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Friday, July 26, 2024
Daily Log
ArtsFuse published my Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll
essay today, so I opened up the
website with all the totals and ballots. I'm updating
Music Week
to reflect that, and have posted a note on
X:
ArtsFuse published my Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll, which collects the
diligent research and expert listening skills of 90 of the world's
most exacting jazz critics and fans. Essay includes top 50 new and top
20(+1) old music albums, with links to the rest.
I did a notice in a comment on Facebook, but will do a more proper
post later.
ArtsFuse allows comments, so I thought I should track them here:
Steve: Did the Norma Winstone/Jon Downes album come out too
late to have a shot?
I'm surprised there's only one International Anthem release, and that
it placed fairly low.
Tom Hull: There was no release date window. I allowed
any 2024 (or 2023) releases, including ones in advance of the polling
deadline -- a couple dozen such albums received votes. Winstone/Downes
came out on May 7, on ECM, the label of the winning album by Vijay
Iyer, a label which placed two later releases in the upper charts
(Oded Tzur, Tomasz Stanko). It's inevitable that most voters will have
missed most albums in any given time frame, but an ECM release in May
had a pretty decent chance of getting recognized.
Four International Anthem albums received votes in the poll, but
only one (SML) made it to the top 50. They aim for crossover albums
and make an effort to promote their albums in the rock/pop press,
which sometimes pays dividends, but this year's batch of artists are
still pretty obscure. My favorite album on the label so far this year,
by Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly, didn't receive any
votes. Lots of albums didn't receive votes.
I wrote a fairly long Facebook comment, in response to a grade dispute:
The June 2023 CG has "Big Sistahs" as an "A MINUS." As does the
website copy of that CG, as does the CG database. So as far as I am
concerned, not a typo. I usually grab the CG text a day or two after
it's initially posted, which gives Christgau a chance to edit where he
sees fit. After that, I depend on him to tell me of any changes, which
almost never happens. When I later add the CGs to the database, I run
the database output by him, which gives him a second chance to correct
anything (as well as catch any errors I add -- I also run those things
by Joe Yanosik, who has a good eye and memory for such things, and who
has always been a big help to me). Unlike Joe, I've learned never to
bug Bob about his grades. He doesn't like it, and usually just digs in
harder. I'm sure he understands that opinions, even his, are in
constant flux, but he doesn't feel any obligation to constantly alter
the historical record to reflect those changes. I personally take a
more flexible view on this, in part because I've never regarded my
grades as definitive, but even I rarely change old grades, sometimes
just because I don't feel up to doing the paperwork (but mostly
because I never find time to get back to old music, even records I
really liked).
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
July archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 35 albums, 5 A-list
Music: Current count 42703 [42668] rated (+35), 23 [15] unrated (+8).
New records reviewed this week:
- أحمد [Ahmed]: Giant Beauty (2022 [2024], Fönstret, 5CD): [bc]: A-
- Alliance [Sharel Cassity/Colleen Clark]: Alliance (2024, Shifting Paradigm): [sp]: B+(**)
- Beholder Quartet: Suspension of Disbelief (2024, Sachimay): [sp]: A-
- Oddgeir Berg Trio: A Place Called Home (2024, Ozella): [sp]: B+(*)
- Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few: The Almighty (2023 [2024], Division 81): [sp]: B+(**)
- Nick Dunston: Colla Voce (2024, Out of Your Head): [cd]: B+(**)
- Isabelle Duthoit & Franz Hautzinger: Dans le Morvan (2021 [2024], Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(*)
- Nick Finzer: Legacy: A Centennial Celebration of JJ Johnson (2024, Outside In Music): [sp]: B+(***)
- Gregory Groover Jr.: Lovabye (2023 [2024], Criss Cross): [sp]: B+(**)
- Giovanni Guidi: A New Day (2023 [2024], ECM): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jo Harrop: The Path of a Tear (2024, Lateralize): [sp]: B+(***)
- Xaver Hellmeier: X-Man in New York (2022 [2023], Cellar Music): [sp]: A-/li>
- اسم ISM [Pat Thomas/Joel Grip/Antonin Gerbal]: Maua (2022 [2024], 577): [dl]: A-
- Tobias Klein/Frank Rosaly/Maria Warelis: Tendresse (2022 [2024], Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(**)
- Christian McBride/Edgar Meyer: But Who's Gonna Play the Melody? (2024, Mack Avenue): [sp]: B+(*)
- The New Wonders: Steppin' Out (2024, Turtle Bay): [sp]: B+(***)
- Carlos Nińo & Friends: Placenta (2022-23 [2024], International Anthem): [sp]: B
- Omawi [Marta Warelis/Onno Govaert/Wilbert De Joode]: Waive (2021 [2023], Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(**)
- Hery Paz: River Creatures (2023 [2024], Porta Jazz): [sp]: B+(***)
- Frank Paul Schubert/Michel Pilz/Stefan Scheib/Klaus Kugel: Live at FreeJazz Saar 2019 (2019 [2024], Nemu): [cd]: B+(***)
- SML: Small Medium Large (2022-23 [2024], International Anthem): [sp]: B+(***)
- Space: Embrace the Space (2024, Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(***)
- Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Aloft (2023 [2024], Libra): [cd]: B+(***)
- Terton [Louie Belogenis/Trevor Dunn/Ryan Sawyer]: Outer, Inner, Secret (2023 [2024], Tzadik): [sp]: B+(***)
- Marta Warelis/Andy Moor: Escape (2022 [2024], Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(**)
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Cannonball Adderley: Burnin' in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969 (1969 [2024], Elemental Music, 2CD): [cd]: B+(**)
- Cannonball Adderley: Poppin' in Paris: Live at L'Olympia 1972 (1972 [2024], Elemental Music): [cd]: B+(***)
- Atrás del Cosmos: Cold Drinks, Hot Dreams (1980 [2024], Blank Forms Editions): [sp]: A-
- Charlie Mariano: Boppin' in Boston 1947-1953 (1947-53 [2024], Fresh Sound): [sp]: B+(**)
- Gerry Mulligan: Night Lights (1963 [2024], Philips): [sp]: B+(*)
- The Oscar Pettiford Memorial Concert (1960 [2024], SteepleChase): [sp]: B+(*)
Old music:
- Beholder: Claim No Native Land (2017, Sachimay): [sp]: B+(*)
- Beholder: The Cicada Sessions (2022, Sachimay): [sp]: B+(**)
- Beholder Quartet: Omni Present (2023, Sachimay, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- اسم ISM [Pat Thomas/Joel Grip/Antonin Gerbal]: Nature in Its Inscrutability Strikes Back (2014 [2015], Café Oto): [sp]: B+(***)
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Cannonball Adderley: Burnin' in Bordeaux: Live in France 1969 (Elemental Music) [04-26]
- Cannonball Adderley: Poppin' in Paris: Live at L'Olympia 1972 (Elemental Music) [04-26]
- Livia Almeida: The Brasilia Sessions (Zoho) [07-19]
- Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band: Walk a Mile in My Shoe (Imani) * [08-12]
- Richard Guba: Songs for Stuffed Animals (self-released) [06-06]
- Joel Harrison & Alternative Guitar Summit: The Middle of Everywhere: Guitar Solos Vol. I (AGS) [07-24]
- Jason Kao Hwang: Soliloquies: Unaccompanied Pizzicato Violin Improvisations (True Sound) (09-15]
- Lux Quartet: Tomorrowland (Enja/Yellowbird) [08-09[
- Rose Mallett: Dreams Realized (Carrie-On Productions) [09-01]
- Shelly Manne & His Men: Jazz From the Pacific Northwest (1958-66, Reel to Real) [04-20]
- Brother Jack McDuff: Ain't No Sunshine: Live in Seattle (1972, Reel to Real) [05-17]
- Terence McManus: Music for Chamber Trio (Rowhouse Music) [09-24]
- Jason Stein: Anchors (Tao Forms) [09-13]
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
Originally scheduled for July 21, this kept getting pushed out as
I worked on my mid-year jazz critics poll. Finally posted [07-24],
with some later adds.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
July archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 44 albums, 9 A-list
Music: Current count 42668 [42624] rated (+44), 15 [20] unrated (-5).
I put out the call for a
Mid-Year Jazz
Critics Poll back on
June 30, offering a July 14 deadline for ballots, which would
give me a few days to wrap things up before ArtsFuse returns
from vacation on July 17. Sure, I expected a light turnout:
mid-year lists, while increasingly common as click-bait, don't
have the same gravitas as year-end wrap-ups, so fewer voters
would be prepared let alone interested; there are vacations
and other distractions; the voting period was much shorter
than for the year-end poll; and I didn't want to work as hard
at rounding up voters.
(Last year's
159 voters
took a lot of hustle on my part, but in taking the poll over
from Francis Davis, I really wanted to prove that I could do
it, and it was very wearing.) I didn't do any prospecting for
new voters, and hoped that sending a single message to my
Jazzpoll mailing list would do the trick.
It didn't: by last Wednesday, I had only about two dozen
ballots counted, with another dozen promises to vote later,
and a half-dozen polite declines, out of approx. 200 invitees.
I had figured that 50% (let's say 80) ballots would still be
a good showing, and would generate a lot of information. But
25% struck me as way too low. I had reason to suspect that a
big part of the problem was that many messages from my server
were being flagged and sequestered as "spam," especially by
the gmail servers. So I rebooted, and sent a second round of
invitations out to a subset of the list -- the ones I hadn't
heard from, skipping a few who hadn't voted in recent years --
in MailMerge-customized letters from my regular email account
(which has been dicey enough of late). That took many hours
I had wanted to avoid, but got an almost immediate response.
I streamlined the invitation a bit, and extended the deadline
to July 17 (tonight, or effectively tomorrow morning). As of
last night, I had 78 ballots counted, and as I'm writing this
I have 2 more in my inbox, so I'm happy with my 50%.
[PS: By posting time, the count increased to 86.]
I'll need to move on from this to write an essay (intro,
overview, whatever), as well as footnotes on various oddities
and discrepancies in the voting. I've struggled with the essay
the last couple years, so fear I may again. On the other hand,
the data is really extraordinary, so just dive into that. And
every time I do this, I come away even more impressed with
the extraordinary knowledge and exemplary judgment of the
fine people who participate in this Poll. There's nothing we
need more in this increasingly complex and scatter-brained
world than smart people who develop and share their expertise
so that we all may benefit. I'm proud to do my bit, and to
help them do theirs.
I might as well start here and disclose my own ballot:
NEW RELEASES
- Fay Victor, Herbie Nichols SUNG: Life Is Funny That Way (Tao Forms)
- Emmeluth's Amoeba, Nonsense (Moserobie)
- Luke Stewart Silt Trio, Unknown Rivers (Pi)
- Ballister, Smash and Grab (Aerophonic)
- Dave Douglas, Gifts (Greenleaf Music)
- The Core, Roots (Moserobie)
- James Brandon Lewis Quartet, Transfiguration (Intakt)
- Roby Glod-Christian Ramond-Klaus Kugel, No Toxic (Nemu)
- Ivo Perelman Quartet, Water Music (RogueArt)
- Mike Monford, The Cloth I'm Cut From (self-released)
RARA AVIS (REISSUES/ARCHIVAL)
- Sonny Rollins, Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance)
- Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy, The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music)
- Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!)
- Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet, Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (NoBusiness)
- Mars Williams & Hamid Drake, I Know You Are but What Am I (1996, Corbett vs. Dempsey)
As lists go, this feels pretty haphazard and tentative. I keep
an ongoing
ranked list, but don't put much
effort into maintaining it. What usually happens is that once I
decide an album is A-, I scan the list from the top or bottom
(depending on whether it's a real solid A- or a somewhat iffy
one), find something that is roughly comparable, and insert the
new record above or below that reference point. I fiddled with
these a bit, but didn't do much rechecking. Fact is, I never do
much rechecking.
This week's batch of reviews are mostly albums that popped
up on ballots. I wasn't previously aware that the Kenny Barron,
Ivanna Cuesta, Welf Dorr, and [Ahmed] albums existed. Tomeka Reid
was one of those download links I've been sitting on -- I probably
have nearly 100 stashed away, but I'm loathe to do the extra work
when it's so easy to play a promo or stream something -- but it
did well enough I felt obligated to listen to it. (Same for Braxton,
with all 8 hours + 10:36, available on
Bandcamp.) Beger, Borca, and Brötzmann were promo CDs, but
they too can be found complete on
Bandcamp. I learned about the Armstrong from hype mail the
day it became available to stream.
I started to prepare a file with all of my 2024 jazz reviews,
similar to my
2023 best jazz,
but it isn't ready to be presented yet. I'll clean it up if I
decide I want to mention it in my poll essay, or just discard
it until end-of-year. (Once I've started it, it's just another
thing to try to keep updated.) One thing I can note here is that
when I divvied the 2024 file up into jazz and non-jazz sections,
the split among new A/A- records was 52-to-25, with old music
12-to-5. That seems like a lot, given that I wound up with
only 84 for all of 2023 (and 75 for
2022, 77 for
2021, 86 for
2020, 77 for
2019, 67 for
2018, 84 for
2017, 75 for
2016, 81 for
2015, 69 for
2014, 87 for
2014 -- that's
as far as the file series goes back, and the record as far as I can
easily tell. Makes me wonder if I'm going soft in my old age, but
other explanations are possible, including that the Mid-Year Poll
has made me aware of 237 albums I didn't previously have in my
tracking file. Most I haven't
played yet, but the dozens I have gotten to contributed to this
skew.
Given all the extra work on the Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll,
I didn't get around to
Speaking of Which until Saturday, when I started with a
long section on why Biden should withdraw from the Democratic
presidential nomination. This all seems so obvious that it's hard
to fathom the negligence and nonsense of whoever's conspiring to
keep Biden in the race. On the other hand, much else that popped
up in the week's news is hard to fathom. I certainly haven't had
the time to figure it out.
The Trump shooting remains a story I know very little about,
and have very little interest in pursuing, unless it turns out
that my suspicion, as yet purely based on cynicism, that it was
a staged PR ploy, turns out to be valid. (By the way, we've
been watching the old Jane Marple mysteries. In one of them,
the killer creates a blackout, kills someone else, then shoots
herself, nicking the ear, so that when the lights come back on,
she appears to have been the target (and very lucky). The ear
was chosen because it bleeds readily but not seriously. It
also emphasizes the luck involved, because it's generally
very hard to shoot someone's ear without hitting their head.
Of course, there are other ways to fake it, at little risk
to Trump. The whole thing would take skill and timing, which
seems beyond Trump and his cronies, the chances of such a
scheme getting exposed are high, and it's hard to imagine
that even Trump could lie his way out of it. On the other
hand, how gullible is just about everyone involved so far?
So it can't possibly be true, but they're playing it just
like it was scripted. And everyone else seems to be falling
for it.
Hardly any adds to Speaking of Which today: fixed a couple
broken links, some typos. I'll open a file for next week after
Music Week goes up. It'll be lower priority than the Poll, but
good for the occasional break from thrashing on the Poll essay.
I haven't been following the RNC, but I'm sure the people who
have will be able to explain in its all its true horror.
There's also this story: Inae Oh: [07-16]
The DNC's plan to force Biden's nomination is everything people
hate about the DNC. If they go through with this, it won't
have been the first time they gamed the rules to help Biden
escape normal Democratic procedures: derailing the Iowa caucus
and New Hampshire primary, where Biden had performed poorly in
2016, while making South Carolina the first primary, eliminated
the most likely path for someone more credible than Dean Phillips
to challenge Biden, so no one risked it. This would be shabby
in any case, but is especially galling from the people who sell
themselves as the guardians of democracy.
New records reviewed this week:
- أحمد [Ahmed]: Wood Blues (2022 [2024], Astral Spirits): [sp]: A-
- Kenny Barron: Beyond This Place (2024, Artwork): [sp]: A-
- BassDrumBone: Afternoon (2023 [2024], Auricle): [cd]: B+(***)
- Jamie Baum Septet+: What Times Are These (2023 [2024], Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(*)
- Albert Beger/Ziv Taubenfeld/Shay Hazan/Hamid Drake: Cosmic Waves (2023 [2024], No Business): [cd]: A-
- Anthony Braxton: 10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022 (2022 [2024], Braxton House): [bc]: B+(*)
- George Cartwright & Bruce Golden: Dilate (2024, self-released): [bc]: B+(*)
- Ivanna Cuesta: A Letter to the Earth (2023 [2024], Orenda): [sp]" A-
- Jeremiah Cymerman: Body of Light (2022-23 [2024], 5049): [sp]: B+(*)
- Welf Dorr/Elias Meister/Dmitry Ishenko/Kenny Wollesen: So Far So Good (2022 [2024], self-released): [bc]: A-
- Edition Redux: Better a Rook Than a Pawn (2023, Audiographic): [bc]: B+(***)
- Bill Frisell: Orchestras (2021-22 [2024], Blue Note): [sp]: B+(**)
- Paul Giallorenzo Trio: Play (2021 [2023, Delmark): [sp]: B+(*)
- Erik Griswold/Chloe Kim/Helen Svoboda: Anatomical Heart (2023 [2024], Earshift Music): [sp]: B+(**)
- Sarah Hanahan: Among Giants (2024, Blue Engine): [sp]: B+(***)
- Simon Hanes: Tsons of Tsunami (2024, Tzadik): [sp]: B+(**)
- Roger Kellaway: Live at Mezzrow (2023 [2024], Cellar Music): [sp]: B+(*)
- Brian Landrus: Plays Ellington & Strayhorn (2023 [2024], Palmetto): [cd]: B+(***)
- Nduduzo Makhathini: Unomkhubulwane (2024, Blue Note): [sp]: B+(***)
- Fabiano do Nascimento & Sam Gendel: The Room (2024, Real World): [sp]: B+(**)
- Madeleine Peyroux: Let's Walk (2024, Just One Recording/Thirty Tigers): [sp]: B+(***)
- Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (2023 [2024], Cuneiform): [dl]: A-
- Michael Shrieve: Drums of Compassion (2024, 7D Media): [sp]: B+(*)
- Harry Skoler: Red Brick Hill (2022 [2024], Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
- Something Else! [Featuring Vincent Herring]: Soul Jazz (2024, Smoke Sessions): [sp]: B+(*)
- Gregory Tardy: In His Timing (2023, WJ3): [bc]: B+(*)
- Alan Walker: A Little Too Late (2024, Aunt Mimi's): [cd]: B+(*)
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Louis Armstrong: Louis in London (1968 [2024], Verve): [sp]: A-
- Derek Bailey/Sabu Toyozumi: Breath Awareness (1987 [2024], NoBusiness): [cd]: B+(***)
- Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet: Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (1998-2005 [2024], No Business): [cd]: A-
- Peter Brötzmann/Toshinori Kondo/Sabu Toyozumi: Complete Link (2016 [2024], NoBusiness): [cd]: A-
- Nat King Cole: Live at the Blue Note Chicago (1953 [2024], Iconic): [sp]: B+(**)
- The Jazzanians: We Have Waited Too Long (1988 [2024], Ubuntu Music): [sp]: B+(**)
- Charles Mingus: Incarnations (1960 [2024], Candid): [sp]: B+(**)
- Louis Moholo-Moholo: Louis Moholo-Moholo's Viva-La-Black (1988 [2024], Ogun): [bc]: B+(**)
- Septet Matchi-Oul: Terremoto (1971 [2024], Souffle Continu): [sp]: B+(***)
- Sun Ra & His Arkestra: Pink Elephants on Parade (1985-90 [2024], Modern Harmonic): [sp]: B+(***)
- The John Wright Trio: South Side Soul (1960 [2024], Craft): [sp]: B+(**)
Old music:
- Albert Beger: The Primitive (1995, NMC): [sp]: B+(**)
- Albert Beger: lThe Art of the Moment (2000, Third Ear Music): [sp]: B+(*)
- Welf Dorr: Funk Monk 2002 (2002 [2020], self-released): [sp]: B+(*)
- Welf Dorr: Flowers for Albert (2005 [2020], self-released): [sp]: B+(**)
- Welf Dorr Unit: Blood (2014 [2018], Creative Sources): [bc]: B+(*)
- Welf Dorr/Dmitry Ishenko/Joe Hertenstein: Pandemic House Sessions (2020 [2021], self-released): [sp]: B+(***)
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Greg Copeland: Empire State (Franklin & Highland, EP) [09-06]
- Ize Trio: The Global Suites (self-released) [08-02]
- Frank Paul Schubert/Michel Pilz/Stefan Scheib/Klaus Kugel: Live at FreeJazz Saar 2019 (Nemu) [05-01]
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll ballot, new albums:
- Fay Victor: Herbie Nichols SUNG: Life Is Funny That Way (Tao Forms, 2CD)
- Emmeluth's Amoeba: Nonsense (Moserobie)
- Luke Stewart Silt Trio: Unknown Rivers (Pi)
- Ballister: Smash and Grab (Aerophonic)
- Dave Douglas: Gifts (Greenleaf Music)
- The Core: Roots (Moserobie)
- James Brandon Lewis Quartet: Transfiguration (Intakt) **
- Romy Glod/Christian Ramond/Klaus Kugel: No ToXiC (Nemu)
- Ivo Perelman Quartet: Water Music (RogueArt) *
- Mike Monford: The Cloth I'm Cut From (self-released)
Old music:
- Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance, 3CD)
- Mal Waldron/Steve Lacy: The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music, 2CD)
- Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet: Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (No Business)
- Mars Williams & Hamid Drake: I Know You Are but What Am I (1996, Corbett vs. Dempsey) **
Daily Log
I made a quick pass at a
Best Jazz Albums of 2024,
thinking that might help me construct a mid-year poll ballot. I
didn't want to put the effort into doing a companion non-jazz file,
but as a side effect, I wound up with the following list of A/A-
non-jazz new releases:
- Heems & Lapgan: Lafandar (Veena Sounds)
- Fox Green: Light Over Darkness (self-released)
- Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless (Parlophone)
- The Paranoid Style: The Interrogator (Bar/None)
- Beth Gibbons: Lives Outgrown (Domino)
- Kali Uchis: Orquídeas (Geffen)
- Dua Lipa: Radical Optimism (Warner)
- Bill Ryder-Jones: Iechyd Da (Domino)
- Thomas Anderson: Hello, I'm From the Future (Out There)
- Kim Gordon: The Collective (Matador)
- Tierra Whack: World Wide Whack (Interscope)
- Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department (Republic)
- Bob Vylan: Humble as the Sun (Ghost Theatre)
- Willie Nelson: The Border (Legacy)
- Kneecap: Fine Art (Heavenly)
- 1010benja: Ten Total (Three Six Zero)
- Nia Archives: Silence Is Loud (Hijinxx/Island)
- Maggie Rogers: Don't Forget Me (Capitol)
- Madi Diaz: Weird Faith (Anti-)
- Serengeti: KDIV (Othar)
- Kacey Musgraves: Deeper Well (MCA Nashville)
- Leyla McCalla: Sun Without the Heat (Anti-)
- Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft (Interscope)
- Hermanos Gutiérrez: Sonido Cósmico (Easy Eye Sound)
- Sprints: Letter to Self (City Slang)
Also non-jazz reissues/compilations/archival music:
- Franco & O.K. Jazz: Franco Luambo Makiadi Presents Les Editions Populaires (1968-1970) (Planet Ilunga)
- Mixmaster Morris/Jonah Sharp/Haruomi Hosono: Quiet Logic (1998, WRWTFWW)
- Rail Band: Buffet Hotel De La Gare, Bamako (1973, Mississippi)
- Merengue Típico, Nueva Generación! (1960s-70s, Bongo Joe)
- Austin Peralta: Endless Planets [Deluxe Edition] (2011, Brainfeeder)
Meanwhile, the jazz list looks like this:
- Fay Victor: Herbie Nichols SUNG: Life Is Funny That Way (Tao Forms, 2CD)
- Emmeluth's Amoeba: Nonsense (Moserobie)
- Luke Stewart Silt Trio: Unknown Rivers (Pi)
- Ballister: Smash and Grab (Aerophonic)
- Dave Douglas: Gifts (Greenleaf Music)
- The Core: Roots (Moserobie)
- James Brandon Lewis Quartet: Transfiguration (Intakt) **
- Romy Glod/Christian Ramond/Klaus Kugel: No ToXiC (Nemu)
- Ivo Perelman Quartet: Water Music (RogueArt) *
- Mike Monford: The Cloth I'm Cut From (self-released)
- Matt Wilson: Matt Wilson's Good Trouble (Palmetto)
- Advancing on a Wild Pitch: Disasters, Vol. 2 (Hot Cup) **
- Dan Weiss: Even Odds (Cygnus)
- QOW Trio: The Hold Up (Ubuntu Music) **
- Ivo Perelman/Mark Helias/Tom Rainey: Truth Seeker (Fundacja Sluchaj) **>
- Queen Esther: Things Are Looking Up (EL)
- Dave Rempis/Pandelis Karayorgis/Jakob Heinemann/Bill Harris: Truss (Aerophonic/Drift)
- Julia Vari Feat. Negroni's Trio: Somos (Alternative Representa)
- Chris Potter/Brad Mehldau/John Patitucci/Brian Blade: Eagle's Point (Edition) **
- Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Open Me, a Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse) **
- David Murray Quartet: Francesca (Intakt) **
- Matthew Shipp Trio: New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz (ESP-Disk)
- Amanda Gardier: Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson (self-released)
- Four + Six: Four + Six (Jazz Hang)
- Charles Lloyd: The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow (Blue Note) **
- Ivanna Cuesta: A Letter to the Earth (Orenda) **
- Idit Shner & Mhondoro: Ngatibatanei [Let Us Unite!] (OA2)
- Jason Stein/Marilyn Crispell/Damon Smith/Adam Shead: Spi-raling Horn (Balance Point Acoustics) **
- Claudio Scolari Project: Intermission (Principal)
- Ivo Perelman/Barry Guy/Ramon Lopez: Interaction (Ibeji Music) **
- Charlie Kohlhase's Explorer's Club: A Second Life (Mandorla Music) **
- John Surman: Words Unspoken (ECM) **
- William Parker/Cooper-Moore/Hamid Drake: Heart Trio (AUM Fidelity)
- Joel Ross: Nublues (Blue Note) **
- Radam Schwartz: Saxophone Quartet Music (Arabesque)
- Tomeka Reid Quartet: 3+3 (Cuneiform) **
- Alfredo Colón: Blood Burden (Out of Your Head)
- Albert Beger/Ziv Taubenfeld/Shay Hazan/Hamid Drake: Cosmic Waves (No Business)
- Welf Dorr/Elias Meister/Dmitry Ishenko/Kenny Wollesen: So Far So Good (self-released) **
- Julieta Eugenio: Stay (Cristalyn)
- Layale Chaker & Sarafand: Radio Afloat (In a Circle)
- Samo Salamon/Vasil Hadzimanov/Ra-Kalam Bob Moses: Dances of Freedom (Samo)
- Nicole Glover: Plays (Savant) **
- Owen Broder: Hodges: Front and Center, Vol. Two (Outside In Music)
- Jason Robinson: Ancestral Numbers (Playscape)
- Beings: There Is a Garden (No Quarter) **
- Maria Faust Jazz Catastrophe: 3rd Mutation: Moth (Bush Flash) **
- Gilbert Holmström: Peak (Moserobie)
- Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet: Four Guitars Live (Palilalia) **
- Ernesto Rodrigues/Bruno Parinha/Joăo Madeira: Into the Wood (Creative Sources)
- Mathias Hřjgaard Jensen: Is as Is (Fresh Sound New Talent)
- Mercer Hassy Orchestra: Duke's Place (Mercer Hassy)
And for reissues/compilations/archival music:
- Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver: The 1959 European Tour Recordings (Resonance, 3CD)
- Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet: Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (No Business)
- Mal Waldron/Steve Lacy: The Mighty Warriors: Live in Antwerp (1995, Elemental Music, 2CD)
- Charles Gayle/Milford Graves/William Parker: WEBO (1991, Black Editions Archive) **
- Mars Williams & Hamid Drake: I Know You Are but What Am I (1996, Corbett vs. Dempsey) **
- Alice Coltrane: The Carnegie Hall Concert (1971, Impulse!) **
- Mal Waldron/Terumasa Hino: Reminscent Suite (1973, BBE) **
- Grupo Irakere: Grupo Irakere (1976, Mr. Bongo) **
- Louis Armstrong: Louis in London (1968, Verve) **
- Art Tatum: Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings (Resonance, 3CD)
- Christer Bothén Featuring Bolon Bata: Trancedance [40th Anniversary Edition] (1984, Black Truffle) **
- Roberto Magris: Love Is Passing Thru: Solo/Duo/Trio/Quartet (2004, JMood)
Monday, July 15, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
Not actually posted until 16-July-2024.
