TheBlackList Concerns

5 myths about Cuba, debunked

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 19:22:00 +0000

+ emperor penguins may be nearly extinct by 2100 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Cuba has been in global headlines recently after rare anti-government protests erupted in July and led to at least 700 arrests, according to human rights organizations.

Struggle, dissent, crackdown – it's a seemingly familiar cycle in Cuba. But what do you really know about this Caribbean island about 100 miles (161 km) from Florida?

"Cuba remains largely an enigma to outsiders, and especially to Americans," writes Caroline McCulloch, a Cuba specialist at Florida International University. "Myths prevail because of Cuban government censorship and the United States' historic tendency – born of the Cold War – to stereotype and simplify the communist island."

McCulloch explains five common misconceptions about Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations.

Also today:

Catesby Holmes

International Editor | Politics Editor

Street view of Havana, Cuba, July 26, 2021, several weeks after mass protests broke out. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

5 ways Americans often misunderstand Cuba, from Fidel Castro's rise to the Cuban American vote

Caroline McCulloch, Florida International University

Cuba: It's complicated.

Ethics + Religion

With abortion heading back to the Supreme Court, is it time to retire the 'my body, my choice' slogan?

Elizabeth Lanphier, University of Cincinnati

The abortion rights debate has moved on from freedom to choose – it is now about having available options, a bioethicist writes.
Understanding evangelicalism in America today

Terry Shoemaker, Arizona State University

A religion scholar explains how evangelicalism in the US is not a monolith. It includes a a variety of churches, theologies and practices.

Environment + Energy

Biden moves to protect the Tongass, North America's largest rainforest, from logging and road building

Beverly Law, Oregon State University

Scientists are urging the Biden administration to protect mature US forests as a climate change strategy, starting with the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.
Earth's energy budget is out of balance – here's how it's warming the climate

Scott Denning, Colorado State University

When heat in doesn't equal heat out, Earth sees changes.
98% of emperor penguin colonies could be extinct by 2100 as ice melts – can Endangered Species Act protection help them?

Stephanie Jenouvrier, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Emperor penguins survive in a 'Goldilocks zone' between too much sea ice and too little. A new study shows the risk they face from climate change.

Politics + Society
Does a Trump endorsement make a difference? Yes, but not the way a candidate hopes it will Hans J.G. Hassell, Florida State University; Andrew Ballard, American University; Michael Heseltine, American University School of Public Affairs Candidates: Be careful what you wish for.

Education

Formerly incarcerated teens share their research and ideas on how to improve the juvenile justice system

Shiv R. Desai, University of New Mexico

A youth group gives juvenile offenders a chance to advocate for change in the justice system.
4 low-cost ways to create safe public spaces where all kids can play

Renee Umstattd Meyer, Baylor University; J. Aaron Hipp, North Carolina State University

Public and community health experts highlight four ways that communities can collaborate to encourage physical activity and fun.

Science + Technology
Lyme disease protection: No vaccine yet, but an antibody shot could soon provide a season of immunity Mark Klempner, University of Massachusetts Medical School Researchers are testing an antibody shot to protect people from Lyme disease-causing bacteria.

Trending on Site

Here's why the CDC recommends wearing masks indoors even if you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Peter Chin-Hong, University of California, San Francisco

The CDC guidance applies to areas with high coronavirus transmission rates – which on the day of the announcement covered 63% of US counties.
What will the Earth be like in 500 years?

Michael A. Little, Binghamton University, State University of New York; William D. MacDonald, Binghamton University, State University of New York

The Earth is constantly changing in natural ways, but most of those changes are very slow. Humans are speeding up other changes with global warming.
Swimming gives your brain a boost – but scientists don't know yet why it's better than other aerobic activities

Seena Mathew, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Mounting research shows that going for a swim can preserve memories, reduce mood disorders and increase mental acuity in all age groups.

From Cynthia McKinney: One Small Step for the Republic, A Giant Leap for Voter Choice in Georgia?

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:33:00 +0000

Hello! Some good news to report on the voter choice front!

The State of Georgia is technically in default in its own case on voter choice, having no answer to the precedent-setting Tennessee decision just ordering that the Green Party and the Constitution Party Presidential candidates be placed on the ballot. That Tennessee decision was affirmed by the Appellate Court yesterday in its refusal to issue a stay which would have, in effect, disallowed the placement of the Green and Constitution Parties on the November 2012 Tennessee ballot. In Georgia, the state Green and Constitution Parties teamed up again, represented by Roseanne Barr's campaign legal advisor, Mike Raffauf. I call this "one small step for the Republic and a possible giant leap for voter choice in Georgia!"

Here's the Ballot Access News write-up with the pdf of the actual order embedded and below that is the Knox.com write-up:

Sixth Circuit Preserves Ballot Spot in Tennessee for Green Party and Constitution Party

August 9th, 2012

On August 9, the Sixth Circuit issued a 7-page order, denying the request of Tennessee election officials to remove the Green Party and the Constitution Party from the November 2012 ballot. However, the Sixth Circuit did grant the state's request for a stay of the U.S. District Court order that said there must be a random procedure to give each party an equal chance to get the top line on the ballot.
In February 2012, a U.S. District Court in Tennessee had struck down the state's ballot access law for newly-qualifying parties, and had also ordered the state to print the two plaintiff parties on the 2012 ballot. The U.S. District Court had also struck down the law, giving the two largest parties the best spots on the ballot.
The Sixth Circuit has not decided any of these issues at this time. Instead, the Court simply set forth what rules should be in place, pending a decision. The order says, "The state has not shown why the plaintiffs' past support – which, as noted by the district court, consists of nearly 20,000 votes for the Green Party and almost 10,000 signatures for the Constitution Party – is so insubstantial as to create a real possibility of frustrating the State's democratic process." The reference to the 10,000 signatures for the Constitution Party, and the 20,000 votes for the Green Party, is to past elections, not anything related to this year's election.

From knoxnews.com:

Green, Constitution parties allowed to be on November ballot in Tenn.

By Tom Humphrey
Posted August 9, 2012 at 9 p.m.

NASHVILLE — A 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Thursday assures that Green Party candidates will have a place on Tennessee's November general election ballot in several races — including Martin Pleasant of Knoxville as the party's U.S. Senate nominee.
"That's wonderful," said Pleasant, 43, who now plans to take some time off his job with the Knox County Engineering and Public Works Department for campaigning.
State Election Coordinator Mark Goins said the court ruling came in requests for an expedited ruling on two issues in a lawsuit brought by the Green and Constitution parties challenging the state's ballot access.
Currently, Democrats and Republicans are listed by party affiliation but others are listed as independents. A U.S. District Court judge in Nashville ruled in February in the Green and Constitution parties' favor on some key issues, but the state attorney general appealed.
In Thursday's decision, the court declared Green and Constitution party candidates must be on the ballot and listed by party name, Goins said. But the court ruled for the state in another issue up for "expedited" decision — letting stand a present law requiring the "majority party," now Republicans, be listed first on the ballot, followed by the "minority party," the Democrats, with others following lower on the ballot.
The Nashville judge had ruled that the ballot order should be determined by a random drawing.
Further hearings and rulings are expected later.
The Green Party of Tennessee nominated a slate of candidates at a convention earlier this year, but their place on the ballot was not assured until Thursday's decision. The decision also means that Kermit Steck of Kingsport will be on the ballot as U.S. Senate nominee of the Constitution Party, which did not qualify candidates in any other races.
Five Green Party congressional candidates will be on the ballot under the ruling. They are Robert N. Smith of Greeneville in the 1st District, Norris Dryer of Knoxville in the 2nd District; John Miglietta of Nashville in the 5th District; Patrick John Riley of Lancaster in the 6th District; and Howard Switzer of Linden in the 7th District.
There are also five Green Party candidates for state House seats, including two in Knoxville. Calvin Cassady will oppose Rep. Joe Armstrong, D-Knoxville, in the 15th state House District, while Bryan Moneyhun will face Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, in the 16th District. Both Armstrong and Dunn would have no opposition to re-election without the Green nominees.

© 2012, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

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Corporate Roots of European Imperialism

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:27:00 +0000

From The Ramparts

Junious Ricardo Stanton

"A chartered company is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization. Companies enabled merchants to band together to undertake ventures requiring more capital than was available to any one merchant or family. Typically, these companies were formed from the sixteenth century onwards by groups of European investors to underwrite and profit from the exploration of Africa, India, the Caribbean and North America, usually under the patronage of one state, which issued the company's charter. But chartered companies go back into the medieval period. Chartered companies enabled states to use private resources for exploration and trade beyond the means of the limited resources of the treasury, which is a liberal form of indirect rule; some companies did themselves employ a form of indirect rule of territories through traditional leaders, such as princely states with whom they (not the European state) made treaties. Chartered companies were usually formed, incorporated and legitimised under a royal or, in republics, an equivalent government charter. This document set out the terms under which the company could trade; defined its boundaries of influence, and described its rights and responsibilities." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_company

The Occupy Movement has helped raise consciousness about the role giant Wall Street banks and major corporations play in shaping government policy; how these entities have assumed a major influence over the operation of governments and the lives of ordinary people. Contrary to what most people think, this is not a recent phenomenon. European merchants, money changers, nobles and monarchs melded together to form trading companies and grant virtual monopolies to themselves to explore and establish colonies designed to expropriate the resources of the indigenous people every where they went on planet Earth. These monopoly trading companies are the forefathers of the international banks and giant corporations of today.

Western history books tell a far different story than what really happened when resource starved, war torn, disease ravaged Europeans first began to covet the riches of foreign lands in the fifteenth century. Beginning in elementary school, we are forced to learn outright lies, memorize and regurgitate myths and fairy tales about the Pilgrims, and the other early colonists who ventured beyond the shores of Europe in search of "the new world". In school books the Europeans are depicted as noble, ambitious industrious beings searching for trade and commerce, freedom from persecution, they are the good guys seeking to spread civilization and Christianity to the "heathen" in far off lands.

How can you spread or give what you don't have? There is a saying "everywhere you go, there you are"; meaning the Europeans who ventured forth seeking riches brought with them their values, their cultural disposition towards selfishness, greed and love of war. It was only a matter of time before conflict, strife and war broke out between Europeans and the aboriginal people they encountered around the globe. This is well documented and we are seeing the vestiges and consequences of those conflicts played out in today's current events.

Between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, merchants, financers and European blue bloods formed monopoly trading companies to facilitate and augment their ruthless dealings with indigenous people around the world. We've heard of them but we never told what they did and how they did it. Companies like: The Massachusetts Bay Company, The Hudson Bay Colony, Royal West Indian Company, Royal African Company (England) , Dutch East India Company, Dutch West India Company (Holland) Brandenburg African Company (Germany), Compagnie du Mississippi (France) and numerous others were the forces behind much of the early European colonization of the world.

These companies needed men to work the fields, mines and clear the land to extract its resources. The trading companies also needed canon fodder to lead the invasions and fight to expand their "settlements". So the merchants and financers colluded with the monarchs to empty the jails and press the dregs of European society into service of the monopoly trading companies. The Europeans tried to enslave the indigenous inhabitants and raped their women; was it any wonder genocidal wars broke out almost immediately between the whites and the aboriginal inhabitants everywhere the Europeans went? If you want to know the truth about European contacts with indigenous people read: Race and Culture Contacts in the Modern World by E. Franklin Frazier Beacon Press 1957, Afrikan People and European Holidays A Mental Genocide (books one and two) by Rev. Ishakamusa Barashango IV Dynasty Publishing Co 1980 and How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney, Howard University Press 1982.

Now even whites are beginning to tell the truth about their history and their centuries' old legacy of genocide, pillage and plunder. "The first true war attributed to British colonists in North America was 'King Philip's War,' so called, of the 1670s, and was blamed entirely on the natives, who were depicted as brutal savages, who betrayed the colonists' trust. The Wampanoag, Nipmuc, Narragansett and other peoples of Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Connecticut had actually been exceedingly generous to the newcomers, effectively sharing land and teaching them how to cultivate it according to local climate and soil conditions. But English notions of land usage, particularly that of private enclosure, quickly brought the colonists and natives into conflict. Increasing European migration, coupled with competition over land, led to attacks by aboriginals on British settlements, then into all out war. Native populations had already been extremely diminished by contact with European diseases to which they had no immunity, and this coupled with the efforts of colonists to exacerbate conflict between tribes, and to thwart intertribal unity, made victory over the British impossible. When the colonists eventually prevailed they inflicted a horrible slaughter on men, women and children alike. For a quarter century the severed head of Metacomet, the son of the colonists' benefactor, Massasoit, remained impaled on a pike in Plymouth town square, a reminder of the implacability of those who intended to be masters of the land. English victory cleared the natives of southern New England and 'allowed the uninterrupted growth of England's northern colonies right up to the American Revolution,' and became as well 'the brutal model for how the United States would deal with its native population.' And, one could add, for all of America's non-white enemies yet to be. Doctrines of Anglo-Saxon racial superiority, fostered to rationalize genocidal attitudes, and to justify the enslavement of Africans, quickly percolated into the culture, to be refined continually up to the present." War and Empire Are and Always Have Been the American Way of Life By Paul L. Atwood http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32124.htm

The chartered monopoly trading companies spawned banks and insurance companies in Europe to hoard the profits, safeguard the investments of the partners, their ships and cargos. They also prompted mercenaries and expeditionary armies/navies owned by the trading companies to carry out their greedy agendas and ruthless policies in the name of profit. Sound familiar? The policies of the original trading companies are not all that different from their latter day descendants. "In order to carry out their many tasks, which in many cases included functions - such as security and defence - usually reserved for a sovereign state, some companies achieved relative autonomy. A few chartered companies such as the British Honourable East India Company (HEIC) and Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) had military and naval forces of their own that dwarfed even the average European state's armed forces, and adequate funds to buy the best men and equipment, in effect making them a state within a state. More chartered companies were formed during the late nineteenth century's 'Scramble for Africa' with the purpose of seizing, colonising and administering the last 'virgin' African territories, but these proved generally less profitable than earlier trading companies. In time, most of their colonies were either lost (often to other European powers) or transformed into crown colonies. The last chartered company to administer territory directly in Africa was the Companhia de Moçambique in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique), which handed over rule of the colonies of Manica and Sofala to the Portuguese republic's colonial government in 1942." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_company

Do you see their pattern? The economic interests of the elites drive public policy, even war. While the fifteenth century trading companies depended on the various monarchs' and Papal cooperation to grant them monopolies to discover and expropriate raw materials, minerals and labor, their twenty-first century heirs now own the governments and use their treasuries, military and covert ops to invade and control new markets, resources, financial systems and labor to fuel their global vampire economy. Anyone who stands in their way gets demonized and neutralized or is used as a pretext to invade, install quislings and puppets, rob and steal other people's lands and resources and control their markets. (Think US CIA British MI6 and NATO)

"Throughout the former European empires the real problem for Washington was de-colonization. Sometimes the movements were communist but often not. Nationalism and the movement toward 'non-alignment' were equal threats, though anti-communism provided the ideological cover for Washington's global military response to any and all emerging movements that might frustrate the overall goal of a unitary, integrated American-managed world-system. Thus in the name of anti-communism the newly minted Central Intelligence Agency, violating the congressional mandate that had created it, and domestic and international law as well, overthrew the parliamentary government in Iran in 1953 and Guatemala in 1954. In that year Vietnam was divided, supposedly temporarily, in order to allow nationwide elections but, since the CIA knew that Ho Chi Minh would easily win, the division was really to buy time to prevent Ho from achieving his movement's goal of independence and national unity. In fact Washington moved to prevent national elections agreed to by all great powers, except the U.S., in the Geneva Accords of 1954, and in contravention of them 'invented' a new state, South Vietnam, and then pretended that it was the choice of a majority of Vietnamese. Throughout the 1950s the U.S. also intervened covertly to thwart the rise of Arab and Muslim secular nationalism, particularly Nasserism, whom the CIA tried to assassinate because he nationalized the Suez Canal, as well as Qassim in Iraq for doing the same to that nation's oil industry. The strategy of attempting to overthrow governments that stood in the way of American corporate dominance of key national industries in the Muslim world backfired by creating a vacuum into which Islamic fundamentalism flowed, in what the CIA today calls 'blowback.'" War and Empire Are and Always Have Been the American Way of Life

By Paul L. Atwood http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32124.htm

Globalization is nothing more than monopoly imperialism, it's colonialism and neocolonialism on steroids. Instead of several monarchs and trading companies fighting and vying for resources and labor, the power behind the scenes is a small cabal working in collusion and cooperation to control the global financial system, national governments and the whole world. They've come a long way since the 1400's.

