totalitarianism today

Oliver Stone's latest take on US history.

Oliver Stone's interest in US history will be on display again in his new Showtime project "The Untold History Of The United States" today in Cannes, where international buyers will show their approval with dollar signs.

"Untold History" offers a re-examination of crucial yet perhaps under-reported events in American history, exploring such issues as what Stalin said to President Truman which led to the atomic bomb being dropped on Japan, whether Reagan was the best or worst U.S. president of all time and whether the U.S. military industrial complex was responsible for the Vietnam war.

It will revisit in factual form some of the historical dramas that have played a central role in some of Stone's biggest movies, and will attempt to offer new detailed insights into events that shaped the cold War and the America of today.

Stone's ambitions for this film are nothing short of gargantuan:

"It is the deepest contribution I could ever make in film to my children and the next generation," said Stone.

"I can only hope a change in our thinking will result."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

 

Gainsbourg, la fille.

Charlotte Gainsbourg remains scantily-known in the States. Her hair is an advertisement for listlessness, her nose clearly needs "work", and she smokes in bed-- not the sort of lady preferred by most strapping, treadmill-pounding American males. Which is fine, since there is nothing quite as revolting as strapping American males seeking female company.

All straps, males, and escargot aside, it's nice to see her face in an American newspaper. The Village Voice's recent interview with her, occasioned by the release of Lars von Triers' latest film, Antichrist, opens the door to questions of incest, misogyny, psychoanalysis, working with porn stars, and other rites of passage.

A few songs by Gainsbourg to sample as you await the January 2010 release of her new album, MRI, produced by Beck. Perhaps the album title was inspired by the brain aneurysm she suffered not too long ago?

MORNING SONG by Charlotte Gainsbourg

BEAUTY MARK by Charlotte Gainsbourg

And because I can't help myself, here is a little tune from Charlotte's father.

S.S. IN URUGUAY by Serge Gainsbourg

The right to rest: US and Soviet leisure.

In 1922, well in advance of other industrialized nations, the Soviet Union stipulated that all workers were entitled to a two- week annual paid vacation.

Unfortunately, the visionary Soviet concept of worker vacations got entangled in communism’s indifference to the role of the family and its cluelessness about sex. The Soviet vacation evolved into a solitary medical rest period, a model from which it suffered throughout its 74-year history.

The Soviets devised vacations as a “medically necessary antidote to the harsh conditions of industrial labor,” according to Koenker. They built monumental (and expensive) health spas offering suntanning, mineral water and seawater baths, massages, diets, and an obligatory “dead hour” for naps. Recreation consisted of volleyball, lectures, slide shows, and “lots and lots of dancing.” To try to meet demand, state officials built simpler facil ities—rest homes and tent camps with cots and a central area for do- it- yourself meals.

Access to a vacation required possession of a voucher passed from central trade union authorities to local union organizations to local enterprise committees. Some vouch ers were awarded for meritorious service or given to workers in great need, and the others were sold for a percentage of their face value. There were never enough to go around, and it was virtually impossible for a couple to get two vouchers to the same place at the same time. Children were forbidden at most spas and rest homes.

More about the revolutionary character of Soviet leisure from Diane P. Koenker. As for the image, think Rocky goes to Moscow.

The golden days of Romanian communism.

A new film, Tales From the Golden Age, promises a wry look backwards at Romanian communism in the 1980's. The film's title, somewhat lost in translation, is a pun-laden reference to the "Gilded Age", or the Belle Epoque. American critics haven't exactly taken to the film so far, but it takes a Titanic sometimes to get American critics going. For those who don't need a Titanic, here's the trailer:

Tintin's Soviet adventures: Early commi-skepticism in French cartoons.

Do I have a special place in my heart for the French Tintin because his first literary adventure took place in the land of Soviet Russia? Mais, bien sur.

In 1929, Tintin In the Land of the Soviets appeared in a children's supplement to a Belgian daily newspaper, Le Vingtième Siècle. Hergé's satire on the Soviet state preceded the grand anti-communist crusades of the 1940's and 1950's . Soviet propaganda to persuade the world outside Russia that the economy was booming was a particular target for Hergé, as were the activities of the secret police, the OGPU.

According to Benoît Peeters, the only source Hergé used when making this album was a book entitled, "Moscou sans voiles" from 1928 by Joseph Douillet. Douillet was the Belgian Consul in Rostov. Some of the scenes from the the album was taken directly from Douillet's book including the voting scene. Onderzoek shares the scene in question:

We see the communist comrade Oebijkon (who is resigning from the presidency) delivering a speech. This is what he says: 'We have tree lists: one of these comes from the communist party. Let anyone who is against this list raise their hand!' At the same moment Oebijkon and four of his comrades pull their revolvers and direct them menacingly at the peasant audience. Oebijkon continued: 'Who votes against this list? No one? Then I declare that anyone voted for the communist list. There is no need to vote for the other two lists anymore.'

