climate change, gmos and the new religious wars by joyce nelson a people’s history of mexican constitutions by andrew smolski fbi spies and black writers by ron jacobs o elephant! by joann wypijewski van jones’ blind spot by seth sandronsky TELLS THE FACTS AND NAMES THE NAMES VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3, 2015 22 AND NAMES THE VOLUME THE FACTS TELLS Contact Information Subscriptions CounterPunch Business Office 1- year print edition $55 www.counterpunch.org PO Box 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 1- year digital edition (PDF) $35 CounterPunch Magazine , Volume 22, Toll Free 1 (800) 840-3683 1- year print & digital edition $65 (ISSN 1086-2323) is a journal of progres- 1 (707) 629-3683 1- year institutions/supporters $100 sive politics, investigative reporting, civil editorial: 1- year print for student/low income $45 liberties, art, and culture published by The 1-year digital for student/low income $30 Institute for the Advancment of Journal- [email protected] istic Clarity, 631 Chambers Road, Petrolia, business: [email protected] All subscription orders must be pre- California, 95558.Visit counterpunch. suscriptions and merchandise: paid — we do not invoice for orders. 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CounterPunch Gray, Steve Horn, Lee Hall, Conn Hallinan, PO Box 228 Barbara Rose Johnson, Binoy Kampmark, By Mail: CounterPunch Business Office Petrolia, CA 95558 JoAnn Wypijewski, David Macaray, Chase or email : Madar, Kim Nicolini, Brenda Norrell, PO Box 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 [email protected] Vijay Prashad, Louis Proyect, Martha by Phone: Rosenberg, Christine Sheeler, Jan Tucker, 1 (800) 840-3683 Mike Whitney 1 (707) 629-3683 Poetry Editor By Email (preferred): Marc Beaudin [email protected] Cover Image: The Pride of Bone- head by Jon Langford (acrylic and SOCIaL MEDIA EDITOR Donations Nathaniel St. Clair mixed media on plywood). The CounterPunch’s survival is dependent BUSINESS MANAGER & painting, along with other recent upon income from subscriptions, dona- DESIGN PRODUCTION works by Langford, is hanging Becky Grant tions and book and merchandise sales. We are a non-profit, tax exempt organization in the Yard Dog Gallery in Austin, SUBSCRIPTIONS & ORDER FULFILLMENT under The Institute for the Advancement Texas. Deva Wheeler of Journalistic Clarity, DBA Counter- DESIGN CONSULTATION Punch. Donations are welcome year round. In Memory of Tiffany Wardle Donate by mail, telephone or online: www. Alexander Cockburn counterpunch.org. 1941–2012 table of contents letters to the editor . 4 columns Roaming Charges . 5 articles Get Your Wings by Jeffrey St. Clair Looming Battle of Churches Over the On birds and climate change. Environment Empire Burlesque . 6 by Joyce Nelson . 8 An Exceptional Danger by Chris Floyd A People’s History of Mexican Constitutions How the US became the greatest threat in the world. by Andrew Smolski . 11 Grasping at Straws . 7 Ringling Bros . Barnum and Bailey Circus Retire Fattening Wall Street Its Elephants by Mike Whitney . by JoAnn Wypijewski 16 Janet Yellin becomes Wall Street’s latest lackey. Spying on Black Writers by Ron Jacobs . 18 A Political Economy of Caging the Marginal by Seth Sandronsky . 20 culture & reviews The Soft Power Shuffle by Lee Ballinger . 24 The Films of JC Chandor by Kim Nicolini . 26 COUNTERPUNCH VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3, 2015 morphed into the same sort of exception as was in Germany letters to the editor sixty or seventy years ago, and whatever comes after will have to be made from whole cloth. A Lovely Prism The Singer of Khe Sanh Last week I led a discussion of John Francis Lee I want to thank St. Clair for a During the Vietnam War a “Monuments Men” in a faculty tutorial on politics and history major network broadcast a book of the month setting. I over the last two and a half soldier at Khe Sanh singing xeroxed Yearsley’s wonder- Cop Class years since the day I read your “Where have all the flow- ful essay on the bombing of There is one flaw in David book Born Under A Bad Sky. ers gone?” I met the guy in Dresden and shared it with my McCarey’s otherwise excellent I have argued and fought with Portland, Oregon recently and colleagues. “Unionism vs. Cop-ism” arti- everyone from the time I could he played me the tape. He was Keep on keeping on; coun- cle. New York City patrolman’s talk about how half-assed on full disability and drank terpunch and Yearsley are a salaries are not middle class. their points of view were (my all day long. His hobby was delightful weekend ritual. According to last year’s own included), politically. The raising birds and he had about Sincerely, federal affordability guidelines closest I came to feeling less 20 lovebirds and parakeets. So Raouf J. Halaby middle class in New York City insane was when I would read it goes. Professor of English and Art starts at $100.681 a year. While an essay by Noam Chomsky John Emerson Mayors Rudolph Giuliani and and feel comforted in know- Michael Bloomberg talked a Going Along with Torture ing there was another one out lot of pro-police rhetoric, they Crack Go the Elite there. Then I would go back to In his last column St. Clair were very stingy at the bargain- learning how to make art and No doubt the American elite writes: “The logic of impunity ing table. Under Giuliani alone, just loathe any and all politi- are not pleased by the recent for the torturers doesn’t just let this city›s cops went from cians on principle. announcement that several government criminals off the being among the best to among It is shocking to have my in- European Union members are hook; it sanctifies the crimes the worst paid. tuitive recoil confirmed in this joining China’s development they committed and enshrines In fact, under those book and CounterPunch, and bank: The divide-and-conquer torture as a legitimate mecha- Scrooge-like mayors, city it is surprising to hear myself strategy so aptly described nism to enforce the American workers who were not already offer alternative arguments to by Mike Whitney is showing imperial enterprise. There can below middle class fell into that anyone’s party line because I cracks. be no regrets when you aspire category. The exception being have sifted through the argu- Bill Blunden to dictate your terms to the rest some school teachers with 22 ments on these pages. San Francisco of the world.” years on the job. The current I am a scribbler and a draught- I think this is right. They’ve mayor, alleged progressive Bill sman, and I thank a god I terrified the middle class ... de Blassio, has only negotiated Sanctimony & Hypocrisy don’t believe in that I don’t run threatened them - tortured contracts that are real money things. I have learned how well Thank you for running David them - with the loss of their pay cuts. I think by reading history, eth- Yearsley and his many worthy ‘prosperity’ ... and they’ve given New York City patrolman, ics and politics filtered through essays (all of which I read with it up. ‘ OK, OK ... anything! working under an expired the lens of Cockburn and St much delight), and for expos- Just make it go away! ‘ contract, reach top salary of Clair which is a lovely prism. ing the bloody Brits for what The upper class has always $90,829 after five and a half gone along, the lower class has Virginia McLaughlin they are, bloodthirsty monsters years on the force. Before then, who’ve destroyed not one, but never gone along ... the middle they›re making salaries not many nations. The French and class has always pretended not even close to middle class. The Worthwhile Journey Americans are equally guilty. to. Now, no more pretending - only way any (except for the Kim Nicolini, I loved Iraq, Libya, Syria, Mali, etc.