Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Film Sessions: A Cheater's Week with Professor Richard Wolff

 


Editor's note: Film Sessions is a weekly feature here on Media Madness in which I share, analyze and expand on a relevant video created by someone on the left wing of Youtube.

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As I mentioned in my most recent journal, I'm currently up to my eyeballs trying to put together a flurry of Biden-centric articles about American politics, just to establish a baseline understanding with my readers as we pivot into a new (yet familiar) era of neoliberal authoritarianism. What I neglected to bring up in that post however, is that I'm also battling a head cold, getting my research notes together for a new episode of the No Fugazi Podcast with my co-host Nick Galea, and trying to finish a tedious but necessary cross-posting project on my main website, ninaillingworth.com. In other words, despite working twenty-one out of twenty-five days this month already, I'm behind my own schedule and I have little hope of actually finishing everything I wanted to do in January on time.

Still, like a fool, I insist on trying my best, and so for this week's Film Session blog, I'd like to return to a man who needs no introduction (in part because I introduced him quite thoroughly only two weeks ago) - Marxist economist, Richard D. Wolff. The twist here is that I'm going to post two short videos starring professor Wolff, one from his YouTube channel, and one from the Gravel Institute. In return, it is my hope that you'll forgive me for keeping my analysis brief, and skimping a bit on the additional resources this time; after all, many of them will be repeats from my last post about Richard Wolff's work.

First up, we're going to stick with our Biden-centric theme and examine an eight minute, "Wolff Responds" video called "What Biden's Immediate Economic Program Should Be.

The first thing I want to note is that I told you that I agree with most, but not all of the things Wolff says in our last article about him, and that kind of applies here in a very odd way. Because the professor put the word "immediate" in the title of his video, and yet his presentation doesn't start with, or even mention the absurdly obvious need to literally pay Americans to stay home until we can put Captain Trips (coronavirus) in a shallow grave, I unfortunately have to cry foul here. The fact of the matter is that the number one crisis, social, economic, or political, facing pretty much every person in the labor class the world over right now, is stopping Covid-19, and until that happens, some of the good ideas Wolff does suggest in this video, simply don't matter - and in fact, one of them, a federal jobs program, would be a colossally bad idea "immediately" in light of the struggle against the virus as it stands today.

Frankly however, I've watched enough of professor Wolff's videos, debates and lectures to know that he's not a heartless eugenicist who doesn't care if workers die, and in fact his three big suggestions for Biden in this video would all be important parts of an agenda to help people survive the fallout from coronavirus after we've got it under control. In other words, the real problem with Wolff's video essay might literally just be that he put "immediate" in the title, and he forgot to say "once it's safe to even go back to work" somewhere in the presentation.

With that understood, what are those three suggestions? Keeping in mind that Wolff is clearly focused on things Biden could in fact accomplish in office, he wants the administration to pursue a massive federal jobs program to fight unemployment, significantly increase taxes on the wealthy and corporations to help pay for a recovery, and end the trade spat and saber rattling with China before it turns into a real war that's bad for everyone, the labor class included. 

To be clear, nothing Wolff is calling for in this video is really all that radical and I suspect that's very much on purpose given his feelings about Palooka Joe's economic team. A federal jobs program is a big part of how we got out of the Great Depression, rich people have so much money they're inflating speculative asset bubbles all over our economy, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out any money we spend on f*cking with China, is money we can't spend on a post-Covid recovery. And yet, I think we all know that our capitalist overlords will refuse, and call these simple and achievable measures extreme.  

To that I say? Bullsh*t. If you remember back in the Spring when America was being lead by a reality TV show fascist who tried to pretend Covid wasn't even real, even quasi-mainstream observers were talking about coronavirus signaling the end of capitalism as we know it; and yet today, as the bodies climb even higher and the crisis (both social, and economic) deepens, those same folks would call professor Wolff' suggestions here too extreme? Hell no; Biden asked the country to give Democrats control of the Senate so he could fight Covid-19 and restore the economy. Well he now has the House, the Senate and the Oval Office - it's time to stop pretending a mask mandate on federal property is a real solution and put the people's money, where Palooka Joe's mouth has been. Check out the video with professor Wolff below:


What Biden's Immediate Economic Program Should Be




Our second video in this "Cheater's Week" edition of Film Sessions once again comes to us from The Gravel Institute, which is showing promising signs of an ongoing collaboration with professor Wolff that has me really exciting. It's called "How Capitalism Exploits You.

I chose this video to round out our discussion this week because once again, I think Wolff and the Gravel crew have managed to produce a (very short) feature that successfully attacks the "common sense" right wing ideologies that underpin the work of propaganda outlets like PragerU. In this case, the bogus reactionary idea that finds its way into Wolff's crosshairs is the belief that your boss is doing you a favor by employing you, and as such has a morally supportable right to profit from your labor. Not so says Wolff; capitalism is by its very nature about theft and exploitation - theft from who? You. 

