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Module 9

Module 9

Molecular Red – Final thoughts – Science and Utopia touches on property, materialism, commodity, and how it is owned, appropriated, and disposed. Explaining how Marx compared capitol to vampire, sucking life out of labor. But then Haraway shows how metaphors work in real life then explains fetishism of man with a hammer. Fetishized labor. – to Biology.  I think this is an important and very clear quote to recognize, “Most Western Marxists thought ideology in its negative aspect, its misrecognition; Bogdanov  was  more interested  in  its affi rmative aspect,  in  the way  an  ideology overcomes  resistance  to a  given form of social labor.37 From that point of view what matters in this exchange is the form” Tektology is reappeared to remind that, “It communicates  between labor  processes poetically  and  qualitatively.  It is  a  training of  the metaphoric  wiliness of  language  toward particular  applications which correspond to and with advances in labor technique.”

Interview with Kim Stanley Robinson in The Molecular Red Reader – The liberation movements liberated only carbon – the carbon liberation front – Humans being the dominant influence on climate change and the environment. “The Carbon Liberation Front seeks out all of past life that took the form of fossilized carbon, unearths it and burns it to release its energy.” Such as oil? Powerful interests still deny this. “Addressing the Anthropocene is not something to leave in the hands of those in charge, given just how badly the ruling class of our time has mishandled this end of prehistory” true, it needs a new system. This read is very good with clarifying, such “What the Carbon Liberation Front calls us to create in its molecular shadow is not yet another philosophy, but a poetics and technics for the organization of knowledge. As it turns out, that’s exactly what Alexander Bogdanov tried to create”.

two CA Conrad poems – Coping Skills Lost in the Flood – I enjoy CA Conrads style, I am trying to find the objectives or meanings in this poem. The ending closes with a suggestion of unrequited love for a generation of progress when that generation used bombs for progress? It prior mentions “not a happier location for war” while the beginning mentions a broken teenage phone. I think this is delving into the parallel of the colonizer and the colonized, one is experiencing war and one is experiencing a broken phone. Under water libraries, coping skills lost in the flood, perhaps coping skills are lost from knowledge being under water? Mars.1 – anti-war objectives are clear with the lines, “the soldier board the plane, shot in head three days late, why are you angry you said, why are you not I said” The silos, corn, and wheat, lacking from war? Lack of resources when money is being spent on soldiers dying is what I am interpreting.

Juliana Spahr poem – I believe there is a theme of following. Starting with the brent geese following where to fly from their older generations and / culture, rather than genetics. Then it goes to comparing that to music, following the flow / repeating. The movement of police, following one another as a system of one. It tells this story of police clearing a park again for the construction of a building.  Also touches on oil wars. It is a very good story telling kind of poem and is going back and forth on these comparisons and relationships of interconnected such as the geese, the oil company, the building, the police, and the song on loss. Lack of sustainability and the shadows is a great ending.

Radical Punk Music Playlist – I really like the Paul Robeson song, something about it reminding me of Chicago, the lyrics and performances are very presentational and take you back to thinking while listening. The spoken word qualities remind me of Mewithoutyou especially with that specific microphone. I love the variety of instruments. Anti-Fascist Cabaret sounds carnival esq, I believe there are some theatrical influences (Don’t hate me but comparable to early Panic at the Disco) obviously by influence not by content because this content is anti-fascist radical punk. I love the Saxophone. I like Bad Religion. Black Flag was definitely on one of the old Tony Hawk Pro Skater PS2 game soundtracks. Crass is inspiring. I feel like the knowledge of radical ideas and important truths need a platform of music to be heard and followed to inspire change and hold accountability.

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Module 8

Part 1 & 2 of Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality, vol. – the Repressive hypothesis is explained. Where people want to talk about sex is under disciplinary dialect. Further explained in class shows that under religion, medicine, and psychiatry they are compelled to talk about sexuality, to confess, so that power can be exhorted over who ever confesses. These are products of power and knowledge. Also important to note is that biological sex is genetics, sexuality is preference, and gender is social role. To quote, “this together enables us to link an intensification of the interventions of power to a multiplication of discourse”.

Essay by Paul (formerly Beatriz) Preciado - Pharmaco-pornographic Politics: Towards a New Gender Ecology – A lot of content, graphic, and very under versed in knowledge, so a lot is difficult of understanding and low in comfort. But, this can be taken back to the idea of repression in sex. Especially with explaining “The Atlas of Human Sex Anatomy”. Techno-gender touches on the invention of the gender category and arguments around sex and gender that is still baffled over in american culture while other places have acknowledge more than 2 genders. Gender is explained to be a “techno-political ecology”. It explains, “The certainty of being a man or a woman is a somatic-political fiction that functions as an operational program of subjectivity through which sensorial perceptions are produced that take the form of affections, desires, actions, beliefs, identities. One of the defining results of this technology of gender is the production of an interior knowledge about oneself, of a sense of the sexual ‘I’ that appears to one’s consciousness as emotional evidence of reality.”

Judith Butler essay - Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory – Gender is performative, not innate or essential. I believe the Preciado essay touched on (I couldn’t find it from looking back, but) probably society needing and relying on the repression of sex. So, when perpetuated that gender is essential for profit, it may persist as a misunderstood topic. Perhaps. I should ask more on this. Phemoenology of perception and the body as a sexual being and gender performance is further explained. genders are punished for being outside the norm when explained as “Discrete genders are part of what 'humanizes' individuals within contemporary culture; indeed, those who fail to do their gender right are regularly punished.”

Velvet Goldmine - Todd Haynes – Christian Bale, wow. Glam rock and sexuality. I enjoy the non linear structure between the characters back and forth.

Kathy Acker’s “Dead Doll Humility” – Acker explains through this text / story / art that as sexual subjects there are profits to capitalism. Media and pharmaceutical profits from such, dolls? Exploiting children through profits or “making dolls”. This prompt is not linear, very jumpy, so it is difficult to follow.

