20 August 2009

Rouge Forum Update--August 16--from Rich

Dear Friends,

Remember the closing date for nominations for the Rouge Forum Steering Committee is September 1. Email nominations to RF Community Coordinator Adam Renner at: arenner@bellarmine.edu

Our No Blood For Oil, complete with those good-for-the-rest-of-your-life No Blood For Oil and Pyramid of the Capitalist System posters is updated at: www.rougeforum.org and the latest Rouge Forum News is now on our blog at http://therougeforum.blogspot.com/.

The core issue of our time is the relationship of rising color-coded social and economic inequality challenged by the potential of mass class-conscious resistance.

On The Perpetual War Front:
*Afghan US Commander: The Taliban is Winning: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124986154654218153.html "Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that means U.S. casualties, already running at record levels, will remain high for months to come."

*McClatchey: More and More Mercs to Af-Pak: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/73407.html

*Dave Phillips Gazette on War Criminals Here and There: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqBZLTUPKcMhttp://www.gazette.com/articles/iframe-59065-eastridge-audio.html

*How do they get that way? "Kill the pig, Cut her throat, Spill her blood. ... " http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/aug/08/1n8train002856-doomed-pigs-used-teach-first-aid/?northcounty&zIndex=146179

On The Social and Economic Collapse Front:
*Posner: It is a Depression and it is Not Over: http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2009/08/its_not_a_reces.html

*In Michigan, Jail Means Jobs: http://www.freep.com/article/20090815/OPINION01/908150325/1320/Out-of-state-prisoners-mean-jobs

On The Education Agenda is a War Agenda and the Education Stim is a Merit Pay Stim Front:
*WSJ on the "Race to the Top, Who'll Blink First?" The Stimulus Package is a Merit Pay Package, and a War Package http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204886304574308442726348678.html

*Both the liberal NY Times and the slightly less liberal LA Times have editorialized repeatedly for merit pay. The demagoguge, Obama, who has betrayed every promise made to his sometimes hysterical believers, set up this equation: Education Stimulus=Merit Pay=More Reliance on Anti-working class high-stakes exams=deeper segregation=gutting educator pay=uneducated kids=war+bad jobs. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez9-2009aug09,0,6840948.column

*Stimulus Summary County By County: http://projects.propublica.org/tables/stimulus-spending-progress

*This is not a crisis, not a crisis, not a crisis: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/aug/09/us-us-afghanistan-080909/?politics&zIndex=146654

*McClatchey: Nobody Knows Where the Tarp Dough Goes: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/73212.html

*The Corporate State Behind Goldman Sachs: http://www.alternet.org/workplace/141417/the_scandal_continues%3A_the_billions_in_govt._cash_behind_goldman%27s_%22profits%22?obref=obnetwork

On The Maybe Foucault Was on to Something After All Front (and don't forget Debord):
*Surveillance Files: TSA is Watching You: http://www.detnews.com/article/20090810/BIZ/908100303/Airlines--travelers-prepare-for-more-stringent-ID-rules

*This is fascism: a liberal analysis: http://www.alternet.org/politics/141819/is_the_u.s._on_the_brink_of_fascism/?page=entire

*Fascism and the Academy: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Shame-of-Academe-and/47938/

*What is fascism? A radical analysis and another tied to schooling: http://www.richgibson.com/fascism.html; http://m1.cust.educ.ubc.ca/journal/index.php/workplace/article/view/47

*Town Hall Spectacles Everywhere on all Sides: http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/8/6/505730.html

On the Coming Soon--the End of Detroit Front:
*Michigan's Democratic Governor appointed Bob Bobb a Broad Foundation employee active earlier in Oakland and D.C. to run the finances of the Detroit Public Schools, awash for decades in corruption and incompetence. Bobb interprets his mandate as, "everything." He's fighting with the inept but elected School Board over who holds power while the district collapses around all of them. Bobb is surrounded by small crooks at every level, true, but the bigger crook is Bobb, whose job is to restore some sense of order, get the books in line, and to fashion a black school system that will produce children fit and willing to fight in imperialist wars or accept bad jobs, no jobs, or jail. Still, Bobb has some ethical problems of his own. He awarded his former employer a near $1 million no-bid contract.More on Detroit's collapse soon. http://www.freep.com/article/20090811/NEWS01/90811035/Officials-knew-Bobb-would-hire-old-firm

On the Fight Don't Starve Resistance Front:
*Pasadena Kids, "We ain't got the do-re-mi" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEqir1Mh7Pk

*French Workers Actually Fight Layoffs: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-france-workers9-2009aug09,0,7784068.storyand resistance pays.

*Chino Goes Up: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/08/inmates-injured-in-chino-prison-riot.html

Please Note This Important Education Resistance Meeting:
*Resist Taking the California Star Test. Freedom in Education Meeting. Fresno State. 11 to 6 on August 29th. Lunch and Dinner Provided. Contact Joe Lucido: 559-225-1888. Join Us!

Thanks to Susan, Adam, Gina, Amber, George and Sharon, Tina, Bob A, Tommie, Donna, Linda, Candace, Della, Teeyah, Victoria, Bill B and G, Sandy and Van, MrJ, Wayne, Perry, Steve, Marc, Curry, Melinda, Sherry, Elvira, Patsy, Ricky, Chuck, Joey, Johnny B, Kim, Kelly, Marisol, Enrnesto, Keenan, Reggy B and Ina Y, Denny, Bruce, Debbie, Alan, Jim, Arelia, Jim O, and Dr. Divine.

Good luck to us,
every one.
r

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