[TheBlackList] Corporate Roots of European Imperialism, jrswriter, 08/10/2012

Re: [TheBlackList] Corporate Roots of European Imperialism, Roland Sheppard, 08/11/2012

The Okey-Doke

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:24:00 +0000

From The Ramparts

Junious Ricardo Stanton

The Okey-Doke

"Ever since the work of French sociologist Gustave Le Bon in the late nineteenth century, we know that adults behave like children when they are in the throes of collective emotion. They become susceptible, even if for just a critical fleeting moment, to the suggestions of a leader-of-men who for them embodies a father figure. In 1990, Sharp got close to Colonel Reuven Gal, then chief psychologist of the Israeli Army (he later became deputy national security adviser to Ariel Sharon and now runs operations designed to manipulate young Israeli non-Jews). Combining the discoveries of Le Bon and Sigmund Freud, Gal reached the conclusion that it was also possible to exploit the 'Oedipus complex' in adolescents and steer a crowd of young people to oppose a head of state, as a symbolic father figure. On this basis, Sharp and Gal set up training programs for young activists with the objective of organizing coups. After a few successes in Russia and the Baltics, it was in 1998 that Gene Sharp perfected the method of 'color revolutions' with the overthrow of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic." - Perfecting The Method of "Color Revolutions Western leaders slip back into childhood By Thierry Meyssan http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32110.htm

The good news is corporate media news consumption is way down in fact CNN is so far down in the ratings, its CEO recently resigned. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120727-712098.html Now if we can only get the yahoos to stop watching Fox News. The reason the mass media news is down is because more and more people are getting their information from alternative sources: Short Wave radio, the Internet and Satellite TV. Most sane people realize the corporate media lies and promotes an elitist plutocratic global agenda favoring what they themselves call a New World Order. The corporate media reflects the values, class biases and world view of the handful of conglomerates that own most of the radio, television, and print media in existence. So naturally they create the lenses and filters they want us to see the world through to manipulate our minds to acquiesce to their foul agendas whether it be: perpetual wars, Frankenfoods, debt peonage, eugenics or population control.

The corporate media wants us to believe the masses in places like Libya, Tunisia and Syria thirst for change and "revolution" but somehow places like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar are bastions of human rights, freedom and democracy. The so called Arab Spring "color revolutions" of last year were a total fraud. Despite what the Western media told us they were really coupe d'états, the result of well laid plans and immense financing to target and topple regimes the West wanted ousted for their own nefarious reasons. What we are seeing and being told by the corporate media about Syria and Iran are total lies akin to the earlier lies about 9-11, the Taliban and Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. The US media at the behest of Western global warmongers created demons and devils like Osama bin-Laden to justify their global plunder and naked imperialism. These make believe enemies have long been on the US CIA, British MI6, Saudi secret police/security and Pakistani ISI payrolls.

Why has no one in the corporate media asked why the Obama administration is paying its supposed sworn enemy "Al-Qaeda" to kill civilians in places like Libya and now Syria? "The Obama administration is focusing on increasing aid to the Free Syrian Army and other oppositional factions to facilitate a forced regime change in Syria. Andrew Tabler, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, admits that the US government '[is] looking at the controlled demolition [of the Syrian government]. But like any controlled demolition, anything can go wrong.' The Pentagon have been plotting and overseeing terrorist activities in Syria as the campaign for regime change marches on. Along with NATO and French Special Forces, the US government has been placing strategic measures to make sure terrorism is carried out in Syria. The globalists at the RAND Corporation admit that 'al-Qaeda has conducted roughly two dozen attacks, primarily against Syrian security service targets. Virtually all have been suicide attacks and car bombings, and they have resulted in more than 200 deaths and 1,000 injuries.'" Al-Qaeda Directs Free Syrian Army in Controlled Demolition of Syria by Susanne Posel http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=32177

Under cover of lies, deceit and disinformation the international blood suckers, their minions in government, the think tanks and NGOs are financing/waging a not so covert war on Syria with plans to move on Iran and Lebanon in the very near future. These psychopaths are attempting to undermine and eliminate the Syria-Iran mutual defense pact so that when they take on Iran, Syria and Hezbollah will already have been "neutralized". The Western imperialists using their NATO enforcement arm is moving in for the kill. But they have to make it look like they are the good guys so they've created this disinformation and psy-op bull crap about a grass roots uprising to topple the "evil" Assad regime. Who could be more corrupt than the NATO axis of evil?

It's all lies! "The 'protests' did not emanate from internal political cleavages as described by the mainstream media. From the very outset, they were the result of a covert US-NATO intelligence operation geared towards triggering social chaos, with a view to eventually discrediting the Syrian government of Bashar Al Assad and destabilizing Syria as a Nation State. Since the middle of March 2011, Islamist armed groups --covertly supported by Western and Israeli intelligence-- have conducted terrorist attacks directed against government buildings including acts of arson. Amply documented, trained gunmen and snipers including mercenaries have targeted the police, armed forces as well as innocent civilians. There is ample evidence, as outlined in the Arab League Observer Mission report, that these armed groups of mercenaries are responsible for killing civilians. While the Syrian government and military bear a heavy burden of responsibility, it is important to underscore the fact that these terrorist acts --including the indiscriminate killing of men, women and children-- are part of a US-NATO-Israeli initiative, which consists is supporting, training and financing 'an armed entity' operating inside Syria.

The role of the US-NATO-Israel military alliance in triggering an armed insurrection is not addressed by the Western media. Moreover, several 'progressive voices' have accepted the 'NATO consensus' at face value. The role of CIA-MI6 covert intelligence operations in support of armed groups is simply not mentioned. Salafist paramilitary groups involved in terrorist acts are, according to reports, supported covertly by Israeli intelligence (Mossad). The Muslim Brotherhood has been supported by Turkey, as well as by MI6, Britain's Secret Service (SIS) since the 1950s. More generally, the Western media has misled public opinion on the nature of the Arab protest movement by failing to address the support provided by the US State Department as well as US foundations (including the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)) to selected pro-US opposition groups. Known and documented, the U.S. State Department 'has been been funding opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad, since 2006.' (U.S. admits funding Syrian opposition - World - CBC News April 18, 2011). The protest movement in Syria was upheld by the media as part of the "Arab Spring", presented to public opinion as a pro-democracy protest movement which spread spontaneously from Egypt and the Maghreb to the Mashriq. There is reason to believe, however, that events in Syria, however, were planned well in advance in coordination with the process of regime change in other Arab countries including Egypt and Tunisia." SYRIA: NATO's Next "Humanitarian" War? Michel Chossudovsky (Editor)

The same rabid colonization game plan is in the works for the rest of the world namely Africa and Latin America. The Western imperialist vampires covet the water, mineral resources and land there as well. They are psychopaths and megalomaniacs who should be seen and recognized as such. Don't fall for their okey-doke, get your information for reliable sources not the lying mainstream media.

[TheBlackList] The Okey-Doke, jrswriter, 08/07/2012

BLOW THE WHISTLE ON ‘STOP & FRISK’!

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:39:00 +0000

To those who are tired of seeing police step to our youth with harassment, brutality and even worse; to those outraged because the NYPD stopped and frisked 684,000 people last year alone; to Black and Latino youth tired of knowing that every time you leave your house you might be descended on by cops; to parents who fear that no matter what you tell your kids about surviving an encounter with cops it won't be enough to keep them safe; to people who know this will never happen to them but also know it's wrong — join us on September 13th to "Blow the Whistle on Stop & Frisk!"

Stop & Frisk is racist, and it's no damned good. People have begun to stand up and fight it. In the face of the massive public outcry, the NYPD is doubling down. They are on pace to stop and frisk even more people this year. Now is the time to unleash resistance that can sweep Stop & Frisk away. The racial profiling Stop & Frisk concentrates is a pipeline to mass incarceration and the warehousing of our youth in prison. We don't have to suffer all this anymore, and we won't. There is no good reason for Stop & Frisk to remain in effect. It's illegal and illegitimate. It must be stopped! We are going to stop it, and you must join us in doing that!

Join us in Blowing the Whistle on Stop and Frisk! On September 13th, thousands of people all across NYC will politically confront the cops who are violating people's rights. We will be blowing whistles to call out these injustices and using cameras to document the criminal actions of the cops. At 6 PM, we will all blow our whistles at once to signal to all those who have been targeted by Stop & Frisk, to all those who have stood up against it and to the cops and officials who enforce it that there are people all over who will no longer be silent. And in cities across the country, people have to act in solidarity: Blowing the Whistle on the way cops target Black and Latino youth, whether they call it Stop & Frisk or not.

On September 13th we will say in a strong, united voice: WE WILL NO LONGER STAND BY SILENTLY WHILE PEOPLE ARE DENIED THEIR RIGHTS. Our actions on that day will drive a nail into the coffin of Stop & Frisk.

Be a part of making this day happen. Get your whistles and get them out to others in your neighborhood, at your school, in your workplace or in your place of worship. Spread the word and organize people you know to be a part of this day. Take to the streets on September 13th and with us declare that the days when the cops can violate people's rights however they want, when people aren't inspired and organized to politically resist this kind of injustice are no more.

This Call Is Issued By:

Carl Dix, Revolutionary Communist Party
Cornel West, professor, author and public intellectual
Debra Sweet, World Can't Wait
Efia Nwangaza, Malcolm X Center, Greenville, SC
Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor
Herb Boyd, author, activist; Harlem, NY
James Vrettos, professor, John Jay College, City University of New York
Luke "Aidge" Patterson, artist and activist
Randy Credico, political satirist-activist

What You Can Do

Get whistles and flyers and organize people in your neighborhood, your work place or your place of worship for Thursday, September 13^th;
Organize crews to go into your school, and other schools, in September and take united action—Blow the Whistle on Stop & Frisk;
Contact the Stop Mass Incarceration Network and get an organizing kit;
Contribute money to help make all this happen as powerfully as possible.

Stop Mass Incarceration Network

www.stopmassincarceration.org * 866-841-9139 x2670 * www.bearwitnessproject.tumblr.com

stopmassincarceration@gmail.com * P.O. Box 941 Knickerbocker Station NYC NY 10002

From Cynthia McKinney: Roseanne Barr Presidential News - Roseanne Wins Peace and Freedom Nomination

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:12:00 +0000

Roseanne Barr for President

Updated August 4, 2012 by the Website Workers Council

On August 4, the Peace and Freedom Party nominated Roseanne Barr for President and Cindy Sheehan for Vice President.

Originally posted on June 5, 2012 by the 2012 Campaign Committee

The 2012 State Convention, which will nominate the Peace and Freedom candidates for President and Vice President, will be held in Los Angeles on August 4 and 5. There will also be a public presidential campaign event on Friday evening, August 3. For details on the convention, please see this article in the Calendar section of this site. For details on the Friday night forum, see this article.

2.
July 29, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cat Woods 415-218-8138
David Josué djosue@yahoo.com

ROSEANNE BARR SELECTS CINDY SHEEHAN FOR PEACE & FREEDOM RUNNING MATE

Roseanne Barr announced that Cindy Sheehan will be her running mate in her bid for the Peace and Freedom Party's nomination for President. Sheehan is an anti-war activist who first gained national attention for her protest camp outside then-President Bush's Texas ranch.

Barr said, "Cindy and I are the 'Throw the Bums Out' ticket and the 'Ballot Access' ticket. We want people to register in the Peace and Freedom Party so that the party can keep its ballot status in California." After the passage of the 'Top Two primary" in 2010, alternative political parties lost one of their ways of staying on the ballot. The Peace and Freedom Party needs approximately 40,000 more registrants to maintain its ballot status beyond 2014. "We also want people to start Peace and Freedom Parties in other states," added Barr.

Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who has been working closely with Barr on this campaign, commented, "Access to the ballot is a civil rights issue that needs attention across the country. If voters only have two choices, both of which represent the same interests, then we don't really have a democracy." McKinney went to describe a higher standard of democracy, "When I was in Congress, I promoted proportional representation for legislatures. This is the only way to make our democracy representative of the people, rather than the corporate donors."

The Peace & Freedom Party nominating convention takes place on Saturday August 4^th, in Los Angeles. Cat Woods, an officer of the Peace & Freedom Party, echoed Barr on the party's emphasis on ballot access. She said that the party hoped to "draw attention to how the ongoing erosion of alternative parties' access to the ballot directly deprives voters of control of their government." When asked whether she supported the Barr ticket, Woods added, "Our party needs to reach a wider audience with its message of socialist solutions. Roseanne Barr and Cindy Sheehan can bring that."

Responding to charges that she could "steal votes" from Obama or "spoil the election," Barr said, "The American people are sick and tired of this 'lesser evil' garbage they get fed every election year. Both the Democrats and the Republicans do the same evils once they're in office. I'm here to tell the voters: if you want to tell the government and the two domineering parties that you're sick and tired of all their evil, register in the Peace and Freedom Party and vote for me and Cindy."

-End-

3.
"Green Party's Black Caucus Disappointed Over Third-Party Presidential Nominee"

The nomination in Baltimore by the Green Party of Massachusetts physician Jill Stein for the presidency of the United States drew the ire of the members of the party's Black caucus this week.The Green Party, a third-party that is centered around environmnental protection and non-violent change, made the announcement July 14 at the Holiday Inn of the Inner Harbor on the third day of the national conference, held in large part at the University of Baltimore's Law School July 12-15.

The Black Caucus announced on March 29 that it would support candidate Roseanne Barr, actor and activist, after she received a major endorsement from the first African American woman to represent the state of Georgia in Congress, Cynthia McKinney.Barr was one of three candidates that included Stein and Kent Mesplay, a biomedical engineer from San Diego, Calif."I was disappointed," said Betty Davis, recording secretary of the Black Caucus since 2008. "I felt the Green Party did not act with honor with the Black Caucus, and I know they did not act with honor for the presidential candidate Roseanne Barr."A lifetime New York City resident and member of the New York Green Party since shortly after college, Davis said she supported Barr because for her strong support of women and children's rights and her strong stance against major corporations that have burdened lower and lower-middle class families with their greed.Davis said that another important part of Barr's campaign was the fact that she wanted to end foreign conflicts and wars involving American troops to improve the American economy, something Black Caucus Greens don't believe Stein will do.

Supporters of Stein strongly disagree."That's absolutely not true," said Brian Bittner, chair of the Baltimore City Green Party. "She has made a stronger statement than any candidate that she is opposed to the wars that are going on."Bittner said Stein, a physician from Lexington, Mass., seeks to not only quickly end the wars and bring all troops home, but "divert the money that is being spent on continued occupation and the continued operations in Afghanistan to infrastructure projects that are certainly needed in the United States.""One of the keys to her Green New Deal platform is taking that money and investing it in green projects that will rebuild the communities in Baltimore and across the country," said Bittner, who also added that Stein, who campaigned in Baltimore during the Spring months, is one of the most organized candidates he's ever seen with enough support to raise the money necessary to a successful run for president."Dr. Stein is a very good nominee, she has a strong grasp of the issues and talks about alot of things that President Obama and Mitt Romney are not going to talk about at all between the two of them," said Scott McLarty, national media representative for the Green Party. "She's a very important voice for the people who are going to be left out in the 2012 election."