Kathy Acker’s “Back to the Witch” – A lot of references to female genitals. Specifically a witches. Under Obsession, it is touched on the narrator being a bad child, not fitting with identity, a father making a false identity son, because Kathy was a bad child for not being the “real son”. I believe this is touching on Kathy’s father’s inability to accept her, perhaps being a bad child for identity issues. If this is the case then I can relate. Comparable to many childhood stories of children throwing fits for not wanting to, or wanting to wear a dress while their gender or social role tells them otherwise.

Donna Haraway’s “Cyborg Manifesto” – Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in late 20th century -  cyborg is machine and organism. Contemporary science is full of them. Modern medicine considered one. We in the late 20th century considered cyborgs. Imagination and material reality. Post gendered world cyborg. The informatics of domination is very interesting I think may need a guide for better understanding. The new industrial revolution comparison to new sexualities and ethnicities is interesting.

Premises to Derek Jensen’s Endgame – Radical environmentalist Jensen. Civilization is not sustainable. Especially true for industrial. Traditional communities destroyed under premises of gold or oil resources which are not often voluntarily given up. Violence is mostly invisible and inevitable from those higher up in power to the lower. Property more valuable on similar scale with those in power having more than those lower in power. Civilization not redeemable. Civilization must come to a halt or the collapse will continue impending. There is no justification of controlling and abusing the natural world. Excerpt -  Opens with propaganda. Biodiversity and How much necessary for what?

“Venice Drowned” (1981) by Kim Stanley Robinson – a science fiction writer. This is a story. Chapter one. A repetition of “Jesus” and soon the devil or death and shrieks of it to go away. Nature is lamented on, storm, lightening, clouds, “The waters rise yet” I believe this is referring to the rising water levels. Having scuba gear prepared while Venice is still afloat.

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Module 7

Malcom X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet” – I appreciate the prologue on religion differences and how though their practice is different and may be conflicted over, the true conflict that needs to be united over despite differences is the overall oppression black people are experiencing under the white men in power. It is immediately stated right after that it does not mean that they are anti – white, but that they are anti-exploitation, anti-degradation, and anti-oppression. If white men don’t want to see it as them then they should stop exploiting, degrading, and oppressing. 1964 was only a few years before my parents were born. This illuminates the reality of post slavery oppression that continues to today. I have heard before of Malcolm X’s opinion on voting. What I am understanding is that he considers voting as a waste because their vote will give them nothing in return because the system is not in their favor and is under means to oppress them. I haven’t heard of a dixiecrat before.

W.E.B. DuBois’ “Strivings of the Negro People” – 1897 – I can compare the oppressed question that DuBois is given of “How does it feel to be a problem” to being persisted to today with people of color and specifically and almost identically to the book “How does it feel to be a problem” by Moustafa Bayoumi on being young and Arab in America. I had to google shades of the prison-house and it took me to a poem called “Immitations of Immorality.” He recounts the double consciousness and struggle of being black and an American. DuBois states over 50 years before Malcolm does “The power of the ballot we need in sheer self-defense, and as a guarantee of good faith.” To quote “there is to-day no true American music but the sweet wild melodies of the Negro slave; the American fairy tales are Indian and African; we are the sole oasis of simple faith and reverence in a dusty desert of dollars and smartness.” Is this contributing to the truths of music / stories being sourced from African Americans but not given the rightful accountability or profits?

Frantz Fanon’s “Reciprocal Bases of National Culture and the Fight for Freedom” – 1959 – The whole first paragraph lends to a lot of information on colonialism, disrupting and conquering people, a cultural obliteration that is over simplified. Occupying power and banishing natives and systematically enslaving. Fences and signposts being an basic factor. Brings me to reflect on the start of property and claiming land just by fencing it off. Can be compared to the idea of walls that are a buzz of today. “The poverty of the people, national oppression and the inhibition of culture are one and the same thing.” And “Colonial exploitation, poverty and endemic famine drive the native more and more to open, organised revolt.” Then it goes into literature and colonialism and the different narratives and consciousness and national consciousness.

Stokely Carmichael’s “From Black Power to Pan-Africanism” – the listen is different from the read, but in the listen he states, “Brothers and sisters” uniting being African in America because there is unity from America’s history of all being stolen and brought to America and experiencing the same struggles and oppressions under slavery and post slavery. He is calling the fighting an extended war that America. Revolution relying on truth and justice. The read delves into many critical comparisons with pan Africanism, Malcolm x, Marxism-Leninism, Muhammad Ali getting paid substantially less, and continued consequences under capitalism.

Melvin B. Tolson’s “Dark Symphony” – “Thorns of greed on labors brow” and “Black slaves singing” their verses give visualization to the words. These rhymes remind me of what DuBois was talking about with original music / stories being sole from African Americans. The poem is expresses the grim, bloody, and pain. “Barricades of Jim Crowism” and calling to advance past.

Amiri Baraka’s “Black Dada Nihilismus” - *May I just add I really appreciate the audio reads* There is low New York Art Quartet music playing in the background with Baraka in the recording. The website gives highlighted words with given definitions are very useful. It is explained that Baraka doesn’t actually want the gruesome stated lines to be true, but the gruesomeness needs to be accounted for to understand / hear the narrative that is given a shy eye when black people have been systemically fallen victim to the gruesome. It stated in the side bar “The New York Times critiqued the song for its violent imagery, specifically in these lines. The article goes on to describe Baraka’s “highly-political avant-garde” as a “call for black revolutionaries to rape and murder in the service of liberation.” I don’t think they understand.

three poems by Aimé Cesaire – To the Serpent – A little hard to read, searching for the right animal to adore then it gets to the serpent. “God gives not you hold supremely.” And “Serpent delirium and peace” going to how the serpent is a threat and that though “threat a sagacious hand that does not pardon cowards” I do not quite understand this poem or what it may be critically analyzed to be compared to. There may be euphemisms beyond my awareness. It sounds a little religious mentioning the fig and altar.

