Geoffrey Skoll | SUNY: Buffalo State College (original) (raw)
Books by Geoffrey Skoll
Published by Palgrave Macmillan Release date January 20, 2016.
The first, introductory chapter in manuscript, uncorrected form. The book is available from Palgr... more The first, introductory chapter in manuscript, uncorrected form. The book is available from Palgrave Macmillan as of January 20, 2016.
This is the unedited manuscript of the book published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Dialectics in Social Thought examines the work of thinkers who used dialectics in their attempts ... more Dialectics in Social Thought examines the work of thinkers who used dialectics in their attempts to understand the world. Among them are foundational thinkers such as Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche; seminal social critics of the last century such as Camus and Sartre; and current contributors like Badiou, Ranciere, and Zizek.
With 2.3 million people locked up, a burgeoning prison industry, a population subject to searches... more With 2.3 million people locked up, a burgeoning prison industry, a population subject to searches and surveillance of every kind technologically imaginable, the United States has not only not solved the crime problem, but theoretical explanations are still mired in fifty year old understandings of criminal justice. This book casts a critical eye on scholarship in the field of criminal justice, and offers some new orientations to help develop explanations for twenty-first century criminology and criminal justice studies.
“This book is solid and represents a needed corrective in our field: Advancing it theoretically through the development of criminal justice theory. Skoll articulates difficult material in a very accessible manner…It is exciting to come across a book that is absolutely needed in our field, and that pushes the disciplinary envelope through applying and synthesizing an intellectually sophisticated body of literature.”--Peter Kraska, Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Crime and Justice Studies, Eastern Kentucky University
“In this essential book, Skoll's aim and accomplishment is to rearrange our perceptual fields, to challenge the anesthetizing effects and dogma of common sense, and to invite us to see differently so that we might act differently. So much of law and public policy turns on questions of competing metaphors and analogies, and challenging any controlling analogy is always a risky business…We enter an open space of rethinking and negotiation, a space of ethical reflection and political struggle, a space where we must rely not on rules so much as on our moral intuition, our queer questions, our commitment to the dignity of persons, our belief in equality and fairness. Skoll cuts with laser-like precision to the intellectual roots of our thinking about criminal justice, upends layers of mystification and myth that currently dictate criminal justice policy, and opens a window allowing fresh and startling winds to blow. You will never again see the cop on the corner, the court, or the cage in the same way.”--William Ayers, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education
“Skolls’ Contemporary Criminology and Criminal Justice Theory is unafraid – unafraid to expose the malignant intellectual vacancy that echoes through much of contemporary criminology and criminal justice, unafraid to situate this theoretical hollow squarely in its historical and political context, unafraid to recall radical alternatives to the present situation, and unafraid to imagine new ones.”--Jeff Ferrell, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Texas Christian University
Geoffrey R. Skoll is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Buffalo State College. He has a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology and MSW in clinical social work. Previous publications include Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk: An Ethnography of a Drug Abuse Treatment Facility (1992). His current interests focus on social theory, terrorism, and the death penalty in comparative perspective.
Papers by Geoffrey Skoll
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 2014
When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper ... more When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper polemically explores some of its historical roots. The first anarchoterrorists in 19 th century, fought to improve the working conditions of people. Some of them used violent tools, hosting civilians as targets. Others, convinced by the futility of their efforts to change the order, opted for organizing workers in factories. It is widely accepted that tourism came from the social, political, technological developments in the nineteenth century. We compare terrorist attacks with workers' strikes, because they come from the same developments. We explore the thesis that tourism is terrorism by other means.
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2016
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2016
The advent of neoliberalism in the early 1970s marked a new age for ethical practices. Although p... more The advent of neoliberalism in the early 1970s marked a new age for ethical practices. Although pragmatism as an approach to ethics pre-dated neoliberalism, the neoliberal approach to political economy ushered in a new kind of pragmatism, owing little to Jeremy Bentham, even less to the American philosophical pragmatists Charles S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. Today's pragmatism has permeated the penal systems of the central countries of the world capitalist system. A new ethics emerged, a neopragmatism. Acts came to be judged by their effects and not by the motives that led to the actions. This altered the doctrine of Abrahamic religions, and led to the disappearance of forgiveness as a moral good.