Herge was just twenty-three when he wrote this first Tintin story. For more tantalizing Tin-isms:

• Yuri Kim has more on Tintin's  travels in the USSR.
• Listen to the Tintin TV series tune here.
• Enjoy the Greek-ish music associated with Tintin's travels and the Golden Fleece.
• Download an entire Tintin adventure in English; The Red Sea Sharks makes for great car tripping. And this French episode, truer to form, makes for great trips of all kinds.
• It never hurts to have a few Tintin coloring pages printed out for grumpy old folks and Francophobe friends. 
• The Economist pays tribute to Tintin, a "very European hero".
• Was Herge an anti-communist who collaborated with fascists? Or something equally bete? Some anti-Semitism mixed in there? More on Tintin's ideology.

Good morning links.

Tel Aviv is using social media to state its case in the Gaza conflict, but Will Ward of Arab Media and Society says the most effective voices in the internet propaganda war hail from outside official channels. Listen to the details on the social media propaganda war between Hamas and Israel.

France opened a permanent military base in the Gulf in order to "bolster" security. The base, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates, will be home to 400 to 500 French personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force and will effectively control the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Until now, only the United States has had military bases in the oil-rich region, but Persian Gulf officials have been talking about bringing in other military partners for several years as a result of declining U.S. influence among Arab countries.

The Russian version of The God Father-in-Law, the book of Rakhat Aliyev, published in Germany, is being distributed via internet in PDF format to everyone, willing to read it. The tremendous amount of readers' interest in this book has been fueled by Kazakhstan's Prosecutor-General’s Office's prohibition on reading and distributing this book which (in the opinion of Prosecutor-General’s Office) "reveals state secrets". Kazakhs who are found reading or distributing this book can be persecuted and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. Russian readers can get their copy online today. 

Pennsylvanians can enjoy the Guerilla Drive-In, a group which stages secret film viewings in settings that match the theme of the movie being screened. A few examples from their past: Caddyshack was shown at a golf course, Meatballs at a canoe rental company, and Ghostbusters was screened at the haunted Fort Mifflin. All the movies are shown using a 1970's Eiki school projector mounted on a 1977 BMW R100/7 sidecar rig. Those in Los Angeles can get their cine-servings in the cemetary with Cinespia. And GOOD magazine can get the hat tip.

Gorbie releases his first rock CD and dedicates it to his wife. 

Cold Warrior Daniel Pipes is still fighting-- this time, his front line takes the form of a media campaign to have the war in the Middle East recognized under the Cold War rubric.

Extras: Der Speigel devotes a cover issue to who else apart from the Germans and French welcomed and worked with Nazi troops in Europe. + Leonard Bernstein's somewhat symphonic political life. + Jerome's Einstein on Israel reveals the "essential history of debate over Zionism and a Jewish state". + America's third front: Obama and the War on Drugs. + Serbia isn't doing enough to stop human trafficking. + The fine line between a soldier's duty and his anger, the examples offered by the soldiers in Chechnya. + A terrific, firmly liberal critique of D-News editor Joseph Cannon and Paul Johnson by One Utah. Love it. + A young Serb tries to bring "scientific consciousness" to Serbia after winning a sex prize.

The most sensual jazz immediately available.

The most sensual jazz record in my collection is Miles Davis' Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud. Miles created an immortal score for French film director Louis Malle's debut film noir, Elevator to the Gallows, starring Jeanne Moreau. In the liner notes to the Verve recording, Pierre Michelot describes the emergent order which characterized the recording sessions:

The session took place after the European tour, so we were used to playing together. We arrived at the Poste Parisien around ten, Jeanne Moreau was there, and we had a drink together. Miles was very relaxed, as if the music he was playing wasn't that important. It was only later that I leaned he'd already been to a screening, and that he'd known about the project for several weeks. So he knew exactly what he wanted, and he also knew what he wanted from us, which is very much to his credit. What was typical of this session was the absence of a specific theme. This was new for the period, especially with the soundtrack for a film. 

Now the music, the siren call that makes even slippers seem excessive. You can listen to the tunes below most appropriately late at night, completely alone, with only the cover of skin to stand between you and Mr. Davis' charm.

Nuit Sur Les Champs-Élysées (Take 1) 

Assassinat (Take 2) Julien Dans l'Ascenseur 

Final (Take 3) Chez Le Photographe Du Motel

Generique

Florence Sur Les Champs-Élysées

Diner Au Motel

Visit Du Vigile

Au Bar Du Petit Bac

Chez Le Photographe Du Motel

Top ten list of movies about international relations, take 3.

