Kshama Sawant to become Seattle's first socialist City Council member

"I have been waiting for this day all my life" -African-Americans on the election of Barack Obama in 2008.


"I have been waiting for this day all my life, too" -my reaction on the election of Sawant to the Seattle City Council

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from Kiro-TV:
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Conlin-concedes-Sawant-wins--232133551.html


Wonderful news.  Conlin concedes Friday evening.

Socialism is not a dirty word.   Yes. tax the rich and super-rich.   And take Comcast to court for price-gouging.

http://www.king5.com/news/politics/Extended-interview-Kshama-Sawant-232121181.html


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Kshama, help us change the racial politics of Seattle.

As she represents the Central Area, among other places, I hope that she will address, as The Stranger so courageously pointed out time after time, the problem of racial inequity there (African-Americans commit disproportionately high numbers of unspeakably violent crime).

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Bail-set-at-350K-for-teen-accused-in-Metro-robberies--233548481.html#comments

I am hoping that she will state that encouraging minorities to wallow in self-pity, false pride, and self-righteousness* is not helpful to anyone at all--except for demagogues.

She undoubtedly is aware of the fate of one of her own countrymen a few years ago--Manish Melwani, who worked in a 7-11 in Ballard and was shot to death by a young African-American, in a robbery.

Manish Melwani

* As in "We were oppressed for over 200 years; we are oppressed; and we will be oppressed (until we overthrow our 'masters.'"  I've got a megaphone to make my point.

What people won't admit about racial profiling: There is a context within which racial profiling occurs

I do not justify racial profiling.

There are Asians, Caucasians, Hispanics, African-Americans, Arab-Americans, Native Americans who commit violent crimes.

A while back I was a victim of racial profiling myself.

But after the four Lakewood cops were killed in cold blood a couple of years ago, I think people need to address the issue from a different angle.

In my opinion, racial profiling does not occur just because a bunch of rogue cops want to harass people of color without any reason whatsoever (except for 'racism').

* * * * *

This evening I took a bus from downtown Seattle towards the Seattle Center.   I was the only one on the bus until an African-American man got on, who almost immediately began to growl in a hostile, angry tone of voice, "Why are all the windows of this bus open?" (It was raining and windy outside).

A few stops later an Hispanic man got on the bus.  He started to sing rather loudly, not caring whether other passengers heard him or were annoyed.  Okay, I thought, "a drag," but one has to put up with things like this.  A few minutes later, I heard the African-American ask, "Why the hell are you singing?"  At that point I had the queasy feeling and thought that a knife-fight on the bus would ensue.

To my surprise, the last question must have been in jest, as the two man began to talk to each in very friendly, familiar terms.   The continued to chat.  At one point, the Hispanic man spoke of "I got of jail...and I then almost broke that guy's nose.   I mean, I didn't I broke it...he was down on the ground.  Luckily, I could have said, 'Self-defense.'  'He started swinging first.'"

* * * * *

Racial profiling of African-American and Hispanic males must be seen in the context of extremely high rates of violent crime among both demographic groups.*  Those who omit this inconvenient fact in their condemnation of racial profiling are not being forthright.   I would include President Obama among them.

To reduce or eliminate racial profiling, we need to first understand (1) what racial profiling actually is, (3) how and by whom it is determined, and (3) why it happens in different situations to certain groups.

Does a backlash against ostensible racial profiling lead to perpetrators getting off "scott free"?

A frank, open discussion is still forthcoming.  Until there is a tolerance for different viewpoints, this will not happen.



* Such information is not easily found for reasons, I believe, of political correctness.   In addition, as far as the anecdotal goes, certain communities decry the mention of the race of perpetrator(s) and victim(s) in news coverage.

Aujourd'hui, le 8 novembre 2013, lendemain du centenaire d'Albert Camus

The Visitor

Franz von Stuck,, "The Wild Hunt," (1899), Musee d'Orsay, on loan to the Frye Art Museum until February 2, 2014.


I had a secret admirer until recently.  Now she has gone public.

A blogger named Water has commented on my blog posting "I am curious (Do you feel the love too?)."