When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper ... more When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper polemically explores some of its historical roots. The first anarcho-terrorists in 19th century, fought to improve the working conditions of people. Some of them used violent tools, hosting civilians as targets. Others, convinced by the futility of their efforts to change the order, opted for organizing workers in factories. It is widely accepted that tourism came from the social, political, technological developments in the nineteenth century. We compare terrorist attacks with workers‘ strikes, because they come from the same developments. We explore the thesis that tourism is terrorism by other means. Key Words: Terrorism, Tourism, worker union, conflicts, hate.
... taking its form. Mainly born in the 1920s and 1930s, they include figures such as Irving Kris... more ... taking its form. Mainly born in the 1920s and 1930s, they include figures such as Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Nathan Glazer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Daniel Bell and Gertrude Himmelfarb. Some had a ...
Introductory chapter to a book in progress.
Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, 2016
Based on fundamental ideas of Marx and Freud, this essay examines love, fear and death from a soc... more Based on fundamental ideas of Marx and Freud, this essay examines love, fear and death from a social and historical perspective. It applies this examination to the contemporary state of social relations. The most important argument is that hostile aggressiveness has triumphed over love by making people fearful of each other. While the essay is generally pessimistic, there is hope that love can win out in the end, but that doing so requires social revolution that would destroy the current world system of capitalism. Resumen Basado en las ideas fundamentales de Marx y Freud, este ensayo examina el amor, el miedo y la muerte desde una perspectiva social e histórica. Esta propuesta de análisis se realiza sobre el estado contemporáneo de las relaciones sociales. El principal argumento que se sostiene es que la agresividad hostil ha triunfado sobre el amor haciendo que las personas se teman unas a otras. No obstante, aunque el ensayo es en términos generales pesimista, hay esperanza de que el amor pueda triunfar finalmente, pero ello requiere una revolución social que destruya el actual sistema mundial del capitalismo.
In light of the recent revelations about the electronic surveillance by the US National Security ... more In light of the recent revelations about the electronic surveillance by the US National Security Agency, this essay analyzes such surveillance as part of state strategies to control populations. It also examines the use of terror scares—that is, fear mongering— by states as the rationale for their control practices. It contrasts the origins of terrorism in the French Terror to contemporary terrorism, and shows how cybernetic control and surveillance steal human communications and thereby steal consciousness. Article Preview Top
From Chernobyl onwards academicians leveled considerable criticism on the role of technology as i... more From Chernobyl onwards academicians leveled
considerable criticism on the role of technology
as it impacts and benefits human life. In what was
one of the best-selling books on the sociology of
risk, Ulrich Beck realized that accidents under
some conditions were the result of an inadequate
manipulation of technology. If modern society had
been based on Fordist scale production, Chernobyl
marked the turning-point of a new era where risk
predominated. With this backdrop, Beck considers
that post-modernity needs technology and risk in
order for the capital to be replicated (Beck, 2006).
Although, technological advances, in forms of
computers, ITC, and devices, are aimed at making
of this world a safer site to be, mitigating and
controlling the risk, the fact is that somehow, it
contributes to creating new risks, which go beyond
the control of society. This pungent point of view
was widely examined by sociologists, anthropologists
and psychologists in the recent decades. Is
technology and technological advance a threat or
a benefit for humankind? Ecological concerns are
perhaps a point where more vividly may be seen
the paradox of technology appreciated.
Though tourism combines curiosity with security, over the recent decades, we are facing an inflat... more Though tourism combines curiosity with security, over the recent decades, we are facing an inflation of risks that caused big problems for policy makers and officials interested in promoting tourism in their respective nations. As a result of this, one might speculate that the future of industry is uncertain. This essay review explores the already existent literature in risk perception applied on tourism fields as well as introduces the theory of attachment to explain how the world is constructed.
A book review and critique of John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart Chasing Ghosts: The Policing of Te... more A book review and critique of John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart Chasing Ghosts: The Policing of Terrorism (2016) also offers an alternative interpretation of the terrorism phenomenon in the 21st century.
In 2005 when the movie Hostel came out, written and directed by Eli Roth, it seemed universal, al... more In 2005 when the movie Hostel came out, written and directed by Eli Roth, it seemed universal, although set in Slovakia. The first Hostel was followed by two sequels in 2007 and 2011. The sadism depicted in the films represented an inherent, though veiled, aspect of contemporary tourism. Cinematic representation of sadism in tourism reflects a wider turn to sadistic relations in international political affairs, especially the rise of jihadism after the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks in New York. The rise of international terror has changed not only the tourist industry but also the film industry. Cultural entertainment both reflects and shapes our fears, hopes and challenges. Because of this dialectical relationship between objective reality and its phenomenological impact, exploring horror movies offers a way to expand our understanding current world affairs. Prior to 9/11 horror movies used nature or unnatural beings as the main threats. Monsters, like vampires or similar imaginary creatures, or wild animals such as ants or sharks provided the fearsome threats. However, other people became the sources of horror. Today as never before, man is the wolf of man.
