<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Today's inauguration of the AWARE S.O.A.P. BOX led to several spirited discussions - one with a local Democratic party apparatchik.<div><br></div><div>Given the unavailability of a real soap box, Pam suggested a more obvious labeling of the surrogate soapbox, so that was done, the bulletin board being pressd into service... <br><div><br></div><div>AWAREists on the scene agreed that the crowd was particularly sparse during the declamations - but not apparently just because of them. </div><div><br></div><div>The heat? The Chicago demonstrations? For whatever reason there were fewer people than usual, but we are not dismayed:</div><div><br></div><div>we will declaim again next week, and declamators, discussants, and even Democrats are invited to participate. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>This week's texts (some to be repeated next week) were </div><div><br></div><div><div align=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[1] "Obama’s
Drones Threaten World Civilization" - by BAR executive editor
Glen Ford</div></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[2] "AWARE on the AIR: Introduction - US War in the Greater Middle East" </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[3] "Occupy the Future" - by Noam Chomsky</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[4] "Colonized
by Corporations" - by Chris Hedges</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[5] "A Victory for All of Us" - by Chris Hedges</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[6] "Sentencing Statement" - by Tarek Mehanna</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[7] "Since
bin Laden’s death: The War on Terror and its various civil
liberties assaults have escalated, not
been reversed or even slowed down" - by Glenn Greenwald</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>[8] "NATO: Just
why are people protesting?" - by Chris
Geovanis, Chicago Indymedia</div><div> </div><div>Suggestions for new texts are welcome. --CGE</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On May 17, 2012, at 4:39 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>THE SOCIETY TO OVERCOME THE AMERICAN PRECARIAT /&/<br>THE SOCIETY TO OVERTHROW THE AMERICAN PLUTONOMY<br>- two cadet branches of the ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT -<br>announce the institution of the ~ AWARE S.O.A.P. BOX ~ at the<br>Urbana Farmers' Market on Saturday 19 March 2012.<br><br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>~~~<br><br>Members and Friends of AWARE will declaim statements by Noam Chomsky, <br>Glenn Grenwald, Chris Hedges, and others, that further the mission of the</div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div>Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort of Champaign-Urbana, from the AWARE S.O.A.P. BOX,<br>by the AWARE table at the Lincoln Square Farmers' Market.<br><br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>~~~<br><br>Speakers Under Delegation from the Societies (S.O.A.P. SUDS) will be <br>present and speaking while the market is open. Come by and say hello </div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div>- and stay for conversation with passersby. --CGE<br><br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>~~~<br><i><br>'This could be a period of irreversible decline. For the 1% and even <br>less -- the .1% -- it’s just fine. They are richer than ever, more <br>powerful than ever, controlling the political system, disregarding the <br>public...<br><br>'For decades, Citigroup has been one of the most corrupt of the major <br>investment banking corporations, repeatedly bailed out by the <br>taxpayer, starting in the early Reagan years and now once again ... In <br>2005, Citigroup came out with a brochure for investors called <br>“Plutonomy: Buying Luxury, Explaining Global Imbalances.” It urged <br>investors to put money into a “plutonomy index.” The brochure says, <br>“The World is dividing into two blocs -- the Plutonomy and the rest.”<br>'Plutonomy refers to the rich, those who buy luxury goods and so on, <br>and that’s where the action is. They claimed that their plutonomy <br>index was way outperforming the stock market. As for the rest, we set <br>them adrift. We don’t really care about them. We don’t really need <br>them. They have to be around to provide a powerful state, which will <br>protect us and bail us out when we get into trouble, but other than <br>that they essentially have no function. These days they’re sometimes <br>called the “precariat” -- people who live a precarious existence at <br>the periphery of society. Only it’s not the periphery anymore. It’s <br>becoming a very substantial part of society in the United States and <br>indeed elsewhere. And this is considered a good thing...<br><br>'So the world is now indeed splitting into a plutonomy and a precariat <br>-- in the imagery of the Occupy movement, the 1% and the 99%. Not <br>literal numbers, but the right picture. Now, the plutonomy is where <br>the action is and it could continue like this.<br><br>'If it does, the historic reversal that began in the 1970s could <br>become irreversible. That’s where we’re heading. And the Occupy <br>movement is the first real, major, popular reaction that could avert <br>this. But it’s going to be necessary to face the fact that it’s a <br>long, hard struggle. You don’t win victories tomorrow. You have to <br>form the structures that will be sustained, that will go on through <br>hard times and can win major victories. And there are a lot of things <br>that can be done.' [Noam Chomsky]</i><br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>