Third Estate Sunday Review

The Third Estate Sunday Review focuses on politics and culture. We're an online magazine. We don't play nice and we don't kiss butt. In the words of Tuesday Weld: "I do not ever want to be a huge star. Do you think I want a success? I refused "Bonnie and Clyde" because I was nursing at the time but also because deep down I knew that it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of "Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue" or whatever it was called. It reeked of success."

Monday, October 03, 2016

Truest statement of the week

The anti-Green Party onslaught is in overdrive. Some of the attack consists of smears and lies against Stein and Baraka. One article in The Nation magazine is blunt: “Your Vote for Jill Stein is a Wasted Vote.” Others take a softer approach and raise the specter of a President Trump. The good cops at the same publication warn “Don’t Assume Someone Else Will Stop Trump.”
Bernie Sanders ought to be ashamed for leading millions of people on a path straight to Hillary Clinton but he refuses to disappear. This is no time for a protest vote says the sheep dog in chief.
But support for the Green Party should not be consigned to the triviality of protest voting. A vote for Stein and Baraka should be seen as a truly revolutionary act, not a faux Sandersesque revolution, but as part of the necessary effort to kill off the Democratic Party once and for all.

-- Margaret Kimberley, "Freedom Rider: Vote Green" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).

Truest statement of the week II

The establishment is trying as hard as they can to marginalize us, to shut us out of the dialogue, to say that a vote for a candidate that’s not a Democrat or a Republican is a wasted vote. But what’s more of a waste is giving in to the politics of fear and going along with a corrupt two-party system that has given us everything we were afraid of. Don’t waste your vote on the failed two-party system - invest your vote in a movement for real change. That’s what we’re building, and what the Stein/Baraka campaign represents. We invite you to join us.

-- Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate.

A note to our readers

Hey --

Very early for us!!!!

Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:

The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's K itchen,
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.

And what did we come up with?

Truest statement of the week

Margaret Kimberley gets a truest.

Truest statement of the week II

As does Jill Stein.

Editorial: Iraq

The silence on Iraq continues.

TV: AMAZON and NETFLIX score hits

Ava and C.I. review LUKE CAGE and CRISIS IN SIX SCENES.

The whoring of Bernie Sanders

Bernie throws those who supported him under the bus.

The day Ani DiFranco died

The piece we forgot to post last week.

Another ringing endorsement for Hillary?

She's so lovely.

But Laurie Penny, you can't vote for the US presid...

Maybe, with all of Labour's problems, Laurie Penny should focus on politics in her own country and not be making endorsements on US elections?

Don't waste your vote, invest your vote

Jill Stein Tweets.

A look at the newspaper endorsement race

Gary Johnson Tweets.

Fan club membership is not activism

Repost from THE COMMON ILLS.

Note, we lost our links. If you were there until today and are not there, e-mail us -- thethirdestatesundayreview@yahoo.com or common_ills@yahoo.com -- because we did not intend to ditch anyone.

As it is, we've added community sites and that's it.

Peace,

-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I

Editorial: Iraq

Tom Hayden can't talk Iraq.

Nor can Leslie Cagan.

But both have endorsed War Hawk Hillary Clinton.

Who voted for the Iraq War and cheerleaded it -- the same Iraq War they claimed to oppose.

The same Iraq War that more US troops are being sent into.

Wednesday morning, the above was posted at Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's website and THE COMMON ILLS translated it:

As they prepare for the major battle to fully liberate the city of Mosul and eliminate the gangs of [the Islamic State], and in light of the fact that trainers and advisers from the international coalition will speed up the conclusion of the battle, in consultation with US President Barack Obama and at the request of the Iraqi government the number of American trainers and advisers under the umbrella of the international coalition in Iraq will be increased to provide backup for the Iraqi security forces during the Liberation of Mosul -- and this size of advisers and trainers will reduce once Mosul has been liberated. We emphasize that the role of trainers and advisers is not combat but only for training and consultation and the only ones who will liberate the land is our [Iraqi] troops.

Stephen Kalin and Yeganech Torbati (REUTERS) reported, "The United States will send around 600 new troops to Iraq to assist local forces in the battle to retake Mosul from Islamic State that is expected later this year, U.S. and Iraqi officials said on Wednesday."

More US troops.

US President Barack Obama declared June 19, 2014 that it would be 300 troops he'd send to Iraq.

What a liar.

Daniel Wasserbly (IHS JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY) explains, "The total authorised US military personnel for Iraq is now around 5,250 troops, but hundreds more are understood to be operating there on a 'rotational' basis through temporary duty assignments."

5,250 when Barack insisted no more than 300.

Where are the so-called leaders of the peace movement?

Tom Hayden, Leslie Cagan, all those fake asses.