Published by Palgrave Macmillan Release date January 20, 2016.
The first, introductory chapter in manuscript, uncorrected form. The book is available from Palgr... more The first, introductory chapter in manuscript, uncorrected form. The book is available from Palgrave Macmillan as of January 20, 2016.
This is the unedited manuscript of the book published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Dialectics in Social Thought examines the work of thinkers who used dialectics in their attempts ... more Dialectics in Social Thought examines the work of thinkers who used dialectics in their attempts to understand the world. Among them are foundational thinkers such as Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche; seminal social critics of the last century such as Camus and Sartre; and current contributors like Badiou, Ranciere, and Zizek.
With 2.3 million people locked up, a burgeoning prison industry, a population subject to searches... more With 2.3 million people locked up, a burgeoning prison industry, a population subject to searches and surveillance of every kind technologically imaginable, the United States has not only not solved the crime problem, but theoretical explanations are still mired in fifty year old understandings of criminal justice. This book casts a critical eye on scholarship in the field of criminal justice, and offers some new orientations to help develop explanations for twenty-first century criminology and criminal justice studies.
“This book is solid and represents a needed corrective in our field: Advancing it theoretically through the development of criminal justice theory. Skoll articulates difficult material in a very accessible manner…It is exciting to come across a book that is absolutely needed in our field, and that pushes the disciplinary envelope through applying and synthesizing an intellectually sophisticated body of literature.”--Peter Kraska, Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Crime and Justice Studies, Eastern Kentucky University
“In this essential book, Skoll's aim and accomplishment is to rearrange our perceptual fields, to challenge the anesthetizing effects and dogma of common sense, and to invite us to see differently so that we might act differently. So much of law and public policy turns on questions of competing metaphors and analogies, and challenging any controlling analogy is always a risky business…We enter an open space of rethinking and negotiation, a space of ethical reflection and political struggle, a space where we must rely not on rules so much as on our moral intuition, our queer questions, our commitment to the dignity of persons, our belief in equality and fairness. Skoll cuts with laser-like precision to the intellectual roots of our thinking about criminal justice, upends layers of mystification and myth that currently dictate criminal justice policy, and opens a window allowing fresh and startling winds to blow. You will never again see the cop on the corner, the court, or the cage in the same way.”--William Ayers, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education
“Skolls’ Contemporary Criminology and Criminal Justice Theory is unafraid – unafraid to expose the malignant intellectual vacancy that echoes through much of contemporary criminology and criminal justice, unafraid to situate this theoretical hollow squarely in its historical and political context, unafraid to recall radical alternatives to the present situation, and unafraid to imagine new ones.”--Jeff Ferrell, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Texas Christian University
Geoffrey R. Skoll is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Buffalo State College. He has a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology and MSW in clinical social work. Previous publications include Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk: An Ethnography of a Drug Abuse Treatment Facility (1992). His current interests focus on social theory, terrorism, and the death penalty in comparative perspective.
International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 2014
When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper ... more When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper polemically explores some of its historical roots. The first anarchoterrorists in 19 th century, fought to improve the working conditions of people. Some of them used violent tools, hosting civilians as targets. Others, convinced by the futility of their efforts to change the order, opted for organizing workers in factories. It is widely accepted that tourism came from the social, political, technological developments in the nineteenth century. We compare terrorist attacks with workers' strikes, because they come from the same developments. We explore the thesis that tourism is terrorism by other means.
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2016
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2016
The advent of neoliberalism in the early 1970s marked a new age for ethical practices. Although p... more The advent of neoliberalism in the early 1970s marked a new age for ethical practices. Although pragmatism as an approach to ethics pre-dated neoliberalism, the neoliberal approach to political economy ushered in a new kind of pragmatism, owing little to Jeremy Bentham, even less to the American philosophical pragmatists Charles S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. Today's pragmatism has permeated the penal systems of the central countries of the world capitalist system. A new ethics emerged, a neopragmatism. Acts came to be judged by their effects and not by the motives that led to the actions. This altered the doctrine of Abrahamic religions, and led to the disappearance of forgiveness as a moral good.
