As events in California unfold, this chapter is being written, once again, perhaps more forecefully and more visibly than it has during my lifetime. There is shame in pretending to write such a text, at a distance, indirectly, when it is, in fact, being written primarily by students, as they offer up their bodies and voices, spurred by justice, committed to solidarity and dreams. But still, shame is a small price to pay when so many are paying much more. And this is a story that needs to be told. So, I propose that we embark on another chapter, this one written collaboratively, documenting not only what is specifically taking place in California, but exploring its connections to past struggles and potential impact on future events.
As a strategy for coordinating this information, I suggest that we begin by building a bibliography, or at least a collection of links, so that we can expand the network of communication. A common critique of new media is that it facilitates a culture of spectacular joining, where people can adopt causes to proclaim solidarity with little sacrifice, making themselves look good by their association with others. And, to a large extent, this critique is a valid one. However, at some point, joining can give way to action, particularly if it leads to knowledge, engages us in solidarity, invites us to invest in the process of dreaming, and gives way to action. So, in addition to building a bibliography, I would also like to use this place to explore solidarity in the age of digital networks. How can we move from representation to presence? How can we allow these remote causes to effect changes wherever we are right now? Or, perhaps, the real question: How do we make those hidden things visible here and now?
Bibliography
Agamben, Giorgio. "The Necrosocial." Anti-Capital Projects. November 18, 2009. <http://anticapitalprojects.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/the-necrosocial/>
Bousquet, Marc. "California is Burning." The Chronicle of Higher Education. November 19, 2009.
<http://chronicle.com/blogPost/California-Is-Burning/8915/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en>
Butler, Judith, "Save California's Universities", The Guardian, October 4, 2009.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/sep/30/california-university-berkeley-budget-protest>
Holmes, Brian. "The U.C. Strike." Continental Drift. <http://brianholmes.wordpress.com/2009/10/01/the-u-c-strike/>.
"UC Regents committee approves student fee increases; at least 14 protesters arrested at meeting at UCLA" Los Angeles Times. November 18, 2009.
<http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/a-university-of-california-board-of-regents-committee-today-approved-a-series-of-controversial-increases-in-student-fees-that.html>
http://savingucsd.ning.com/
http://www.edu-factory.org/edu15/
http://sb.city2.org/blogs/rflacks
Blog of Dr. Dick Flacks, Sociology, UCSB
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