Still, GPBC members are still unsatisfied with the news.Whether it be Barr, Stein, or any other candidate from the traditional or marginalized parties, Davis believes that President Obama should not take a second term in office."You sell people a dream and they don't pay attention to the details," said Davis, "Obama is a dream for Black people- it's hard to fight that dream. The role of any third party is to force the other two to face reality."Davis adds that the Green party strives to have 10 to 15 percent of the seats in Congress because that would create Green bargaining power.According to Thomas Muhammad, co-chair for the Black Caucus, even though the chance of seeing a Green candidate actually take the White House is slimmer than that of Democratic or Republican nominees, the opportunity to gain at least five percent of the votes within the electoral college is key."

If we get 5 percent of the electorate, then we get major funding for our convention," said Muhammad, who now resides in Dallas, Texas and has been a member of the Green Party since 2007. "The reason why Democrats and Republicans are funded so well is because they get funds from the federal government.""We would have a national convention that mirrors the Democratic and Republican conventions," said Muhammad, adding that the party strives to become an official third party by 2016.

The Green Party Black Caucus (GPBC) was officially recognized with accreditation in 2004, just four years after the National Green Party was recognized as an entity with political power.The national conference addressed many issues such as education and healthcare."Some of the workshops that took place dealt with specific issues like how to organize in the Green Party, how to help candidates, how to raise money, how to promote candidates in front of the media and the public," said McLarty.The party stands on "Ten Key Values" that include belief in grassroots democracy, social justice, feminism and gender equality, and respect for diversity, among other core morals.

--
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|    __o     CONTINENTAL CRITICAL MASS
| _`\;,_       come ride with me
| (*)/ (*)
|                  Bike4Peace Across the USA
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Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction.

"The biggest weapon in the hands of the oppressors is the minds of the oppressed." Steve Biko

"Make your spirit flexible, and nothing will ever bend you out of shape." Wisdom by Taro Gold

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Syria The Real Deal

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:21:00 +0000

From The Ramparts

~ JuniousRicardo Stanton ~

"The Qataris and Saudis give financial support to the 'rebels' for weapons, payments to fighters and mercenaries, and logistical oversight of attacks on Syria. All of this is in addition to their support with telecommunication services, combat tactics, and strategic military advice. Unsurprisingly, the Western military advisors, who operate for the armed groups behind the scenes, do not feature in any media outlets. Neighbouring states also provide geographical assistance to the armed groups, with Jordan providing a passage for mercenaries from Libya, and Turkey acting as the northern military base for operations. Turkey is involved because of its wish to align itself with the Saudi-Sunni, NATO-backed line and also its fear that a dismembered Syria would lead to the promotion of Kurdish autonomy. In their eyes, this could bring about the eventual union of the Kurds with Iraqi and Syrian Kurds and then lead to civil war with Turkey and the eventual separation of Kurdistan from Turkey and the creation of a Kurdish state. For its part, Israel has for decades planned, as part of its strategy to dominate the Middle East and the Mediterranean, to weaken Syria in order to continue its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights and to dominate water sources. Essentially, Israel wants to be the main economic and military power in the region and indeed, Israel may well emerge from the weakening ofSyria as the main winner, if only in the short-term." Syria And The Dismembering Of The Arab World By Dr Makram Khoury-Machool http://www.countercurrents.org/machool030812.htm

The Western (white) corporate mind control apparatus is up to its usual tricks of disinformation and deceit as they attempt to prepare our minds for yet another Western bum rush of a sovereign nation, this time Syria just like they did to Libya and Iraq. At some point we have to stop falling for the okey-doke and begin to see the patterns and modus operandi of these blood thirsty psychopaths. The US Britain, France, Israel and select Gulf states are the puppets being used to bum rush and reconfigure Asia Minor to suck out the mineral resources and control the geo-strategic positions to further the ambitions and greed of the global financial oligopoly and Zionists.

We need too wake up and see that what is going on is not a concern for "human rights", "freedom" or "democracy" but a push for total global hegemony by some serious socio and psychopaths. The so called uprisings we are seeing are not spontaneous freedom struggles but the result of long planned and well financed attacks on sovereign nations. They are part of the New World Order plan for global reconfiguration, hegemony and domination by the international banksters, CEOs of the top multi-national conglomerates and their military industrial complex lackeys. We saw this after 9-11 when George W. Bu$h used that inside job, false flag psy-op to launch his Global War on Terror.

Now comes Barack Obama to carry the torch for the globalists dutifully doing their dirty work around the world. So far he has expanded Bu$h's illegal wars against Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, he has invaded Libya while continuing the slaughter/occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan and launching new crusades into Africa (Cote d'Ivore, South Sudan, Uganda etc) and Latin America (Honduras and Paraguay, the ongoing covert assault on Venezuela plus the overt war in Columbia) plus making provocative moves in the Pacific. Obama is firmly in the grip of the globalist warmongers; anyone who thinks he is a peacnik is clearly delusional.

Giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was a cunning ply to dupe the war weary masses who were tired of George W Bu$h's style of fascism, to catch us off guard while the Western imperialists ramped up their plans for global blood letting, death and colonialism. In fact what we are seeing unfold in that region was outlined by an Israeli named Oded Yinon in a piece entitled A Strategy for Israel in the Nineteen Eighties. In it he said, "The dissolution of Syria and Iraq into ethnically or religiously unique areas such as in Lebanon is Israel's primary target on the Eastern front Iraq, rich in oil on the one hand and internally torn on the other is guaranteed as a candidate for Israel's targets. Its dissolution is even more important for us than that of Syria. Iraq is stronger than Syria. In the short run, it is Iraqi power which constitutes the greatest threat to Israel."

What does Oded Yinon have to do with US foreign policy you ask? Well most observant people would have to admit US foreign policy in that region is Israeli centric because the Israeli lobby has a strangle hold on Washington policy makers. I first read about Oded Yinon's plan in a book by Mathias Chang called Future Fast Forward The Zionist Anglo-American Empire Meltdown. I suggest you get a copy and read it for yourself. The current events we are experiencing now were anticipated by Chang. The book was published in 2006. Chang predicted the global economic collapse. I first learned about depravities when I read the book in 2007 and I've subsequently witnessed everything Chang revealed in the first section of the book come to pass. The only thing Chang didn't predict was the bailout. He predicted the collapse but not the government's response to it. I guess it never occurred to Chang the banksters would Bogart the government into covering up their casino con game and fraud. He probably thought US citizens were too smart too allow something like that to go down. Not!

The second and third parts of the book deal with global geo-politics and war. Read it and you will see the so called "color Revolutions" and "Arab Spring" are really covert palace coupes and regime change under the guise of popular movements. The third section of the book is really scary and we are seeing the beginnings of a regional war playing out now especially with Russia and China trying to block regime change in Syria.

The West's attack on Syria ironically using Al- Qaeda their supposed arch enemy is another example of Western duplicity and hypocrisy. This proves beyond a doubt Al-Qaeda is really a US/British/Saudi front organization. This has been the case since Kosovo, Chechnya and Afghanistan but now it is plain for all but the comatose to see. Syria is just another pawn in Yinon's regional chess game.

For the imperialists and globalists it's a win-win situation: Israel destroys and balkanizes another perceived "Islamic threat" (just like they just did to Sudan), the corporatists get to steal even more natural resources, the international banksters get to add another country in their debt based death grip and the West places yet another pliant stooge in place to further their goals of global domination. Unfortunately for the indigenous people of the region it means more death, destruction and exposure to Western psychopathy.

Don't believe the media hype the attack on Syria has nothing to do with humanitarian altruism; it's about straight up imperialism, rapine and plunder. If saner heads don't prevail it could lead to a full scale regional war or worse, WW III.

[TheBlackList] Syria The Real Deal, jrswriter, 08/04/2012

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HAITI: Brazilian Defense Minister Receives Delegation of Committee for the Withdrawal of MINUSTAH Troops from Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:05:00 +0000

From the Committee For the Withdrawal of Troops from Haiti

During the meeting on July 10 at the Ministerial Defense Cabinet in Brasilia, Markus Sokol presented to the Minister the campaign for the withdrawal of troops decided last November at the Continental Rally, where representatives from seven countries were present at the Municipal Hall in Sao Paulo; it was from that hall that the Appeal for a Continental Day of Action this past June 1st was launched to demand the withdrawal of troops. And this was at the origin of the request for a meeting with the Defense Minister.

Sokol questioned the presence of the Minustah forces, which after 8 years have neither brought stability nor relieved the misery of the people, creating a situation of successive frauds in the Presidential elections, without the international aid that was announced ever arriving, and he asked:

"What are we doing in Haiti ? A former Minister (Jobim) has said that we were training to fight in the "favelas" of Rio. This is not acceptable! Demonstrations in Haiti continue demanding the restoration of national sovereignty and the withdrawal of troops. The situation has got even worse, with the recent invasion of the Human Science Faculty (FASCH) by Brazilian troops, in spite of the protests of the University Rector himself. The government cannot support this, this is the behavior associated with governments such as that of Alckmin and Serra (of the PSDB, pro-Imperialist parties in the Sao Paulo government that invaded the local University)".

Ferro, a Member of Parliament, underlined this point: "Eight years ago I understood that the presence of troops would be for a limited period, but today, I do not find in the facts, any justification for maintaining them."

Adriano, a Member of Parliament, recalled the withdrawal from the Army of Morr do Aemao (RJ), noting that, " troops cannot solve social conflict. We are against the idea of the intervention of the army spread by the School of the Americas (of the USA). We want to banish that from our history." He ended by asking the Minister "what is the calendar for withdrawal?"

Alexandre Conceiçao declared: "The position of the MST is for withdrawal of the troops. For many years now, we have had a Brigade in that country, in a cooperation project with peasant movements, exchanging experience while we receive here in Brazil, Haitian delegations for training courses. That is what the model of cooperation of Brazil with Haiti should be."

Fignolé Saint Cyr had come to Brazil at the invitation of the CUT. Brazil's main trade union federation (which supports the withdrawal of troops and whose leaders were that day in Congress in Sao Paulo), explained that he had come "to ask for Brazilian solidarity to rebuild Haiti, to rebuild it not only physically but also to rebuild its sovereignty, which is incompatible with the presence of troops decided by Western powers." He considered that " after eight years, the so-called stabilisation forces are really occupation forces, that have brought the cholera epidemic to our country and are violating our sovereignty. Brazil could help in giving the example by withdrawing its troops. I went to the UN last year, but they put forward no prospect, they gave no date. But what the Haitian people want, and what organisations in the union and popular movements demand is the the withdrawal of troops."

Minister Celso Amorim justified the sending of troops ("to avoid chaos") and denied that they were an instrument "of the colonialism of big powers" -- but he said "that today our intention is to leave, but that must be decided with other Ministers and other countries, in particular from South America and the UN because we can do nothing unilaterally. The presence of troops was asked for by the government of Haiti and the UN Security Council, which is the only body that legitimizes this type of intervention. I think it has already lasted longer than one would have wished, which could have created this or that conflict but any incident has been investigated. We have to plan a progressive withdrawal and I repeat, decided on through dialogue with our partners in the Unasul, whose countries have troops there."

The Minister recognised that "the demand for compensation for the cholera merits to be examined by the UN" and he said "he was not informed of the University Faculty affair."

"We can have different points of view, which is why I insist on dialogue", he concluded, "as a citizen, I have always said what I think, we should withdraw the troops. But as Minister, I say withdraw, Yes, investigate the incidents, Yes, but not a sudden disorderly withdrawal, the progressive withdrawal is reasonable; for my part, I would leave a battalion and the rest of the engineers and technicians, but the UN does not see things in this way."

The Minister received from Barbara Corrales records with the account of the International Commission of Inquiry on Haiti (ICI-H) on the abuses and crimes committed by the Minustah troops, including records of the recent invasion of the FASCH by Brazilian troops.

Finally questioned on the calendar for withdrawal, the Minister accepted a new interview three months from now, "including before the discussion on the renewal of the UN troops' mandate the 15th of October."

(communiqué reprinted from ILC International Newsletter No. 82)

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[TheBlackList] HAITI: Brazilian Defense Minister Receives Delegation of Committee for the Withdrawal of MINUSTAH Troops from Haiti, ILC, 08/01/2012

BLACK AUGUST: The True History, Culture and Practice

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 01:01:00 +0000

by Mama Ayanna Mashama

BLACK AUGUST: "Each year officially since 1979 we have used the month of August to focus on the oppressive treatment of our brothers and sisters disappeared inside the state run gulags and concentration camps America calls prisons. It is during this time that we concentrate our efforts to free our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, and all other captive family and friends who have been held in isolation for decade after decade beyond their original sentence. Many of these individuals are held in the sensory deprivation and mind control units called Security Housing Units (S.H.U. Program), without even the most basic of human rights." - Black August Organizing Committee THE ROOTS OF BLACK AUGUST

Black August originated in the concentration camps (prisons) of California in 1979 and its' roots come from that history of resistance by Black/New African/African brothers in those prisons. It's original purpose is to honor and commemorate the lives and deaths of several fallen Freedom Fighters, amongst them were Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson, W.L. Nolan, James McClain, William Christmas and Khatari Gaulden; to bring unity among Black/African/New African prisoners, and education and awareness to family members, friends, associates and communites about the conditions for the Black/New Afrikan prisoners held within those concentration camps (in particular in California) and to educate our people about and honor the history and actions of continued resistance of Black/New Afrikan/Afrikan peoples to oppression, colonization and slavery in the U.S. and throughout the Diaspora, with particular emphasis on prisoners, freedom fighters and their historical acts of resistance.

The contemporary historical roots of Black August can be found in the actions of Jonathan Jackson who was gunned down outside the Marin County California courthouse on August 7, 1970 as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black Liberation Fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Ruchell Magee. Ruchell Magee (who is still imprisoned in California to this day) is the sole survivor of the August 7th rebellion. He is the former co-defendant of Angela Davis and has been locked down for 40 plus years, most of it in solitary confinement in the SHU in Pelican Bay. George Jackson was assassinated on August 21, 1971 by San Quentin prison guards. The assassination was a deliberate move on behalf of the US government to eliminate the revolutionary leadership of George Jackson. In the midst of the governments set up orchestrated to murder George, three prison guards were killed in a counter rebellion. The government charged six Black and Latino prisoners with the guard's deaths. These six brothers became known as the San Quentin Six (who were later acquitted of all charges).

Khatari Gaulden, one of the key intellectual architects of the Black August commemorative tradition, was a prominent leader of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) after Comrade George was assassinated. Khatari was a leading force in the formation of Black August, particularly its historical and ideological foundations. Khatari, like many of the unnamed freedom fighters of the BGF and the revolutionary prison movement of the 1970's, was murdered. He was assassinated by the malicious intent of the government to deny him medical treatment following a mysterious accident on the San Quentin Prison yard August 1, 1978. He was murdered to eliminate his leadership and destroy the prison resistance movement.

THE ORIGINS OF BLACK AUGUST:
In the month Khatari's transition, to honor him and to honor these fallen soldiers and the revolutionary vision and principles they embodied, brothers throughout the prison camps of California united together to continue their revolutionary work. They shaved their heads, wore black arm bands and in unity with the Black Muslim prisoners during Ramadan, fasted from Sunrise to Sunset.

In August 1979, the first official Black August took place. The brothers and their family members, friends and supporters who participated in the collective founding of Black August wore black armbands on their left arm and studied revolutionary works, particularly those of Comrade George Jackson, many participated in the fasting for Ramadan. During the month of August the brothers did not listen to the radio or watch television, additionally, they didn't eat or drink anything from sun-up to sundown; and loud and boastful behavior was not allowed. Support for the prison's canteen was also disavowed. The use of drugs and alcoholic beverages was prohibited and the brothers held daily exercises to sharpen their minds, bodies, and spirits in honor of the collective principles of self-sacrifice, inner fortitude and revolutionary discipline needed to advance the New Afrikan struggle for self-determination and freedom. Black August therefore became a commemorative time to embrace the principles of communion, unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical training and determined resistance. A select few community members joined them in solidarity.

