If America Fails?

“Screening the Dark Side of Love: From Euro-Horror to American Cinema,” co-edited by Karen A. Ritzenhoff and Karen Randell

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG This is one of the books @Ritzenhoffk co-edited, Screening the Dark Side of Love. She is the first guest scholar to appear on the 10/14 sneak peek of IAF.

“This collection explores the complex relationship between love and sex . . . The essays fully engage the subject, examining films in relationship to violence, performative spectatorship, censorship, race, physical disability, and domestic violence . . . [They] problematize notions of sexuality and ask provocative questions. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.” – CHOICE

“How can love be understood globally as a problematic transgression rather than the narrative of ‘happy endings’ that Hollywood has offered? The contributors utilize varying methodologies of textual analysis, psychoanalytic models, and cultural critique and engage with a broad range of films to explore issues of gender identity and spectatorship.” –The Publisher

“Karen Randell is the program leader in Film and Television in the School of Media at Southampton Solent University.” -The Publisher

Dr. Karen A. Ritzenhoff, Professor, Department of Communication, Central Connecticut State University. Co-Chair, the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, as well as Cinema Studies and the Honors Program. Co-editor, The Handmaid’s Tale: Teaching Dystopia, Feminism, and Resistance Across Disciplines and Borders. –CCSU

#KarenARitzenhoff #KarenRandell #ScreeningtheDarkSideofLove

CONTACT US “If America Fails?: The Coming Tyranny” for access to the Zoom chatroom—L. Michelle Odom, Senior Producer
LMOdom@OurCommonGround.com or TWN@TruthWorksNetwork.com
Watch Thursdays, 8 pm ET, January 13 to April 7, 2022, on the TruthWorks Network YouTube Channel. All Are Welcome!

READ | Screening the Dark Side of Love: From Euro-Horror to American Cinema | co-edited by Karen A. Ritzenhoff and Karen Randell | Palgrave, 2012

“Authoritarianism Leads to Genocide”

“Authoritarianism leads to genocide.” @ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @gaslitnation w/ @sarahkendzior & @andreachalupa alerted us a few months ago that the Justice Dept. does not appear to be pursuing the crimes of the ex-POTUS. Andrea Chalupa said, “Authoritarianism leads to genocide.” That’s what’s at stake when we allow the would-be dictator to roam free. This is a reminder.

“Authoritarianism leads to genocide.”

“Guess what everybody? It’s still a transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government! This week we discuss the unprosecuted crimes of the Trump admin and the man who is protecting the criminals, Merrick Garland! We give a rundown of other terrible decisions Garland has made, delve into his background, and discuss how the DOJ itself is a corrupt and broken institution full of Trump lackeys and arrogant institutionalists who refuse to protect the American people from real threats.” — Gaslit Nation

LISTEN TO | “Merrick Garland’s Eyes Wide Shut” | Gaslit Nation, a podcast by Sarah Kendzior and Andrea Chalupa | 6/9/2021

FOLLOW TruthWorks Network on Twitter

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG TruthWorks Network @TWNtalk is active on Twitter. Join us there for #TalkThatMatters on our changing world, your interest in “If America Fails?” or whatever you like!

TruthWorks Network @TWNtalk is active on Twitter. Are you there, too? Come chat with us about your concerns about the way in which our world is changing, creeping American fascism, religious extremism, restrictions on women’s reproductive freedom – or anything you like! If you’d like to join the “If America Fails?” video chat or have an expertise in “The Handmaid’s Tale” or one of the themes in the story, let us know. TWN is #TalkThatMatters

TruthWorks Network on Twitter – @TWNtalk

TruthWorks Network The Black Voice Collaborative URBAN PROGRESSIVE LIVE TALK and Call IN #TalkThatMatters

FOLLOW TruthWorks Network on Twitter @TWNtalk

“Humor, Entertainment, and Popular Culture During World War I,” co-edited by Clémentine Tholas and Karen A. Ritzenhoff