At the Locks of the Void -  This poem is more understandable than To the Serpent. There is more imagery and metaphors. There are a lot of comparisons. Cesaire is giving full amounts of detail to the text. Things that stick out to me are thirst, hunger, blood, disease, graphic, religion, and Europe. “Europe, eminent name of the turd”

Forfeiture – This poem is interesting. Closing with the line, “ay I am standing and in the sole whiteness that men have never recognized in me.” But preceding this includes mentioning genitalia, gruesome descriptions involving urine, snakes, the planets, and earth.  

“Bread” by Kamau Brathwaite – I do not understand this poem. The lines touch a little on a realistic bread “adding water” or kneading.  But I do not understand what the words are making around it. The ending states “rolled into night into night w/out morning rolled into dead into dead w/out vision rolled into life into life w/out dream” which I think is comparing the rolling of bread to these. I will search for a guide / explanation to this poem.

Decolonising the Mind by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o – Language and Culture. I remember in class talking about how language should be saved and continued through natives. I think written language differentiated from spoken language was also conversed about of importance. Like how Ngugi states him and his family speaking Gi kuyH in the fields and at home and the importance of telling and retelling stories. After some schooling with his native language, colonizing and nationalism had the schools taken over to formal English education. Because of the declaration of a state of emergency over Kenya in 1952, others had to “bow” before English in differences involving corporal punishment for using native Gi kuyH.

excerpt from Aimé Cesaire on Negritude – a revolt against the European feeling of superiority and the result of an active and attitude of the mind on the offense. Stating to refuse oppression and to be against inequality. The system to revolt against is “characterized by a certain number of prejudices, of assumptions which generate a very strict hierarchy” For Africa to forward on from colonialism.

Jean Michel Basquiat paintings – I really enjoy his art. I believe I have been exposed to Aaron Douglas’ Birth of the blues before or at least its color scheme style may have been used as inspiration elsewhere. I did a project on an artist Chris Ofili who also uses culture and music aspects in his art similarly.

“The Radiant Child” by Rene Ricard – On tags, graffiti, rapping. “Graffiti refutes the idea of anonymous art where we know everything about a work except who made it” therefore comes the tag. As talked about in class, Basquait’s was “SAMO”.

material on Aaron Douglas: - a part of the “New Negro Movement” or “Harlem Renaissance.” Used silhouette forms in a friezed format, is this like a “freeze” or paused picture? The commotion in his art does look like a paused moment. Aspiration itself shows many chained hands all paused in an upward reaching moment.

YouTube playlist of Black political music – The variety in this playlist is very wide. With Billie Holiday, Kendrick Lamar, NWA, Beyonce, Sun Ra Jazz, Sam Cooke and many more.

On NWA – I’ve heard Fuck The Police, Seen Ice Cube in the family movie “Are We There Yet” and in 21 Jump street, Heard Dr.Dre with some 2000’s hits but that just might be all I know. Reading into the socially conscious rap I perceive the wave returning and persisting with Kendrick Lamar, Vic Mensa, and Beyonce to “expose the truth” as well.

Fela Kuti – Lagos Nigeria, in the 70’s created the bold Afrobeat music. A style and movement inspired by the Black Panthers and Malcolm X, voiced anger and protest against military rulers and corrupt oil industry. Music for revolution.

Amiri Baraka articles – Diz, or Dizzy Gilliespie, the late 40’s to 60’s music to Sun Ra with Afro American Jazz with Brazilian Samba styles, Pan American Funk, and orchestras making music that drives itself and transforms.

Music & black – the Black Power playlist shows substantial music that is meant for revolution and exposing the truth on an artistic platform. With the political messages in soul, funk, and jazz  this music expressed problems that need accountability and change.

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Module 6

Poems by Pasolini – To Transhumanize and Organize – taking notice in Pasolini’s poetry style was a little confusing at first. Until later explained that the parenthesis of “(it is) (It was)” is to keep the narrative open. Him or You – seems to be all over the place, not a singular overall idea or topic, but a well involved variety. Talks about poetry itself. Makes references to boys, childhood, democracy, peace, and death. The natural is always flawless is repeated a few times then left with a remark of happiness always being short lived. Job Application Poem was a treat. “Poetry to order is a bomb” it opens with and closes with ‘To provide poetry on demand: Weapons.” The poem touches on manual labor, money, and time.

Unhappy Sons by Pasolini does not come up from the link on the class website so I googled it. Things for Pasolini films came up. But from what I have gathered from the poet I can imagine it expressing discouragement, childhood, joy, unhappiness, and idealism.

Ron Silliman excerpt – The Revelator – “Words torn, unseen, unseemly, scene” Personification with a play on similar words, followed by “some far suburbs mall lot” a point of capitalism. This is a contemporary poem, mentioning Bush and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Referring to poetry itself in poetry similar to how Pasolini does. Mentions Monticello which is had learned is Jefferson’s plantation. Much about tourism, social settings, discourse that is leads to destruction, bulldozers, and “We the people”. The homeless woman, vision, and deaf. “Why repair rotting kitchen now? Why seek, read every book if the flood won’t quit” is a strong quote followed by the answer being desire.

“Me and My Pharaoh” by Charles Bernstein – I really like this style of poetry. Within itself states some poetry can be more or less conceptual. Poetry without purpose is not the purpose. April being the cruelest month for poetry, not much better for May. Poetry is the crutch that helps us through it. Without product placement as we know it poetry cannot survive, is this referring to materialism? God has no doctrine, no morality, no responsibility. “To sin against God is to use that name to justify any action or prohibition, whether murder or martyrdom.” Is such a strong line. Manufacturing is mentioned which leaves me to further believe its sense of materialism.

excerpt from The Fatalist by Lyn Hejinian – Home and family is mentioned leading to a spiral of various topics put into this poem. Firemen, library, hiking, and about prose itself. “Things! Things! Get out of my way!” may be referring to the fact that there is so much maybe too much that it can be compared to this poem that also had included so much that seemed random but now makes sense.

interview with Charles Bernstein – Explains his interest with things of order like the Yellowpages books, dictionaries, alphabetically and categorically organized. critiques anthologies and official verse culture. The sound and the look. “Too often, reading habits enforce a kind of blindness to the particular graphic choices of type, leading, page dimension” His poetry style forces reader to catch every word even when it is finished on another line.

