The Art of Struggle
Anti-Empire Talks in the Paper Mâché Cathedral
A summer series in the Paper Mâché Cathedral bringing together writers, economists, scholars, and organizers to confront U.S empire, capitalism, war, the normalization of genocide, and the possibilities for resistance.
As US Empire Declines, US Capitalism Does Too — Sunday, July 12 at 3:00 PM
Richard Wolff (remote) in conversation with Quincy Saul
Scott Nearing’s anti-war pamphlet The Great Madness — Sunday, July 19 at 5:30 PM Greg Joly
Syria's War and the Destruction of Syria's Sovereignty — Sunday, July 26 at 5:30 Omar Dahi
Resisting Genocide in Palestine: Israeli Settler Colonialism, Western Imperialism & The Struggle for National Liberation — Saturday, August 16 at 5:30 PM
Susan Abulhawa in conversation with Corinna Mullin
Occupied Government in Crisis — August 23 at 5:30pm
Max Blumenthal
As US Empire Declines, US Capitalism Does Too
Sunday, June 12th
3:00 PM – Short performances, including A Man Says Goodbye to His Mother
4:00 PM – Richard Wolff (remote) in conversation with Quincy Saul
In 1945 an exceptional situation - US capitalism as the lone in-tact survivor of the Second World War - was internalized as if it reflected a unique national economy that gave the US an equally exceptional, global power. An American empire thus succeeded the British Empire which quickly faded away. American capitalism prospered by consolidating and spreading a global empire except where that was partially blocked by the USSR and the PRC. After 1989, when no longer blocked by Russia, US "global superpower" and "uni-polar" moment had arrived. After the 1970s China no longer blocked the US empire but thrived beneath its umbrella. Finally, since 2010, China's economic development undermines the US empire and challenges US capitalism. The US/Israel war on Iran now brings it all to a head.
As US Empire Declines, US Capitalism Does Too
Richard Wolff
Richard D. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City.
Earlier he taught economics at Yale University (1967-1969) and at the City College of the City University of New York (1969-1973). In 1994, he was a Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of Paris (France), I (Sorbonne). Wolff was also regular lecturer at the Brecht Forum in New York City.
Prof Wolff is the co-founder of Democracy at Work and host of their nationally syndicated show Economic Update.
As US Empire Declines, US Capitalism Does Too
Quincy Saul
Quincy Saul is a musician and was a co-founder of Ecosocialist Horizons with the late great Joel Kovel. He is the author of two comic books -- "Truth and Dare" and "Maroon Comix" -- and the editor of "Maroon the Implacable" by Russell Maroon Shoatz, and "The Emergence of Ecosocialism" by Joel Kovel. His articles have been published by Counterpunch, Truthout, and The Africa Report.
Greg Joly on Scott Nearing’s anti-war pamphlet The Great Madness
Sunday, July 19th at 5:30pm
The Great Madness led to Scott Nearing's prosecution for sedition.
Greg Joly on Scott Nearing’s anti-war pamphlet The Great Madness
Greg Joly
Greg Joly is a Nearing scholar, writer, homesteader, and founder of Bull Thistle Press, engaging questions of culture, justice, and the moral imagination in American life.
Syria's War and the Destruction of Syria's Sovereignty
Saturday, July 26th at 5:30pm
Syria's War and the Destruction of Syria's Sovereignty
Omar Dahi
Omar S. Dahi is the Founding Director of Security in Context, a research network on peace, conflict, and international affairs. He has published in academic outlets such as the Journal of Development Economics and Applied Economics, Southern Economic Journal, Political Geography, Middle East Report, Forced Migration Review, and Critical Studies on Security. His last book was South-South Trade and Finance in the 21st Century: Rise of the South or a Second Great Divergence (co-authored with Firat Demir). Dahi serves as an associate editor of the Review of Social Economy as well as the e-zine Jadaliyya and has served on the editorial committee of the Middle East Report. He is a founding member of the Beirut School of Critical Security Studies within the Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS). Dahi has served as a lead expert on the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of West Asia's National Agenda for the Future of Syria program. Dahi was born and raised in Syria and currently lives with his wife and two children in Amherst.
Resisting Genocide in Palestine: Israeli Settler Colonialism, Western Imperialism & The Struggle for National Liberation
Saturday, August 16th at 5:30pm
A conversation between Susan Abulhawa and Corinna Mullin.
Israel's Ongoing Genocide in Gaza
Susan Abulhawa
Susan Abulhawa is a novelist, poet, essayist, scientist, mother, and activist. She was born to refugees of the Six-Day War of 1967, when her family's land was seized and Israel captured what remained of Palestine. Her debut novel, Mornings in Jenin (Bloomsbury, 2010), translated into 30 languages, has sold over a million copies worldwide and is considered a classic in Palestinian literature. Her other works include The Blue Between Sky and Water (Bloomsbury, 2015) and Against the Loveless World (Simon & Schuster, 2020), an Aspen Words Literary Prize and Atheneum Prize finalist and winner of the Arab American Book Award and the Palestine Book Award, along with, most recently, the short story collection she edited of writers from Gaza, Every Moment is a Life. Abulhawa is the founder of Playgrounds for Palestine, a children’s organization dedicated to uplifting Palestinian children.
Israel's Ongoing Genocide in Gaza
Corinna Mullin
Corinna Mullin is an anti-imperialist academic who teaches international politics and political economy at CUNY. She is a member of the Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective (ASIC). She serves on the Steering Committee of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC)-CUNY's International Committee and is a member of the Delegate Assembly. She also serves on the Manuscript Review Collective forScience & Societyand is an editor for the magazinePen is My Machete. She is a member of the Secretariat of the US Peace Council, a national convenor for the Labor for Palestine National Network and an organizer with CUNY for Palestine (C4P).
Occupied Government in Crisis
Sunday, August 23rd at 5:30pm
Occupied Government in Crisis
Max Blumenthal
Max Blumenthal is the founder and editor of The Grayzone and author of several books and documentaries.