The GerÂman mulÂti-media artist Max HatÂtler describes his award-winÂning short film “ColÂliÂsion” (2005) as “IslamÂic patÂterns and AmerÂiÂcan quilts and the colÂors and geomÂeÂtry of flags as an abstract field of reflecÂtion,” which will make no sense whatÂsoÂevÂer until you watch the video. It’s bareÂly over two minÂutes long, so just give it a shot and let the images do their own explainÂing. Be sure to wear headÂphones, or at least keep the volÂume low … but not off. The expeÂriÂence is defÂiÂniteÂly equal parts sound and sight.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
Much has been said, tweetÂed and writÂten about the 2011 EgyptÂian RevÂoÂluÂtion, gloÂriÂfyÂing it as one of the most landÂmark triÂumphs of freeÂdom in recent hisÂtoÂry. Yet the WestÂern media has delivÂered surÂprisÂingÂly litÂtle on its afterÂmath, leavÂing the lived post-revÂoÂluÂtion realÂiÂty of the EgyptÂian peoÂple a near-mysÂtery.
This beauÂtiÂful short film by British film stuÂdio ScatÂtered Images offers a rare glimpse of a phoenix still strugÂgling to rise from the ashÂes of oppresÂsion. With incredÂiÂble visuÂal eloÂquence, the film peels away at the now-worn media iconogÂraÂphy of the revÂoÂluÂtion itself, revealÂing how life after it has actuÂalÂly changed — or hasÂn’t — as Egypt remains a nation in tranÂsiÂtion, with a future yet to be decidÂed.
PolitÂiÂcalÂly, there is a vacÂuÂum. The revÂoÂluÂtion demandÂed a govÂernÂment accountÂable to the peoÂple and ruled by transÂparÂent instiÂtuÂtions. But now, the only ruler is uncerÂtainÂty.
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of cross-disÂciÂpliÂnary interÂestÂingÂness. She writes for Wired UK, The Atlantic and DesigÂnObÂservÂer, and spends a great deal of time on TwitÂter.
The vinÂtage video above is an excerpt from a 16 mm home movie showÂing PresÂiÂdent Franklin Delano RooÂsevelt on JanÂuÂary 20, 1941, the day of his Third InauÂguÂraÂtion. This silent colÂor movie was shot by FDR’s son-in-law (Clarence) John BoetÂtiger, who was then workÂing for the Motion PicÂture AssoÂciÂaÂtion of AmerÂiÂca, and the qualÂiÂty of this rare footage is quite outÂstandÂing. Watch the full 14-minute verÂsion here.
FDR can first be seen at 2:45, heavÂiÂly supÂportÂed by his oldÂest son James. This is one of the rare moments on film where RooÂsevelt can actuÂalÂly be seen walkÂing, and it’s obviÂous how difÂfiÂcult it was for him to walk after polio left him parÂaÂlyzed from the hips down in 1921. Next, FDR is seen on the presÂiÂdenÂtial platÂform with his wife Eleanor and Chief JusÂtice Charles Evans HughÂes, takÂing the Oath of Office and givÂing his InauÂgurÂal Address. The full text of the address can be read courÂtesy of Yale Law School, and a high-resÂoÂluÂtion scan of the InauÂguÂraÂtion CerÂeÂmonies ProÂgram has been uploaded by The Library of ConÂgress.
FDR was the first AmerÂiÂcan presÂiÂdent to sucÂcessÂfulÂly run for a third term due to the preÂcarÂiÂous interÂnaÂtionÂal sitÂuÂaÂtion in 1941. (Get the audio file of FDR’s State of the Union from JanÂuÂary 6, 1941 here). After George WashÂingÂton declined to run for a third term in 1796, it had become an unwritÂten rule to folÂlow his lead. But it was not until the 22nd AmendÂment from 1947/1951 (“No perÂson shall be electÂed to the office of the PresÂiÂdent more than twice.”) that this restricÂtion was enshrined into law. FDR was, of course, electÂed for a fourth term in 1945, but died of a masÂsive stroke on April 12, 1945.
By proÂfesÂsion, Matthias RaschÂer teachÂes EngÂlish and HisÂtoÂry at a High School in northÂern Bavaria, GerÂmany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on TwitÂter.
