Feeling ambivalent about the Fourth of July? You’re not alone. “I don’t mean love, when I say patriotism,” writes Ursula K. Le Guin in her classic 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness. “I mean fear. The fear of the other. And its expressions are political, not poetical: hate, rivalry, aggression.” In some corners, patriotism … Continue reading »
militarization
Pepper spray
The images are horrifying. A group of UC Davis students sits on the ground, echoing generations of predecessors engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience. A police officer displays a canister to the students standing around, then turns and sprays down at the seated students, walking back and forth, orange liquid streaming out. A second officer comes … Continue reading »