Os Cangaceiros

That was supposed to be an angry face, fuck vBulletin

Dr. Le Quack, we meet again >

I see that you are now too cool for an avatar.

that is such a great discussion and i'm so glad i got involved with it.

i'm not a fan of irish republicanism but i don't really have any particular insights on it, just your standard opposition to national liberation struggles. but yeah, i'm from an irish background with a long history of involvement with irish republicanism, going back as early as the united irishmen according to my grand father. that's part of the reason i find the american fascination with it so odd.

and i agree totally re: maoism being unattractive, but i find reading about it - particularly in the "first world" pretty entertaining, just because it's so nuts and it seems to have the best gossip of any tendency -- like, reading about foucault's involvement with maoism in france or whatever, makes me laugh.

possibly of interest to you, idk:

http://libcom.org/history/notes-towards-critique-maoism

Revlefters gonna revleft.

Ticktin argues that the USSR was essentially a non-society, a society in decay that could only collapse.

What held it together? The all-pervasive bureaucracy. Everyone watched everyone and you had two choices: Either you went with the flow or not. Either way, everyone watched everyone and it was impossible for individuals to organise an opposition to this.

This was also the reason why, when the bureaucratic grip softened in the 1980's, society dissolved so fast and eventually collapsed. This is something Ticktin sees as something progressive as it opened, for the first time in decades, a space where people were allowed to think for themselves. And a thinking working class is a crucial first step towards a self-emancipating working class.

reckon this might be up your street; not really 'giallo', but yeah:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1833844/

i thought it was pretty good.

anyway, how have you been? and, as i always ask, what have you been reading lately?