Recent News

I'm not feeling great today. I'm a bit under the weather.

Wanted to point out a few things of possible interest and possible concern to you, in passing:

Home studio crash crisis: I don't know Benoit Paillé except as a photographer. I featured a picture of his as a "Random Excellence" after encountering it in The New Yorker and I've seen quite a bit of his work since then, mainly on Instagram (not all of which is entirely work safe), and I admire it a lot—it's distinctive and inventive. I don't know what kind of person he is, although it seems clear he's a mix of free spirit and eccentric. And possibly other things.

Benoit lost his home, his workspace, and his wheels all at the same time. Triple whammy.

The news is, Benoit has suffered a personal difficulty that has left him in a bad fix—he had a serious accident in the camper/truck he built for himself in 2019, the one he travels around in and lives in as he photographs. The truck was destroyed. If you'd like to extend a helping hand, someone named Jacob Pomerleau has organized a Go Fund Me for Benoit to help him get back on his feet.

Cool it, the parents are home: As of yesterday the USA is again being run by grownups. You might not expect this from me, but one thing I'll say is that the Democrats had better go out and listen hard to a lot of Trump voters. Yes, the latter have been misled (now there's the understatement of the century); yes, they have come down on the wrong side (the side of the 1%, although you wonder at what point during the storming and trashing of America's Capitol that some of the perpetrators might have thought: wait, are we the bad guys here?); and yes, they are deeply confused about a lot of things (they think liberals are "leftists," to name one absurdity*). But they are people too, their distress is real, and they have valid concerns. Black people have realized for a long time that society and capitalism, never mind the police, aren't generally working in their favor. And now a lot of white people of the type who were prosperous and felt like fully vested citizens fifty years ago are experiencing exactly the same thing. Wealth inequality and corporate monopoly have gotten way, way out of hand in this country, and business-as-usual and politics-as-usual just aren't cutting it for a lot of people. Namely the bottom 70% of the population. The Dems have been complicit in that too.

Inequality and the radical steps being taken to promote and protect it is the real driver of the divisiveness in America. You just can't arrange everything to be ever-more-heavily rigged in favor of people who already own too much of the wealth and are granted too much favoritism, and expect a one-person-one-vote democracy to go along. We desperately need some changes in the way the spoils are divvied up.

The Curious Society: Ken Jarecke is attempting to start up a new photography magazine! This feels a little like, er, an impossible project: you might as well announce that you're planning to build corded land-line telephones.

But I'm in. I've always had this idea that something like LIFE magazine should be subsidized for the sake of shared culture. Seems far-fetched to imagine this new idea will be quite that, but there's always a place for a little touch of the best of the old in amongst all the new. I'll be watching with interest and wishing them well.

There's an interview with Ken at PetaPixel.

New Fuji: In only six days, according to Fuji Rumors, Fuji will be announcing a slew of new and updated products. The press announcements are expected on the 27th. Fujistas, keep an eye peeled. I'll be watching.

Mike

*If you want to hear one very mildly left-wing idea: I don't support a minimum wage of $15 per hour. I support a minimum wage of $600 per week. Think about it.

Book o' This Week:

Peter Lindbergh On Fashion Photography, with text in English, French, and German. Original coffee table version or small 40th Anniversary version, take your pick. Both are hardcovers. The links above will magically transport you to Amazon.

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

AlexV: "Re the similarities between Trump supporters and African-Americans, in 2016 or so, SNL had a skit featuring an airing of an African-American version of 'Jeopardy' on which a white MAGA-type (Tom Hanks) comes on to play. As it turns out, he shares a number of concerns with the other players, and thus he answers a number of questions correctly. In the end, however, a question on racial identity breaks the sense of sharing."

Mike replies: One of my favorite SNL skits of all. I've watched it at least six times. Brilliant writing and acting, just bang on. When Keenan says, "Wooo, you all right Doug!" it cracks me up every time.

Robert Roaldi: "FYI, the Canadian photography magazine Photo Life is shutting down in February."

