The Dissident

"The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office and does not gather votes. He does not attempt to charm the public, he offers nothing and promises nothing. He can offer, if anything, only his own skin -- and he offers it solely because he has no other way of affirming the truth he stands for. His actions simply articulate his dignity as a citizen, regardless of the cost."

-Vaclav Havel (5 October 1936 - 18 December 2011)

Via shake things up via fuck yeah eastern europe

More Havel: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty obit [video]; Tavaana interview [video] about being a dissident; text from the July 1995 speech The Need for Transcendence in the Postmodern World; and his wikipedia page

Billy Bragg: Ideology

Billy Bragg wrote 'Ideology' 25 years ago, but (sadly) it's as fresh as ever. It was the 4th track on Talking With the Taxman About Poetry.

3 artists

There's plenty that distinguishes Vik Muniz, JR, and Ai Weiwei from one another, but what connects them in my mind is their ability to make large-scale, politically interesting art that retains a highly personal quality. Each has an activist streak and a desire to effect change outside galleries and museums.

Waste Land is a documentary about Vik Muniz's collaboration with several people who scavenge recyclable material in Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest trash dump located outside Rio de Janeiro.



Muniz and his crew work with the recyclers/models to create large mosaics which are photographed and auctioned off, the proceeds benefiting each model or an organization connected to that model. The story of how folks earn a living at Jardim Gramacho is, on its own, worthy of your attention, but add to that the impact of Muniz's intervention in the their lives and the film becomes extraordinary.


TED Prize winner, JR explains how his 'sidewalk galleries' evolved into a wish to change the world in the clip blow. In 2009 he told Beaux Arts Magazine, "I want to try to create images of hot spots such as the Middle East or Brazil that offer different points of view from the ones we see in the worldwide media which are often caricatures." The result of JR's TED wish is the Inside Out Project. 




Ai Weiwei is an artist and activist from China whose output includes sculpture, installations, photography, architecture, not to mention his prodigious blogging and tweeting. Frontline's short documentary, Who's Afraid of Ai Weiwei?, provides an excellent overview of his art and activism, particularly how he organized an investigation into poorly constructed school buildings following the Sichuan earthquake. (Why PBS doesn't enable users to embed clips baffles and frustrates me.)

A week ago, Weiwei was detained by authorities in Beijing as he was attempting to board a flight to Hong Kong; as of today, his whereabouts are unknown. Before his arrest, Weiwei described his work and the challenges he faces as an artist in China in this clip.

The People Speak

Historian and activist Howard Zinn died a year ago today, 1/27/10.

The People Speak is a film inspired by his essential books A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People's History of the United States.

Noam Chomsky said, "Howard Zinn's People's History molded the perceptions and conscience of a generation by bringing from the recesses of history those unknown and remarkable people who were often its most influential agents. In this new film we can hear their voices, and the messages they offer to us about the path to a better future, a most rewarding experience."

The film includes appearances by: Matt Damon, Marissa Tomei, Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin, Danny Glover, David Strathairn, Benjamin Bratt, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, Rosario Dawson, Sean Penn, Sandra Oh, Kerry Washington and others. Music contributors include Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and John Legend.



Here's the beginning of the Bill Moyers interview with Zinn just before the film premiered on the History Channel in 2009. The complete conversation is available here.

Armstrong's wish

Religious historian and author Karen Armstrong dedicated her TED Prize wish to the creation of a Charter for Compassion. The website for which launched earlier this week. If you had just one wish (and aren't allowed infinity wishes) then promoting compassionate behavior is a good choice.





Armstrong has called compassion humanity's best idea. It's often explained through The Golden Rule, sometimes in the affirmative (do to others what you would like to be done to you) and sometimes in the negative (do not do to others what you would not like to be done to you).

Christ advised followers to "render unto Ceasar the things that are Caesar's..." but the Charter seems purposefully political, particularly when referencing compassion's indispensable role in creating a "just economy." When U.S. President, Barack Obama, cancels a meeting with the Dalai Lama in deference to China and is then handed a peace prize, bringing a compassionate perspective to economic discussions is worthwhile endeavor.

Compassion may not have had much influence on economic talks in the past, but it has always been central to the world's largest religions. Even so, the idea of restoring "compassion to the center of morality and religion" won't be embraced by all in the religious community. For instance, one Christian commentator offered this explanation of why Jesus would not endorse the Charter.

You may be tempted to wash your hands of fundamentalists (and religion altogether), but let's not cede that territory. Collectively, religion still informs the actions of many, domestically and around the world. Secular humanists and the like would be wise to seek out and support the most reasonable voices in religious  communities rather than turn their back on the entire discussion or deride faith-based beliefs. In this interview Armstrong says, "We can either emphasize those that speak of exclusion, of distain, of hatred, and these are in all traditions--be they religious or secular--or we can emphasize those that speak of compassion, of respect for other people, of a quest for justice."