The intent among those who commemorated and practiced Black August was to educate ourselves, our families and communities about the conditions of our family and community members in prison and to create revolutionary consciousness and encourage the spirit of resistance among themselves and our communities. This was in order to unify and continue and grow a strong prison movement to unify, resist and change the conditions in the prisons and the conditions in our communities that were feed the growth of our people in the prisons and the very real growth of the prison industrial comples (PIC). "It is still a time to embrace the principles of unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical fitness and/or training in martial arts, resistance and spiritual renewal", while unifying, organizing and strategizing for freedom for those family and community members behind the walls, and stop the program to have millions of our young people on the "classroom to prison pipeline".

August 1980; the Black August Organizing Committee (BAOC) held it's first Black August Commemoration event at Marcus Bookstore in San Francisco with a revolutionary film showing, statements from prisoners, poetry and collective breaking of the fast. Members of the National Black Human Rights Coalition, the New African Independance Movement, the Black Muslim community and local defense committees, joined us in solidarity and unity to participate in the event. All proceeds from the event were used to prison legal funds and to men and women prisoners in the California penal system. It was that year that family and community members came together and started the practice of Black August study groups and community gardens.

August 1981; BAOC held a Black August Commemorative Festival in San Antonio Park with speakers, edutainment, book sales and free food give aways. It was that year that Black August house fundraisers and education events began. Again all fundraising proceeds were distributed among prisoner legal funds and the brothers and sisters behind the walls.

August 1982; the first official Black August demonstration in front of San Quentin. 8It must be noted that the community had held demonstrations in front of San Quentin since the year of George Jackson's death.

THE BLACK AUGUST COMMEMORATION:
Black August is a month of education, resistance and is of great commemorative significance for the Afrikan peoples of the Diaspora, particularly those in the U.S. and especially the California prison isolation units, where the commemorative tradition originated. Black August , as noted by one our most dedicated New Afrikan Freedom Fighters, Mumia Abu-Jamal," is a month of divine meaning, of repression and radical resistance, of injustice and divine justice; of repression and righteous rebellion; of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves and break the chains that bind us".

The tradition of fasting, studying and education during Black August was developed to help instill self-discipline and unity amongst its' observers. The fast is also intended to serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices of our fallen Freedom Fighters, the conditons that our people face in prison and the ongoing oppression of our people throughout the Diaspora. The commemorative fast is from sunrise to sunset (generally from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm). The fast includes refraining from drinking liquids and eating food of any kind. The meal to break the fast is shared whenever possible among comrades. Other forms of sacrifice are also encouraged to teach self-discipline and self-reflection, such as abstaining from sex or needless consumption (i.e. drug and alcohol use), refraining from listening to the corporate radio and watching corporate television . People are also encouraged to refrain from patronizing and using corporate businesses, gas stations, department stores, supermarkets and grocery stores. Traditionally a "Peoples' Feast" is held on August 31st to honor the fallen and acknowledge our collective sacrifices for the greater good.

Early on, the Black August practice and tradition also observed not only the sacrifices of the brothers in California's concentration camps, but to commemorate the acts of rebellion and resistance that occurred within the California Prison Camps and by other Black/New Afrikan prisoners, prisoners of war and freedom fighters. Within the first year(s) of Black August the sacrifices and struggles of our ancestors against white supremacy, colonialism, and imperialism were also included in the commemorative observation and practice. *It must be clear that the purpose of Black August as created by the founders was not to celebrate, but to observe by individual and collective fasting, studying, educating and community work, as well as political and cultural edutainment.

Black August is a time to engage in self-reaffirming action to advance our struggle for self-determination and national liberation, and to commemorate actions of resistance, revolution and rebellion while promoting an understanding and awareness of what is happening to our people in prison and encouraging active and proactive acts of resistance. During Black August the community is encouraged to join in the observation and commemoration. Not only are the actions of self-discipline suggested, but also community members and community organizations are encouraged to come together, study and educate one another about resistance and liberation past and present through studying, discussion, reading, DVD sharing, cultural edutainment, exercising, training and breaking fast together. Black August study groups are encouraged. It is strongly suggested that we should write and/or visit someone in prison, to fund raise for and donate to the prisoners, political prisoners and prisoners of war.

THE OBSERVATION AND COMMEMORATION OF BLACK AUGUST:
To observe and commemorate Black August each individual is encouraged to:
Fast for a suggested prolonged period or if really disciplined drink only water from sunrise until after sunset from the 1st until the 31st (Suggested hours are 8am to 6pm);
Eat only one meal a day after sunset; On days called flea days, (1st, 7th, 13th and 21st), fast 24 hours until next sunset.
*Work out an exercise routine for each day either individually or in groups.
*Do not use any drugs, smoke or ingest mind altering herbs or alcoholic beverages during the entire month.
*Do not go to any corporate store for anything other than medical or health related items.
*Do not watch TV or listen to radio from sunrise to sunset
Do not watch corporate television or movies at all
*Do not patronize fast food or commercial eating establishments or vendors.
*Eat healthy, natural and nutritious foods, beverages and meals.
*Observe Black August through educational study groups, educational events, edutainment and commemorations.
*Contribute monies made from Black August events to men, women and youth in prison or prisoner legal funds
*Educate your family, community and loved ones about what is happening to our people in prisons.
*Visit and/or write someone in prison or jail. It is suggested to also write and support our political prisoners and prisoners of consciousness (this practice should be continued all year)

BLACK AUGUST FASTING:
Black August fasting is a New Afrikan tradition begun by the brothers inside that serves as a constant reminder of the sacrafices made and the conditions our people have faced and still face. Fasting mentally disciplines us to control urges and the physical craving for food; fasting helps us endure physical pain and discomfort. It is a reminder of what our Ancestars endured working as captives in the fields of the colonizers. Ultimately physical strength can be gained from fasting if a regular exercise program is developed and continued beyond August. Also fasting increases one's abilities to break other addictions, like excessive cursing, and watching television. Fasting is uncomfortable at times, but it helps to remember all those who have come and gone before us.

FASTING HEALTH NOTE: IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR A BREASTFEEDING MOTHER; HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR PRE-HYPERTENSIVE; IF YOU ARE A DIABETIC OR PRE-DIABETIC; IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESS THAT NECESSITATES THAT YOU TAKE MEDICATIONS; IF YOU HAVE ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH YOUR KIDNEYS, BLADDER OR LIVER, IF YOU ARE MENSTRUATING, DO NOT ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING WATER, DO NOT FAST FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET! Instead, drink plenty of water, fruit and vegetable juices and eat small meals consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and raw salads during the day so that you keep yourself nourished, sustained and healthy. Do not partake of a fast without medical supervision or consulting with your health practicitioner.

THE MOVEMENT OF BLACK AUGUST:

In the early 1980's under the leadership and practice of the Black August Organizing Committee (BAOC), the observance and practice of Black August spread from the concentration camps of California and began being practiced by Black/New Afrikan revolutionaries throughout the country .
In alliance with the BAOC, members of the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM) began practicing and spreading Black August during this period. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) inherited knowledge and practice of Black August from its parent organization, the New Afrikan People's Organization (NAPO). MXGM began introducing the Hip-Hop "generation" to Black August in the late 1990's after being inspired by the Cuban based New Afrikan political exile Nehanda Abiodun to start "Black August Hip Hop" benefit concerts to raise awareness about our captured and exiled Freedom Fighters, our Political Prisoners, Prisoners of War, and Political Exiles like Hugo Pinell, Ruchel Magee, Mutulu Shakur, Sundiata Acoli, Sekou Odinga, the NY 3, the Move 9, Assata Shakur, and dozens more. The benefits from these political/cultural events go to the political prisoner's and their legal funds.

In the spirit of Black August organizations are encouraged to have political, cultural and educational events and not celebrations or parties. Commemoration and observance is a totally different action than celebration and partying. Black August was designed and brought to our communities to educate, agitate and activate the spirit of revolution, resistance and rebellion in our people. Along with the Black August Organizing Committee, MXGM other organizations and individuals are now observing and commemorating Black August all over the U.S. and the Diaspora including Oakland, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallis, Austin, New Orleans, Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Tanzania, South Africa and Brazil.

A sampling of the racist oppression and "righteous rebellion" and "resistance to repression" that define this commemorative month include:
*The arrival of the first enslaved Afrikans to Jamestown, Virginia in August 1619;
*The start of the great Haitian revolution in August 1791;
*The call for a general strike by enslaved New Afrikans by Henry Highland Garnett on August 22nd1843;
*The initiation of the major network that conducted the Underground Railroad on August 2, 1850;
*Gabriel Prosser's rebellion of August 30th, 1800.;
*The rebellion of Nat "the Prophet" Turner on August 21st, 1831;
*On August 3, 1908, the Allensworth Township for former slaves was established in California;
*The March on Washington occurred in August of 1963;
*The Watts rebellion of August 1965;
*The defense of the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika (PG – RNA) from a FBI assault in Mississippi on August 18, 1971;
*The attack of the MOVE family by Philadelphia police on August 8, 1978.

Black August is also a commemorative month of birth and transition. Dr. Mutulu Shakur (New Afrikan prisoner of war), Pan-Africanist Leader Marcus Garvey, Maroon Russell Shoatz (political prisoner) and Chicago Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton were born in August. The great New Afrikan revolutionary scholar and theoretician W.E.B. Dubois died in Ghana on August 27, 1963. Khatari Gant the son of Original Black August Organizing Committee Members Mama Ayanna and Shaka At-Thinnin was murdered on August 4, 2007.
REMEMBER AND COMMEMORATE THE MONTH OF BLACK AUGUST.
BLACK AUGUST RESISTANCE!

References:
Portions of this writing were taken from historical articles written by:
The Original Black August Organizing Committee
Baba Shaka At-Thinnin
Mama Ayanna Mashama
The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Javad Jahi

FASTING HEALTH NOTE:
IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR A BREASTFEEDING MOTHER; HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR PRE-HYPERTENSIVE; IF YOU ARE A DIABETIC OR PRE-DIABETIC; IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS ILLNESS THAT NECESSITATES THAT YOU TAKE MEDICATIONS; IF YOU HAVE ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH YOUR KIDNEYS, BLADDER OR LIVER, IF YOU ARE MENSTRUATING, DO NOT ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING WATER, DO NOT FAST FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET! Instead, drink plenty of water, fruit and vegetable juices and eat small meals consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables and raw salads during the day so that you keep yourself nourished, sustained and healthy. Do not partake of a fast without medical supervision or consulting with your health practicitioner.

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[TheBlackList] !*BLACK AUGUST: The True History, Culture and Practice, nattyreb, 08/01/2012

August is National Black Business Month

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Black August, a month for reflection, struggle, sacrifice and resistance

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:56:00 +0000

by Willie Sundiata Tate

In October 2004, legendary heroes of the struggle Sundiata Tate of the San Quentin 6, Elder Freeman and Geronimo ji Jaga of the Black Panther Party, Luis Bato Talamantez of the San Quentin 6, Mateo of CPF and Richard Aoki of the Black Panther Party gathered at La Pena Cultural Center. Geronimo and Richard Aoki have since joined the ancestors.

For me Black August means many things. It is the beginning of Haiti's revolution. It was in August that the first Black indentured servants/slaves landed in Jamestown that began our long journey of horror in what became known as the United States. It is about Nat Turner's slave uprising and Gabriel Prosser's attempt at the same.
It is a month of reflection on the losses that we as a people have suffered in that month. It is a month of courageous struggle and sacrifice. It is a month of resistance. It is a month of high elation and extreme sorrow – elation for our resistance, sorrow for our losses.
For me, the three most significant events of August are Jonathan Jackson's raid on the Marin County Courthouse in 1970, the August 1971 liberation of the San Quentin Adjustment Center by Comrade George Jackson and Nat Turner's slave uprising.
Jonathan's "audacity, audacity and more audacity" describes the move of Aug. 7, 1970, in which he liberated William Christmas, James McClain and Ruchell Magee for a short time before being shot dead. Jonathan's raid was an attempt to free not only those brothers, but in taking hostages he sought to have bargain chips to later trade in for his brother's freedom.
Of course, it was not just about the freedom of George, but it was also about freeing all George's comrades. To me, Jonathan is a hero. His heroic act had the impact of making many of us inside even more committed to the struggle and willing to give up our lives to the revolution. His act was totally inspiring!
In my opinion, Nat Turner and George Jackson are forever linked by events that took place 140 years apart. The day that George was shot in the head by prison officials as he laid wounded on the ground just happened to be the same day that Nat Turner began his insurrection.
If Comrade had chosen that day to liberate instead of having it forced upon him by prison officials in their initial attempt to assassinate him, he could not have chosen a better day. They both were about making revolution in their lifetime. Nat sought to end Black slavery by rising up and killing the slave owners, thereby freeing the slaves.

Jonathan Jackson's heroic act had the impact of making many of us inside even more committed to the struggle and willing to give up our lives to the revolution. His act was totally inspiring!
Comrade George sought to end neo-slavery by educating the people to the evils and inhumanity of a racist, oppressive capitalist system and to show that resistance is always possible as long as you have the will and the courage to do so. He showed that if you could come together, you could do some things; you could make some changes.
He gave his life to the struggle for self-determination, which to him was more important than life itself: "I don't care how long I live. Over this I have no control, but I do care about what kind of life I live, and I can control this. I may not live but another five minutes, but it will be five minutes definitely on my terms … I'll never, never trade my self-determination … control over the circumstances that surround my existence is of the first importance to me," he wrote in "Soledad Brother."
Comrade hated the capitalist system; he hated how it played workers off against one another and how it turned people against themselves. He knew that those who govern have a responsibility to the rest of us to represent us by providing from the cradle to the grave an "equitable share of wealth and privilege." "Meaningful social roles, education, medical care, food, shelter and understanding should be guaranteed at birth," he said.
He knew that wealth, land and resources should be held in common for all. There should not be a hierarchy that stood above us all. In his personal life, George would share with others whatever commissary that he had. He didn't have to know you. He truly believed in looking out for those who did not have. He was a true example of what a revolutionary "who is guided by true feelings of love" does in practice.

"I don't care how long I live. Over this I have no control, but I do care about what kind of life I live, and I can control this. I may not live but another five minutes, but it will be five minutes definitely on my terms … I'll never, never trade my self-determination … control over the circumstances that surround my existence is of the first importance to me." – George Jackson

Personally, for me it is a time of painful remembrance. The memory of Jonathan Jackson's raid on Marin County Courthouse is painful. William Christmas I knew personally; I had chopped it up with him on the yard at San Quentin on several occasions. On the morning of his death, as he was in the foyer area, I joked with him and he didn't respond. This was not like him. Later on, I realized that he most likely had something heavier on his mind. I personally knew Ruchell Magee, who still languishes in a California prison 42 years later.
Remembering Aug. 21, 1971, when Comrade George Jackson had his life snuffed out, is painful. To know that prison officials got away with murder on that day and have never paid any dues for the crime that they committed against one of our greatest teachers, resisters and leaders is painful. In fact, in court they lied about how he died, thereby covering up his murder.
It was a day of brutal beatings and nigger callings, of lying naked on the grass while hogtied. It was a day of extreme humiliation, of being forced to crawl on one's elbows and knees, and listening to prison guards singing songs about "George Jackson laying arotting in his grave." I am sure that Nat Turner experienced worse as he waited to be hanged.
It was also a day of vengeance, where prisoners took revenge against their tormentors, prison guards, slaying three of them along with two trustees, who unfortunately were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am sorry for them.

To know that prison officials got away with murder on that day and have never paid any dues for the crime that they committed against one of our greatest teachers, resisters and leaders is painful.
Out of the events of that day, six prisoners, Hugo Pinell, Fleeta Drumgo, Luis Talamantez, David Johnson, Johnny Spain and Willie Sundiata Tate were singled out for punishment by the state and became known as the San Quentin Six. In 1971, legal proceeding were initiated against the six.
On Aug. 12, 1976, our trial ended with acquittals for three of us. David Johnson and Hugo Pinell were convicted of assaults. Johnny Spain was convicted of conspiracy to murder. Johnny was released many years ago.

