Base and Superstructure

Thoughts on production, alienation, and ideology

Category: Iowa (Page 3 of 13)

Living with a Dog (Molly)

September 25, 2023 /

When her mother died in 2020, my partner inherited a 13 year old dog, Molly. Now 16 years old as of July, Molly has lived with us these past 3 years.

Molly is a Peekapoo – a hyrbid breed between Pekinese and Poodle. She’s a very small dog, weighing in at maybe 12 or 13 pounds. And we’ve seen her through years of getting older, moving on from a senior dog to a quite elderly dog. Despite being quite elderly – and limited in various ways in her mobility – she’s a healthy and active dog for her age.

My partner and I have talked a number of times over the years about whether we want a dog (we’ve both firmly ruled out cats). And I think our experience with Molly has given us some insight into aging and care for the aging. Not to mention some good times taking walks and showing off our dog stroller to the neighborhood.

Do you have a dog? What are the joys of dogs for you?

A protest sign that says Shut It Down! It has an image of a fist.

Iowa City’s Anarcho-Liberalism

September 11, 2023 /

Bhaskar Sunkara kicked up a bit of a storm when he first wrote about ‘anarcho-liberalism’ in 2011. Sunkara wrote about this odd term as an extension of the politics of the New Left.  Specifically the anti-globalization movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s. And when he used the term, Sunkara called to mind two things: first, a rejection of the mass working class institutions and politics of the left, and second, ‘revolutionary’ critique and action from people and small groups.

Let me narrow this down a bit in a way that readers might apply to their local situations. Anarcho-liberalism often amounts to a kind of knee-jerk cynicism and opposition toward government, especially at the local level. And it lacks any serious plan to build a movement to take power in the interests of the working class.

Insofar as anarcho-liberalism allows for an alternative, it falls back on NGOs, non-profits, or ‘mutual aid.’ And these are the best options. At its worst, it fails to go beyond ‘pestering’ local officials with no deeper goal.

In short, it’s a mess. And it has its backers in Iowa City.

Let’s talk a bit about that.

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An Evening With the Iowa City Police

July 24, 2023 /

Two Iowa City police officers in uniform displaying boxes of donuts.

I haven’t had many encounters with the police over the years. Most of those encounters involve getting fined for petty driving violations. This probably lines up with the experience of most readers.

But my most recent encounter – from a year or two ago – highlights a few things for me. It shows, I think, the dangers inherent in any contact with police officers on duty. Even when nothing outrageously bad results from it.

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Text that says 'Straight Outta My Thirties' to represent turning 40.

Turning 40

June 8, 2023 /

On my Dad’s 40th birthday, my Mom took out an ad in the newspaper poking fun at him. I got a laugh out of it – as did the rest of my family – but the whole notion of turning 40 seemed absurd to me. 40 was just a giant number I’d presumably never reach.

Hey, I was 14. 40 was old. Now I’m turning 40 myself.

Let’s talk about that.

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