RSA has released its latÂest aniÂmatÂed video, and this time it feaÂtures EvgeÂny MoroÂzov, the Belarus-born researcher, who takes the conÂtrarÂiÂan posiÂtion that the interÂnet can often inhibÂit (rather than proÂmote) democÂraÂcy, espeÂcialÂly withÂin authorÂiÂtarÂiÂan conÂtexts like ChiÂna and Iran. And what folÂlows (above) is a more soberÂing talk about how authorÂiÂtarÂiÂan regimes use the web to supÂpress civic engageÂment and fledgÂling democÂraÂcy moveÂments. This clip is part of a longer 27 minute lecÂture (see full verÂsion here) that peers into “the dark side of interÂnet freeÂdom,” a phrase that hapÂpens to be the subÂtiÂtle of MoroÂzov’s new book.
MoroÂzov is curÂrentÂly a visÂitÂing scholÂar in the LibÂerÂaÂtion TechÂnolÂoÂgy ProÂgram at StanÂford, and if you’re wonÂderÂing how he looks at techÂnolÂoÂgy and the role it played in EgypÂt’s revÂoÂluÂtion, you can watch a quick clip here.
There’s someÂthing wonÂderÂful about this .… unless you’re a dicÂtaÂtor. Today, The New York Times shines a good light on Gene Sharp, a shy AmerÂiÂcan intelÂlecÂtuÂal who has spent decades writÂing on the art of non-vioÂlent revÂoÂluÂtion. Back in 2002, Sharp pubÂlished “From DicÂtaÂtorÂship to DemocÂraÂcy: A ConÂcepÂtuÂal FrameÂwork for LibÂerÂaÂtion,” a 93-page guide to upendÂing autoÂcrats. Then, he had the text transÂlatÂed into 24 lanÂguages and made freely availÂable online, with all copyÂright restricÂtions removed. The manÂuÂal has since inspired disÂsiÂdents in BurÂma, Bosnia and EstoÂnia, while givÂing strateÂgic direcÂtion to the protests in Egypt and Tunisia. Ideas have powÂer. But good ideas have more powÂer when they’re open. You can downÂload Sharp’s manÂuÂal here (PDF), and learn more about his misÂsion through his nonÂprofÂit, The Albert EinÂstein InstiÂtuÂtion.
SpeakÂing of good ideas that are open, feel free to downÂload 35o free online coursÂes and teach yourÂself anyÂthing and everyÂthing.
Note: If you’re lookÂing for some resources that explain what’s hapÂpenÂing in Egypt, you might want to visÂit these resources here and here. Both come at the recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtion of Jad AbumÂrad, the host of Radio Lab.
We have been going a litÂtle vinÂtage lateÂly, and we’ll have to do it one more day. For today marks the 50th anniverÂsary of John F. Kennedy’s inauÂguÂraÂtion, the beginÂing of a presÂiÂdenÂcy that inspired many, even though it lastÂed scarceÂly more than 1000 days. Kennedy’s inauÂgurÂal speech ran 1364 words and took 14 minÂutes to delivÂer. That makes it sigÂnifÂiÂcantÂly shortÂer than the longest inauÂgurÂal address (William HenÂry HarÂriÂson took 8,445 words in 1841) but longer than the tersÂest one – George WashÂingÂton spoke mereÂly 135 words durÂing his secÂond address. With 50 years of hindÂsight, we still conÂsidÂer Kennedy’s speech one of the finest inauÂgurÂal addressÂes because, as E.J. Dionne writes this week, it chalÂlenged the nation (and still does today) “to harÂness realÂism to ideÂalÂism, patriÂoÂtism to serÂvice, nationÂal interÂest to uniÂverÂsal aspiÂraÂtion,” espeÂcialÂly with the eterÂnal line: “And so, my felÂlow AmerÂiÂcans: ask not what your counÂtry can do for you — ask what you can do for your counÂtry.” You can revisÂit the speech in full above, and also find othÂer great archival footage withÂin the new YouTube ChanÂnel sponÂsored by the JFK PresÂiÂdenÂtial Library.
So much for the GoldÂen Age of CivilÂiÂty in AmerÂiÂca – but at least it was said with a litÂtle smile and the ensuÂing debate had some subÂstance…
Note: A readÂer sugÂgests in our comÂments that BuckÂley was jokÂingÂly alludÂing here to a preÂviÂous conÂfrontaÂtionÂal moment with Gore Vidal, and it sounds about right. (“I’ll sock you in the godÂdamn face and you’ll stay plasÂtered.”)
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