roots of Humanitarian Interventionism”
By Mark Almond, CounterPunch.org, posted April 5

“Japan, Europe and the Dangerous Fantasy of American Leadership”
By Karel van Wolferen, Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, posted April 4

“Last Act in the Middle East”
By Andrew J. Bacevich, Newsweek, posted April 3

“A Matter of Empire”
By Arno J. Mayer, CounterPunch, posted April 1
The author is an emeritus professor of history at Princeton University

“Response to Juan Cole on Libya”
By Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, posted April 1

“The Dangerous US Game in Yemen”
By Jeremy Scahill, The Nation, posted March 30
Has much historical background

In Praise of Marx

The Chronicle of Higher Education: In Praise of Marx

by Terry Eagleton

Praising Karl Marx might seem as perverse as putting in a good word for the Boston Strangler. Were not Marx’s ideas responsible for despotism, mass murder, labor camps, economic catastrophe, and the loss of liberty for millions of men and women? Was not one of his devoted disciples a paranoid Georgian peasant by the name of Stalin, and another a brutal Chinese dictator who may well have had the blood of some 30 million of his people on his hands?

The truth is that Marx was no more responsible for the monstrous oppression of the communist world than Jesus was responsible for the Inquisition. For one thing, Marx would have scorned the idea that socialism could take root in desperately impoverished, chronically backward societies like Russia and China. If it did, then the result would simply be what he called “generalized scarcity,” by which he means that everyone would now be deprived, not just the poor. It would mean a recycling of “the old filthy business”—or, in less tasteful translation, “the same old crap.” Marxism is a theory of how well-heeled capitalist nations might use their immense resources to achieve justice and prosperity for their people. It is not a program by which nations bereft of material resources, a flourishing civic culture, a democratic heritage, a well-evolved technology, enlightened liberal traditions, and a skilled, educated work force might catapult themselves into the modern age.

Is an Emancipatory Communism Possible?

Is an Emancipatory Communism Possible?
A talk by Allan Armstrong

Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 PM

at TRS, Inc, 44 East 32nd Street, 11th Floor
Manhattan (between Madison & Park Avenues)

Presented by Marxist-Humanist Initiative & The New SPACE

===========

Mention of the word “Communism” today conjures up visions of tyrants. Young people, even when they clash violently with the representatives of global capitalism in Seattle or London, call their protests “anti-capitalist,” not communist. However, anti-capitalism is not enough. Revolutions can lead to
immediate feelings of intense liberation, but they are usually followed by much longer periods of defense, setbacks, and painful reconstruction. The 20th century was the “Century of Revolutions,” but it eventually produced so little for humanity at such a high cost, that it is not surprising that many are very cautious, despite growing barbarism.

Allan Armstrong will argue that it is vital that we outline a genuine new human emancipatory communism, which takes full stock of the failings of both “official” and “dissident Communism,” and which can persuasively show that human liberation can still be achieved. He will explore Marx’s vision, particularly as detailed in his “Critique of the Gotha Program,” which emphasizes the need to break with capitalist production relations rather than expecting a new society to come about through political changes.

Allan Armstrong, a republican, Scottish internationalist, and communist, is currently co-editor of Emancipation & Liberation, the journal of the Republican Communist Network. He is also involved with the commune, a collective dedicated to outlining a new communism for the 21st century. Armstrong is the author of “Why We Need a New Emancipatory Communism” and “The Communist Case for ‘Internationalism from Below“

Critical Education article examines Obama education agenda

In the latest issue of Critical Education, Brad J. Porfilio and Paul L. Carr analyze the Obama education agenda as a manifestation of the dominance of neoliberal ideology.

Critical Education
Vol 2, No 3 (2011)
Table of Contents
Audaciously Espousing Hope within a Torrent of Hegemonic Neoliberalism
Brad J. Porfilio, Paul L. Carr

Abstract

It has been over eighteen months since Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the US presidential election. Since this period of time, the Obama administration has implemented, proposed, and supported a spate of educational reform measures, including increasing the length of the school year, tying school funding to K-12 students’ performance on high-stakes examinations, firing teachers, gutting teacher unions and closing schools, opening charter schools, and tying teachers’ evaluations to students’ performance on standardized examinations. Despite the Obama administration’s active involvement in shaping educational circles, there has been a dearth of critical analysis in relation to Obama’s leadership and his educational agenda. In this essay, we illustrate how the Obama administration’s educational vision is a manifestation of the dominance of neoliberal ideology over most elements of social life for the past 30 years. We believe our critical analysis of US political leaders’ and their constituents’ support of the corporate takeover of US schools gives those interested in education the power to strive for democratic and transformative experiences for all students.

Recent links from Historians Against the War

Here are a couple of notes plus our latest set of links to recent on-line articles of interest.

