October 7, 2013
October 7, 2013
Trade liberty for safety or money and you'll end up with neither. Liberty, like a grain of salt, easily dissolves.
The power of questioning -- not simply believing -- has no friends. Yet liberty depends on it. ***
Many thanks to the anonymous donor as well as Ashley Berry and Layton Register for their generous contributions. Year to date: $1,692.14.
Note from the Editors:
As the dysfunctional US government's budget impasse enters its second week with no cracks in sight, a New York Times essay describes the growing empathy gap that helps explain the situation -- the increasing "social distance between those with greater power and those with less." Factions of Congress, whose collective approval rating is at a record 10% low, are holding the country hostage over ideology that they espouse on the alleged behalf of those with less. Yet little do they care about the daughter accompanying her 83-year-old mother on a long-planned, once-in-a-lifetime Hawaiian cruise, only to discover that all the national parks from Pearl Harbor to the volcanoes are closed for business. The myriad couples whose weddings have to be moved or postponed for the same reason and at considerable expense. The government employees no longer receiving a paycheck. Or the cancer patients forced to delay treatment because enrollment in National Cancer Institute clinical trials is suspended.
That vast social distance is epitomized by billionairess Lynda Resnick, who profits from Fiji Water and snake oil in the form of Pom Wonderful, as reported by Michael Barker. And in the backdrop remain those still suffering the effects of the 2008 Great Recession. Glenn Reed shares the results of his personality test and a service sector job offer that symbolizes America's "New" Economy for Millions. Manuel García, Jr. recalls the American music of the 1960s that reflected the politics of the day and defined a generation, along with some films that today's displaced youth could benefit from. Meanwhile, all of the above shenanigans have put Syria on the media back-burner, but Gilles d'Aymery continues to unravel the anti-al-Assad propaganda, some of which has mysteriously been scrubbed from the World Wide Web.
On the culture front, we publish an excerpt from Swans' occasional contributor William Hathaway's novel set in 2026 as the earth is withering and an old woman and a young man set out to heal nature. Peter Byrne addresses old age in a short story, as lived through two entirely different perspectives, while Raju Peddada takes us on Part III of a travelogue that examines the finality of exits, whether on the road, or of a loved one. We close with the poetry of David Francis and Guido Monte, along with your letters on the Syria and US budget imbroglios.
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Patterns Which Connect
Juicy Cancer Revelations: The POM Queen's Secrets
Raised by a family owning two Rolls-Royces, successful marketing executive Lynda Resnick is proud of her canny ability to sell just about anything. You might have received some exorbitantly expensive flowers from her in the past (she runs Teleflora), or perhaps you quench your thirst with the billionairess's very own brand of bottled water (Fiji Water). In the later instance Lynda has truly worked propaganda miracles, turning a business she and her husband purchased from notorious human rights and environmental abuser, David Gilmour (he is the cofounder of Barrick Gold), into a brand that epitomises sustainability (for the gullible) while selling your something that comes out the taps in your own home. More... Michael Barker is an independent researcher who lives in London, England.
Having What It Takes For The "New" Economy
I'm stoked! Finally feeling appreciated. Why? Let me tell you. This is what the email says: "You have an internal drive to be fantastic. There's no one that works harder than YOU!" Yes, digital proof straight to me from Corporate America saying I'm the perfect fit for a job. Finally, someone recognizing my work ethic. You see, until recently I was one of an estimated 4.3 million of the long-term unemployed (unemployed for longer than 27 weeks) in the United States before graduating into the ranks of the tens of millions more who are simply under-employed. But now I'm getting my great break in the new economy courtesy of (drum roll please).... More... Glenn Reed is a long-time activist and author from Fair Haven, Vermont.
The Promise Of Remembered Soundtracks
I recently saw the 1967 film To Sir, With Love, about a black teacher (played by Sidney Poitier) of rebellious working-class youths in England, to help explain to my youngest daughter, angry about the unruliness in her high school algebra class, about the origins and antidotes to classroom disruptiveness by adolescents. We began her education on this topic by first viewing the 1955 film Rebel Without A Cause (with James Dean's iconic portrayal directed by Nicholas Ray). More... Manuel García, Jr. is a retired physicist, author, and family man who lives in Oakland, California.
Middle East
Parsing The Anti-al-Assad Propaganda
Two weeks ago I was late in filing my article on Asma and Bashar al-Assad, real late, Sunday around 2:00 p.m. I was trying to establish how the affair had been framed in the Western world to corner the Syrian regime. I was not taking sides, just noticing how the game was being played. It was a confusing endeavor. I had to deal with dates, articles, official comments, and dates again (and hours of research). My point was not to absolve or defend any party, it was to question and tentatively clarify the situation. I am not sure I did a good job. More... Gilles d'Aymery is Swans' publisher and co-editor.
Book Excerpt
Higher Consciousness
Swans contributing writer William T. Hathaway has published a new novel. Wellsprings: A Fable Of Consciousness is set in 2026 as the earth's ecosystem has broken down under human abuse. Water supplies are shrinking. Rain is rare, and North America is gripped in the Great Drought with crops withering and forests dying. In the midst of environmental and social collapse, an old woman and a young man set out to heal nature and reactivate the cycle of flow by using techniques of higher consciousness. More... William T. Hathaway is an adjunct professor of American studies and a novelist who lives in Germany.
Short Stories
The Widow Reardon and Captain Tomorrow
The Widow Reardon looked at the oblong pill in the palm of her hand, winced, and with a flip of her wrist threw it into the back of her throat. Mrs. Reardon was what Miss Simms, the social worker due that morning, called her. To herself she was always the Widow Reardon. The pill was supposed to be good for what Miss Simms referred to as her depression. For the social center people, depression explained why the Widow Reardon disliked getting out of bed in the morning and spent her days indoors and alone. More... Peter Byrne is an American-born teacher and writer who lives in Lecce, Italy.
Arts & Culture
The Exit For Schism - Part III
The year 2000 was tumultuous. I got engaged and married. My brother had moved to California for a new job, leaving his family in Waterloo, and I resigned my design clients to start my own brand. That summer, my brother wailed over the phone, driving around Irvine, after learning that his dog, Lucky II, was run over by a vehicle right in front of their house. Their rebound dog, within days, was Jimmy, another German Shepherd, with an ear affliction. More... Raju Peddada is an industrial designer who lives in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Poetry
Manhattan Tanka
The sign announces: David Francis is an artist who lives in New York City.
Multilingual Poetry
Fragments from silence, n.2
on the one hand, everything in the world is overshadowed by darkness, on the other, the only thing that saves us is laughing, smiling at the non-sense of it all More... Guido Monte teaches Italian and Latin literature in Palermo, Italy.
Letters to the Editor
Readers' thoughts on negotiating chemical disarmament in Syria and the region, though Syria's and its leader is off the front pages thanks to the US budget fiasco. More... We appreciate your comments. Please, remember to sign your e-mails with your real name and add your city, state, country, address and phone number. If we publish your opinion we will only include your name, city, state, and country. Thank you.
Swans by Subject
- Activism under the Radar Screen Keep in Mind...
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