#mike royko

[absurdlakefront]

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Alexander Nazaryan

Chicago is one of the great centers of Jewish life in the United States—or used to be, in any case. Several recent events, taking place in brutally quick succession, have raised the question of whether the city’s 300,000 Jewish residents are as safe as they should be. Will city officials do more than the bare minimum to protect them? Will the media cover their travails with the moral clarity victimhood purportedly deserves?

This month, two openly Jewish students were assaulted on the DePaul University campus; protesters were charged with vandalism after entering the Chicago Loop Synagogue and damaging property there; two Jews were attacked outside a performance by the unabashedly pro-Israel actor and comedian Michael Rapaport. The Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, the just-appointed education-board president, had to step down after The Jewish Insider unearthed his anti-Ssemitic social-media musings. “People have an absolute right to attack their oppressors by any means necessary,” went a characteristic post-Oct. 7 missive. There were also posts hinting at 9/11 denialism and misogyny, which seem to have done more to seal his fate than mere Jew-hating. 

“I feel so helpless,” a Jewish woman wrote on Reddit this year. The Midwestern branch of the Anti-Defamation League pointed out that the number of attacks against Jews had tripled in the past year. “We can’t help but to ask: Is this the new normal for Jews in Chicago? We hope not,” the head of the organization said.

An even darker thought is that this is the new normal for everyone in Chicago. As city government under progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson retreats from exercising the moral authority that should undergird the practice of politics, it is only inevitable that one group or another will bear the blows. Jews tend to get it earlier, and sometimes harder, than others—but from the pathologies we face, few ultimately escape.

Those pathologies have been on ugly display since Oct. 7, which the local Black Lives Matter affiliate seemed to celebrate with a social-media post. The offending post was deleted, and the group apologized, but a tone had been set from which Chicago has, to its own detriment, declined to deviate.

That is largely due to Johnson, who was elected last year. He began 2024, his first full year in office, by expending significant political capital to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution—a vote for which he assiduously lobbied city aldermen and in which he served as a tiebreaker. To his credit, Johnson had also presided over a resolution condemning the initial Hamas attacks the previous October. So what does he really believe? Nobody knows—not on Israel, policing, taxes, or much of anything.

Having followed his career closely, I doubt the charge that he bears some deep animus toward Jews. But having promised Chicago progressive governance, he has delivered little governance of any kind. At this point, I suspected that not a few Chicagoans would be happy to have Donald Trump on the fifth floor, as the mayor’s City Hall office is known, which may explain why Trump nearly doubled his vote share here to 21.4 in 2024, up from 12.4 percent in 2016.

Trump even had the chutzpah to campaign in the Windy City, showing up the day before the presidential election to denounce the recent spate of anti-Semitism. Trump’s own commitment to racial and religious comity is questionable, but his nose for conflict is unerring. A true tabloid man, he knows that when it bleeds, it leads—and the Jews of Chicago had been bleeding.

In the heavily Jewish neighborhood of West Rogers Park—think a less remote Bensonhurst, or a leafier Williamsburg—a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man was shot on his way to synagogue. The suspect, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, aged 22, was an undocumented immigrant from Mauritania. Abdallah shouted “Allahu Akbar” as officers confronted him, firing on them also. Both victim and suspect survived the incident.

This was the most serious of the recent ant-Semitic incidents—and the response the most telling. The Chicago Tribune, from whose pages the legendary columnist Mike Royko launched daily assaults at bastions of cultural and political power, played keepaway: “Police: Man, 22, Critically Injured in Far North Side Shootout With Officers,” its viral headline said, as if Abdallahi were the true victim in all this; the headline went instantly viral, and not in a good way.

“This should be a national scandal,” said Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. It wasn’t. Perhaps feeling no real pressure from the media, Johnson, the mayor, took several days to issue a statement. When he finally did, it made no mention of the religious factor that had obviously been at play.