Read Charles Bernstein on “The Difficult Poem” – poetry being difficult for readers and poets, social dislocation. Giving 5 key questions to ask on dealing with what may be a difficult poem. I am often struck with poems being difficult from syntax or word choices both too hard to understand. “you can't make bacon and eggs without slaughtering a pig.” Ah. Soon I will be better understanding and vegetarian.

Charles Bernstein’s “Against National Poetry Month, As Such” – I am taken back to the poem mentioning how bad April is and May not being much better. The cruelest month for poetry. “Free poetry is never free, nor is free verse without patterns.” April being a month for poetry on a pedestal of celebration because it is claimed to not have enough visibility every other month, so the platform is forced and sadly mentioned “lest the art form collapse from its own incompetence, irrelevance, and as a result of the general disinterest among the broad masses of the American People.” You cannot be for all poetry as you cannot be for all politics.

Ron Silliman’s “Disappearance of the Word, Appearance of the World” – l=a=n=g=u=a=g=e politics of poetry. An included quote from Marx on the determined consciousness from the social being conditioned by the mode of production / material life. Chomsky included quote mentions human nature determined by social relations. Capitalism on language and language arts. This ties together the poems read that included materialism from this module.

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Module 5

Caligari to Hitler is known as being a prioritized evaluation of German film between world war I and II. Included nazi film propaganda and psychological analysis. Cabaret is an interesting, funny thing. It plays on sexuality, Nazism, propaganda, and anti-Semitism. I wish I could of seen the Alan Cumming reprisal.  M (1931) classic German Thriller, an interesting expression of cops, criminals, and justice. Rome, Open City, some aspects of this film remind me of A Clockwork Orange, interestingly enough.  

Introductory bits and Part One of Karl Polanyi’s The Great Transformation – I have not heard the term “market liberalism” before. I am curious on the 3 rules, 2 surrounding gold in my opinion seen as strange but understanding the currency and demand of gold understandable, the 3rd rule on maximum freedom to engage in economic transactions seems justifiable, but not so realistic to remain. It elaborates that “Good as gold” was currency. It later elaborates where the 3rd rule turns into a flaw when weaker countries are taken advantage of for gains.

Gramsci on Fascism – Neither fascism nor liberalism – Sovietism – The opposition before a choice, fascism or liberalism. “either a Mussolini government of bloody dictatorship or a Slandri, Gioliotti, Amendola, Turati, don Sturzo, or Vella government tending towards the reestablishment of the good old liberal Italian democracy” whereas the bourgeoisie will continue to exploit. Liquidation of fascism is the liquidation of the bourgeoisie that created it.

Speech to the Italian Parliament – fascism declares to conquer the state. I think I need more information on Freemasonry, from what I am getting from this speech it was the bourgeoisie party. Electoral body was more than cut in half in number.

Democracy and Fascism – Do fascism and democracy work like hand in hand or does one need the other? The quote “the activity which the bourgeois class carries out to halt the proletarian class on its path” has me questioning the two. It says neither in Italy at the time showed substantial political freedoms and continued with corruption and violence.

The Fall of Fascism – It seems the bourgeois were minimizing the full crisis Mussolini was holding. I feel this is comparable to today’s corrupt politicians whose wrongs are minimized and not held accountable because they want to “Give him a chance”. What was Matteotti’s assassination to Mussolini? What did it mean for him. Can moral opposition today be stronger than the power of political opposition?

Antonio Gramsci PDF – I appreciate the explanation that the Marx isn’t just about faults in economic development, but rather the consciousness and awareness with ideas finding the source of realization to material production in the disciplined working class movement. The factory council movement is mentioned as a criticism leaving an inferiority in the party. Were there other criticisms, maybe ignored or not accounted for? Nature / natural laws used in critique / attack on Marx by the bourgeois using it against the oppressions it sought to destroy. Does hegemony, and the praxis of dialect come into play as being used in this way? I am a little confused from the strong dialogue of praxis before this part.

Ezra Pound – A Retrospect – the 3 regarding principles are 1. Direct treatment of the 'thing' whether subjective or objective. 2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation. 3. As regarding rhythm: to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in sequence of a metronome. A few don’ts include language and use of adjectives only where they drive necessary. Rhythm, symbols, techniques, and form used only as where emotion endures.

Vortex – focusing on the located stillness of movement of an image. Emphasis on motion. Vortex talks about mechanics. Uses emphasized words literally in capitalization. The primary pigment refers to consciousness and capabilities of expression. The Turbine is more complex. Brings attributes together to show how they are interconnected. The man shows its flexibilities / adaptabilities. Ancestry shows connections and ties of how things are arranged. Poetry shows personifications with contradicting objects, an interesting twist to the mind with imagery.

The Futurist Manifesto - Filippo Tommaso Marinetti – a lot of imagery examples such as light of the villages celebrating festivals and rapids of the seas. Then the manifesto is listed with contradictories, glorifying first poetry and art expressions, then declaring to glorify war and destroy museums and libraries being places of art in all forms. It then explains “Indeed daily visits to museums, libraries and academies (those cemeteries of wasted effort, calvaries of crucified dreams, registers of false starts!) is for artists what prolonged supervision by the parents is for intelligent young men, drunk with their own talent and ambition.”

cantos 45 (XLV), 46 (XLVI), & 48 (XLVIII) Canto 74 (LXXIV): from Ezra Pound’s Cantos: This was a struggle for me to understand some of the concepts. It does lament on interest while I personally do not still fully understand interest, probably systematically, but then it compares the interest / rent to be paid from country to country and it has to shed light into problems that still linger today. Thankfully for the guide reading some things were clarified especially on elaborations that weren’t first seen in the original cantos because it goes over so much.