All of Us or None members Arthur Lee, Sundiata Tate and Elder Freeman enjoy the Malcolm X Jazz Festival on May 19, 2012, with Laren, Reese and Minister of Information JR. – Photo: Block Report Radio

It is only Hugo who remains locked down in the SHU at Pelican Bay. We all faced assaults by prison staff, but none of us faced the kind of torture on a daily basis that Hugo Pinell suffered. That brother had clubs stuck up his ass and was assaulted as he travelled back and forth from San Quentin to court in Salinas, California, where he was a defendant on another case.
Hugo knows what pain is. Sometimes, after he returned from court, he would have blood dripping from his face and, occasionally, there would be a tear in his eyes. He never complained. He silently pushed on. He was and is a soldier. But it is time for him to come home. Other than prison medical personnel or prison guards, he hasn't touched another human being since 1976.
In a letter written in 2007, Hugo says, "As you know, I haven't had a contact visit since December 1970." He says further, "My point is that, with this isolation and with the board having so much juice, my situation is deeper because they can keep using more BS to say I'm not suitable for release. Thus I'm really doing life without (the possibility of parole) even though my time was completed long ago."
This brother wrote this after he had already done 43 years. At present he has been locked up 47 years. Speaking on his conditions of confinement, he says: "In the SHUs, you can't have much of anything. More importantly, you can't have contact visits, period! In 2009 I was given a 15-year denial … I would be bullshitting you if I didn't admit this hurt. It has hurt me all along, especially not being able to touch mom, grandmom and others."
The recent hunger strikes in the segregation units of several California prisons was an attempt to address some of the issues that Hugo has spoken of in many of his letters. The sensory deprivation, as you can see from Hugo's words, clearly is one of the worst things that you can do to another human being. It is considered inhumane by international standards.
How can this continue to happen in the US of A? It is just the same as when police in our inner cities decide to murder innocent people without due process of a trial. This happens throughout the US of A and has been condemned internationally. How many cops have served time for such murders? It is almost unheard of.

The sensory deprivation, as you can see from Hugo's words, clearly is one of the worst things that you can do to another human being. It is considered inhumane by international standards. How can this continue to happen in the US of A?
The criminal justice system is biased against us and all people of color as well as the poor. In today's atmosphere, where working and poor people are catching hell all over the landscape, it is interesting that those on the very bottom of society – prisoners – are rising up, being fed up with living a torturous existence and trying to do something about it.
It is only fitting that we who are also suffering stand up and fight against those who want to hold us down while profiteering off the sweat of the working class. The downtrodden will rise and so will working class and poor people.
Willie Sundiata Tate can be reached at 1down2togo@att.net.

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GREAT NEWS!! CONGRESS PASSES AGOA THIRD COUNTRY FABRIC BILL

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:38:00 +0000

August 2, 2012
By conyeani

We append below two statements from the main groups that have been working tirelessly for the passage of the AGOA Third Country Fabric bill, S.3326 in the Senate and HR.5986 in the House today. We in the New Jersey/New York region must nevertheless thank Senator Robert Menendez for not insisting on attaching his amendment to the S.3326. He seemed to have listened to our calls. Here's how "The Hill" described his action on the Senate debate on Tuesday: (Read More..)

Chika A. Onyeani
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
African Sun Times: www.africansuntimes.com
Host: All Africa Radio: www.allafricaradio.com
Tel.: 973-675-9919
Fax: 973-675-5704
Cell: 917-279-4038

"It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most" - Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success, Onyeani's internationally acclaimed No. 1 bestselling book.

Have you bought Onyeani's new blockbuster novel, The Broederbond Conspiracy, www.thebroederbondconspiracy.com? or www.theblackjamesbond.com, adapted by the San Francisco State University "to teach students how to write a spy novel."

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We Who Like It Hot Call It 'Black August'

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 00:33:00 +0000

We Who Like It Hot Call It 'Black August'

(2012 version)

By 'bro. zayid'

It is the month when our oppressors have nothing to celebrate.

It is the month where the nature of our oppression and the boldest expressions of our resistance to that oppression have been made most plain.

We who like it hot call it 'Black August'…

As a concept of resistance, Black August has its beginnings in the mid 70's with the prison justice movement. It was inspired by the courageous legacy of Black Panther prison organizer George Jackson, who was assassinated on August 21, 1971, one of the hallmark dates for the concept.

Originally, the concept concerned itself with and confined itself to those hallmark dates repression and resistance for this month within the confines of these bloodsucking united states exclusively.

We revisit this concept here in a more comprehensive Pan-Afrikan manner to explore and to propose it having a broader Pan-Afrikan application.

Beginning on the matter of our national oppression, the first buying and selling of our ancestors, the first time we were "put on the open market" in what is now the united states, using the language of those of you who strangely want to bed down with capitalism, knowing full well that your ancestors were capitalism's first prime capital, took place on August 20, 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia.

In most recent times, and for the first time in decades since the bombing of the Congo in 1964 under the so-called liberal rule of Lyndon Baines Johnson, u.s. forces, demonstrating unchallenged New World Order military supremacy, bombed our Afrika when they bombed the Sudan, the land of the earth's oldest civilizations, under the most bogus of pretenses, 'CounterTerrorism,' on August 20, 1998.

Ironic coincidence you think? This beast was trying to bomb us outta our land, outta our minds and outta our hearts!… on the anniversary that they made us slaves!...

Self-critically we should also acknowledge the recent betrayal of Pan-Afrikan potential in Central Afrika too. Just as were gearing up here for the heroic Million Youth March, the u.s. covertly sponsored an attack on the recently liberated Congo on August 2, 1998, using Rwanda and Uganda as proxy forces. To the honor of our ancestors, however, that betrayal has been checked and contained in a Pan-Afrikan manner by a courageous union of forces from Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia…

An important recently declassified FBI memo detailing the scope and the national coordination of a sinister covert operation, which would ultimately destroy the Black Liberation Movement known as COINTELPRO, or 'the CounterIntelligence Program,' was set in full, 'noholdsbarred,'motion against the Black nation on August 25, 1967.

Many conscious of our history know that COINTELPRO was not only illegal, immoral and absolutely off da hook in its making a mockery of democratic rights. But have we truly assessed 'how' successful it was in disabling the Black Liberation Movement? Have we truly assessed how that crippling of our movement left our community wide open for the unprecedented violent social disintegration we currently face, set off most insidiously by a heroin epidemic in the early 70's and the hoodsplitting crack explosion blowing up in our faces in the awful 80s and the nasty 90s? The epic Million Man March was the beginning of an answer, we hoped,…an answer for our times , but it wasn't enough. And with Black Panther/BLA political prisoners Albert 'Nuh' Washington, Teddy 'Jah' Heath and Bashir Hameed recently dying in captivity after being locked down for decades virtually unknown to the community they sacrificed their lives trying to defend and with that same community in more disarray now than it was when they were captured in the early 70's, we think not.

By the way, the first of two vicious attacks against those defiant, dreadlock-wearing pioneers of environmentalism, known to the world simply as MOVE, also took place in Black August. It was on August 9, 1978 that 500 of Philly's finest laid siege to the MOVE home compound in Powelton Village in an attempted massacre. When it was over, the world saw Delbert Afrika being brutally beaten on national television while peaceably surrendering. He was beaten with a savagery that anticipated the videotaped beating of Rodney King. James Rapp, a Philadelphia police officer was killed from what we now call 'friendly fire.' Bro. Delbert and his surviving comrades are now in their 33rd year of prison facing sentences that go up 100 years for Rapp's death!…One of their comrades, Merle Afrika, died in prison in 1999.

Lest we forget, it was on August 9, 1997 that Abner Louima was sodomized with a plunger up his rectum in a supreme expression of police brutality by New York City police.

Starting on August 29, 2005, we faced one of the greatest ordeals and calamities of this time. On that day, as the bewildering winds of Hurricane Katrina came barreling down on New Orleans, the world's 1st Black cultural capital, the u.s.government decided to abandon the people of that great chocolate because the majority of its victims were black and poor! A genocidal spectacle that garnered international criticism and outrage abroad, but here at home, the national media order just accelerated what the late Charshee McIntyre called 'the criminalizing of the race!'

It must be noted here though for the historical record, that just days later, while many among our people felt helpless about trying to do something directly, the New Black Panther Party, under the leadership of Attorney at War Malik Zulu Shabazz, dared to launch 'Operation Rescue'! Defying curfews, roadblocks and government mandates, these brave men, armed with their God and their gun, rolled into New Orleans, went into the devastated 9th ward in particular and come out with several hundred of our people!

So be very clear here…Black August is also a time of the most heroic resistance to the hottest hell we've faced!

On August 11, 1965, a pivotal, timemarking rebellion took place foreshadowing many more to come. It was the Watts section of Los Angeles that exploded. Black youth, tired of police brutality, boldly stepped off from their perceived limits of nonviolence and went off!… Although casualties in this uprising were high, after six days of supreme hellraizin, almost 1000 buildings were destroyed and most of those destroyed were whiteowned businesses. Out of the blood and ashes of this rebellion emerged the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense! It is one of the hallmark dates of this concept in its origins.

The other of course is August 7, 1970!...On this day, an incredibly fearless young warrior chose not to wait on the white man's courts for justice. He took it upon himself to liberate his comrades! On this day, the immortal Jonathan Jackson, George Jackson's courageous little brother, walked into a Marin County Courthouse locked and loaded and announced that he was now in charge and he would be leaving with his comrades who were on trial! He also announced that the presiding judge would be coming also to secure their exit! He was 17 years old! 17!It foreshadowed the reemergence of the Underground Railroad in the collective persona known as the Black Liberation Army! You wanna know why you have to be searched when you go into a courtroom, you have pay homage to Jonathan for that!

On August 14, 1791, a fearless queen-sized Afrikan warrior queen named Cecille called together all the field slaves of the French sugar plantation island of Haiti ( originally spelled 'Ayiti ), to convene the launching of the most successful of all slave revolts…The Haitian Revolution!

On August 21, 1831, Rev. Nat Turner launched his own prophetic answer to the Haitian Revolution when he led a force of armed field slaves in amerikkka's most famous slave insurrection in Southampton, Virginia. Before his capture, dozens of the overseer and slave owner class were vanquished by those willing to pay the ultimate price for freedom!

This is not at all to diss or to minimize nonviolent direct action; For on August 9, 1956, 20,000 Afrikan women fearlessly took to the streets of Pretoria, South Afrika and defied the vicious 'Passbook Act of 1956, which made aliens of Afrikans in their own land during the obscene racist reign of Apartheid. It is from this defiant act that we get the phrase "You have struck a rock."

"Now you have attacked the women! You have struck a rock! You have dislodged a boulder! You will be crushed!" rings the phrase from this heroic expression of Afrikan women defying the bloody teeth of Apartheid.

The March On Washington of August 28, 1963 must also be acknowledged for Black August in spite of its obvious co-opted limitations. Not because it was a high point for the legacy of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement; We must acknowledge it here because we understand that the state saw that it was too successful for their interests and marked 'The Drum Major For Justice' for death! Declassified government documents are very clear. COINTELPRO operations escalated against our movement after that march and escalated against him in particular! Let the 'Dreamers' and the 'Dream Redeemers' speak to that!…

We must also acknowledge why the date was chosen for that march. On August 28, 1955, a young man from Chicago visiting his family in Mississippi, was made missing and viciously lynched. His face and body was so savagely ravaged by his killers that his mother decreed to have her son's funeral with the casket open so the whole world could see what lynching looks like! That young man was Emmitt Till. It was our people's last straw under the terrorism of Jim Crow!

On the eve of that march, the sun set on one of the immortal pioneers of PanAfrikanism. WEB DuBois died in Ghana at age 97 in service to Ghanaian independence and PanAfrikanism in Black August on August 27, 1963.

Back to our legacy of resisting our oppression by any means necessary. On August 13, 1906, Black soldiers in Brownsville, Texas, tired of being violated by the lynch mobs for 'wearing the uniform,' decided to use their arms to "stop them."

On that same day twenty years later, a man was born who would lead the most enduring revolution against u.s. imperialism to date. That man is Fidel Castro. That revolution of course is the heroic Cuban Revolution. No nation, anywhere in the world, has done more for Afrika, for the PanAfrikan idea, than the Cuban Revolution under the leadership of the ageless Fidel!

On August 26, 1966, one of the most underappreciated recent peoples victories on the Afrikan continent was launched in earnest when SWAPO launched the armed struggle to rid Namibia of the dual scourge of Apartheid and colonialism!

We already mentioned George Jackson's legacy and assassination. We must also acknowledge that he was also an original revolutionary thinker who also penned two classic seminal revolutionary works, The Soledad Brothers and Blood In My Eye.

For those of us who want to see Black August used in its fullest terms, the ceremonial and ideological center of Black August is, of course, the birth of Marcus Garvey on August 17, 1887 in Jamaica. On that same date in 1920, in a packed Madison Square Garden, Garvey and his Universal Negro Improvement Association gave us our own flag!…A flag for all of us no matter where we be on this earth!…The Universal Afrikan Liberation Flag!…The Red, the Black, the Green!…

And you wonder why the state of Pennsylvania sought to execute Mumia Abu-Jamal on August 17, 1995?…Is it a coincidence that they used the birth date of the Black nation's first modern political prisoner to attempt to stage this freedom fighter's lynching?…We think not.

On August 16, 1959, underappreciated Garveyite Carlos Cooks convened a special Afrikan Peoples Conference in Harlem, which formally called on our people to drop the term 'negro' and to instead use either 'Black' or 'Afrikan' to refer to the race. How so many of at this late date are unable to see ourselves as being nothing more than 'niggaz' is a serious expression of how far we've been setback.

Several nations of the PanAfrikan world stepped forward in this month. Trinidad, Burkino Faso, Chad, Gabon and Cote 'd'Voir, each stepped out on their own in Black August.

Edward Wilmot Blyden, an important forerunner of critical Black nationalist thought who literally was the bridge between 19th and 20th century Afrikan nationalism, was born in Black August on August 3, 1832 in Virgin Islands.

One of the important things to emerge from the recent renewed interest in Black August is practical support of our freedom fighters, our political prisoners, the real flesh and blood targets of COINTELPRO! One such freedom fighter, organizing legend Dr. Mutulu Shakur was born of August 7, 1950. Get his address from his website (http://www.mutulushakur.com/) and send him some love! As this goes to press, Dr. Shakur is still in the worse, most isolated prison in the country, the Florence (Colorado) supermax!

148 years after Gabriel Prosser was going to scorch plantations before being betrayed, Black Panther organizing legend and martyr Fred Hampton was born on August 30, 1948.

Black Belt swingers Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Lester Young, giants of a music which brought us international respect, were all born in Black August.

May all of our Augusts be fiery hot and holy with resistance!

Keep marching!

Black Power and Free The Land!

'bro. zayid' kazi angaza kikongo muhammad

'bro.zayid' is now the nat'l min. of culture of the new black panther party…

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South Sudanese nationalism in post independence era - by Jacob K.Lupai

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 22:17:00 +0000

By Jacob K. Lupai ~

July 27, 2012 — South Sudanese did not struggle for a nation of their own but were forced to do so in conditions beyond their control. This assertion may not go down well with those who believed that from day one South Sudanese aspirations were totally a nation of their own. Arguably if that was the case South Sudanese would have to exert every effort in nation building. This is because South Sudanese are of diverse tribes, languages, cultures, states and outlook that may easily polarize them. They may be people of one race but this is not enough to instill nationalism as more often loyalty seems to be to one's tribe or clan rather than to nation building for prosperity to all. There is therefore not yet such a thing as South Sudanese nationalism but it can be cultivated.