When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper ... more When the world seems poised on the brink of a never ending cycle of terrorism, the present paper polemically explores some of its historical roots. The first anarcho-terrorists in 19th century, fought to improve the working conditions of people. Some of them used violent tools, hosting civilians as targets. Others, convinced by the futility of their efforts to change the order, opted for organizing workers in factories. It is widely accepted that tourism came from the social, political, technological developments in the nineteenth century. We compare terrorist attacks with workers‘ strikes, because they come from the same developments. We explore the thesis that tourism is terrorism by other means. Key Words: Terrorism, Tourism, worker union, conflicts, hate.
... taking its form. Mainly born in the 1920s and 1930s, they include figures such as Irving Kris... more ... taking its form. Mainly born in the 1920s and 1930s, they include figures such as Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, Nathan Glazer, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Daniel Bell and Gertrude Himmelfarb. Some had a ...
Introductory chapter to a book in progress.
Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research, 2016
Based on fundamental ideas of Marx and Freud, this essay examines love, fear and death from a soc... more Based on fundamental ideas of Marx and Freud, this essay examines love, fear and death from a social and historical perspective. It applies this examination to the contemporary state of social relations. The most important argument is that hostile aggressiveness has triumphed over love by making people fearful of each other. While the essay is generally pessimistic, there is hope that love can win out in the end, but that doing so requires social revolution that would destroy the current world system of capitalism. Resumen Basado en las ideas fundamentales de Marx y Freud, este ensayo examina el amor, el miedo y la muerte desde una perspectiva social e histórica. Esta propuesta de análisis se realiza sobre el estado contemporáneo de las relaciones sociales. El principal argumento que se sostiene es que la agresividad hostil ha triunfado sobre el amor haciendo que las personas se teman unas a otras. No obstante, aunque el ensayo es en términos generales pesimista, hay esperanza de que el amor pueda triunfar finalmente, pero ello requiere una revolución social que destruya el actual sistema mundial del capitalismo.
In light of the recent revelations about the electronic surveillance by the US National Security ... more In light of the recent revelations about the electronic surveillance by the US National Security Agency, this essay analyzes such surveillance as part of state strategies to control populations. It also examines the use of terror scares—that is, fear mongering— by states as the rationale for their control practices. It contrasts the origins of terrorism in the French Terror to contemporary terrorism, and shows how cybernetic control and surveillance steal human communications and thereby steal consciousness. Article Preview Top
From Chernobyl onwards academicians leveled considerable criticism on the role of technology as i... more From Chernobyl onwards academicians leveled
considerable criticism on the role of technology
as it impacts and benefits human life. In what was
one of the best-selling books on the sociology of
risk, Ulrich Beck realized that accidents under
some conditions were the result of an inadequate
manipulation of technology. If modern society had
been based on Fordist scale production, Chernobyl
marked the turning-point of a new era where risk
predominated. With this backdrop, Beck considers
that post-modernity needs technology and risk in
order for the capital to be replicated (Beck, 2006).
Although, technological advances, in forms of
computers, ITC, and devices, are aimed at making
of this world a safer site to be, mitigating and
controlling the risk, the fact is that somehow, it
contributes to creating new risks, which go beyond
the control of society. This pungent point of view
was widely examined by sociologists, anthropologists
and psychologists in the recent decades. Is
technology and technological advance a threat or
a benefit for humankind? Ecological concerns are
perhaps a point where more vividly may be seen
the paradox of technology appreciated.
Though tourism combines curiosity with security, over the recent decades, we are facing an inflat... more Though tourism combines curiosity with security, over the recent decades, we are facing an inflation of risks that caused big problems for policy makers and officials interested in promoting tourism in their respective nations. As a result of this, one might speculate that the future of industry is uncertain. This essay review explores the already existent literature in risk perception applied on tourism fields as well as introduces the theory of attachment to explain how the world is constructed.
A book review and critique of John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart Chasing Ghosts: The Policing of Te... more A book review and critique of John Mueller and Mark G. Stewart Chasing Ghosts: The Policing of Terrorism (2016) also offers an alternative interpretation of the terrorism phenomenon in the 21st century.