Marinetti essays: War the sole cleanser of the world – Futurism to anarchy, acknowledging the bias, prioritizes war as a purge. Fascism and the Milan speech – involved with patriotic ex-socialists, futurists poets and artists, anarchists, republicans, and monarchs. Patriotic revolution of ex-combatants of Italian futurists group.

Pound from David Kadlec’s Mosiac Modernism called “Imagism and the Gold Standard: considered as a mosaic philosophy of ideas as true as they go into action. So, it was Kitsons writing that helped shape and aesthetically formulate Pound’s writings? Leading to what was called an ideogrammic method.

“Death Fugue,” “Shibboleth”; “Frankfurt, September”; “Nothingness, for the sake…” by Paul Celan – Paul Celan’s writings flourish with imagery and pulls at empathetical strings. “Black milk we drink at night” and the audible flute mentioned in Shibboleth. “The glottal stop is breaking into song” from Frankfurt, September,  being a Jewish poet lamenting on Germany to a sorrowful choke in his poetry.

Cultural Criticism & Society” by Theodor Adorno: Comparing culture criticism to automobiles? Materialism seen as a need to be fulfilled, “The cultural critic makes such distinction his privilege and forfeits his legitimation by collaborating with culture as its salaried and honoured nuisance” and the “contemplative stance towards culture necessarily entails scrutinizing, surveying, balancing, selecting: this piece suits him, that he rejects.” Are good quotes of explanation of the criticisms and society hand in hand.

McKenzie Wark’s The Beach Beneath the Street: The Everyday Life and Glorious Times of the Situationist International-  Touching back on existentialism & it fashionable and social then lamenting on the daily life. Then explaining how capitalism divides time into work time. Marxism requesting work space, leisure space, and rest space. Situationists want capitals of same spectacle society. Is this for most available profits to gain? Did situationists and art pull from each other, leading to a strong sense of propaganda?

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Module 4

Weeks 5 & 6

Lenin  The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism - an interesting comparison to liberal science defending the slave wage, interesting to compare to today’s minimum wage. Materialism, capital, labor theory of value, and utopian socialism are all pretty well explained.

first chapter of Lenin’s State and Revolution -  The State as a product of the irreconcilability of class antagonisms. Classicism and the divide of working and wealthy. A good touch on power, prisons, and false scientific claims of special bodies that somehow confirmed wrongful ideas. 

Trotsky’s The Transitional Program - prerequisites for a socialist revolution and its inclusion of the working class unified. I want to know more about sliding scales because I have heard of it in terms of today but not thoroughly. Overall this is a good guide and it reestablishes its societal questions answered. 

Proletkult by Bogdanov – Proletarian Culture or working class culture. It rejects pre-revolutionary art which I could disagree with because revolutionaries and art both are timeless. I enjoy the overview of art and revolution as important hand in hand. Art as living images. I can compare this to today’s graphic design as important for change it must be appealing both to the eye and emotion. Creation and labor is brought up as a collective. I think this should be touched on more because he does mention Marxist ideas with labor but I need more information on what collective includes.

Bogdanov and Tektology pp. 1-36; 63-79: - Tektology was to be theoretically and scientifically useful. I think in class it was discussed the relationships between Marx / Bogdanov / Stalin to tektology but I am curious on other discourses that were agreed or disagreed on between them. Marx thought tektology discouraged his philosophy and Stalin had it almost forgotten because of WWII. I can see the how organizational methods could go in hand with Marxian community organization. He talks about isolation of the worker, labor embracing physical and mental exhaust like a machine, labor dependent on time, machine technology. Tektology as social biological and physical should be revolutionary. I enjoyed the aspects on astrology and time.

Bogdanov’s essays and Bukharin’s memorial for Bogdanov in the Molecular Red – Some contradictions in the essays have me a little, conflicted. A point I have to bring up would be comparing the astronomer to Marx, explaining points of view, the astronomer explained Earth’s point of view being one of many planets circling the sun, it is proved and agreed on. Other examples being the conservation of energy or Darwin’s theories also proved in History. Marx explains the point of the worker being estranged and exploited, yet under capitalism it continues. Was that point of view agreed on and willingly continued or have there been waves of realization and retaliation / revolution? Costs of labor rising from the workers’ demands for better wages could be an example of the retaliation being coddled for some but still not all fully aware of their power.

Molecular Red Preface and ch 1 – Metabolic rift is a term I have not heard of before, but labor and technique leading to the destruction of natural resources is something I have. I wonder if climate change deniers are aware of the carbon liberation front. Poverty of options has a great explanation, “Economic, technical, political, and cultural transformations are all advisable, but at least part of the problem is their relation to each other”.  Functional dependency, could it be scientifically compared to today’s oil industry? There seems to be no intent to change it or abandon it even though it is not needed.

“A Dialectic Approach to Film Form” & “Methods of Montage” in Eisenstein’s collection of essays Film Form – I loved this reading because of my new-found appreciation of film / cinematography. Finding the conflicts in art with social missions, nature, and its methodology can be applicable to all art including film. The importance of spatial form, tension, and rhythm. Film shots and montages as dramatic or epic principles. Linear or anecdotal. Metric /measures or rhythmic montages like the Odessa steps.

Roger Corman analyzing the famous Odessa Steps sequence of Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin – with great sequence of movement and editing techniques for this montage I was left a little confused for the silent film / black and white made some things a little hard to read. Were the soldiers in the crowd shooting in revolution or retaliation? Revolution being the massacre being done for change, or retaliation to the soldiers who were not obliging to maintain power? Was it the soldiers who were going against the powers on the boat or the soldiers who were remaining complicit? The analysis well explains how it was a successful montage though cuts of different shots going back and forth in a linear pattern showing the passing of time in its chaotic manor.