Southern Sudanese in pre-independence era

We may need to know more in-depth about Southern Sudan from historians. However, in brief the history of Southern Sudan has been about slavery and domination, and resistance of the people to be freemen in the land of their birth. The modern history of Southern Sudan is therefore a history of struggle for freedom, equality and justice. The struggle was against Northern Sudan with its notorious Arab component that was terrorizing the people of Southern Sudan. The struggle was also against foreign rule and occupation of Southern Sudan by the Turks, Mahdists and the British. People of Southern Sudan had a long history of struggle for freedom but as people of separate tribes without coordination in their struggle until lately. The Arabs of Northern Sudan exploited and plundered resources in Southern Sudan with impunity. However, this was not received submissively. Despite poor weaponry the people of Southern Sudan put up heroic resistance against northern Arab slave traders. Heroism was the characteristic of Southern Sudan in the struggle throughout the pre-independence era.

Juba Conference of 1947

As though to pacify Southern Sudan for submission and exploitation a hasty conference was convened in Juba by the British colonial administration. The main objective of what became known as the Juba Conference of 1947 was to gain the support of the unsuspecting people of Southern Sudan for the realization of one united independent Sudan. Northern Sudan agitated for the conference to be convened. The conference, obviously serving the interest of Northern Sudan, urgently wanted Southern Sudan to agree immediately on the unification of Southern and Northern Sudan.

The British colonial administration erroneously concluded that Southern Sudan was inextricably bound for future development to the Middle East, Arabia and Northern Sudan. In its erroneous conclusion and naivety the British colonial administration merely hoped that Southern Sudan would be equipped to take its place in future as socially and economically the equal of Northern Sudan in the Sudan of future. It was to take Southern Sudan 64 (1947-2011) costly years to correct the British colonial administration erroneous conclusion and naivety about the unity of Sudan. It was of interest that Britain was among the first to recognize the independence of Southern Sudan as the Republic of South Sudan on the day independence was attained.

In the Juba Conference of 1947 southern participants made an eloquent argument against a hasty unity with Northern Sudan. However, one northern participant was so persuasive that southern participants swallowed the bait for unity without perceiving what would become of Southern Sudan, which was once a hunting ground for slaves, in a united Sudan. However, at any rate the decision on unity of Sudan had already been taken by the British colonial administration in favour of Northern Sudan.

Torit uprising of 1955

The erroneous conclusion and naivety of the British colonial administration that Southern Sudan would be socially and economically the equal of Northern Sudan in the Sudan of future was confirmed when the British left. Also, the persuasion of the northern participants in the Juba Conference of 1947 that southerners would be treated as equals to their northern counterparts was nothing but a deception. When Sudanisation of the civil and public service was made, out of 800 posts Sudanised less than I per cent of the posts went to southerners. How could the British colonial administration and the northern participants in the Juba Conference of 1947 explain this gross marginalization of the people of Southern Sudan? On their part southerners saw this as the substitution of hostile Arab colonialism for a limited and benevolent British colonial rule.

The hostility of southerners for the northern domination surfaced violently when southern soldiers in the Equatoria Corp based at Torit mutinied in 1955 marking the first armed uprising for fair treatment in modern history of Southern Sudan. The cause of the mutiny was clearly dissatisfaction when southerners saw that the Arabs were going to install themselves as new colonial masters in Southern Sudan. What southerners saw was the complete transfer of the colonial structures intact from Britain to the northern Sudanese to colonise Southern Sudan. Southerners were left with no influence on the future of Southern Sudan. A choice had to be made either submission or resistance. The latter was chosen.

Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972

The uprising at Torit in 1955 marked the start of a protracted armed struggle against domination by Northern Sudan. The armed struggle intensified when in 1958 a military coup took place where the military regime enthusiastically embarked on a vigorous programme of Arabisation and Islamisation which led to increased repression in Southern Sudan. This in turn made occasional skirmishes to escalate into a full-fledged civil war. Southerners saw no peaceful solution in sight except an intensified protracted armed struggle for freedom, equality and justice. However, in 1969 another military coup took place but this time the second military regime took a different approach, that of resolving the problem through a negotiated settlement. In 1972 a peace agreement was signed in the Ethiopian capital and the agreement came to be known as the Addis Ababa Agreement.

The Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972 granted Southern Sudan a local autonomy. With the agreement in place economic development and the establishment of political and administrative institutions became a priority in Southern Sudan. Arguably one of the most important results of the Addis Ababa Agreement was the establishment of Southern Sudan as an autonomous region with its parliament and a high executive council. However, manipulation of southern politics and interference from Northern Sudan caused the regional government to lose effectiveness. Leniency in dealing with corruption and rampant tribalism contributed to the negative perception of the regional government. Eventually the Addis Ababa Agreement was abrogated arguably because of the ugliest face of tribalism taken advantage of by Northern Sudan.

Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005

The abrogation of the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972 was a blessing in disguise. The liberation struggle in Southern Sudan gathered unprecedented momentum that Southern Sudan was ultimately to become independent in its own right. After a 22-year war a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) was reached in 2005 that, unlike the Addis Ababa Agreement, granted Southern Sudan the right to self-determination with an interim period of 6 years after which a referendum would take place for Southern Sudan to choose either to remain united with Northern Sudan or to secede and become an independent country.

The experience of Juba Conference of 1947 was quite enough for people to have learned about the unity of Sudan. This was also reinforced by a message from none other than Dr John Garang de Mabior, the charismatic leader of the second revolutionary armed struggle, who said, "I and those who joined me in the bush and fought for more than twenty years have brought to you CPA on a golden plate. Our mission is accomplished. It is now your turn, especially those who did not have a chance to experience bush life. When time comes to vote at referendum, it is your golden choice to determine your fate. Would you like to vote to be second class citizen in your own country? It is absolutely your choice".

Who would really be a fool to vote for unity of Sudan that was racially and religiously discriminative? However, some southerners who ignored how their brethren were treated in a united Sudan shamefully voted for unity of Sudan. Fortunately they were a very tiny minority that the southerners who voted for secession and independence had sweet dreams the day the one result of the referendum was announced. The cherished result was a massive 98.43 per cent for secession and independence of Southern Sudan.

Meaning of independence

The more than 98 per cent of people of all tribes in Southern Sudan did not vote for independence for fun. The overwhelming vote for independence precisely meant people earnestly wanted freedom from human rights violations and services for a decent standard of living. In short people wanted a life different from the one before independence. Southern Sudanese did not need a lecture on problems with Northern Sudan in order to vote for secession and independence. They were already self-taught and experienced firsthand Arab's arrogance of treating southerners as second class citizens. The experience gained in living with northerners, especially the Arabs, should have made southerners experts in nation building. However, southerners seem to be extremely slow learners and practitioners in putting something for the common good into practice in promoting unity.

South Sudanese nationalism

After attaining independence are South Sudanese nationalistic? Some may answer in the affirmative that indeed South Sudanese are nationalistic for they couldn't have overwhelmingly voted for secession and independence. On the other hand it can be argued that South Sudanese are not nationalistic but tribalistic. They voted for secession and independence because of the equal suffering endured under the heavy handed Arab colonialism that was utterly dehumanizing and unbearable. After removing the Arab mean colonial actions there is very little that binds South Sudanese together. Unless some visionary revolutionaries produce concepts that are practically unifying, it is difficult to see how South Sudan will not be disunited.

Victims of crime do not get justice as their loved ones are murdered in cold blood. The constitution is violated with impunity, for example, when land grabbers violate and commit criminal offense by depriving legitimate land owners of their property. Worse still land grabbers beat up and threaten to kill legitimate owners of the grabbed property. The law seems to be hardly enforced. In all this tribalism appears to play a part. There is no way one can conclude with absolute certainty that South Sudanese are nationalistic. The predominant culture seems to be that of greed and tribalism with lip service as part of a careful public relations exercise. Nationalism if any is abstractly remote from the reality on the ground.

Conclusion

In conclusion, South Sudanese nationalism in post independence era is still abstract and remote. The overwhelming vote for secession and independence was an expression of aggregate rejection of Arab colonialism. There is hardly any evidence that nationalism played a part. Rampant corruption, insecurity, tribalism and nepotism, and tribal conflicts seem to confirm this. Nationalists put the country first with equitable access to resources and services but not self-enrichment and tribal appointment of officials. However, nationalism can be cultivated and sustained, and the sooner nationalism is cultivated the better for the unity of South Sudan. It is to avoid all the negatives that may contribute to disunity.

The author can be reached at jklupai@googlemail.com

B.F.Bankie

Sudan Sensitisation Project (SSP)

www.bankie.info

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The US Police State No Longer A Secret

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 19:35:00 +0000

From The Ramparts

Junious Ricardo Stanton ~

"Ethnic and religious 'profiling' is rife in all transport centers (airports, bus and train stations and on the highways). Mosques, Islamic charities and foundations are under constant surveillance and subject to raids, entrapment, arrests, and even Israeli-style 'targeted' assassinations... The second core group, targeted by the police state, includes African Americans, Hispanics and immigration rights activists (numbering in the millions). They are subject to massive arbitrary sweeps, round-ups and unlimited detention without trial as well as mass indiscriminate deportations." http://rense.com/general95/riseofthepolicestate.html

During the Civil Rights and Black Power movements the psychopathic oligarchy that rules this country decided to crack down on all dissent. Following the elites' directives, the US government unleashed illegal, wide scale covert insurgency programs called COINTELPRO, Operation CHAOS, Project Merrimac and numerous others designed to infiltrate, undermine and destroy dissent and opposition to US racist domestic and imperialistic foreign policies. The ruling elites were determined to maintain and expand their empire by eliminating all opposition to their global war machine and domestic colonialism.

One of the ideological conceptualizations of militant activists during the '60's and '70's was the African-American community was a colonized area kept in subjugation by institutionalized racist police, judicial and terrorist organizations operating on behalf of a race, color and class based system. They equated urban ghettos with concentration camps similar to the oppression on Native American reservations. They postulated rural blacks in the South and Mid-West were bond to a vicious and stultifying caste system that need to be exposed and broken. They pointed to this country's long history of surveillance, monitoring, terrorism and oppression of blacks that was still going on in the '60's and '70's.

As the Civil Rights movement morphed into a broader more global movement embracing the liberation struggles of people of color around the world, the US government moved to protect their corporate masters by intensifying its attacks on the leadership of grass roots organizations of all stripes and persuasions. The assassinations of Medgar Evers NAACP, Malcolm X (EL Hajj Malik El Shabazz) Organization of Afro-American Unity, Martin Luther King Jr. SCLC, Fred Hampton The Black Panther Party and the infiltration of organizations like the Nation of Islam coupled with the systemic framing, slandering, persecution, round up and killing of not only blacks but members of La Raza Unida, The American Indian Movement, radical labor organizations, the anti-war and environmental movements signaled the commitment of the elites and their minions to squash all dissent.

This was the beginning of the so called "culture wars" that are still raging today. The culture wars are really proxy fights by the fascist establishment using their media, institutions and personalities to demonize and rail against anyone who doesn't go for their okey-doke. This is why the system moved so deliberately and thoroughly to crush the Black Liberation and Afrocentric movements. Independent thought is a no no in the eyes of the ruling elites. You believe what they say or else!

On a more hard core level the US government funded and provided local police with advanced weaponry and technology for use against dissidents who lashed out against their oppression and terror. The governments "wars" on crime, drugs and terror are disingenuous euphemisms for the elites' wholesale attack on us using crime, drugs, Oklahoma City, Waco and 9-11 as a pretext. After all its an irrefutable fact the US CIA runs the global drug trade and the big Wall Street banks launder the money. This drug money is the source of much of their "black ops" budget. So its all a scam designed to facilitate a police state environment.

Abuses of the state became so widespread, rampant and egregious against white folks in the '70's the US Congress was forced to investigate. Of the two major Senate investigations into these abuses one (the Rockefeller Report) was a total sham and white wash. The other (The Church Committee Report) was far more thorough and found the FBI and CIA had broken and circumvented federal state and local laws and violated the rights of countless Americans. Senator Church was an early opponent of the Vietnam War so he raised the ire of the Military-Industrial complex. In response, the Right Wingers and CIA surreptitiously funded opposition to Senator Frank Church's bid for reelection in 1981 and he was narrowly defeated.

The police state is much more pervasive today than during the days of COINTELPRO which is one reason for the passivity and numbness towards it. "Active support for the police state peaked during the first 5 years post- 9/11 and subsequently ebbed as the Wall Street-induced economic crisis, loss of employment and the failures of government policy propelled concerns about the economy far ahead of support for the police state. Nevertheless, at least one-third of the electorate still supports the police state, 'right or wrong'. They firmly believe that the police state protects their 'security'; that suspects, arrestees, and others under watch 'must have been doing something illegal'. The most ardent backers of the police state are found among the rabid anti-immigrant groups who support arbitrary round-ups, mass deportations and the expansion of police powers at the expense of constitutional guarantees.

The third possible motive for acquiescence in the police state is ignorance: those millions of US citizens who are not aware of the size, scope and activities of the police state. Their practical behavior speaks to the notion that 'since I am not directly affected it must not exist'. Embedded in everyday life, making a living, enjoying leisure time, entertainment, sports, family, neighborhoods and concerned only about household budgets … This mass is so embedded in their personal 'micro-world' that it considers the macro-economic and political issues raised by the police state as 'distant', outside of their experience or interest." The Rise of The Police State http://rense.com/general95/riseofthepolicestate.html

Unlike the '60 and '70's ,today there is no widespread massive social opposition to US foreign and domestic policies. COINTELPRO is still operational only in the guise of the USAPATRIOT ACT and other post 9-11 police state legislation. The police state quickly smashed the Occupy Movement once it gained momentum and began to raise awareness of the direct responsibility of the banks and corporations in the decline of our standard of living and the escalation of economic apartheid in the US.

Anyone who raises the issue of class warfare in the US or who publicly stands up of the 99% gets demonized by the media and the system. If you doubt what I'm saying take a deeper look at what happened to Elliott Spitzer, John Edwards, Lou Dobbs (who has since resurfaced on Fox TV) and Rob Blagojevich. Each one of these white men was going along just fine in life within the system until they offended Wall Street in one way or another. Contrast their situations with the CEOs of the giant banks or with Jon Corzine who should be languishing in a federal prison; but nooo, they're free as birds living high on the hog thanks to this totally corrupt system.

The Big Brother police state is alive and well in 2012 and it will become more pervasive unless we take a stand to fight the powers that be.

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Chicago, Colorado and Compton: Do Movies or Rap Music Make Murderers?

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:01:00 +0000

by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

But still my story ain't over cause I got one more to tell/And the people of Colorado, they know it well"
Jus Lyke Compton-DJ Quik

During a recent debate on a Chicago radio station, community activist ,Kwabena Rasuli got into a heated argument with Hip Hop artist, Krazy Keith , blaming his new song , "Murda 4 Fun" for the rising murder rate in his the city this Summer. Just like a game of chess, for every point Kwabena raised about rap music and violence, Keith hit him with a counter point defending his music as only entertainment. After an hour of arguing , Kwabena made his power move and pulled out a long list of murder statistics . But Keith countered with "at least we don't dress up like comic book villains and murder people in movie theaters!"

Checkmate.

According to Hip Hop apologists, rap music gets , unfairly , blamed for every social ill in America , whether it be drug abuse, teenage pregnancy or violence. And you can bet 20 years from now they are going to use the recent , tragic murder of moviegoers at the "Dark Knight Rises" showing in Aurora, Colorado by some kook dressed up like "The Joker" as part of their defense of the violent lyrics that plague much of commercial Hip Hop

For years, we have heard the excuse from rappers "ya'll don't say nuthin' when "The Terminator "and 'Rambo' kill a hundred people in their movies..." Yeah, but I don't recall Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone shootin; at each other across a strip club parking lot, either. But I get the point.

Truth is, in some ways they are are right. But in other ways, they are dead wrong.,

Since The Sugar Hill Gang dropped "Rappers Delight" 30 years ago, America has had a love/hate relationship with rap music. They love the songs, they just hate the singers. Even when a Hip Hop artist amasses a fortune and moves from Harlem to the Hamptons, some still feel "you can take the boy out the ghetto but you can't take the ghetto out the boy."

Even before the first gangsta rap cd was made, the threat of potential violence hampered many of the first Hip Hop tours. In many cities, the media acted like one of the Fat Boys was gonna jump off stage and beat some kid, unmercifully, for his hot dog. Sometimes the violence did happen. Most of the time it didn't.