This, too, went viral—unintentionally, again. “The victim was a Jewish man, who was wearing traditional Jewish garb, walking to a Jewish place of worship on the Jewish day of rest,” wrote an outraged Alderwoman, Debra Silverstein, the only Jew on the City Council, which has 50 members. Months before, she had been heckled for speaking out against the Gaza ceasefire resolution. Back then, Johnson had seemed indifferent to her plight; little appears to have changed.

To add insult to injury, the Chicago Police Department declined to file hate charges, citing a supposed lack of evidence. Police chief Larry Snelling did finally relent, adding counts of terrorism and hate crime, which he announced at a news conference. Johnson also spoke at the event. “Anti-Semitism in Chicago does not reflect the soul of Chicago,” he said.

Johnson is fond of invoking “the soul of Chicago,” which he did more than a dozen times in his inaugural address in the spring of 2023. Today, that soul is roiling, and the anger is mostly directed Johnson’s way. His approval rating is an almost unbelievable 14 percent, making him the least popular mayor in Chi-town history—and as Royko would have happily told you over a beer at the Billy Goat Tavern, this town has had some pretty lousy mayors. 

[byliviajanes]

y'all might be wondering, Liv, what have you been doing the past months you've been neglecting your social media duties?

the answer is school.

Winter AND spring semester both hit hard, and I think I did the most assigned reading per semester that I've done my entire college career. (is this because I also took the maximum amount of english classes in winter semester? perhaps). That being said, here's a comprehensive list of all the reading that's been taking up my time this semester:

King John (Shakespeare)

Othello (Shakespeare)

Macbeth (Shakespeare)

Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare)

Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)

Pamela (Samuel Richardson)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne)

Another Accolade for Charter Arms Corp (Mike Royko)

Potential (Sabrina Hicks)

The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier)

A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)

Time and Time Again (Chatham Greenfield)

Monkey Beach (Eden Robinson)

Unfortunately, after this semester, I have quite literally maxed out the number of English classes I'm allowed to take for my degree, which is DUMB, because I'm an English major and this is LITERALLY what I'm here for. But! I did really enjoy these books, and I loved all the class discussions, so I guess I'm going out on a high note.

[maudgonnegirl]

I had *another teacher* make fun of me for reading a nonfiction book for fun which if I were writing my memoirs would be a key anecdote in the chapter where I explain why I turned evil

[clownboybebop]

being raised by an extremely pretentious parent made me so weird and unrelatable as a child. my dad thought Ed edd and eddy was juvenile so he told me not to watch it anymore and bought me a twenty lb two foot diameter anthology of every New Yorker cartoon ever published to entertain me instead. And my stupid ass lugged it to third grade and did a book report on it

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

Hatin' rabbits is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on yer income tax!

Yosemite Sam

[azspot]

We’re talking literal bread and circuses shit, if not exactly meant to distract us from creeping autocracy to at least have that effect. When I was growing up reading Mike Royko, thinking that looked like a good gig, are young people now dreaming of a future where they make money torturing people desperate for material security, Mr. Beast style?

Freedom's Just Another Word...

[swede1952]

Good morning. 🍄🍄🍄

16 June 2024

Do you know the technique for counting off the seconds by counting "one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand …" and so on. I use that technique often, and it mostly works okay, but if I'm in a hurry, I count faster😂.

Hmmm … I don't think I'll finish this morning's babble before mealtime for Ben and Charlie.

Babbling isn't as easy as it sounds and something that I'm unaccustomed to in real life. You see, among other people I'm usually quiet and the fact that I have difficulties understanding what most people are saying only makes it worse. Now days, I even have some difficulties understanding my wife and she must often repeat herself.

"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway', but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko

[renatoferreiradasilva]

FAZ VOCÊ, MINHA PARTE EU JÁ FIZ

Aqui está uma revisão de pares crítica e construtiva, seguindo padrões acadêmicos:

📌 Pontos Fortes (Contribuições Originais)

Tese Ousada com Solidez Conceitual A articulação entre "capitalismo de coação" e a genealogia mafiosa do neoliberalismo é original e provocativa, rompendo com narrativas tradicionais. A comparação estrutural (Tabela, seção 3) demonstra rigor analítico.