The battle of potempkin study guide is an overall good critical set of questions to evaluate that are not just related to the film but to other analysis’ that need reflection, example being the world map of the 1920s.

How Battle of Potempkin reshaped Hollywood – Thinking about all of the films I have seen or know about that use montage schemes similar to the battle of Potempkin. How film uses fear and emotion in its art form to convey messages. How camera angles can be changed to get different points of view. Being a first for action drama. Conveying tension even with no dialogue or color still was achieved in what some movies today trouble to do even with actual screams, sounds, and colors that can depict chaos or violence.

Chapter 2 Molecular Red – Platonov being the son of Proletkult and proletarian writing. Mentioning historical allegory of revolution, everyday qualities of history, and a new tektology in the proletariat narrative. Pulling off what Bogdanov suggested. Fourteen Little Red Huts is mentioned but I would want some more background on this, maybe an interpretation / explanation source.

Antisexus – Very interesting. Very versatile names in the reviews (Ghandi / Mussolini). The sex-gender industrial complex is … complex. I look back on this quote for help, “We cannot  overlook  the exceptional  literary  talent of  the  author of  this brochure, just as we have to acknowledge the imperial cynicism, serviceable pornography,  and terrible  banality  of this  business  essay, the  size  of which makes it really sad”

The Third Son by Platonov – was a nice story. A little heartfelt. Pulled at the heart strings but I was trying to find the comparisons which may have been easily misinterpreted. I think the story can be interpreted in many ways depending on the narrative. Examples being the mother representing the working, the young daughter of one of the sons representing the future of scared, the sons sad, unaware, and unable to think of nothing but the sad until small spurs of family rejoice. I may need some help connecting dots because I know there are deeper meanings.

Arthur de Gobineau’s Inequality of the Human Races – “RACIAL INEQUALITY IS NOT THE RESULT OF INSTITUTIONS” Nice of it too all be in capitals. “when we consider the isolation of primitive tribes and communities” this is hard to read, but at least you warned us. “I do not flatter myself that I shall be able to enjoy this inconsistency without opposition” damn right.

Fichte’s “Address to the German Nation” – This states x people should stay with x people. Boundaries are complicit with “nature”.  “Christian Europe, I say, has split itself into various separate parts. Since that event, and not before, there has been a booty in sight which anyone might seize; and each one lusted after it in the same way, because all were able to make use of it in the same way; and each one was envious on seeing it in the hands of another.” ????

Adolf Hitler “First Letter on the Jewry” – Antisemitism is given the chance to not only be emotional politics but “factual” politics. Nationalism giving focus to materialism. The term “irresponsible press” can be compared to today’s presidency and the mistrust and mistreatment to the press / media.

Adolf Hitler & Anton Dexler, “Program for the German Workers Party”-  Stating “Only members of the nation may be citizens of the State.” Nationalism / white supremacy and antisemitism stating no jews allowed as members of the nation. The term alien is used which is perpetuated to this day.

Joseph Goebbels, “Speech at Nuremburg, 1934″ - Calling nazi propaganda as background music for government policy. Big on propaganda. “Political propaganda in principle is active and revolutionary.” True but can be taken good or bad. ‘The organizational union of mass demonstrations, the press, film, radio, literature, theater, etc., is only the mechanical side to the matter. It is not so much that all these means are in one hand. The important thing is that this hand knows how to master and control them.” Control of the media / the press, gives leeway to visual politics in the wrong hands.

Benito Mussolini, “What is Fascism?” – fascism as an opposite to Marxian socialism. Believes in holiness and heroism. “Men as no more then puppets” “the myth of "happiness" and indefinite progress” expansion of the nation, imperialism,

Benito Mussolini, “The Doctrine of Fascism” – “By exploiting general fears of labor unrest and communism, Mussolini gained his followers among war veterans and the middle class” exploiting fear is a recognizable pillar. Fascism as a system of government and a system of thought like a religion. Fascism “takes over all the forms of the moral and intellectual life of man” The fascist Decalogue / commandments is outrageous, dystopian, dry of critical thinking, and it is a conditioned narrative that is fearful in its ideas of power.

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Module 3

Marx

Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844:

Estranged Labor – I enjoy the comparisons to wretchedness. This is a good and quick explanation of the faults that follow from private property and estranged labor. Property owners and property less workers is an analogy still feasible to today. The alienation of labor is interesting and relatable. I think of many people I know who have had or do have shitty jobs. But forced labor makes the job even less enjoyable. I personally get tiresome of a job knowing I have to do it because I have to get paid because I need money to pay for other things. Being a product of labor makes whatever it is of labor less enjoyable.

Hegel’s Philosophy critique – Hegelian Dialect criticism was most best evaluated by Faurerbach. Calling philosophy like a religion. Comparing material and science. Religion and theology. I can see these contradicting as stated. Abstract ideas and revelations of the mind are indeed free.

The German Ideology – Preface and Part 1 – debunking prior and discrediting philosophies with realities and struggle – Feuerbach – intolerable and property less premises. Communism possible only with an “all at once” universal development. Idealism and materialism is in opposition because having lived on exploitation makes it hard to see new combinations or new truths. I am struggling to see the correlation of changing from substance and self-consciousness to the unique and the man. Unless the unique being the substance or the substance being what makes the man unique? That is what I am considering.

Theses on Feuerbach – I disagree on reality conceived only from objects – which is the chief defect of that existing materialism. I think the more objects and materials the farther from reality. Materialism does change the circumstances of man. I enjoy the closing remark of “The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it” showing that with constant flux comes constant reevaluations.

