All articles by Max Ajl
Farming in Gaza, a form of resistance
Max Ajl — May 14, 2010 4 Comments
We left the roof to continue to watch the destruction of the wheat from ground level. Eva Bartlett, an ISM activist, pointed out that “they might destroy the house in punishment” if we didn’t leave and observe from a different position. They might also have considered sending an Apache rapidly over the horizon to kidnap us. Abductions of foreign internationals have happened before – Vittorio had been kidnapped off a fishing boat, in Gazan territorial waters, in November 2008
Editor's Pick, Resistance
Deciphering Obama’s smoke and mirrors in Copenhagen
Max Ajl — December 22, 2009 2 Comments
Meanwhile, the call to “mobilize” 100 billion dollars in climate financing by 2020 is vapor. As Hugo Chavez said, “If the climate were one of the biggest capitalist banks, the rich governments would have saved it.” Instead within a decade we’ll muster up a year’s worth of US government spending on bombing villagers in Waziristan. Washington’s priorities are clear. Saving AIG is more important than saving the planet
Editor's Pick, Science
Chomsky Battles Ian Williams
Max Ajl — September 22, 2009 9 Comments
It looks like Chomsky and Ian Williams have been having a tiff. At the words “Chomsky” and “tiff,” the first question is, what’s the body count? The expected has occurred, but Williams has opted for a peculiar sort of posterity. Call it the walking dead. Like most zombies, Williams’s mental capabilities aren’t so keen
Editor's Pick, Politics
A riposte to Hamid Dabashi on Iran
Max Ajl — July 23, 2009 30 Comments
It’s not altogether clear from this physical distance who’s been protesting this past month, nor can we know the protesters’ composition with any precision. But over 70 million people live in Iran, and 50 million went to the polls on June 12. Analytical attention has zeroed in on the protesting minority. We are instinctively attracted, like hunting beasts, to flashing movements, the brilliant spectacle of mobilization. One would hope, from certain quarters, for something slightly better
Editor's Pick, Politics
Iran Fantasies
Max Ajl — July 2, 2009 21 Comments
It’s of course a question of solidarity. But solidarity is different from cheer-leading, the Party Line isn’t always the correct one, and leftists seem to have gotten taken for a real ride. Not the outcome anyone wished