I'm starting this introduction on Tuesday, already two days late,
ignoring for now the new news pouring in, especially from the RNC.
Due to my
Mid-Year Jazz Critics
Poll project, I wasn't able to start until Saturday, at which
point I started with the long introduction to the
Biden section. After that, I scrounged up
a few quick links to seemingly important stories. The alleged Trump
shooting -- I'm not denying it, but I'm not fully buying it either --
had just happened, so I had to spin off a section on that. Monday
the Cannon ruling on the Trump documents case came down, so I had
to note that. If I find out that Hamas and Netanyahu agreed to a
cease fire deal -- I've heard that, but as I'm writing this I haven't
seen any confirmation -- I'll note that too. (But thus far I've been
smart to ignore past rumors of impending agreement.)
A couple days ago, still with Biden very much on my mind, I thought
I'd begin this introduction with a spur-of-the-moment tweet I
posted:
Unsolicited advice to the ruling class: can someone point out to Biden
that being president and running are two different full-time jobs. He
should pick one, like the one we need someone to focus on and do well,
right now. He could set a model we should add to the Constitution.
Looking it up now, I see that it only has 97 views, with 0 replies,
forwards, or likes. It seems like views have been steadily declining,
although the number of followers (640) is about double from a long
plateau about a year ago.
One thing that stimulated my thought was when I saw several folks
pushing a constitutional amendment to impose a maximum age limit on
presidents. (Search doesn't reveal a lot of examples, but
here's one.) I have no time to argue this here, but I've often
worried about the accumulation of arbitrary power in the presidency --
especially war-making power, but there are other issues here -- and
with in the development of a political personality cult (Reagan is
the obvious example, with Trump even more so, but they at least
remained aligned with their party, while Clinton and Obama used
their office to direct their party to their own personal fortunes,
a shift that worked to the detriment of other Democrats).
Banning self-succession (second consecutive terms) wouldn't
fix all of the problems with the presidency, but it would help,
especially in terms of democracy. I won't go into details here,
but there should also be limits on nepotism (spouses, children,
possibly more), and major campaign finance reforms. Whether you
keep the two-term total limit is optional -- eliminating it may
get rid of the often stupid "lame duck" argument. But I also
suspect that people will have little appetite for returning a
non-incumbent ex-president.
One more point: if presidents can't run again, maybe they'll
actually put their political instincts aside and settle into
actually doing their jobs. Trump is the obvious worst-case
example: the first thing he did after inauguration in 2017 was
to file as a candidate for 2020, and he returned to holding
campaign rallies a month or two later. Given how temperamental
his judgment was, we are probably lucky that he turned out to
be so oblivious to actually doing the job, but that's hardly
something we can count on saving us again. Even more competent
presidents were repeatedly distracted by political duties --
ones they were, as a requirement for selection, more interested
in, if not necessarily better at.
At this point, the essential skill sets of campaigners and
administrators have diverged so radically that it's almost
inconceivable that you could find one person for both jobs.
I could imagine a constitutional change where whoever wins the
presidency has to appoint someone else (or maybe a troika) to
run the executive government, while being personally limited
to symbolic public service, like the King of England, or the
President of Israel. But the amendment I proposed above should
be a much easier sell, especially given the mess we're in now.
Fortunately, we don't actually need the amendment this year.
All we need is for Biden to drop out. As I explain below, there
are lots of good reasons for him to do so. This is one more,
and if he grasped it, would be a principled one.
About 10 PM Tuesday, time to call it quits for this week. I may
pick up a few adds while I'm working on the similarly delayed Music
Week, but I expect to be extremely busy on deadline day for the
Mid-Year Jazz Critics Poll (up to 78 ballots as I write this). No
doubt I'll have to do a lot of cross-checking next week to keep
from repeating stories. But the big ones, rest assured, will
return, pretty much as they are here, so what's below should
give you a leg up on everyone else.
Top story threads:
Israel:
Mondoweiss:
Ellen Cantarow: [07-14]
A cancer on the West Bank: "How the Israeli extreme right has
achieved victory." Essential history, starting with Gush Emunim
and the Alon Plan. If you don't know this stuff, you should.
Tareq S Hajjaj: [07-14]
Testimonies from the Mawasi massacre: 90 people buried in the
sand: "The Israeli army committed another massacre against
displaced Palestinians in tent encampments, this time in the
coastal Mawasi area, which Israel had designated as a 'safe
zone.'"
Haggai Matar: [07-04]
A flawed peace conference offers a radical proposal: hope:
"In a context of fear, hatred, and violence, an Israeli-Palestinian
gathering that seemed detached from reality actually represented
something revolutionary."
Qassam Muaddi: [07-11]
Why the West Bank is on the verge of economic collapse: "The
West Bank's economic crisis and the expansion of Israel's settlements
are connected."
Mahmoud Mushtaha: [07-10]
Israel ordered thousands to 'safe' areas in Gaza City -- them bombed
them: "After fleeing west at the Israeli army's instruction,
Palestinians quickly found themselves encircled and under fire
from tanks, drones, and snipers."
Orly Noy: [07-04]
Only an anti-fascist front can save us from the abyss: "Israeli
society will emerge from this war more violent, nationalist, and
militaristic than ever. The work of curbing its worse impulses
must start now."
Abed Abou Shhadeh: [07-15]
For Palestinian parents, every day of this war provokes existential
anxiety: "In the annihilation of Gaza, we see a vision of our
future as Palestinians inside Israel. So do we cling to our land,
or ensure our children's safety and leave?"
Oren Ziv:
America's Israel (and Israel's America):
Israel vs. world opinion:
Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz: [07-12]
We must understand Israel as a settler-colonial state: I'd go a
bit deeper and say we can only understand Israel if we start
from acknowledging that it is primarily a settler-colonial state.
I'm not saying this because I think "settler-colonial state" means
we should automatically condemn Israel, and especially not to argue
that the only solution is expulsion ("go back where you came from"
just won't do here). But identifying it as such puts Israel into a
conceptual framework that really helps explain the options and
choices that Israeli political leaders made -- many of which do
indeed deserve approbation -- as well as providing a framework to
see some way of ending the conflict on terms that most people can
find agreeable. I would add that among settler-colonial states,
Israel is exceptionally frustrated, which is why it has turned
into such a cauldron of interminable violence.
Marcy Newman: [07-13]
The reluctant memoirist exposes the academy: "At a time when
Palestine activism and free expression at U.S. universities are
under attack, Steven Salaita's new memoir disabuses us of the
notion that these universities are anything other than hedge
funds with a campus."
James North: [07-10]
Israel's leading paper says its own army deliberately killed Israelis
on October 7. But in the US media: silence: "Israel ordered
the 'Hannibal Directive' on October 7 by ordering the killing of
captive Israeli soldiers and civilians. But the U.S. media continues
to hide the truth."
Alice Rothchild: [07-14]
The destruction of healthcare in Gaza and the scientific assessment
of settler colonial violence: "The Jewish Voice for Peace Health
Advisory Council held a distinguished panel of experts that addressed
the settler colonial determinants of health in light of the Gaza
genocide." Following up on these documents:
Philip Weiss: [07-14]
Weekly Briefing: The 'NYT' justifies Israeli slaughter of civilians
as necessary tactic: "The New York Times says Israel has been
'forced' to massacre Palestinian civilians because Hamas militants
hide in bedrooms. The U.S. used such justifications for massacres
in Vietnam."
Trump:
Well, this happened:
[Vox]: [07-14]
Who shot Trump? What we know about the assassination attempt.
[PS: This piece has been updated after I wrote the following, as
more information was released, such as the identities of the
people shot, including the alleged shooter.]
"This is what happened at the Butler rally, as we understand it
right now." As I understand it, shots were fired during a Trump
rally. Trump dropped to the ground. When he appeared again, there
was blood on his face. Secret Service surrounded him, and moved
him off the platform. The people around him jerked when he did,
but afterwards mostly looked confused. He tweeted later that he
had been shot, nicked in the ear. (From his head angle at the
time of the shot, it must have come from the far side -- not from
the crowd, or from the gallery behind him.) Reports are that two
people wound up dead -- one the alleged shooter, and another person,
still unidentified, and two more people were injured. It's not
clear where those people, including the shooter, were, or what the
timing of were. One report says the shots came from an "AR-type"
gun.
I'll link to more pieces as I collect them. But knowing only
what is in here (and having watched the video provided), my first
reaction is that a real assassination attempt like this would be
very hard to pull off, but would be very easy to fake (assuming
you could imagine that anyone involved would be willing to do so,
which with this particular crew isn't inconceivable; still, the
risk of faking it and then getting exposed seems like it should
be pretty extreme). No need to jump to that conclusion, but I'm
pretty sure the "grassy knoll" squad is going to jump all over
this story. More Vox pieces are collected in:
Donald Trump targeted in assassination attempt.
Zack Beauchamp:
Constance Grady: [07-15]
The pure media savvy of Trump's first pump photo, explained by an
expert: "It's his brand now." The interview goes into the making
of other iconic photos, as well as Trump's history of seizing on
moments like this.
Jeet Heer:
[07-13]
In the wake of the Trump shooting, we need clarity -- and caution:
"The best way to fend off conspiracy theories and instability is by
emphasizing the need for solid facts."
[07-14]
Biden condemns political violence without whitewashing Trump:
"The president deftly avoids the trap of surrendering his critique
of MAGA lawlessness."
Murtza Hussain:
Will this make Trump more popular? "Assassination attempts
targeting populist leaders have had a track record of boosting
their popularity."
Sarah Jones: [07-15]
God's strongman.
Ed Kilgore: [07-15]
Trump assassination attempt makes 2024 election more bonkers than
ever: "But will it cinch a victory for him?" Evidently,
"many Republicans are
already saying the bullets that nearly killed Donald Trump have
clinched his return to the White House."
Natasha Lennard:
The only kind of "political violence" all U.S. politicians oppose.
Eric Levitz:
[07-14]
Heated rhetoric is dangerous, but honest disagreement is necessary
for democracy: "Critics are blaming Democratic rhetoric for
Trump's shooting. Here's what they're missing." Subheds: "Biden's
most heated rhetoric about Trump is defensible"; "heated rhetoric
is an inextricable feature of democratic life." Maybe he figures
it's too soon, but sooner or later someone will recall that the
only candidate who's ever called for "2nd amendment people" to
take matters into their own hands is one Donald J. Trump.
[07-14]
Yes, it's still fair to call Trump a threat to democracy: "The
attempt on his life shouldn't cow his critics." Looks like a new
title for the same article.
Stephen Prager: [07-16]
'Political violence' is all around us: "Condemning 'political
violence' rings hollow coming from politicians who are highly
selective in the violence they deplore. We should oppose it
consistently."
Aja Romano: [07-15]
The Trump assassination attempt was a window into America's fractured
reality. I'm not sure whether the subhed is a conclusion or just
a premise: "The shooting wasn't staged, but conspiratorial thinking
has become widespread in our paranoid age." You know, the latter
truism doesn't prove "the shooting wasn't staged." It just suggests
that we shouldn't jump to that conclusion.
Helen Santoro/Lucy Dean Stockton/David Sirota/Joel
Warner:
Pennsylvania GOP fought a ban on the gun used in Trump shooting.
Timothy Messer-Kruse: [07-15]
The myth of the magic bullet: He doesn't weigh in on the Trump
shooting, but takes on the more general idea, that a single bullet
can change history for the better. I rather doubt his assertion
that "there would still be a MAGA movement" without Trump, because
no matter how much fuel of "white resentment" had accumulated, it
still took a spark to set it off, and it's hard to find a leader
with Trump's particular mix of ego and ignorance. But he is right
when he says, "Trump is not a threat to democracy as much as he
is a symbol of its deepening absence."
On Monday, Trump announced his pick for vice president: JD Vance:
Zack Beauchamp: [07-15]
What J.D. Vance really believes: "The dark worldview of Trump's
choice for vice president, explained."
Vance has said that, had he been vice president in 2020, he would
have carried out Trump's scheme for the vice president to overturn
the election results. He has fundraised for January 6 rioters. He
once called on the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation
into a Washington Post columnist who penned a critical piece about
Trump. After last week's assassination attempt on Trump, he attempted
to whitewash his radicalism by blaming the shooting on Democrats'
rhetoric about democracy without an iota of evidence.
This worldview translates into a very aggressive agenda for a
second Trump presidency. In a podcast interview, Vance said that
Trump should "fire every single mid-level bureaucrat" in the US
government and "replace them with our people." If the courts attempt
to stop this, Vance says, Trump should simply ignore the law.
"You stand before the country, like Andrew Jackson did, and say
the chief justice has made his ruling, now let him enforce it," he
declares.
Aaron Blake: [07-15]
The risk of J.D. Vance: "Trump went with the MAGA pick. But the
2022 election suggests that might not be the right electoral one."
Jonathan Chait: [07-15]
J.D. Vance joins ticket with man he once called 'America's Hitler':
"Apparently he meant it as a compliment."
Ben Jacobs: [07-15]
J.D. Vance on his MAGA conversion: "Trump's man in Ohio once called
him 'America's Hitler,' but there's an explanation."
Sarah Jones: [07-15]
Hillbilly shapeshifter: "Re-reading J.D. Vance's memoir." This
came out earlier this year, but gets an update for the moment.
Ed Kilgore: [07-15]
J.D. Vance as VP means Trump picks MAGA over 'unity'.
What does "unity" even mean? Trump has complete control. He doesn't
need to compromise with anyone. One might ask why he would pick a
double-crossing weasel, but Trump probably figure he's on top of
that game. Maybe Kilgore is just trying to plug the Intelligencer
liveblog:
So much for 'national unity': RNC live updates. Republicans
don't need "unity": they believe they're the only ones who count,
so they already are "unity" -- now if they can just get rid of
everyone else, they'll be set (and America will be great again,
like it was when the other people didn't count).
Daniel Larison: [07-15]
What will Vance do for Trump's foreign policy? "The Ohio senator's
ideology is hard to nail down as he has vacillated between restraint
and interventionism."
Steve M: [07-15]
J.D. Vance probably hates you more than Trump does: "It is clear
that Vance is an angry, nasty person whose contempt for the people
he doesn't like is bone deep." Also:
Now that Trump has chosen Vance, I expect Democrats to focus on the
mean tweets Vance posted about Trump before he became a Trump fan.
I don't see the point -- politicians (and non-politicians) change
their minds about people all the time. Kamala Harris said harsh
things about Joe Biden during the 2020 campaign. George H.W. Bush
attacked Ronald Reagan's economic ideas in the 1980 campaign. I
think it's more important for voters to know how much contempt
Vance has for everyone who disagrees with him or does things he
doesn't like. I have kids, so he hates me. Maybe he hates you too.
Veronica Riccobene/Helen Santoro/Joel Warner:
J.D. Vance wants police to track people who have abortions.
Ross Rosenfeld:
The scary message Trump sent by choosing J.D. Vance: "The Ohio
senator is a sycophant who will never challenge or question his
boss -- not even to defend American democracy."
Of course, the Trump news doesn't end there.
Sasha Abramsky: [07-14]
A brief history of Trump and violence: "But that can't be allowed
to erase the long, ugly history of Trump's dalliance with violence."
David Atkins: [07-08]
Pay attention to Trump's every cruel and crazy syllable: "All eyes
are on President Biden's words, but Trump is getting meaner and
increasingly bonkers each day."
Let's look at just a few recent examples.
- Trump wants to make poor migrants fight each other for sport.
- Trump wants to ban electric cars because someone in an electric
boat might get eaten by a shark.
- Donald Trump wants to ban all vaccine mandates in schools,
which would include polio, measlesl, etc.
- Trump wants to end meaningful elections in the United States.
- Trump thinks the end of Roe v Wade was "amazing" and brags
that he was "able to kill Roe v. Wade.
Elizabeth Austin: [07-13]
Trump's Democrats-support-infanticide trope is an infuriating lie:
"Republicans like the soon-to-be GOP presidential nominee are mocking
every woman who got that horrible call from the obstetrician and made
the tragic decision to end a hopeless pregnancy."
Christopher Fettweis: [05-15]
Trump's big idea: Deploy assassination teams to Mexico: "His
plan to kill drug kingpins to solve the American opioid crisis
will backfire dramatically."
Chris Lehman: [07 -11]
Donald Trump's new strategy: act normal: "With the opposition in
disarray, Trump and his campaign have begun exhibiting unusual restraint
in hopes of expanding his support."
Clarence Lusane: [07-12]
Who thinks Donald Trump is racist? "Other racists, that's who!"
Nicole Narea: [07-15]
A right-wing judge just threw out a case against Trump in a brazen
abuse of power: "The classified documents case against Trump
hits another major setback before the 2024 election." Why?
In her ruling, Cannon argued that because Smith had not been appointed
a special counsel by the president and confirmed by the Senate, his
appointment violated the Constitution's Appointments Clause. . . .
Cannon's ruling, which relies on a stringent reading of the
Constitution and represents a brazen break with precedent, has
come under
heavy criticism from
legal scholars. Under her ruling, the appointment of prior
special counsels would have also come into question, from Archibald
Cox, who investigated the Watergate scandal that led to President
Richard Nixon's resignation, to Robert Mueller, who investigated
Russian interference in the 2016 election.
I'm sure there will be more on this next week. Well, for now,
this one is worth quoting at length:
Steve M.: [07-15]
The death of America is steady rot:
We think we'll lose democracy and the rule of law suddenly if Donald
Trump becomes president again. We think the edifice will be destroyed
like the Twin Towers on 9/11: the planes hit the buildings, and without
hours they collapsed in on themselves.
But our system is like a house that's rotting room by room. The
foundation has cracks. There are termites. The roof leaks. One room
after another has become uninhabitable.
We've lost the federal courts. The would-be murderers of America
already have the federal bench they need to sustain the horrible
America they want. A second Trump presidency won't really worsen
the federal bench -- it will only fix it in place in its current
form for several more decades. I'm 65, and I'll never live to see
a federal bench that isn't an extremist Republican legislature in
robes.
Through gerrymandering, we lost democracy in many state legislatures
years ago. In states like North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Texas, liberals
and moderates add up to more than 45% of the electorate and have exactly
none of the legislative power, because of gerrymandering. This happened
long before Trump and there were no "Death of Democracy" front-page
headlines.
If Trump wins in November, he and the thugs of Project 2025 might
take a wrecking ball to what's left of the house. But already several
rooms are closed off. It's unsafe to live in them. And even if Trump
loses, or wins and doesn't follow through with the worst ideas his
backers have proposed, many rooms in the house will continue to rot.
A lot of this rot can be traced back to Reagan in the 1980s, when
a brief majority of Americans put sentiment and emotion over reason
and practicality, and ceded power to the people Kurt Anderson called
Evil Geniuses (subtitle: The Unmaking of America: A Recent
History), and for that matter to the conspiracies -- to use a
word we've systematically been trained to abjure -- of the 1970s
that many others have written about (off the top of my head: Rick
Perlstein, Jane Mayer, Max Blumenthal, Kim Phillips-Fein, Laura
Kalman, Nancy McLean, Jeff Madrick). For sure, part of the blame
lies with Democrats, like Carter and Clinton, who thought they
could beat the Republicans at their own game, and some to with
Democrats like Obama and Biden, who chose to play along rather
than rouse the people to defend their rights against relentless
Republican assault.
M's point is absolutely right. Bad choices often take years,
sometimes decades, to manifest themselves. To cite two examples
where the elapsed time was too short to cloud causality, the
distance from Reagan's deregulation of the S&L industry to
its collapse was 6-8 years. The distance from Clinton's repeal
of Carter-Glass and the deregulation of derivatives -- changes
mostly championed by Republicans like Phil Gramm, but Clinton
signed off on them -- was 8-10 years. Longer, more insidious
time frames are even more common. I recall George Brockway
tracing the financial madness circa 2000 back to an obscure
banking law Republicans passed after their fluke congressional
win in 1946 -- the same one that gave us Taft-Hartley, which
had little effect on unionized auto, aircraft, steel, etc.,
workers through the 1960s but led to their collapse from the
1980s on. Similarly, there are blunders from the early Cold
War that still haunt us (like the overthrow of Iran in 1953).
We've been systematically starved of democracy for decades
now: ever since campaigns became media circuses, increasingly
in thrall to the sponsor class. Maybe now that the strangulation
has become so obvious -- the only choice we've been allowed is
between the two least popular, and quite arguably the two least
competent, politicians in America -- we'll finally realize our
need to struggle to breathe free. Or maybe we'll just fucking
die. After all, we're about 90% buried already.
. . . And other Republicans:
Sasha Abramsky: [07-02]
Will Arizona be MAGA's last stand? "Trump needs the state's votes
to win. But after its highest court revived an 1864 law that bans
abortions, all bets are off."
Hassan Ali Kanu: [07-11]
No, Trump and GOP have not 'softened' on abortion, women's rights:
"The language change in their platforms is nakedly dishonest bait and
switch."
Sarah Jones: [07-14]
The authoritarian plot: "At the National Conservatism conference,
Republicans mix with racists ranting about 'post-white America.'"
Steve M: I have a couple more of his posts elsewhere,
but let's go to town here:
[07-13]
First thoughts on the shooting (updated): Starts with his own
prediction tweet: "Every rank-and-file Republican voter believes
this was an assassination attempt ordered by President Biden.
Trump will soon start pouring gasoline on the flames by stating
this as if it's fact." Update shows it's happening even ahead of
Trump's provocation. He does have them well trained.
[07-13]
Project 2025: the gaslighting is well underway.
[07-13]
Fear the all-powerful left! "The fever dreams of the propaganda-addled
crazies at the Heritage Foundation are hilarious."
[07-12]
Are Biden's poll numbers impervious to bad news, like Trump's?
I think the upshot here is that while people may not know what (or
whom) to believe, they've become so wary of being lied to that they
reject any news, probably from any source, leaving them impervious
to change. If you're a journalist/pundit, you may think it's your
job to adjust to new facts, but if you're not, it's just fucking
noise, almost all of which can be discounted.
[07-11]
New York Times editorial: Trump is bad -- but the Republican
Party is awesome! That editorial was titled
Trump is not fit to lead.
Not a single Democrat is cited in this editorial. I understand that
that's the point -- the ed board members, if you asked them about
this, would say, "We're making the point that even Trump's fellow
Republicans know he's unfit" (though no Republican in good standing
dares to say that). But this is also a sign that the Times
ed board agrees with the Republican Party's decades-long campaign
to "other" Democrats. Our political culture accepts the GOP's assertion
that Democrats aren't really Americans.
[07-10]
Dear Democrats: You know people can hear you, right? (updated):
It's been thirteen days since the June 27 debate. On each of those
thirteen days, the top news story in America -- not just in the
monomaniacal New York Times, but everywhere -- has been
"Christ, That Joe Biden Is Really, Really Old. He Can't Possibly
Win. He Has to Step Aside. Has He Done It Yet?" Other stories,
including stories that could have been very damaging to Donald
Trump, were fully or partly buried. And still Democrats can't
muscle Biden out, persuade him to leave the race, or stop talking
about it and get behind him. . . .
I think Democrats believe it's okay for this to play out in
public for two weeks -- two weeks of bad headlines for the man
who now seems certain to be the nominee -- because of a fundamental
misunderstanding of politics that hurts them in other areas as well.
They think this is fine because they think voters pay attention to
politics only in the last couple of months before an election.
That's the reason most Democrats don't bother with messaging unless
it's election season, while Republicans engage in messaging every
day of every year.
I'm not personally super bothered by the protracted process, but
clearly this has given Trump and the Republicans a whole month of
big PR wins, from the June 27 debate all the way through the end
of the RNC, especially as, in response to the shooting incident,
Democrats have wisely decided to pull their ads, and keep their
powder dry. But if the election was next week, this would have
been a total disaster for the Democracy. (Maybe not for the small-d
concept, but that's what they called the Party back in Jackson's
day, and that's what Will Rogers meant when he said he wasn't a
member of an organized political party: he was a democrat.) But
at some point soon-ish, they really have to get the act together
and turn this mess around. I don't see how they can do that without
first jettisoning Biden, who is the indelible personification of
a much greater crisis in democratic faith.
[07-09]
The press doesn't have a "bias toward coherence" -- it has a bias
toward Republicans.
Shawn Musgrave:
Trump's camp says it has nothing to do with Project 2025 manifesto --
aside from writing it.
Timothy Noah:
The GOP platform perfectly reflects the lunacy of Trump's party:
"I read it so you don't have to: It's an unconditional surrender to
the cult of Trump, and its plan to reduce inflation is laughable."
Rick Perlstein: [07-10]
Project 2025 . . . and 1921, and 1973, and 1981: "Terrifying
blueprints for the next Republican presidency are a quadrennial
tradition." Perlstein points out that aside from all the truly
evil stuff you've possibly read about elsewhere, there is also a
lot of confusion and in-fighting going on. For example:
The section about Russia in the State Department chapter -- the
author is an old hand of the High Reaganite wing of the Republican
foreign-policy guild; a "globalist," if you will -- emphasizes that
the Russia-Ukraine conflict "starkly divides conservatives," with
one faction arguing for the "presence of NATO and U.S. troops if
necessary," while the other "denies that U.S. Ukrainian support is
in the national security interest of America at all."
This misunderstanding is important. The silence, so far,
on those parts, indicts us. These are great, big, blinking red
"LOOK AT ME" advertisements of vulnerabilities within the conservative
coalition. Wedge issues. Opportunities to split Republicans at their
most vulnerable joints, much as when Richard Nixon cynically expanded
affirmative action requirements for federal building projects, in
order to seed resentment between blue-collar building trades Democrats
and Black Democrats.
And yes, there is plenty of blunt insanity, too. But, bottom line,
this is a complicated document. "Conservatives in Disarray" is precisely
the opposite message from that conveyed by all the coverage of Project
2025. But it is an important component of this complexity, and why this
text should be picked apart, not panicked over, and studied both for
the catastrophes it portends and the potential it provides.
Andrew Prokop: [07-13]
Project 2025: The myths and the facts: "The sweeping conservative
plan for Trump's second term is very real. Here's what it actually
says."
Prem Thakker:
GOP platform doesn't mention the word "climate" once -- even after
hottest year on record.
Biden
Evidently Biden's age was already an issue in 2008, when Barack
Obama picked him for Vice President. The thinking was that his age
would balance off Obama's youth, that the position would cap off
an already long and distinguished political career, and that he'd
be too old to mount a serious run in 2016, leaving the field open
for Hillary Clinton.
But when Clinton lost to Donald Trump -- let
that sink in for a moment, folks -- Biden convinced himself that
he could have done better, and set out to prove it in 2020. And
he was a flop, his age dulling the charisma he never really had
in the first place, but with Bernie Sanders a year older age
wasn't so much an issue, and with Sanders winning, Biden became
the only credible option to stop him, and the donor wing of the
Democratic Party were desperate to do that.
After derailing Sanders, defeating Trump should have been the
easy part, but somehow Biden managed to make even that look hard
fraught. He won, but not decisively enough to lead Congress, or
to squelch Trump's big lie about a rigged/stolen election. Trump
has, if anything, loomed larger in American politics than Biden,
even as president, could do. While that is testimony to several
alarming tendencies in public opinion -- and media that both
panders to and cashes in on controversy -- one cannot help but
suspect that Biden's age is part of the problem.
At any rate, it's the part that people focus on once they
realize that there is a problem that it could plausibly explain.
They do that because it's tangible, something they have lots of
experience with or at least observing. It's also something you
can base expectations on, because it's inevitably progressive:
if age seems to be a problem now, you can only expect it to get
worse. Many Democrats, especially one who have closely bound
their careers to Biden, have worked hard to hide evidence and
deflect discussion of Biden's age -- even from Biden himself.
But once you see it, as most people did in his June 27 debate
with Trump, it's hard to revert to denialism. It's like the
zit you never noticed, then found you can't avert your eyes
from. Pretty soon you wind up with the Emperor's New Clothes.
As the following links will show, Democrats are divided: Biden
and his closest allies still think that if they hold firm, he can
ride the story cycle out, and by November refocus the campaign on
beating back the immense threat of a Trump win; many others are
skeptical and/or worried sick; a few actually see that replacing
Biden with a younger, more dynamic, and hopefully much sharper
candidate -- Harris seems to fill that bill, and is well-placed
to step in, but there could be dozens of good options -- opens up
an opportunity to not just eke out a win in November but deliver
a crushing blow to Trump and his crony fascists.
As I've probably made clear over the last couple weeks, I'm
skeptical, but also in the latter camp. I'm not really capable
of the sort of despair that sees Biden, even as decrepit as he
obviously is, losing to Trump -- despair in the future tense,
as anticipation of a horrible turn of events, something very
different from the sickening feeling when such events happen
(as I remember all too well from November 2016). That part is
just faith, still intact even if waiting to be shattered.