This is what Water wrote:


I found your blog through a particularly uninformed and poorly written review on Yelp, where you seem to be fond of writing one star reviews. 

My god, what a ignorant and pointless diary this is. People like you who are not only unlikeable in every way and feel the need to spread their own brand of miserable and boring "thoughts" AND have the audacity to critique things you so clearly know nothing about are what makes this city so often insufferable. 

You don't know how to use a comma and your hyphen over/misuse is shameful. I can only assume that your only "social" outlet is "writing" because no one can stand to actually be in your presence. 

If I believed in superstitious cliches, I might write something about how the universe will correct itself in some way by severing your fingers and or cutting out your tongue, but since I'm not delusional I will just have to find humor in knowing what a disgusting, friendless and just plain stupid sack of human waste you are. 

My advice: don't advertise it. 

P.S. I anxiously await your witty retort, but since I will never read or think about your blog again, I'll just have to dream about it and hope I don't choke to death on my own vomit while unconscious. That probably won't happen, however, because I don''t have to sleep alone. 




Rest, Water, Rest. 

Puvis de Chavannes, "Le Reve" (1879), Musee d'Orsay

Updated review of the Frye Art Museum (on yelp.com)

"evening star" of franz von stuck, museum villa von stuck, on loan to the frye art museum, seattle, nov. 1, 2013-feb. 2,2014.  The actual painting is of a different hue, much more deep, dark green- aquamarine.

Khnopff, "I Lock My Door Upon Myself" (1891) in Munich.   Not in the exhibition, which is devoted to Franz von Stuck.

Note:    I am a member of the Frye and eat at the cafe, as I believe that the Frye, with its free admission, and well designed galleries deserve support from the community.

I also have great respect for the Frye's unfailingly gracious, knowledgeable director Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker.   I am thrilled with the fact that they have someone with a very European sensibility who has an intimate knowledge of late nineteenth century German/central European art.

She strengthens immeasurably the Frye with her understanding of the main collection and relations with continental museums.

It is nonetheless wonderful that late 19th century German art, which if only for historical reasons and not aesthetic ones alone, has long been in the shadow of French art, has a local spokesperson.

Americans of all backgrounds (races/religions/political affiliation/ethnicity) need to know something about European history and culture.  I'm one of those who believe that Americans, far from from being Eurocentric*, would do well to have at least a modicum of interest and knowledge of the ancestral home of at least 70% of them rather than a narrowly focused attention on the history of  slavery and civil rights in America, important as that may be ("To Kill a Mockingbird," "Beloved," "Django Unchained," "The Help," "The Butler." "Ray"...)."

What about the Norwegians, Polish, Dutch, Scots, Irish, Russians, French, Lebanese, Austrians, Japanese, Mexicans, Native Americans...?

The experiences of all peoples are equally important, even if they are less "dramatic" than those of some.

Recent contemporary art exhibitions at the Frye, in my opinion, have left something to be desired.

* * * * *

The Frye in recent years has become a little too conventional ("everyone says this is 'cool,' so we've to do something similar") and risk-averse.

The following is a good example.

We all--well most of us--understand how dying one's hair a bright henna maroon-purple is a statement of individuality, courage, and originality. 

I'm think it's great that the Frye has so assiduously the past several years tried to open its galleries to contemporary art.   In particular, the current "Burial" exhibition by Mark Mitchell is a direct dialogue between "old" art and "new" art, the former being the collections of the founders of the Frye, mainly paintings.

(So the Frye is no longer a stody museum of post-Victorian continental European painting of the late 19th century and early 20th century).

Among the mannequins is a double of Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes, who The Stranger informs us was "an artist and a black man once brutalized by the Seattle Police."

I believe in equality.  And justice.  And in art as social commentary.

I wonder if the Frye would have the guts to commission clothing from Mark Mitchell to fit a mannequin of Tuba Man, the beloved street musician beaten to death while waiting at a bus stop at the Seattle Center by a group of young African-Americans.

What about four coffins and the everyday clothing of the four Lakewood cops who were murdered in cold blood in broad daylight while sitting in a coffee shop--by a complete stranger?