Not one damn word from them.

Because they are fake asses.

The editorial board of THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE observes:

There are some strong arguments against increasing U.S. troop involvement in Iraq at this point. The first is that the Iraqi national army, which U.S. forces are supplying and training, continues to show itself relatively toothless on the battlefield — meaning that U.S. forces will play a prominent role in whatever assault on Mosul occurs. Washington has yet to explain coherently why Americans should care one way or the other who holds Mosul, or Raqqa, for that matter. The argument that taking Mosul would validate continued U.S. support of the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the policy of building it a credible national army has a vaguely “dog-chasing-its-tail” quality to it. If Mr. Abadi’s government had the general support of the Iraqi people, they would put in the field a credible national army on their own account, and his government would not need more American troops to fight its battles.

But the fake asses remain silent.

This illegal war has gone on for over 13 years and the fake asses can't find their damn voices.

People like the turning 80 next year Jane Fonda who can Tweet about Trump but not about Iraq because they're fake asses. But then an elderly woman in a wig and false eyelashes thinking she's fooling anyone about how elderly she is -- well that's just a dirty, old joke.

Which is all they are now.

They're exposed as the useless whores that they truly are.

TV: AMAZON and NETFLIX score hits

In one of the most idiotic appraisals of CRISIS IN SIX SCENES, a reviewer huffed, "If you thought Woody Allen would revolutionize television with his new Amazon series, Crisis in Six Scenes, prepare to be underwhelmed."

Really?

Woody Allen's 80-years-old.

TV?

Let's go with TEXACO STAR THEATRE, the Milton Berle program that began in 1948 and is one of television's first hit programs.

That would make television 68-years-old.

And someone's expecting either Woody or the medium itself to be revolutionized?

CRISIS IN SIX SCENES is a lot like NETFLIX's LUKE CAGE.

They're both ambitious programs.

LUKE CAGE is the latest Marvel Comic superhero series NETFLIX is offering.

Mike Colter first played Cage in JESSICA JONES. Now he's carrying the show.

And it's quite a show.

Cheo Hodari Coker has reinvisioned the comic book hero who first popped up in the early seventies. In fact, Coker has stripped away a great deal of the setting and the story to thrust Luke into the 21st century and there are allusions throughout to both historical struggles and recent struggles.

He's layered the show with meaning.

If there's a problem, it's that the first episode sets up too much that does not have to do with the immediate situation of Luke Cage. There's so much to marvel over -- and worth marveling over -- that some fans of comics new to Luke Cage may be wondering where the action is.

If there's a problem -- because we don't see it as a problem.

Coker's avoided the paint-by-number hero origin storyline that we've seen over and over in one film after another.

He's offering something different, something deeper and it means the action, when it happens, matters more because we're not dealing with stick figures.

The outstanding cast includes Rosario Dawson reprising her role from both JESSICA JONES and DAREDEVIL as Claire Temple. Also delivering a strong performance, no surprise, is Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard. Also worthy of strong praise is Frankie Faison (Pop) and Brian "Sene" Marc (Chico).

DAREDEVIL started off with a strong season one and then meandered a bit in season two. LUKE CAGE winds down with Luke accepting that he has to do his part and accepting his role in defending Harlem which should make for an easier season two kick off.

Death certain, life unpredictable.

That's Chairman Mao.

Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China.

"Chairman Mao says an unarmed person is like a sheep in a forest of wolves," declares a book club member in CRISIS IN SIX SCENES.

Characters discuss Lenin stating the US was "going to spend ourselves into destruction," how "this country is run by corporations" and issues like "wage slaves."

Woody Allen's new sitcom revolves around the married couple Kay (Elaine May) and Sidney J. Munsinger (Woody), she's a therapist, he's a novelist. They have a grandson and are settled into their lives somewhat.

Sidney wants something more and his novels aren't working out so he's attempting to write a TV sitcom and hoping a new haircut will make him look like James Dean.

Then a connection from Kay's past, Lennie (Miley Cyrus), shows up, a revolutionary with the Constitutional Liberation Army who's wanted by the authorities.

This spins everything around.

Kay goes along willing, insisting her book club begin reading political theory, providing refuge for Lennie and assisting her.

There's something truly revolutionary as the series closes on episode six with Kay declaring, "If I had my life to live over, I would live a more committed, I would have a more passionate existence."

But Lennie's not just touched Kay's life, she's influenced the book club members as well as Kay and Sidney's house guest Alan (John Magaro) which leads to Alan influencing his fiancee Ellie (Rachel Brosnahan).

Thought is powerful, that's a message of this sitcom.

And, yes, it is a funny show. Elaine May and Woody are delightful.

Miley is less delightful.

