Masih Alinejad -- A Voice Much Louder Than Mine

I have had a few posts promoting how the Western influential women could help the Iranian women movement in their plight for equal rights, particularly the right to determine their appearance. Their right to not wear head cover, hijab, on a daily basis is being trampled on by the religious oligarchy called Islamic Republic in Iran.  Ms. Alinejad, an Iranian journalist, recently made a call on Julie Bishop not to wear hijab when visiting Iran.  It is such a pleasure to see she is taking up this call. Alinejad's voice has more weight and reach than my little known blog. Maybe this idea will get some traction at last

I have been promoting this idea of Ms. Alinejad on a broader basis.  Please see these two previous posts http://www.siamakz.com/2013/12/bomb-iran-or.html and an earlier one http://www.siamakz.com/2013/10/ms-ambassador.html

We need to turn this call into a broad political campaign or even lobby the centers of power in the Western democracies.

Syriza, Podemos and Occupy Wall Street

Podemos, a leftist coalition, seems to be on its way to repeat Syriza's victory, this time in Spain. A couple of days ago I found an opportunity to listen to one of the leaders of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias. He could be the possible winner in the next Spanish election.

Some voices of reason within the Muslim community

It is undeniable that there are voices of reason within the Muslim community where their criticism begins with the criticism of their own community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzP8e9b_OT8

Am I Charlie?

Shortly after the news of the savage massacre of the Charlie Hebdo's staff, in Paris, splashed across the network, I said "I am Charlie!" In no uncertain terms I repeated this, in French, "Je suis Charlie" and in Farsi, "من چارلی هستم". But, am I Charlie?

Je Suis Charlie

I am Charlie
من چارلی هستم

Aristocratic Democracy

Have you ever noticed how people express themselves about democracy and how they differ on it? This difference is more distinct among the Iranian émigrés to the point that I see it in a category by itself. Approach of the Iranian émigrés to the subject of “democracy” is different than the people who have been raised here, in the U.S. Probably many other ethnic immigrants share this characteristic difference.

Innocence, Justice and the One Sided War

These days pictures of demolished buildings, dead and severely hurt children, men and women mourning have filled the Internet channels.  Videos of the anguished calling for revenge, justice, or revenge and justice, on behalf of these "innocent" children, women and the elderly pop up everywhere.  Those who post these gut wrenching images are in a race with each other to post more and appeal to their friends and their circles to repost and find more to share. In posting these images zealous among them are the radical Islamists and the leftists in the U.S. and Europe.

Imperialism the Boogeyman -- Book

With the Bolshevik's victory the revision of Marx's ideas took on an accelerated pace, to the degree that the prophet himself could not have dreamt about. The prophet's bust and image adorned many public squares and halls. At the same time Marx's disciples kept splitting, competing to raise his banner higher, all oblivious that they are holding the prophet upside down.

Wildfire of Marxism -- Book

Marx died in Britain in obscurity. That was 1883, for his funeral only a handful of people were present, one among them was a British. No detachments of the British "proletariat" were present to salute their discoverer. In this most important capitalist country of that time, 19th century, there was no report of a single representative of British "proletariat" trying in any way to attend. "Proletariat" was absent from the funeral of a person who later became the idol of the "scientific socialism", his bust occupying many public squares and his image adorning great many walls private and public.

Shifting Sands of Marxism -- Book

Where do these tenets of Marx's views stand among the Marxists and the broader left today? It is barely a lip service to the prophet. In maintaining Marx's "materialist" view his disciples are hardly any different from the Christians and Moslems who have tried to decipher the principles of mathematics and physics from the pages of Bible and Qur'an, and with every new scientific advancement they belabor to justify their holy books.

Exchange and Trade -- Book

How can we measure Marx's notions of trade and exchange and how has it evolved since? Examination of this question is important for understanding how Marx's perception of exploitation evolved through his disciples. Marx saw trade beginning with the exchange of things where through capitalist corruption it gets extended to other spheres of human relationships, exchange of non-material.

Revolution -- Book

Marx saw reform and compromise as futile and in many respects illusory. In his view progress was ultimately possible only through revolution. Society needed a social upheaval, a revolution, to promote certain perceived interests, workers interest, and eliminate other interests, the capitalists. In his view this process was natural and inevitable where the learned like himself had only to participate and be its shaman, the wise one. As time passed he became more frustrated with his own prognosis while piling on theoretical constructs.

The State -- Book

Marxists view of the state is an extension of their rigid view of other social relationships and economic categories. It is crude and ahistorical. Their perception of state is an organization that came to existence with the development of trade and creation of class society. These Marxian class societies have a standing armed organization. Whereby this organization's central task is to protect the interests of the privileged classes against the disenfranchised ones. The role of the downtrodden is to suffer and wait for an opportunity to overthrow the propertied classes.

Exploitation -- Book

Marx's notion of class begins with the assumption that there was a stage not too long ago when there were no classes, i.e. there were no privileges and no exploitation. He contends that in the primitive tribes everyone was equal because everyone more or less did the same thing, everyone consumed the same and at the end of the day there was nothing left. There was no accumulation of things and therefore no basis for privilege and therefore no "classes".

Class Struggle -- Book

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." That is Marx's vision of the history and is one of the fundamental principles that every Marxist adheres to. This declaration of Marx in Communist Manifesto probably is as important to the Marxist theorists as his economic theories. I have dealt with the foundation of Marx's economic theory earlier but the question is how valid is Marx's famous notion about "class struggle" and history. This is a statement that shouts out through the entire Marx's writings. One cannot conceive of Marxism without his perception of the history and the "class struggle".

Alienation -- Book

There are multiple and broad concepts attached to the word alienation but Marx took up this word and gave it a particular socioeconomic meaning. His concept of alienation which one can read in his early writings and mostly is associated with the young Marx is basically the separation of the worker from the means of production.

The Family -- Book

One of the corollaries of Marx & Engels's thesis is that with socialism not only the state will wither away, but the nuclear family will be done with also. Their understanding was that the existence of monogamous relationships, nuclear family, was based only on the needs of the "class" society to transfer wealth to their off spring and the family really does not have any useful function among the working people other than a mechanism for the reproduction of new workers to be exploited. The height of the influence of this idea was reflected in the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 70s in the West with varied consequences. Complications of the issue of the nuclear family is an ongoing discussion of our modern world, that whether a healthy and functioning nuclear family is indispensable for a socially responsible upbringing and what are the negative and positive influences of this cultural landslide.

Marxist Eden Lost -- Book

In the next few posts I am returning to some other sections of my book. The first few sections apart from the introductions dealt with the core principles that Marx enunciated, his economic principles. In these next sections I am dealing with Marx's social manifestations of his principles. As before titles of these posts are ending with "... -- Book" and for the purpose of the continuity I encourage you to read the earlier posts with similar title patterns.

Confession

I voted for Kshama Sawant for Seattle City Council to replace Richard Conlin.  Sawant is a confessed socialist with red hot slogans. People who are familiar with me and my blog, they know that I am writing against the communist and socialist ideas. During the past presidential election I criticized the people who were gearing up to vote socialist instead of voting for president Obama. See my blog "Honk for Jesus or Vote Socialist".

Blueprint

An architect's drawing of a bridge on a sheet of paper connecting two impassable land masses is an initial concept.