Public Comment

American Historical Association (AHA), speaks out

Jagjit Singh

Tuesday January 07, 2025 - 11:23:00 AM

The American Historical Association (AHA), the oldest scholarly organization in the U.S., recently passed the “Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza,” condemning the destruction of the Palestinian education system. The vote, supported by over 400 members, represents a pivotal moment for the profession. Sherene Seikaly, a professor at UC Santa Barbara, expressed that this victory, in the face of ongoing violence in Gaza, offers hope for the future. Barbara Weinstein, a historian at New York University, emphasized the growing recognition of historians' broader societal roles, advocating for a more expansive approach to history. -more-

Democracy decays into oligarchy when a few individuals accumulate most of the political power.

Bob Burnett

Monday January 06, 2025 - 06:10:00 PM

The re-election of Donald Trump has accelerated the decline of the United States into oligarchy. Trump has had billionaire donors for each of his presidential campaigns, but in 2024 the role of these wealthy donors expanded. Donors such as Elon Musk made gigantic contributions to Trump’s campaign; in return for this they are taking an active role in the Trump White House. Perhaps, this time around, Trump turned the oval office into a time share. -more-

“A Complete Unknown”
James Mangold, director
2h 21m

Bob Burnett

Sunday January 05, 2025 - 03:19:00 PM

This intense Bob Dylan biopic begins in1961 and ends in 1965. During these five years, Dylan conquered the world of folk music and then left it to become a rock star. -more-

Israeli and US Crimes and the Toll on Gaza's Rescuers

Jagjit Singh

Sunday January 05, 2025 - 02:59:00 PM

The horrors of the Israeli bombardment in Gaza are unfathomable, and the toll on the people there, particularly those trying to save lives, is immeasurable. For over a year, rescuers have been under relentless pressure, digging through rubble with their bare hands, racing against time to save survivors of the ongoing Israeli airstrikes. The carnage has left many unable to save those whose voices they can still hear beneath the wreckage. Nooh al-Shaghnobi, a rescue worker in Gaza, described the haunting experience of leaving people behind because of the lack of proper tools and equipment. These workers face extreme physical and emotional strain, with some suffering from unspeakable levels of stress, anxiety, and guilt. At least 118 rescue workers have died in the line of duty, a tragic testament to the immense risks they face. -more-

Gaza’s forgotten children

Jagjit Singh

Sunday January 05, 2025 - 02:56:00 PM

The devastating consequences of Israel's relentless bombing campaign, aided by U.S. complicity, are painfully evident in the lives of the children who have borne the brunt of this violence. One such child, Shaymaa Shady, lost her leg in an explosion in Gaza. Along with 15 other children who were evacuated to Italy for medical treatment, Shaymaa faces a long and uncertain road to recovery, compounded by the trauma of losing family members and living in a foreign land.h These children, all under the age of 15, are the survivors of an ongoing tragedy. Some lost limbs to save their lives, while others face permanent disabilities from the bombings. Their young minds carry scars beyond the physical—witnessing horrors that most could never imagine. Many of them, like Ahmad al-Saafen, struggle with prosthetics, and others, such as Baian Azoum, must endure years of treatment after being pulled from the rubble in Gaza. -more-

Editorial

Updated: Whither?

Becky O'Malley

Thursday January 02, 2025 - 01:32:00 PM

UPDATE: Further technical glitches make new postings impossible at this time.

For City of Berkeley information: link for calendar

https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/whats-ahead.html

link for Activist's Diary

https://www.sustainableberkeleycoalition.com/what-happened.html \

------------------------------------------------------------------------ A happy new year to all and sundry in 2025. This change of year puts me in mind of the way I felt at the beginning of 1969: No new year could be any worse after 1968’s assassinations and other outrages. But of course many things in later new years have gotten worse:

The upcoming national administration

Russia’s war on Ukraine

Israel’s war on Palestine

Big Development’s lust to consume family-friendly neighborhoods

Climate

Media consolidation

The ableist attack on cars.

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera

Whew! Too much to handle on a holiday. As I come to the end of my 85th year on this planet and close to 25 years working on The Berkeley Daily Planet it’s time for us to take a pause to reflect.

This particular information delivery mechanism is breaking.

The software I’ve used for posting is painfully out of date, designed for the kind of small local print paper that no longer exists, except perhaps as the Hearst outlet now sullying the good name of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Are there still credible national papers? Bezos has captured the WaPo. Paul Krugman has deserted the NYT, which is becoming devoted to food and fashion.

Maybe, as Krugman seems to think, the future of informing Very Serious People is SubStack.or Instagram, or TikTok. Or perhaps the journalism of the future will be created by podcasters who can reach the increasing number of non-readers amongst us.

Planet readers seem to cluster around the 1000 mark, though we don’t have an exact count. What we have now is not primarily a news source but a journal of opinion, with intelligent essays written by literate adults, contributing writers whose opinions we greatly appreciate, plus a few reports from valiant citizen journalists No one is paid..

We would like to hear what readers think is worth doing, both regarding “the vision thing” and how we should do it. Please send us your comments on the future of the planet and the future of The Planet. . They should be addressed to editor@berkeleydailyplanet.com, with the subject line “Future”. -more-