But my skepticism takes many forms. The one I'm most certain
of is that if Biden remains in the race, he will commit a fair
number of age-related gaffes and blunders, maybe including what
wouldn't be his first fall, and that every time he does, his age
will return as the paramount media obsession, shifting attention
from the real and present threat of Trump. I don't know how many
votes that will cost Biden, but it is a risk, and also a major
opportunity cost. We need Democrats to win not just to stop
Trump and shore up the somewhat liberal wing of the militarist
oligarchy that Biden aligns with, but to actually address real
problems, helping an overwhelming majority of Americans through
very troubling times.
Another form of skepticism is suggested by my rather sour turn
of phrase in that last line. I gravitated toward the new left in
the late 1960s, and since then I've been as acutely critical of
the Democratic Party as I've been of the Republicans, even as I've
most often voted for Democrats, figuring them to be not just lesser
evils but occasionally good for modest reforms. Either is reason
enough to vote Democratic. (It's not like your vote is good for
much else.) But if you're on the left (or anywhere else excluded
from access to power), you might also consider voting a tactical
choice: you're going to spend the next four years in opposition
anyway, but which issues would you rather protest against? Biden,
or any other Democrat with a chance, will leave you plenty to
argue against.
One thing I can say about age is that it mellows you out. My
critical analysis is as radical (in the sense I originally got
from a 1966 book titled
The New
Radicals) as ever, but my appetite for conflict has really
dimmed, and I'm willing to appreciate almost any tad of ameliorative
reform. I chalk much of my personal change up to aging, and I suspect
similar things happen to most people, including politicians like
Biden. As I've noticed, Biden is the only president in my lifetime
who turned out better than I expected (well, until Gaza, which is
hard to excuse). Part of that is that he came in with really low
expectations. Part of it may be that he's old enough to remember
the pre-Carter, pre-Reagan, pre-Clinton Democrats -- even though
he seemed totally simpatico with them, you know how old people
lose recent memories before they lose formative ones? There's no
one else like him in the Democratic Party these days. (Sanders
is old enough, but never was that kind of Democrat. He was much
better, which is why he remains so much sharper.) I do worry that
whoever replaces Biden will be just another neoliberal shill. But
even where Biden's heart is in the right place -- and, let's face
it, it isn't always -- he's lost his ability to persuade, to lead,
and to listen.
So my considered view is that we need to move him out, and start
working on viable future. Even if Biden sticks and wins -- and I'll
vote for him, despite thinking he really belongs in a Hague Court --
he's only going to get older, more decrepit, less credible, more
embarrassing, and less effective as he struggles to hang on past
his 86th birthday. And if he dies, resigns, or has to be removed,
his replacement will enter with a much reduced mandate. Dump him
now, elect his replacement, elect a Congress that's willing to do
things, and the next four years will start looking up.
I guess that's more of an editorial than an introduction. I
wrote it before collecting the following links:
Intelligencer: [07-09]
Biden resistance appears to be waning in Congress: For a brief
period, this publication seemed convinced that Biden is persevering
in his fight to stay atop the Democratic Party ticket.
Sasha Abramsky: [07-10]
An open letter to the president of the United States: "There are
worse things in life than a comfortable retirement."
Michael Arria: [07-09]
Biden was already a vulnerable candidate because of the genocide:
"Biden was already plummeting in the polls before his disastrous
presidential debate with Trump. The reason was his ongoing complicity
in the Gaza genocide and the Uncommitted movement."
David Atkins: [07-11]
I'm a DNC member and a public opinion professional. It's highly unlikely
Biden can win: "Only one person can build on the administration's
accomplishments, have unfettered access to funds and ballot lines,
and do so without wasting precious time. Her name is Kamala Harris."
Another long-time, major Biden apologist breaks ranks.
Rachel Bade/Eugene Daniels/Ryan Lizza: [07-11]
Playbook: What Obama and Pelosi are doing about Biden. Report
here is that George Clooney showed his op-ed to Obama before he
ran it, and did not receive any objection. "Obama's team declined
to comment." Pelosi seems to be maneuvering behind the scenes, but
"out of respect for Biden and national security writ large" thought
he should hang on through the NATO summit. Now (my thinking here),
with the shooting, it would make sense to wait until after the RNC
shuts down.
Joseph Contreras: [07-06]
What Joe Biden could learn from Nelson Mandela about knowing when
to quit: "Unlike the beleaguered U.S. president, the South
African leader did not want to be an 81-year-old head of state
and served only one term."
Keren Landman: [07-11]
The controversy over Biden and Parkin's disease, explained.
Eric Levitz:
Andrew Prokop:
[07-09]
Is it undemocratic to replace Biden on the ticket? "Biden says
the primary voters picked him. Is there more to democracy than that?"
What kind of democracy was that? Practically nobody ran against Biden
in 2024 because the campaign finance system lets donors pick who can
run, and they didn't dare cross Biden -- especially after Democrats
canceled Iowa and New Hampshire, which historically have been wide
open and have a history of upsets, and which Biden lost badly in
2020, in favor of running South Carolina first, the sourc of Biden's
breakthrough win in 2020.
[07-11]
What Biden's news conference did, and didn't, clear up: "The
presser went fine. But the Democratic defections continued."
[07-14]
Will Trump's shooting change everything? Or surprisingly little?
"Two theories on the political impact of the Trump assassination
attempt." The Trump campaign will try to spin this in to a big deal,
blaming it all on the left and championing Trump as a life-risking
fighter for true Americans, who want nothing more than to make their
beleaguered nation great again. But it doesn't change the issues,
or stakes, one iota.
[07-15]
Did Trump's shooting save Biden's nomination? "Democratic defections
have slowed, but Biden isn't out of the woods yet." Perhaps I should
re-read this more carefully, but on first scan, absolutely nothing
in this piece makes any sense to me.
Kaleigh Rogers: [07-12]
Americans were worried about Biden's age long before the debate.
Background from the poll-watchers at 538, who also produced:
Nathaniel Rakich: [07-10]
What the Democrats doubting Biden have in common: "They're more
moderate, while his backers are progressive and racially diverse."
Tommy Barone: [07-11]
4 reasons to beware of post-debate polling takes: "Biden's lost
some ground, but it's hard to say much more."
Luke Savage: [07-12]
The Biden problem has been years in the making: "As concerns
mount over Biden, the Democratic Party reminds us this isn't a
democracy."
Bill Scher:
[07-05]
I've defended Biden for years. Now, I'm asking him to withdraw:
"After waiting too long to reassure the public of his mental fitness,
the president is sinking in the polls with little hope for recovery.
But he can resign with grace and make history." Scher has long struck
me as the most diehard Biden apologist in the Washington punditocracy,
and indeed he was one of the few to have reserved hope after the
debate (see:
A wasted opportunity for Biden (but still time for redemption)).
So this appears as a significant retreat. And he's followed with:
[07-09]
How Kamala can win (without mini-primary madness).
[07-12]
Wilson didn't resign. The world suffered. Biden need not repeat that
mistake: "Wilson hid an incapacitating stroke from the public
and fatally compromised his mission to establish a functional League
of Nations. Once again, global peace and democracy precariously rely
on a president reluctant to face a personal health crisis." Well,
that's another whole can of worms, and while it's always fun to
argue about Wilson, his case is really not relevant here. I will
say that Wilson was a very complex but tragically flawed character,
often invoked in arguments that reduce him to caricature. My own
argument is that his failure to sell Americans on the League of
Nations -- which was evident before his stroke took him out of
action -- had no real bearing on the coming of WWII, but his
failures at Versailles did (as Britain and France cast aside his
anti-imperialism and insisted on punitive reparations over his
better sense).
Jeffrey St. Clair:
[07-12]
Running on empty: Very good coverage on Hurricane Beryl here,
but this is mostly on Biden, starting with a
Chris Hayes quote: "Biden is a decent man who has done nothing
wrong. He has not got caught in a scandal -- he's just aging." To
which St. Clair responds: "The real scandal is that liberals don't
see arming a genocide as a scandal." I'm inclined to compartmentalize
and see opposing Netanyahu's genocide in Gaza and opposing Trump in
America as both critically important but separable matters, and I'm
even willing to cut Biden some slack, as he is a potential solution
to both -- although in the latter he's mostly proven hapless, in the
former, which is something he could do something about on his own,
he's drifted into criminal negligence. But clearly Hayes misspoke,
and he, at least, should have known better. We've seen many attempts
to use flattery to tempt Biden to quit (e.g.,
George Clooney,
Thomas Friedman,
Paul Krugman,
David Remnick,
Matthew Yglesias), but it hasn't worked, and it's hard to see
why it would. This seems more like the time for brutal honesty.
If you must, sugar-coat it as tough love, but save the huzzahs
for after he does "the right thing."
[07-15]
Big Boy Biden in his own words: He starts by quoting some of
the praised heaped on Biden for his press conference performance,
like Andrew Bates: "To answer the question on everyone's minds:
No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs. He's
just that fucking good." That leaves St. Clair wondering:
After hearing these encomia, I had to check myself. This is Joe
Biden they're talking about, right? The same Joe Biden who voted
for the Iraq War, the most disastrous foreign policy debacle in
US history? The same Joe Biden who backed the overthrow of Qaddafi,
turning Libya into an anarchic war zone dominated by slave trading
gangs? The same Joe Biden who provoked and now refuses to seek an
end to a bloody, stalemated war in Ukraine? The same Joe Biden who
has continued Trump's Cuban embargo and tariffs on China? The same
Biden who has spent the last 3.5 years pandering to the bone-sawing
Saudi regime he called a "pariah" state during his 2020 campaign?
The same Biden who refused to renegotiate a nuclear agreement with
Iran? The same Biden who has armed a genocide in Gaza that may end
up claiming over 200,000 Palestinian lives? The same Biden who could
barely string together two complete sentences a couple of weeks ago?
Adding, "An unlikely transformation, IMHO." So then he reads the
White House transcript, and quotes it liberally, although his best
line is in his introduction: "Biden's answers reminded me of some
of Samuel Beckett's later works exploring the thought patterns of
a decaying mind."
Alexander Stille:
We learned everything we needed to know about Biden in 1988: "His
stubborn refusal to heed wise advice, and bottomless belief in his own
greatness, were on display in his first campaign for president."
Michael Tomasky: [07-12]
Democrats: "He was better than the debate" is not remotely good
enough: "In Trump world, they're thinking landslide. Democrats
need to act and talk Biden into stepping aside, and soon."
p>Cenk Uygur: [07-11]
Biden will not be the nominee: "The Young Turks host has long
predicted Biden's campaign would implode. He explains why it wasn't
obvious to everyone, and predicts what will happen next." Nathan
J Robinson interviews him.
And other Democrats:
Legal matters and other crimes:
Climate and environment:
Economic matters:
Ukraine War and Russia:
America's empire and the world:
Bob Dreyfuss: [07-09]
A surprise win by an Iranian reformist. Masoud Pezeshkian,
regarded as a moderate, won Iran's election to become president
after Ebrahim Raisi's recent death.
Also on Iran:
Anatol Lieven: [07-08]
This week, NATO III celebrates itself: "As thousands descend on
Washington for an anniversary summit, we posit that the alliance is
broken and sleepwalking into war." Also on NATO:
Other stories:
Zack Beauchamp: [07-10]
What the world can learn from Indian liberalism: "The intellectual
Pratap Bhanu Mehta explains how liberalism grew out of 3,000 years of
Indian history."
Roger Kerson: [07-09]
You think this year's presidential conventions will be crazy? 1924's
fights over the Ku Klux Klan were wilder.
Katie Miles: [07-08]
"She usually won." Remembering Jane McAlevey, 1964-2024.
Also:
Initial count: 146 links, 9355 words.
Updated count [07-16]: 193 links, 9436 words.
Local tags (these can be linked to directly):
Biden.
Friday, July 12, 2024
Daily Log
I've written about this in the blog, but decided to reduce it to a
twitter point:
Unsolicited advice to the ruling class: can someone point out to Biden
that being president and running are two different full-time jobs. He
should pick one, like the one we need someone to focus on and do well,
right now. He could set a model we should add to the Constitution.
Some interaction with Phil Overeem following my B review of Sun Ra's
Excelsior Mill, which he had named in his mid-year jazz ballot:
Phil: Trust me and not Tom on Sun Ra's EXCELSIOR
MILL. Just kidding, because it truly ain't for everyone, but it IS for
some of you, I promise! Phantom of the Opera + Garth + Space
Exploration + plus a crafty dude with over a half century of keyboard
in his fingers.
Me: As Ronald Reagan liked to say, "trust, but verify."
Phil: Tom, subjective verification is tricky business, but
to me that just means, TRY IT! Loving it, though, doesn't make me
right and you wrong, obviously! That's all I am saying: put your ear
to it. But concentrate and don't be playing with your phone
Me: I did try it, on your recommendation, and thanks for
that. I gave it as much concentration as seemed necessary, which is
just the way I work. I find more good albums that way than anyone
needs, so I don't mind it much when I reject something someone else
treasures. That happens all the time. Surely no one thinks that I
think that they should think what I think. That would make this kind
of work impossible. Nor am I dismissing the suggestion that more
concentration might make a difference. I discovered that quite
memorably long ago with a record called "Hirth From Earth" (too late
to review it for Christgau, who usually focuses much better than I do
but let it go with a B+; I did write about his second album). But it's
impossible, at least for me, to sustain that degree of focus, so often
I allow myself to be satisfied with fleeting impressions. I thought I
heard enough to appreciate but not recommend it. But it's certainly
plausible that there's more to it.
I was tempted to point out that I never play with my phone, but
then I realized I do lots of other things on my computer while I'm
listening to records I'm reviewing.
Tuesday, July 09, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
July archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 42 albums, 5 A-list
Music: Current count 42624 [42580] rated (+42), 20 [29] unrated (-9).
New records reviewed this week:
- BbyMutha: Sleep Paralysis (2024, True Panther): [sp]: B+(**)
- Beings: There Is a Garden (2024, No Quarter): [sp]: A-
- Chris Byars: Boptics (2023 [2024], SteepleChase): [sp]: B+(**)
- Kim Cass: Levs (2023 [2024], Pi): [cd]: B+(***)
- Ernesto Cervini's Turboprop: A Canadian Songbook (2022 [2024], Three Pines): [bc]: B+(***)
- Coco Chatru Quartet: Future (2024, Trygger Music): [lp]: B+(***)
- Alfredo Colón: Blood Burden (2023 [2024], Out of Your Head): [cd]: A-
- GloRilla: Ehhthang Ehhthang (2024, CMG/Interscope): [sp]: B+(***)
- Conrad Herwig: The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner (2023 [2024], Savant): [sp]: B+(**)
- Janel & Anthony: New Moon in the Evil Age (2024, Cuneiform): [cdr]: B+(**)
- Mathias Hřjgaard Jensen: Is as Is (2022 [2024], Fresh Sound New Talent): [cd]: A-
- Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O: True Story (2020-21 [2024], New Soil/Mushroom Hour): [sp]: B+(**)
- Alex Kautz: Where We Begin (2024, Sunnyside): [cd]: B+(*)
- Cassie Kinoshi's SEED.: Gratitude (2023 [2024], International Anthem): [sp]: B+(*)
- Charlie Kohlhase's Explorer's Club: A Second Life (2022 [2024], Mandorla Music): [sp]: A-
- Janel Leppin: Ensemble Volcanic Ash: To March Is to Love (2023 [2024], Cuneiform): [cdr]: B+(***)
- Frank London/The Elders: Spirit Stronger Than Blood (2023 [2024], ESP-Disk): [cd]: B+(***)
- Megan Thee Stallion: Megan (2024, Hot Girl): [sp]: B+(***)
- Che Noir: The Color Chocolate, Volume 1 (2024, Poetic Movement, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
- Clarence Penn: Behind the Voice (2024, Origin): [cd]: B+(*)
- Ken Peplowski: Unheard Bird (2024, Arbors): [sp]: B-
- Ken Peplowski: Live at Mezzrow [Smalls Live Living Masters Series] (2023 [2024], Cellar Music): [sp]: B+(***)
- Carla Santana/José Lencastre/Maria do Mar/Gonçalo Almeida: Defiant Ilussion (2023 [2024], A New Wave of Jazz): [bc]: B+(***)
- Dirk Serries/Rodrigo Amado/Andrew Lisle: The Invisible (2021 [2024], Klanggalerie): [bc]: B+(***)
- Matthew Shipp: The Data (2021 [2024], RogueArt): [cdr]: B+(***)
- TV Smith: Handwriting (2024, JKP/Easy Action): [sp]: B+(***)
- Anthony Stanco: Stanco's Time (2023 [2024], OA2): [cd]: B+(**)
- TiaCorine: Almost There (2024, South Scope/Interscope, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
- Ryan Truesdell: Synthesis: The String Quartet Sessions (2022-23 [2024], ArtistShare, 3CD): [cdr]: B+(**)
- Steve Turre: Sanyas (2023 [2024], Smoke Sessions): [sp]: B+(***)
- Lisa Ullén: Heirloom (2023 [2024], Fönstret): [bc]: B+(**)
- Jack Walrath: Live at Smalls (2023 [2024], Cellar Music): [sp]: B+(***)
- Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Fu##in' Up (2023 [2024], Reprise): [r]: B+(***)
- Denny Zeitlin: Panoply (2012-23 [2024], Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Christer Bothén Featuring Bolon Bata: Trancedance [40th Anniversary Edition] (1984 [2024], Black Truffle): [bc] A-
- Johnny Griffin Quartet: Live in Valencia 92 [The Jordi Suńol Archives 3] (1992 [2024], Storyville): [sp]: B+(***)
- Shelly Manne & His Men: Jazz From the Pacific Northwest (1958-66 [2024], Reel to Real): [sp]: B+(**)
- Brother Jack McDuff: Ain't No Sunshine: Live in Seattle (1972 [2024], Reel to Real): [sp]: B+(*)
- Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (1975 [2024], No Business): [cd]: B+(***)
- Sun Ra: Excelsior Mill (1984 [2024], Sundazed/Modern Harmonic): [sp]: B
Old music:
- Christer Bothén Trio: Triolos (2003-04 [2006], LJ): [sp]: B+(**)
- Ernesto Cervini: Joy (2021 [2022], Three Pines): [sp]: B+(**)
- Maurice McIntyre: Humility in the Light of the Creator (1969, Delmark): [sp]: B+(***)
- Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Forces and Feelings (1970 [1972], Delmark): [r]: B+(**)
- Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre Quartet: Peace and Blessings (1979, Black Saint): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jack Walrath Quintet: In Europe (1982 [1983], SteepleChase): [sp]: B+(*)
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Robby Ameen: Live at the Poster Museum (Origin) [07-26]
- BassDrumBone: Afternoon (Auricle) [06-24]
- Mai-Liis: Kaleidoscope (OA2) [07-26]
Daily Log
I wrote this in a letter to a musician who sent me a notice about
some future albums. The notice included an offer to send CDs. Rather
than a simply reply, I went into some detail about how I work. At
the time, I thought I might include it in Music Week, but as the
evening came to a close, I figured it might be best just to move
it aside, perhaps to return to later.
Just a few notes on how I work: The lag time between when I write
about something and when I post it is one week or less. I don't like
reviewing things that aren't available yet, so I keep my promo CDs
sorted by release date, and usually hold them until they're
released. However, if I do accidentally play an album before its
release date, I'll go ahead and publish the review. Everything I
receive on CD gets some kind of review (which may just be a
grade).
I keep the promo literature with the CDs until I review them, after
which I throw it away. In any case, I look up some background on the
internet. There are certain pieces of information I like to have, like
recording dates (Penguin Guide prefers them over release dates; I
track both).
I can play LPs, but CDs are easier for me to manage, so I prefer
them.
As the number of promo CDs I receive, I've turned to streaming
sources for most of the records I review. I subscribe to Napster and
Spotify, and will use Bandcamp (and sometimes YouTube) where full
albums are available. I've used a couple other platforms on occasion,
but don't look for them. The main frustration there is finding
background information, so it helps if that's readily available.
I get a fair number of download links from publicists. I almost
never act on them immediately: many are advances, many are on labels
that will eventually be available through streaming, and some I just
don't care about. The ones I think I might eventually be interested in
get moved into a "Downloads" directory. I may eventually go back there
to look for things I wasn't able to review from CD or streaming but am
still interested in. That doesn't happen often, and it may be well
after release date. Downloads are a lot more work for me than
streaming, so I treat them as a last resort (even knowing that they
often have better sound; I put little emphasis on sound quality, but
don't doubt that it has a subliminal effect).
So at present, it's safe to say that I act on fewer than 10% of the
downloads I'm offered. I can imagine things I could do to make better
use of this resource. I could, for starters, keep a log file of all of
my download offers (searchable by artist, title, label, and date), so
I could could more easily look them up, and quickly see what I do have
available. I could also find (or less likely, write) a program to
manage the things I have downloaded. I know that other people use
things like iTunes for that, and I gather that some of them are happy
enough with their choices that they actually prefer downloads (or so I
hear from corner-cutting publicists), but I've never found one I
liked. (Suggestions welcome. In principle, having a digital store of
items I can't readily stream would be a nice thing to have.) I'll also
note that I've never mastered the art of burning CDs from my download
files, which would be an alternative way of storing them.
Monday, July 08, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
Daily Log
I got the following message from FacebooK:
You're Temporarily Blocked
It looks like you were misusing this feature by going too fast.
You've been temporarily blocked from using it.
If you think this doesn't go against our Community Standards
let usk now.
I clicked on "let us know" and sent a message to the effect that
I don't have any idea what they're talking about. I looked up a
Help Center page on "Why you may be blocked from using features on
Facebook. It listed three possible reasons for "why you may be
blocked." It's hard to see how any apply ("something you posted
or shared seems suspicious or abusive"; "messages or friend
requests you sent were marked unwelcome"; "you've done something
that doesn't follow our Community Standards"). I think I've made
two posts in the last week: one Music Week announcement to "Expert
Witness," the other a food pic.
Upon reflection, the "going too fast" message might have been
triggered because I rebooted and restarted Firefox, restoring my
session with a half-dozen Facebook tabs open. Each would have to
reload automatically, so it could seem like multiple new page
requests occurring at robotic speeds (perhaps if most of the
pages are stale, which can happen with Facebook; most of the
time Firefox reloads pages from cache).
If I click OK on the blocked message, I can see the page.
First time I tried that and tried reloading the page, I got
another blocked message, but second time it worked, so maybe
the block has been cleared.
Saturday, July 06, 2024
Speaking of Which: Afterthoughts
Blog link.
Wednesday, July 03, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
July archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 31 albums, 3 A-list
Music: Current count 42580 [42549] rated (+31), 29 [22] unrated (+7).
Nominally a day late (ok, two days), but last
Music Week
was two days late, so this is still a short week. I started off most
days with old r&b in the CD player -- especially
Scratchin': The Wild Jimmy Spruill Story, which combined a
few minor hits with some major studio work, leading me to
tweet up two singles
(Bobby Lewis,
Tossin' and Turnin', and Bobby Long,
The Pleasure Is All Mine). Beyond that, what I got to was pretty
haphazard, with a fair amount of old music left over from the William
Parker research.
My piece was published by ArtsFuse, here:
Celebrating bassist William Parker's lifetime of achievement.
You can also find my
2003 CG, with its updated
discography, and my
notes file, which
includes my full set of reviews of albums Parker. The former could
still use some cleanup, especially to separate out the albums that
Parker didn't play on -- the CG was originally focused on Matthew
Shipp and the Thirsty Ear Blue Series he curated, until I started
noticing how many more albums Parker played on and how central
they were to the whole circle. The latter needs even more work,
as most of it was cut-and-pasted from my
book files (which are now several
years out of date), with others copied with HTML markup (where
they still have bold credits and letter grades). If I didn't
fear getting sucked into a huge time sink, I'd go fix those,
but for now I can only offer excuses.
Besides, I have a much more urgent website project to work on.
I've decided to use my Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll contacts to
run a Mid-Year straw poll. I explain this on the
website (which
still needs a good deal of work) and in the
invite
letter (which went out to approx. 200 critics on June 30).
I'm asking for lists of up to 10 new releases (which can include
newly discovered 2023 releases) and/or up to 5 "rara avis" (old
music, recorded 10+ years ago, or reissues). Deadline is July
14, and ArtsFuse will publish the results, probably later that
week.
The Poll is a quickie experiment. I've simplified the rules to
make it easier on voters (and hopefully on he who counts), and I've
saved myself a lot of work by only sending out one batch of invites
without trying to vet new voters. The problem with the "one batch"
approach is that I'm using a server and software that has been known
to run afoul of some spam traps. I especially fear that people with
gmail addresses may have their invites diverted or discarded. But
it's impossible to test and verify these things. I made an effort
to research this problem before, to little avail, and I will make
another one soon, but in the meantime, please read the following,
and follow up if anything seems to apply to you:
If you've ever voted before, or for that matter received an
invite before, and haven't received an invite, please check your
spam filter. If you find one, take steps to get your mail provider
to recognize that the mail isn't spam. If you can't find one, assume
you're eligible and use
this one.
Follow the instructions, and vote. Let me know if you want to be
added to my list (jazzpoll [at] hullworks.net). Not everyone who
has voted is on the list (various reasons, including sloth on my
part), but I can add you. The advantage of being on the list is
that I'll send you updates and further requests.
If you haven't received an invite, but think you should be
qualified, look up the invite, follow instructions, and send me
your lists. You need to have some real expertise in jazz (my first
approximation would be listening to 200+ jazz records per year,
but that's easy for me to say because I listen to 700+), have some
verifiable credentials (you write about some of them, which can
be on your own blog or mainstream or niche publications, and/or
you broadcast about them, which obviously includes radio but I
suppose could extend to podcasts), and construct lists that are
focused on jazz (the occasional outlier or, as DownBeat likes to
call them, "beyond"; by the way, "smooth jazz" is not jazz, at
least for purposes of establishing credibility, although it may
be acceptable as "beyond"). If this checks out, I will very likely
accept your ballot, and you'll be on the inside track for future
invites.
Check with your friends: make sure they got their invites,
and let people you think should be voting know that they can vote,
and how. They can always
hit me up with questions, but
we don't have a lot of time, so it's best to move fast.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to publicize this wider, although
bear in mind that I still see this as a forum of critics -- even
though I recognize that there are lots of fans that have become
pretty expert themselves, especially given how easy it's become
to check out new music on streaming platforms.
Also, one key point to emphasize is that this isn't a big deal.
I'm not asking you to exercise Solomonic (or Christgauvian) judgment
over the jazz universe. Your list doesn't have to find the absolute
best records (whatever that might mean). Nor does it have to be
ranked. (Although blessed are the rankers, for they get slightly
more points weighting for their efforts.) Nor does it even have
to be a full list. Just jot down a few albums that you would like
to recommend to other people. That's mostly how these lists will
be used.
Given the late date, the short deadline, my various shortcuts,
and the fact that we've never done this before, I'm not expecting
much, but even if we just get 50 voters (as opposed to the 159 in
2023), I think
the lists will be interesting and informative.
I started to track mid-year lists when they started appearing
just before June 1 -- see my
metacritic file, which
is running behind at the moment, as the last couple weeks haven't
allowed much opportunity to work on it -- and they both give me
a broad sense of what's out there and a useful roster of prospects
to check out. This also ties into my
tracking file, which has a
jazz selector (currently
listing 400 jazz albums, of which I have 332; this list will
expand as I receive your lists: from past experience, about 30%
of the albums that show up in ballots are ones I hadn't previously
tracked; there's also a
no grade variant,
for those who don't want to see my grades).
The website
started off as a clone of last year's, with minor hacks. As I do
more work to it this week, it should become a more useful source
of information about the Poll and its progress. For instance, I
need to revise things like the FAQ and the Admin Guide. I also
hope to get some work done on the older parts of the website,
especially to fill in information that predates my involvement
(in administration; I've voted every year, from the founding).
I hope to make the website the best source for information about
the Poll. But if you wish to follow, check my Music Week posts, and
follow me on
twitter (or "X" if you prefer; I haven't jumped ship yet, although
at this point it's rare for one of my tweets to be viewed by as much
as a third of my nominal followers, so the returns seem pretty slim).
