[A monthly link list of recommended articles, videos, podcasts, photos, tweets … you name it]
[Videos]
Conservatives are Bad at S·x – And you know it.
Transgender Rights II: John Oliver
“White Christian Nationalism and the Midterm Elections Yale 9/30/22
[Music]
Nina Chuba x Chapo102 – Ich hass dich
[Podcasts]
Autoritäre Bewegungen in Europa – Wir müssen über Faschismus reden [dlf] – “Zur Wut kommt jetzt die Irrationalität – und hier liegt eine besonders große Gefahr. Die Wut mag in vielem verständlich sein, sogar berechtigt, nachvollziehbar. Es geht vielen Menschen schlechter, die wirtschaftliche Lage ist bedrückend für viele Menschen. Der Faschismus setzt genau hier an – und zündet den Funken, der sich über den Verstand erhebt.” That is it, so precise.
[Twitter Threads]
This might well be the last twitter thread i post here, no more free engagement for Musk:
Britons are divided on many matters, but one uniting force that cuts across regional, party and class lines is jealous pride for the NHS and fierce resistance to its privatisation and the importation of America's grisly omnishambolic health care "system." 1/ pic.twitter.com/M36XAX9orv
— Cory Doctorow (@doctorow) October 1, 2022
[The Must Read[s] This Month]
Abled-Bodied Leftists Cannot Abandon Disabled Solidarity to “Move On” From COVID [truthout] – “We don’t want to return to normal. We want to dream and imagine a less ableist future where we listen to each other and take care of each other. We want to build spaces that work for everyone, and we want this for ourselves and for our future generations of queers…. We want to move slower and with intention. More people are becoming disabled every day, and we need Disability Justice dreams to hold us and guide us.” Very much needed.
Einer von uns [republik] – “Ein Mann aus prominentem linkem Elternhaus propagiert auf Twitter eine rechtsterroristische Ideologie. Dann sticht er einen Menschen fast zu Tode. Warum bleibt der Fall der Öffentlichkeit so gut wie unbekannt?” And of course justice was lenient with this asshole.
[Pandemic Update by Violet Blue, it’s not over guys, stay safe, protect yourself and your loved ones]
Pandemic Roundup: October 26, 2022
Pandemic Roundup: October 20, 2022
Pandemic Roundup: October 13, 2022
Pandemic Roundup: October 6, 2022
[Articles English]
A mild COVID infection changed my life. Why aren’t we warning others? [SF Chronicle] – “The public is choosing to forego masks, boosters and other mitigation efforts with the understanding that they only need to worry about hospitalization and death. There is no informed consent around the risk they are taking on — they are victims of misinformation about infection risk and are unwittingly playing roulette with their health.” People do have a right to know.
Herbert Marcuse, a thinker to wake up the left [verso] – “A ‘libertarian socialist’, he was in fact as critical of the Western bloc as he was defiant of the USSR. After teaching at several American universities, including Harvard and Columbia, he settled in San Diego, California. The angry student youth, driven by feminism, anti-militarism and anti-imperialism, saw in him their new prophet. This led Ronald Reagan, governor of California, to call for his expulsion from the university, with the support of the anti-communist Christian right.” Have not read enough Marcuse in my life, but i must soon change that.
Welcome to hell, Elon [the verge] – “The essential truth of every social network is that the product is content moderation, and everyone hates the people who decide how content moderation works. Content moderation is what Twitter makes — it is the thing that defines the user experience. It’s what YouTube makes, it’s what Instagram makes, it’s what TikTok makes. They all try to incentivize good stuff, disincentivize bad stuff, and delete the really bad stuff.” He will fail so hard, but it still pisses me off, I loved this platform (and probably was addicted to it).
Caroline Farrow Arrested For Allegedly Doxing a Trans Activist [vice] – “Caroline Farrow tweeted the home address of a trans activist she’s spent years harassing online.” An English TERF got arrested, and the story is hilarious but also shocking.
Some People Really Are Mosquito Magnets, and They’re Stuck That Way [scientific american] – “Certain compounds in our skin determine how much we attract mosquitoes, new research suggests—and those compounds don’t change much over time”
What a pregnancy actually looks like before 10 weeks – in pictures [the guardian] – “In 13 US states, abortion is banned even in the earliest stages of pregnancy. But we rarely see what such tissue really looks like” These pictures have the pro lifers fuming.
This Bonfire | Peter Gelderloos [substack] – “In the 1970s, a pretty relevant decade for the global reaction, as anti-racist and anti-colonial movements around the world were being thwarted, crushed, or discovering that their chosen strategies were self-defeating, we got sold a form of environmentalism that centered consumer choice and individualism, that centered conservationism and nature reserves, that centered the middle class as the protagonists who would save the planet. 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth and all that noxious bullshit.” Thanks Peter, your rage is great to read.
