“In the Convict Camp in Greene County, GA,” with
Buddy Moss. Photo: Jack Delano.
“If culture
is one thing, it's not entertainment.
It's glue.”
–Peter Sellars

Surviving Tiananmen,
Envisioning Democracy:
In Conversation
with Yang Jianli

The desire for freedom and dignity is intrinsic. Sooner or later, people will do something to demand these freedoms. The problem right now is that China’s government has created fear among the general public to deter them from taking collective action. The fear factor still works today. Whenever its effect is reduced, the government does something to bring it back—by making more arrests, for example. As far as I can understand, many members of the elite in China, although they act as apologists for the political status quo, know that democracy is good for China.

winter2015


From The Straddler Archives
winter2014

Marches of Nations: Nationality,
War, Humanity, and What
“Silent Millions” Really Feel
“In the week leading up to Christmas 1914, soldiers managed nonviolent negotiations rather simply (‘You no shoot, we no shoot’).” 		summer2013

You Are Watching “The Bachelor”
“‘The Bachelor’ shows us what has been on television all along.”		 summer2012

Occupy by Analogy:
Christopher Mackin in
conversation with The Straddler
“With the exception of a growing minority of democratic experiments, the ownership character of our workplaces today remains largely feudal. ”		 fall2011

The Hungarians
by Elizabeth Wray
“My mother left her people to marry into a tribe of farmers from seven generations. She died after my last brother was born. At the end, she crooked two fingers to bring me to her. Forget the old ways, she whispered…”