[Peace-discuss] Interesting new journal on the Left

[C G Estabrook]

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Current Affairs <newsletter at currentaffairs.org>
> Subject: 🐣 The Current Affairs Aviary is now open 🐣
> Date: April 7, 2019 at 2:47:38 PM CDT
> To: <galliher at illinois.edu>
> Reply-To: Current Affairs <newsletter at currentaffairs.org>
> 
> View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/cdc9bac4573c/the-current-affairs-aviary-is-now-open?e=7b8b281401>
> 
> We Now Have a Facebook Discussion Group 
> 
> Good news, everyone: the Current Affairs Aviary is now open on Facebook <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=63fcb9fd53&e=7b8b281401>. Come join the interactive discussion group people are calling “very nice” and “much saner than your average internet web-forum.” Mingle with real, live Current Affairs editors, mavens, and podcast stars, and enjoy thoughtful discussions of vital left issues like immigration, racial justice, and excellent birds. Disagree with something we said on the podcast? Have a question about an article? Want to know what color cravat Nathan J. Robinson is wearing today? The Current Affairs Aviary is the perfect place to do some of those things! 
> A Selection of Fine Idea-Steaks
>  
> Food for thought from Current Affairs editors, contributors and other scoundrels.
> Always well done.
> 
> Joe Biden, Glenn Greenwald, and Our Dear Friend Matt Yglesias
> 
> Here’s the thing: The fact that a person’s touch, in a wholly different context, did not make you personally uncomfortable says literally nothing whatsoever about whether this person has ever made another person uncomfortable. 
> ~Vanessa A. Bee <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=908a04ea35&e=7b8b281401>
>  
> Joe Biden’s “tactile politics” have sparked one of the more baffling debates in recent memory. “How Not to Talk About Uncomfortable Shoulder Rubs <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=f34172e40d&e=7b8b281401>” by Current Affairs social media editor Vanessa A. Bee clarifies what shouldn’t need to be clarified: there’s no defense for Biden’s long history of unwanted sexualized actions.
>  
> Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept is one of the distinguished—and controversial—journalists alive today. In “Glenn Greenwald Talks About Animals <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=8bd08a889d&e=7b8b281401>,” he joins Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=0512bdb28e&e=7b8b281401> to talk about industrial farming, hidden atrocities, and opening your heart to animals.
> 
> “Why Bother Trying to Persuade Anyone? <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=536fb838fa&e=7b8b281401>.” asked the congealed lump of oatmeal that writes about politics for Vox under the name of Matt Yglesias, following the publication of Robinson’s exhaustive deconstruction of presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. Here, Robinson defends his controversial view that socialists should try to explain their ideas to people who don’t already share them.
> The Editors Share Their Thoughts
> 
> On the Topic of:
> For the next mailbag, what question are you secretly hoping
> a caller will ask?
>  
> INTERNET HEARTTHROB OREN NIMNI <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=b364c7217b&e=7b8b281401> (LEGAL EDITOR): I want people to ask cute personal questions about Nick
>  
> LYTA GOLD <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=d7c52f01f3&e=7b8b281401> (AMUSEMENTS EDITOR): I am secretly hoping a non-man will call in and ask literally anything!
> 
> SPARKY ABRAHAM <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=1ede6fe3c0&e=7b8b281401> (FINANCE EDITOR): Yeah both of those combined please
> 
> NICK SLATER <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=519fdf277c&e=7b8b281401> (NEWSLETTER EDITOR): if any of our female fans would like to know the details of my cats’ napping habits, i would be happy to oblige
> 
> AISLING MCCREA <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=f2e95948d1&e=7b8b281401> (CONTRIBUTING EDITOR):my dishonest answer would be: I hope someone will ask how they can make the world a better place.
>  
> my honest answer would be: I hope someone will ask when the newer members of the crew will get a beautiful apocalizzy portrait <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=5186516d83&e=7b8b281401> to match the others
>  
> BRIANNA RENNIX <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=29727c1727&e=7b8b281401> (SENIOR EDITOR): I am secretly hoping someone calls in to THREATEN US so that we can all make brave defiant speeches on the air, preferably in weird transatlantic accents
> 
> SLATER: you don’t really think someone would want to steal the Current Affairs gold, do you? 
> 
> GOLD: we will DEFEND our jokes at the expense of men, whatever the cost may be
> 
> RENNIX: We will fight on the beaches, in the swimwear that makes us feel most comfortable! Mine will cover every inch of my body!