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG Humor, Entertainment, and Popular Culture During World War I, is one of many books co-edited by @Ritzenhoffk @TWNtalk is honored she will join us for the 10/14 sneak peek of IAF. Maybe she’ll brings some laughs! 🙂

“This is a thoroughly enjoyable book offering insight and interest for cultural historians of the Great War the world over. Refreshingly, it deals with a number of topics otherwise overlooked in relation to the conflict, and offers contributions from a mixture of new and established academics.” –(Pip Gregory, Reviews in History, history.ac.uk, April, 2016)

“Humor and entertainment were vital to the war effort during World War I. While entertainment provided relief to soldiers in the trenches, it also built up support for the war effort on the home front. This book looks at transnational war culture by examining seemingly light-hearted discourses on the Great War.” –The Publisher

“Giaime Alonge, University of Turin, Italy Laurent Bihl, Panthéon Sorbonne University, France Anne Cirella-Urrutia, Huston-Tillotson University, USA Claire Conilleau, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, France Robert Crawford, University of Technology, Australia Renee Dickason, University of Brittany, France Koenraad Du Pont, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven/ Brussels Center for Journalism Studies, Belgium Jakub Kazecki, Bates College, USA Jenna L. Kubly, Tufts University, USA Adrian T. Lewis, Leiden University, The Netherlands Felicia Hardison Londré, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA Fabrice Lyczba, University Paris-Dauphine, France John Mullen, Université Paris Est Créteil, France Lawrence Napper, King’s College, UK Francesco Pitassio, University of Udine, Italy Karen Randell, Bedfordshire University, UK Amy Wells, Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, France.” –The Publisher

#HumorEntertainmentandPopularCultureduringWorldWarI #ClémentineTholas #KarenARitzenhoff

SEE Guest Resource | Humor, Entertainment, and Popular Culture During World War I co-edited by Clémentine Tholas and Karen A. Ritzenhoff | Palgrave, 2015

Assault on Immigrants

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @socialist offers context for the whipping scene we were sickened with recently.

“An important thread runs through the lead articles in this issue of The Organizer Weekly Newsletter: the imperialist policies of mass deportations, plunder, destruction of nations, and appalling exploitation and oppression are fully bipartisan.”

“War and unbridled exploitation are the face of a capitalist system in its death agony – a system that can survive only through massive war spending and speculation. Congress has just approved the largest-ever war budget — $770 billion — with an additional $1 billion installment to shore up the Israeli war machine and a promise of much more to come. A few days earlier Biden announced that this military buildup was needed to counter the ‘threat’ from China; hence the need for a new military pact with Australia and the UK called Aukus.” — The Organizer

READ | T.O. 39: True Face of Capitalism – Assault on Immigrants – New Alliance Against China – Reports from Brazil – Abortion Rights in Mexico | The Organizer Weekly Newsletter | Issue No. 39 | 9/28/2021

Two Parties Agree on Competition with China: “The Bill that United the Senate”

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @handmaidstale__ We need unity like this to avoid #TheComingTyranny. @mikiebarb & @SangerNYT of @TheDailyNYT @nytimes walk us thru a united time in the Senate over competition w/China.

Environmental catastrophe is some of what motivated the destruction of the U.S. in Gilead. Different views on how to address the plunging birth rate is behind the strategy of forcing women into the position of breeder, under the title “handmaid.”

It seems to me that the way to avoid such tragically harsh approaches to solving a problem is to altogether avoid the problem – meaning address global warming in a serious way.

This has been an unpleasant week if you’ve been paying attention to how two Democrats are threatening to derail Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan. It seems the two dominant parties can’t agree on anything – and the Democrats alone, are divided. The image of a broken America looms large.

Yet I recall a few months ago when the two sides came together quite easily, and with little fanfare. It was around the issue of competition with China. The story was striking to me back in June because I was thinking about how we can’t address global warming, but capitalism is perfectly capable of coming together when the issue is global competitiveness.

