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JumbleTalk is a promising new media outlet with a unique and innovative touch. Unlike other such platforms, we offer a particularly interesting point-of-view. With a goal of reclaiming the lost voices of this generation around the world (17-27 year olds, who we call “jumblers”), our mission is to disseminate pertinent information that brings awareness to current issues and topics, stimulates thought, and encourages intellectual conversation. By doing so, jumblers' opinions and voices will be respected and considered as meaningful and influential. JumbleTalk takes a citizen journalistic approach to gathering and relaying relevant information.

There are many ways to get involved and we encourage you to do so:

1. JumbleTalk has great summer internship positions available!
                                                                                         Contact jumbletalk@gmail.com!

-Writing/Editing positions: writers will give 1-2 articles a week as well as edit 1-2 articles from fellow interns. This will build one's portfolio and also help learn about interactive editing.

-Social Media: We need help managing our various social media accounts, writing updates and publicizing our articles as well as interacting with those who comment and follow us.

-Tech: web design front-end and back-end, html/javascript help, database management and creation

-Content Creation: sketches and graphics designing of news cartoons, etc.
We also have internship positions available in video editing, audio editing and photography!
                    Contact jumbletalk@gmail.com and ask for more information!

2. Visit our programs page and learn about different ways to get involved, including our Donate an Article program, where jumblers can donate past writings that are still relevant today. Donate anything with a minium of 400 words (one page) and that brings awareness to or informs about a topic you want to share with the world. Your opinion on a common issue or topic is always welcome as well, don't worry about having to be the first to talk about it.

3. Become a Featured Jumbler!! We care about what you have to say and we promote you. No need to be a professional writer, have your voice heard by a worldwide audience!
Jumblers are featured daily on the front page of our website, giving them an opportunity to promote themselves and become published writers. Those in the jumbler age group should contact jumbletalk@gmail.com for an opportunity to get featured. Articles range from 400 to 2000 words and jumblers are not required to be “writers” or “journalists”, simply someone with important and pertinent topics to highlight and discuss.

Contact us for more ways to get involed!
We really encourage you to do so & we'd love to hear from you!

The Creative Concord

Had Karl Marx been born after Karl Popper, his greatness would be incomparable.
Successfully, Marx identified the bourgeois, the proletariat, and ‘the material dialectic’, but he
failed to identify the artifex, meaning ‘creator class’, which is made up of entrepreneurs,
inventors, and artists. An artifexian, which is a term first introduced in this paper, is anyone who
creates or recreates a means of production and/or a thing to be produced. If anything, Marx
conflated creators with the bourgeois or lost sight of them amongst the general proletariat.
Consequently, his material dialectic only halfway addresses the nature of socioeconomic change
through history. The full dialectic by which society ‘marches’ can be expressed as follows:

                                                     ‘The Creative Concord’

                                           ‘The material dialectic’ | creativity
                                                                  or
                                             (owner(s) | worker(s)) | creator(s)
                                                                 or
                                           (Bourgeois | Proletariat) | Artifex

Marx argued, through the material dialectic, that Capitalism was inherently contradictory,
for it inevitably undergoes, of one kind or another, ‘creative destruction’ (Schumpeter): the
businesses it creates destroys others, the resources it consumes leaves many lacking, etc…In
other words, at the center of Capitalism is self-destructive paradox. Though the material dialectic
properly delineates how socioeconomic orders change within a given creative epoch, it does
not describe how such orders change through them. To allude to Popper, history changes not
in line with any kind of dialectic, but in concordance with unpredictable inventions, ‘eurekas’,
and ‘creative acts’ (see Nikolai Berdyaev). Marx, coming before Popper, missed this, and so
created a theory and system that works in a given epoch, but not through them. Aware of Popper,
so brilliant, surely he would have recognized ‘the creative concord’ and artifex himself. Failing
to identify the creator class, Marx missed that Capitalism expands itself while carrying out
creative destruction within itself. The proper dialectic isn’t just composed of creative destruction,
but creative destruction along with creativity.

Marx claims that ‘alienation’ drives the working class, or proletariat, to revolt against
those who own the means of production, or bourgeois. This is true, making revolution eminent.
The question is how the revolution is to occur. For the proletariat to seize the means of
production and become like the bourgeois they rebelled against is just as alienating and ironic as
being forced to work on something that one doesn’t own. Both kinds of alienation manifest in
apathy, violence, or a desire to be ‘amused to death’ (Postman). A forceful and violent
revolution, as Marx ‘pointed to’ and Lenin advanced, plays into the alienation which stimulated
it, rather than works over it. Marxists and Leninists, through history, have revolted in the wrong
way. They’ve chosen a ‘French Revolution’ rather than a ‘Glorious’ one.
To create is to revolt. The man who starts a business is claiming that he has a competitive
advantage over other businesses. He seizes the means of production by creating new means of
production. Through creativity, he claims that he can be a part of the bourgeois without their

permission. In creating what he owns and what he works, he chooses how he needs others by
choosing which enterprise to create that requires demand, and so escapes both the enslavement
of the bourgeois’ need for the proletariat and the proletariat’s need for the bourgeois. He
becomes both – the artifex – he becomes free. In this regard, the woman who pickets Big Oil
doesn’t launch a revolution as effective as the woman who invents the alternative energy that
Entrepreneurship is peaceful revolution.
Creativity is nonviolent resistance.

