It’s amazing what can happen in a month. When people gather together and say “Enough!” another world seems possible once again. Since the September issue of Raging Chicken Press the #OccupyWallStreet movement has exploded to more than 1,173 cities nation-wide. That’s not a typo. One thousand, one hundred and seventy-three cities. By the time you read this, the number will have probably increased once again. Does the Occupy movement mark the emergence of a new social movement that can meet the challenges of the 21st Century? Will we see the birth of a mass-based movement that will finally stop the corporate profiteers in their tracks? What we know at this point is that laboratories of democracy are popping up across the nation and for the first time in decades, everyday people are relearning deliberation and democratic praxis.
This issue of Raging Chicken Press was initially billed as Part II of our Back to School issues. It seems that school has moved out of the classrooms and into the street. The Occupy movement has taken a more central place in this issue. In completely unpredictable ways, the Occupy movement has emerged in answer to several questions posed by writers from our last issue. Given the rapid development of the Occupy movement, we will be focusing much of our November issue on the movements and the traditions of radical democracy with which they are in dialogue.
The October issue of Raging Chicken Press introduces a new feature: The Rick Smith Files. Beginning this month, each issue will feature at least one interview or segment from the Rick Smith Show. We believe that the work Rick Smith and his crew are doing is critical to helping build new social movements. Thanks especially to Rick and Brett for jumping with us into this experiment in networked media.
This issue also features several videos from other sources that help contextualize the Occupy movement and begin to respond to some critiques–especially those critiques coming from the left. We hope you’ll take the time to watch them as we think they represent important contributions to how “we” make sense of what’s going on.
Here’s the rundown of this month’s issue:
- Dustin Slaughter, “Scrambling to Cover the Occupy Movement: A Front Lines Journal”
- Rick Smith Files: “Interview with Bruce Levine: Why We Need to Get Some Balls, Solidarity, and ORGANIZE!”
- Rick Smith Files: “Interview with Tony Helfer, President UFCW Local 23: Victory at Kroger, Building Solidarity, and the Need to Keep Pushing Back”
- Glenn Richardson, “Corrupted Capitalism and Despoiled Democracy: The GOP Attack on Voting Rights and Worker Rights”
- Michelle Sayles, “Leaks” (cartoon)
- Wendy Lee, “Fracking, Floods, and Fools”
- Aaron Barlow, “The ‘He Said/She Said’ of Education”
- Lee Camp, “The Truth About Occupy Wall Street: MOC #80” (video)
- Amy Goodman/Democracy Now, “Naomi Klein: Protesters are Seeking Change in the Streets Because it Won’t Come from the Ballot Box”
- Countdown with Keith Olbermann, “Cornell West and Tavis Smiley Discuss Occupy Movement”
I want to thank all our contributors for their excellent work on this issue. I also want to put in a special plug for Dustin Slaughter’s David and Goliath Project Media Fund. Dustin has been traveling up and down the East Coast–from Philly to Boston to New York to DC–covering the growing Occupy movement. Any contribution you can make to the Fund will help make it possible for Dustin to continue his work and will help fund the documentary film about the Occupy movement he is working on. You can donate here: David and Goliath Project Media Fund.
You will probably be hearing from me a little bit more over the next couple of weeks as I get ready to take Raging Chicken Press to the next level. In the meantime, please don’t forget to take a peek at the Raging Chicken Press Store. We have all sorts of political swag for your progressive soul–t-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, and more. All purchases help fund this project. I’ve been surprised at the number of people from out of state-Wisconsin, Boston, Chicago, Florida, and even Maine–who have picked up some gear at our store. I can’t thank you enough. Every little bit helps build independent, progressive media for PA and beyond.
Oh! For readers in Kutztown or the surrounding area, I just got word that students are organizing an Occupy Kutztown event on the corner of Whiteoak and Main (in front of Wells Fargo) at 11 on Wednesday, Oct. 12. If you can come out, please do. Look for me and let me know what you think of Raging Chicken Press!
Bread and Roses,
Kevin Mahoney
Editor Zero, Raging Chicken Press
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