Islamists can make...peace?

Children in Gaza celebrate the ceasfire

I'm not going to rehash the madness re: the violence in Gaza over the past week. There has been plenty written about it, much of it not particularly well. However, now that we have a ceasefire, there is one thing I wanted to bring up. Who helped broker this ceasefire? Well...looks like the big bad Egyptian government. You know, the country run by Mohammad Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood guy. Yes. The Muslim Brotherhood. Remember all that talk after the Egyptian Revolution about how democratization in the Middle East was not cool because they'd elect people we didn't like...and people who'd cause more trouble? Yeah...funny how that worked out.

The Plutocrats are Coming!

Plutocrats have played a prominent role in the 2012 American elections. Plutocracy is basically the notion of rule by the wealthy - it has been used pretty negatively throughout history, but also has been a propaganda tool by some of the worst facist states of our time. There is little debate that we have some sort of plutocracy in America today - especially post-Citizens United, the rich have an inordinate amount of influence in our political system. In the 2010 races, outside money played a huge role in the GOP winning back the House of Representatives, and in this year's campaign cycle, the ultra wealthy are putting in even more dollars, mostly to support Mitt Romney and the Republicans. But...plutocracy isn't necessarily about political ideology - Democrats get plenty of money from the wealthy, too. In recent years, plutocrats have felt more under assault in America than ever before - this may be technically true, because they've been paying historically low taxes, so any interest in raising these rates will threaten them, whether fair or not. With the financial meltdown, there is a greater interest in the wealth gap, which has widened substantially. In the 1960s, workers made a few times less than CEOs, but now, they make hundreds of times less than CEOs. Additionally, plutocrats basically failed...their insistence on deregulation and their risky financial behavior played a major role in the economic meltdown. Of course, the backlash only seemed to solidify in their minds that they know what's right for the country, and seemed to create greater paranoia that everyone is out to get them. The right-wing hasn't helped matters much, though they might be getting their cues from the people who are financially backing them...wait for it...the plutocrats! Just look at who bankrolls the Tea Party, for example - Jane Mayer's famous expose on the Koch brothers is here). The 2012 race seems to bring the issue of plutocracy to the forefront...though, again, both Democrats and Republicans are relying on the wealthy to finance them. For a great discussion of this issue, check out this fantastic discussion on Bill Moyers' show, with guests Matt Taibbi (of Rolling Stone) and Chrystia Freeland (of Reuters).

Argo and Hollywood's "Muslim World" Problem

I happened to read a blurb about Argo, the new Middle East thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck a month ago. As someone with a bit of understanding of the dynamics of Iran in the 20th century, I was clearly interested. Also, knowing that Affleck, a politically knowledgeable actor who was close to one of the most outspoken progressives of the 20th century, the late Howard Zinn, made me think that this might be a movie that could teach America a little about the Middle East, minus the usual jingoism and xenophobia. Well, having just watched Argo a few nights ago...progress is slow. Considering the rise of the Islamophobia network over the past decade, this is unfortunate. Argo is only slightly better than the usual Hollywood narrative about Muslims.

Podcast Episode 11: Can a YouTube Video Really Incite Violence?

The attacks against US diplomatic outposts in Egypt, Libya, and elsewhere in the Middle East are allegedly the result of a YouTube film made mocking the Prophet Muhammed. Media coverage has shown Muslims up in arms over this offense but here at There Is No Spoon, we know there's more to the story. Uprisings in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia are always connected to the oppressive sociopolitical environments in these regions. This time, it's no different. This film is a distraction from the real issues. Haroon Moghul (follow him on twitter @hsmoghul) from the New America Foundation and Stephen Sheehi (follow him on twitter @stephensheehi) from the University of South Carolina join Fatima Ashraf, Fouad Pervez, and Junaid Ahmad to discuss. 

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The Problem With Voter ID Laws

Last week I posted the following status message to Facebook. Pennsylvania is making it harder for minorities, students and poor people to vote, Ohio is trying to modify procedures and processes for early voting that extend hours in some counties but not others. There's nothing like a presidential election year for engineering even more divisions and greater cultural gaps, cause that's what our country needs.

Not particularly eloquent, but my comment was intended to point out that tactics that focus on voter suppression and increasing the cultural separation among constituents cause more problems than they solve. I mean really, we should be banding together to solve problems, not creating larger rifts. Instead, I inadvertently invited a barrage of comments both on my Facebook wall, on chats and via email. 

I thought it was interesting that no one commented on Ohio’s now redacted attempt to lengthen early voting hours in some counties, and reducing the available voting hours in others. But since (in response to the heavy backlash) it looks like the program will be amended to ensure equal voting hours in all Ohio counties, let’s focus on the Pennsylvania Voter ID law and the comments that were thrown my way. Some were ridiculous, for example, equivocating the right to vote with purchasing alcohol. 

But some are worth addressing, such as:

• Voter ID laws will combat voter fraud and are therefore necessary.
• It won’t impact that many people anyway, I don’t know why we don’t have these in every state.
• It takes a one person just as long to wait in line at a registry office as another, this has nothing to do with race, age or gender.
• It’s easy to get an ID. 
• All you have to do is go to the registry office, it isn’t that hard.
• Most states with voter ID laws make getting the voting ID free.

• People with IDs are better off.

While I do agree with the last point, that having a government issued ID is beneficial, tying these benefits to a requirement for voting impacts a state’s population in disproportionate ways, and obtaining an ID is not that easy (especially if you don’t drive) and rules varies from state to state. 

I will address the comments after the jump and I'll focus primarily on PA, since it's the newest law and is currently under review. But first: 

• if you're interested in reading a detailed study on the impacts and implications of exaggerating voter fraud problems and enacting restrictions on voting, this document by the Brennan Center for Justice is an excellent resource. 
• This site is a good source for information on state requirements for voter id requirements nationwide.
• You can find a list of voter registration deadlines by state here.

Now onto the comments!

The More Things Change...Part 2

Really, NY Post? Do we have to go through this again???

One of the first No Spoon posts dealt with the rather racist ever-classy New York Post cartoon of two white cops shooting a chimpanzee to death over the stimulus bill...the connection being the chimpanzee story in Connecticut at that time, and of course, a black American president being depicted as a chimp. No racism there. None. Have a look at the post here. Well, guess what? The Post is at it again, this time with a cartoon (cartoons again???) covering the controversy surrounding the New York Police Department (NYPD) spying on Muslim across the Northeast. Really funny stuff. And by funny, I mean the xenophobes who draw, write, and connect with this stuff are laughing, while the rest of us are saying...wtf is wrong with you?

MLK: More Than Just "I Have a Dream"

(This oldie-but-goodie is reposted from our archives. Oh, and don't forget to check out this MLK-related post, either) Another year, another MLK day. While many people enjoy this as an extra day off from work or school, a lot of us enjoy to reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That legacy is pretty impressive, but is often reduced to a ridiculously simplistic "black and white people living in harmony" angle by the press and political leaders. In fact, this year, the DoD suggested MLK might understand America's participation in wars today. I'm not even making that up. Seriously. Go read the thing for yourself...it is one of the more insane things I've ever heard.