DavidB: "I subscribe to a photography magazine (Arizona Highways) and have several corded, landline telephones (original Western Electric, no less). Maybe I am the target audience!"

Lenya: "Isn't Lenswork going well despite Maureen Gallagher passing, or should we also be concerned about it? I would happily subscribe to another magazine of a similar kind, even though I do not have a corded phone. Unfortunately, I guess, this undertaking is going to the opposite of Lenswork, judging by a very superficial glimpse at the interview. Imagine a world in which Lenswork would be a bi-weekly arrival to your mailbox. Would that not be marvelous?"

Comments

[Soeren Engelbrecht]

Here in Denmark, one of the most “To-the-right-of-the-middle” parties is called “The Liberal Alliance”. As the name implies, they want to de-regulate a load of things and let capitalism and the market forces rule. So I never understood the use of “liberals” as a derogatory term by the Republicans in the US.

[Richard Parkin]

That’s not a “minimum wage” it’s a “Universal Basic Income” and is not particularly left wing since it’s supported by some right-wingers too. Nobody has tried it properly, mostly tinkered with it and then say it doesn’t work.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_income

You are right about the US inequality problem. I’ve long thought the US was evolving into a “mature” feudal system where the ‘entitled’ don’t actually have ‘titles’. It’s a natural progression of unbridled capitalism.

Of course you’ve also recently found that you do have a Monarchy since there are no concrete restrictions to Presidential power. We in England solved this on January 30, 1649 but I forecast no real action will be taken against Trump, as nothing was done to Nixon.

[Mike Giovinazzo]

Not to start digging a rabbit hole or, worse, go down it, so I'll bite my tongue (in part because I'm Canadian talking about U.S. politics) and just say: things will get better in the good ole US of A when small town people realize that big city people are also Real Americans... and when big city people realize that there's more to the U.S.A. than two coasts separated by "flyover country".

[John Camp]

I would agree about monopolies, but would also point out that wealth inequality isn't any worse than it was during several other periods in American history. That's what happens when revolutionary technologies (computers in our time) tear apart a pre-existing economy. Examples of economic inequality are rife in American history -- George Washington, for example, was worth almost $600 million and Thomas Jefferson $230-odd million (in 1916 dollars) when the average workingman was making the equivalent of about $15,000 a year. The same was true during the robber baron-era (American industrial revolution) and the 1920s (planes, trains and automobiles...and radio and motion pictures.)

The inequality will dwindle over time, and the monopolies will be taken apart, just as has happened in the past, but we live in an era when everybody wants everything to happen right now. That *won't* happen.

Does it make anybody happy to know that this has happened in the past? Of course not -- because we're all part of the *right now* generations.

[Bill Robinson]

Regardless of political alignment: Two PEW polls over the past two years found that 81% of the 13% Black population of these United States wants more, or the same amount of, police presence in their communities. Reducing/de-funding is an inappropriate approach to serving the country and this cohort. The overall police effort is successful, does work in black peoples favor, and until the time of cancellation of the so call 'broken windows' policies, reduced crime in black neighborhoods.

[c.d.embrey]

The Democrats and their identity politics divide the people. Every time a poor white hears "Black Lives Matter" he interprets that as being "White Lives Don't Matter At All." Remember "perception is reality." BTW calling people "deplorables" isn't a good way to win them over to your side.

I'm an Anarcho-Syndicalist. Worker owned business should be the future.

Check-out MONDRAGON (a multi-billion dollar co-op). The fact that the cooperatives are geared towards safeguarding jobs (and not towards maximising shareholders' profits) are key factors in explaining MONDRAGON's success.

[Stan B.]

Politics in this country are so far skewed that when people describe themselves as “center,” they really mean “center Right,” whether they realize it or not. Biden is described as a “Radical Socialist Leftist,” while QAnon whackos... in Congress, are simply- Republicans! Yes, most working class people would benefit from: free health care, a higher minimum wage, free higher education. But... we don’t have the money- ever hear that line when it comes to war? Two to three Trillion on a totally unnecessary war with Iraq!