> 
> GOLD: we shall not flag or fail, we shall not cease being accused of alienating the left (which has been coded masculine for some reason)
> 
> NATHAN J. ROBINSON <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=e4a1aed81e&e=7b8b281401> (EDITOR-IN-CHIEF): Oren and I have been waiting years to be asked to explain the groundbreaking theories in our book "Blueprints For A Sparkling Tomorrow" <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=68d7fbf6b9&e=7b8b281401> but for some reason the phone never rings
> The Current Affairs Cinematic Universe
>  <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=5af7dea166&e=7b8b281401>
> Editors Nathan J. Robinson and Brianna Rennix explain all the ways rightwing pundits like Carlson, Coulter, and Frum are wrong about immigration.
> Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
> 
> Organizing vs. Mobilizing and a Pleasant Chat With Virgil Texas  <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=3834d218e6&e=7b8b281401>
>  
> Legendary labor organizer and scholar Jane McAlevey <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=eaaadb4746&e=7b8b281401> has helped build successful grassroots labor movements around the world. Her conversation with Current Affairs podmaster general Pete Davis is a can’t-miss guide to left organizing (and a wildly entertaining look at the difference between performative activism and effective agitation). In other news, Chapo Trap House  <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=2dd60a3c9a&e=7b8b281401>co-host Virgil Texas <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=15aafbb6e7&e=7b8b281401> swoops into the Bird Feed like a vengeful osprey of truth to talk with Davis about the origins of Chapo, the history of rightwing media, and the blurry lines betwen politics and comedy.
>  
> “You want to read the news, you want to be informed, so OK, here’s the newspaper, here’s this fucking opinion columnist, and you don’t really get a choice in the matter… [but] when it becomes a matter of analytics, most of these people who are dogshit writers with bad opinions are not being read at all. Like, you don’t have to live in fear of these people, because they don’t matter.”
> ~Virgil Texas
> 
> A Friendly Reminder: Our Patreon subscribers <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=d7d29fa734&e=7b8b281401> get early bird access to all new episodes (plus a scrumptious feed of secret subscriber-only shows), but we can also be found on iTunes <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=bd10804a2e&e=7b8b281401>, Stitcher <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=49e9fc958d&e=7b8b281401>, and Simplecast <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=d978763104&e=7b8b281401>. To listen on an Android device, search “Current Affairs podcast” on Google Podcasts.
> Put the 'Socialist'
> Back in 'Socialist Social Media' 
> 
> What Are The Good Things You’ll See When You Follow Us On Twitter? <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=2effddede2&e=7b8b281401>
>  
> Many “news outlets” offer their social media followers nothing but sensational headlines, lazy thinkpieces, and never-ending FOMO. Current Affairs, on the other hand, can offer you sidesplitting reviews of fascist art <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=92c9973c89&e=7b8b281401>, thoughtful musings on the topic of feminist utopias <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=d37e64d99c&e=7b8b281401>, and satirical CEO diaries <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=9211f68095&e=7b8b281401> so droll and uncannily accurate that you will weep for their nonexistent children. 
> The Loud and Irksome Hissings
> of Our Beloved Readers
> 
>  
> What Should the Left Do About the Federal Budget?
> 
> We welcome all submissions at  <>newsletter at currentaffairs.org <mailto:newsletter at currentaffairs.org>. Please include “For the Newsletter” in your subject line. For especially urgent opinions, we encourage you to use 72-point all caps and multiple exclamation points, as our eyesight is rather poor.
> 
> Dear Current Affairs,
>  
> I wanted to get your thoughts on the federal budget. More specifically, what should the left say to those that call for a balanced budget? Should the left advocate for a balanced budget? Should the left be concerned about deficit spending or the national debt? Or are such concerns conservative boogeymen? In my experience, I have seen both parties lambast excessive government spending while in opposition only to conveniently forget such concerns while in government. I doubt that the national debt will be a large issue in the 2020 election; is this a good or bad thing? I'd love to see an article analyzing the impact and modern relevance of Heritage Foundation-esque budget hawks.