For the rest of ‘The Creative Concord’, please visit:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzkJKz21gbfkR09tOHpxM1VuNkE/edit?usp=sharing

O.G. Rose lives in Charlottesville Virginia. Rose graduated from UVa and is working to publish a short story collection called 3 and a novel called Digression(s). For more from O.G. Rose, visit his Flickr and SoundCloud.

Gitmo or Gitno?

In 2002, a detention camp and interrogation facility was established on the oldest overseas U.S Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay (or Gitmo). Originally leased as part of the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903, the base contains the only U.S military facility located in a country with which it has no diplomatic relations. Today, however, its use is an extremely controversial issue. Of course, there is no mystery as to why Guantanamo Bay was chosen, instead of somewhere on U.S land. It isn’t “Hawaii Bay” facility for a reason: the constitution. The U.S gets away with bending the rules every which way, constitutional laws alike, but the level of sheer disregard for human rights that occurs now at Guantanamo Bay is simply too obvious to get away with on U.S soil.

The truth is, if all of their claims of spreading democracy and believing in/defending the constitution- the entire reason for our Supreme Court and balance of power- are contingent upon land restrictions, then what does it really mean at all? Clearly the constitution isn’t a moral pull/agreement or any true deep-seeded belief at all costs, but rather a pesky set of laws that can be tweaked and tricked in order to get whatever benefits the government at any cost. America apparently doesn’t agree that these laws and rights should be extended to all humans, but rather only those who are lucky enough to have citizenship ( including the various levels) or be on U.S soil in order to enjoy it. Ok, so it’s politics right? There’s always a need to bend the rules (“for the sake of ‘we, the people’”), there’s never any real moral, it’s all a game, it’s revolting, we get it.

Human Rights

Then of course there is the argument that the prisoners have lost their rights because of the heinous crimes they’ve committed, not unlike the way felons and criminals in the U.S are stripped of certain freedoms. Honestly. at least if Guantanamo detainees were given those same restrictions as U.S felons, it would be exponentially more tolerable when compared with realities like statistics showing that a large number of Guantanamo Bay detainees have never held trial, never had a chance to defend themselves and never been proven of a single crime in any legal way. This reflects a cornerstone of American justice that we learn early on, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Right? Right.

With sheer disregard to legal writ such as habeas corpus or protection under the Geneva Convention, it is not as if these prisoners are awaiting trial or on some long list to eventually see a judge, but rather there aren’t any concrete plans or intentions whatsoever of allowing them these basic U.S rights. Even the way they are detained violates multiple laws (habeas corpus ensures that situations be assessed as to whether there is any authority to detain the individual at all, and if not, that individual shall be released). It is entirely shameful, biased, hypocritical and still happening right now. That shame falls fully on the shoulders of the Stars and the Stripes, the self-proclaimed poster boy of freedom, equality and democracy.

Now come the arguments that these criminals/ terrorists are not Americans and that they do not have good intentions towards the U.S., so there is no need for them to be afforded these rights. Once again, holding a piece of paper documenting citizenship is apparently the justification for rights. One would think a country adopts a constitution because it believes it to be the best set of governance for people (i.e in any situation), not only individuals residing within its borders.Yet, somehow, whenever there’s oil involved we’ll go ahead and call it a fight for freeing citizens of other countries now. To the argument about the detainees not having “good intentions” or being “terrorists”, once again a majority of inmates haven’t held trial or been proven of anything.Take a look at the infamous case of...continue reading

N.W.S

Africa and the Future of Outsourcing

Currently, India dominates the outsourcing world, followed closely by Indonesia and China. A bulk of India’s outsourcing is in the Information Technology (IT) service which had a 14.8% increase from 2011 to 2012 and stood at double the figures from 2007. The IT sector and other outsourcing industries made over $101 billion in 2012. Indonesia, ranking second highest on the list of top outsource destinations, is a leading exporter of textiles and apparel. China, on the other hand, dominates the manufacturing sector, starting from the easy creation of a toothbrush to the more complicated and skilled manufacture of the iPhone.

Following the economic trends that all developing countries exhibited on the journey to becoming “developed”, we should expect to see a rise in the cost of wages and a gradual move towards more skilled labour in places like India and China. This is a predictable and inevitable trend which is driven by growing amounts of wealth and education in the nation. Because of this, China will no longer have the cheapest rates around for labour and companies looking to outsource will have to find other destinations that are more attractive.

