From: gerald_a_levy (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Sun Mar 23 2003 - 08:53:35 EST
A speech by Ben Tripp subsequently titled "Blood for Oil: The Exchange Rate" delivered on Thursday in Los Angeles. Tripp is a screenwriter, cartoonist, and satirist. Strong language. What is unusual here is the satirical attempt to quantify the exchange rate of blood for oil. Yet, while it is intended to be satirical there is no doubt that at least some proportion of the world blood supply has long taken the commodity-form and that cost-benefit analyses undertaken as part of the strategic planning process by imperialist powers have attempted to make such calculations -- which ultimately boil down to the question "How much is a human life worth?" (although there is clearly a separate calculation for "How much is a life of someone from the US worth?" etc. since the "market value for human life" is highly segmented and stratified). http://www.counterpunch.org/tripp03212003.html BTW, the march in New York City yesterday was H-U-G-E. (Serious) estimates of size varied from 300,000 to 800,000. The march, which went down Broadway, started above Times Square and ended in Washington Square Park. For hours on end the entire distance, about 40 blocks, was densely packed with demonstrators. Although there were a few violent clashes with the NYPD at 13th St. and to the West of Washington Square Park (where I inhaled pepper gas sprayed by the riot cops), for the most part it was a peaceful demonstration. When I was a high school student I was active in the anti-Vietnam war movement (I guess I'm showing my age). I am so happy that I have lived long enough to be part of this anti-War movement! La Lutta Continua! In solidarity, Jerry
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