The bipartisan bill is designed to fund cutting-edge, high-tech industries (including semi-conductors [computer chips], autonomous vehicles, robotics, artificial intelligence, synthetic biology [creation of new organisms], and quantum computing [high speed]). It provides over $200 billion, and at the time was the largest piece of industrial policy the country had seen in decades. The fear: Dependence on China, which has been soaring ahead in research and development in these areas for much of the past decade.

Listen in as Michael Barbaro and David E. Sanger of The New York Times walk us through “The Bill that United the Senate.” — LMO

“The Senate passed the largest piece of industrial policy seen in the U.S. in decades on Tuesday [June 8, 2021], directing about a quarter of a trillion dollars to bolster high-tech industries…In an era where lawmakers can’t seem to agree on anything, why did they come together for this?…Guest: David E. Sanger, a White House and national security correspondent for The New York Times.” — The Daily

LISTEN to how a bipartisan bill to fund select new industries passed the Senate recently. | “The Bill that United the Senate” | The Daily, a podcast by The New York Times | 6/9/2021

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 3 RECAP

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @handmaidpredict A good way to get ready for the 10/14, 8 pm ET Sneak Peek of “If America Fails” is to check out @HandmaidsOnHulu videos by @manofrecaps. He’s thorough! Here’s Season 3.

“Welcome back to the Republic of Gilead, where everything is still awful! June abandoned her chance to escape so she can stay behind to rescue her daughter and join the resistance! This is the Recap to get you ready for The Handmaid’s Tale Season 4, only on Hulu April 28th…This is The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Recap, Review, Breakdown, Reaction, Timeline, Theories, and Ending Explained. All about The Republic of Gilead, and the characters June, Serena, Commander Waterford, Nick, Aunt Lydia, Janine, Commander Lawrence, and more. Catch up before the Season 4 trailer and premiere.” — Man Of Recaps

WATCH 6:39 | The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 3 RECAP | Man Of Recaps | Apr 21, 2021

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Trailer

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @HandmaidPodcast We’re catching up on past seasons as we wait on new episodes of @HandmaidsOnHulu.

“Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.” — Rotten Tomatoes TV

WATCH 2:11 | The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV | May 1, 2019

In These Times “Takeover” Issue is Visually Stunning

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @ForThePeopleChi This beautiful artwork “Deeply Rooted” by #NaimahThomas, is made available to the public. That, to me, is the real meaning of art from a spirit who truly seeks to move Black Lives. Thank you Naimah Thomas and @inthesetimesmag for this art and for this stunningly beautiful issue. #M4BL

“’Deeply Rooted,’ by artist Naimah Thomas, captures the breadth, diversity and energy of today’s Black Lives Matter activists as they tear down structures of oppression and build up a new world. The art also pays homage to the ancestors whose words and ideas animate the movement. Feel free to tear it out and hang it on a wall, on the street or anywhere the message is needed.”
— In These Times

SEE | Deeply Rooted | In These Times by Guest Artist Naimah Thomas | 7/15/2021

Calling A Traitor A Traitor

@ASoulAFire @JaniceOCG @_handmaidstale In “Donald J. Trump: Traitor,” @MelGurtov of @NatCounterPunch raises issue of why Trump is not being described in the media as a traitor and held to account on that basis. I wonder, too.

It may seem like we are helpless in fighting the fascism that has come our way – and perhaps we are. On the other hand, it’s curious why we’re not effectively using the tools at our command – while we still have them. One such tool is the language we use to describe our crumbling democracy and the actors leading the way to America’s demise. We may look to the media for such leadership in framing the issues, but if corporate media can’t or won’t describe the depth of the threat to this country’s political system, we can at least have clarity in our own minds. Donald J. Trump is a traitor. It’s that simple. Now what? — LMO

Mel Gurtov reminded us that President George W. Bush said, on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,

“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.”
— George W. Bush

READ | Donald J. Trump: Traitor | by Mel Gurtov | CounterPunch | 9/30/2021

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: