‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Beyond Word Magic
In The Alley Newspaper April 2017 issue, nestled between front page columns authored by good neighbors, a letter from the President of the United States was found! If overwhelming disdain did not prevent the reading, the ensuing wall of cognitive dissonance was likely to cut it short. Yet, I read on and on”¦to discover, deep on page 8, the credit to a former president, Dwight Eisenhower. “Hey, that was his ”˜beware of the military industrial complex speech,”'” replied the editor. Okay, I sort of get that. Bush-type presidents have big investments in arms production, so we fought Osama in Iraq, or something like that, making jobless generals to build an Isis with enough poison gas to create false flags in Syria (see what Daddy can do!). However, check out Ike, line 1: “Throughout America”'s adventure in free government”¦” Oh, gosh, golly. In the beginning , white property holders convened to establish the rule of law (in preference [...]
Project Earth
By Peter Molenaar March 8, 2017”¦ (Note: DAPL refers to Dakota Access Pipeline.) The Walker Community United Methodist Church continues to showcase our resilience, this time beckoning a “Café con Alondra.” The forum was to feature a panel of #NoDAPL veterans, fresh from the Battle of Standing Rock. Alondra Cano”'s presence was appreciated as well. As it happened, audience members were invited to state their concerns. By what path will we transition to the post-fossil-fuel society? Will an intervening crisis ensue? Does the slogan - “Workers and oppressed people unite” still hold true? Clearly, the assembled Native-American voice now serves as our spiritual intermediary to Mother Earth. Yet, Trump supporters have shouted: “How will that oil get to you without the pipeline?” Well, listen up. The oil in question has been shipped by train all along. Why would you support the ambitions of one sector of capital over another? Why would [...]
Tony and Fidel
By Peter Molenaar In their February 2017 issue, our friends at Southside Pride saw fit to publish an article by Tony Bouza, a former Minneapolis chief of police. In this piece, Tony fondly recalls his youthful encounter with the charismatic Fidel Castro, but sadly, at midpoint he advises: “socialism doesn”'t work.” Before launching any rebuttal, readers should take an online look at both Tony Bouza and the editor of Southside Pride, Ed Felien. To his credit, Brother Bouza has, for many years rendered critical commentary on policing problems. Moreover, Friend Ed (the “unrepentant Maoist!”) frequently has submitted astonishing insights into the maneuvers of capitalists here and abroad. So, Tony and Ed are honorable guys. However, according to Tony, socialism “lacks the competitiveness, greed, energy and wealth producing genius of capitalism.” Oh, wow. Regarding capitalism, let us skim from the surface the horrific [...]
