Slavoj Žižek on Political Correctness

We have added a short talk  by Slavoj Žižek  in the videos section where the Slovenian philosopher develops the case against political correctness, which he considers risks becoming in an expression of Totalitarianism. Along the way, he addresses other recurrent topics in his work  such as racism, cultural differences and other forms of social domination disguised as "cultural sensitivity". The video was made available by Big Think and you might find the transcript here. 

More Info

• Democracy is the enemy Slavoj Žižek London Review of Books 28 October 2011
• The Occupy movement, a renascent Left, and Marxism today: An interview with Slavoj Žižek Haseeb Ahmed with Chris Cutrone Platypus Review 42 | December 2011 – January 2012
• Save us from the saviours Slavoj Žižek London Review of Books June 2012

Update of the Videos page

We have finally put some order in the videos section of the blog. After editing and discarding some of the material posted since 2011 you will find an eclectic selection of short videos and longer features related to those issues we care about. Comme c’est le cas avec le blog vous y trouverez de matériel en Anglais, Français, Catalan et Castillan.

"Speak Rich in Tabernaque" Texte de Marie-Christine Lemieux-Couture, récité par Katia Gagnon au parc Émilie-Gamelin, le 25 avril 2012. Uploader  EdgarBlaar

 Hem intentat  que hi hagues una certa coherencia entre els videos i el material que hem anat pujant, de manera a il.lustrar situacions sovint complexes i allunyades dels mitjans massius de comunicacio. Seguimos editando (subiendo textos y fuentes) el material que tenemos en Onada Expansiva Redux. No podremos subir nuevo material hasta el mes de Junio. Tras el cierre del primer canal de Onada Expansiva en youtube por temas de copyright nos tomamos en serio los avisos.

Lutte armée et violence politique;hier et aujourd'hui

On récupère l'article de M. Laurent Bonelli paru dans Le Monde Diplomatique d' Août 2011 sous le titre Sur les sentiers escarpes de la lutte armée une intéressant analyse historique sur l'évolution des groupes et circonstances qui ont entourée et définit  la confrontation armée contre les pouvoirs établis, soit-il des la narrative révolutionnaire, libératrice ou religieuse tout en écoutant la voix des militants/es qui ont suivi, ou suivent toujours, cette voie. Comme d'habitude on a ajoutée des hyper liens (quand possible comme complément de notes-au-pied, photos, vidéo et matériel d appui). 

Quand la rue c’était a nous. Militants/es d' Autonomia Operaia a Bologne Avril 1979 , après les arrestations de Antonio Negri, Emilio Vesce e Oreste Scalzone source Tesionline

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Sur les sentiers escarpes de la lutte armée
Espoirs, visions et désillusions de la violence politique
Laurent Bonelli

Depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, les puissances occidentales ont érigé la guerre contre le terrorisme en priorité stratégique sans que l’on sache vraiment ce que recouvre le terme. Quoi de commun en effet entre les groupes révolutionnaires nés dans les années 1970, les réseaux d’Al-Qaida et les luttes armées pour l’indépendance ? Les témoignages de militants éclairent les logiques de la violence politique.

Mexico: War on Drugs and Human Rights. A crave for justice.

 On November 9th  Human Rights Watch issued an extensive 212-page report, Neither rights nor security, on the human rights consequences of the War on Drugs in Mexico, officially (greater involvement of the Mexican Army) in its sixth year. In the wake of the death of Mr. Francisco Blake Mora, Mexico's Interior Minister   in an apparent helicopter accident and the widening of the ATF gun running  sting operation (Fast and Furious)scandal in US Congress. The report examines the rising numbers of  enforced disappearances, arbitrary killings and torture cases attributed to State  forces (both Police and Military), also noting violence exerted by Non-State actors against civilian population. 