1. Groups or individuals on more than 100 campuses have arranged for local participation in the “Fight Back USA” national teach-in being organized for April 5, to be hosted by Frances Fox Piven and Cornel West and live-streamed. Information is at http://fightbackteachin.org

2. The HAW Steering Committee has voted to co-sponsor a “Ground the Drones, End the Wars” march and rally on Friday, April 22 at Hancock Air National Guard Base in Mattydale, NY (outside Syracuse). Information is at http://upstatedroneaction.peaceworksrochester.org/flyers/Ground_the_Drones.pdf

Links to Recent Articles of Interest

“A Debate on U.S. Military Intervention in Libya: Juan Cole vs. Vijay Prashad”
On Democracy Now, posted March 29

“The Unfolding Crisis in Libya”
By Gary Leupp, CounterPunch.org, posted March 28
The author teaches history at Tufts University

“The West’s ‘Double Standards’ in Middle East”
By Mark LeVine, English.Aljazeera.net, posted March 28
The author teaches history at the University of California, Irvine

“An Open Letter to the Left on Libya”
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment blog, posted March 27
The author teaches Middle East history at the University of Michigan

“American Thought Police”
By Paul Krugman, New York Times, posted March 27
On the Wisconsin Republican Party’s attack on historian William Cronon

“Libya Remembers, We Forget: These Bombs Are Not the First”
By Mark Mazower, The Guardian, posted March 25

“Social Science and the Libyan Adventure”
By Stephen M. Walt, ForeignPolicy.com blog, posted March 24

“Why Nothing Good Will Come of This Intervening in Libya”
By Vijay Prashad, CounterPunch.org, posted March 23
The author teaches history at Trinity College

“The ‘Kill Team’ Photographs”
By Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker blog, posted March 22

“Libya in the Balance”
By Nicholas Pelham, Middle East Research and Information Project, posted March 15
Has much historical background on the Gaddafi regime

Additional note from EWR:
More on “The Kill Team” at Rolling Stone: How U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan murdered innocent civilians and mutilated their corpses – and how their officers failed to stop them. Plus: An exclusive look at the war crime photos censored by the Pentagon

A CALL TO LEARN, A CALL TO ESCALATE ACTION

A CALL TO LEARN, A CALL TO ESCALATE ACTION

http://www.fightbackteachin.org/

Wall Street Banks, American corporations and their political allies have declared a one-sided war on the American people. This war is being waged at our schools and colleges, on public employee unions, in our workplaces and in our communities.

Today, Americans are working harder and earning less while corporate profits soar. Homeowners, consumers and students are seeing their wealth being stripped away by banks. Our government plunges into debt waging trillion dollar wars. Meanwhile, our infrastructure erodes, climate change proceeds unchecked, our schools, daycare centers, senior facilities, clinics, parks and emergency services are all starved while corporations and elites get billions in tax breaks!

“Austerity” policies falsely suggest that spending on social needs is the reason why governments– at all levels– are facing massive budget short falls. NO! Our debt and deficit problems are a direct result of corporate tax breaks and extortionist bank practices that have lead to a scandalous and unprecedented transfer of wealth– from hardworking Americans to the richest segments of US society.

The courageous actions by the citizens in Wisconsin are an inspiring defense of the core values of this country: a civil society based on freedom of association, healthy and stable communities that value public services and the public good.

The outpouring of support nationally shows the possibilities for challenging deepening economic inequality and political marginalization of the majority of the American people. We are on the cusp of a great movement to resist and roll-back the corporate domination by banks, energy companies and war profiteers.

To join that movement and escalate the activism planned in the days, weeks and months ahead we are organizing a “National Teach-in on Debt, Austerity and How People Are Fighting Back. The live web cast Teach-in will be streamed on Tuesday, April 5th, 2011, from the Judson Memorial Church in New York City, beginning at 2:00 PM EDT. Admission to Judson is free. Social justice experts and activists from around the country will be hosted by moderators FRANCES FOX PIVEN and CORNEL WEST in New York City through a live web cast that you can join by organizing a teach-in on your own campus.

Red scare at Georgia university

Inside Higher Ed: The Would-Be Provost Who Quoted Marx

“In the university, the higher up the hierarchical structure, the more one has decision-making power and the further one is from the actual ‘work’ (discovering and disseminating knowledge).”

Timothy J. L. Chandler, the co-author of a 1998 journal article with that quote about university hierarchies, is going to stay a step closer to actual work. On Thursday, he announced that he is turning down the position of provost at Kennesaw State University — in part because of furor set off in the local area over the article, which applies class analysis and several times cites Marx.

HAW Notes 3/18/11: Links to recent articles of interest

Recent articles recommended by Historians Against the War:

“Revealed: US Spy Operation That Manipulates Social Media”
By Nick Fielding and Ian Cobain, The Guardian, posted March 17
On a Pentagon contract for the creation of false on-line identities, known as “sock puppets”

“Korean War Coverage Was Distorted and Suppressed”
By Sherwood Ross, OpEdNews, posted March 17
Based on interviews with Korean War historian Bruce Cumings of the University of Chicago

“How the Japanese Learned about ‘Nuclear Safety’”
By Lawrence S. Wittner, History News Network, posted March 17
On the 1954 “Lucky Dragon” nuclear incident; the author is an emeritus professor of history at SUNY Albany

“Smoking Out Vietnam War Truths”
By Nick Turse, Asia Times Online, posted March 12

“The Mythic Lure of the ‘No-Fly Zone’”
By Ira Chernus, History News Network, posted March 14

“Fissures in the Arab Revolt”
By Vijay Prashad, CounterPunch.org, posted March 11
Historical background on Libya and especially Bahrain; the author teaches South Asian history at Trinity College

“The Shameful Abuse of Bradley Manning”
By Daniel Ellsberg, The Guardian, posted March 11

The Arab Spring”
By Rashid Khalidi, The Nation, March 21 issue, posted March 6
The author teaches the history of the modern Middle East at Columbia University

“The Long History of Labor Bashing”
By Nelson Lichtenstein, The Chronicle Review, posted March 6
The author teaches history at the University of California Santa Barbara

“The Middle East Revolutions in Historical Perspective: Egypt, Occupied Palestine, and the United States”
By Herbert P. Bix, Asia-Pacific Journal, February 21
The author is a former Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who now teaches at Binghamton University