Author: Syd Fablo

John Steppling Quote

“I am struck almost daily, I think, with the fact that the worst and often most psychologically unstable and damaged people are in the positions of the most power. And the second horror is the apathy of those who are able to see this. They see it and justify to themselves their own lack of action. There is another group, the not apathetic, but the rationally fearful. And this sort of leads back full circle to the first horror. For it is not insane or irrational, at all, to fear arrest and punishment by the state. By the organs of the state. And the power of these organs of state are in existence because the people in authority are never so crazy as not to protect their own authority and power.”

John Steppling, “Algorithm Kids”

 

Bonus links: Critique of Cynical Reason and Alain Badiou Quote and Snakes in Suits

John Steppling – Population Bomb or Bomb the Population?

Link to an article by John Steppling:

“Population Bomb or Bomb the Population?”

Bonus links: “Ashley Dawson: Extreme Cities” (Steppling’s article essentially provides the answer to an audience question that Ashley Dawson stumbled with in this video of an otherwise excellent talk) and “Malthus’ Essay on Population at Age 200” and “Population Explosion” and “Will Limiting Population Growth Solve the Climate Crisis?” and “Ten Reasons Why Population Control Can’t Stop Climate Change”and “Saving Nature: Overpopulation is not the Primary Problem” and “1973: Ernest Mandel on Marxism and Ecology, ‘The Dialectic of Growth'” and The Closing Circle and Too Many People?: Population, Immigration, and the Environmental Crisis

Ivan Bruneau, Julian Mischi & Nicolas Renahy – Rural France in Revolt

Link to an article by Ivan Bruneau, Julian Mischi & Nicolas Renahy:

“Rural France in Revolt”

 

Bonus links: ressentiment and university discourse and The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker and Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right and “For What It’s Worth: The Yellow Vests and the Left” and “A Leftist Plea for ‘Eurocentrism'” and “Sending in the Troops”

Noam Chomsky and the Compatible Left

Link to the article:

“Noam Chomsky and the Compatible Left, Part I”

“Noam Chomsky and the Compatible Left, Part II”

“Noam Chomsky and the Compatible Left, Part III”

“Noam Chomsky and the Compatible Left, Part IV”

 

This is an excellent multi-part piece on the fundamental problems with Chomsky’s politics — though it does contain a few brief unsupported or otherwise perplexing statements.  See also The Idiot Pool

Pavlina Tcherneva – MMT Is Already Helping

Link to an article by Pavlina Tcherneva:

“MMT Is Already Helping”

 

A takedown of Henwood is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel, given that he is so weak on theory and is one of those insufferable centrist/populist journalists posing as a leftist — much like Naomi Klein or Paul Mason.  But still, somebody had to write the takedown.  Sure, Henwood cites some true facts but the main point Tcherneva gets across is that Henwood is being exceptionally petty and obtuse by focusing on trivialities and individual personalities.  He is clearly engaging in a highly superficial smear job.

Bonus links: “Behind the Money Curtain: A Left Take on Taxes, Spending, and Modern Monetary Theory” and “‘Taxpayer Money’ Threatens Medicare-for-All (And Every Other Social Program)” and “Modern Money Green Economics for a New Era” and Modern Money Theory: A Primer on Macroeconomics for Sovereign Monetary Systems (2nd Ed.) and “Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)—A Response to Henwood” (this article more or less explains why Henwood is really a “left populist” or “progressive neoliberal” who adopts the description of “socialist” only as rank opportunism)