Author: Marc Stier

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Why We Must Resist All War

  By International politics, Just War Theory, Middle East

WHY WE MUST RESIST ALL WAR   My first political cause—back when I was 13 years old—was to end the Vietnam War. (My second was to support a Palestinian State.) There were few protests or marches in my hometown of 5000. I attended an event about Kent State tragedy in 1970. I went to a lot more protests and rallies when I went to college. My first campaign was for George McGovern in 1972 largely because of his opposition to the war. In the spring of 1972, when I was 16,  I ran the field campaign for McGovern in my hometown. We beat the regulars who were supporting Humphrey. (My dad was among the regulars, although he was against the Vietnam War long before I even know what it was about.) And I was among a group of volunteers for McGovern during my first semester of college that fall. During… Continue reading

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Chris Rabb for US Congress

  By Elections, Politics

For the last ten years, I’ve mostly not endorsed candidates in Democratic primaries. The organization I headed, Pennsylvania Policy Center (PPC), prohibited staff members from making such endorsement. Having left the organization in February, I am now free to make such endorsement. And it gives me great pleasure that the first candidate for Congress I can endorse is Chris Rabb who is running for Congress in the 3rd district. Before telling you whyt I support Chris, I also want to note that if Chris were not running, I would enthusiastically support Sharif Street. Sharif and I got to know each other when we both ran and lost in the primary race  for Council at Large in 2007. I came to admire him then. And I’ve admired his work as a State Senator and worked closely with him during the last ten years. Sharif is a progressive Democrat. But I support… Continue reading

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Obedience is Never the Right Response in America

  By Resisting Trump, US

I am seeing one comment after another from right wing men who say that Renee Good and Alex Pretti would be alive if they only “obeyed.” This is not only the wrong response it is an un-American response. In America, we don’t and shouldn’t blindly obey. We vindicate our rights only by exercising them, which means: We speak out, we ask questions, we reject orders from people with no authority to issue them and especially when those orders are contrary and confused. And even when we are wrong, government has to respect our rights and humanity by only acting with violence when absolutely necessary to protect someones life. And that was not the case when Good and Pretti were killed. And, in contemporary America, women don’t and shouldn’t blindly obey men. Women can only vindicate their equality by rejecting the demand to obey. And decent men respect women who do… Continue reading

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Is Albert King The Source of Clapton’s Crossroads Riff?

  By Music

Who knows Albert King’s music really well and can help me answer this question? Cream’s 1968 version of Crossroads uses the identical riff that Albert King uses in the tune For The Love of a Woman (except for the last bars) which he first recored in 1971 for the album Lovejoy. I can’t find an earlier version of that tune. But considering how often Clapton borrowed riffs and solos from King I would be surprised if King took a riff from Clapton rather the other way around. It’s not unusual for bluesmen to reuse a riff in different tunes. So does anyone know an earlier Albert King recording that uses this riff. (There is just a hint of the riff in both of Johnson’s recording of Crossroads. But his accompaniment is far more complicated, varied and subtle than the King / Riff. ) Continue reading

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RIP Steve Cropper

  By Music

RIP Steve Cropper. He made more beautiful music with fewer notes than any guitarist I ever heard. The the first Booker T and the MGs tune I ever heard was Groovin’. IIRC their cover came out not that long after the Rascals original in 67. But I liked it better. Cropper overdubbed the piano. I didn’t hear Green Onions until later. (I was 7 when it was first released.) Continue reading

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Tom Stoppard’s memory will be a blessing.

  By Art, Drama, Film, Uncategorized

I did not recall or remember or know that Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay for Brazil with Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown. That wonderful movie was sadly prescient about where are and where we are going. I’m making a list of things I plan to do once I leave my position in, it appears now, early January. Slowly getting deep into Stoppard’s work is high on that list. Another idea I had yesterday is to do a photo essay on the stone and rock walls that keep Manyunk from tumbling into the Schuylkill. I take a different route home from PT each week to see more of them. And learning how to spell Schuylkill confidently, that is, without checking to make sure I’m right. Not to mention writing a few books. Continue reading

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By Trump’s logic

  By Politics, Tump, US

After the shooting of the two national guardsmen, Trump has called for a review of every immigrant who received a green card. By Trump’s logic, every single right-wing American should be investigated to determine if their citizenship should be revoked. They are, after all, the sources of far more violent crime than any other group. Continue reading