Some may, also, remember a time when the threat of violence prevented the first rap movies from being seen at any theaters outside of "urban" areas. As if Shelia E's wack performance of "Hollyrock" in "Krush Groove" was gonna make outraged Hip Hop fans start a riot at the concession stand. Despite the hype of the era, I was able to watch "The Dis-orderlies" and enjoy my popcorn just fine.

It wasn't until the 90's when hood flicks became cross- over blockbusters and movies like Boys in the Hood started peekin' middle America's fascination with gang violence in Compton that the films started playing in Peoria.

Despite the contradictions between the public perception of violence in movies and murda music that some Hip Hop fans attempt to expose, there is a difference.

First, there aren't thousands of people across the country walkin' the streets dressed like Dr. Doom but you can go to any 'hood in the USA and see kids lookin' like clones of their favorite rappers with artist "Cash Out " braggin' about "ridin' around with that nina (nine millimeter) " blastin' thru their Beats by Dre headphones.

Secondly, we still live in a world where the young Black male is the usual suspect. Just ask the brotha sitting on death row because of a case of "they-all-look- a-like mistaken identity." Or the high school honor roll student who gets trailed by a gang of rent-a -cops as soon as he enters the food court at the mall. In many cases the Hip Hop image has made it easier for young Black men to be guilty until proven innocent.

Also, many people in this country follow the classic line from The Godfather " they're animals anyway so let them lose their souls." So, while shootings at Columbine or Virginia Tech are forever mourned as tragedies, seven year old girls getting shot on the streets of Chi-Town are written off as "that's just the way those people get down." There is a big difference between random acts of violence and children gettin' caught up in drive by's being viewed as a normal everyday thing.

Back in '92 DJ Quik asked on "Just Lyke Compton," "how could a bunch of suckas in a town like this have such a big influence on brothas so far away?" In retrospect the song seems like a spooky premonition of how gangsta rap was going to impact the world.

But since 99% of the violence in rap music is Black on Black, few folks outside the 'hood seem to care. Out of site; out of mind.

If there is any common denominator between rap music and the murders in Aurora it would be that the movies' maker Warner Brothers also makes Hip Hop music. While the company cannot control the actions of very sicko with a gun who decides to shoot up a theatre showing one of their movie they can control the music they chose to release. If Warner Brothers can cancel Dark Night movie premiers in countries around the world because of the Colorado tragedy, then they can put a moratorium on the music that promotes the Black on Black violence happening in Chicago and every 'hood in America.

A few years back, Wyclef Jean said on "The Industry," "Black on Black crime needs to stop/ya'll can't blame it on Hip Hop"
Sometimes we can't ,Clef. Sometimes we can....

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott 's weekly column is "This Ain't Hip Hop" a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. He can be reached info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 308-4233 His website is NoWarningShotsFired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

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Progressives have Hobbled the Democratic Party

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:58:00 +0000

by Michael Phillips

Progressives have hobbled the Democratic Party and have played a big role in its drift to conservatism. Yes all the progressive allies of the Democratic Party, such as Move-on, the unions, the peace movements, the NAACP, the ACLU, environmental groups, human and civil rights groups, civil liberties groups….you name it, are all guilty.

This realization came to me after I attended a Democratic club meeting recently. I have been a member of this club for over thirty years. It has the reputation of being one of the most progressive Democratic clubs in the nation. But not anymore. I could barely endure the boring meeting. With all the very serious issues out there which threaten our very democracy, they serve up pablum. Compared to what this club used to be, it was a sad spectacle. Nowadays, crucial progressive issues are shunned and even when I try to raise some of these issues, even in my most always non-confrontational respectful manner, I detect discomfort among the members and some even try to shut me up. Now, when wishy-washy Democratic leaders are guests, instead of calling them to account and having a real discussion, they are mollycoddled. I looked around at my fellow members. What has happened? What Kool-aid have they drunk?

But, many of my progressive activist members were no longer there. They had quit the club years ago in a tiff with the more conservative members. That was a big mistake. Many went off to join, or concentrate their efforts on, progressive organizations such as Move-on, the peace movement, environmental groups, the NAACP, the ACLU, human rights, civil rights and civil liberties, healthcare groups. Some even joined the Green Party although it is obvious that they do not stand a chance. They did some valuable work in those groups too. But, they had abandoned the Democratic club to the more conservative element and so the conservative drift became inevitable.

So in the club now, there are virtually no Move-on, NAACP, ACLU, peace activists, union members etc.. Now if some of these dynamic social activists were in the Club, what an impact they would make. Instead, I feel so alone there sometimes, but I will not give up.

This is typical. This conservative drift of the Democratic Party is nationwide and progressive leaders in the party are getting lonely too. In some places the party is virtually indistinguishable from the Republican Party. It is not enough for progressives to support the Democratic Party from the outside. I understand the organizations need to be non-partisan. But, members do not have to be. They need to get back to the Democratic Party, let their voices be heard, set policy, set direction and put it back on the proper course. The fact is that we progressives have left the congregation to preach to the choir.

In future Democratic club meetings, I would love to see it packed with members of unions, the ACLU, the NAACP, environmental groups, human, civil rights and civil liberties groups. We have great leaders of the many progressive groups, but their talents also belong in leadership roles in the Party, not on the outside. Being a registered Democrat is not enough. For progressives to complain about the Democratic Party is not enough. We have got to get back inside it and change it back to its traditional values. Otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels while the 1% use the Republican Party to dismantle our democracy. And, we had better act soon for it is urgent.

Michael Irving Phillips,
Editor, Hot Calaloo
http://www.hotcalaloo.com

Author, Boycott Money and Save Your Soul
- Launching The Goodwill Revolution".
http://www.goodwillie.org

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Browse TheBlackList on your smartphone.

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:24:00 +0000

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ARE AFRICAN MEN A DYING BREED AT THE AFRICAN UNION?

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:57:00 +0000

July 19, 2012 By conyeani Leave a Comment

Not really, however if you hearkened to the contentious battle that raged over the nomination and eventual triumph of the new African Union Commission chairperson, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, you would think so. But that would obviously not be true. The bigger question though is the great stride that the women of Africa are making, as Africa has become more progressive than other parts of the world. (Read More)

Chika A. Onyeani
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
African Sun Times: www.africansuntimes.com
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Tel.: 973-675-9919
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"It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most" - Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success, Onyeani's internationally acclaimed No. 1 bestselling book.

God Forgives, I Don't: Should rappers repent

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 02:42:00 +0000

by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott

"A million names on walls engraved in plaques/Those who went back received penalties for their acts", Triumph -Wu Tang Clan

For years, Hip Hop's hottest rapper, the Boss had made millions of dollars hustlin' his misogynistic, minstrel murder music off as Hip Hop. When people would accuse him of promoting the genocide of the Black community ,he would, arrogantly, laugh them off and say they were just hatin'. Then one day, suddenly, things changed. At every radio station he was confronted by local artists for not reppin' real Hip Hop. Angry crowds started gathering at his concerts throwing eggs at his tour bus. Even at strip clubs, the strippers threw his money back in his face and yelled "keep your blood money !" Dumbfounded , his record label launched a massive PR campaign to win back his fans, but the message from the community was clear..

"God Forgives, We don't...."

Although, Rick Ross's new cd, "God Forgives, I Don't," isn't' scheduled to drop until the end of the month, the streets are already buzzin' with anticipation . The title reflects the "revenge is a dish best served cold" swagga that you have to develop to deal with anyone who dares diss you.

Maybe, that's not such a bad attitude to have, especially against those who, continuously, disrespect your culture and jeopardize the lives of your children.

It has been said that Black people are the most forgiving people on the planet. You can steal our land, put us in chains, call our women "nappy headed hos" and Grandma will still find it in her heart to invite you to Sunday dinner after church.

I'm not sure if that makes us saints or suckas.

Hip Hop has also been very forgiving. Rap artists can give people hood passes for calling us the N word. They can act like clowns on Nickelodeon kids shows, make pop records with Justin Bieber and Katy Perry and still keep their street cred. Rappers can even be exposed as being former correctional officers and still sell millions of cds lyin' about how they used to be big time drug dealers.

There is a thin line between a diehard fan and a dumb fool.

More importantly, today's Hip Hop artists can destroy our culture and glorify a lifestyle to our children that has already landed thousands of them dead or in prison and they still are able to walk around every city in America without having to face the consequences of their actions.

So the question becomes, should Hip Hop artists be forced to apologize and make amends for the damage that they have caused in the Black community?

We have to admit the reason why Hip Hop is in the state that it's in is based on one thing and one thing only; lack of accountability. Rappers are allowed to do whatever, whenever, to whom ever, without any fear of repercussion.

Any attempts to correct their ignorant behavior is usually met with the "who are you to tell me what to do" attitude followed by the over used Tupac line "only God can judge me."

Case in point was the recent confrontation between Philadelphia pastor Jomo Johnson and rapper Meek Mill on a Philly radio station. Johnson felt that Mill's song "Amen" dissed his religion; Mill thought otherwise. Rev. Johnson had just as much right to feel offended by "Amen" as a Muslim minister being insulted by the burning of the Qu'ran or a Rabbi being outraged by someone placing a ham sandwich on the Torah.

Still, some people will argue that rappers are just entertainers expressing their First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech and shouldn't have to apologize to anybody for anything.

Bull!

Entertainers apologize all the time. Just not to Black folks.

There is a long list of celebrities who have had to apologize to the Jewish community, gay activists and animal rights people etc. When other groups feel even slightly disrespected the result is swift and direct; bow down immediately. And even after years of grovelin' and beggin' for forgiveness, the final result is usually "apology not accepted!"

Just as people have called for "reparations" for the holocaust and slavery , we must call for "rap-arations" from the music industry for the damage commercial Hip Hop has done to the Black community. They must be held accountable for the chaos they have created.

I'm not talking about just money, either. Nor am I talking about a rapper who has made a career out of songs about drug dealing going to speak at a drug rehab center. This, also, does not include a rapper who brags about smackin' up hos donating band-aids to a women's domestic abuse shelter. I'm talking about an immediate end to the madness that they promote at the expense of our future generations.

This must happen sooner than later.

Frankly, I am tired of writing about the sorry state of Hip Hop. I'm tired of artists rappin' about it. I'm tired of hearing people complaining about it. Like Redman said back in the day it's, "Time 4 Sum Aksion"

There are rules to this Hip Hop game. But the question has always been ,who has the guts to enforce the rules?

The hard, cold code of the streets must also apply to Hip Hop. No rapper who disrespects the community should ever feel comfortable coming into any city on the planet without being stepped to.

The most frustrating part of the Hip Hop dilemma is that this problem can be easily fixed. For example, if all the student body presidents of HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) would get together and say "we will not invite any rapper who spreads ignorance to perform on our campus" the problem would be solved overnight.

Unfortunately, after all the whinin' about rap music is said and done, many of its harshest critics will sell the struggle out for an autographed t-shirt and a backstage pass.

Let's make it perfectly clear. This is a war for the minds of our people.

And Hip Hop ain't gonna change unless you get off your butt and make it change.

So, it's up to you.

Like Mr. Cheeks of the Lost Boyz once asked on "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz and Benz:"

"Is you down, to go pound for pound, toe to toe, blow for blow, round for round?"

If not, stay off the battlefield !

TRUTH Minista Paul Scott's weekly column is "This Ain't Hip Hop," a column for intelligent Hip Hop headz. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 308-4233. His website is NoWarningShowFired.com Follow on Twitter @truthminista

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Caribbean Impact's HOT New Launch!

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:31:00 +0000

Caribbean Impact's HOT New Launch!

Exciting news! Caribbean Impact has upgraded our website and email system to include our Caribbean Zone newsletter and Pan African Beat marketing page. This will keep you updated on issues and events of interest to you that affect our diverse, global commmunities.

We hope that you will not only maintain a subscription with us, but also support our efforts to enrich and empower our communities. Please be sure to attend our events or donate to our menu of vetted causes throughout the Caribbean region and local host communities.

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A Catalyst in Galvanizing and Uplifting our Diverse Communities!

Caribbean Impact is a network of individuals, organizations, and businesses with the shared values of advocacy and philanthropy. We are committed to providing a variety of social, cultural, and educational experiences that support, educate, engage, and empower our youth, their families, and communities. Caribbean Impact's vision is to overcome the challenges of poverty and violence by facilitating wellness.

PAB is your authoritative resource for multicultural events and services:

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Your Jobs Went to Prison with 2.3 million Americans

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:26:00 +0000

"Good Enuff," the poem below, is one of my 21st century slave songs. It was first published in MaryLovesJustice blog at this link http://marylovesjustice.blogspot.com/2011/04/good-enuff-by-mary-neal.html . A million inmates work up to 72 hours a week on jobs that were removed from "free" workers. People who champion "tough on crime" bills and candidates do not seem to recognize that prison labor projects are competing for labor contracts. They actually advertise for companies to use Americans behind bars rather than sending work overseas while plenty of cheap labor is available in the USA through prison work projects. Re Georgia Prison Labor Strike, I wrote the following poem. The Georgia prisoners' labor strike lasted from Dec. 9-15, 2010. The strike was largely censored in mainstream news although it was an Internet sensation. Therefore, a day before the strike started, eleven hundred of my tweets for human rights for prisoners were unpublished at Twitter. They were reinstated months later, after people stopped browsing online as much for "human rights for prisoners." I am America's most censored writer to continue the cover-up re the secret arrest and murder of my mentally, physically disabled brother and my family's victimization for daring to ask the USDOJ for records and accountability for his death. See the poem "Good Enuff" below. After the Georgia prisoners' labor strike, around 36 inmates were reportedly "missing." Some were badly brutalized. The nonviolent protest was met with violence and solitary confinement.

GOOD ENUFF

I work for the U.S. Government

Worked five years for the state

Now I make military uniforms

Sho miss my good friend, Jake

His idea sounded real fine to me

Worker strike for human rights

Most of us agreed to stay in our cells

Got real cold in there at night

They turned off the heat ya know

And no food came at all

Guards said "Freeze Nigga or go to work!

Oughta hang you by yo balls"

But all of us stuck together

Thousands of black men, Latinos and whites

Put aside all our rivalry

Gonna make 'em treat us right

We expected opposition

But nothin' like what went down

Guards went crazy beatin' on folks

And Jake, he can't be found

I tried to get on with the government

Back before I started gettin' high

They said there was a hiring freeze

And now I sho see why

I applied with the State, too

But didn't nothin' came of that

I guess I just wasn't good enuff

'Til they caught me with that crack

Finally got me a government job

Problem is, I don't get no pay

A big company got my first five years

After laying off a thousand in one day

Our labor strike changed nothin' 'round here

Still can't afford phone calls

Now they expect plenty mo black workers

Heard they outlawing menthol*

We had high hopes for the labor strike

But things didn't turn out great

All day I work 'til my back is sore

All night I worry 'bout Jake

http://marylovesjustice.blogspot.com/2011/04/good-enuff-by-mary-neal.html

*The NAACP requested the U.S. Congress to outlaw menthol cigarettes, the kind that 85% of black smokers use. That would be a discriminatory law targeting blacks like powder v. crack cocaine, and it is disgusting that prison investors got the NAACP to suggest it.

Mary Neal, director of Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill and the Human Rights for Prisoners March Across the Internet. Blessings!

--
Mary Neal's Google Profile - http://www.google.com/profiles/MaryLovesJustice - Follow me at Twitter @koffietime - http://twitter.com/koffietime - Current, urgent justice issues from a laywoman's viewpoint at my primary blog http://FreeSpeakBlog.blogspot.com (the name is a joke, believe me). See also http://MaryLovesJustice.blogspot.com and DogJusticeforMentallyIll http://DogJusticeforMentallyIll.blogspot.com JusticeGagged http://JusticeGagged.blogspot.com Davis/MacPhailTruthCommittee http://DMTruth.blogspot.com Mary Neal at HubPages http://MaryNeal.hubpages.com .Recommended articles - http://topsy.com/site/freespeakblog.blogspot.com - Address: MaryLovesJustice@gmail.com (I am censored, but some emails reach my box) Try to phone me at 678.531.0262, however, none of us really has free speech, so they may prevent your call.