Yeah, even Dems are scared of Bernie and all things “Socialist” like: police and fire departments, libraries, public schools, roads and bridges... As for Trump- just ask any working stiff he stiffed in Atlantic City.

[Curt Gerston]

While I’m a little surprised to see you write about politics, I applaud your courage. It would be nice to think we could again get to a place where sharing our political views doesn’t feel risky...not sure we’re there yet, but I’m glad you did. Of course, that’s easy for me to say because I basically agree with your sentiments. Grown ups indeed...and yes we all need to listen and learn more.

[Victor Bloomfield]

Thanks for the lucid and balanced political analysis. I think you've nailed it. I hope your physical malaise goes away soon -- the sociopolitical malaise is likely to take longer.

[Q]

OK, as you brought it up, I'll bite: Can you 'splain why you prefer a $600/wk wage to a $15/hr wage? I presume the purpose of the former is to detach the amount earned from hours worked at the low end of the earning scale so even people in the "gig economy" or in shifting-hours businesses (such as in the fast food industry) are covered with something approaching a living wage. In that case, why not go for a guaranteed minimum income or a universal basic income, à la proposals from Andrew Yang and others? Of course, if my presumption is incorrect, I may be missing something obvious. (Feel free to ignore this if you'd prefer to keep away from politics.)

[Tullio Emanuele]

I read your post and would like to be hopeful, but there are serious obstacles to overcome. I have voted for Republicans in the past 3 elections because I have seen how an intrusive, corrupt government can destroy a country. I was born and raised in Italy, but I have spent most of my adult life in the US.

Now I see the Democratic Party promoting a lot of the ideas which have ruined Italy. Perhaps some people should consider visit my country of origin, the food and wine are excellent and there is a lot to see. if one goes on its own without guide or organized tour, he/she will have an eye opening experience about how everything is so difficult because the State controls so much.

Sorry for the sarcasm, hope we can start a conversation.

[TC]

"One thing I'll say is that the Democrats had better go out and listen hard to a lot of Trump voters."

Would that the reverse has ever been true. When Republicans win it's somehow "The American people have issued a Mandate" but when Democrats win suddenly they have to "listen to those estranged Republicans and come together in Unity."

[Stephen J]

Of course there is nothing left wing about a universal basic income Mike.... Apart from the fact that it creates a whole new class of slave.

Liberals are not the same as the left, true, but liberals ALWAYS excuse it, and there is not a lot of difference between indulging these people and welcoming them into government.

[Rob Campbell]

I wouldn't let the politics linger too long here: I've seen it ruin one large site for me, LuLa, as did political correctness from some there. It's fair enough this soon after what amounts to a world-affecting election in the States, but if not ended, will just create division here, too, and no amount of moderating will prvenet either those muzzled or those spoiling for a fight with them from feeling hurt.

Politics in the West has sunk to banana republic levels. Best avoided when possible.

[rp]

There's little evidence that support for Trump is driven by income inequality. That was the popular narrative after the 2016 election, but it's been debunked repeatedly. Trump's support was mostly middle class and above, and was driven by the culture war and racism. Trump supporters don't view black, latino, urban, and LGBTQ people as real Americans, and are pissed that they're losing control of "their" country to those people. I'm not sure how to reach those types.

Moreover, as TC notes above, why is the burden always on the Democrats to reach out to the other side? Especially since their hands are always getting slapped away.

[John Krumm]

I'm a 100 percent Democratic Socialist Bernie supporter (worked on his campaign and am secretary to our local DSA). Still voted for Biden and am glad he beat Trump, to put it lightly. I'll continue to push for the general Bernie agenda, and fight against many of the bad things Biden will eventually do. I also don't care that some rural and suburban white voters think the term Black Lives Matter is a personal attack. I know they are smart enough to learn that what it really means is that under our current economic and criminal justice system, Black Lives Don't Matter. It's an assertion of humanity in an inhuman, unjust system, not a declaration that white lives don't matter.

And to bring it back to photography (with music) this phenomenon has been kind of fun to see:

https://youtu.be/emOXYuIkFT8