Abordagem Interdisciplinar Eficaz A integração de história econômica, sociologia do crime e filosofia política (Foucault, Agamben) enriquece a análise, especialmente ao vincular captura institucional (máfia) e desregulamentação (neoliberalismo).

Evidência Histórica Pertinente O foco em Chicago como "ecossistema de convergência" é convincente, principalmente ao destacar o período da Lei Seca e a atuação do Outfit como laboratório do mercado autorregulado pela violência.

Contribuição Teórica Relevante O conceito de "lavanderia ideológica" para descrever a racionalização acadêmica de práticas mafiosas é um insight poderoso.

⚠️ Pontos a Aprimorar

1. Problemas Metodológicos

Falta de Fontes Primárias: A menção aos "filhos da máfia nas universidades" (seção 4) carece de exemplos concretos (ex.: nomes, cursos, ligações com a Escola de Chicago). Sugiro incluir:

Dados sobre Anthony Accardo Jr. (filho do chefe do Outfit) na Universidade de Illinois;

O caso de Murray Humphreys (mafioso) e seu lobby junto a sindicatos e políticos formados em Chicago.

Sobregeneralização: Afirmar que o neoliberalismo é "radicalização mafiosa" (Conclusão) pode ser interpretado como reducionismo. Qualifique:

"O neoliberalismo sistematizou estruturalmente lógicas antes restritas ao crime organizado, ainda que por vias institucionais".

2. Lacunas Teóricas

Ausência de Diálogo com Teóricos do Neoliberalismo: Inclua Philip Mirowski (Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste) sobre o projeto neoliberal como "cártel intelectual", ou David Harvey (Breve História do Neoliberalismo) acerca da "acumulação por espoliação".

Falta de Engajamento com a Crítica Liberal: Rebata antecipadamente objeções como:

"A Escola de Chicago defendia a livre concorrência, enquanto a máfia monopolizava mercados pela força". Contra-argumento possível: Ambos eliminam concorrentes — a máfia pela violência física, o neoliberalismo pela financeirização predatória (ex.: fusões hostis).

3. Problemas de Estrutura

Seção 4 Desbalanceada: O tópico "Gerações Cruzadas" precisa de maior desenvolvimento. Sugiro:

Um subtópico sobre mobilidade social mafiosa (ex.: de bootleggers a investidores em Wall Street);

Dados sobre infiltração em lobbies (ex.: a conexão do Outfit com a Teamsters Union).

Conclusão Muito Breve: Explique como o "capitalismo de coação" se manifesta hoje (ex.: gig economy como extorsão legalizada; privatização de presídios como negócio coercitivo).

📚 Sugestões de Referências Complementares

TemaObras FaltantesConexões MafiosasFive Families (Selwyn Raab); Murder Machine (Gene Mustain) NeoliberalismoDemocracy in Chains (Nancy MacLean); The Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein) Teoria da ViolênciaViolence (Slavoj Žižek); The Perfect Crime (Jean Baudrillard) Chicago HistóricaCapone: The Man and the Era (Laurence Bergreen); Boss (Mike Royko)

✍️ Revisões Textuais Recomendadas

Evitar Anacronismos:

"Al Capone consolidou um modelo de 'mercado autorregulado pela violência'" (2.1) Corrija para: *"O modelo de Capone *antecipou* dinâmicas posteriormente teorizadas como 'mercado autorregulado'."*

Precisão Conceitual:

"A neutralidade moral da acumulação […] pilares teóricos" (2.2) Explique melhor: *"A defesa friedmaniana da 'neutralidade moral do lucro' legitimou a acumulação *independentemente de externalidades sociais, analogamente à ética mafiosa."