With recent economic crisis and unemployment rising, western countries have been scrutinized by their citizens for their reliance on outsourcing. However, even with backlash and complaints from skilled laborers within the developed countries (U.S, U.K, France) who claim that the international community is stealing their jobs, capitalism and large profit margins will always be the deciding factor for companies. Provided costs stay cheap abroad, nationalism won’t be enough to get employers to keep all jobs on home soil. Unfortunately for these skilled labors on home soil, regardless of expected rise in cost of wages in current outsource destinations, offshore outsourcing will continue to be a trend. The truth is, the vast majority of jobs lost by the developed world to its developing counterparts will not be coming back, but rather these jobs will rotate among the various developing countries. Where one country fails to keep it’s cost low or produce at a satisfying rate, neighboring countries will pick up the slack and the outsourcing companies won’t think twice about shifting focus.

When labor costs in key Asian countries do rise- and that time is not so far away- we will see a shift in regards to outsourcing. The number one contender for cheap labour will be the countries of the African continent, replacing India, Indonesia and China’s position. Currently the poorest continent, Africa is also the fastest growing continent in the world after recently outpacing its Asian counterparts. Within the next 50 years, we are sure to see companies looking to African countries and we will bear witness to increasing numbers of outsource jobs in these locations.

Here is some background: Africa is home to a vast majority of the worlds resources and is truly starting to control its destiny. With Africa’s one billion plus population, it is easy to foresee the strong position the continent will hold for the long-term. The 90s was the best economic period for the majority of African countries; this increased stability was brought about in part by the introduction of democracy and peace. At the time, most of the economies focused on economic and financial policies to help improve their domestic economy. In 2005, the entire continent grew an average of 5% which marked a huge milestone for a continent that participates in less than 6% of the global trade. It was clear that African states were finally waking from their previously detrimental slumber.

Today, African countries have already begun making a name for themselves in the world of outsourcing. Kenya, for instance, supports local industries in an effort to promote itself as major offshore location for western countries. This particular East African country leads in Information Technology. Recently, it has made large strides and is securely positioning itself as a leading global player in this field. In addition to Kenya... continue reading

International Solidarity with Palestine

After a recent discovery of a solidarity page on Facebook with the title of “International Community to save Palestine” which at this moment in time has over 8,000 likes, the problems with international solidarity with the Palestinian struggle must once again be addressed. Although those that liked this page may well have good intentions, the term “save” carries many dangerous connotations and should not be accepted whatsoever. Since the very beginning of international activism, there has always been a fine line between solidarity and victimisation, especially when it comes to the Palestinian cause. When internationals begin to learn and understand more about the horrendous acts of colonial Israel, it may motivate several to mobilise in order to shine more light on these crimes against humanity; however that does not make any international a spokesperson for the Palestinians, nor does it mean they should continue to treat Palestinians as inferiors .As a Palestinian, it must be made clear: we have a voice of our own and we do not need people to speak on our behalf, we are not mute and we refuse to be silenced. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand that by taking a position to speak on behalf of the Palestinians one is also committing the act of silencing Palestinians. If you want to show solidarity, then act as an echo rather than a voice for the call of liberation and justice.

As a Palestinian comrade once stated before, Palestine is not a charity case. The continuous act of the international community of behaving as spokespersons for the Palestinians is very similar to the colonial tactics to further inferiorize the Palestinians. Similar to Israel’s attempts to show the world that it knows what’s best for the Palestinians, it’s crucial for the international community to not follow in such colonial footsteps.

Holding the microphone

If you become one of the many internationals in solidarity with Palestine, it is vital to grasp an understanding of the various attempts made to speak for the Palestinians and what should be done in its place, to show appropriate camaraderie. If as an individual you do want to hold the microphone, then do so in your home country against the normalisation your governments partakes in with the apartheid state, or against the blind funding for Israel, be it by your government or companies that bare your nationality. If you want to hold the microphone, do so as an individual speaking out against colonialism, speaking out against apartheid and speaking out against the complicity of all those who remain silent. Conversely, do not do so through making the Palestinians seem like helpless victims in desperate need for international mobilization, as if the only way to liberate Palestine is when the international community does it. Hold the microphone because you’re against injustice, not as a representative of the Palestinians. By having a paternalistic outlook on an entire population and by disregarding its resistance movements by believing the road to liberation lie elsewhere, you are not expressing solidarity; you are expressing a white saviour mentality.

Proof of humanity
Furthermore, as an international in solidarity with Palestine, it is not your duty to prove the humanity of Palestinians. The urge to attest to the humanity of Palestinians is…continue reading

Follow our recent featured jumbler, Mariam Barghouti, on her blog: http://ramallahbantustan.wordpress.com/

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