New records reviewed this week:
- Arooj Aftab: Night Reign (2024, Verve): [sp]: B+(***)
- Alan Braufman: Infinite Love Infinite Tears (2024, Valley of Search): [sp]: B+(***)
- Ani DiFranco: Unprecedented Sh!t (2024, Righteous Babe): [sp]: B+(*)
- Dayramir González: V.I.D.A. [Verdad, Independencia, Diversidad Y Amor] (2024, self-released): [sp]: B
- Morgan Guerin: Tales of the Facade (2024, Candid): [sp]: B+(*)
- Goran Kajfeš Tropiques: Tell Us (2024, We Jazz): [sp]: B+(***)
- Bill Laurance/The Untold Orchestra: Bloom (2022 [2024], ACT Music): [sp]: B+(**)
- Les Savy Fav: Oui, LSF (2024, Frenchkiss): [sp]: B+(**)
- Grégoire Maret/Romain Collin: Ennio (2024, ACT Music): [sp]: B+(*)
- Zara McFarlane: Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan (2024, Universal): [sp]: B+(**)
- Ngwaka Son Systčme: Iboto Ngenge (2024, Eck Echo): [sp]: B+(**)
- Normani: Dopamine (2024, RCA): [sp]: B+(**)
- Carly Pearce: Hummingbird (2024, Big Machine): [sp]: B+(***)
- Dave Rempis/Tashi Dorji Duo: Gnash (2024, Aerophonic): [cd]: B+(***)
- Sisso & Maiko: Singeli Ya Maajabu (2024, Nyege Nyege Tapes): [sp]: B+(*)
- Jason Stein/Marilyn Crispell/Damon Smith/Adam Shead: Spi-raling Horn (2023 [2024], Balance Point Acoustics): [sp]: A-
- Thollem: Worlds in a Life, Two (2024, ESP-Disk): [cd]: B+(**)
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Alan Braufman: Live in New York City: February 8, 1975 (1975 [2022], Valley of Search): [r]: B+(***)
- DJ Notoya: Funk Tide: Tokyo Jazz-Funk From Electric Bird 1978-87 (1978-87 [2024], Wewantsounds/Electric Bird): [sp]: B-
- Charles Gayle/Milford Graves/William Parker: WEBO (1991 [2024], Black Editions Archive): [sp]: A-
- Ron Miles: Old Main Chapel (2011 [2024], Blue Note): [sp]: B+(***)
Old music:
- Collective 4tet: Orca (1996 [1997], Leo Lab): [r]: B+(***)
- Collective 4tet: Live at Crescent (1997 [1998], Leo Lab): [r]: B+(**)
- Collective 4tet: Moving Along (2002 [2005], Leo): [r]: B+(**)
- Collective 4tet: In Transition (2008 [2009], Leo): [sp]: B+(***)
- Marco Eneidi Quintet: Final Disconnect Notice (1994, Botticelli): [yt]: B+(***)
- Marco Eneidi/Glenn Spearman: Creative Music Orchestra: American Jungle Suite (1995 [1997], Music & Arts): [sp]: B+(**)
- Marco Eneidi: Cherry Box (1998 [2000], Eremite): [sp]: A-
- Marco Eneidi/Vijay Anderson: Remnant Light (2004 [2018], Minus Zero): [bc]: B+(**)
- Marco Eneidi Streamin' 4: Panta Rei (2013 [2015], ForTune): [sp]: B+(*)
- Heinz Geisser/Shiro Onuma: Duo: Live at Yokohama Little John (2007 [2008], Leo): [sp]: B+(*)
- The Ivo Perelman Quartet: Sound Hierarchy (1996 [1997], Music & Arts): [sp]: B+(*)
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Derek Bailey/Sabu Toyozumi: Breath Awareness (1987, NoBusiness) [05-27]
- Albert Beger/Ziv Taubenfeld/Shay Hazan/Hamid Drake: Cosmic Waves (No Business) [05-27]
- Karen Borca Trio Quartet & Quintet: Good News Blues: Live at the Vision Festival 1998 & 2005 (No Business) [05-27]
- Peter Brötzmann/Toshinori Kondo/Sabu Toyozumi: Complete Link (NoBusiness) [05-27]
- Alfredo Colón: Blood Burden (Out of Your Head) [06-14]
- Nick Dunston: Colla Voce (Out of Your Head) [04-26]
- The Sofia Goodman Group: Receptive (Joyous) [07-26]
- Monika Herzig's Sheroes: All in Good Time (Zoho) [07-22]
- Hyeseon Hong Jazz Orchestra: Things Will Pass (Pacific Coast Jazz) [08-23]
- Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre: Live From Studio Rivbea: July 12, 1975 [Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1] (No Business) [05-27]
Monday, July 01, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
After missing last week, I knew I had a lot to catch up on here.
I also got interrupted several times. It took longer than expected
to wrap up my piece on bassist William Parker (see:
Celebrating bassist William Parker's lifetime of achievement).
I had two other internet projects that required significant amounts
of attention (one was an update to
Carola Dibbell's website,
announcing a new printing of her novel, The Only Ones; the
other was setting up a framework for a
Jazz Critics Mid-Year
Poll, which still needs more work). We also had trips to the
ER and various doctors (including a veterinarian). So no chance of
getting done on Sunday night. I'm not really done on Monday, either,
but I'm dead tired and more than a little disgusted, so this will
have to do for now.
That will, in turn, push Music Week back until Tuesday, which is
just as well.
Before I really got started, the debate happened -- I couldn't
be bothered to watch, my wife got disgusted and switched to a
Steve Martin movie -- and I haven't (yet, as of noon 06-28) read
any reviews, but I wanted to grab these tweets before they vanish:
Rick Perlstein: The main argument on the left was that he was
a bad president. That was incorrect.
Tim Price: The left is going to be in big trouble for being
right too early again.
Another scrap picked up on the fly from fleeting social media:
Greg Magarian: [06-27]
Democratic Party establishment, relentlessly, for eight months: "You
stupid kids need to stop criticizing Biden! If we get four more years
of Trump, it's all your fault!"
Democratic Party establishment, tomorrow morning, set your clock by
it: "You stupid kids need to fix this! If we get four more years of
Trump, it's all your fault!"
Because of course it's never their fault.
In a comment, Magarian added:
I don't know the best process for replacing Biden. There's no playbook
for this. The biggest question is whether the party should essentially
try to crown Harris, either by having Biden resign the presidency or
by having him stay and endorse her. But this is kind of the point of
my post: the onus here shouldn't be on Biden's critics. The party is
supposed to exist to win elections. They're royally screwing this one
up. I want to know what they're going to do.
Initial count: 290 links, 11720 words.
Updated count [07-03]: 320 links, 16021 words.
Local tags (these can be linked to directly):
on music,
Christgau.
Top story threads:
Israel:
Mondoweiss:
Mariana Abreu/Aďda Delpuech/Eloďse Layan/Yuval Abraham: [06-25]
How Israeli drone strikes are killing journalists in Gaza: "Survivor
testimonies and audiovisual analysis reveal a pattern of strikes by
Israeli UAVs on Palestinian journalists in recent months -- even when
they are clearly identifiable as press.
Shoug Al Adara: [06-20]
A settler shot my husband. Then Israel bulldozed my childhood home:
"Zakariyah has suffered immensely since being wounded by an Israeli
settler. Yet his attacker roams free, and demolitions continue to
devastate our communities in Masafer Yatta."
Ruwaida Kamal Amer: [06-13]
'How is it reasonable to kill over 200 for the sake of four?'
"Relentless bombing, hospitals overflowing, soldiers in aid trucks;
survivors recount the massacre in Nuseirat refugee camp during
Israel's hostage rescue."
Tareq S Hajjaj:
[06-21]
Gaza's hospitals are empty, and patients die in silence: "This
genocidal war brings with it the systematic destruction of all of
Gaza's health system. This has created a new category of people who
die from preventable illnesses due to a systematic lack of access
to medical care."
[06-28]
The second invasion of al-Shuja'iyya is a war of attrition:
"Israel has been forced into a war of attrition as the Palestinian
resistance has reconstituted itself across Gaza. The scale of the
horrors perpetrated by the Israeli army in these battles only emerges
through testimonies after the fighting ends."
Reem A Hamadaqa: [06-28]
Stories of survival and suffering: Inside Gaza's Al-Aqsa Hospital:
"Reem Hamadaqa spent 96 days in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central
Gaza recovering from an Israeli attack that killed the rest of her
family. Here are the stories of women and children she met while she
was there."
Shatha Hanaysha:
Arwa Mahdawi: [06-27]
Nearly 21,000 children are missing in Gaza. And there's no end to
this nightmare.
Ibrahim Mohammad: [06-18]
Children starving, parents helpless as famine consumes northern
Gaza: "With aid blocked and stores empty of basic goods, dozens
of Palestinian chjildren have been hospitalized with malnutrition
and acute anemia."
Qassam Muaddi: [06-27]
Israel's leaked plan for annexing the West Bank, explained:
"Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's plan to annex the
West Bank would see over 60% of the territory becoming a part of
Israel. But Palestinian experts say it is 'already happening.'"
The 60% figure comes from the Oslo-era Area C, where the PA has
no authority at present, so most of that change would be nominal.
Israel has already set a model for this in their annexation of
greater Jerusalem, which took land but didn't extend citizenship
to the people who lived there. (They retained residency rights.
Smotrich would prefer to force them out, which may be what the
"plan" is really about.)
Nicole Narea: [06-24]
Israel isn't ending the war in Gaza -- just turning its attention to
Hezbollah: "The next phase of Israel's war in Gaza, explained."
I haven't put much thought into this, mostly because I consider it a
feint. Fighting against Hezbollah has several big advantages for
Netanyahu: for starters, they exist, hold territory, and have rockets
which pose a credible (if not very significant) threat to northern
Israel (as opposed to Hamas, which doesn't have much more than a PO
box in Damascus, and isn't any kind of threat); that keeps Israelis
fearful, which is the only thing keeping Netanyahu's government from
collapsing, and fuels the pogroms in the West Bank; it also gives the
Americans an excuse to keep the arms flowing, whereas in Gaza they're
just shooting fish in a barrel (to use a more colloquial term than
"genocide" -- the legal term which in theory requires the US to halt
arms shipments); for their own part, Hezbollah's intent is defending
Lebanon from Israeli aggression, not on attacking -- although they've
bought into the silly notion that their missiles help to deter Israeli
attacks, so Israel gets to push their buttons, elicit their kneejerk
response meant to restore credibility to their deterrence, post facto
justifying the Israeli attacks; because Hezbollah (and for that matter
Syria and Iran) don't want war, Israel has complete freedom to tune
the hostilities to a level that provides maximum propaganda value
with very little real risk.
Jonathan Ofir: [06-18]
The kibbutzniks blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza: "Complicity
in genocide is not confined tot he Israeli right. Members of the
liberal organization that spearheaded the anti-Netanyahu protests
last year are now blocking aid to Gaza."
James North: [06-25]
The mainstream media is setting the stage for an Israeli war on
Lebanon: "An unsourced article in the British Telegraph claiming
Hezbollah is storing weapons in Beirut's airport is the latest example
of the mainstream media setting the groundwork for an Israeli war on
Lebanon."
Hoda Osman/Firas Taweel/Farah Jallad:
Israel's war on Gaza is the deadliest conflict on record for
journalists.
Léa Peruchon: [06-26]
'The livestream was critical evidence': Tracing attacks on Gaza's
press buildings: "The Israeli army struck major media institutions
in Gaza despite assurances of safety, and appears to have deliberately
targeted camera that were broadcasting the military offensive."
Meron Rapoport: [06-24]
As Netanyahu abandons the hostages, Hamas may seek to extend the
war: Given the balance of forces, I don't see any point in
even suggesting that Hamas is even a conscious actor in this war.
As long as Israel vows to "finish" every one of them, of course
whatever's left of Hamas will fight back, because Israel isn't
giving them any other option. On the other hand, if Israel chose
to stop the war, would Hamas even have the wherewithal, even if
they still harbored the ambition, to "extend the war"?
Steven Simon: [06-28]
Will drafting ultra-Orthodox to fight upend Israel's gov't?
Baker Zoubi: [06-27]
'More horrific than Abu Ghraib': Lawyer recounts visit to Israeli
detention center: "At Sde Teiman, Khaled Mahajneh found a
detained journalist unrecognizable as he described the facility's
violent and inhumane conditions."
America's Israel (and Israel's America):
Spencer Ackerman:
Nargol Aran: [06-29]
In Tehran, Gaza rekindles the revolution: "For some in Iran,
the West's relentless punishment has weakened the revolutionary
fires of 1979. But for countless others, they are being rekindled
by the Palestinian resistance in Gaza." I doubt the first part of
that: revolutionary fires expire normally as past complaints fade
into history, and changes become normalized. But "the West's
relentless punishment" just adds more fuel, which boosts the
hardest revolutionaries, while offering them excuses for any
shortcomings. On the other hand, Israel's atrocities in Gaza
are certain to inflame anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiment
everywhere, but especially where people's own identities and
allegiances are most threatened. Iran has never been all that
committed to the Palestinians, but Israel's relentless efforts
to paint Iran as the mastermind of their enemy is bound to push
them more and more into opposition. This provocation is just one
of many ways Netanyahu is being very shortsighted and foolish.
Michael Arria:
James Carden: [06-24]
Trump cabinet hopeful wants the 'Israel model' for US China
polilcy: "Robert O'Brien just put forward a template, but
it's a proven failure." I've often noted that neocons suffer
from Israel Envy: the desire that the US should be able flex
its muscles on a global scale with the same impetuousness and
carelessness for consequences that Israel exercises in its
neighborhood. They bound their ambitions to a global ideology --
ironically called "neoliberalism," as its initial advocates
sought to entice rather than enforce compliance -- but the
new, Trumpian variant brings its self-interested motivations
closer to the Israeli model, or closer still to Alexander or
Britain, who sought empire for the sustenance of tribute.
These days, tribute is mostly collected through arms sales --
and as such is immediately shunted to private ledgers -- which
is why America demands that its allies be customers, and defines
its customers to be allies. Hence, O'Brien's plan is mostly
devoted to arms sales, advanced under the hoary slogan "peace
through strength," and advanced by magnifying recalcitrant hold
outs like Russia and China into existential threats.
Gregory Daddis: [06-25]
Stop listening to David Petraeus: "The self-promoting ex-general
continues to rewrite history, suggesting that Israel deploy an
Iraq-style 'surge' in Gaza.
Dave DeCamp: [06-30]
US has sent Israel 14,000 2,000-pound bombs since October 7.
Ben Freeman: [06-28]
Israel's covert info bots targeting America met with hypocritical
silence: "Will Tel Aviv get the same treatment as the Russians
and Chinese? Likely not." Based on a Guardian report:
Blaise Malley:
[06-27]
The craziest 'pro-Israel' budget amendments.
[06-28]
Trump says Biden has 'become like a Palestinian' in debate exchange:
"In a presidential debate marked by incoherence and lies, Donald
Trump attacked Joe Biden, saying 'he's become like a Palestinian'
for supposedly withholding total support for Israel's genocidal
assault on Gaza." More on the debate below, but for here just
note that Trump's solution is more war and more cruelty, not
less, with no concern for the consequences. That he took this
position in the debate doesn't just show us his true feelings,
but that he thinks his pro-war, pro-genocide position is the one
that most resonates with American voters.
Mitchell Plitnick: [06-23]
Republicans demonstrate their terrifying Palestine policy:
"Two 'must pass' House of Representatives bills to fund the State
and Defense Departments show how dangerous Republican Party views
on Palestine are."
Prem Thakker:
62 Democrats join 207 Republicans in vote to conceal Gaza death
toll.
Israel vs. world opinion:
Democracy Now!
Zack Beauchamp: [06-21]
Why Israel acts the way it does: "Its catastrophic war policy is
driven by a national ideology of trauma." I've recognized as much for
a long time now. That's been clear as far back as Richard Ben Cramer's
2004 book
How Israel Lost, and had significantly worsened by
the time (2011) Max Blumenthal wrote
Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel. For further
details on how this psychology was deliberately engineered, see
Idith Zertal:
Israel's Holocaust and the Politics of Nationhood (2005),
and Norman G Finkelstein:
The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish
Suffering (2000; looks like there's a 2024 reprint). Of
course, many other books touch on these issues, especially Tom
Segev's histories,
The Seventh Million: Israelis and the Holocaust (2000) and
1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle
East (2006). Also, Rich Cohen, in
Israel Is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and
Its History (2009) makes a very telling point about the exit
from
Yad Vashem, offering its panoramic view of Jerusalem.
By the way, in looking up my links, I ran across this old piece
on Segev's 1967:
David Margolick: [2007-07-15]
Peace for land: After praising the book as invaluable for its
coverage of the runup to the war, and complaining about being "way
too long" but still lacking in character insight, he notes:
By the time he gets to the Israeli occupation, which is what really
matters now, even the indefatigable Segev has run out of gas. Crucial
questions, like how the Six-Day War emboldened the messianic religious
right and Ariel Sharon to build settlements, are all but overlooked.
Nor is there anything about the electrifying effect the war had on
Jews throughout the world, particularly in the Soviet Union and the
United States. And there's no kind of summation or distillation at
the end, describing the Israeli character then and now -- something
that persevering readers deserve and that Segev, more than just about
anyone else, is eminently qualified to give.
The books I just mentioned address the psychology at least within
Israel, and touch on the rest, and there are other books that go into
more detail on every tangent -- especially the occupation, which has
gone through multiple stages of increasing brutality and carelessness.
The thing that most struck me about 1967 was the how much
terror Israel's political leaders instilled among their people, as
compared to how supremely confident the military elites were. When
the war so rapidly achieved its aims -- and make no mistake, it was
Israel which deliberately launched the war with just those aims in
mind, with the Arab states playing roles they had long been trained
for -- their "victory" came with an immense sense of relief and swell
of pride, which haunts us to this day. (Although, much like the US
triumph in WWII, it has never since been replicated, despite continuing
to animate the arrogance of invincibility.)
I imagine there is a good book on the reaction of American Jews to
1967, and the various reactions since -- if not, one is bound to be
written soon. Meanwhile, it's worth reading this (which includes an
excerpt from the Rich Cohen book above):
Reed Brody: [06-06]
Israel's legal reckoning and the historical shift in justice for
Palestinians.
Steve France:
The myth of Israeli democracy died in Gaza and Israel's hasbara will
never recover: Review of Saree Makdisi's recent book,
Tolerance Is a Wasteland: Palestine and the Culture of Denial.
"Israel today seems very far from finishing off the Palestinians
but appears to have finally destroyed any hope that it will evolve
toward honest history, or true democracy, diversity, or tolerance."
David Goldman: [06-20]
Wikipedia now labels the top Jewish civil rights group as an unreliable
source:
Wikipedia's editors declared that the Anti-Defamation League cannot
be trusted to give reliable information on the Israel-Palestine
conflict, and they overwhelmingly said the ADL is an unreliable
source on antisemitism. . . . That means that the ADL should
usually not be cited in Wikipedia articles on that topic except
for extraordinary circumstances. Other generally unreliable sources,
according to Wikipedia editors, include Russian state media, Fox
News' political coverage and Amazon reviews.
Michael Arria writes about this in his [06-20]
Shift piece, cited above. He also refers back to this old
article:
Yoav Litvin: [06-29]
Liberal Zionism and the woke facade of Israeli genocide: "Instead
of upholding a left-wing agenda and a critical lens, liberal Zionists
are a mouthpiece for Israel's occupation and genocide."
Mouna Madanat: [06-20]
'We're refusing to let ourselves live in comfortable complacency':
Scenes from the Cardiff encampment for Palestine.
Ayelet Waldman: [06-27]
My father and the withering of liberal Zionism: "Was my family's
dream of a Jewish socialist utopia all a lie?"
About last Thursday's debate:
When the Biden-Trump debates were announced, I jotted down
the following:
Ed Kilgore: [05-24]
Is Biden gambling everything on an early-debate bounce?
My read is that the June debate is meant to show Democrats that
he can still mount a credible campaign against Trump. If he can --
and a bounce would be nice but not necessary -- it will go a long
way to quelling pressure to drop out and open the convention. If
he can't, then sure, he'll have gambled and lost, and pressure
will build. But at least it will give him a reference point that
he has some actual control over -- unlike the polls, which still
seem to have a lot of trouble taking him seriously.
I'm writing this before I go through the paces and collect
whatever links I deem of interest, which will help me better
understand the debate and its aftermath, but my first impression
is that Biden failed to satisfy Democrats that he is really the
candidate they need to fight off Trump in November. I'll also
note that my expectation was to see a lot of confirmation bias
in reactions. I'd expect people who dislike Biden and/or Trump,
for any reason, to find faults that fortify their feelings,
while people who are personally invested in their candidates
will at least claim to be vindicated. Hence, the easy way to
scan this section is to look for reactions that go against
type.
538/Ipsos:
Who won the first Biden-Trump presidential debate: Crunch some
stats. First graphic compares expectations to results. Subhed there
is "Biden performed even worse than expectations." Likely voters
scored it 60.1% for Trump, 20.8% for Biden. Biden lost 1.5% (48.2%
to 46.7%). Of that, Trump gained 0.4% (43.5% to 43.9%), and Kennedy
gained 1.2% (17.3% to 18.4%).
Intelligencer:
The 'replace Biden' talk isn't going away after debate disaster:
Live updates.
Mike Allen: [06-29]
Biden oligarchy will decide fate: The most basic fact in American
politics is that people with money get to decide who gets to run for
office. Bernie Sanders is about the only exception to that rule, since
he figured out how to raise and thrive on small contributions, but
everywhere else you look, it's absolutely true. Often, the number of
people making those decisions is very small. I recall Newt Gingrich
explaining his loss to Mitt Romney as simple arithmetic: Gingrich
only had one billionaire backer, vs. four for Romney. As soon as a
candidate's backer gets cold feet, that candidate is gone. I don't
know who Biden's top backers are, but they're the ones who are going
to be making this decision, and Biden, as usual, will do what he's
told. I mean, isn't that why they backed him in the first place?
The only reason for the delay at this point is that they're angling
for the succession.
Maybe they realized that Biden couldn't win all along. If you're
one of Biden's oligarchs, this is the best possible scenario: no
one serious runs against him in the primaries, so he wraps up all
the delegates, at little cost, with no risk of the people thinking
differently (you know, democratically). That also produced the
benefit of Trump carrying the Republican Party: Biden made him
look electable, even though he's extremely vulnerable and easily
attacked, plus horrifying enough to keep the Democrats in line
behind anyone they anoint. (I mean, if you're going to vote for
Biden, literally any Democrats could fill in. [OK, maybe not Mike
Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, or Andrew Cuomo.])
Then they nudge him out, replacing him with some maximally
pliable substitute. I'm not sure who they will pick, but one thing
for sure is that rank-and-file Democrats will have little to no say
over the process. And frankly, given how ugly the oligarchs won in
delivering their nominations to Clinton and Biden, I'm happy to
have missed primary season.
Zack Beauchamp: [06-28]
The silver lining to Biden's debate disaster: "The president's
performance prompted calls for a radical change. That might be just
what America needs."
Gabriel Debenedetti: [07-02]
The Biden panic is getting worse: "Anxious lawmakers can't reach
him. Donors are fighting over replacements. All of them are asking:
When will it end?"
Margaret Carlson: [06-28]
We watched Joe Biden struggle: "The incumbent president's painful
performance was no match for Trump's unabashed barrage of lies."
Zachary D Carter: [07-02]
The Democratic Party's double standard, or "Do not underestimate
the danger of a second Biden term": "Trump is not the only person on
earth who cannot be trusted with power."
Jonathan Chait:
Isaac Chotiner: [06-28]
Ezra Klein on why the Democrats are too afraid of replacing Biden.
Way back on [02-16] Klein posted his show on
Democrats have a better option than Biden; also on [06-28]
After that debate, the risk of Biden is clear. This led me to
more Klein interviews from early 2024:
Vinson Cunningham: [06-28]
The writing on Joe Biden's face at the presidential debate: "The
true locus of the President's humiliation onstage was not his
misbegotten words but the sorry pictures he made with his face."
Chas Danner: [06-29]
What the polls are saying after the TrumpBiden debate:
Democracy Corps/Greenberg Research/PSG Consulting's dial groups
recoiled a bit at Biden;
Data for Progress flash poll shows little if any advantage for
Biden alternatives;
Morning Consult poll suggests majority of voters want Biden
replaced;
Survey USA poll finds slight majority of Democrats think Biden
should stay the course;
538/Ipsos poll of debate watchers found little impact on votes.
David Dayen: [06-28]
Biden's inner circle deserves some blame too: "Even with perfect
delivery, the substance of the performance was not built for victory
in our terribly flawed modern political environment." Dayen explains:
Most first-term presidents lose the first debate of their re-election
campaigns, and they lose it in largely the same way. They have spent
nearly four years building a record, and they want to run on it. So
they lay out a blur of information about what they've done. Some
presidents trip over the details. Others just bore people with them.
Still others act like they're offended that the president of these
United States could be challenged on these points at all. Biden
slammed into all three of these obstacles, while being 81 years
old and rather feeble. . . . Biden was clearly fed way too many
figures and had way too many points to hit on his script for
someone with his difficulties in communicating.
Gabriel Debenedetti: [06-28]
Who can make Joe go? "Democrats watched the debate and stared
into the abyss. Now they ask if he's a lost cause."
Tim Dickinson: [06-28]
America lost the first Biden-Trump debate: "We just witnessed
the low-water mark in American electoral politics."
Moira Donegan: [06-28]
This debate was a disastrous opening performance for Biden.
Adam Frisch: [07-02]
Joe Biden should step aside now.
Susan B Glasser: [06-28]
Was the debate the beginning of the end of Joe Biden's presidency?
"Notes on a disastrous night for the Democrats."
Benjamin Hart: [06-27]
Biden, Trump have mortifying exchange about golf handicaps.
Jeet Heer: [07-01]
Dear Ron Klain: We need to talk about Joe: "To preserve President
Biden's legacy, the party has to find another candidate."
Seymour Hersh: [06-28]
Who is running the country? "Biden's decline has been known to
friends and insiders for months."
David Ignatius: [06-28]
Why Biden didn't accept the truth that was there for all to see:
"If he has the strength and wisdom to step aside, the Democrats will
have two months to choose another candidate."
Stephanie Kaloi: [06-30]
Pod Save America hosts defend themselves from Biden campaign's thinly
veiled 'self-important podcasters' attack. They had been among
Biden's most committed supporters in 2020, but turned on Biden for
their Thursday-night podcast. For more, see:
Ed Kilgore:
Robert Kuttner: [06-28]
A tarnished silver lining: "Biden was so inept that the case
for replacing him is now overwhelming." And: "If this had happened
in September, the usual month of the first debate, or if Biden had
been a little less pathetic and had landed a few punches, we truly
would have been screwed. Now, there is still time for Biden to step
aside, and little doubt that he must."
Chris Lehman: [06-28]
Biden's record won't win him the election if he can't make sense
for 2 minutes at a time: "At last night's debate, the president
could hardly get through an answer to a question without seeming to
get confused."
Rachel Leingang: [06-28]
'Defcon 1 moment': Biden's debate performance sends Democrats into
panic.
Eric Levitz: [06-27]
Democrats can and should replace Joe Biden: "A comatose Joe Biden
would make a better president than Donald Trump." "But Biden's senescence
spoke louder than Trump's mendacity."
Branko Marcetic: [06-28]
Democrats can no longer pretend Biden is fit to be president.
Harold Meyerson: [06-28]
The Democrats must dump Biden. Here's how.
Joe Navarro: [06-28]
A body language expert watched the debate. Here's what he noticed.
Subheds: Biden's age was clear from the first step he took onstage;
Trump's tan made Biden look pale; What can I even say about Biden's
body language?; Both candidates' eyelids fluttered -- but for different
reasons; Trump has a tell: his lips; Trump's fake smile is his shield.
New York Times: [06-28]
To serve his country, President Biden should leave the race.
A surprising lack of both-sides-ism from the "paper of record"
this time.
Heather Digby Parton: [07-01]
The drop out debate: Biden has already lost a big part of the
battle.
Justin Peters: [06-28]
The other disaster at the debate: "CNN has escaped much notice for
its performance on Thursday. It shouldn't."
Nia Prater: [06-27]
Biden stalls out in particularly bad debate moment.
Andrew Prokop: [06-28]
2 winners and 2 losers from the first Biden-Trump debate: "If
the debate ends with your own party debatign whether you should
quit the race, you lost." Aside from the obvious, the other Loser
was "Substantive issues," while for balance the other Winner was
"Kamala Harris."
