Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo— obedient to our keepers but dangerous to each other. (Angela Davis) There is no justice in this world or the other It may sound like a political heresy, but contrary…
Posts published by “Enrique Quintero”
So, what is the anthropocene? Although in the last few years the term has been incorporated in popular media, and its usage has been part of the vocabulary of a variety of academic and non-academic subjects, still relatively few people understand its true meaning and implications. In general, the Anthropocene…
If you are poor: Ain’t Nobody Going to Pay Your Way! If You Are Rich: Congress Will Give You $ 1.9 Trillion Tax Break! The Largest increase in income inequality in American History. Ain’t Nobody (A Song by Dorie Friedman) Well the boss man said you better get up coal…
The materiality of all things political Electoral Democracy (ED) as a form of government is above all a political topic. Reflections on this theme must deal not with the abstract or imaginary, but with the material world, the given society, in which ED exists. In our case, we must examine…
La Materialidad de lo Politico La Democracia Electoral (DE) como forma de gobierno es sobre todo un asunto político. Las reflexiones sobre este tema no deben referirse a lo abstracto o imaginario, sino al mundo material en el que la DE existe en una sociedad dada. En nuestro caso, debemos…
Twitter tongued and alt-right minded The recent public statements by the president of the United States attributing moral parity to a neo-Nazi, white supremacist rally and counter-protesters in Charlottesville last month have generated well-deserved rejection and condemnation internally and abroad. Most of the criticism — understandably so — has been…
A longer view on the spaces we leave and settle The Empty Cinema of Fear Those who lived in New York City during the 70’s might remember the story—part somber joke and part true story—that circulated among the Hispanic community living in Queens. It was told more or less like…
And the counter-inauguration marches The constitutional inauguration of disaster It is impossible of course, to know what Chief Justice John G. Roberts was thinking when he administered the presidential oath to Donald Trump, particularly considering that Trump had publically called him a “dummy” and “an absolute disaster” after Roberts cast…
Camera Obscura Electoral campaigns are to political parties what the process known as exposure — the amount of light per unit area — is to photographic film. It illuminates the latent image into a visible one. Electoral campaigns allow the unveiling of the content and contours of political organizations; they…
The charm of disgusting According to a recent article in the Economist, Hillary Clinton “is reckoned to be the second most-unpopular presidential nominate ever, after her Republican opponent Donald Trump.” The historically unprecedented dislike of both candidates is illustrated in the case of Clinton by a recent pool among registered…
El encanto de lo repulsivo De acuerdo con un reciente artículo en The Economist, Hillary Clinton “es reconocida como la segunda candidata presidencial más impopular en la historia del país, el primer lugar es ocupado por su oponente republicano Donald Trump”. Este desagrado sin precedentes de ambos candidatos se ilustra…
The actions of men and women, part 1 The Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges once stated that heaven and hell seem to be out of proportion because, according to him, the actions of men do not deserve so much. That may be case for divine justice ruling the afterlife, but…
Las acciones de hombres y mujeres, parte 1 El escritor argentino Jorge Luis Borges dijo alguna vez que el cielo y el infierno parecen estar fuera de toda proporción, ya que, según él, las acciones de los hombres no merecen tanto. Ese puede ser el caso de la justicia…
Comments on presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s malodorous feminism Learning from others is anti-American, even if it could benefit women Occasionally Hillary Clinton is inclined to tell the truth. One of those sparse occasions took place in the early 90’s when she reassured Larry King that “there is no Left in…
De vez en cuando, Hillary Clinton, se inclina a decir la verdad. Una de esas ocasiones dispersas fue a principios de los años 90 cuando aseguró a Larry King que políticamente “ la izquierda no existe en la Casa Blanca de los Clinton”....
Claiming to have God on your side can be philosophically problematic, mainly because without logical evidence, you are invoking an imaginary force with extra powers and unexplained superior morality as an ally and justifier of your actions, without risking much social scrutiny....
Reclamar que uno tiene a Dios de su lado puede ser filosóficamente problemático, sobre todo porque sin evidencia lógica, se invoca que fuerza imaginaria con poderes extraordinarios y una superioridad moral inexplicable, es su aliado y justificador de sus acciones sin que estas puedan ser sometidas a un serio escrutinio social....
Views from without and within Vignette # 1: Bad eating habits A few decades ago in Latin America, depending on considerations of class and culture, it would have been Chinese, Indian, or African kids who served as the ethnic group chosen by parents to be the signifier of distant commiseration,…
The destruction of the Black body in America Here is what I would like for you to know: In America it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage. Ta- Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me (a letter to his…
La destrucción del cuerpo Negro en América Esto es lo que me gustaría que usted sepa: En América es tradicional destruir el cuerpo negro – es patrimonio Ta Nehisi Coates, “Entre el Mundo y Yo (una carta a su hijo) I. Los fallecidos Parece justo decir—por lo menos por propósitos…
Recognition in America As do all good conservative and reactionary parties, the Republican Party always arrives a few years too late for the departure of the train of transformative ideas. Perhaps because of this axiomatic intellectual postponement so characteristic of the party, or to be more precise, because of the…
La política de identidad y de los candidatos Republicanos Como sucede con todos los buenos partidos conservadores y reaccionarios, el Partido Republicano siempre llega años después de la partida del tren de ideas transformadoras. Tal vez debido a este atraso intelectual axiomático tan característico de dicho partido, o para ser…
A festive event (on multiple occasions) During Evergreen’s commencement ceremonies this year, I happened to be seated next to a young Italian mother, her two kids and her South-American husband. It was her first time observing an American college graduation and she was surprised by the festive tone of the…
Un evento festivo (en múltiples ocasiones) Durante las ceremonias de graduación de Evergreen, por casualidad estuve sentado al lado de una joven madre italiana, sus dos hijos y su esposo sudamericano. Esta era la primera vez que ella observaba una graduación en una universidad americana y se encontraba sorprendida por…
Ominous Tuesday Those inclined to keep track of the calendar know that on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the 58th American presidential election will take place. Those inclined to keep track of history will ask themselves, in what kind of historical circumstances for the nation, for the world, and for their…