In 2005 when the movie Hostel came out, written and directed by Eli Roth, it seemed universal, al... more In 2005 when the movie Hostel came out, written and directed by Eli Roth, it seemed universal, although set in Slovakia. The first Hostel was followed by two sequels in 2007 and 2011. The sadism depicted in the films represented an inherent, though veiled, aspect of contemporary tourism. Cinematic representation of sadism in tourism reflects a wider turn to sadistic relations in international political affairs, especially the rise of jihadism after the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks in New York. The rise of international terror has changed not only the tourist industry but also the film industry. Cultural entertainment both reflects and shapes our fears, hopes and challenges. Because of this dialectical relationship between objective reality and its phenomenological impact, exploring horror movies offers a way to expand our understanding current world affairs. Prior to 9/11 horror movies used nature or unnatural beings as the main threats. Monsters, like vampires or similar imaginary creatures, or wild animals such as ants or sharks provided the fearsome threats. However, other people became the sources of horror. Today as never before, man is the wolf of man.
Korstanje M. E & Skoll G. “Ethical Assumption, a criticism against modern pragmatism”. Journal of... more Korstanje M. E & Skoll G. “Ethical Assumption, a criticism against modern pragmatism”. Journal of Criminology and Sociology. Disponible en http://www.lifescienceglobal.com/independent-journals/international-journal-of-criminology-and-sociology. Sam Houston State University US & LifeScience Global, International Scholarly Research, Misssauga, Ontario Canada, ISSN 1929-4409.
The advent of neoliberalism in the early 1970s marked a new age for ethical practices. Although pragmatism as an approach to ethics pre-dated neoliberalism, the neoliberal approach to political economy ushered in a new kind of pragmatism, owing little to Jeremy Bentham, even less to the American philosophical pragmatists Charles S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. Today's pragmatism has permeated the penal systems of the central countries of the world capitalist system. A new ethics emerged, a neopragmatism. Acts came to be judged by their effects and not by the motives that led to the actions. This altered the doctrine of Abrahamic religions, and led to the disappearance of forgiveness as a moral good.
The Present Crisis, or Why We need a Revolution. This is the final chapter in manuscript form (no... more The Present Crisis, or Why We need a Revolution. This is the final chapter in manuscript form (not copy-edited) in my book, 'Dialectics of Social Thought.'
I wrote these lectures for an undergraduate course on terrorism that I have been teaching online ... more I wrote these lectures for an undergraduate course on terrorism that I have been teaching online for the last several years. Feel free to quote or use them with attribution.
This entry is a contribution to the project of professors Jafar Jafari and Xiao Honggen which con... more This entry is a contribution to the project of professors Jafar Jafari and Xiao Honggen which contains an all encompasing view of the different aspects of tourism. this text is a short discussion respecting to the anthropological role played by the archetype of paradise not only in West, but in tourist motivations.
International Journal of Hospitality and Event Management, 2014
As the last attacks on Boston, terrorism is based not only on the speculation but also on surpris... more As the last attacks on Boston, terrorism is based not only on the speculation but also on surprise. Terrorist does not want to destroy or to kill every-body, its goal is aimed to inflict and administrate fear to the witnesses. The fact is that tourism and mega-events represented a fertile source to perpetrate terrorist attacks, not only for the casualties but also by the psychological effects on citizenry. This paper explores painstakingly the nature of terrorism by dint of the leisure contexts as well as propones a valid model to understand the connection among tourism, event management and terrorism.
Human & Social Studies. Research and Practice, 2013
"After the Chernobyl’s and Three Miles’s accidents, the relation between technol... more "After the Chernobyl’s and Three Miles’s accidents, the relation between technology and risk started to be questioned. Social scientist posited considerable criticism against technology and how its interventions may engender new dangers. However, these views ignored the fact that risks are not just a result of technology, but also depend upon the trust and knowledge. Any risk, first, should be defined as a narrative which is enrooted in a previous cultural and stereotyped framework. By itself, technology is only an instrument employed in different directions. This essay review explores the limitations and approaches of two senior sociologists who delved in the study of risk and climate change, Cass Sunstein and Anthony Giddens. Keywords Risk, Disaster, Technology, Sociology, Modernity"
THREE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN1 rescued me. I had fainted and fell down on the sidewalk in front of Redbri... more THREE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN1 rescued me. I had fainted and fell down on the sidewalk in front of Redbridge School in the Compo de Ourique neighborhood of Lisbon, Portugal. The three-Anna, Laura, and Maria-rushed out of the school where they worked, helped me off the ground, and brought a stuffed chair from the lobby, a foot stool, and water. Once I was settled, and showed few signs of imminently expiring, no blood, no broken bones, they called the bombeiros (fire fighters and emergency medical technicians in Lisbon) They measured my blood sugar, blood oxygen, pulse and pressure on the sidewalk while I was ensconced in the easy chair. I said to one of the women that I was getting better care there than at A US hospital. She replied that they had already complained that the bombeiros response time was too slow. Once I was sufficiently revived, I had to sign a form so to avoid being taken to a hospital. The bombeiros also talked o a physician who had to ratify the no hospital decision.