* * * Armstrong's life and work are summarized in this recent radio interview. NPR and PBS feature additional conversations with her. Her most recent book, The Case for God, can be sampled at audible.com. In this Foreign Policy piece Armstrong addresses such axioms as God is dead (no), God and politics shouldn’t mix (not necessarily), and God has been bad for women (yes).

* * * Love And Compassion Bring Us The Greatest Happiness by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

It's Harvey time

The brink of Pride weekend is a good time to share The Times of Harvey Milk (1982), a documentary about San Francisco’s first openly gay man elected to public office.

After several attempts, Milk was elected to the city's Board of Supervisors in 1977. He and SF mayor, George Mascone, were assassinated a little more than a year later.





This Oscar-winning documentary preceded the Gus Van Sant drama, Milk, by 26 years. For those not familiar with California politics of the late 1970s (like me), these two films can act as a primer on Proposition 6, the 1978 initiative that intended to ban gays, lesbians, and their supporters from working in California's public schools. Watching Life and Milk, I couldn't help but compare the defeat of Proposition 6 in 1978 to the passage Proposition 8 in 2008. (Prop. 8 narrowed the definition of marriage to different-sex couples.)

The public debate on Prop 6 included long-form, televised debates; the Prop 8 race lacked such discussions and was dominated by political TV ads. Further, there wasn't a readily identifiable spokesperson, such as Milk, representing the cause of same-sex couples during the Prop 8 campaign. How much these factors influenced the respective outcomes, it's hard to say, but the differences stood out to me.



From Gallop, June 18, 2008

Gallup polling chronicles important changes in public attitudes about homosexuality and gay rights over the past quarter century. Americans have shifted from frowning on homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle and being divided over whether it should be legal, to now supporting gay rights on both fronts. At the same time, the country remains highly ambivalent about the morality of homosexual relations, and as a result, support for legalizing gay marriage lags far behind the less culturally sensitive matter of gays having equal job rights.

Kathy Kozachenko's election to the Ann Arbor city council made her the first openly gay or lesbian candidate to run successfully for political office in the United States (January 1974).

Care to step outside?

From TED: the moral roots of liberals and conservatives (March 2008)

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies morality and emotion in the context of culture.[1] He asks: Why did humans evolve to have morals--and why did we all evolve to have such different morals, to the point that our moral differences may make us deadly enemies?

Haidt outlines five moral values that he believes inform our political choices: harm/care; fairness/reciprocity; ingroup/loyalty; authority/respect; and purity/sanctity.

He notes that both conservatives (those who value the familiar) and liberals (those who are open to new experiences) embrace the first two values. Conservatives, interested in preserving order, hold the last three in high regard as well while liberals are wary of guidelines that can be used to oppress others, even at the risk of chaos.

Rather than advocating one approach over the other, Haidt urges us to "learn some social psychology and step outside the moral matrix." By doing so, he says, we cultivate moral humility and are better positioned to bring about positive change. [2]


1. You can learn about your own morality while contributing to scientific research on moral psychology at yourmorals.org.

2. Haidt credits Sent-ts'an, c. 700 C.E., with expressing the deepest insight moral psychology. "If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between 'for' and 'against' is the mind's worst disease."

Detanee abuse (pictures not included)

As a result of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.S. Defense Department agreed last month to release images of American military personnel abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. The images date from 2001 through 2005.

A couple weeks later, the Obama administration reversed that decision, suggesting the issue be returned to court.



"The most direct consequence of releasing [the images], I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger. Moreover, I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse." President Obama, May 13, 2009

Even if you accept the president's premise, he seems to greatly discounted the value of an informed public. Frankly, the temperature of future investigations concerns me less than the intensity of future oversight.

When we peacefully transfer power from one party to another, large portions of the governing infrastructure remain in place, including much of the intelligence and military apparatus. In fact, a new president relies on these individuals to provide the information necessary to do his/her job. In this instance, the White House seems to have sided with the people they work with, rather than the people they work for.

I'm interested in seeing these images released because the public outcry could lead to systematic reform, rather than punishment for a few low-level individuals.

Our recent history shows we falter as a country, morally and functionally, when the oversight of our publicly-supervised institutions is inadequate. That's been the case with the financial crisis, and the documentary below shows that even well-placed internal resistance couldn't stop abhorrent practices.