While HRW officials were able to meet Mr.Felipe Calderon, Mexico's president, to voice their concerns, Mexican NGO and social movements, who have been systematically  denouncing the high price that Mexican Society (latest example, asking the ICC to look into President Calderon's responsibility) is paying in the current climate of violence have not been heard. Additionally it shall be noted that the extent and depth of US involvement in the Mexican situation (notably through DEA, CIA and DOD) is essentially kept away from the public. We reproduce the report´s  executive summary adding underlining, highlights, hyperlinks, video, graphics and  pictures.Related and updated background material at the end.

Killing on the name of...The so-called war on drugs being waged by Mexican military and police forces has translated into thousands of civilian deaths. US authorities have yet to publicly reprimand or express concern about the  widespread  human rights violations happening right now south of their border.  Picture 823,925 Kgs of seized cocaine are incinerated at a naval base in 2009 Getty Images.

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Informe en Castellano 

Neither Rights Nor Security 

Killings, Torture, and Disappearances in Mexico’s “War on Drugs”

It has been nearly five years since President Felipe Calderón declared “war” organized crime in Mexico. In the time since, the country has experienced a staggering rise in violence. After declining steadily for nearly two decades, the overall homicide rate grew by over 260% percent from 2007 to 2010. 

Democracy and redistribution of wealth. The real (State-sanctioned) class warfare

A good piece by Eugene Robinson in the Washington Post, a timely reflection on the current debate on tax rebates and spending cuts. Added cartoon, hyperlinks and some context material regarding budgetary issues and the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis at Gocomic

The study that shows why Occupy Wall Street struck a nerve 

Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007

Eugene Robinson

The hard-right conservatives who dominate the Republican Party claim to despise the redistribution of wealth, but secretly they love it — as long as the process involves depriving the poor and middle class to benefit the rich, not the other way around.

The power of nightmares. The rise of the politics of fear

The power of nightmares. The rise of the politics of fear is a three-part documentary by Adam Curtis which BBC aired in 2004. Following the influence of two opposite characters, Political Philosopher Leo Strauss, a major referent for the US neo-conservatist movement and Mr. Sayyid Qutb, one of the founders of modern political Islamism the film traces on one side the rise of an agenda-driven set of public officials in the US and the inception of an armed Islamist movement known as Al-Quaeda, with the two parties intertwining during the CIA-supported war in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union invasion and occupation.

 

4-minute trailer uploaded by tracrunner13

The film deconstructs the  so called war on terror rethoric, showing how it has been used by governments and other actors as an excuse to curtail liberties and freedoms while using fear as a control tool.

Universitat Indignada 15M . Per una democràcia real del coneixement i la informació

Entre l´1 i el 10 de setembre s´està desenvolupant a diverses localitzacions de Barcelona, la primera edició de la Universitat Indignada, una molt interessant proposta de debats, discussions i conferencies sobre un ampli ventall de temes i cuestions d´interès per a la ciutadania mobilitzada.  Formar per a transformar.

Panoràmica de la conferencia inaugural celebrada  a Plaça Catalunya el 31 d´agost. Destacar que l´ajuntament de Barcelona havia establert un perímetre de tanques per evitar l´utilització de l´espai central de la Plaça.

 Vam tenir l´oportunitat de participar  a la conferencia inaugural, "El mes violent es el rescat de Grècia" amb en Vicenç Navarro, la Miren Etxezarreta (Seminari d´Economia Critica Taifa) i l`Ada Colau (Plataforma Afectats per l´Hipoteca) i a la sessió descentralitzada (Gràcia)  sobre "Anàlisi geopolític de la Mediterrània en relació al context mundial" amb l´Aritz Nafarroa i en Josep Maria Navarro de Sodepau. N´oferim breus resums, amb material fotogràfic i vídeos.

War on Democracy. 2007 John Pilger's documentary on US foreign policy in the Americas

A good documentary (in high definition)  by Australian filmmaker John Pilger on Americas recent history. Focuses on developments in Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, Bolivia and Chile.

Pilger interviews several ex-CIA agents who purportedly took part in secret campaigns against democratic countries . Establishes the role and responsibility of the US-based School of the Americas in training and providing guidance for military forces in such countries as El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Chile and Argentina.