Imperialism the Final Stage of Capitalism, 2022
in the Ukraine global capitalism with its imperialist, militarist, and fascist expressions has be... more in the Ukraine global capitalism with its imperialist, militarist, and fascist expressions has been halted, not by a people's revolution or socialist movement, but by another capitalist state-Russia or the Russian Federation. How can the people understand this? Is it just another capitalist competition? No, it is a result of the breakdown of global capitalism. The fantasy and bamboozlement of a flu epidemic helped destroy the last remnants of a nostalgic kind of "free market," in which small producers went to market and competed against one another to sell superior wares at lower prices. The image is of an early modern village in Europe with farmers and craftspeople loading wagons to a village market. Of course such images are childhood imaginaries depicted in children's books of fairytales. Today those are fairytales are being blown apart by Russian long range, precision artillery, along with, one can only hope, their Nazi guards. This is not good news. The end of capitalism as a world system was inevitable from the first. The only question was when. All world systems end so the end of global capitalism was not unexpected. Today's question is whether this is really the end and how can we tell? The end of a world system throws civilization into chaos. But what does chaos look like? It is not complete unorganization. It is disorganization. That brings up the question of how the world was organized before the breakdown of capital. Mainly, it was organized by nation-states. So, an immediate question is what is going on with them as of spring 2022? A shot answer is "insanity." Here is what the state of the world looks like. You have the flabbiest military-economic power in the world led by a senile idiot, Joe Biden, a born and bred war monger since his earliest political career, an ultra-rationalist chess player and judo practitioner, Vlad Vaadimirovich Putin, and a hyper politician, Xi Jinping, who has allied with Vlad. These are the three relevant actors pushing the pieces on the chessboard. Conclusion: the United States has started a war it cannot win against a China-Russian coalition. For those who think ahead, granted, a distinct minority, What happens when the United States loses this war? Will it be occupied? Will it have to pay reparations? Will its leaders be tried for war crimes? Will the country be occupied? (Unlikely, as who would want it)? 330 million Americans do not understand the world. They watch the propaganda channels on TV to get information, which is about like expecting healthy nutrition from McDonald's. For people who believe the US Constitution, Americans rule the world. (in actuality, they are lucky if they rule their local schools). Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of imperial Germany under the Wilhelmine Kaisers, Said his policies were based on Realpolitik, meaning, he dealt in political realities among nations states, and did not get involved with fanciful moral issues. Therefore, in Bismarck's terms, the political realities of Europe in the 2020s do not involve morality or ideology. They do, however, include history, which Americans avoid like the plague.
This is a chapter in a book yet to be published on love and revolution. It is also an essay on th... more This is a chapter in a book yet to be published on love and revolution. It is also an essay on the current (spring 2021) state of consciousness, humanity, and the world. It does not inspire optimism so if that is what you're looking for, don't read it, but comment anyway.