David Remnick: [06-29]
The reckoning of Joe Biden: "For the President to insist on
remaining the Democratic candidate would be an act not only of
self-delusion but of national endangement." Editor of The New
Yorker and pretty staunchly in Biden's camp, breaks ranks but
decided to both-sides this, by also publishing:
Jay Caspian Kang: [06-30]
The case for Joe Biden staying in the race: "The known bad
candidate is better than the chaos of the unknown." Hard not to
laugh at this one. How much risk can their be in replacing Biden
with a younger but seasoned and predictable political hack? The
only "chaos of the unknown" (besides Trump) is never knowing
when Biden is going to freeze up or flub some line or trip and
fall, in certain knowledge that any time such a thing happens --
and it's almost certain to happen multiple times -- the media
are going to fixate on Biden's age. On the other hand, take
Biden out of the equation, and pretty soon Trump's going to
look awful old, and the media are already primed to focus on
that.
Eugene Robinson: [07-01]
Biden's 2024 survival requires a lot more than hope.
Nathan J Robinson:
[06-28]
Biden must go: "Joe Biden is simply not up to the task of taking on
Donald Trump. Trump presents a major threat to the country, and Biden's
insistence on running is risking a catastrophe."
[07-01]
The Biden excuse machine kicks into gear: "There is a massive PR
effort afoot to convince us to stay aboard a sinking ship."
David Rothkopf: [06-28]
It's time. Biden needs to say to Harris, "it's your turn now."
Greg Sargent: [06-28]
What Joe Biden really owes the country right now: "There's no
sugarcoating the debate, which was a disaster."
Walter Shapiro: [06-27]
Joe Biden is facing the biggest decision of his political career:
"Can he beat Trump and save American democracy? If not, he should step
aside."
Alex Shephard: [06-27]
Ditch Biden. That debate performance was a disaster. "He failed on
every level."
Bill Scher: [06-28]
A wasted opportunity for Biden (but still time for redemption):
"Ronald Reagan overcame a bad debate that triggered panic about his
age. Here's how Biden can do the same." He's long established himself
as Biden's most devoted advocate among the Washington punditocracy,
so any chink in his defense must be telling. He is surely right that
if Democrats stick with Biden, he still might win the election. But
the ticket to winning the election is to make it about Trump, and in
order to do that, the one thing he really has to do is to not let it
be about him. Moreover, if his ineptness is tied to age -- and that's
by far the easiest explanation, one that most of us understand to be
probable -- the expectation is that it will only get worse. It may
have been unfair and unreasonable to obsess so much over Biden's age
before the debate, but now that we've all seen him falter the way he
did, every future stumble is going to be magnified even more: it's
like the zit you never noticed before, but now you can't avert your
eyes from. Reagan may have been the closest analogue, but his case
isn't a very good one. Old as he was, he was still significantly
younger than Biden. He was much more practiced at wearing makeup
and delivering prefab lines. And he was just a front man for Evil,
Inc., whereas Biden's cast as the leader in the valiant struggle
to save democracy. So while Scher hasn't disappointed me in being
the last rat to jump ship, that even he is sniffing the panic is
surely telling.
Rebecca Solnit: [06-28]
The true losers of this presidential debate were the American
people: No more substance to this review than in the debate
she strained to lampoon, the sole point of comparison being their
voices: Biden "in a hoarse voice said diligent things that were
reasonably true and definitely sincere," vs. Trump "in a booming
voice said lurid things that were flamboyantly untrue." For the
latter, she cites the Guardian's
Factchecked: Trump and Biden's presidential debate claims.
Jeffrey St Clair: [07-03]
Biden in the Bardo.
Stuart Stevens: [06-29]
Democrats: Stop panicking. Lincoln Project adviser, still a
staunch "never Trumper."
Matt Stieb: [06-27]
Joe Biden's voice sounded horrible at the debate.
Margaret Sullivan: [06-28]
Even factchecking Trump's constant lies probably wouldn't have rescued
Biden.
Michael Tomasky: [06-28]
Is there a good reason not to panic? Well, no, not really.
"Sticking with Joe Biden always seemed like the least bad option.
Last night, that changed."
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: [06-28]
Forget the old jokes, foreign policy was the real debate horror.
Washington Post:
Democracy Now! [06-28]
"Step aside Joe": After first pres. debate, Democrats reeling from
Biden's missteps & Trump lies: Interview with Chris Lehman
and Norman Solomon.
Debate tweets:
-
Zachary D Carter: Donald Trump is delivering the second-worst
presidential debate performance I've ever seen.
And more post-debate tweets:
Zachary D Carter: [06-30] If Biden refuses to step aside it
will not be an act of high principal or strong character. He did
not just have a bad night. He is not fit for the job and stayuing
in the race would be the worst kind of vanity and betrayal.
Laura Tillem: [06-30] He did terrible in the debate because he
gags when he has to pretend to support abortion rights or universal
health care.
holly: [06-28] If you want to see Joe Biden in his prime, just go
back and watch footage of him calling Anita Hill a liar and ensuring
that we'd have to deal with Clarence Thomas forever.
Moshik Temkin: [06-28] Worth recalling that the only reason Biden
is President now is because, after he finished 5th in NH Dem primary
in 2020, Obama persuaded all the other candidates to drop out and
endorse Biden in order to stop Bernie Sanders, who was in 1st place
(and crushing Trump in the polls)
John Ganz: Dude they just gotta roll the dice with Harris.
Plus I scraped this from Facebook:
Allen Lowe [07-02]:
Cold medicine my a##. On my worst day during chemo and radiation
I made more sense than Biden did at that debate; coming out of the
anaesthetic after a 12 hour surgery with half of my nose removed
I could have debated Trump more coherently; after they pulled a
tube out of of my arm at 4 in the morning after another (8 hour)
surgery, causing me to scream in the worst pain of my life and
curse like a sailor, I would have remembered more accurately what
I last said and organized my thoughts more clearly. The night I
was born and ripped from my mother's womb I was better prepared
than Biden was (my first words were "Henry Wallace!").
This guy must go. Go. Go.
This whole thing has, honestly, made me lose all respect for
Biden, as he continues to place his personal ego and "legacy"
ahead of the country. As Carl Bernstein reports [on
YouTube], aides have privately reported a Biden loss of
coherence and noticeable cognitive slippage occurring "15 to 20
times" in the last year.
Election notes:
Trump:
Zack Beauchamp: [06-27]
Donald Trump is getting away with it: "The debate proved that
Donald Trump is still a threat to democracy. How have we lost sight
of that?" Maybe because we've forgotten what democracy means, because
we don't have one? What we have bears some resemblance to a market,
but one very skewed towards wealth and their ability to manipulate
consciousness through the media. Anyone can see that Trump would
skew it even further toward his personal and partisan power, but
the democracy he threatens is already gone -- so much so that lots
of people just laugh when you whine about his specific threat.
Jamelle Bouie: [06-11]
There's a reason Trump has friends in high places.
Jonathan Chait:
Dan Dinello: [06-26]
Wooing MAGA billionaires, fascist felon Trump holds a fire sale on
his potential presidency: Title language is a bit extreme, but
the author opens with five paragraphs on the donor-funded rise of
the Nazis in Germany, and you can't say that's irrelevant.
Margaret Hartmann:
The 6 most bizarre and baffling Trump-raly rants.
Chris Lehman: [06-25]
If leading CEOs aren't donating to Trump, it's because they don't
need to.
Will Leitch: [06-18]
The Apprentice is the skeleton key to understanding Trump:
Interview with Ramin Setoodeh, author of
Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took
America Through the Looking Glass.
Li Zhou: [06-26]
Trump's rumored VP shortlist, explained: "A rundown of the people
auditioning for the job and what they bring to the ticket." Story
updated from Feb. 9, still has seven candidates, although elsewhere
I've just seen it whittled down to three (Burgum, Vance, Rubio;
that omits the woman and three blacks). It's pretty clear Trump
is shopping for dowry. Burgum has his own money. Vance is a front
for Peter Thiel. Not sure who is behind Rubio, but it's pretty
obvious he's a kept man.
And other Republicans:
Zack Beauchamp: [06-18]
Taking the right seriously: "On the Right tracks how the dreams
of conservative intellectuals are becoming reality." This kicks off
a newsletter, "On the Right," with one Jonathan Mitchell, thanks to
whom "in just two years, the Comstock Act went from being a defunct
173 law to an existential threat to abortion rights in America."
See this link:
Sidney Blumenthal: [06-25]
Republicans have a ghoulish tactic to distract Trump's criminalilty.
Colin Gordon: [06-25]
The GOP attack on free lunch: "In an era of retrenchment in social
policy, food assistance is becoming more generous and inclusive. But
Republican politicians are attempting to gut one of the most popular
programs: free school lunch."
Sarah Jones:
Kim Phillips-Fein: [06-04]
The mandate for leadership, then and now: "The Heritage Foundation's
1980 manual aimed to roll back the state and unleash the free market.
The 2025 vision is more extreme, and even more dangerous." This leads
into a couple of related articles:
Nia Prater: [06-18]
Rudy Giuliani's financial woes are getting even worse.
Jennifer Senior:
American Rasputin: "Steve Bannon is still scheming. And he's still
a threat to democracy." Article from 2022, dredge up, no doubt, to
cheer him up
in jail. Also, I guess:
Rebecca Traister: [06-17]
How did Republican women end up like this? "The baffling,
contradictory demands of being female in the party of Donald
Trump."
Biden and/or the Democrats:
Jonathan Alter: [06-28]
How the Democrats should replace Biden: This seems ok to me,
aside from the snootiness of dismissing Sanders and Warren out
of hand and seeking to ban "anyone from the Squad." That they've
already limited the electorate to Biden's hand-picked supporters
is rigged enough without having to rub it in.
Aaron Blake:
Abdallah Fayyad: [06-29]
LBJ and Truman knew when to quit. Will Biden? "Some lessons from
the two presidents who walked away."
Margaret Hartmann: [07-01]
All the gossip on the Biden family's postdebate blame game.
David Klion: [06-19]
The lifelong incoherence of Biden's Israel strategy: "The
president's muddled policy course in the Middle East is angering
voters across the political spectrum -- and it could usher Trump
back into the White House."
Eric Levitz:
[06-19]
Biden's ads haven't been working. Now, he's trying something new.
Written before the debate: "President Joe Biden's odds of reelection
may be worse than they look. And they don't look great."
[06-28]
How Democrats got here: "Democrats really need to choose electable
vice presidents." This might have gone deep into the sorry history of
vice presidents and vice-presidential candidates, few of whom could
be described as "electable" -- at least as Levitz defines it to exclude
Biden and Harris, which is the point of his article.
Unfortunately, the last two Democratic presidents did not prioritize
political chops when selecting their veeps.
Barack Obama didn't choose Joe Biden because he thought that the
then-Delaware senator would make a great Democratic nominee in 2016.
To the contrary, by most accounts, Obama thought that Biden would be
a totally nonviable candidate by the time his own hypothetical
presidency ended. And he reportedly selected Biden precisely for
that reason. . . .
Biden's choice of Kamala Harris in 2020 was even more misguided.
When he made that choice in August 2020, there was little basis for
believing that Harris was one of the most politically formidable
Democrats in the country.
There's a lot that could be said about this, most of which comes
back to the poor conception of the office (both in the Constitution
and when revised after the emergence of political parties led to the
1800 fiasco and the 12th Amendment). The VP has to do three things,
which require three very different skill sets, especially since the
presidency has grown into this ridiculous imperial perch: they have
to add something to the campaign (e.g., "Tippecanoe and Tyler too");
once elected, they have to behave themselves innocuously, for which
they are sometimes given busy work (LBJ's Space Race, Pence's Space
Force, Gore's Reinventing Government) or sometimes just locked in a
closet (remember John Nance Garner?); and if the president dies,
they're thrust into a role they were rarely prepared for, with no
real, personal political mandate (some, like Tyler and Andrew
Johnson, were wretched; a few, like Teddy Roosevelt and Lyndon
Johnson, thrived; but most were just mediocre, including the
two others who went on to win full terms: Calvin Coolidge and
Harry Truman).
I accept that Obama's pick of Biden was part of a deal to give
the 2016 nomination to Hillary Clinton. The Clintons had turned
the Democratic Party into a personality cult. Obama rode a popular
backlash against that, but Obama was no revolutionary: he wanted
to lead, but was willing to leave the Party to the Clintons. We
now know that wasn't such a good idea, but after a very divisive
primary, in the midst of economic and military disaster, it was
at least understandable.
The Harris nomination made at least as much sense in 2024. The
"little basis" line is unfair and inaccurate. She won statewide
elections in the most populous and most expensive state in the
country. Her resume entering 2016 was similar to and every bit as
strong as Obama's in 2008. She had enough financial backing to
organize a top-tier presidential campaign. She floundered, because
(unlike Obama) she was outflanked on the left (Sanders and Warren),
while hemmed in on the right (Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Bloomberg, and
Biden). But she wasn't incompetent (like Biden already was), and
her position and standing made her the logical choice to unite the
party. And sure, her affirmative action points may have helped a
bit with the left -- at least she wasn't another Tim Kaine, or Al
Gore -- without the tokenism raising any hackles with the donors.
Sure, Harris polls poorly now, but that's largely because Biden
never put her to good use: she could have taken a more prominent
role in cajoling Congress, which would have given her opportunities
to show her mettle fighting Republicans, and she could have spelled
Biden on some of those high-profile foreign trips (especially confabs
like G7 and NATO); instead, they stuck her with the tarbaby border
issue. Having wasted those opportunities, I can see wanting to go
with some other candidate, one with a bit more distance from Biden.
But I'm not convinced that she would be a weak, let alone losing,
candidate. And while I give her zero credit for those affirmative
action tick boxes, I can't see holding them against her, either.
And as for the people who would, well, they were going to vote for
Trump anyway, so why appease them?
Nicole Narea:
Evan Osnos: [06-29]
Biden gets up after his debate meltdown: Good. But are people
talking about that, or the meltdown? Even if they could flip the
message back to "Biden's really ok," that would still be a huge
deficit. We need people talking about how awful Trump is. Even if
you can't impress on many people how bad his policies are, he gives
you lots of other things you can fixate on.
Christian Paz:
[06-26]
We rewatched the 2020 Trump-Biden debates. There's so much we didn't
see coming. "The five most telling moments and what they foreshadow
ahead of this week's rematch."
- Trump calls the 2020 election rigged and doesn't commit to
accepting the results
- Roe v. Wade is nearly forgotten
- Trump gets defensive on immigration
- No one is worried about inflation
- Everyone is worried about Russia, Ukraine, or China, but for
the wrong reasons
[06-26]
What about Kamala? "The vice president has taken on an expanded
role in the last few months. Now Biden needs her more than ever."
Rick Perlstein: [07-03]
Say it ain't so, Joe: "With democracy itself on the ballot, a
statesman with charactger would know when to let go of power."
Andrew Prokop: [06-28]
Will Biden be the nominee? 3 scenarios for what's next.
Bryan Walsh: [07-01]
Democrats say Trump is an existential threat. They're not acting like
it. "If the stakes of the 2024 election are as great as the party
says, there's no excuse for inaction."
Legal matters and other crimes:
Ian Millhiser: He is my first stop for whatever the
Supreme Court does, so I figured I should list him first here,
especially as the last couple weeks have been exceptionally dreadful,
even for this Court. [PS: Note especially today's Trump immunity
decision.]
Meher Ahmad: [06-28]
The Court forces America's homeless to stay awake or be arrested.
Kate Aronoff: [06-28]
This is why the Supreme Court shouldn't try to do the EPA's job:
"Conservative justices this week confused nitrous oxide with nitrogen
oxides and then insisted that they, not the EPA, were the final word
on environmental regulations."
Rachel Barkow: [06-29]
The Imperial Court: "SCOTUS's decision to overturn Chevron
amounts to a massive power grab."
Rachel M Cohen: [06-28]
What a big new Supreme Court decision could mean for homeless
Americans: "The Grants Pass v. Johnson decision does not spell
the end to fights over ten encampments in America."
Moira Donegan:
Matt Ford: [06-28]
The Supreme Court upends the separation of powers: "Killing off
Chevron deference, the court moves power to the judicial branch,
portending chaos."
Steven Greenhouse: [06-28]
Most Americans have no idea how anti-worker the US supreme court has
become.
Elie Honig:
Ed Kilgore: [06-18]
Tax dollars are now funding Christian-nationalist schools.
Ruth Marcus: [07-01]
God save us from this dishonorable court: "An egregious, unconscionable
ruling on presidential immunity from the Supreme Court."
Anna North: [05-25]
Pregnancy in America is starting to feel like a crime: "The
ripple effects of the fall of Roe extend far beyond abortion."
Alexandra Petri: [07-01]
The Supreme Court rules to restore the monarchy. I've seen several
people make this allusion, but I think the inaccuracies undermine its
usefulness. If it sticks, I suppose I'll have to explain why.
James Risen:
The Supreme Court wants a dictator. Now this is more accurate.
Much of the right wants a dictator. How to get there from a nominal
democracy is what this is very much about. (That's why the Orban
model looms so large among right-wing sophisticates.) Monarchies,
on the other hand, are rarely anywhere near as dictatorial as the
right wants, but they are hereditary (which, as far as I can tell,
is attractive to Trump, but not on anyone else's agenda).
Jeffrey St Clair: [06-28]
The end of innocence: Railroading Marcellus Williams to death
row.
Jesse Wegman: [06-28]
Businesses cheer their new freedom to violate regulations.
Jason Willick: [07-03]
Don't like the Supreme Court's immunity ruling? Blame Merrick
Garland.
James D Zirin: [07-02]
This horrible Supreme Court term: "Kneecapping the administrative
state, making bribery great again, immunizing presidents, and legislating
from the bench -- the justices really earned their motorcoach and
fishing vacations."
Climate and environment:
Economic matters:
Dean Baker:
[06-17]
We can't have a new paradigm as long as people think the old one was
free-market fundamentalism. He's on solid ground pointing out that
most profits in our current economy are effectively rigged by monopolies
(either government-minted, like patents, facilitated through favors,
or just tolerated with lax enforcement), it's less clear to me what
this is about:
Farah Stockman: [06-17]
The queen bee of Bidenomics: On Jennifer Harris. Back when
Trump started flirting with tariffs, I tried to make the point that
tariffs only make sense if they are exercised in concert with a
coherent economic development plan. Biden has, somewhat fitfully,
moved in that direction, so that, for instance, tariffs and content
rules can be seen as nurturing domestic production of EVs, helping
the US develop them into world-class exports, as opposed to simply
providing shelter for high prices (which was the net effect of
Trump's corrupt favoritism). Whether this amounts to a paradigm
shift is arguable, as government sponsorship of private industry
has always been part of the neoliberal position (most obviously
in arms and oil).
[06-20]
NAFTA: The great success story: Compares Mexican-to-American
GDP figures since 1980, showing that the gap has increased since
NAFTA, putting Mexicans even more behind. What would be helpful
here is another chart showing income inequality in both countries.
It has certainly increased in the US since NAFTA, and probably in
Mexico as well.
Kevin T Dugan: [06-18]
Nvidia is worth as much as all real estate in NYC -- and 9 other wild
comparisons.
Corey Robin: [06-29]
Hayek, the accidental Freudian: "The economist was fixated on
subconscious knowledge and dreamlike enchantment -- even if he denied
their part in this relationships."
Ukraine War and Russia:
Blaise Malley:
Andrew Cockburn: [06-25]
In destroying Ukraine's power grid the Russians are following our
lead.
Ivana Nikolic Hughes/Peter Kuznick: [06-27]
Prolonging the Ukraine war is flirting with nuclear disaster.
Anatol Lieven: [06-19]
Yes, we can reconcile absurd Russian & Ukrainian peace plans:
"Details emerging about talks to end the war in 2022 highlight the
fact that time isn't on Kyiv's side."
Aaron Maté: [06-27]
New evidence US blocked Ukraine-Russia peace deal, and a new Ukrainian
excuse for walking away.
Zachary Paikin: [06-26]
US contractors in Ukraine: Another 'red line' crossing?
Trudy Rubin: [06-26]
Ukraine's head of military intelligence is behind Kyiv's biggest
victories this year. He sees no point in peace talks. I rarely
read her, because she's so ideologically pro-war, always flogging
hawkish propaganda lines, sniping at anyone who doubts her causes
or simply admits that they come with costs, disparaging any who
even consider negotiation. So it was no surprise that she jumped
on the Ukraine bandwagon. Nor am I surprised that she's going out
of her way to find kindred warriors in Ukraine to champion. But
I had to read this one, because I wasn't aware that Kyiv had any
"biggest victories this year," or, well, any victories. But if you
only care about war, and are utterly indifferent to costs, you can
celebrate the sort of stunts Kyrylo Budanov claims credit for. At
best, they are minor irritants that Putin should weigh in as one
more reason to negotiate peace. On the other hand, to whatever
extent Zelensky and Biden see them as "victories," they may harden
their resolve to prolong the war and not negotiate, and they may
also provoke further offenses by Russia.
America's empire and the world:
Gordon Adams: [06-21]
Time to terminate US counterterrorism programs in Africa: "They
don't work, they don't achieve the projected goals, they waste funds,
and they are counter-productive."
Zack Beauchamp: [06-28]
France's far right is on the brink of power. Blame its centrist
president. "How Emmanuel Macron accidentally helped the far
right normalize itself."
David Broder: [07-01]
Emmanuel Macron has handed victory to the far right: "Marine
Le Pen's allies celebrated a major advance in the opening round of
France's elections. Emmanuel Macron's snap election gamble was a
miscalculation -- but the far right's rise is also a product of his
whole presidency."
Dan Grazier: [06-27]
The US military chases shiny new things and the ranks suffer:
"We were told the Osprey, LCS, and F-35 were cutting edge, but they
turned out to be boondoggles and deathtraps." Possible saving grace
here is that the pursuit of profits among US weaponsmakers is making
their wares too expensive and inefficient to operate, even for
nations that got snookered into buying them as some sort of
tribute.
Marc Martorell Junyent: [06-26]
Europe: The onslaught of the far right.
Stavroula Pabst: [07-01]
Former NSA chief revolves through OpenAI's door: "General Nakasone
was just appointed tot he board."
James Park/Mark Episkopos: [06-19]
Putin and Kim in Pyongyang, making it 'strategic'. More proof
that even enemies want to have friends, and that the US is pushing
all of its "enemies" into each other's arms. Really, how hard would
it be to cut a deal with North Korea to isolate Russia? On the other
hand, keeping North Korea hostile seems to pay off in arms sales
to South Korea and Japan:
Trita Parsi: [06-28]
Iran elections hinge on price of meat not ideology: "Regardless
of who wins, the election will not likely have a significant impact
on Iran's regional policies."
More on Iran:
Ishaan Tharoor:
Nick Turse:
After training African coup leaders, Pentagon blames Russia for African
coups.
Other stories:
Noam Chomsky: Briefly in the news after false reports that
he had died at 95 -- see Brett Wilkins: [06-18]
Manufacturing Obituaries: Media falsely reports Noam Chomsky's death --
which led to a quick burst of posts, including a couple of his own,
still vibrant and still relevant:
William Hartung: [06-25]
An AI Hell on Earth? Silicon Valley and the rush toward automated
warfare.
Sean Illing: [06-23]
What nuclear annihilation could look like: "The survivors would
envy the dead." Interview with Annie Jacobsen, author of
Nuclear War: A Scenario.
Joshua Keating: [06-16]
The world is running out of soldiers: Good. Soldiering is a
losing proposition, no matter what side you think you are on.
I'm not sure that Keating is right that "wars are getting more
common and militaries are building up." I'll grant that war
business is booming, and that the costs -- both to wage and to
suffer war -- are way up, but aren't costs supposed to be
self-limiting? One cost, which is finding people dumb and/or
desperate enough to enlist, certainly is, and that's a good
thing. Somehow some related pieces popped up:
Jack Hunter: [06-18]
Congress moves to make Selective Service automatic: "Raising
the specter of the draft, this NDAA amendment seems ill-timed."
Actually, no one's advocating to bring back the draft. All the
amendment does is simplifying the paperwork by leaving it to the
government to sign people up, giving people one less awful thing
to do. Simpler still would be to eliminate registration, and the
whole useless bureaucracy behind it.
Edward Hasbrouck: [06-29]
A war draft today can't work. Let us count the ways.
Jacob Kushner: [06-23]
The best plan to help refugees might also be the simplest:
"More refugees live in cities. Could cash help them rebuild their
lives?"
Dave Lindorff: [06-28]
Assange is finally free as America, Britain, Sweden and Australia
are shamed.
Robert Christgau: [06-26]
Xgau Sez: June, 2024: Several things of possible interest here,
but I wanted to comment on this interchange:
[Q] On October 18, you tweeted a defense of Israel citing a well
written piece which postulated that the hospital bombing committed one
week after 10/7 was actually not committed by Israel. You stated that
prior to this evidence, you were "profoundly disturbed" that such a
thing could happen. So now here we are, over half a year later, after
tens of thousands of deaths and countless hospital bombings which have
all undeniably been committed by Israel--and you haven't said a single
word? It's one thing for you to have stayed quiet on the issue
completely, but you only speak up when Israel can be protected? Bob,
what is wrong with you? How are you not profoundly disturbed as the
death toll of innocent civilians reaches nearly 40,000 with no clear
end in sight? The last thing I ever expected from my decades of
following your works was for you to be so spineless. I refuse to
believe you only actively stand for something when the narrative suits
your desires. -- Brandon Sparks, America
[A] Anyone but a genuine expert who writes about the appalling Gaza
war risks being incomplete and probably wrong. I cited that hospital
bombing story because that early there seemed some reason for hope
that the war would resolve itself with a modicum of sanity. It wasn't
yet clear just how appalling Netanyahu would prove to be--or, I will
add with my hands shaking, Hamas either. The "lots" I know is too
little and in public at least I intend to say as little as
possible. I've long believed in a two-state solution and this war is
easily the cruelest and most gruesome international conflict of my
adulthood. But it hasn't yet turned me into a full-bore anti-Zionist,
because as an American of German extraction with many dozens of Jewish
friends, I've spent too much of my life taking anti-Semitism seriously
to put it on any sort of back burner now.
Christgau has been a good friend for close to fifty years, and
a friend of my wife's even longer (he introduced us), and we're
generally pretty simpatico politically, drawing on similar class
and cultural backgrounds and experiences -- although he's eight
years older than I am, which is enough for him to look up to other
people as mentors (especially Greil Marcus, whose view of Israel
and Gaza I wrote about
here, and probably the late Ellen Willis, who was left of Marcus
but still a devoted Zionist) and to look down on me as a protégé
(not that he doesn't respect what I have to say; he's often a very
astute reader, but still doggedly fixed in his beliefs).
After what Marcus wrote, we gave him credit for publishing this
letter, and not for simply shirking it off. But while his cautious
and self-effacing tone evaded our worst expectations, nearly every
line in his answer is wrong in some fundamental sense, just not in
the manner of Marcus (ridiculous, hypocritical accusations cloaked
in a storm of overwrought emotion and self-pity), but mostly by
pleading ignorance and accepting it as bliss. To wit:
"Anyone but a genuine expert . . . risks being incomplete
and probably wrong." If you know any history at all, you must know
that in 1948 Israel expelled 700,000 Palestinians, driving many of
them into Gaza (more than the previous population of Gaza), leaving
them under Egyptian rule until Israel invaded and occupied Gaza in
and ever since 1967, and that under Israeli rule, they were denied
human rights and subject to multiple waves of violent repression,
a dire situation that only got worse when Israel left Gaza to the
circumscribed gang rule of Hamas. Under such circumstances, and
having repeatedly failed to appeal to Israel's and the world's sense
of justice, it was only a matter of time before Hamas resorted to
its own violence, since nothing less could move Israel.
If you don't know the history, you might not have
understood the Hamas revolt on Oct. 7, but you would have observed
that the revolt was limited and unsustainable, because Hamas had
nothing resembling a real army, few modern arms, no arms industry,
no safe haven, no allies. It may have come as a shock, but it was
no threat. Israel killed or repelled the attackers within a couple
days. After that, virtually all of the violence was committed by
Israel, not just against people who had desperately fought back
but against everyone in Gaza, against their homes, their farms,
their utilities, their hospitals. Since Hamas was powerless to
stop Israel, even to make Israel pay a further price for their
war, the only decent choice Americans had was to inhibit Israel,
to back them down from the genocide their leaders openly avowed.
There was nothing subtle or complex about this.
"There seemed some reason for hope that the war would
resolve itself with a modicum of sanity": Really? Israel,
following the example of the British before them, has always
punished Palestinian violence with disproportionate collective
punishment. The Zionist leadership embraced what is now commonly
called "ethnic cleansing" in 1937, as they embraced the Peel
Commission plan to forcibly "transfer" Palestinians from lands
that Britain would offer for Israel. From that point on, genocide
was woven into the DNA of Zionism. The only question was whether
they could afford to discredit themselves to the world (which,
by 2023, really just meant the US). When Biden vowed unlimited,
uncritical support, Israel was free to do whatever they wanted,
sane or not, with no fear of reprisal, isolation, and sanctions.