Hegel for beginners – dialectic thinking = new way of thinking. I am having a little trouble relating it to Aristotle’s syllogism, are there any other references? Or perhaps a deeper evaluation on Aristotle to compare it to Hegel?  This over all does give a good prescription into what was the Hegel philosopher critique. The being, essence, and notion concept contradictions help explain the overall process of abstraction. I would like to see more examples of the triadic structure.

Fragment on Machines – Grundrisse – machines suppress or presupposes the workers. Capital being strict production consumes itself. I am thinking of this in a looping idea. If a worker is replaced by a machine, that machine was made by a man, soon the machine will be made by a machine? Production process and value of fixed capital hold to each other. Fixed capital can increase value of production, does that mean raised prices of living? Becoming too heavily relied on while the prices go up? Making the cycle hard to stop. I am aware of the myth of scarcity so does surplus get put to use? No surplus can be recognized by capital. I am curious about this.

Karl Marx selected writings

Volume 1 of Capital – capital only a part of economics. Value, labor, and surplus have distinct correlation but also as separate function differently. Value can be altered by labor or labor disruption and surplus though I am not fully confident in my understanding of it could be seen as the leftover. Analyzing commodities is a good place to start, social conditions, and a need to establish one’s self with commodities in quality or quantity. The linen and coat example is understandable with human labor being brought into attention. Then the fetishism of commodities is an interesting evaluation of social or theological necessities.

The civil war in France – Franco – Prussian war in 1870 was the fall of Napoleon and creation of provisional government. This was where in revolt the commune went into effect for 2 months. Statements made by Marx were held off until after the massacre ended it which I did not fully know of the Marx drafted statements. The communes victory was the only hope for lower classes. A revolutionary victory until its bloody ending. I am trying to compare this to a today situation where as people of lower class fight or protest for their rights / worker’s rights but are treated violently or distastefully for protesting or questioning against a system that was never in their favor.

“A” by Zukofsky – section 8 – Comparisons to Marxism are made. “No one cares to work for nothing” Estranged labor. Direct quotes are also used. The opposition between brain and manual work have disappeared. I enjoy the may references, mayday, the Haymarket square massacre, (and my birth month) “an 8 hour day and arms!” apologizing for strikes when they are necessary. I am reminded of how people are institutionally taught not to question authority / process which makes disdain against protestors easy.

George Oppen’s Of Being Numerous – it is tastefully visionary, objectified like art, but not very historic. “Of New York … world of stoops, tarred roof”…” Which has nothing to gain, which awaits nothing, which loves itself” … audience perhaps blasphemous” I could compare this to the American dream, this myth of love and goals but overall there may be “ nothing to gain” nothing actually there but there is this idea of love.

The movement of objectivism gave me a little bit of confusion but was clarified after class explained like what separated Oppen and Zukofskys objectivism with epic poetry including history or not. Using art as an object or poetry as if it were visual.

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Weeks 2 & 3 Communal Luxury

Day 1

The Mask of Anarchy – I enjoyed the personifications of murder, fraud, and anarchy. “Hope looked like despair” and “Thou art god, law, and king” I felt were important lines of exposition into the poem on who was in control of the time and who was negatively impacted by it.

Paul Foot’s Analysis of Red Shelley-  The analysis gave explanation to the similes that were hard to interpret through just reading the long poem. It explained the 7 blood hounds meaning the Allies of Britain. I do not know the deep history of Britain’s past allies and how they would be compared to blood hounds but the line talking about them eating hearts was a gruesome visionary. I think it is referring to the easily thrown away hearts in the time of accepting slavery, poverty, and exploitation in a turning the other way manner. Ignoring what is right in the heart. This analysis clarifies how the poem expressed robbed labor, exploitation, poverty, and homelessness.

Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind”- The line “If winter comes, can spring be far behind” stuck with me heavily. The wind being hectic proceeds to spread seeds of revolution or brighter days. I would like to keep this in mind in such a time like today.  

Paul Foot’s analysis of Ode to the west wind- I disagree with the statement about the later lines of the poem represent self-pity. His poetry being ignored and censored during his time is similar to today. Ignored ideas of revolution. I never heard of this poem prior to having to read it for this class but I think it is a poem that forces intellectual thinking and moral consideration. It is a poem that makes me want to do good despite difficulties.

Kristen Ross’ Introduction to Communal Luxury- Expository. It lasted 72 days. Explains the support Morris, Kropotkin, and Marx had following the commune. Rimbaut’s poetry followed mentioning the commune. Basically the commune had importance for happening but also importance for future pioneers like Marx and artists like Rimbaut but the trail behind them is far more extensive and communal living was the fact that a system that was not capitalism happened.

Day 2

Chapter 1 of Communal Luxury- From ideas of strong defense and separation from the Parisians. I do not have a lot of background knowledge on the French / Franco – Persian war. Organization had to be pivotal. Women’s salaries put to question.

Chapter 2 of Communal Luxury- Equality was put together in a dismantled state of bureaucracy. Importance was on schools, art, and liberation. The strength in education is important to continue to evaluate especially in a time of today where education is being thrown to the garbage can.

Charles Fourier

The Phalanstery- The palace / Phalanstery idea is interesting. Was it ever executed on a small scale? Was the full idea of the Phalanstery ever put into action? I think it is in relationship to the communal idea but was it a functioning part of the commune? Communities living and working together for the better, protection, and reliability of each other.

The Passionate Series- “The incoherence of material and passion worlds” was an important line for me understanding the divide and change materialism erupts. The passion series sounds like grouping passions or niches in nature. They would use time and schedules under the passion series. I am curious on the opposite because in class we talked about systems that wanted to destroy the clock and concepts of time. Maybe it is because it is on passion and not material labor.

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific- Government and society functions proved to be irrational. The kingdom of reason and eternal justice cannot be brought to light with the bourgeoisie still in ruling power. Because of this early feudalism divide there remained injustice, privilege, and oppression. Still remains. Utopian is moral and emotional. Scientific is divisive critique of capitalism.