INTRODUCTION This book is about making love and revolution. They go together by necessity. We can... more INTRODUCTION This book is about making love and revolution. They go together by necessity. We cannot have one without the other. The three great revolutions of modern times-the French 1789, the Russian 1917, and the Chinese 1949 have not succeeded in changing the world system, although each nudged the trajectory of history. Each faced violence from the counterrevolutionary forces, and then responded with violent defense seemingly from necessity. The argument in this book is that to change the system, the revolution has to be nonviolent and force nonviolence on the opposition if the revolution is to succeed. Therefore, we have to make both love and revolution, because we will have neither if we do not have both. Agape, Eros, or Philia, love seems like a good idea on its face. Does it really need revolution? Yes, because revolution is in the offing. The question is what kind of revolution. Keep in mind that my argument is global revolutionary change, not national or local. That is because the most basic social structure-how people relate to each other to survive-has achieved global proportions. The capitalist mode of production is everywhere from Shanghai to Wall Street to Highland New Guinea and the Amazon rainforest, capital prevails. And it is flying apart, breaking up, and breaking down. The old system crashes and a new system will replace it. The only question then, is what kind of system. Hitherto all systems were built on exploitation from slavery to serfdom, to the wage system. With the old system dying, humans have a chance to make a system not based on exploitation, but love. That is why the two go together, love and revolution. What I mean by 'love' is a simple recognition that an injury to one is an injury to all, and mutatis mutandis, a benefit to all is a benefit to one. A simple example of the latter is public education. The individual benefits as does the individual's entire society. It is the recognition that life is not a competition, which idea has gained promotion and adherents under every system of exploitation throughout history. It is the recognition that more for me does not mean less for you, but that working together all will gain benefits. How to put that approach in place in a new society is a question addressed in this book after analyzing present conditions. Immanuel Wallerstein devised world system theory, and he later applied his theory to contemporary world affairs. He argued that the world system of capital, which had prevailed since about 1500, was coming to an end, and that in its breakdown, a period of chaos would ensue.1 His prediction has come to pass. I argued that the United States, which is the central director of the global empire of capital, relies on a culture of fear to stave off the outbreak of global class war.2 At the time I had in mind further iterations of something like the terrorism mythology that had achieved some success over the preceding twenty or so years. As it turned out, I underestimated just how pervasive and deeply the fear culture had penetrated global 1 1
A short essay examines trends in US higher education as part of a strategy to remake society in a... more A short essay examines trends in US higher education as part of a strategy to remake society in a way that ensures the control of the ruing class while subjugating all other classes.
This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public... more This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public fear came from social control efforts on behalf of global capital. Beginning about 1970 the system of capital became globalized and faced a long term crisis of over accumulation and concentration with a parallel falling rate of profit. The need to control increasingly impoverished working classes throughout the world required concerted campaigns using forceful repression by intelligence-military-police apparatuses and ideological manipulations using propaganda and public relations. Technological developments made possible increasingly tighter control over public narratives, especially in the form of so-called social media. Fears were manufactured and public attention and consciousness were diverted so that the liberation and decolonial movements of the post Second World War period were blunted to assure continued hegemony of a global ruling class. In short, this chapter argues for constructed public fears as part of the increasingly critical class war during a long term crisis of world capitalism.
This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public... more This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public fear came from social control efforts on behalf of global capital. Beginning about 1970 the system of capital became globalized and faced a long term crisis of over accumulation and concentration with a parallel falling rate of profit. The need to control increasingly impoverished working classes throughout the world required concerted campaigns using forceful repression by intelligence-military-police apparatuses and ideological manipulations using propaganda and public relations. Technological developments made possible increasingly tighter control over public narratives, especially in the form of so-called social media. Fears were manufactured and public attention and consciousness were diverted so that the liberation and de-colonial movements of the post Second World War period were blunted to assure continued hegemony of a global ruling class. In short, this chapter argues for constructed public fears as part of the increasingly critical class war during a long term crisis of world capitalism.
This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public... more This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public fear came from social control efforts on behalf of global capital. Beginning about 1970 the system of capital became globalized and faced a long term crisis of over accumulation and concentration with a parallel falling rate of profit. The need to control increasingly impoverished working classes throughout the world required concerted campaigns using forceful repression by intelligence-military-police apparatuses and ideological manipulations using propaganda and public relations. Technological developments made possible increasingly tighter control over public narratives, especially in the form of so-called social media. Fears were manufactured and public attention and consciousness were diverted so that the liberation and de-colonial movements of the post Second World War period were blunted to assure continued hegemony of a global ruling class. In short, this chapter argues for constructed public fears as part of the increasingly critical class war during a long term crisis of world capitalism.
This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public... more This chapter argues that by the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century mass, public fear came from social control efforts on behalf of global capital. Beginning about 1970 the system of capital became globalized and faced a long term crisis of over accumulation and concentration with a parallel falling rate of profit. The need to control increasingly impoverished working classes throughout the world required concerted campaigns using forceful repression by intelligence-military-police apparatuses and ideological manipulations using propaganda and public relations. Technological developments made possible increasingly tighter control over public narratives, especially in the form of so-called social media. Fears were manufactured and public attention and consciousness were diverted so that the liberation and decolonial movements of the post Second World War period were blunted to assure continued hegemony of a global ruling class. In short, this chapter argues for constructed public fears as part of the increasingly critical class war during a long term crisis of world capitalism.