But that's because of her role which isn't a comedic part. And it's to her credit that she plays it full out. She does a great job in the role. She's not trying to sweeten her character up or wink to the camera. She's a political radical whose appeal relies solely on the strength of her convictions.

She deserves applause for creating a real character and not just coasting.

And fans of comedy deserve Woody. He may direct a film every year but he acts less often and, as she demonstrated in SMALL TIME CROOKS, May has timing and chemistry with Woody.

CRISIS IN SIX SCENES looks to the past and comments on today while LUKE CAGE is dragged into the 21st century to comment on today. Both shows share visual delights and go far beyond standard camera work and editing that we are repeatedly fed in the TV medium.

It may not be revolutionary but they both add up to quality TV.

The whoring of Bernie Sanders

He could have been something.

But he got stomped like a bug.

Then he rolled over and bared his belly to the beast.

Today, Bernie Sanders is just one of 100 US senators and one of a zillion whores.

Just a whore.

And his whoring knows no bounds.

War Hawk Hillary Clinton?

He campaigns for her.

Like a good little whore.

She mocks those who backed him in the primary and she mocks him (Scandinavia was an insult to him) and Bernie slings that ass over to the street corner to say she's "absolutely right."

Whores aren't leaders.

They don't even run the bordello.

The day Ani DiFranco died

The day . . . Ani DiFranco died.

Remember Ani?

Back before she tried to have her 'retreat' on a former slave plantation?

Remember when she mattered.

A long, long time ago

When she sang things like "And I wonder who's gonna be president/ Tweedle Dumb or Tweedle Dumber" -- remember that Ani?

She'd ripped our experiences out of our own hands and turned them into art with "Both Hands," "Shameless," "Untouchable Face," "Not A Pretty Girl," "As If," etc.

And she refused to live in a LITTLE PLASTIC CASTLES.

So, in 2000, she supported Ralph Nader in his bid for president.

It wasn't a decision all of us agreed with but we could respect it.

Independent Ani.

Then came 2004, and she got cornered on air by Sam Seder on AIR AMERICA RADIO's THE MAJORITY REPORT and agreed to support the Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.

Why?

She couldn't explain it then.

She supported Barack Obama in 2008.

Again, why?

And in 2012.

And now she's fallen so low she's supporting Hillary Clinton.

She won't support Ralph (he ran again in 2004 and 2008) and she won't support independent politicians.

Does she think she's 'forgiven'?

Centrist Michelle Goldberg slammed her last week at SLATE for backing Nader in 2000.

Al Gore lost in 2000 because of Al Gore.

People who voted for Nader didn't cost Al Gore the election.

Al Gore's own stupidity and timidity did.

He could have moved left but instead chose Joe Lieberman as his running mate.

Grasp that.

Joe.

Lieberman.

He couldn't close the gap.

He couldn't win the race.

That's on Al.

He couldn't win the recount, he couldn't win his home state.

Al Gore.

These days Ani whores for the War Party.

She did a ridiculous 'protest album in defense of Barack Obama.

What has all this whoring left her with?

Her fans have fled.

She hasn't written a good song since "Half-Assed" (2006).

All to whore for the War Hawks in the Democratic Party after once pretending to be against the (ongoing) Iraq War.

She sold out her beliefs and no one takes her seriously anymore.

It's all the story of the day . . .

Ani DiFranco . . .

died.

Another ringing endorsement for Hillary?

POLITICO’s five-day analysis suggests that in just over 1.5 hours of remarks last week, the former secretary of state averaged one falsehood every 12 minutes.
-- Kyle Cheney, Isaac Arnsdorf, Daniel Lippman and Daniel Strauss (POLITICO).

But Laurie Penny, you can't vote for the US president

British citizen Laurie Penny has confessed that she's supporting Hillary Clinton for president in the US presidential election.

She can't vote in the election but feels the need to interject herself into it.

‏@NewStatesman

She’s flawed, and she’s female, and that’s fine by me. @PennyRed  on why Hillary has to win
http://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2016/09/donald-trumps-beauty-queen-shaming-reminds-me-why-i-m-hillary-clinton …

49 retweets89 likes

We are US citizens.

We don't interject ourselves into the elections of other countries -- not even Iraq and we write about Iraq every week.

But Laurie Penny, she's a cop of the world on the election beat.

And here she explains a reason she's supporting War Hawk Hillary:

Clinton is a hawk with her beak deep in the Washington machine and talons aimed for the eyes of her enemies and I want her to be president. I want her and all the terrifying young women standing behind her in power so I can fight them on a battleground that isn't already ankle-deep in crypto-fascist gore.

Yes, it's about your battleground, Laurie.

Not about the lives of the Iraqis.

It's all about you, Laurie.