La Commune: Part 1 – A reenactment style film almost documentary like. Opens with basically the end then goes back. Explains the rooms of the commune where revolutionary happened. I think it is important that it is showing examples of what these rooms and communal buildings would have looked like. It shows the unity and power that they had as a community but also the sorrow of the massacre.

Day 3

Chapter 3 of Communal Luxury- Goes into detail on humanity. How work by everyone for everyone also reiterated unity. Liberation of artists. Being free. New space and time is created. Proves wealth as a useless luxury. Ridding the class system would remove poverty.

Ken Wark’s Essay- He explains how the commune is usually told as a tragic story ending in a massacre but the accomplishments should not be overlooked. People like Elisabeth Dmitrieff basically founded women’s union and linked to Marx and Russian radicals. He explains the overlooked important outcomes of the commune that deserve light and awareness.

La Commune Part 2- start with the women’s union still pushing for meetings and unity for each other. It is depicting chaos and closeness how they are all trying to work together but start to see power driven districts causing the fallout. The extensive amount of actors and their needs portray how they were relying on each other but couldn’t do it successfully without equal priorities.

Day 4

Final Thoughts on Communal Luxury- The importance was that is happened and that it was possible.

Aurthur Rimbaud Poems from Class Website – Mostly critiques of capitalism

Youth- Youth opens troubled. Carbonic plague sounds like an early exploration into pollution. He is critiquing capitalism from such a young and well understanding viewpoint.

Twenty Years Old- On how the ego and optimism is prime in adolescence. Inspiring for the age relation.

Cities- “The imperial effect of these buildings” sticks out to me but the rest is hard to follow in this poem. Is he reflecting on the differences between county and country and struggles of its viewpoints when not in the aristocracy?

Metropolitan- I think he is contrasting the distances between natures beauties and society made distances between the poor and the rich.

Workers- He is reflecting on his troubled past. His narrative of young poverty is not an uncommon one.

Parisian Orgy- This poem is dark, a little gothic, and visionary. It is emotional because of its deep comparisons including worms, blood, and stealing.

William Morris- I do not enjoy Morris’ poems as much as Rimbaut’s. In the Piglrims of hope, The message of the march wind reminds me of ode to the west wind. The bridge and the street comparing London to a prison built stark is expressing the darkness and greed overwhelming the time. Sending to the war reminds me of the concept of the working class fighting for the rich men. “The flag of an ancient people… who was helping or heeding?” Mother and son shows in the desperate time prostitution is considered “So shall I sell my body” the narration will do what it takes and still have hope for the child and to not be afraid or ashamed. New Born I think is explaining the birth of the child born under a father who did not care, rich and gave money but imposed the shame on the mother. I think it is a follow up of the mother and son poem.

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Week 1 Response

The Declaration of independence is interesting. It is declaring independence from Britain and gives rightful reasons to. What I think is interesting is that even though there is a giant shrine for the Declaration of independence at my college, I do not think many people have read it. In reading the document I quote and question, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government”. I question this quote because the declaration of independence is literally telling me to dismantle capitalism right now. I am questioning if America remained true to this document. We declared freedom from a tyranny over the colonies, but are seeping back under these tyrannical ways with casual ignorance. I think it is interesting how a group of slave owners agreed they did not want to have a higher power controlling their “life and liberty” anymore.

The declaration of the rights of man was made only 13 years after the declaration of independence. Notable reactions include that it is stated people can do whatever they want as long as it does not harm anyone. Right below this statement says that only the law can harm other people or be hurtful to society. The law has rights to harm people? This is clearly still applicable in America. “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights”, yes, men indeed, women were probably still considered a disease as stated in class. Are “Social distinctions” clarifying that this is only referring to white men? Since property is a sacred right and no one shall be deprived of it, then why does homelessness exist? Is the loophole that homelessness is legally determined? I think the declaration of the rights of man has potential and in an ideal world could be updated and reasonable if only it was inclusive and not contrasting of itself. For example, the right stating that no one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views- sounds great. But the justification that, “provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law” is too bendable and could easily be skewed and biased against someone.

Adam Smith the father of capitalism. Doesn’t capitalism further the gaps between the wealthy and the poor? I do not think Margaret Thatcher is a good modern female figure. I do not think capitalism thrives off of the thought of “other people’s happiness” if it is for the secluded profit and gain of very few while masses work harder under them for less. Mercantilism sounds like the merciless operations used to obtain a nation’s wealth. Allocation of goods and raised prices sounds similar to the myth of scarcity of food in America today. I believe tons of wheat are burnt to waste just so the prices are not lowered. Anyway, ”A half-starved Highland woman frequently bears more than twenty children, while a pampered fine lady is often incapable of bearing any”- Adam Smith is shaming the poor while glorifying the rich while overall still shaming women.

The last sentence in John Locke’s first chapter has interesting justifications for claiming land with rules for keeping that claimed land. Chapter two he admits that his document is strange. On property, gathering acorns creates a right to them, this is my acorn because I took it. Plant the acorn and then it becomes your tree. You cannot fence off land! Unless your neighbors agree that it is ok. How is it that he basically developed liberalism? I am not understanding.

Death of Marat by David is a gory, modernist, and controversial piece. Not all of the answers are available. His murder was believed to be a start for French radicalism. I appreciate his early critiques of capitalist society. The last sentence says, “Marat deserves to be rescued from the invectives of conservative historians.” I am questioning this because now I want to see the modern opposing opinions of him while I can positively note how he fought for the unemployed, the poor, opposed the aristocracy, fought for the poor and working people.

The French Revolution as It Appeared to Enthusiasts at Its Commencement- I am reading gentle remarks and joyous terms of heavenly utopia that is foreseen as a place on earth. This poetry contrasts the story of Marat. The enthusiasts are positive and pleasant while not mentioning the bloodshed because of opposing opinions. Maybe I am not fully understanding of this poem. It is supposed to be in support of the revolution, but it seems too sugarcoated.