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Romney and the NAACP: A Missed Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:21:00 +0000

By Raynard Jackson

NNPA Columnist

July 12, 2012

As anyone who has followed me knows, I have been extremely critical of President Obama’s non-engagement with the Black community. Obama has deliberately ignored the plight of the Black community while giving preferential treatment to the homosexual and Hispanic communities.

But I can’t in good conscious criticize Obama and then give the Republicans a pass when they display similar behavior towards the Black community. I can’t excoriate Black Democrats for following Obama blindly and then remain silent when Black Republicans do the same towards Romney.

Yesterday, as I watched Mitt Romney address the NAACP, I tried to force myself to be optimistic about what he would say. But my years of being an avid Republican prepared me for the worst. And that’s exactly what I saw.

Romney had a golden opportunity to make a credible argument for Blacks to support him. But because he doesn’t have experienced Blacks in his inner circle, he thoroughly embarrassed himself and deserved to be roundly booed. For Romney to speak before a Black audience and not talk about the Black entrepreneur is like going to church and not mentioning God.

This is what happens when you don’t have the right people around you, people who understand communications, messaging and the nuances of the audience being addressed. That’s the elephant in the room.

Contrary to what the White media thinks, the preachers and politicians are not the leaders in the Black community – businessmen and businesswomen are. That Black business person is typically head of the board of trustees or the deacon board of the church. So, if you get the business leader on your side, he or she will bring along the minister and the congregation.

Business leaders have a vested interest in having an educated Black community because they have to hire people in order to grow their business. Like everyone else, those leaders care about crime and don’t want employees to be victims as they travel to and from work. More than anyone else, business leaders understand the cost of capital issues and therefore are more likely to support a reduction or total abolition of the capital gains tax. He or she is more likely to support school choice and vouchers, all topics the NAACP members can relate to.

So, the point is, the Black business leaders are the most important entry point to the Black community and Republicans, of all people, are totally ignorant of this fact. And they will remain ignorant of what’s important to the Black community until they have campaign staffs that look like America.

Like Jeremiah of the Bible, I have been labeled as one crying in the wilderness. And I am not about to surrender that label now. Am I the only one who is offended that Romney has fewer than five Blacks on his national campaign staff and none in top decision-making positions? I am talking about someone who controls a budget, has the final say on hiring, and has the ability to put an event on the candidate’s calendar or arrange a private meeting with the candidate.

Am I the only one who noticed the optics of Romney not having photos of any Black Republicans on his campaign web site? Am I the only one who is puzzled as to why Romney has never met with a group of Black entrepreneurs?

I was stunned to learn that Romney had chosen a recently converted Republican, Ashley Bell, to be one of his surrogates and to help him craft his speech to the NAACP. Bell is a decent guy, but

am I to believe that Romney couldn’t find any veteran Black Republicans who have both party credentials and relevant presidential campaign experience to help him craft the speech that would define his relationship with Black America?

Does his staff know people such as Shannon Reeves, Allegra McCullough, David Byrd, Aaron Manaigo, Francis Johnson, Ada Fisher or James House? If they don’t, I will be happy to put Romney’s staff in touch with them and many other able Blacks. For Romney to pick a Republican-come-lately over Party vets who have taken all kind of criticism for supporting the Grand Old Party is a grand old insult to those Black Republicans who have toiled for years in the fields of Republican politics.

Where are the voices of Black Republicans who know better? Their silence is deafening. In this respect, they are just as bad as the Black Democrats I have been criticizing.

With Romney’s speech to the NAACP and making Bell one of his surrogates, the candidate has spent more time with Black Democrats than he has with Black Republicans. Where is the outrage from Black Republicans? Oh, they can criticize Obama for his treatment of Blacks, but when Romney does the same thing they get laryngitis. As I often say, “the best way to get attention from the Republican Party as a Black Republican is to be a Black Democrat.”

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-public relations/government affairs firm. His website is: www.raynardjackson.com.

Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC is a internationally recognized political consulting, government affairs, and PR firm based in Washington, DC. Jackson is a internationally recognized radio talk show host and TV commentator. He has coined the phrase “straticist.” As a straticist, he has merged strategic planning with public relations. Call RJA to discuss how they can get you to the next level of your career.

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Open Letter to Karibu Centre from Bro Ldr Mbandaka - LIFT BAN ON DR UMAR JOHNSON

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:08:00 +0000

Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement

Freedom Begins with the Freeing of the Mind and Soul

c/o 282 High Road, Leyton, London E10 5PW

Elaine Holness

7 Gresham Rd,

London SW9 7PH

Tel: 44 (0)20 7733 9423

Fax: 44 (0)20 7738 5743

info@karibueducationcentre.org.uk

12/07/6252 (2012)

Open Letter

TENDAI MWARI (Be thankful unto God)

Iziz (praises) Sis Elaine,

Re: Cancellation of a PowerSis Promotion 14/07/2012 and Banning of Dr Umar Johnson from speaking at the Karibu Education Centre.

I write further to my telephone call to you on Tuesday (10/07/2012), in the matter captioned above.

Thank you for having taken the time to speak to me, although, regrettably, we were not able to reach an agreement or resolution. I am still hoping that there is still room for this, even at this late stage.

My call to you was in response to notification I had received from Sis Kemet of PowerSis that you had banned Bro Dr Umar Johnson from speaking at the Karibu Centre, having deemed him to be "homophobic" and "racist". You confirmed that you/the centre had banned him but did not clarify the reason. You stated however that you had researched his material on YouTube and found the contents inappropriate. Nonetheless, when I enquired, several times, as to what exactly you were referring to, you did not or could not answer.

I expressed my deep concerns as to the negative impact this could have on the Afrikan community and relations with Karibu and you replied to my surprise, "We would just have to live with it." I protested that this was "censorship" and further protested the right of the community to hear Dr Umar Johnson and to decide for themselves, especially in a society that professes "democracy" and "freedom of speech," to which you responded "The community can hear Dr Umar Johnson if they want to but they won't be hearing him at the Karibu Centre."

You mentioned two emails you sent to Sis Kemet and advised me to read them. I have now done so. In your first email sent on Sunday, 08/07/2012, you referred to a caller who had complained that, "some of the content (of Bro Umar's Youtube posts) appeared to be rather homophobic and racist". This prompted you to investigate it. Whilst you did highlight the centre's policy and ethos, urging Sis Kemet to "Please be mindful of Karibu Education Centre's obligations, our charitable status, our commitment to serve the whole community,"
you did not propose to cancel the booking. However in a follow up email dated Tuesday, 10/07/2012, you informed Sis Kemet that you had referred the matter to the board of trustee who "are equally disturbed by some of Dr Johnson's comments," and thus "have no alternative but to cancel your function as it contravenes the equality laws of the UK." However, failed to particularise what exactly the contraventions were.

I have a number of concerns arising from the foregoing, which I will state (as follows) with the utmost love and respect and in the hope that it will be received, in the same spirit:

1. Your unwillingness or inability to explain what exactly you are referring to as "homophobic and racist" contents, suggests that you are unconvinced, yourself, as to the substance of this claim and/or haven't thought it through properly.

2. In spite of this, you/the board of trustees have taken this severe action causing great embarrassment to Dr Umar Johnson, an Afrikan and Afrikan-centred clinical psychologist of international renown – an invited guest to the Afrikan community UK - who has travelled thousands of miles to dispense his vitally needed expertise to the most beleaguered people here in the UK.

3. The banning of Dr Umar Johnson so late in the day has inevitably caused huge distress and a logistical nightmare to the organisers, PowerSis, in attempting the near impossible task of trying to find an alternative venue at this stage. You might appreciate, my sister, the financial implications of this.

4. I have to say that I found your response to my expressed concerns for the potential impact of your action, rather blasé, if not completely detached. In fact, it is quite disturbing that a project expressly designed to serve the community could be so dismissive about the likely inimical effects of its action on the community. I am baffled by the notion of service without a genuine sense of care and accountability. Might your response have been a touch more sensitive had I been a potential funder, or had the Afrikan community been more mobilised, organised and economically robust?

5. As I suggested during a discussion on Voice of Afrika Radio this morning, Karibu could have exercised the courtesy of inviting PowerSis and Dr Umar Johnson to discuss and allay its concerns. It was disappointing to then learn from Sis Kemet that she had suggested this, but you failed to take up the offer. (Our producer had also called to invite Karibu on to the show, but was told that no one was available).

6. This is tantamount to the dis-invitation of Prof. Tony Martin (Garveyite scholar), from the Mayor's First Voice conference (Oct 2003); the banning of Kwame Toure and Bro Min Louis Farrakhan (1990s) from entering the UK; where Afrikan groups and individuals were used by the British establishment to validate labelling these great Afrikan men, because they defied the hypocritical codes of political correctness.

7. Dr Umar Johnson has travelled the world and spoken in various institutions and has never been banned. Indeed, he works in education and thus frequents schools and universities in the US, where he resides. Karibu (with its appearance of being an Afrikan institution), has now earned itself the dubious reputation of being the first and only institution in the world to have banned him; one which reflects poorly on the Afrikan community in the UK.

Now, you have cited UK equality laws, in justifying your action, but the same does not prevent the BBC (a government institution) from featuring notorious fascists like Nick Griffin (BNP Chair & MEP) and Historian David Starkey (CBE & visiting professor of Kent University), whether to advocate compulsory repatriation of 'non-whites' or to blame Afrikan youths for corrupting good white youths. Griffin and Starkey: one 'homophobic,' the other 'homosexual' but both white racist functionaries of the British establishment – un-gagged, unfettered!!!

No wonder UK equality laws have never levelled the playing field for Afrikans; nor will it ever, as it is not designed to. Rather, it is designed to protect the 'integrity' of a racist status quo, which uses the 'carrot and stick' method to buy or whip us into becoming functional agents, to the detriment of our own people and community; in the name of equality, diversity, etc. Hence, in the UK, all the social indicators are that we are effectively second class citizen (even lower), in an 'institutionally racist' society (MacPherson, 1999). As I said to you, to really ban racism in Britain, every school, collage and university, in fact, every institution including the Houses of Parliament would have to be close down.

PowerSis is a group of mainly Afrikan women, who, realising the maladies confronting the Afrikan community here in the UK (manifested in disproportionate: educational under-achievements and exclusions, teenage pregnancy, drugs, guns and gang violence, socio-economic deprivation, stop and search, deaths in custody, DNA profiling, infant mortality, low life expectancy, etc, etc, etc.), have opted to take positive steps to address this. Dr Umar Johnson is one of the most skilled psycho-social scientists in the Afrikan world community, with a clear and profound analysis as well as therapeutic framework for addressing the specific needs of the Afrikan community. It is for this reason why PowerSis, at significant expense, bought in his expertise to aid the healing and empowerment of our people.

Being as au fait with Dr Umar Johnson's work as I am, I can say that his pronouncements are well sourced; founded on historical and clinical evidence delivered from an Afrikan-centred perspective. I therefore categorically refute the notion that he is either "homophobic" (whatever that means) or "racist". In fact, Dr Johnson specialises in treating "homosexuals". Surely, this makes a complete nonsense of this claim. Moreover, racism is a systematic, historical, global power structure, based on the myth (posing as fact) of white supremacy. Without a Black supremacist replica of the foregoing, it is impossible for Dr Umar Johnson, or indeed any Afrikan to be a racist. Besides, there is no evidence in Afrikan culture of the innate xenophobia upon which racism is founded.

The question therefore begs: who is defining the terms? Psychologist, Dr Wade Nobles says: "Power is the capacity to define reality and have others respond to your definition as if it was their own." Note: the POWER to DEFINE. So, who is defining the terms here? And are we, AFRIKANS, not capable of independent thinking; of defining reality for ourselves? Who or what is a homophobic? Where did this term come from? Is it a clinical term (as 'phobia' suggest), or political? Is Dr Johnson a homophobic because he cures homosexuals? Are his patients also homophobic because they seek a cure? Is this really about homophobia? Or, is it more a matter of: "He who pays the fiddler..."

More questions: Who made homosexuality a 'sacred cow', ie beyond critical analyses? Dr Johnson's Afrikan centred, historical and clinical analysis of 'homosexuality' is critical for Afrikan people in this time and Karibu has no moral or legal right to deny us access to the hear our brother at the centre. The fact that European culture has now redefined homosexuality for its own reasons and in its own interest does not mean that this has in anyway altered or culturally defined moral codes, nor that this is in any way in our interest. Hence they have no right imposing same upon us and we have no business allowing them to do so.

It is important that you understand the full implications of the banning of Dr Johnson, evidently influenced by the Establishment. Dr Johnson is feared for the same reason why so many of our prophets and heroes were feared and assassinated: he speaks truth to power; he exposes and challenges the fundamentals of white supremacy, including their most 'sacred cow'. But, "How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look?" It starts with character assassination and end..., often with our aiding and abetting, only to realise our errors when it's too late.

I have written this as an open letter because I do believe that this is a public matter and that you are accountable primarily to the Afrikan community, who I do believe are the predominant clientele of Karibu.

In context, I am urging you/the board of trustee once again to reconsider your position and to reinstate the booking for the event tomorrow, even so late in the day. I look forward to hearing the good news.

Thank you in anticipation.

TENDAI MWARI

Yours in Faith, Love and Liberation.

Bro Ldr Mbandaka

(Spiritual Leader – Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement)

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OBAMA V. ROMNEY: "MEDICINE AFTER DEATH"

noreply@blogger.com (SENDMEYOURNEWS) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Unlike other immigrants in this country, continental African Diaspora are always making excuses why they can't do this or that, because we hopelessly dream of going back to Africa and making our riches there. While the Asians have taken full advantage of the potential successes of this country, we as Africans don't know where we belong, hanging above the Atlantic Ocean, not being a part of the enormous potential of Africa or that of the United States. We don't participate in any meaningful way in what is happening in this country, whether it is politics, immigration, the economy: the immigration problem is ferociously defended by the Latinos, the economy is dominated by Indians who have invaded and conquered black America without firing a single shot (it is another discussion) and they have conquered the political terrain – their first generation politicians have already climbed to the highest level of politics, becoming right-wings and biting the hands that made it possible for their parents to become Americans – Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. We haven't even been able to elect an city councilperson. Our first success in electoral politics, the Mayor of East Cleveland – Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor – ended in disaster as he is in jail for corruption. Does the fruit ever fall too far from the tree?

"Medicine After Death" is a term we use back home to describe a situation whereby relatives or friends begin sending you urgent messages about the deteriorating health of your father/mother/sister/brother or somebody very close to you. But you continually ignore these appeals because you have more important things to do, like dining at the finest chick restaurants, buying the most expensive cars so that people would think you have arrived or going out to buy one of those $250 Michael Jordan sneakers. Eventually, one day the call comes in the morning: the person you have been warned several times is sick is now dead. You begin to weep crocodile tears and start running around, looking for other people to help you find the money to make arrangements for the burial, that would probably cost from $5,000 to $10,000. But this tragedy could have been avoided if you had sent a $100 or $200 to buy the requisite drugs to care of the sick relative. It is not to say that people don't die, but you could have prevented it if it wasn't the right time for the individual to die, but because of your neglect the individual is dead and you begin to scratch your head and doing a mea culpa of 'if I had known.'

Chika A. Onyeani
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
African Sun Times: www.africansuntimes.com
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Tel.: 973-675-9919
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"It is not what you call me, but what I answer to, that matters most" - Capitalist Nigger: The Road to Success, Onyeani's internationally acclaimed No. 1 bestselling book.

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Your Jobs Went to Prison with 2.3 million Americans

Romney and the NAACP: A Missed Opportunity

Open Letter to Karibu Centre from Bro Ldr Mbandaka - LIFT BAN ON DR UMAR JOHNSON

OBAMA V. ROMNEY: "MEDICINE AFTER DEATH"