Newsletter 7.21.20

Hi all, we hope your summer is going well. Thanks, as always, for all of your support.  Here is this fortnight's newsletter.

All the best!

- Florence, Julianne, Marco, Adam, and Nima 

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Remembering Our Friend and Comrade Michael Brooks Bhaskar Sunkara, Jacobin (July 20, 2020)

Michael Brooks’ unexpected death on Monday left a hole in both left-wing media and in the hearts of the countless people who were touched by him. This obituary from Jacobin editor Bhaskar Sunkara describes Michael’s dedication to fighting oppression, his great sense of humor and his open mindedness.  

In 1971, Nixon Passed a Rule to Doom the Post Office. Now, It’s Finally Happening. Rebecca Burns, In These Times (July 14, 2020)

In 1971, The United States Postal Service was established as an independent body that needed to pay for itself. The implications of this rule are being felt now that the USPS is projected to have major losses and Republicans are looking to fully privatize it. 

Our Towns Aren’t Equipped to Handle Climate Emergencies Kate Aronoff, The New Republic  (July 20, 2020)  

Emergency management offices will be on the front line of responding to climate emergencies. They are already greatly underfunded both locally and nationally, and revenue losses due to the pandemic could make the situation worse. 

NYT Acknowledges Need for Economic Change—Without Crediting Those Who Would Bring It Dave Lindorff, FAIR (July 11, 2020) 

The New York Times’ editorial board released an article calling for pro-worker economic changes, including a $15 minimum wage and an end to employer-based health insurance. This call for a more just economy also failed to recognize the efforts of politicians like Bernie Sanders for pushing for these policies for years, obscuring which political agents would actually implement the policies the editorial board has called for.  

How Anti-Russian Propaganda Works Nathan J. Robinson, Current Affairs (July 17, 2020)

A New York Times story about Russian hackers trying to steal data about efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine reveals how the media can make assumptions that tag foreign countries as selfish amoral actors. Stealing data is portrayed as a loss for western business interests and a selfish act by Russia, and no words are devoted to analyzing why developing a vaccine is a competition and whether Russian people would benefit from the data.  

People are About to be Pushed Into Homelessness On a Large Scale. Hotels are Key to Keeping Them Off the Streets Ananya Roy, Jonny Coleman, The Appeal (July 17, 2020)

A large-scale eviction crisis is looming and both the local and federal governments have failed to pass policy to prevent it. Cities could seize vacant hotel rooms that were built with federal subsidies to house people who are being pushed into homelessness. 

Masks Off: How the Brothers Who Fueled the Reopen Protests Built a Volatile Far-Right Network Mara Hvistendahl, The Intercept (July 17, 2020)

Four brothers involved in far-right politics created a slew of Facebook groups that stoked the fires of the reopen protests that attempted to pressure state governments into loosening restrictions on businesses during the pandemic. The brothers have spent years creating a network to spread far-right fearmongering and they have used recent turmoil to boost their message. 

Will Big Philanthropy Defang Our Radical Moment? J.C. Pan, The New Republic (July 16, 2020)

Large philanthropic organizations have begun to pledge money towards funding Black Lives Matter activism in the wake of the current protests. While such money could be crucial for cash-strapped nonprofits, these big organizations have a history of using their endowments to commodify and deradicalize the movements they fund. 

Teachers Unions Look Like the Last Line of Defense in Trump’s “Reckless” School Reopening Crusade Hamilton Nolan, In These Times (July 16, 2020)

As the Trump Administration pressures states into returning children to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic, teacher’s unions are trying to hold the line against this dangerous push towards in-person classes. Unions are feverishly negotiating to create a situation that does not endanger the lives of teachers and students. 

Congress Struggles to Help Constituents Access CARES Act Benefits Aída Chávez, The Intercept (July 15, 2020)

Congressional offices have been slammed with requests from constituents who are not receiving benefits from the coronavirus relief bill, and they say the understaffed IRS has been historically non-responsive. The IRS, weakened by years of budget cuts, has faced several issues in distributing checks that allowed many to fall through the cracks. 

Why is Everyone so Mean to Bari Weiss? Robert Wright, Nonzero (July 19, 2020)

Bari Weiss’ letter of resignation from The New York Times drew the attention of media figures for its claims that cancel culture has made the Times a toxic environment. Weiss’ hypocritical attempts to cancel others, sloppy approach to the concept of anti-semitism and narcissism can explain a lot of the ill will directed towards her. 

'Cancel Culture' Doesn't Stifle Debate, but It Does Challenge the Old Order Billy Bragg, The Guardian (July 10, 2020) 

The Harper’s Magazine letter decrying cancel culture in all but name has provoked another round of debates on the ethics of “cancelling.” Singer-songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg argues that the elites are angry that a new generation has access to a more direct way of criticizing power than ever before, social media. 

Political Correctness is Destroying America! (Just Not how You Think.) Jon Schwarz, The Intercept (Juy 18, 2020)

Media hand wringing over political correctness tends to almost exclusively focus on perceived left-wing examples of cancel culture. The most insidious form of political correctness comes from the right, where they try to shut down dissent on religion, foreign policy and policing in American society.