Jérôme Melançon

Be less like chatbots, more like Zeppelin

@abensourreader.bsky.social

Would it have been so much worse if it had been a nuke? Consider the fact that birth deficiencies and rates of leukemia and cancer in Iraq, post 2003- invasion, are worse than what was observed in Hiroshima. In Japan, rates of leukemia rose by 660% in the years following the bomb. In Falluja, it increased by 2,200%. The toxicity of war has never been greater, and we are in no way reckoning with the scope of the horror that's been unleashed.

The real damage comes years later, with elevated cancer rates, leukemia clusters, respiratory disease, cardiovascular failure, neurological damage, reproductive issues.

This is chemical warfare, with delayed carnage. Worse than radiation sickness.

I am ashamed to be American today.

2/2

a picture of a huge, low, heavy cloud of black oil over Tehran

This is the cloud of oil currently hovering over Tehran, released when the US bombed the city's oil depots. A stew of particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals & volatile organic compounds is raining down into the city right now. 1/2

119 - A.K. 47 - Bonus Episode - Clara Zetkin on the Establishment of 8 March as International Communist Women's Day - A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai To celebrate International Women's Day in 2023, Kristen Ghodsee reads an abridged version of Clara Zetkin's article on the official establishment of March 8 as International Communist Women's Day. The...

In episode 119 she also reads Clara Zetkin's essay about this day - known as International Communist Women's day!

ak47.buzzsprout.com/251881/episo...

77 - A.K. 47 - International Women's Day - Part 1 - A.K. 47 - Selections from the Works of Alexandra Kollontai Kristen Ghodsee reads part one of Alexandra Kollontai's 1920 essay on the history of International Women's Day. Ghodsee also announces some upcoming lectures and events.5 March 2021 (09:30 GMT-5) Conf...

You can listen to Kristen Ghodsee read Alexandra Kollontai's essay about this day.

ak47.buzzsprout.com/251881/episo...

The origins of International women's day are in the European socialist and communist movements - it is a day to commemorate the past and ongoing liberation struggles of women. As oppression and domination worsen, these struggles for all women's rights and liberation are particularly important.

Announcing our first open call for submissions. The Transformation Review seeks reviews of and essays about poetry in translation for our inaugural issue. Please send us your work!! #PoetryInTranslation #CallForSubmissions #LitMag #Reviews #Essays

#OtD 7 Mar 1942 Lucy Parsons, African-American anarchist, founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World (@IWW), and powerful orator for women, working people, and political prisoners died in a house fire. More about IWW women in our podcast: workingclasshistory.com/2018/12/02/e...

"AI isn’t some neutral tool – it’s a weapon of class war from above. It’s crucial to be clear about this: the development of technology under capitalism is never simply about productivity, but about tradeoffs, and ultimately about power."

Un fil à lire sur les classes dans la diaspora iranienne

Notre système de production (capitalisme + adjectif de votre choix) rend malade et tue (ici, tuera)

Just imagine what could be done with those buildings if no one helps their owners and they're "forced" to offload them. What kind of lives we can create there. How downtowns could be reappropriated.

Je serai à Ottawa pour le Versefest - avec une soirée prometteuse!

No because my flight gets in at the same time. But everyone else ought to go!

Please take note of how significant this night will be.

Olivia Tapiero is one of the strongest poetic voices of her generation.

Her performances are haunting. She is so precise. If you have a chance to attend, go. Take what French you have, it'll be enough.

by the way, this year's VERSeFest is running two poetry workshops: one by Toronto poet/editor Paul Vermeersch, and another by Calgary poet/slam performer Sheri-D Wilson; see here for further information: verseottawa.ca/en/versefest

Submission Open!

We would like your poetry for our official launch at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair 06/26, and beyond!

Send your mini/micro chaps!

See our guidelines at, sider0xylon.carrd.co#submit

Israeli strikes hit hospital in Tehran, witnesses tell Reuters Israeli strikes hit a hospital in Tehran’s Gandhi Street area, two witnesses told Reuters on Sunday, saying the hospital was badly damaged and patients were being taken out.

“Israeli strikes hit hospital in Tehran, witnesses tell Reuters”

Yesterday it was a school, today it is a hospital.

Yesterday children were buried under the rubble of their classrooms, today babies had to be moved from intensive care in their incubators.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Surtout que lorsque tous les systèmes des compagnies et institutions des pays anglophones seront mis à terre, ralentis, alourdis, pleins d'erreurs et qu'il faudra tout réparer, le reste du monde aura une longueur d'avance avec des systèmes plus fiables, humains.

On voit la même discussion autour du français. C'est une diversion. Des tentatives de créer des marchés ou de s'en emparer, avec pour conséquence davatange d'utilisation de ces machines de destruction.

Votre langue n'y est pas? Détournez-vous de l'IA générative.

Maybe it’s because I’m a colonial historian but so many of these white nation states seem to behave exactly like they did in the 19th century: ‘your leaders aren’t right for you,’ ‘we’re only killing you/colonizing you/installing puppet leaders for your own good’

A thread to read

I was born in an Iranian prison. My parents were held in their jails. My uncles lie in their mass graves. Nothing you can tell me about the crimes of the Iranian regime that I haven't lived in blood and bone. That doesn't mean I want my people bombed, maimed, killed, their homes in ruins. If your vision of liberation comes only through the destruction of innocent lives, then it's not freedom you're after. Sahar Delijani, Iranian author

I am pro Iranian people. I stand with them against their own government’s repression AND against the imperial violence in the form of bombs dropped from the sky from Israel & the US who have already killed hundreds.

I support neither imperialism or dictatorship.

Sahar Delijani said it best:

We need our eyes on Iran of course

But just like we need to blink

I'm happy there is Polcasan

Canada condemns Iran's retaliatory attacks Justin Li Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in a statement that Canada "strongly condemns the attacks of the Iranian regime against our partners in the Middle East." Anand further urged Canadians in Iran to shelter in place and said Ottawa will "provide all possible support to Canadians throughout the region." Canada currently has no diplomatic relations with Iran, nor does it have an embassy there.

The United States and Israel have the right to bomb and murder whoever they please.

The countries they attack have no right to fight back.

This is the exact double standard on international law Mark Carney was praised for calling out at Davos, but which he continues to participate in.

They're trying to prop up a monarchy, aren't they?

Oh! I love this. I'm starting with my next posting with research assistants!

I see the 5h45 gap between this and the next post and thank you for your service on short sleep!

The updated total of children killed is 57.

Anyone thinking that US-Israel massacres of Iranian people will "liberate" anything but markets & resources must contend with the reality that they are cheerleaders for the world's villains. No war with Iran.