Tag: politics

by jad

Abby Martin’s Seattle Premiere (and Joyous News)

I just heard joyous news that’s not mine to share, but I will say that it’s making me weep to a degree I did not expect. x Abby Martin is a tour de force both on and off the screen. She spoke with such passion last night at the unofficial Seattle premiere of her latest @empirefiles film, EARTH’S GREATEST ENEMY, co-sponsored by @seattledsa and @ydsa_uw, and if you managed to grab a ticket for tonight’s sold-out show at SIFF Uptown, you’ll see exactly what I mean. See you there. x We spoke a little about “hope” on our way to … Continue reading “Abby Martin’s Seattle Premiere (and Joyous News)” →

by jad

New Year’s Eve, a Budget Lens, and Earth’s Greatest Enemy

A couple of quiet moments on New Year’s Eve. As I was composing the second shot, a loud and obnoxious voice boomed behind me saying “oooh, what are you doing with that camera???” which kinda broke the spell of the moment. It turns out he was trying to get me in a shot of his own. x I love my new ultra-budget Made in China lens. x I think the door swinging shut makes this first photo. x It’s next month! Seattle @demsocialists are thrilled to welcome @fababs to our city for two screenings of her newest @empirefiles film, “Earth’s … Continue reading “New Year’s Eve, a Budget Lens, and Earth’s Greatest Enemy” →

by jad

Minis, Meet-and-Greets, and the People’s Forum on AI

A few more quiet moments from Christine’s meet and greet at Northwest Tastings. I have to laugh when internet photographers dump on photos where “nothing is happening.” x In the words of the infamous Prince of Pop, “you got to be startin’ somethin’,” and @seattledsa’s ecosocialists are doing just that with the People’s Forum on AI. We wrapped up the second session yesterday on labor, power, and control, and are already thinking about the next steps. x Christine still has a bunch of these “minis” for sale, but not The Devil – the last one was purchased by a generous … Continue reading “Minis, Meet-and-Greets, and the People’s Forum on AI” →

by jad

One Year Back in the Politics (and the House Votes Against Socialism)

This month marks a year of my diving back into leftist politics after my first wave of disillusionment with the scene here just before the pandemic. I tried different orgs and modalities for expressing my principles, but eventually circled back to the same one I’d joined when I first moved here, with fresher eyes and a clearer sense of its strengths and limitations this time around. I also had a better idea of what kind of project I wanted to contribute my (limited) energy towards. That project was “ecosocialism.” It’s one of those words that can mean anything and nothing … Continue reading “One Year Back in the Politics (and the House Votes Against Socialism)” →

by jad

Data Centers and the Post-Nuclear Landscape

The fight against the “thingification” of humanity is entering its new phase with the rise of the grassroot revolt against data center expansion. In support of this burgeoning movement, @seattledsa’s ecosocialists along with @350seattle and @troublemakerscommunity put on the first of two (and potentially more!) sessions of The People’s Forum on Artificial Intelligence, with the next session focusing on the labor dimension on December 8. It took a million spinning plates to pull this off, but the team smashed it (opa! pun intended). I’ve dedicated much of my adult life to the politics of infrastructure, so I’m proud to be … Continue reading “Data Centers and the Post-Nuclear Landscape” →

by jad

Mayor Wilson, and the Balance Sheet of Light and Shadow

I am very pleased for Mayor Wilson. Even if only to spite The Seattle Times, the venture vultures who turned this city into a drab tech campus, and everyone at work who called her “that women” for her “lack of experience.” From Zohran to Katie — two shots in the dark and faint glimmers of hope. A chance to do something or royally fuck it up. Only time will tell. But right now? Right now? They’re two middle fingers saluting the hellscape. And that’s just fine. x I put this up as a story but now I’m putting it up … Continue reading “Mayor Wilson, and the Balance Sheet of Light and Shadow” →

by jad

Mamdani, Marx, and the Architect Bee

There’s going to be a lot of ink spilled on the meaning of Mamdani: is he or isn’t he, will he or won’t he, can he or can’t he, etc. Much of this will be less about Mamdani himself and more about what he has come to symbolize. So, what has he come to symbolize? The return of class politics? The revenge of multiculturalism? Is this when September ends? Someone wake up Billie Joe. I read an article from an Italian network of communists that describe Mamdani’s promises as both unrealistic and less revolutionary than a Christian Democrat in the … Continue reading “Mamdani, Marx, and the Architect Bee” →

by jad

Election Night and the Metaphysics of the Movement

The next 24 hours are going to be electric for a lot of people across the country; many will be celebrating a hard-won victory, having talked the talk and walked the walk under a crimson banner for a long time. I’d also guess that a good number will finally find the courage to google “democratic socialism” and join the movement. The next 24 months might bring many more highs and just as many lows. Some might look back at this evening with bitter disappointment, as lofty expectations are inevitably dashed against the rocks of compromise. Many will withdraw altogether, but … Continue reading “Election Night and the Metaphysics of the Movement” →

by jad

The Mundane Places We Have Left

I saw this Reel the other day of a guy getting in and out of bed on loop as the voices of anxiety and the fear of starvation take turns convincing him to stay put and/or get up and at ’em, and I couldn’t think of a better synecdoche of my energy since settling back into the flow of things here. There’s so much to do and so little motivation to do it, and yet we must, we must — muss es sein? es muss sein! — infinitely recurring, forever. x It feels like the avenues for maneuvering are narrowing … Continue reading “The Mundane Places We Have Left” →

by jad

Cornucopia Daze

We went to Kent Cornucopia Days for the first time since we checked it out right after I immigrated here and were surprised by how much the weekend fair had grown over the years; and these are post-pandemic days too, you’ll remember. Spread across the whole downtown core, it felt like a mashup of a farmers’ market and a state fair, minus the rides and plus the sociopolitical quirks you’d expect of a town like Kent. There were some surprises too. I took a bunch of photos and will be posting them for however long feels curatorially appropriate. I read … Continue reading “Cornucopia Daze” →