Dan Drezner shares his "top ten list of movies about international relations", inspired by Steve Walt's list of movies that tell us something about international relations more broadly. Dan and Steve agree on Dr. Strangelove and Casablanca. Their differences are worth exploring. If forced to bring down the bar a bit, I would add three more films to either list: 

Sir! No Sir! (2005) - David Zeiger's fascinating documentary follows the forgotten anti-war activities of American GI's and military associates during the Vietnam war days. As a testament to the constraints imposed on US foreign policy in the post-Vietnam era, the film helps us understand why covert operations became a more popular means of US foreign policy during the Reagan years. It also reveals reasons for the our government's increased sensitivity to public opinion on military engagement, alas, the Achilles heel of American foreign policy.

Red Dawn (1984) - The ultimate Cold War epic. Eight all-American teenagers wage unremitting guerilla warfare against invading communist nationals. You get it all-- non-stop action, xenophobia, Red scares galore, and football champs who save the world.

Don't Drink the Water (1994) - International relations relies on the conventions and tact of foreign embassy life to keep foreign relations purring along. Or does it? Woody Allen's portrayal of an American family who gets stuck behind the Iron Curtain as part of an an international espionage incident is both humorous and nostalgic.

Max Borders and Roderick Long on the best of totalitarianism.

Roderick fills in the gaps for me with self-deprecating words like "lousy". I must say that when I look over Sir Long's list of books which did not make my top 100 list, I remember why he was such a wonderful professor. Because he knew more than me. Alas, if only we could turn this list into another eclectic philosophy independent study course at Auburn... Especially the Bakunin. I hanker for the Bakunin.

Meanwhile, Max Borders sent a list of his top 10  books (with comments) and films on totalitarianism. If you have any questions about his choices, take the brief link-trek over to his blog and pose them.

Max's Top 10 Books:

1. Hannah Arendt - On the Origins of Totalitarianism. Pretty definitive.
2. Karl Popper - The Open Society and it's Enemies (2 books) A must read.
3. George Orwell - 1984. Duh.
4. Ayn Rand - Anthem. With chagrin and gratitude in equal portions.
5. William Styron - Sophie's Choice. Major character haunted by totalitarian past. Beautiful fictional rendering.
6. F. A. Hayek - The Road to Serfdom. Of course.
7. Viktor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning. If I can create meaning for myself in a concentration camp, you can create meaning for yourself in suburbia. Logotherapy.
8. B.F. Skinner - On Freedom and Dignity. A handbook for totalitarians and people who missed out on the nature/nurture debate.
9. Plato - The Republic. A handbook for totalitarians and would be philosopher kings. "Yes we can!"
10. Alexander Solzhenitsyn - The Gulag Archipelago. I've never read this. I'm embarrassed to admit it. But everyone else says it's very important.

Max's Top 10 Movies:

1. The Singing Revolution
2. The Pianist
3. Life is Beautiful
4. Brazil
5. A.I.
6. Schindler's List
7. V for Vendetta
8. Star Wars
9. 1984
10. Doctor Zhivago

The manufacture of consent, my evening with a Noam Chomsky documentary.

While living in Cambridge, watching with growing nausea as the students of Harvard protested janitors wages while ignoring the Bush administration's threat to wage war on Iraq, I started reading Noam Chomsky. Before long, I found myself blogging, at first, to find fellow-travelers and then to live the truth, as I perceived it. Though I disagree with a number of Chomsky's views, I appreciate his willingness to speak truth to power and to insist on commitment to a moral, as opposed to a merely tolerant, world.

Manufacturing Consent, the movie,includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. The historical interviews are especially interesting. Everything-- from Chomsky's childhood to his anarcho-syndicalism to the accusations of anti-Semitism levied against him-- is fair game in this documentary. I won't waste time trying to summarize it. At one point, Chomsky defends his love for America and his role as a critic of American governments:

"It's my country, and it's the freest country in the world... It ends up being a very free society that does a lot of rotten things in the world.. There is virtually no correlation between the internal freedom of a society and its external behavior."

In an interview with William F. Buckley, Chomsky confronts Cold War mythology as espoused by a winking Buckley. I've added all 58 minutes below for your aesthetic enjoyment. Even if you hate Chomsky, you might enjoy watching Buckley's flirtatious public style.

Many of the links below are covered, introduced, or suggested in the film:

• Zmag used to be a sure shot for finding the latest Chomsky article. Now that he is writing less, you can find articles and essays by various other free-thinkers.
• Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent, online ebook.
• Chomsky's critics, a list of links and articles.
• Chomsky for philosophers web page, though linguists might also appreciate it.
• "Telling the truth about imperialism", David Barsamian interviews Chomsky, 11 September 2003.
• "What makes mainstream media mainstream", Chomsky, June 1997.
• "Human rights and the United States", Chomsky, 18 June 1993.
• "Rogue states", Chomsky.
• "The reasons for my concern: Noam Chomsky on US foreign policy", 13 June 1983.
• "On the responsibility of intellectuals", Chomsky, 20 April 1967.
• Chomsky's debate with Michel Foucault, 1971.
• Chomsky's debate with Bill Bennett on 9-11, May 2002.
• Chomsky's debate with Stanley Hoffman on the ethics of intervention, March 1969.