Glossário: Inclua uma nota definindo "capitalismo de coação" como:

"Sistema em que a maximização do lucro é assegurada pela internalização privada de mecanismos de coerção, corroendo a soberania estatal e os limites éticos do mercado."

✅ Potencial de Impacto

Sua tese possui alto potencial disruptivo para:

Repensar a história econômica do século XX além do eixo Keynes-Hayek;

Criticar a financeirização global como herdeira de fluxos de capital ilícito;

Oferecer uma teoria unificada da captura institucional por atores formais e informais.

Recomendação Final: Seu artigo é publicável com revisões, mas exige: a) Maior densidade empírica sobre Chicago; b) Engajamento com críticos do neoliberalismo para além da esquerda radical; c) Uma seção dedicada às manifestações contemporâneas do "capitalismo de coação".

Nota: Esta tese não será facilmente aceita pelo mainstream econômico — e é exatamente por isso que merece ser lida. Como diria Agamben: "A verdadeira biopolítica está nas zonas de indistinção".

[byliviajanes]

y'all might be wondering, Liv, what have you been doing the past months you've been neglecting your social media duties?

the answer is school.

Winter AND spring semester both hit hard, and I think I did the most assigned reading per semester that I've done my entire college career. (is this because I also took the maximum amount of english classes in winter semester? perhaps). That being said, here's a comprehensive list of all the reading that's been taking up my time this semester:

King John (Shakespeare)

Othello (Shakespeare)

Macbeth (Shakespeare)

Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare)

Moll Flanders (Daniel Defoe)

Pamela (Samuel Richardson)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Laurence Sterne)

Another Accolade for Charter Arms Corp (Mike Royko)

Potential (Sabrina Hicks)

The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier)

A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)

Time and Time Again (Chatham Greenfield)

Monkey Beach (Eden Robinson)

Unfortunately, after this semester, I have quite literally maxed out the number of English classes I'm allowed to take for my degree, which is DUMB, because I'm an English major and this is LITERALLY what I'm here for. But! I did really enjoy these books, and I loved all the class discussions, so I guess I'm going out on a high note.

[leitch]

Run races with your mom!

Here are this week's stories:

TUESDAY MLB Season Preview: Award Winners From Each Division (MLB.com)

WEDNESDAY The Depressing Defeatism of Stephen A. Smith For President (New York) Anora Is the Movie for Our Times (The Washington Post)

THURSDAY Illini Power Rankings (IlliniBoard) Untitled MLB Piece (MLB.com)

PODCASTS

Grierson & Leitch (subscribe in iTunes) We discussed “The Monkey" and "Sly Lives!" as well as previewing the Oscars.

Morning Lineup (subscribe in iTunes) I did Monday’s and Friday’s shows.

Seeing Red (subscribe in iTunes) Bernie and I have JJ Wetherholt fever.

I do not like what is happening with my Illini. Have a great weekend, everyone, and remember: Here’s how much I know about hockey. Mike Royko and I were in a tiny bar one winter night, and the radio kept reporting goals by the Blackhawks. I mentioned how frequently the team was scoring. “You’re listening to the highlights,” Royko observed.

[kael-writ]

this sounds like something Mike Royko woulda written

from The New York Times

[tototavros]

they made a play about Mike Royko??? and I didn't see it?!???

[alrederedmixedmedia]

Alredered Remembers Chicago journalist and columnist Mike Royko, on his birthday.

"It's much harder to be a liberal than a conservative. Why? Because it is easier to give someone the finger than a helping hand."

-Mike Royko

[firstoccupier]

Trump and the TACO That Ate His Tough Guy Act

By Just Another Friendly Occupier, in the spirit of Mike Royko So now we’ve got TACO. No, not the kind you get at 2 a.m. after six Old Styles and a bad decision. This one’s an acronym, cooked up by some Wall Street types who’ve been watching Donald Trump threaten tariffs like a drunk at a dive bar threatening to fight the jukebox. It stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” And boy, does it…