"It wasn't yet clear just how appalling Netanyahu would
prove to be": Granted, few Americans have any real appreciation
for Israeli politics, especially given the extent to which most
Israeli politicians misrepresent themselves to Americans. Still,
you have to be awful naďve not to understand where Netanyahu
came from (he was born royalty on the fascist right: his father
was Jabotinsky's secretary) and where he would go any time he
got the chance (ever farther to the right). Sure, he was more
circumspect than his partners Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, who were
free to say what he actually wanted to do. Even before the Oct.
7 revolt, their coalition was curtailing Palestinian rights
within Israel, and was encouraging and excusing a campaign of
terror against Palestinians in the West Bank, while Gaza was
being strangled, and the only relatively liberal courts were
being neutered. Outrage over Oct. 7 was immediately turned into
license to intensify operations that were already ongoing.
"I've long believed in a two-state solution": "Two states"
isn't a belief. It's just something people talk about to keep
people separated into rival, hostile blocs. Give them equal power
and they would be at each other's throats, but with unequal power
you have one standing on the other's neck. "Two states" started
out as a British idea, tried disastrously first in Ireland then
in India. Israelis endorsed the idea in 1937 (Peel Commission)
and in 1947 (UN Partition Plan), but when they had the chance to
actually build a state, they went with one powerful state of their
own, and prevented even a weak Palestinian state from emerging:
Jordan and Egypt were given temporary control of chunks of
Palestine, their population swelled with refugees from ethnic
cleansing in Israel's captured territories, then even those
chunks were regained in 1967, when Israel was finally strong
enough to keep their people confined to impoverished stans.
True, the "two state" idea recovered a bit in the 1990s, as
bait to lure corrupt "nationalists" into policing their own
people, but few Israelis took the idea seriously, and after
Sharon in 2000, most stopped pretending -- only the Americans
were gullible enough to keep up the charade. You can dice up
territories arbitrary to provide multiple states with different
ethnic mixes allowing multiple tyrannies, but that kind of
injustice only leads to more conflict. The only decent solution
is, as always, equal rights for everyone, however space is
allocated. Imagining othewise only shows how little you know
about human nature.
"Easily the cruelest and most gruesome international
conflict of my adulthood": The American wars in Indochina and
Korea were worse by almost any metric. The oft-genocidal wars
in and around India and the eastern Congo certainly killed
more people. Even the CIA-backed "white terror" in Indonesia
killed more people. Israel's wars are more protracted, because
they feed into a self-perpetuating culture of militarism, but
while the latest episode in Gaza is off the charts compared to
any of these catastrophes, but averaged out over the century
since British imperialism gave force to the Balfour Declaration,
Israel's forever war has been fairly well regulated to minimize
its inconvenience for Israelis. It persists only because Israelis
like it that way, and could be ended easily if they had any
desire to do so.
"But it hasn't yet turned me into a full-bore anti-Zionist":
You don't have to be an anti-Zionist to oppose genocide, or to
oppose a caste system where given or denied rights because of
their birth and parents. Admittedly, those behaviors are deeply
embedded in the fabric of actually-existing Zionism, but there
have been alternative concepts of Zionism that do not encourage
them, and even actual Zionists have resisted the temptation to
such barbarism more often than not. You can be Israeli, or you
can love Israel and Israelis and wish nothing more than to keep
them safe and respected and still oppose the racist and genocidal
policies of the current regime. Indeed, if you are, you really
must oppose those policies, because they do nothing but bring
shame on the people you profess to love and cherish. And you can
do this without ever describing yourself as pro-Palestinian, or
in any way associating yourself with Palestinian nationalists --
who, quite frankly, have made a lot of missteps over the years,
in the worst cases acting exactly like the Israelis they claim
to oppose.
"Because as an American of German extraction with many dozens
of Jewish friends, I've spent too much of my life taking anti-Semitism
seriously to put it on any sort of back burner now." Again, you can
be Jewish, or you can love and respect Jews, and still oppose Israel's
policies of racism and genocide. You can find ample reason within
Judaism, or Christianity, or any other religion, or secular humanism,
socialist solidarity, or simple human decency, to do so. And you can
and should be clear that if the roles were reversed you would still
oppose racism and genocide, and seek to protect and sustain victims
of those policies.
This is actually quite easy for people of the left to do, because
the definition that identifies us on the left is that we believe that
all people deserve equal political, economic, and human rights. It
is harder for people on the right, who again by definition believe
that some people are chosen to rule and that others are commanded
to serve, or at least not annoy or inconvenience their betters by
their presence. They are likely to be divided, depending on whether
they identify with the people on top or on the bottom, and they are
likely to be the worst offenders, because they also believe that
the use of force is legitimate to promote their caste and to subdue
all others.
There is a form of gravity involved in this: if you're under or
excluded from the dominant hierarchy, you tend to move left, because
your self-interest is better served by universal rights and tolerance
than by the slim odds that you can revolt and seize power. This is
why almost all Jews in America lean left -- as do most members of
most excluded and/or disparaged minorities, pretty much everywhere.
Israel is different, because right-wing Jews did manage to seize
power there, and as such have become a glaring example of why the
right is wrong.
Zionists have worked very hard to obscure the inevitable divide
between rightist power in Israel and left leanings in the diaspora,
and for a long time, especially in America, they've been remarkably
successful. I'm not going to try to explain how and why, as the key
point right now is that it's breaking down, as it is becoming obvious
that Israel acts are contrary to the political and moral beliefs of
most Jews in America -- that there is any significant support for
Israel at all can only be attributed to denial, lies, and the rote
repetition of carefully crafted talking points.
One of those talking points is that opposition to Israel's wars
and racism reflects and encourages anti-semitism, thus triggering
deep-seated fears tied back to the very real history of racism and
genocide targeting Jews -- fears that, while hard to totally dismiss,
have been systematically cultivated to Israel's advantage by what
Norman Finkelstein calls "the holocaust industry." Some people (and
Marcus presents as an example) grew up so traumatized that they are
completely unreachable (which is to say, disconnected from reality)
on Israel. Others, like Christgau, are just enmeshed in sympathy
and guilt -- although in his case, I don't see what other than his
name binds him to German, much less Nazi, history and culture (for
instance, the Christian church he often refers to was Presbyterian,
not Lutheran, not that Lutheranism is all that Teutonic either; in
music about all I can think of is that he likes Kraftwerk and Kurt
Weill, but who among us doesn't?).
That Zionists should be accusing leftists, including many Jews,
of being anti-semitic is pretty ripe. Zionism was a minority response
to the rising tide of anti-semitism in 19th century Europe, which
insisted that anti-semitism was endemic and permanent -- something
so ingrained in Euopean culture that could never be reformed by
socialist political movements or tolerated by liberalism, a curse
that could only be escaped from, by retreating to and fortifying
an exclusively Jewish nation-state, isolated by an Iron Wall.
But along the way, Zionists learned to play anti-semitism to
their advantage. They pleaded with imperialists to give them land
and to expel their unwanted Jews. They pointed Christians to the
prophecy in Revelations that sees the return of Jews to the Holy
Land as a prerequisite for the Second Coming. (David Lloyd George
was one who bought that line. In America today, Postmillennial
Dispensationalists are the staunchest supporters of Zionism, and
every last one of them relishes the Final Solution that eluded
Hitler.) They negotiated with Nazis. They lobbied to keep Jews
from emigrating to America. They organized pogroms to stampede
Arabic Jews to ascend to Israel. They stole the shameful legacy
of the Holocaust and turned it into a propaganda industry, which
plies guilt to obtain deferrence and support, even as Israel
does unto others the same horrors that others had done to Jews.
Opposition to anti-semitism is a core belief of liberals and
the left in America. This is because such forms of prejudice and
discrimination are inimical to our principles, but it's gained
extra resonance because Jews tend to be active in liberal/left
circles, so non-Jews (like Christgau and myself) know and treasure
many of them. Nearly all of us are careful, sometimes to the point
of tedium, to make clear that our criticisms of Israel are not to
be generalized against Jews. In this, we are helped by the many
Jews who share our criticisms, and often, like the group Jewish
Voice for Peace, lead the way. But not everyone who criticizes
Israel exercises such care, and not everyone does so from left
principles, and those are the ones who are most likely to fall
back on anti-semitic tropes and popularize them, increasing the
chances of an anti-semitic resurgence. That would be bad, both
politically and morally, but no form of opposition to tyranny
justifies the tyranny. We need to understand that the offense
is responsible for its opposition, and to seek its solution at
the source: Israel's racist and genocidal behavior.
So if you're really concerned that this war may make anti-semitism
more common, the only solution is to stop the war: in practical terms,
to demand a ceasefire, to halt arms deliveries to Israel, to insist
that Israel give up its claims to Gaza (if anything is clear by now,
it's that Israel is not competent to administer Gaza), to organize
aid and relief, and to open a dialogue with Israel to come to some
sort of agreeable solution where everyone can live in peace, security,
and hopefully prosperity with full and equal rights. The main reason
for doing this is that it's the right thing to do, for pretty much
everyone, but if you're primarily concerned about anti-semitism,
that is one more reason to sue for peace.
In this age where kill ratios exceed 100-to-1, and the starvation
ratio is infinite, I'm not going to pretend that the psychic trauma
the war is causing for Israelis, for Jews, and for philo-semitic
Americans somehow balances off against the pain and suffering that
is being inflicted on Palestinians, but that traums is real, and
needs to be addressed and relieved, and only peace can do that. And
in this particular conflict, only Israel can grant peace. Until
they choose to do so, all focus should be directed on those who
are responsible for this war: for fighting it, for supporting it,
for excusing it, and for letting them get away with it.
I guess that last point ran away from me a bit, while still
leaving much more to be said. More succinctly: to whatever extent
Israel is able to identify its war with Jews in general, and to
equate opposition to its war with anti-semitism, the prevalence
and threat of anti-semitism will grow. To stop this, stop the war.
If anti-semitism is the issue you really care about, stopping the
war is the only thing that will help you.
People on the left, by definition, are opposed to the war, and
are opposed to anti-semitism, and see their opposition to both as
part of the same fight. People on the right are often confused,
crazy, and/or sick. You may or may not be able to help them, but
know that they are much less dangerous in times of peace and good
will than in times of war and turmoil, so again the imperative is
to stop the war. And if you, like Christgau (and even Marcus) hate
and fear Donald Trump (who's firmly on the right for all three
reasons), same prescription: stop the war.
One last point: you don't have to specifically care about Jews
on this matter. I'm addressing these points to people who do. While
I think it would be more helpful to protest in ways that help gain
support from people who are initially sympathetic to Israelis --
e.g., I think a lot of Palestinian flag waving isn't very helpful --
I understand that people can come to the right conclusion from all
sorts of reasoning. What matters most is that we all demand a
ceasefire, and an end to Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians.
David A Graham:
Doug Emhoff, first jazz fan: "The second gentleman gets the beauty
and meaning of the genre."
Chris Monsen:
[06-19]
Midweek pick, June 19th, 2024: Okka Disk: A reminder of Bruno
Johnson's Milwaukee-based avant-jazz label, noting that "perhaps a
deep dive into their output would be in order at a later date."
For what little it's worth, I started working on
Ken Vandermark & Friends: A Consumer Guide back around 2004,
as it seemed like a good follow up to my
A Consumer Guide to William Parker, Matthew Shipp, et al.,
but I didn't get very far. My
database does contain 66 albums
released by Okka Disk, 55 with grades, of which the following rated
A- or higher:
- Jim Baker/Steve Hunt/Brian Sandstrom/Mars Williams: Extraordinary Popular Delusions (2005 [2007])
- Peter Brötzmann/Toshinori Kondo/Massimo Pupillo/Paal Nilssen-Love: Hairy Bones (2008 [2009])
- Caffeine [Ken Vandermark]: Caffeine (1993 [1994])
- FME [Vandermark]: Underground (2004)
- FME: Cuts (2004 [2005])
- Triage [Dave Rempis]: Twenty Minute Cliff (2003)
- Triage: American Mythology (2004) [A]
- School Days [Vandermark]: Crossing Division (2000)
- School Days: In Our Times (2001 [2002])
- Steelwool Trio [Vandermark]: International Front (1994 [1998])
- Ken Vandermark/Kent Kessler/Ingebrigt Hĺker Flaten/Nate McBride/Wilbert De Joode: Collected Fiction (2008 [2009])
[06-26]
Midweek pick, June 26th, 2024: Gayle, Graves and Parker's WEBO:
What I'm listening to to calm my nerves while writing about Gaza
and Biden.
Phil Overeem:
June 2024: Halfway there + "old reggae albums I'd never heard
before were my June salvation."
Robert Sullivan: [06-24]
The Sun Ra Arkestra's maestro hits one hundred: "Marshall Allen,
the musical collective's sax-playing leader, is celebrating with a
deep-spacey video installation during the Venice Biennale."
Werner Trieschmann: [06-20]
Fox Green score hat trick with excellent third album, Light
Over Darkness.
Sunday, June 30, 2024
Speaking of Which
Delayed, probably July 1, which will in turn push Music Week back
another day.
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Daily Log
Nathan Cadman mentioned on Facebook that he bought a wok, and asked
for advice and recipes. I wrote:
I didn't learn how to cook Chinese until I threw away my wok, and I
still don't use one, but I've learned enough to appreciate
them. Although you can do pretty much everything with it, the one
thing it's really good for is all-in-one stir-fries. A cheap steel one
is better than expensive stainless or anything nonstick -- assuming
you maintain the patina. The fact that the steel does not retain heat
like All Clad is a virtue, allowing you to turn the heat up or down
efficiently. (Of course, if you have an electric, except perhaps for
induction, you won't be able to do that.) In any case, the key is to
get it really hot, then work really fast. That means you have to do
all of your prep ahead of time, and arrange it so you can grab
whatever you need exactly when you need it. Chinese is 90% prep, 10%
fire drill. Once you understand that, it's easy. Some of your prep is
pre-cooked, which can be done at leisure. For instance, boil or steam
your rice, let it cool, break it up, then lay it out with everything
else for a quick stir-fry. Some things can cook during the stir-fry,
but others should be partly-cooked ahead of time -- eggs, velvet
shrimp, peppers and carrots and zucchini that need more than a minute
to cook on their own, peas (which I parboil for about 30
seconds). Fried rice is probably the best dish to start with. My
standard one is with diced ham, fried egg, sauteed red bell pepper,
scallions, some peas, and pine nuts. Another uses leeks and velvet
shrimp (marinated in egg white/wine/corn starch then boiled 45
seconds; it will finish cooking in the stir-fry). But those are mostly
sides for me. For a single dish, you can load it up with more veggies
and/or meats. Another good wok dish is pad thai. Here's
my recipe.
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
June archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 46 albums, 12 A-list
Music: Current count 42549 [42503] rated (+46), 22 [22] unrated (+0).
Updated: look for change bar below.
I perhaps foolishly agreed to write up an article on William Parker,
this year's deserving recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award, and
a feature evening of performances, at the
2024 Vision Festival, in New York last week. I figured I could dust
off the
Parker/Shipp Consumer Guide
I wrote up back in 2003, and add a few odds and ends about later albums.
It turned out not to be not quite that simple.
For one thing, when I finally rounded up all the reviews I had written
on albums he had played on, the count came to 249. I then had to go back
and check for false positives (the 2003 CG also included albums with
Shipp but no Parker, and a few extras by artists in their circle), and
for omissions. In this, I was massively aided by being able to consult
Rick Lopez's
William Parker Sessionography, but I was also slowed by its
completeness and accumulation of fascinating detail. Back in the
notes for my 2003 CG, I collected a select but fairly extensive
discogrpahy. As I needed something similar to keep track of what
I was doing, I started to update it, and that wound up taking a
lot of time.
By last Thursday, I had gotten so flustered and panicked that
I decided I had to give up trying to multitask and just focus on
the Parker essay. I had started to write some introductory comments
for the week's Speaking of Which, so I stopped there, and vowed to
do no more until the piece was done. (I'm belatedly posting that
introduction today, but with no news links or comments.
Second, I resolved to only play Parker albums until I finished.
I later relaxed that to allow myself to play and review albums
I hadn't heard before, which is where most of the albums below
came from.
I finally sent the essay in yesterday. No word yet on when (or
I suppose if) it will be published. I decided that the best way
to proceed from here is to post the partial Speaking of Which
intro (which already had a sequence number) along with the Music
Week reviews, then start on new blog posts for the usual dates
next week. Of course, it's never that simple. This also turns
out to be the last Music Week in June, so I have to wrap up one
month's Streamnotes archive, and open up another.
I also have a jammed up pile of other work I need to crack on
with, more email problems, plus home tasks, health troubles, etc.
More stuff in flux, but I've droned on enough for here and now.
PS: [06-27] My piece on William Parker has
been posted on ArtsFuse now:
Jazz Commentary: Celebrating Bassist William Parker's Lifetime of
Achievement. I have some notes to go along with this, but
they're not really ready for presentation yet, so I'll work on
them and have more to say later. Note that I did add the two
books I referred at the end to my Recent Reading sidebar and
roll.
I changed the status of
June Streamnotes to
"final," added the Music Week text, and compiled the
2024 and
Artists indexes.
Next on my plate is to do some work on the
Carola Dibbell and
Robert Christgau
websites, or maybe something with email, or maybe just get
dinner first -- things I need to square away before getting to
the mid-year Jazz Critics Poll (which I should send out notices
on by Monday, assuming email works by then). But I'm really
itching to open up a Speaking of Which draft file, as even
with my recent blackout it's pretty obvious that there's an
insane amount of important news to note and (mostly) bemoan.
PPS: I was going to apologize for not being able to
figure out how to move the right-margin change mark inside the
album cover pics so it's clearly tied to the changed text, but
then it dawned on me to allow an option to put the change bar
on the left, which should be good enough for now.
If the change bar doesn't appear for you, that's because
your browser is using a cached CSS file. CTRL-SHIFT-R fixes
this in Firefox. I also had to fix a ton of mistakes in the
aforelinked Parker-Shipp CG file. I knew it wasn't ready,
but should at least have made sure it loaded. That much is
fixed now.
New records reviewed this week:
- Fox Green: Light Over Darkness (2024, self-released): [cdr]: A-
- Joel Futterman/William Parker: Why (2020 [2024], Soul City Sounds): [sp]: B+(***)
- Andrea Grossi Blend 3 + Jim Black: Axes (2023 [2024], We Insist!): [sp]: B+(***)
- Jared Hall: Influences (2022 [2024], Origin): [cd]: B+(***) [06-21]
- Jihee Heo: Flow (2023 [2024], OA2): [cd]: B+(**) [06-21]
- Arushi Jain: Delight (2024, Leaving): [sp]: B-
- Kneecap: Fine Art (2024, Heavenly): [sp]: A-
- Jim Kweskin: Never Too Late: Duets With Friends (2024, Storysound): [sp]: B+(***)
- Jon Langford: Gubbins (2023, self-released): [sp]: B+(***)
- Jon Langford & the Bright Shiners: Where It Really Starts (2024, Tiny Global Productions): [bc]: B+(**)
- Joe McPhee With Ken Vandermark: Musings of a Bahamian Son: Poems and Other Words (2021 [2024], Corbett vs. Dempsey): [bc]: B+(*)
- Star Splitter [Gabriele Mitelli/Rob Mazurek]: Medea (2022 [2024], We Insist!): [sp]: B
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Tony Oxley: Angular Apron (1992 [2024], Corbett vs. Dempsey): [bc]: B+(***)
- Tomasz Stanko Quartet: September Night (2004 [2024], ECM): [sp]: B+(***)
- Mars Williams & Hamid Drake: I Know You Are but What Am I (1996 [2024], Corbett vs. Dempsey): [bc]: A-
- Mars Williams/Darin Gray/Chris Corsano: Elastic (2012, Corbett vs. Dempsey): [bc]: B+(***)
Old music:
- Peter Brötzmann/William Parker/Hamid Drake: Song Sentimentale (2015 [2016], Otoroku): [bc]: B+(***)
- Rob Brown Trio: Breath Rhyme (1989, Silkheart): [r]: B+(**)
- Rob Brown Quartet: The Big Picture (2003 [2004], Marge): [r]: B+(**)
- Dave Cappello & Jeff Albert With William Parker: New Normal (2015 [2016], Breakfast 4 Dinner): [sp]: B+(***)
- Kevin Coyne/Jon Langford/The Pine Valley Cosmonauts: One Day in Chicago (2002 [2005], Spinney): [sp]: B+(***)
- Jeremy Danneman: Lady Boom Boom (2013 [2016], Ropeadope): [sp]: B+(***)
- Jeremy Danneman: Help (2013 [2016], Ropeadope): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jeremy Danneman: Lost Signals (2013 [2016], Ropeadope): [sp]: A-
- Jeremy Danneman and Sophie Nzayisenga: Honey Wine (2015 [2017], Ropeadope): [sp]: A-
- Jeremy Danneman and the Down on Me: The Big Fruit Salad (2022, Ropeadope): [sp]: B+(*)
- Die Like a Dog Quartet Featuring Roy Campbell: From Valley to Valley (1998 [1999], Eremite): [sp]: B+(*)
- Sophia Domancich/Hamid Drake/William Parker: Washed Away: Live at the Sunside (2008 [2009], Marge): [sp]: B+(***)
- Hamid Drake & Sabir Mateen: Brothers Together (2000 [2002], Eremite): [sp]: A-
- Farmers by Nature [Gerald Cleaver/William Parker/Craig Taborn]: Love and Ghosts (2011 [2014], AUM Fidelity, 2CD): [sp]: B+(***)
- Peter Kuhn: Ghost of a Trance (1979-80 [1981], Hat Hut): [yt]: B+(**)
- Jon Langford & the Men of Gwent: The Legend of LL (2015, Country Mile): [bc]: A-
- Jon Langford & the Men of Gwent: President of Wales (2019, Country Mile): [bc]: B+(***)
- Jemeel Moondoc Quintet: Nostalgia in Times Square (1985 [1986], Soul Note): [r]: B+(***)
- Jemeel Moondoc Vtet: Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys (2000, Eremite): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jemeel Moondoc & the Jus Grew Orchestra: Spirit House (20000, Eremite): [sp]: A-
- Jemeel Moondoc With Dennis Charles: We Don't (1981 [2003], Eremite): [sp]: B+(***)
- Joe Morris/William Parker/Gerald Cleaver: Altitude (2011 [2012], AUM Fidelity): [sp]: B+(**)
- William Parker & the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Mass for the Healing of the World (1998 [2003], Black Saint): [sp]: A-
- William Parker Quartet: Live in Wroclove (2012 [2023], ForTune): [sp]: B+(***)
- William Parker: For Those Who Are, Still (2000-13 [2013], AUM Fidelity, 3CD): [r]: A-
- William Parker/David Budbill: What I Saw This Morning (2014 [2016], AUM Fidelity): [bc]: B+(***)
- The Cecil Taylor Unit: Live in Bologna (1987 [1988], Leo): [r]: A-
- The Cecil Taylor Unit: Live in Vienna (1987 [1988], Leo): [r]: B+(***)
- Cecil Taylor: Tzotzil Mummers Tzotzil (1987 [1988], Leo): [r]: B+(*)
- David S. Ware Trio: Passage to Music (1988, Silkheart): [r]: B+(***)
- David S. Ware Quartet: Cryptology (1994 [1995], Homestead): [yt]: A-
- David S. Ware: Organica (Solo Saxophones, Volume 2) (2010 [2011], AUM Fidelity): [r]: B+(**)
Grade (or other) changes:
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Fox Green: Holy Souls (self-released '22)
- Fox Green: Light Darkness (self-released)
- Frank London/The Elders: Spirit Stronger Than Blood (ESP-Disk) [06-07]
- Michael Pagán: Paganova (Capri) [07-19]
- Jerome Sabbagh: Heart (Analog Tone Factory) [08-30]
- Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Aloft (Libra) [07-12]
- Thollem: Worlds in a Life, Two (ESP-Disk) [04-05]
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
I woke up Thursday morning with my usual swirl of thoughts, but
the one I most felt like jotting down is that I prefer to take an
optimistic view of the 2024 elections, contrary to the prospect of
doom and gloom many rational people fear. I find it impossible to
believe that most Americans, when they are finally faced with the
cold moment of decision, will endorse the increasingly transparent
psychopathology of Donald Trump. Sure, the American people have
been seduced by right-wing fantasy before, but Reagan and the
Bushes tried to disguise their aims by spinning sunny yarns of
a kinder, gentler conservatism.
Even Nixon, who still outranks Trump as a vindictive, cynical
bastard, claimed to be preserving some plausible, old-fashioned
normality. All Trump promises is "taking back" the nation and
"making America great again": empty rhetoric lent gravity (if
not plausability) by his unbridled malice toward most Americans.
Sure, he got away with it in 2016, partly because many people
gave him the benefit of doubt but also because the Clinton spell
wore off, leaving "crooked Hillary" exposed as a shill for the
money-grubbing metro elites. But given Trump's media exposure,
both as president and after, the 2024 election should mostly be
a referendum on Trump. I still can't see most Americans voting
for him.
That doesn't mean Trump cannot win, but in order to do so, two
things have to happen: he has to make the election be all about
Biden, and Biden has to come up seriously short. One can ponder
a lot of possible issues that Biden might be faulted for, and
come up with lots of reasons why they might but probably won't
matter. (For example, the US may experience a record bad hurricane
season, but will voters blame Biden for that and see Trump
as better?) But we needn't speculate, because Biden already has
his albatross issue: genocide in Gaza. I'm not going to relitigate
his failures here, but in terms of my "optimistic view," I will
simply state that if Biden loses -- and such an outcome should be
viewed not as a Trump win but as a Biden loss -- it will be well
deserved, as no president so involved in senseless war, let alone
genocide, deserves another term.
So it looks like the net effect of my optimism is to turn what
may look like a lose-lose presidential proposition into a win-win.
We are currently faced with two perilous prospects: on the one
hand, Biden's penchant for sinking into foreign wars, which he
tries to compensate for by being occasionally helpful or often
just less miserable on various domestic policies; on the other,
Republicans so universally horrible we scarcely need to list out
the comparisons. Given that choice, one might fervently hope for
Biden to win, not because we owe him any blanket support, but
because post-election opposition to Biden can be more focused
on a few key issues, whereas with Trump we're back to square
one on almost everything.
But if Biden loses, his loss will further discredit the centrist
style that has dominated the Democratic Party at least since Carter.
There are many problems with that style, most deriving from the need
to serve donors in order to attract them, which lends them an air of
corruption, destroying their credibility. Sure, Republicans are
corrupt too, even more so, but their corruption is consistent with
their values -- dog-eat-dog individualism, accepting gross inequality,
using government to discipline rather than ameliorate the losers --
so it comes off as honest, maybe even courageous. But Democrats are
supposed to believe in public service, government for the people,
and that's hard to square with their individual pursuit of power
in the service of wealth.
So, sure, a Trump win would be a disaster, but it would free the
Democrats from having to defend their compromised, half-assed status
quo, and it would give them a chance to pose a genuine alternative,
and a really credible one at that. I'd like to think that Democrats
could get their act together, and build that credible alternative
on top of Biden's half-hearted accomplishments. It would be nice
to not have to start with the sort of wreckage Trump left in 2021,
or Bush left in 2009, or that other Bush left in 1993 (and one can
only shudder at the thought of what Trump might leave us in 2029).
But people rarely make major changes based on reasoned analysis.
It usually takes a great shock to force that kind of change --
like what the Great Depression did to a nation previously in love
with Herbert Hoover, or like utter defeat did to Germany and Japan
in WWII.
If there was any chance that a Trump win in 2024 would result
in a stable and prosperous America, even if only for the 51% or
so it would take for Republicans to continue winning elections,
we might have something to be truly fearful of. But nothing they
want to do works. The only thing they know how to do is to worsen
problems, which are largely driven by forces beyond their control --
business, culture, climate, war, migration -- and all their lying,
cheating, and outright repression only rub salt into the wounds.
When people see how bad Republican rule really is, their support
will wither rapidly.
The question is what Democrats have to do to pick up the support
of disaffected Trumpers. One theory is to embrace the bigotry they
showed in embracing Trump. A better one would be promise the grit,
integrity, independence, and vision that Trump promised by couldn't
deliver on, partly because he's a crook and con man who never cared,
but largely because he surrounded himself by Republicans who had
their own corrupt and/or deranged agendas.