Ultimately, given that I specifically said you'd be better off using your time on Youtube teaching Marxist concepts, than debunking PragerU one video at a time, and this video is quite literally five minutes of Marxist labor theory, I feel obligated to include it here today:


How Capitalism Exploits You









- nina illingworth


Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!

You can find my work at ninaillingworth.comCan’t You ReadMedia Madness and my Patreon Blog

Updates available on InstagramMastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.

Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites

Chat with fellow readers online at Anarcho Nina Writes on Discord!

“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Film Sessions "Where Do We Go From Here?" by Renegade Cut

 


Editor's note: Film Sessions is a weekly feature here on Media Madness in which I share, analyze and expand on a relevant video from the left wing of Youtube. Please note that I'm merely writing about these videos; I don't create them, nor in most cases to do I know very much about the folks who do - I'm learning the ways of Left Wing Youtube right alongside my readers. 

Additionally, I'd like to shoutout "TechnOkami" on my Discord server for recommending today's video for inclusion in this series; excellent pick my friend.

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Well, you knew at some point we'd have to look at a video touching on the fascist riot in Washington, D.C. on January 6th, 2021, an its larger meaning in American society - didn't you? 

Frankly, I don't think it's much of a secret that I'm actively eager to move on from writing about Donald Trump, who after this shocking (and yet still completely predictable) event, has very much become "yesterday's man" in the larger story of American fascism. As I've mentioned in several articles however, the end of Downmarket Mussolini, and the ultimate flameout of his doomed coup attempt are not, and will not be, the end of the burgeoning fascist uprising in the Pig Empire; not when literally so much is at stake. Given that I'd already broken down the riot in a lengthy podcast, and discussed why this was definitely a fascist coup attempt, I wanted to make sure whatever presentation I did end up sharing here expanded on those efforts, while focusing extensively on what all this means for post-Trump fascism going forward. 

These requirements created some complications then, as originally I want to feature a video about the chud uprising in last week's edition of Film Sessions, but couldn't find a feature suitably focused on both American fascism itself, and what happens after Trump is mercifully gone. Thankfully, and just when I was about to give up, a friend of mine pointed me towards today's twenty-two minute Youtube feature by Renegade Cut, otherwise known as Leon Thomas, entitled quite appropriately "Where Do We Go From Here?" Frankly, I don't know much about Leon (who is also a geek genre film critic, hence the channel title) but if the two videos I've watched are any indication, this man might be my brother from another mother - at least when it comes to analyzing American fascism.

The first thing you'll notice when watching Leon's work, is that he talks very quickly and his videos are jam-packed with highly-specific, factual references. In a format typically dominated by the hot take economy, and opinion-based reaction videos, I find this quite refreshing - but I'm not going to lie; I caught myself taking notes at several points in Renegade Cut's presentation, just to make sure I wouldn't leave anything out in this write up. Thankfully, the second thing you'll notice about Thomas's videos is that he seems like a really organized presenter, and even a short (22 minute) video essay like "Where Do We Go From Here?" is divided up into three distinct, labeled parts.

In the first part of the video, entitled "False Reality," Thomas looks to answer a series of "why" questions about the lead up to the chud riot in D.C. on January 6th, 2021. Crucially these questions go beyond just why did the insurrection attempt happen, and touch on why it's important to acknowledge that Trumpism is an inherently fascist movement, why Trump supporters are prepared to overthrow the government rather than accept that Biden won, and why American fascists inherently consider their political opponents illegitimate and traitorous. Touching on key ideas I've also written about, and covered on the No Fugazi Podcast, this section quickly explores concepts like cultural nationalism, the invocation of a mythic past, and how Trump's election fraud claims fit into a larger false reality narrative; all in about seven minutes. I should also mention that in part one, Thomas recommends watching his previous video about why the MAGA movement behind Trump, is explicitly fascist; although I've since watched that thirty-eight minute video and thought it was excellent, I didn't feel viewing it was in any way necessary to understand the work presented in "Where Do We Go From Here?"

The second portion of the video, "January 6th, 2021" then focuses deeply on precisely what happened both before, during, and after the doomed fascist coup attempt itself. Obviously, after two weeks of debunking and dissection, some of what Thomas covers here won't be news to viewers, but I still think there are a number of topics he focuses on in this section, that aren't getting a lot of coverage in more mainstream, or corporate media. Highlights include pointing out the significant and unmistakable presence of explicitly fascist groups (and police) among the rioters, why it is completely appropriate to call this event a coup or an insurrection, and a video clip of Rudy Giuliani clearly calling for the election dispute to be resolved with a "trial by combat."  