COP27 Summit in Egypt’s Police State Creates Moral Crisis for Climate Movement [intercept] – “This summit is going well beyond greenwashing a polluting state; it’s greenwashing a police state. And with fascism on the march from Italy to Brazil, that is no small matter.” The other awful thing coming up, besides the world cup in Katar.
a diversity of tactics of care. | Raechel Anne Jolie [substack] – “Fuck Western medicine, and also thank god for it. In an ongoing apocalypse, we have to hold contradictions like this. We have to find ways to live, while also dismantling the systems that keep killing us.” Bit both sides, but gives nuance.
Living with long Covid [the guardian] – “Millions of lives are impacted by long Covid. The Guardian takes a closer look at the illness, and those who live with it” Series on LongCovid, long overdue, but hey its here.
September 2022 Global Climate Report [ncei] – “The September 2022 global surface temperature departure tied September 2021 as the fifth highest for September in the 143-year record at 0.88°C (1.58°F) above the 20th century average of 15.0°C (59.0°F). The ten warmest Septembers on record have all occurred since 2012. September 2022 also marked the 46th consecutive September and the 453rd consecutive month with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th century average.” If you still need the data.
He Marched At The Nazi Rally In Charlottesville. Then He Went Back To Being A Cop. [huffpost] – “An exclusive HuffPost report confirms that Massachusetts police officer John Donnelly played a key role in the violent Unite the Right rally five years ago.” Didn’t change my opinion on cops, still hate them.
Who’s Left Out of the Learning-Loss Debate [new yorker] – “If school districts struggle to fix the most mundane problems, why would any parent believe that they had a plan for the most complex problem to face public schools in the United States?” The missing angle on the school debate.
Long COVID advocate Dr. Elisa Perego speaks on the pandemic and the need for global elimination [wsws] – “It’s the age of billionaires going into space, while people are mass infected with a SARS virus on Earth. COVID itself provides a framework for more profit at many levels. Concierge care for the rich. Privatization of health care. The market for vaccines and antivirals. Just a few examples. “Endemic” COVID is quite convenient for a few, isn’t it? It goes beyond politics, of course. It’s a rewriting of what a meaningful life—a meaningful human being—is. Who deserves to live healthy and who isn’t valuable enough to be protected from COVID. Don’t get me wrong. The dehumanization of marginalized groups has been happening for ages. It’s predating the pandemic. But it’s now accelerating. We see the signs.” Perego is the one who coined the term LongCOVID, and she is fighting every day on twitter to clear things us for us.
Greta Thunberg on the climate delusion: ‘We’ve been greenwashed out of our senses. It’s time to stand our ground’ [the guardian] – “Governments may say they’re doing all they can to halt the climate crisis. Don’t fall for it – then we might still have time to turn things around” Greta still ahead of most (all?) politicians. How can this be?
State of the World’s Birds 2022 paints most concerning picture for nature yet [birdlife international] – “However, the latest edition of State of the World’s Birds paints the most concerning picture for nature yet. Nearly half of the world’s bird species are now in decline, with only six per cent having increasing populations. One in eight species (or 1,409 species in total) are now threatened with extinction. Nearly three billion birds are estimated to have been lost since 1970 in North America alone, and a further 600 million have been lost in the European Union since 1980, an area five times smaller.” The bird lover in me cries.
[Articles German/French]
Interview mit dem israelischen Philosoph Yuval Kremnitzer [taz] “Der neue Autoritarismus verkleidet sich als antiautoritär. Das Establishment wird als korrupt dargestellt, als würde es nur der höchsten Ebene der Gesellschaft dienen. So werden die Autoritären zu vermeintlichen Repräsentant:innen der einfachen Leute.” At least Bolsonaro was beaten.
NSU-Akten gratis! – “Wir veröffentlichen, was der Verfassungsschutz 120 Jahre geheim halten wollte” Shocking attempt at cover up of the connection between the german secret services and the right wing terrorists group called NSU.
Elon Musk: Twitter-Übernahme wird zum Präzedenzfall für Plattformregulierung [netzpolitik.org] – “Die Twitter-Übernahme durch Elon Musk ist besiegelt. Damit übernimmt einer der reichsten Menschen der Welt die relevanteste Plattform für die digitale Öffentlichkeit – und kann zukünftig die Regeln definieren. Das wirft zahlreiche Fragen auf: Ist die Plattformregulierung der EU auf diesen Fall vorbereitet? Und wie reagieren wir Nutzer:innen darauf?” Maybe a bit middle of the road as a take, but sums it up nicely.
Durchgesickert [daslamm] – “Die SRF-Tagesschau veröffentlicht eine erschreckend diskursblinde Analyse von politischer Gewalt in der Schweiz. Eine Medienkritik.” Horseshoe theory is shite meaning only advancing the right wing. But it keeps cropping up.