I had more thoughts I wanted to write up, mostly involving what
I like to think of as dialectics, but which can be defined as how
seemingly stable states can suddenly be transformed into quite
different states. One example was how Germans went from being
Nazis to fawning Israelphiles, while Israelis became the new Nazis.
Alas, no time for that here, but the theme is bound to recur.
I didn't get around to gathering the usual links and adding my
various comments this week. Better luck next time.
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Daily Log
Transcribing a bit of mail from RogueArt on William Parker. They
list four books of interviews. The albums in the email (all on
RogueArt, my grades in brackets):
- Steve Swell's Fire Into Music: For Jemeel Fire From the Road (2004-2005) (2023) [A-]
- William Parker/Matthew Shipp: Re-union (2021) [-]
- Matthew Shipp String Trio: Symbolic Reality (2019) [-]
- Steve Swell Soul Travelers: Astonishments (2020) [A]
- Matthew Shipp: Magnetism(s) (2017) [-]
- Eloping With the Sun: Counteract This Turmoil Like Trees and Birds (2016) [-]
- Matthew Shipp Quartet/Declared Enemy: Our Lady of the Flowers (2015) [-]
- Steve Swell Quintet: Soul Travelers (2016) [A-]
- The Turbine!: Entropy/Enthalpy (2015) [-]
- Alexandre Pierrepont/Mike Ladd: Maison Hantée (2008) []
- Hamid Drake & Bindu: Blissful (2008) []
- William Parker Double Quartet: Alphaville Suite (2007) [-]
- Steve Swell's Fire Into Music: Swimming in a Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow (2007) [-]
- Peter Kowald/Laurence Petit-Jouvet: Off the Road (2007)
- Declared Enemy: Salute to 100001 Stars: A Tribute to Jean Genet (2006)
The email continues:
CELEBRATING WILLIAM PARKER
ROULETTE, BROOKLYN
TUESDAY JUNE 18th, 6 pm
Mantra, Roots & Rituals, Trail of Tears (excerpt),
Raining on the Moon, The Ancients,
William Parker & Huey's Pocket Watch
So, Vision Festival 2024 will start on Tuesday June 18th with the
night dedicated to William Parker and will end on Sunday June 24 with
Marshall Allen & the Sun Ra Arkestra to celebrate Marshall Allen
100th anniversary.
And also in between Devalois Fearon Dance, James Brandon Lewis,
Chad taylor, Mattthew Shipp Trio, Tarbaby (O. Evans, E. Revis,
N. Waits), Jen Shyu, Ingrid Laubrock, Darius Jones Quintet, James
Blood Ulmer Black Rock Trio, Isaiah Barr duo "Red Zone", Miriam Parker
Core-Edge Quartet, Fred Moten, Cooper-Moore, Ava Mendoza, Melanie
Dyer's Incalculable Likelihood, Amina Claudine Myers, Jason Kao Hwang,
Oliver Lake, Patricia Nicholson, Matana Roberts Coin Coin, Thollem
McDonas, Isaiah Collier, Rob Brown/Steve Swell quartet . . .
Nate Chinen has done an interview with Parker:
William Parker, Sound Sage. Full audio seems to require a
subscription, but page has a 1:07 excerpt, plus a transcript from
Sept. 23, 2022.
Arts for Art founded
Vision Festival in 1996 in New York City. This year is their 26th.
Parker is described here as "legendary bassist, composer, improvisor,
multi-instrumentalist, author and community leader." Further down,
also mentions: poet, educator.
Gargi Shindé
notes: "To the community he calls home in the Lower East Side of New
York City, the professional accomplishments of William Parker are not
separate from his humanitarian vision to heal a world severed by
capitalistic greed and hyper commodification of culture. Global
consequences of American imperialism, labor exploitation,
disenfranchisement in literacy and education, and aggressive urban
gentrification -- William's creative repertoire is an unceasing
response to the perpetually shifting targets of socio-political
disenfranchisement."
Past winners of Vision Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award:
- past: Amina Claudine Myers, Andrew Cyrille, Dave Burrell, Peter Brötzmann, Milford Graves
- 2022: Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake
- 2024: William Parker
Opening night (6/18/2024) schedule:
- 6:00: Mantra: Lisa Sokolov
- 6:30: Roots & Rituals: Parker, Joe Morris, Joshua Abrams, Mixashawn Rozie, Jackson Krall, Juma Sultan, Michael Wimberly, Hamid Drake, Isaiah Parker
- 7:15: Trail of Tears (excerpt): Andrea Wolper, AnneMarie Sandy, Mara Rosenbloom, James Brandon Lewis, Rozie, Parker, Drake
- 8:30: Raining on the Moon: Parker, Rob Brown, Steve Swell, Eri Yamamoto, Drake, Leena Conquest
- 9:15: The Ancients: Parker, Isaiah Collier, William Hooker, Dave Burrell, Miriam Parker (dance)
- 10:00: William Parker & Huey's Pocket Watch: Brown, Aakash Mittal, Isaiah Barr, Alfredo Colon, Dave Sewelson, Swell, Colin Babcock, Taylor Ho Bynum, Diego Hernandez, Colson Jimenez, Hans Young Binter, Juan Pablo Carletti, Ellen Christi, Kyoko Kitamura, Patricia Nicholson
Programs continue for six days, until Sunday 6/23, when "Marshall Allen
& the Arkestra: Celebrates Marshall's 100th Birthday."
Monday, June 17, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
June archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 43 albums, 9 A-list
Music: Current count 42503 [42460] rated (+43), 22 [31] unrated (-9).
Going through a very busy stretch, but not sure what I really
have to talk about here. I do have a fairly hefty bunch of records
to report on, partly aided by recent consumer guides by
Robert Christgau,
Christian Iszchak,
Brad Luen, and
Michael Tatum. Still, I'm not sure I've caught up with any of
them. I barely got through the I Am Three records
Chris Monsen recommended -- their first album I previously had
at B+(***) but it, too, sounds terrific, as is often the case with
freewheeling Mingus.
The Jasmine In Session comps were recommended by Clifford
Ocheltree. I resisted the Eddie Taylor until this morning, when I
woke up with songs from it in my head. The recommendation list goes
deeper, but so far that's all I've sprung for.
I have a request to write something about William Parker, on the
occasion of his
Vision Fest Lifetime Achievement Award. Back in 2003 I wrote a
fairly extensive
consumer guide to the work of Parker and/or Matthew Shipp (who
was more
my initial interest),
and I've tried to
keep up since
then, including his two new albums below. So I figured: write 3-4
paragraphs of glowing intro, then tack on a dozen (or two) capsule
reviews. Whether it's as easily done as said remains to be seen.
All I've done so far has been to collect the reviews from the work
files:
current count is
249, but at the moment I'm listening to a 2009 record I had missed,
and I'll probably come up with a few more. (RogueArt sent out email
highlighting their 15 Parker albums, of which I've only heard 3 --
thanks mostly to Steve Swell).
What research I've done so far has mostly been humbling. Parker
has four volumes of
Conversations that I can't begin to get to. I just
ordered a copy of Cisco Bradley's
Universal Tonality: The Life and Music of William Parker,
but won't have time to get very deep into. I do have a copy of
Rick Lopez's marvelous
The William Parker Sessionography (to 2014; also
online, but
only up to 2020). But I could easily fritter away all of my scant
remaining time just checking items off -- although the annotation
is so distracting I might never finish.
Meanwhile, I've burned up a fair amount of time with my
metacritic file,
to which I've started to add mid-year best-of ("so far") lists.
It's still pretty spotty at present, and skewed toward the
Christgau-friendly Expert Witness critics -- which has paid
off in elevating Waxahatchee over Smile, with Billie Eilish
and Beyoncé gaining ground, followed by Vampire Weekend,
Adrianne Lenker, Hurray for the Riff Raff, and Maggie Rogers.
I only have three A-list albums in the top ten, but Christgau
has five in the top six (even though I haven't factored his
grades in yet).
The mid-year lists I have are noted in the
legend. While the first
ones started showing up around June 1, in past years they've peaked
in late June, with a few stragglers in July. I haven't noticed any
jazz lists yet, so I'm thinking about running my own. I have the
mailing list and software from the Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll,
and evidently have time to kill.
The biggest time-kill remains
Speaking
of Which, which again topped 10,000 words on Sunday, with minor
additions today.
New records reviewed this week:
- Actress: Statik (2024, Smalltown Supersound): [sp]: B+(*)
- Africatown, AL: Ancestor Sounds (2024, Free Dirt): [sp]: B+(**)
- Bruna Black/John Finbury: Vă Revelaçăo (2024, Green Flash): [cd]: B+(**)
- Anthony Branker & Imagine: Songs My Mom Liked (2024, Origin): [cd]: B+(***) [06-21]
- Etienne Charles: Creole Orchestra (2018 [2024], Culture Shock): [cd]: B+(*)
- Charli XCX: Brat (2024, Atlantic): [sp]: B+(***)
- Devouring the Guilt: Not to Want to Say (2021 [2024], Kettle Hole): [cd]: B+(***)
- DJ Anderson do Paraiso: Queridăo (2023 [2024], Nyege Nyege Tapes): [sp]: B
- Ducks Ltd.: Harm's Way (2024, Carpark): [sp]: B+(**)
- Phillip Golub: Abiding Memory (2024, Endectomorph Music): [cd]: B+(**) [06-21]
- Grandaddy: Blu Wav (2024, Dangerbird): [sp]: B
- Alex Harding/Lucian Ban: Blutopia (2024, Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
- Hermanos Gutiérrez: Sonido Cósmico (2024, Easy Eye Sound): [sp]: A-
- Mike Holober & the Gotham Jazz Orchestra: This Rock We're On: Imaginary Letters (2023, Palmetto, 2CD): [cd]: B
- Homeboy Sandman: Rich II (2024, self-released): [sp]: B+(**)
- I Am Three: In Other Words (2024, Leo): [sp]: A-
- Kaytranada: Timeless (2024, RCA): [sp]: B+(***)
- The Libertines: All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade (2024, Casablanca/Republic): [sp]: B
- Raul Midón: Lost & Found (2024, ReKondite ReKords): [sp]: C+
- Andy Milne and Unison: Time Will Tell (2024, Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
- Ol' Burger Beats: 74: Out of Time (2024, Coalmine): [sp]: B+(**)
- Alicia and Michael Olatuja: Olatuja (2022-24 [2024], Whirlwind): [sp]: B+(*)
- One for All: Big George (2022 [2024], Smoke Sessions): [sp]: B+(*)
- William Parker/Cooper-Moore/Hamid Drake: Heart Trio (2021 [2024], AUM Fidelity): [cd]: A- [06-21]
- William Parker & Ellen Christi: Cereal Music (2024, AUM Fidelity): [cd]: B+(***) [06-21]
- Rob Parton's Ensemble 9+: Relentless (2023 [2024], Calligram): [cd]: B+(*)
- Porij: Teething (2024, Play It Again Sam): [sp]: B+(**)
- Kenny Reichert: Switch (2023 [2024], Calligram): [cd]: B+(**)
- Brandon Ross Phantom Station: Off the End (2024, Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(**)
- Shaboozey: Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going (2024, Republic/Empire): [sp]: B+(*)
- Flavio Silva: Eko (2024, Break Free): [cd]: B+(**)
- Uncle Waffles: Solace (2023, Ko-Sign/Encore): [sp]: B+(**)
- Kiki Valera: Vacilón Santiaguero (2024, Circle 9 Music): [cd]: B+(***)
- Matt Wilson: Matt Wilson's Good Trouble (2023 [2024], Palmetto): [cdr]: A-
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- Broadcast: Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006-2009 (2006-09 [2024], Warp): [sp]: B
- Love Child: Never Meant to Be 1988-1993 (1988-93 [2024], 12XU): [sp]: B+(***)
Old music:
- Big Walter Horton: In Session: From Memphis to Chicago 1951-1955 (1951-59 [2019], Jasmine): [cd]: A-
- Ducks Ltd.: Get Bleak (2019 [2021], Carpark, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
- Floyd Jones/Eddie Taylor: Masters of Modern Blues (1966 [1994], Testament): [sp]: B+(***)
- Maggie Nicols/Silke Eberhard/Nikolaus Neuser/Christian Marten: I Am Three & Me: Mingus' Sounds of Love (2018 [2019], Leo): [sp]: A-
- Skikamoo Jazz: Chela Chela Vol. 1 (1993-95 [1995], RetroAfric): [sp]: B+(***)
- Shikamoo Jazz: East African Legends Live (1995 [2022], RetroTan): [sp]: A-
- Eddie Taylor: In Session: Diary of a Chicago Bluesman 1953-1957 (1953-57 [2016], Jasmine): [cd]: A-
- Eddie Taylor: I Feel So Bad (1972, Advent): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jody Williams: In Session: Diary of a Chicago Bluesman 1954-1962 (1954-62 [2018], Jasmine): [cd]: A-
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Kim Cass: Levs (Pi) [06-28]
- Jon De Lucia: The Brubeck Octet Project (Musćum Clausum) [07-12]
- Mathias Hřjgaard Jensen: Is as Is (Fresh Sound New Talent) [05-31]
- Brian Landrus: Plays Ellington & Strayhorn (Palmetto) [07-12]
- Miles Okazaki: Miniature America (Cygnus) [07-19]
- Matthew Shipp: The Data (RogueArt) * [06-17]
Sunday, June 16, 2024
Speaking of Which
Blog link.
I picked up a couple new projects this week, which has put me in
a dither, but I got up Sunday morning and stuck with this, making
my usual rounds (though not much time on X), and figure I've collected
and written enough. (Would be nice to add some more music mid-year
lists, but I may add them in a Monday update.)
I'm reading Steve Hahn's Illiberal America: A History,
well into the chapter on neoliberals who proved their "neo" by
going "il" -- quite a bit of Bill Clinton there, but not so much
Buchanan/Perot, who pop up in a book review toward the end here.
No doubt there's still a lot of Trump to come.
PS: Laura Tillem reposted a
poem she wrote for "a poetry slam, for international day of
peace celebration in Wichita."
Initial count: 202 links, 9,929 words.
Local tags (these can be linked to directly):
on music.
Top story threads:
Israel: This remains, as it has since the Hamas revolt on
Oct. 7, 2023, our top story, both in terms of its overall impact and
the extent and volatility of news coverage. After going through
several permutations, I've found it useful to break the stories up
into three groups. This one covers the political concerns and the
conflicts within Israel (including Gaza, and neighboring areas like
Lebanon that Israel is in direct conflict with). We should be clear
that what the IDF is doing in Gaza is genocide, and is intended as
such. We should also be clear that Israel practices systematic
discrimination and sporadic terror against Palestinians outside
of Gaza which, while not rising to the intensity of genocide,
should be universally condemned.
The most common word for these
policies and practices is "apartheid" -- a word used by South
Africa to describe their peculiar implementation of racist
segregation, drawn largely on the American example. While there
are subtle differences in Israel's implementation, the word is
good enough for practical use. One major problem with genocide
in Gaza is that it provides cover for increasing violence in
the broader practice of apartheid.
The second section concerns diplomatic relations between Israel
and the US, and political directives regarding Israel within the
US. Israel's ability to carry out genocide in Gaza is directly
related to US military, political, and diplomatic support, and
this extends to efforts to suppress free speech and to influence
elections within the US. (It is, for instance, impossible to see
AIPAC as an American interest group given that it operates in
lockstep with Israeli foreign policy.)
Student demonstrations, on the other hand, fall into a third
subject grouping, "Israel vs. world opinion." This also includes
the ICC/ICJ genocide cases, world diplomatic activity aside from
that by Israel and the US, and more general discussions of what
charges of genocide and antisemitism mean.
Mondoweiss:
Zack Beauchamp: [06-10]
Israel's "war cabinet" just fell apart. What happens now? "Benny
Gantz's departure from the war cabinet won't change much immediately.
But it could end up mattering a lot."
More on this:
Peter Beaumont: [06-15]
Eight Israeli soldiers killed in southern Gaza, military says:
"IDF fatalities from the Gaza operation and immediate surroundings,
which now stand at 307, have been hugely outnumbered by Palestinian
deaths" (37,000 gives a ratio of 120-to-1). Still, these 8 are tragic
and senseless, again showing the contempt, carelessness, and cruelty
behind this war.
Catherine Cartier:
Israel's new air war in the West Bank: Nearly half of the dead are
children: "Nearly 20 years after the Second Intifada, the
Israeli military has resumed airstrikes in the West Bank -- and
killed 24 children."
Amos Harel: [06-05]
Israel caught in a strategic trap on Lebanon border -- thanks to
Netanyahu's scorched-earth policy: "Not only does the Israeli
government not have a solution to the conflict raging on the
northern border, but it's failing thus far could mean that many
Israelis decide never to return to their homes there. And Ben-Gvir,
more pyromaniac than firefighter, is always on hand to fan the
flames."
Raja Khalidi: [06-07]
The financial destruction of Palestine. Note that this "economic
strangulation" is happening in the West Bank, away from the genocide
in Gaza (but overshadowed by it).
Ezra Klein: [06-14]
Israelis are not watching the same war you are: Interview with
Amit Segal, who has a book (in Hebrew, but supposed to be coming
out in English) on
The Story of Israeli Politics. Such a book could be useful, but
I doubt his is. The interview is mostly interesting as an illustration
of how deeply embedded a supposedly astute Israeli political observer
can be within the national paranoia. The idea that "we tried everything
and nothing worked" is not just wrong but obscene. Also available,
and probably no better, is: [05-07]
Ezra Klein interviews Ari Shavit.
Middle East Monitor: [06-15]
Ehud Barak describes 'absolute victory' as empty slogan: 'We are
closer to total failure.'
Bar Peleg/Adi Hashmonai/Maya Lecker: [06-15]
'End the war, free the hostages': Tens of thousands of Israelis
protest Netanyahu coalition, call to strike Gaza deal.
Alon Pinkas: [05-13]
This Independence Day, Israel has split into two incompatible
Jewish states: "There are now two states here -- Israel and
Judea -- with contrasting visions of what the nation should be."
He describes the former as "a high-tech, secular, outward-looking,
imperfect but liberal state" and the latter as "a Jewish-supremacist,
ultranationalist theocracy with messianic, antidemocratic tendencies
that encourage isolation."
Aarushi Punia: [06-12]
The mutilation of Palestine has been a strategy of Israel since its
inception.
Richard Silverstein:
Jeffrey St Clair: [06-14]
No way out in Nuseirat: the great hostage rescue massacre.
Oren Ziv: [06-06]
Chanting 'burn Shu'afat' and 'flatten Gaza,' masses attend Jerusalem
Flag March: "Israeli ministers joined the annual celebration of
East Jerusalem's conquest, where racist slogans and attacks on
journalists have become mainstream."
Baker Zoubi: [06-06]
Facing war and incitement, is there any hope left for Palestinians in
the Knesset?
America's Israel (and Israel's America):
As'ad AbuKhalil: [06-11]
Biden's Saudi deal.
Michael Arria:
Ramzy Baroud: [06-15]
America crawls further into global isolation by backing Gaza
genocide.
Jonathan Chait: [06-08]
Why on Earth is Chuck Schumer inviting Netanyahu to address
Congress? "It's hard for me to think of an explanation for
Schumer's action other than sheer spinelessness."
Isaac Chotiner: [06-11]
Is Biden's Israel policy cynical or naďve? "Evaluating eight
months of the President's attempt to moderate Netanyahu's bombing
campaign in Gaza." Interview with Matt Duss, of the Center for
International Policy, former chief foreign-policy adviser to
Bernie Sanders. Worth quoting at length when asked "what can you
imagine a different Democratic Administration doing?":
Well, I think a different Democratic Administration could have taken
this issue more seriously before October 7th. That's not to say we
needed another round of the usual peace process. But there have been
alarms sounded about Gaza for many, many years by international
N.G.O.s; certainly by Palestinians, constantly; by Israeli security
officials; by members of Congress, including my former boss. The idea
that we could just kind of kick the Palestinians into the corner and
manage the problem without any real consequences -- that was revealed as
a fantasy on October 7th.
After October 7th, I hope and think any Democratic Administration
would've done immediately what President Biden did: show full support,
full solidarity, and really spend time with what occurred on October
7th in all its horror, and stand by Israel as it defended its
people.
At some point though, and fairly quickly, it became clear that what
was going to be carried out in Gaza was not just self-defense. It
became clear very quickly that this was a war of revenge. We have
countless statements from Israeli government officials, many of which
have been collected in South Africa's case in the International Court
of Justice, which includes accusations of genocide. And we can see
with our own eyes the kind of tactics that are being used on densely
populated civilian areas in Gaza. A different Democratic
Administration might've taken that much more seriously and acted with
much more urgency much sooner.
It's hard to imagine what a different Democrat could have done
pre-October 7th. Obama, who almost certainly knew better, managed
next to nothing helpful in eight years. There have been ways for
an American president to impress upon Israel the need to take some
constructive steps, but there has been little political urgency to
do so, especially given the influence of pro-Israel donors in our
oligarchic political system. While Sanders certainly knows better,
I doubt he would have risked whatever political capital he had to
bang his head against against a very recalcitrant Netanyahu.
The next two paragraphs fairly describe what Sanders did, but
ineffectively without the portfolio of the presidency. The rush
to rally to Israel's defense was nearly universal in Washington,
although what was really needed was to lean hard -- starting in
private -- against Israel's armed response, as it was instantly
clear that the intent would be genocidal, and that would lock
Israel into a disastrous public relations spiral while doing
virtually nothing for Israel's long-term security.
One more point to stress here: Biden's failure to anticipate
and correct for Israel's horrific response -- indeed, his failure
to comprehend the problem despite following Israel closely for
over fifty years -- is not simply attributable to the corrupt
influence of the Israel lobby. It is deeply ingrained in America's
own habitual response to security issues, which especially with the
neocons under Clinton and Bush took Israel as the model for managing
the threat of terrorism.
Zachary Cohen/Katrie Bo Lillis: [06-07]
CIA assessment concludes Netanyahu is likely to defy US pressure to
set a post-war plan for Gaza.
Juan Cole: [06-15]
How Netanyahu and fascists in his coalition shot down the Biden
peace plan.
Joshua Keating: [06-12]
The perplexing state of Gaza ceasefire negotiations, explained:
"The problem is that it's not clear either side wants a ceasefire."
Beware of explanations that start off with a patently false subhed.
Literally every single Palestinian, even ones claiming to represent
whatever's left of Hamas, want a ceasefire, and have been pleading
for one ever since the rupture on Oct. 7 was closed. It's Israel
that doesn't want a ceasefire, which is due to three factors: the
first is that they're doing well over 99% of the firing, and they
like those odds; they also think that the more Palestinians they
kill, and the more of Gaza they destroy and render uninhabitable,
the closer they'll be to their goal, which is the complete the
removal of Palestinians from Eretz Israel; and as long as the US
is willing to provide ammo and run diplomatic cover, they see no
need for restraint, let alone for disengagement. Much of Netanyahu's
power in Israel is tied to the reputation he's built as someone who
can cower American presidents, and in that regard, Biden has been
a very dependable ally.
The "negotiations" also involve hostages, but this, too, is very
asymmetrical. Hamas took 250 during the Oct. 7 attacks, not so much
to exchange them for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel (thousands
of them, a number which has increased rapidly since Oct. 7) as to
inhibit Israel's attacks. In short, their value was to press for a
truce (Hamas likes the term "hudna"), but trades for temporary
ceasefires and prisoners offer little respite and diminished
protection. And now, after eight months, with half of the hostages
exchanged, and many more killed by Israeli fire, the remaining
hostages are down to
about 80. And at this point, Netanyahu is unwilling to give
up his war just to get hostages back. If anything, the hostages
do Netanyahu more good if "Hamas" keeps them, as they give him
an excuse to keep attacking. At this point, Palestinians would
be better off just freeing the hostages, in the probably vain
hope that doing so might generate some good will. But that's
hard for "Hamas" to do, because without the hostages, do they
even exist any more?
More on Biden's proposal and the "negotiations":
Dave DeCamp:
Adam Hanieh: [06-14]
Why the fight for Palestine is the fight against US imperialism in
the region: There is a lot of useful history in this piece, but
I don't particularly subscribe to its thesis and drift. US imperialism
was real enough but has become increasingly incoherent, especially
once it lost its Cold War compass in the 1990s, so that these days
it's mostly a sleazy game of graft, with a hugely expensive logistics
network but no coherent vision, at least beyond nursing a few old
grudges (like Iran and North Korea). British colonialism is even
more of a ghost. That you can find echoes and innuendos in Israel
is no surprise, but these days it's the Israelis who are pulling
American and British strings, for their own purposes, with hardly
any regard for whatever the West may want. The article claims that
Israel and the Gulf monarchies are "two pillars [that] remain the
crux of American power in the region today." But they're really
just playing their own games, as likely to trip the US up as to
help it.
David Hearst: [06-14]
Blinken is dragging the US ever deeper into Israel's quagmire.
Adam Johnson: [06-11]
Media keeps playing along with fiction there is an "Israel ceasefire
deal" "Don't squint too hard, one may notice Israel is clear
they have no intention to 'end the war.'" By the way, Johnson also
published an interesting piece by "a Palestinian-American quantitative
researcher focusing on disinformation and censorship in mass media,"
under the pseudonym "Otto": [2023-11-15]
"Massacred" vs "Left to Die": Documenting media bias against
Palestinians Oct 7-Nov 7: "A quantitative analysis of the first
month of conflict, reveals how dehumanization is baked into the
ideoogical cake of cable news."
Fred Kaplan:
[06-12]
Why there's so much confusion about the Israeli peace plan:
Uh, because as articulated it's not actually an Israeli plan.
Because there is no Israeli plan -- not for peace, anyway. And
since permanent conflict with periodic acts of war doesn't much
need forethought, there's no plan for that either.
[06-13]
Hamas's counteroffer is neither realistic nor serious. But
only if you start from the assumption that Israel's demands --
which, though never clearly articulated, are roughly: Hamas frees
all the hostages, gives up its struggle for Palestinian rights,
and surrenders its leader for summary execution -- are the very
definition of serious and realistic. In any normal world, the
argument that Israel should withdraw its military from Gaza and
refrain from further attacks would be completely reasonable.
MEE Staff: [06-13]
Hamas demands Israel end Gaza blockade as part of ceasefire deal.
Mitchell Plitnick: [06-15]
Blinken's lies about Hamas rejecting a ceasefire reveal the Biden
administration's true intentions: "The Biden administration is
playing a shell game with the Gaza ceasefire that aims to trick the
Democratic base into thinking meaningful action is taking place to
end fighting while still allowing Israel to continue its genocidal
campaign."
Ishaan Tharoor: [06-12]
Israel shrugs at Palestinian civilian casualties. So does Hamas.
"In new report, Hamas's leader in Gaza is said to describe Palestinian
civilian deaths as 'necessary sacrifices.'" I'm inclined to dismiss
anything attributed to Hamas, as I regard them as a spent force, one
at present only being propped up by Israel in their need to identify
an enemy not quite as inclusive as every Palestinian. But the idea
that martyrdom is preferable to subjection and slavery runs deep in
the human psyche, so we shouldn't be surprised to find it articulated
by Hamas speakers (especially ones removed from the fray). We should
reject such sentiments, of course, but also be clear that the blame
for them, and for the sacrifices they demand, belongs squarely on
those whose power has made only those choices seem possible.
Spencer Ackerman: [06-03]
'Phase 2': The shape of Israeli rejectionism to come: "Biden
has declared that Israel's reasonable war aims have been achieved.
Netanyahu is in no position to agree."
Jim Lobe: [06-12]
That stinks: Global opinion of US goes down the toilet.
Blaise Malley: [06-14]
GOP trying to drive wedge between Dems with Israel votes.
Stephen Semler: [06-12]
Washington is not telling truth about the Gaza pier: "They say
food is 'flowing' to the people, but data shows the opposite."
Tareq S Hajjaj: [06-14]
The story of the US 'floating dock' built from the rubble of Gaza's
homes: "The U.S. said it was constructing a floating pier off
Gaza's coast to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
However, the real reason it exists is to protect American interests
in the region."
Ahmed Omar: [06-11]
Gaza resistance sources say fear is rising US pier will be used for
forced displacement of Palestinians: "Critics warn the
U.S.-constructed pier off Gaza's coast is being used for military
purposes. Now a source in the Gaza resistance says there are
indications it will be used to facilitate the forced displacement
of Palestinians." They have good reason to be fearful. Most of
the Palestinian refugees in Beirut were stampeded onto British
ships in Jaffa, as they fled the indiscriminate shelling by the
Irgun in 1948, the Israelis having their preference for killing
all Palestinians at Deir Yassin. With Egypt resisting their
efforts to drive Gazans out through the Sinai, the pier and
the ever-obliging Americans will increasingly look like some
kind of final solution.
