The Future in the Present

Writings of John Garvey

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Insurgent Notes

Notes on a Future Politics—Part I

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Preface I hope this essay makes sense.  It’s intended to enable those of us associated with Insurgent Notes (http://insurgentnotes.com) and others to imagine how we might contribute to the emergence of an emancipatory, anti-capitalist mass politics in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.  The most important point that I

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A Review: Kate Evans, Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg, edited by Paul Buhle. Verso Books: 2015.

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Red Rosa does not aspire to be an authoritative biography but, perhaps as a result, it is a more compelling book.[1]  What’s compelling about it?  The graphics have a lot to do with it; it’s an extended comic strip (although the author might take offense with that characterization).  The events,

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Brooklyn Report

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Tonight, December 8th, Lebron James came through on his promise to wear an “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt during the warm-ups before the Cavaliers game with the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn.  At the same game, the so-called royal couple, Prince and Princess whatever, came to see King

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No More Missouri Compromises

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Introduction Like many others, we at Insurgent Notes have been paying a great deal of attention to the events in Ferguson, Missouri that began with the murder of Michael Brown in August.  We have been inspired by the courage, determination and endurance of the people from Ferguson, and other nearby

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Trotsky Reconsidered: Claude Lefort’s Perspective

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I recently re-read the chapter on China in CLR James’s World Revolution. It’s titled, “Stalin Ruins the Chinese Revolution.” It was published in 1936-1937. Not surprisingly, at virtually every turn, James invokes Trotsky as the one who was always right but who was not able to outmaneuver Stalin. While the

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Preliminary Observations on the Chicago Teachers’ Strike

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My guess is that, for many, the union’s apparently successful defense counts as a victory.  But suppose the standard for victory is a different one—the standard of increased unity across the working class.  In that case, the judgment is not so clear.   In the case of public schools in the

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About

I have been a political activist for more than fifty years.  Soon after college, I began driving a taxi in New York City and became an active member of the Taxi Rank and File Coalition.  That experience profoundly shaped my views and I remain friends with many of my taxi comrades.

In 1978, I stopped driving and entered into education work–which I then did for more than thirty years–almost all of it at the City University of New York.  That also profoundly shaped my views.

At the same time, I continued my political activities–most importantly as an editor of Race Traitor, an editor of Insurgent Notes and part of the editorial group of Hard Crackers.

The writings collected here reflect all those experiences.  My intention is to regularly post new things that I’ve written.

However you found your way here, I hope that you find something of value.  I would really like hearing from you about your thoughts and reactions. Write me here.

Links

Taxi Rank and File Coalition
Hard Crackers
Insurgent Notes
Race Traitor
Gotham Center

Tags

2003 War on Iraq Alternatives to Remediation COVID-19 Pandemic CUNY START James Gee Literacy and the Working Class Local 1199 Hospital Workers New Abolitionism Rosa Luxemburg Rudolf Baranik The Martinsville Seven