Month: June 2024

Occupy Aristotle

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Occupy Movement, Philosophy, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive 0 Comments

Recently, I saw that a philosopher friend of mine (Jeffrey Bernstein) posted the following as his status update on Facebook: “For an explanation of (1) why Occupy Wall Street doesn’t need a positive political program and (2) why the Occupy Movement exceeds the designations of Democrats and Republicans, read the first paragraph of Aristotle’s Metaphysics.”…

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First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Occupy Movement, Politics, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, RMWMTMBM Archive 1 Comment

We barely had a moment to digest the horror of the incident at UC-Davis, where police pepper-sprayed nonviolent student protesters associated with the Occupy Movement, before the image of the offending policeman (Lt. John Pike) was transformed into an internet meme. Pike’s image was photoshopped into some of the great works of Western art, including…

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The Philosophy Smoker Controversy

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive 3 Comments

For those of you fortunate enough not to know what a “Philosophy Smoker” is, let me begin by saying that it has nothing to do with either “smoking” or “Philosophy.” “Philosophy Smoker” is, rather, the informal term used to reference end-of-the-day receptions held at professional Philosophy conferences. Generally speaking, Philosophy Smokers are garden-variety academic conference…

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Why I Stood With The Students

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Human Rights, Occupy Movement, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive, Teaching 0 Comments

As I reported in my previous post, students at my college organized an event last Monday night, the Rhodes Solidarity Vigil, which was meant to demonstrate solidarity with the nonviolent student protesters at UC-Davis (and elsewhere) who were brutalized by police while peacefully exercising their right to assemble. This is why I stood with the…

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The Material Infrastructure of the Internet

June 9, 2024 Dr. J Pop Culture/Film/Literature, RMWMTMBM Archive 1 Comment

Like most people, I presume, I have a tendency to think about “the Internet” or “cyberspace” or the “virtual world” as something fundamentally non-material. I type emails, I post on my Facebook page or this blog, I search and find things on Google, and it seems to me each time as if every strike of…

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Beautiful Politics

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 99%, Occupy Movement, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive 0 Comments

Please, please take 4 minutes and 29 seconds out of your day and watch this.

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Solidarity

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson Human Rights, Occupy Movement, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive 0 Comments

This past Monday, November 21, students at Rhodes College organized a candlelight vigil to show their solidarity with the student protesters at UC-Davis who were assaulted by police while nonviolently protesting on November 18. Rhodes’ event was an answer to the call sent out by Occupy Colleges, the student wing of the Occupy Movement, asking…

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Dr. J Catches Up

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 99%, American Values video project, Music, Occupy Movement, Philosophy, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive 0 Comments

It’s been too, too long since I’ve posted here. Two whole months, in fact. [Insert standard excuse about being too busy.] My absence was particularly egregious this time, since my last posts, back in September, left a few issues hanging. (Just as an aside, it’s hard for me to believe that the last time I…

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31 Days in Seuss, Day 2: My Love

June 9, 2024 Dr. J 31 Dys in Suess, RMWMTMBM Archive 0 Comments

This 31 Days in Seuss Challenge is already harder than I thought it would be. But the good news is that there’s at least one other person who I know is doing it, so be sure to check out Ideas Man, PhD‘s blog. He’s got mad Seuss skills. I’m hoping that the more one tries…

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31 Days in Seuss, Day 5: My Hate

June 9, 2024 Dr. J 31 Dys in Suess, RMWMTMBM Archive 3 Comments

Here’s the next installment for 31 Days in Seuss. I’ll just say that I sure would appreciate some commentary, if only to let me know whether or not I should keep soldiering through this very difficult challenge. Is anyone reading this? Hello? Also, again, if you’re participating in this Challenge with me and Ideas Man,…

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