Emily Tamkin:
Prem Thakker:
House votes to block US funding to rebuild Gaza.
Israel vs. world opinion:
Jo-Ann Mort: [06-14]
When protests cross into antisemitism, it hurts the Palestinian
cause: Why? If something is so wrong as to merit protesting,
that should be the end of it. No one should change their opinion
on an issue because you like or dislike the protesters. At most,
bad protesters create a second issue deserving reproach, but that
should have no bearing on the original issue.
Anna Rajagopal: [06-13]
No need for 'Jewish values' in the fight for Palestine:
No need, in the sense that one doesn't need to be Jewish to oppose
Israeli genocide in Gaza, or that even if one is Jewish, it is
still possible to prefer more universal secular grounds for one's
opposition. Still, I don't see any harm; if anything, it seems
like a useful corrective against supporters of genocide claiming
their faith directs them. But the author goes on to argue that
"doing so reinforces the very ideology we seek to dismantle,"
and that strikes me as dangerous nonsense. I also question the
political wisdom of pushing "Palestinian liberation" ahead of a
simple (and universal) end to genocide, violence, and injustice.
We might be better off admitting that Ben Gurion's dictum that
"it only matters what the Jews do" has never been more true than
in Gaza today. No amount of Palestinian flag waving is going
to change that. But convincing Jews that their faith does not
command them to murder might actually help.
Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Santa Cruz:
[06-12]
"We are going to hurt you": UC Santa Cruz chancellor unleashes
police mayhem against student protesters.
Prem Thakker:
Columbia Law Review is back online after students threatened work
stoppage over Palestine censorship.
University of Edinburgh Students and Staff Divestment
Movement: [06-16]
Divestment at the University of Edinburgh: Breaking from Balfour's
colonial legacy.
Philip Weiss: [06-16]
NYT's fatuous effort to preserve Black-Jewish coalition sweeps
genocide under the rug.
Election notes:
Aaron Blake: [06-12]
Democrats' surprisingly close Ohio special election loss, in
context: "Democrat Michael Kripchak lost by less than 10 points
in a district Donald Trump carried by 29 in 2020. It's merely the
latest Democratic over-performance, but what does it mean?"
Looking at the difference in spending -- $571,000 to $7,000 --
is that Democrats are way too quick to write off districts as
hopeless losers, rather than trying to figure out what it takes
to win them.
Nate Cohn: [06-15]
If everyone voted, would Biden benefit? Not anymore. "Inside
the unusual dynamic shaping the 2024 campaign." This follows up,
and doubles down, on Cohn's [05-24]
The shaky foundation of Trump's lead: disengaged voters.
The assumption is that they won't think any harder in November
than they did when they answered the silly pollster's question.
Bob Dreyfuss: [06-16]
The Middle East and election 2024: Trump or Biden on Israel?
This is not a question I agonize over, but if you've ever been
moved to rail against "Genocide Joe," maybe you should give
Dreyfus a chance.
Margaret Hartmann: [06-15]
All the details on Trump & Biden's weirdly early 2024 debate.
Ed Kilgore:
Rick Perlstein: [06-12]
Remembrance of ratf**ks past: "As Cornel West is receiving ballot
access help from Republicans, 20 years ago Al Sharpton's campaign for
president was largely orchestrated by Roger Stone."
Trump:
Isaac Arnsdorf: [06-15]
Trump portrays rampant crime in speech at Black church in Detroit:
"The audience, which was not predominantly Black, cheered at the
remark."
Michelle Boorstein/Hannah Knowles: [06-13]
Here's what the Christian right wants from a second Trump term.
Mostly what you'd expect from sex-obsessed repressives, although
politicizing the FDA to ban abortion drugs, and using the Comstock
Act to prosecute their distribution, jump out.
Nandika Chatterjee: [06-14]
"Could not keep a straight thought": CEOs worry about Trump's mental
decline after "meandering" talk. Steve M. wrote a comment
about this story: [06-15]
Did these CEOs only notice Trump's ignorance and incoherence now?
Chauncey DeVega: [05-22]
How Trump's hidden Nazi messages help conceal his open antisemitism.
Griffin Eckstein: [06-13]
House Republican wants to re-name the US coastline after Trump:
Florida Rep. Greg Steube.
Lisa Friedman: [06-14]
Trump promised to revive goal. Now, he rarely mentions it.
Susan B Glasser: [06-13]
Happy seventy-eighth birthday, Mr. Ex-President: "If ever there
were a case for age-related diminishment of a candidate, Donald Trump
is it."
Paul Kiel/Russ Buettner: [06-10]
"He ripped off the tax system": IRS audit could cost Trump more than
$100 million.
Anna Massoglia: [06-16]
Trump uses convictions to fundraise after millions of donations go
to legal costs.
Dana Milbank: [06-14]
You have no idea how hard it is to be Donald Trump: "Decapitation,
electrocution and expectoration are just a few of the emerging hazards."
Gregory Nolan: [06-14]
The legal case for sentencing Trump to prison.
Heather Digby Parton:
Christian Paz: [06-14]
How Trump gets away with being so old: Three theories, the most
telling one is that with all the indictments, trials, and other
scandals, Trump gives them other things to write about.
Hafiz Rashid:
Lindsey Graham's totally spineless birthday message to Trump.
Sam Sutton: [04-10]
Never mind: Wall Street titans shake off qualms and embrace Trump.
Steve M. comments: [06-10]
I hope you're sitting down for the shocking news that rich people want
Trump to win:
Trump and his supporters have argued that his indictments and recent
conviction should make him more appealing to Black people. Maybe
that's true -- not of Black people, but of plutocrats. After all,
plutocrats regularly engage in skeezy behavior and use a lot of
non-disclosure agreements. They generally think they should be above
the law, and in this country they usually are. While Balzac didn't
exactly say, "Behind every great fortune there is a crime," there's
quite a bit of truth in that aphorism.
Charlie Savage/Jonathan Swan/Maggie Haberman: [06-16]
If Trump wins: I mentioned this piece in last week's update,
but didn't comment. I thought maybe I'd do a bullet list version
this week, but again find no time for that. This is a fair account
of what Trump says he would like to do. It underrates many of the
(in many cases worse) things that his Republican minions would do
on their own if they had the power and opportunity. In all cases,
much depends on how much power and opportunity they get, which is
to say on how big they can win. Trump was somewhat restrained in
2017 because he didn't enter with much of a mandate (and lost the
House in 2019), because he was out of synch with his Congressional
leadership, because he relied on the Republican establishment for
most of his personnel decisions, because much of government still
functioned as usual, and because he understood very little of how
government works and what he could and could not do about it.
Assuming Republicans control Congress after 2024, which is at
least as realistic as Trump winning, most of his past limits
will be much diminished -- though some will continue to slow
him down, as will inertia, plus business lobbies will continue
to pursue their own agendas. There is also the problem that
much of what he wants to do is profoundly unpopular, so he can
expect grass roots opposition and mobilization, plus a somewhat
less than fawning media. And as much of what he wants to do is
not just unpopular but counterproductive and/or dysfunctional,
he will soon find his administration mired in crises. And as
it's unlikely he'll be able to prevent future elections, in due
course he'll be out on his ass, probably even more rudely than
in 2020. Imaging how this might all work out might make for an
amusing parlor game, but living through it is going to be tough.
Better to go with "an ounce of prevention" and let the Democrats
try to fend their way through the crises and rubble. At least
they will pretend to care, and try to do something to help
out.
By the way, the section on "Retreat from military engagement
with Europe" is the least likely to happen, and not just because
it's the only one that might actually be for the better. The
military-industrial complex is the driving force here, and it
has enormous depth and inertia in Washington, while Trump has
very little desire to actually change the "deep state" he likes
to deride. As with "the swamp," Trump's real goal is not to
"drain" or change anything, but to capture its loyalty for his
personal vanities. There's no reason to doubt that they can
develop into some kind of mutual admiration society. (For a
cautious explanation of how that would work, see Rosa Brooks
On the military in a fascist America.)
And other Republicans:
Biden and/or the Democrats:
Yasmeen Abutaleb: [06-16]
Biden, Obama warn of Trump dangers in star-studded L.A. fundraiser.
David Atkins: [06-07]
Democrats should run against the Supreme Court: "And they should
take on more than the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They ought to
campaign against the whole Trump-enabled, rights-stealing, gift-taking
conservative supermajority." Of course they should, and to some extent
they clearly are, although their message hasn't been fully articulated
yet. But it shouldn't be: if we win, we're going to pack the Court.
It should be to win big in Congress and the Presidency, then pass
popular laws, daring the Court to strike them down. Either the Court
will back down, or discredit itself. Either way, win more elections,
and appoint better judges. Eventually, like FDR, you will win.
Zachary D Carter: [06-10]
Inflation is not destroying Joe Biden.
David Dayen:
Chauncey DeVega:
[05-23]
"The American Dream is dying": Democrats' main selling point "is not
a winning message": Interview with M Steven Fish, who has a new
book,
Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring
Democracy's Edge. He mostly thinks that Democrats need to
become better story tellers, especially about themselves being
"fearless leaders, tough fighters, and fierce patriots." This
continues an interview that started here:
[05-21]
"Trump is all dominance, all the time": New research reveals "his
most formidable political asset": "M Steven Fish explains the
way Trump's 'character defects manifest what looks like bravery.'"
Or, more often I find, assholery.
[05-20]
When Trump gets dark, Biden goes light: "What their campaign
emails say about Joe Biden and Donald Trump."
Pramila Jayapal: [06-03]
The Congressional Progressive Caucus agenda for 2025.
Eric Levitz: [06-13]
Biden is on track to beat inflation and lose the presidency: "The
data on prices is getting better, but the public's disapproval of the
president remains unchanged."
David Masciotra: [06-14]
Hillary Clinton, truth teller: "Republicans, the media, and plenty
of Democrats were shocked -- shocked! -- to hear her say anti-Israel
protestors don't know Middle Eastern history and to suggest prejudice
might animate a large swatch of Trump voters." As soon as I saw this
title, my mind offered a quick edit to the title: "truth teller for
sale." Of course, that's not totally accurate: she is so attuned to
the whims and wishes of her donors that she doesn't have to wait for
the checks to clear. But is what she says about those who protest
against Israeli policies true? I don't doubt that she's a very smart
person who has been thoroughly schooled in the fine arts of hasbara,
but I'm pretty sure I know a lot more Middle Eastern history than
she does, and for good measure I'd drop American history into the
mix. (Actually, her quote seems to be "that most 'young people'
don't know the history of 'many area of the world, including our
own country.'")
Or at least, I understand what I know a lot better than she
does. Not for a minute did I ever think invading Iraq would be a
good idea. As for other protestors, some may be less knowledgeable,
but some know even more than I do: for instance, the author picks on
Juan Cole ("an academic popular with the hard left who consistently
defends the brutality of Iran and flirts with antisemitism" -- link
on Iran, which actually goes to a 2006 article by neocon-convert
Christopher Hitchens, but not on antisemitism), who has written
many useful books on the region and who runs a
website that has consistently earned its "Informed Comment"
moniker for more than 20 years.
While understanding history can help you sort out arguments,
which side you take depends more on how you respond to one very
simple question: does the sympathy/respect you feel for Jews in
Israel allow for or deny sympathy/respect for Palestinians? Or
you can reverse the question either way (swap the people, or
swap the sentiment to "disdain/disinterest"). Any way you slice
it, people who respect all others as people will recoil from the
treatment of Israelis against Palestinians, and therefore be
critical of the current Israeli regime. History may help you to
understand why this particular state happened, and maybe even
how it might be changed. It will certainly suggest much about
what happens if the current hatreds are allowed to continue and
fester. But whether you care depends more on what kind of person
you are. And Hillary Clinton's insensitivity and arrogance tells
you much about what kind of person she is, which is someone whose
only guiding principle is the pursuit of power. The willingness
to say unpleasant things in that cause doesn't make you an oracle.
It may just mean you're an asshole.
By the way, Masciotra doesn't stop with Clinton's shilling for
the Israel lobby. He still wants to defend her 2016 campaign "basket
of deplorables" gaffe, which even she apologized for at the time.
He seems to think that if she hadn't spilled the beans, nobody
would have realized that lots of racists supported Trump because
they recognized in him a fellow racist. (Clinton didn't put it
that precisely. She said "deplorable" instead of racist, a code
that her fellow liberals recognized while it just seemed snobby
to the racists. And by saying "many" she got taken for "most,"
leaving the rest free to take umbrage over the generalization.)
He also bothers to quote and defend Clinton's "truth" about
Bernie Sanders: "Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with
him. He got nothing done." You'd think that a truther would be
more concerned with what Sanders was proven right about than
with how much lobby-backed legislation he lent his name to, but
evidently not. What did Clinton ever accomplish that wasn't in
the service to well-heeled lobbyists? I mean, aside from losing
an election to Donald Trump?
Nicole Narea: [06-11]
Biden's overlooked campaign to protect Americans from Big Business:
"Many Americans are focused on inflation, but from Big Tech to junk
fees, Biden is advancing a pro-consumer agenda." I think this sort
of thing is very important, and a very stark contrast to the Trump
embrace of kleptocracy, fraud, and business criminality (which, as
should be clear by now, he not only enables and excuses, but has
vast experience engaging in).
Christian Paz: [06-12]
Are LGBTQ voters about to abandon Biden? One of those things I
refuse to worry about. If Democrats could ever figure out how to get
most of the votes from all the people who would be better served by
Democrats rather than Republicans winning, they wouldn't have to
subdivide their message into constituent identity groups, many of
which don't want to hear about each other, let alone what they
perceive as pandering to others. On the other hand, if you do
identify as a member of a group Republicans are orchestrating
hate against, are you really going to hurt yourself just so you
can spite Biden? At some point between now and November, you're
going to have to wake up and smell the sewer, and decide whether
drown in it or escape. Then do the grown up thing and vote.
Stephen Prager:
Michael Tomasky: [06-14]
There's a new "silent majority" out there -- and it is not
conservative: "Ever since Richard Nixon used the phrase, it's
been a Republican thing. But the Republicans are the extremists
now, and the Silent Majority isn't what it was in 1969." I think
there's a lot to be said for this point, but it's hard to figure
out how to use it.
Dylan Wells: [06-15]
Meet the 24-year-old trying to solve Biden's problems with young
voters: "Eve Levenson, the Biden campaign's national youth
engagement director, may have one of the hardest jobs in American
politics." Maybe because it's defined by a meaningless artifact
of polling?
Hunter Biden: The jury convicted him on all three counts,
with a possible maximum sentence of 25 years in jail. I'm surprised
that I find this as disturbing as I do. I never liked the father,
and find the son to be nothing but nepotistic scum. But he was
charged with a crime that shouldn't be illegal, and convicted on
evidence that shouldn't be admissable, only because Republicans in
Congress (and the Special Prosecutor's office, and evidently the
courts) through a hissy fit when he agreed to plead the charge
down to near-nothing (more of a compromise than he should have
had to do). That the jury went along with this sham is just more
evidence of how rigged the system is against defendants. Moreover,
because the defendant isn't Trump, Democrats are biting their
tongues and expressing their pride in a very corrupt justice
system, while Biden won't consider a pardon because he believes
that would look bad (like he's playing politics with justice) --
totally the opposite of what Trump has done all along.
Legal matters and other crimes:
Shirin Ali/Braden Goyette: [06-14]
Sonia Sotomayor points out how quickly the conservative justices will
drop their stated principles when it suits them.
Justin Elliott/Joshua Kaplan/Alex Mierjeski: [06-14]
Senate probe reveals more Clarence Thomas trips paid by GOP donor
Harlan Crow.
Matt Ford:
The Supreme Court just made future mass shootings even deadlier.
Actually, they were pretty clear that Congress has the power to ban
bump stocks through appropriate legislation, which they would honor.
A fairly large Democratic win in 2024 could fix this problem quickly,
and possibly much more.
Judith Levine: [06-07]
US state abortion ban exemptions aren't vague by accident. Uncertainty
is the point: "Anti-choice statutes are designed to keep health
providers fearful of running afoul of the law. Women suffer for it."
Dahlia Lithwick/Mark Joseph Stern:
Ian Millhiser:
[06-10]
Justices Sotomayor and Kagan must retire now: "I am begging
the justices to learn from Ruth Bader Ginsburg's historic mistake."
I hate this kind of thinking. Sure, it's cool that they browbeat
Breyer into retiring early (like when he was 83) so Biden could
appoint a much better replacement, but the assumption here is
that Trump will win in 2024 and/or Republicans will take over
the Senate and refuse to confirm any Democratic nominees, and
that Sotomayor (69) and/or Kagan (64) will die before Republicans
fall back out of favor, and also that protecting their loser 3-6
minority is very important. Maybe he's right, but even if he is,
this is the least of our problems. FDR inherited a really lousy
Supreme Court, but he fixed that by winning elections and holding
on longer than his enemies. Democrats need to learn how to do
that again.
[06-13]
The Supreme Court's abortion pill case is only a narrow and temporary
victory for abortion: "The decision is unanimous, but it leaves
open two routes Republicans could take to pull mifepristone from the
market."
[06-14]
The Supreme Court just effectively legalized machine guns.
Andrew Perez: [06-03]
The most ridiculous, right-wing Supreme Court that dark money could
buy.
Reva Siegel/Mary Ziegler: [06-14]
The Supreme Court just laid out a road map for Trump to ban abortion
nationwide.
Climate and environment:
Economic matters:
Ukraine War and Russia:
Kyle Anzalone: [06-14]
Putin makes public peace offer to Ukraine: He wants Ukraine
to cede the four oblasts Russia has largely occupied since early
in the war -- three of which Ukraine partially controls, so would
have to withdraw from. Also to agree not to join NATO, and for US
sanctions to end. A more realistic proposal would be to accept
the current front lines (possibly with Russia withdrawing from
recently acquired territory near Kharkiv, with future plebiscites
to formalize the division, and the other issues depending on the
further recession of threats and normalization of relations.
Even that is way short of Zelensky's terms, which (not very
realstically) assume he can fight as long as or longer than
Putin.
Nandika Chatterjee: [06-16]
Trump criticizes US aid to Ukraine, promises to "have that settled"
if reelected.
Artin Dersimonian: [06-11]
US lifts ban on neo-nazi linked Azov Brigade in Ukraine.
I don't know that "easing the restrictions shows how desperate
the battlefield situation has become," but this is hardly the
first time the US has been willing to overlook a little fascism
given a common enemy.
Anatol Lieven: [06-14]
What the Swiss 'peace summit' can realistically achieve: "Talks
in Geneva this weekend won't end the war, particularly seeing that
Russia wasn't invited, but they may prove useful."
Blaise Malley:
America's empire and the world:
Jess Craig: [06-12]
We're in a new era of conflict and crisis. Can humanitarian aid keep
up? "Utter neglect of displaced people has become the new normal."
Last year, more than 360 million people worldwide needed humanitarian
assistance. To cover the costs of aid, the United Nations appealed to
global donors -- primarily governments but also philanthropic individuals
and institutes -- for a record $56 billion.
But even as humanitarian needs peaked, funding for aid dwindled to
its lowest levels since 2019. Less than half of that $56 billion was
raised. As a result, the gap between global humanitarian funding needs
and donor contributions reached its highest level in more than 20 years.
And that's not the worst part. What funding was available was not
allocated equitably across the world's crises. Conflicts in the Global
South went vastly underfunded. Last week, the Norwegian Refugee Council
(NRC), a major humanitarian organization, published its annual ranking
of the world's most neglected displacement crises. Nine of 10 were in
Africa.
Ellen Ioanes:
[06-10]
Why Europe is lurching to the right: "Far-right parties made big
gains in EU Parliament elections -- and that's already having an
effect." One thing I'll admit is that I've never had the slightest
understanding of how the EU Parliament works or what, if anything,
it is capable of doing. As near as I've been able to figure out,
the EU seems to be a cloistered bureaucracy mostly concerned with
economic matters, tightly controlled by a neoliberal oligarchy
that is very well insulated against possible encroachments from
the Democratic left -- who when they do manage to win elections,
get beat down like Syriza in Greece. It is similarly unclear
whether the right can have any real impact in the EU Parliament,
although I suppose it might afford them an arena the one thing
they specialize in, which is irritable gesticulating.
Also on the EU elections:
[06-13]
The fracturing of South African politics, explained: "What the
defeat of the party that ended apartheid means for South Africa."
Hafsa Kanjwal: [06-13]
How India is implementing the 'Israel model' in Kashmir.
Peter Oborne: [06-11]
Tory Britain is about to fall. But what follows could be far worse:
"The Conservatives have traditionally acted as a buffer against fascist
forces. But after the impending electoral defeat, Farage and the far
right are poised to win control of the party."
Vijay Prashad: [06-07]
Migrating workers provide wealth for the world.
Other stories:
Erin Blakemore: [06-08]
Tens of millions of acres of cropland lie abandoned, study shows:
"The biggest changes took place around the Ogallala Aquifer, whose
groundwater irrigates parts of numerous states, including Colorado,
Texas and Wyoming."
Vivian Gornick: [06-06]
Orgasm isn't my bag: A review of
Trish Romano: The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History
of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture.
If it seems like I'm collecting reviews of this book, perhaps that
means I should write my own. I read it, and perhaps more importantly,
I lived it -- starting as a clueless subscriber in the 1960s.
Balaji Ravichandran: [06-12]
Imperialilsm isn't in the past. Neither is the damage it did.
A review of
Charlotte Lydia Riley: Imperial Island: An Alternative History
of the British Empire. Few subjects are more deserving of
"a withering indictment" than the British Empire. The "damage
done" to the rest of the world has been extensively documented,
although little of it has sunk into the Churchill-worshipping
cliques in the US and UK. What's far less well understood are
the lingering distortions within British politics, and not just
for the feedback immigration, which has become conspicuous of
late.
Nathan J Robinson: [2018-12-07]
Lessons from Chomsky: "Some things I've learned from his
writings . . ."
Becca Rothfeld: [06-13]
Donald Trump didn't spark out current political chaos. The '90s did.
Review of
John Ganz: When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How
America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s. Histories of 1990s US
politics tend to feature the main event of Gingrich vs. Clinton,
but I can see where focusing on fringe-crazy might offer some
insights. Also on Ganz:
David Hajdu: [06-11]
Seeing ourselves in Joni Mitchell: Review of Ann Powers'
"deeply personal biography of Joni Mitchell":
Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell. For another review:
Brad Luen: [06-16]
Semipop Life: A very high shelf.
Michael Tatum:
Books read (and not read): June 2024: I jumped straight to
Trish Romano's The Freaks Came Out to Write, as that's
the one I've actually read.
Midyear reports: I've been factoring these into my
metacritic file.
A friend posted
this on Facebook:
I am super critical of Biden's kneejerk support for Netanyahu but I
agree 100% with my friend Linda L. Gebert who write this . . . "Please
anyone, tell a young person that not voting or voting for a
third-party candidate will only help Trump win -- we have to vote for
Biden if we want to preserve women's health rights, our healthy
economy, good relations with leaders of other countries, etc. . . ."
I offered this comment:
Rather than trying to weigh out positives and negatives on issues, or
pondering the curse of lesser-evilism, another way to approach this is
to accept that whoever wins is going to do lots of things that you
oppose, so ask yourself who would you rather protest against? Biden's
not so great on anything you mentioned, but at least with him, you
don't have to start with arguments that even Biden agrees with.
I also added a link to Nathan J Robinson:
No Leftist Wants a Trump Presidency.
Monday, June 10, 2024
Music Week
Expanded blog post,
June archive
(in progress).
Tweet: Music Week: 39 albums, 3 A-list
Music: Current count 42460 [42421] rated (+39), 31 [36] unrated (-5).
I published a pretty long
Speaking
of Which Sunday night (209 links, 12260 words). I fixed a couple
typos, added a few more items, and a lot of words today -- the latter
mostly came from extensive quotes of two articles I had flagged to
include but didn't get to in time. I've also been including links to
music pieces, which lately have mostly been mid-year lists I've
factored into my
metacritic file.
I lost a couple days of listening time when I fixed a couple of
small dinners, one
mostly Chinese, the second
more Italian. I rarely cook, let alone entertain, these days,
so it's nice to see that I still have some skills.
When I did manage to listen, I racked up records fast, possibly
because I did more EPs than usual (7), and also because quite a
few records inspired minimal commentary.
I mentioned it in Speaking of Which, but let me add an extra plug
for the return of Michael Tatum's
A Downloader's Diary, this one (52). In the aforementioned metacritic
file, I'm giving his grades the same weight I give Robert Christgau's
and my own's (although I haven't added many in yet).
New records reviewed this week:
- Altus: Mythos (2024, Biophilia): [cdr]: B+(***)
- Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werlin: Ghosted II (2024, Drag City): [sp]: B+(***)
- Bab L' Bluz: Swaken (2024, Real World): [sp]: B+(*)
- Evan Nicole Bell: Runaway Girl (2024, Humingbird, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- Blue Lab Beats: Blue Eclipse (2024, Blue Adventure): [sp]: B
- Aziza Brahim: Mawja (2024, Glitterbeat): [sp]: B+(**)
- Cakes Da Killa: Black Sheep (2024, Young Art): [sp]: B+(**)
- Madi Diaz: Weird Faith (2024, Anti-): [sp]: A-
- John Escreet: The Epicenter of Your Dreams (2023 [2024], Blue Room Music): [cd]: B+(***)
- Maria Faust Jazz Catastrophe: 3rd Mutation: Moth (2023 [2024], Bush Flash): [sp]: A-
- Sierra Ferrell: Trail of Flowers (2024, Rounder): [sp]: B+(***)
- Margaret Glaspy: The Sun Doesn't Think (2024, ATO, EP): [sp]: B+(***)
- Ariana Grande: Eternal Sunshine (2024, Republic): [sp]: B+(**)
- The Haas Company [Featuring Andy Timmons]: Vol. 1: Galactic Tide (2024, Psychiatric): [cd]: B
- Marika Hackman: Big Sigh (2024, Chrysalis): [sp]: B+(**)
- Jake Hertzog: Longing to Meet You (2024, self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
- Home Counties: Exactly as It Seems (2024, Submarine Cat): [sp]: B+(*)
- Simone Keller: Hidden Heartache (2022 [2024], Intakt): [sp]: B+(**)
- Lola Kirke: Country Curious (2024, One Riot, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- Jon Langford & the Men of Gwent: Lost on Land & Sea (2023, Country Mile): [bc]: B+(**)
- The Bruce Lofgren Group: Earthly and Cosmic Tales (2024, Night Bird): [cd]: B
- Lucy Rose: This Ain't the Way You Go Out (2024, Communion): [sp]: B+(*)
- MIKE & Tony Seltzer: Pinball (2024, 10k, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- Mk.gee: Two Star & the Dream Police (2024, R&R Digital): [sp]: B+(**)
- Willie Nelson: The Border (2024, Legacy): [sp]: A-
- Nubiyan Twist: Find Your Flame (2024, Strut): [sp]: B+(*)
- Yvonnick Prené/Geoff Keezer: Jobim's World (2023 [2024], Sunnyside): [sp]: B+(*)
- Bruno Rĺberg Tentet: Evolver (2024, Orbis Music): [cd]: B+(**)
- Rapsody: Please Don't Cry (2024, Jamla/Roc Nation): [sp]: B+(**)
- Raze Regal & White Denim Inc.: Raze Regal & White Denim Inc. (2023, Bella Union): [sp]: B
- A. Savage: The Loft Sessions (2024, Rough Trade, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- Shygirl: Club Shy (2024, Because Music, EP): [sp]: B+(*)
- Ballaké Sissoko/Derek Gripper: Ballaké Cissoko & Derek Gripper (2024, Matsuli Music): [sp]: B+(***)
- Connie Smith: Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches (2024, Fat Possum): [sp]: B+(**)
- Vince Staples: Dark Times (2024, Def Jam/Blacksmith): [sp]: B+(***)
- Oded Tzur: My Prophet (2023 [2024], ECM): [sp]: B+(**)
- Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony (2024, Secretly Canadian): [sp]: B+(*)
- Amber Weekes: A Lady With a Song: Amber Weekes Celebrates Nancy Wilson (2024, Amber Inn): [cd]: B+(*)
- Kelly Willis/Melissa Carper/Brennen Leigh: Wonder Women of Country (2024, Brooklyn Basement, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:
- The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed (2024, Light in the Attic): [sp]: B+(**)
Old music:
Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:
- Bruna Black/John Finbury: Vă Revelaçăo (Green Flash) [05-14]
- Kiki Valera: Vacilón Santiaguero (Circle 9 Music) [05-31]
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