A brief review of lessons from the great revolutions of the industrial era from the French 1789, ... more A brief review of lessons from the great revolutions of the industrial era from the French 1789, Bolshevik, China, Vietnam, and Cuba.
Updated and revised version has data as of the end of May, various revisions throughout, and a sh... more Updated and revised version has data as of the end of May, various revisions throughout, and a short addendum linking governments' response to COVID19 to recent repressions in the United States linked to the George Floyd protests.
States of) triumphalism on having taken part on the winning side. Perforce, it had little to say ... more States of) triumphalism on having taken part on the winning side. Perforce, it had little to say about its counterpart, the Red Army, which crushed the Wehrmacht, and then turned to defeat fascism in the east, albeit thwarted by Harry Truman's genocidal poker maneuver of bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki August 6 and 9 to show Joe Stalin who was boss. Of course Joe did not need showing as he knew that however successful the Red Army had been, his country was ravaged. Nonetheless, Harry wanted to lay down his cards and collect the pot. So, he ordered atomic bombs (Fat Man and Little Boy) dropped on two nonmilitary Japanese cities. It was just to show'im. Harry was from the 'show me' state of Missouri. Big pictures are important so put them in a back pocket to be pulled out when needed. Remember though, big pictures are abstractions, especially when talking about humans-a motley species at best. Best to think about what is observable, you know sort of like the scientific method. Don't try to solve problems like angels on pinheads unless you can count the angels. Here is a theory. Actual social phenomena (observables) have the same structural patterns no matter the level of abstraction or social organization. I will not try to support this theory now, other than to say it is supportable. It means that what goes on at the institutional, national, and global levels is structurally (looks like) the same at the lowest, interpersonal level. Here are two examples. A pervasive structure throughout the world in the twenty-first century is White supremacy. Another is patriarchy. Now, look at how individuals interact with each other. Do the interactions instantiate racism? Do the interactions instantiate male dominance? Moreover, particular, interpersonal levels both carry out and enact what goes on at the level of global abstraction and thereby realize the abstraction.. So much for my justification of the fractal theory of social structure. Back to the big picture of the system of global capital. It exists just as Karl (Marx) and Fred (Engels) predicted in 1848 (Manifesto). Read it and weep.
A consideration of the current global pandemic panic, this paper will be a chapter in a book proj... more A consideration of the current global pandemic panic, this paper will be a chapter in a book project, 'Love and Revolution.'
This paper will be part of a book length essay on love and revolution, which advocates both. It o... more This paper will be part of a book length essay on love and revolution, which advocates both. It offers a view of the global empire of capital under the US Directorate. It is a critique, a call to revolt, and an ethnography which is implicitly an already existing alternative
A continuation of observations of the USA and global empire from the vantage point of Lisbon.
A continuation of essays about the USA and the global empire of capital from the vantage point of... more A continuation of essays about the USA and the global empire of capital from the vantage point of Lisbon.
This presents a view of the USA from Lisbon. It is not a pretty sight. I hope some Lisboetas comm... more This presents a view of the USA from Lisbon. It is not a pretty sight. I hope some Lisboetas comment and point out my errors.
This continues the In Lisbon session. It focuses on US leadership in spreading global fascism, ho... more This continues the In Lisbon session. It focuses on US leadership in spreading global fascism, how the US became a fascist state, and its implication for the world.
This continues I Lisbon. It presents an account of the US leadership spearheading the rise of glo... more This continues I Lisbon. It presents an account of the US leadership spearheading the rise of global fascism.
This is the beginning fragment of a larger project about love and revolution today and for the co... more This is the beginning fragment of a larger project about love and revolution today and for the coming century. I’m using Lisbon as a foil with respect to the growth of global fascism led by the United States. It seems to me that the world is at a tipping point. There is the growth of fascism, which increasingly faces popular opposition and uprisings around globe—e.g., Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, France, India, etc. Lisbon perhaps offers a way out of the clash that I’m afraid will result in the triumph of fascism. In any case, I hope scholars of Portugal will lend a hand. I’ve only begun to study Portuguese history and the Portuguese language so I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for English language histories and analyses
This is a book review of Raquel Varela's 'A People's History of the Portuguese Revolution (London... more This is a book review of Raquel Varela's 'A People's History of the Portuguese Revolution (London: Pluto Press, 2019).