Finally, the video closes out on a high note with a conclusion entitled "What Happens Now" and ultimately, it's the contents of this section that convinced me to feature "Where Do We Go From Here" in this week's Film Sessions. Discussing crucial topics like why the American right is desperately trying to minimize the existence of its own (now quite mainstream) fascist support, why a failure is not evidence that it's not fascism, and why Joe Biden's neoliberal police state can't be relied on to stop burgeoning American fascism, Thomas lays out why American fascism will outlive Trump, and why contrary to the ravings of NIMBY liberalism, the only real and effective solution is organized anti-fascist counter protesting.

Whew; I told you this guy talked fast, didn't I? Of course "Where Do We Go From Here" is not a perfect video; I would have liked to see a bit more analysis about the role of settler colonialism in the rise of American fascism, why (demographically) white supremacy can no longer be maintained democratically in the Pig Empire, and at least something on the billionaire nazi muppets that are paying for it all; guys like Bob Mercer. At the end of the day however, you can really only expect so much out of a twenty-two minute video, and given everything that Renegade Cut does deliver in this feature, I'm comfortable saying this is one of the best videos about American fascism on Youtube in general - check it out below:





Additional Resources


Rengade Cut Youtube Channel

MAGA and Fascism by Renegade Cut

Call It by Its Name: Wednesday Was a Fascist Riot

The Insurrection Was Predictable

This Is the United States of QAnon

Trump Is Leaving, but US Fascism Is Just Getting Its Boots On

Trump will leave but the ingredients of homegrown fascism remain

This is American fascism

If You Didn’t Vote for Trump, Your Vote Is Fraudulent

The Bitter Fruits of Trump’s White-Power Presidency

Insurrection Timeline — First the Coup and Then the Cover-Up

Hidden in Plain Sight

Police and Racist Vigilantes: Even Worse Than You Think

Don't look past Trump's coup attempt

Downplaying Trumpism Is Dangerous

Yes, It Was a Coup Attempt. Here’s Why.

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No Fugazi: In Between Days (Coup Episode)

Counting Coup

Fascism, White Nationalism and American Values

On Media, White Nationalism & Hugo Weaving

 No Forward Progress

Opening Pandora’s Box

No Magic Man

American Fascism & Networks of Power

Thought-Crimes and Appeasement

A Primer on Americanized Fascism

No Fugazi: 5 Part Fascism Series

Amerikan Musik: Fascism Ascendant in the USA Page



- nina illingworth


Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!

You can find my work at ninaillingworth.comCan’t You ReadMedia Madness and my Patreon Blog

Updates available on InstagramMastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.

Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites

Chat with fellow readers online at Anarcho Nina Writes on Discord!

“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”

Monday, January 18, 2021

The Trump Suspensions, Big Tech and Section 230 on Can't You Read (Link)

 


Editors note: todays article about Trumps social media suspensions, Big Tech companies and the potential repeal of Section 230 comes to you from my image blog Cant You Read and is being linked here as part of my ongoing fight against online censorship. If you like this piece, please help me get eyeballs on my work by sharing a link to it someplace else on social media.
Please note, this teaser is reprinted from ninaillingworth.com because I only have so much energy for busy work.

Actually, the Cake is a Lie

Admit it; you smiled a little, at least inside, when you found out Trump’s social media accounts had finally been suspended in the wake of the January 6th, 2021 chud insurrection attempt on Capitol Hill. I know that I did, and who could really blame us? As we discussed last week, Trump’s social media posts have a body count and rich white fascists getting suspended for organizing a revanchist coup online, isn’t exactly a free speech issue; Downmarket Mussolini should have been suspended a very long time ago, quite frankly.
And therein of course, lies the rub; why now, or rather, why two weeks before Trump leaves office? If Big Tech suspended Trump for inciting violence, where exactly have they been the past four years? If Trump just got suspended for inspiring an insurrection attempt, how come he wasn’t suspended back in the spring when he tried to do the same thing during the anti-lockdown protests? Does this have anything to do with the fact that Joe Biden also wants to repeal Section 230? Am I really supposed to believe billionaire crypto-libertarian Tech Bros suddenly care about the carnage their services are enabling, when they’ve spent the past five years proving that they most certainly do not? Because quite frankly, I don’t, and I decided to get to the bottom of the decision to ban Trump; a decision I agree with and sincerely wish had happened much sooner.
The devil is in the details today over on Can’t You Read as we ask is it even possible for Big Tech companies to both do the right thing, and for the right reasons?

To check it out over on Can’t You Read, click on the quote bloc above, or the header below:

The Trump Suspensions, Big Tech and Section 230


 

  • nina illingworth

Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!
You can find my work at ninaillingworth.comCan’t You ReadMedia Madness and my Patreon Blog
Updates available on InstagramMastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.
Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites
Chat with fellow readers online at Anarcho Nina Writes on Discord!
“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”