Cancel Culture Transfer. Buch von Adrian Daub [suhrkamp] – “Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa, ja in der ganzen Welt – das Gespenst der Cancel Culture. Glaubt man diversen Zeitungen, dürfen insbesondere weiße Männer jenseits der vierzig praktisch nichts mehr sagen, wenn sie nicht ihren guten Ruf oder gar ihren Job riskieren wollen. Ist da etwas dran? Oder handelt es sich häufig um Panikmache, bei der Aktivist:innen zu einer Gefahr für die moralische Ordnung stilisiert werden, um ihre berechtigten Anliegen zu diskreditieren?” This sounds like a good read.
Die Katar Morgana [republik] – “Der Weltfussballverband Fifa behauptet, die nächste WM in Katar würde «klimaneutral» ausgetragen. Die Geschichte einer bewussten Irreführung.” I will struggle to respect anyone watching this world cup. We will watch the Sopranos instead.
Kim de l’Horizon fragt Ueli Maurer: Warum bekämpfen sie mich [nzz] – “Gerade hat Kim de l’Horizon den Deutschen Buchpreis für den Debütroman «Blutbuch» erhalten, dessen autobiografische Figur sich weder als Mann noch als Frau fühlt. Hier schreibt Kim de l’Horizon über einen Faustschlag in Berlin und über Bundesrat Ueli Maurer, der, wie er sagte, lieber kein «Es» als Nachfolger haben möchte.” A bit naive, but a nice interview.
Interview mit der Antifa Bern [barrikade] – “Die Neonazi-Szene ist generell älter geworden und jüngere Rechtsextreme suchen sich neue Organisationsformen. Der allgemeine Trend zu Fitness und Outdoor hat auch vor der Naziszene keinen halt gemacht. So sind Kraft-und Kampfsport und das Wandern häufige Freizeitbeschäftigungen von Neonazis. Das Wandern kann als gemeinsames Erlebnis auch ideologisch aufgeladen werden, durch das Propagieren einer radikalen Männlichkeit und durch Phrasen von Heimatliebe und eines gesunden Körpers. Die dazu passenden Kleidungsstücke, mit schlichten und häufig unpolitischen Motiven werden von szeneeigenen Kleidermarken angeboten.” Oh, make no mistake, they just changed clothes, but they are still nazis.
Aufruf zum Mitmachen bei Anarchy 2023 [ANARCHY 2023] – “Vom 19. bis 23. Juli 2023 wird in St-Imier (Jura, CH) ein Treffen zum 150. Jahrestag des Kongresses von St-Imier stattfinden. Damals 1872 wurde die Anti-Autoritäre Internationale gegründet, ein Ereignis, das die Geburtsstunde der organisierten anarchistischen Bewegung markiert.” I fear they are too optimistic in regards to the pandemic. But this would be great.
[Older articles, still great]
Die Extremismustheorie: „Extrem unbrauchbar“ – Hufeisen im Kopf und die Gleichsetzung von rechts und links [belltower.news] – “Die Extremismustheorie behauptet, dass die Mitte der Gesellschaft von ihren Rändern bedroht wird. Eigentlich egal, ob von links oder rechts. Doch besonders die Gleichsetzung von Rechtsextremismus und Linksextremismus führt oft dazu, rechte Gewalt zu verharmlosen. Ein Interview zur Extremismustheorie mit den Herausgebern des Sammelbandes „Extrem Unbrauchbar“.” Interview about a little book from 2019 debunking the extremism theory.
Mike Davis, California’s ‘prophet of doom’, on activism in a dying world: ‘Despair is useless’ [the guardian] – “What keeps us going, ultimately, is our love for each other, and our refusal to bow our heads, to accept the verdict, however all-powerful it seems. It’s what ordinary people have to do. You have to love each other. You have to defend each other. You have to fight.” Also see R.I.P.
Why Are Republicans Obsessed With “Woke” Corporations? | Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
Predicting Long COVID at Initial Point of COVID-19 Diagnosis [bloomberg] – “The team also found that PASC is anticipated by autoantibodies (which associate with autoimmune diseases like lupus) at diagnosis, and that as autoantibodies increase, protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies decrease. This suggests a relationship between long COVID, autoantibodies and patients at elevated risk of re-infections.” “Many patients with high autoantibodies simultaneously have low (protective) antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, and that’s going to make them more susceptible to breakthrough infections,” said Daniel Chen, a co-first author of the paper.” Scary if this confirms itself.
In defense of the Grayzone: between ISIS and the West [roar magazine] – “The targets of the Paris attacks were not primarily the civilians killed but the world they inhabited — one not yet divided into two civilizations.” We all know people on “the left” who are very much participating in eliminating the grayzone, by spewing islamophobic bullshit.
R.I.P.
Sacheen Littlefeather
Mike Davis
Bruno Latour
D. H. Peligro (the Dead Kennedys drummer. Did i tell you about the time i moved to SF because i thought, if the DKs live there, it can’t be all bad? And the i spent the best years of my life there)
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Header Photo: When I was still allowed to twitter