Author's posts
Feb 28 2010
Imagining post-capitalism
Generally, this is an invitation to the reading public to imagine a post-capitalist future: what would it look like, how would people do things, and so on. In it, I consider what the greater meaning of such a project would be, and what the main considerations of the project are, in hopes my readers will take up the gauntlet and continue the thought-project.
(crossposted at Orange to provoke the capitalists)
Feb 11 2010
A question for the “realists”:
Feb 09 2010
Education policy: Sam Chaltain’s “Big Picture”
Given President Obama’s declared intention to revisit NCLB for the next renewal of ESEA, it is clearly time for Kosers of all stripes to come forward with their proposals for changing the evaluative climate in which the schools operate. I do think there could be more along these line, but an exemplary proposal is now online: Sam Chaltain’s “The Big Picture On School Performance.” This, then, is a critical review of that piece.
(crossposted at Orange)
Feb 02 2010
Tests: Garrison’s “A Measure Of Failure”
Book review: Garrison, Mark J. A Measure of Failure: The Political Origins of Standardized Testing. Albany NY: SUNY Press, 2009. 140 pages.
Essentially Garrison’s book critiques standardized testing in the public schools as a power trip — what type of power trip a particular test is for, Garrison argues, depends upon the standards which are erected and the purposes to which the final scores on the tests are used. It is argued, then, that standardized tests have had different purposes in different historical periods. The high-stakes testing regime of the No Child Left Behind Act (of the Bush administration) is argued to be destructive (in this regard) of public schooling in general.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Jan 28 2010
It’s the capitalist system, s.: a rhetoric
In light of recent discussion of national economic issues, I would like to revisit Bill Clinton’s 1992 slogan, “it’s the economy, stupid.” Here I will look at the rhetorical clout offered in various promises, against the background of economic and political history, while arguing that it’s the entire capitalist system which needs to be revisited.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Jan 20 2010
The responsibilities of a good political blogger
This is just a short list of what I think the responsibilities of a good political blogger are. I know we fill up the physical world with garbage:
Here I just wish to suggest ways of producing not-garbage in the political blogosphere. Opinions below are merely the product of the author.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Jan 19 2010
Some anathemas with which to pass the time
I just thought you all ought to know of some developments going on in the blogosphere as regards, well, not a whole lot, maybe this special election in Massachusetts or something. All I have to offer are a few observations on voting strategy and on Orange’s attempt to whip the Martha Coakley thing before tomorrow’s election.
I guess they’re going to elect a Senator for, what, two years or something? And if they elect a wingnut (I guess the guy’s name is Scott Brown), the Senate will use reconciliation or the “nuclear option” to pass “health insurance reform,” just like the Senate leadership told the progressives they couldn’t do that during that month-or-so they wasted pandering to Olympia Snowe. Ha ha, Harry Reid fooled you again. The solution is of course to organize a political movement to throw these people, the corporate Democrats, out of office — the serious question to be raised at this point, however, is if the raw material for this movement is bright enough to hold together.
(NOT crossposted at Orange)
Jan 02 2010
What happened to education politics?
Now here’s a subject I don’t see hardly anywhere in the blogosphere: education politics. Given that education politics is a matter of students, teachers, and parents in communities of lower-class children versus the political class, the educational corporations, and its Veal Pen, though, it’s no wonder. But if “progressives” really wish to have some degree of autonomy from the business interests, and to be “with the people” on this one, they’d better pay attention to educational politics. The most important struggle, as I will discuss below, will be that of empowering lower-class parents by improving their socioeconomic status, rather than by testing their kids and blaming their teachers.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Dec 28 2009
On Anti-Corporatism And Its Critique
This is a response to a number of recent statements in the blogosphere about “anti-corporatism,” the belief that what’s wrong with American politics is its domination by corporate power. Here I argue that the divide between “Left” and “Right” is quite real — but on a wide variety of issues no traction will be gained unless we oppose neoliberalism, the political economy of choice for the corporate order.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Dec 26 2009
On the possibility of a class coalition
This diary hopes to explore the possibility of a class coalition, in anticipation of the class battle which can be expected around “entitlement reform.” First I introduce the topic, then I define “social class,” and lastly I discuss what sort of class coalition we need in this era.
(now up at Orange!)
Dec 20 2009
Are liberals useless? A further meditation on Chris Hedges’ piece
I know, this Chris Hedges piece came out nearly two weeks ago. This is a further exploration of the “liberals are useless” meme in political conversation. Here I will suggest that liberals, progressives, etc. may be useless, but they can’t be dismissed outright. Thus we need the building blocks of a more proactive stance.
(Crossposted at Orange)
Dec 17 2009
Why techno-fixes won’t solve the eco-problem by themselves
My last diary brought up the idea of global solidarity around the idea of global solidarity across classes as a necessary framework for the solution of the abrupt climate change problem. But invariably when I write such diaries I encounter those who think a techno-fix will solve the problem of abrupt climate change by itself. Society need not change; some new gadget will come along to solve the abrupt climate change problem, and we just need to wait until the world’s nerds invent such a gadget, and all of our eco-problems will be solved. This diary intends to examine the arguments against such an assertion.
(crossposted at Orange)