Or clothes for Justin Ferrari, hit in the head by a stray bullet while driving through the Central Area (he died in his father's arms,  his children, ages 4 and 7, in the backseat)?

It would be truly terrifying--and disturb viewers too much--to consider the possibility of the astronomical proportion of violent crime committed by African-Americans that has nothing to do with racism.  

Hence, the complacent statement of police violence (which occurs at far less than urban beatings/stabbings/shootings/robberies).  

We all love liberal fantasies, after all.


But nothing in this exhibition is not profound.   I'm not even sure if it is art.  It is as didactic, simplistic, and moralizing as anything to be found in mediocre Victorian art, though.

A more inclusive exhibition would be controversial, yes, but would definitely be cutting-edge--challenging the boring status quo--and undoubtedly cause riots but also bring in more bodies (live ones).

That is the very idea behind avant-garde art:  to provoke the viewer into a non-habitual response,

The "Burial" exhibition and its contemporary brethren on the liberal map put the viewer to sleep.

We already know and have memorized the answer:   "Oh yes, isn't racism and police brutality just awful!  Blacks are still terribly oppressed by society."    Amen.



* For instance, ask a few Americans who Voltaire was and see what kind of response you get.  Or why the Magna Carta was important.

Yelp review of The Seattle Times (10-29-13)

Yelp review of 10/29/2013

Yesterday morning, a man is robbed and beaten/kicked to the point that he is in critical condition- with serious head injuries.  

This happened right in downtown Seattle early Saturday morning, October 26.  The victim refused to hand over his backpack to his attackers.

This should be of concern to every Seattleite.  Not just robbery, but the kind of physical violence that is life-traumatizing.

And the Seattle Times does not even consider this worthy of coverage.

I guess this is what the editors and publisher consider "being responsible to the local community."

A man teetering on the brink of death is worth mentioning.

Citizens have a right to know.  And the primary purpose of  a newspaper is to inform them.

Newspapers have no right to withhold news from the public.*

* * * * *

And the Times wants people to subscribe to its online edition.

Don't go for it.

Go to http://kirotv.com instead for local news, as the Seattle Times won't provide it.
http://www.kirotv.com/ne…

I won't wade into what I consider the politically reactionary views expressed by the publisher on the editorial page over the past decade.

* To be fair to the Seattle Times, The Stranger, in its crusade to include incidents of white-on-black violence (as as gay-bashing) across the 50 states and to promote African-American culture, of course, did not consider this much more-closer-to-home news as worthy of coverage, either.  

The policy of The Stranger, even more than at the Times, is to not report black-on-white or black-on-Asian violence, only white-on-black (police "brutality").

I am curious (Do you feel the love, too?)

I am curious.

I am curious as to why the writers and editors of hip newspapers like our local The Stranger feel the need to hard-sell African-Americans and African-American culture.

Week after week, the pages of The Stranger are filled week after week with black people featured in advertisements and in full-length cover stories and columns as well as in plays, films, and music by and about African-Americans (for instance, this week in the film section there were reviews of a documentary on Mohamed Ali and the full-feature "12 Years as a Slave," this on the heels of this year's mega-hits, "The Butler" and "Django Unchained).

Not to forget coverage of sports in this city.

One would think that Seattle were a city of 50% white, 33% black (with the rest a scattering of Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Muslims, etc.).

What's there not to like about the swagger, assertiveness, self-pride ("You're pathetic"), humor, machismo  ("I'm The Man"), heroic self-pity, ,
truculent defiance, sex appeal ("Me Tarzan, You Jane"), and proud-to-be-loud belly-ache of some African-Americans?

The Stranger is preaching to the choir, so to speak.   Or flogging a dead horse, to use another metaphor.

Or is all the effort meant to be directed to an imagined group of racist white homophobic fascist hillbillies  ("white trash") and a coterie of rich white people in Medina?

Oh, unless The Stranger means that if you don't just love African-Americans as it does, you are very suspect.*

Any hold-outs?



* In the spirit of equality, I wonder to myself how many people would feel obligated to love white people just because they are white, Asians just because they are Asian, Jews because they are Jews (and what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust) just because many people do and also strongly believe that others should do as well?