>  
> Regards,
> Jackson Burow
>  
> Dear Jackson,
> 
> These are all excellent questions, we think, and our resident civics expert Pete Davis is currently plotting some sort of accessible, comprehensive guide to the topic. Stay tuned and, if you like what you see, consider hectoring your friends and family into subscribing to our print magazine <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=fd0d4095bc&e=7b8b281401>, where all our budget-related graphs and charts are up to 475% more readable than the leading competition. ~CA
>  
> Min-terview of the Week:
> Aisling McCrea, Contributing Editor
> 
> Here are some facts about new Current Affairs contributing editor Aisling McCrea: her name is pronounced “ash-ling,” she speaks Japanese, and she has written eloquently about Starbucks <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=a38fad4064&e=7b8b281401>, Dave Rubin <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=cd181d4535&e=7b8b281401>, and the illusionary comforts of self-care <https://currentaffairs.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6cb9720181d518f966bb21f4&id=96ae012b61&e=7b8b281401>.These are not the only facts about her, however — there are dozens, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of more Aisling-related information units that haven’t been covered in this paragraph. While sadly we cannot include all of them in this min-terview, we hope the following insights into her worldview will temporarily satiate your curiosity.  
> 
> 1) Using five song titles or fewer, how would you describe your personal vision of socialism?
> I'm really bad at remembering songs, films, stuff like that on the spot. If people ask me for favourites, recommendations etcetera, I always go blank, and it makes me look very boring. But I'd say...
>  
> Ants Invasion, by Adam and the Ants, because ants are small but incredibly intelligent and powerful when they team up; also because Adam Ant called his band Adam and the Ants and then wrote a bunch of songs with 'Ant' in the title, which shows he doesn't give a crap about looking cool so long as he gets to talk about ants, and I think that's a good attitude to have in life.
>  
> Let's Stay Together by Al Green, because solidarity.
>  
> Big A Little A by Crass, because everyone should be at least a little bit anarchist.
>  
> Toy Solider by Britney Spears, because militarism is silly.
>  
> And Firetruck by the K-Pop band NCT127, because the cornerstone of a good society is well-funded and thought out infrastructure and services. I know nothing about infrastructure, but I love hearing socialists who care about transport and the small details of how services work and stuff like that. Put those guys in charge.
> 
> 2) Did you grow up on the left? What was the first thing that made you think, “Hmm, perhaps capitalism is not good?”
> My family weren't political, no-one around me really was. I spent maybe two months of my life thinking I supported the Conservative Party - I was aged about 9 and didn't know anything about the parties except that 'Conservatives' was the longer name, and therefore to my mind, more sophisticated. Age 10 I read a copy of Stupid White Men by Michael Moore that I randomly found somewhere, and decided that I was probably a 'liberal'. Age 11 the Iraq war happened, and although my analysis was not massively insightful, I noticed lots of clever people on TV and in newspapers were saying it was bad, and no-one seemed to have a good answer to them. Age 16 the financial crash happened and I was angry and panicky for my future, but still more a Paul Krugman-type liberal who thought things just needed more regulation. I don't think I had a single 'a-ha' moment, but somewhere in my late teens and early twenties I joined the dots that in every stage and aspect of my life, the people who I thought were supposed to be in charge were massively failing me and the people around me, and that drove me left. I didn't read theory or know much about all the different schools until a few years later, I just stuck with 'general left'.
> 
> 3) Are there are particular tendencies on the left that you adore, despise, or feel vaguely conflicted about?
> I'm not massively fussy about tendencies - if someone's good to people, doesn't alienate others, has good basic ideas and doesn't believe anything too obviously egregious, I'm not going to be like "I can't believe their stance on Bakunin!" Whatever works for ya.
>  
> I've come around a lot in recent years to religious leftism. I'm not religious and I went through a snotty atheist phase in my teens, but I've met a fair few people inspired by liberation theology and I think I've got a bit more of a nuanced view on it now. Also, Quakers are extremely solid. Especially in the UK, they were a huge part of securing workers' rights and women's rights, abolition of slavery, anti-poverty initiatives. Still are to this day. Never heard of a bad Quaker.
> 
> 4) If you could telepathically beam the contents of one book into the minds of everyone on Earth, what would it be?
> Oh god, I told you I'm bad at this, erm...
>  
> oh I've got it
> 
> Matt's Million
> 
> It was one of my favourite books as a kid, they made a TV series out of it too. it's about a kid who invents a video game and becomes rich. and at first he buys all the toys he wants and stuff, but then he realises it's alienating him from his friends and family and he's not happy, so instead he pays off his mum's mortgage so she can go to college and lives a comfortable but basically normal life.
> 
> 5) You’re a vocal supporter of adult-humans-meowing-like-cats-in-public-for-no-apparent-reason. Has it been difficult to speak your truth?
> I wouldn't say I'm a 'vocal supporter' of adults meowing in public. I simply think it's important that people know their rights. It's not illegal to meow at people. Look it up. No court in the land can convict you.
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