The film's blurb: Torturing Democracy (2008) relies on the documentary record to connect the dots in an investigation of harsh interrogations of prisoners in U.S. custody - and points straight to the top. Timely and powerful, at its heart the film is about the rule of law - and how the government pushed it aside despite the fierce resistance of many on the inside.



The Torturing Democracy website, a collaboration with the National Security Archive at George Washington University, includes a timeline of key events; extended interviews; and the memos, legal opinions and other documents highlighted in the film.

Filip Spagnoli defuses the 'ticking bomb' defense of torture here.

Here comes the sun

Thinking of U.S. politics, there were times during the last eight years when I was unable to find the evidence necessary to support an optimistic perspective, when I had to fall back to a state of hope, when I could only imagine how a more humane and just country would function. "Here Comes the Sun" was often the soundtrack to those daydreams.

Finally, one of those dreams is blossoming into reality: it seems likely that Barack Obama will be elected President of the United States today.

The serious concerns that will continue demand our attention are mounting, but if you're as pleased at the probable outcome of the election as I am, then I invite you set those concerns aside for a few minutes and enjoy a version of this song that suits your taste.

::Left to right: Richie Havens, The Beatles, Nina Simone
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun and I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right

Anna Deavere Smith

My last post touched on government’s role in addressing racial inequity, but since so much of political speech is intended to persuade rather than inform, it's worth seeking out non-political perspectives.

Anna Deavere Smith is an actress, playwright, and professor. She may be best known for her recurring roles on TV shows like the West Wing, but it's her work in the theater that makes her a national treasure. Two of her best-known plays deal with racially-charged events. Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and Other Identities centers on a 3-day riot that followed the accidental death of an African-American child who was struck by a rabbi's motorcade, and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 explores the riots that followed first trail of white and Hispanic police officers accused of assaulting motorist Rodney King. 

Smith's technique gives her work a documentary-like quality. She records interviews with hundreds of individuals connected to an event, creates a script from the transcripts of those interviews, and then performs the remarks of every character herself. The viewer is left with an experience that feels intimate and near-comprehensive. 

In this 2006 interview on PBS, she encourages people "to step outside their safehouses of identity," a metaphor for collaborating with those from different backgrounds, and meet at the "crossroads of ambiguity." She goes on to acknowledge the inherit risks of such activity. For those not ready to make that leap, I'll suggest Smith's work can serve as an interim step. Watching one person masterfully portray multiple characters, some with diametrically opposed views of the same event, gives you the sense that understanding 'the other' is not only possible but a goal worth pursuing.

Highlights from the 2006 interview include her depiction of a real estate agent describing the scene at the Beverly Hills Hotel during the 1992 L.A. Riot and her version of Cornel West explaining the difference between optimism and hope.

The video embedded below features four additional pieces, all worth watching.

A Sampler

Portrayed in this clip: Studs Turkle, Reporter @ 1:00; Paulette Jenkins, Inmate @ 6:00; Young Soon Han, Former Store Owner @ 12:20; Brent Williams, Bull Rider @ 18:40.
* * *

In the mood for data instead of drama? Gallop regularly conducts surveys related to race and race relations in the U.S.

Not just with words...

Senator Barack Obama's speech in Philadelphia has been called "historic" by some. With the benefit of a day’s reflection, I wouldn't go that far.

I must admit, though, I can’t recall an instance that race has been discussed from such a high platform without the prompting of a video-taped beating, shooting, riot, or flood. For all who believe racial injustice persists in the U.S., it must have been satisfying to hear the topic discussed at length, without platitudes, by a viable candidate for the White House. And as a response to those who would smear Sen. Obama with the unfortunate comments of his former pastor, the speech seemed to hit its mark, especially the return to his personal narrative (an important component of any national candidacy).



The success-to-date of Sen. Obama’s candidacy is truly historic, but the occasion for these remarks, the deflection of political mud, won’t warrant attention 5, 15, 20 years from now. What politicians are in a unique position to speak to, and what the speech did not cover, is government's role/responsibility in addressing the inequities among races.

I don’t mean this as a criticism; I’m only pointing to a topic that could rise to historic levels: a policy speech, not about race exclusively but certainly inclusive of it, a vision for a new (and improved) deal, a great(er) society. I'm holding out for the plan that will address injustice “not just with words but with deeds” (as Sen. Obama suggested near the 28-minute mark of this speech). Those remarks, and the accompanying actions, could command notice for all-time.

* * *

NPR produced this story on the 75th Anniversary of FDR’s “new deal” speech, made at the 1932 Democratic Convention.

Listen to LBJ’s “great society” speech delivered on May 22, 1964.

* * *

Denise Williams examines The Reality of Recent Religious Endorsements on AOL.