Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, December 21, 2009
Review of Mugabe and the "White African"
Mugabe and the “white African”
A shamefully arrogant and racist film
Another example of attempt by Europeans to appropriate an African identify along with the appropriation of land and Resources
Audiences the world over are rushing to see the film, “Mugabe and the White African” about a so called courageous white farmer fighting to hold on to land being seized by the Zimbabwean government. The European film industry is promoting this blasphemous movie as some kind of shining example of Profiles in Courage.
The film claims that it is the seizure of white land that has brought on the economic devastation in the country rather than the European economic Embargo imposed shortly after the land seizure began in an attempt to help white farmers resist surrendering their ill gotten bounty. It is unmistakably the Embargo which has played the most significant role in bringing about the crisis. The Zimbabwean government is obviously not blameless, however, and corruption and other nefarious kinds of patronage are not out of the question. Nevertheless, these issues pale in comparison to the impact of European colonialism and its lingering stranglehold on the entire continent, with its center piece being the control of vast amounts of land. There is no freedom or independence for a people without land, and it is clear that Europeans have never intended for Africans to have either.
Don’t pay money to see this film.
First of all there is no such thing as a “white” African, just as there is no such thing as a white Asian or a black European. If by chance you are granted citizenship from an African country such as Zimbabwe, you then have a right to be called a white Zimbabwean of just a Zimbabwean, regardless of color, but not a white African. You are either African or you are not, and Europeans are not. It doesn’t matter how long you occupy a parcel of land, and how much you have produced on that land, if you are not indigenous to that land, and share an ancestral heritage, it is the height of arrogance and an insult to African People to call yourself a white African. This film in all it melodramatic trappings is just another example of European appropriation of someone else’s identity just as they have appropriated land and other resources to call their own and another indignity on top of the long list of indignities perpetrated upon African people. Even white South Africans do not call themselves a white African. They are recognized as citizens of a particular country in Africa which is South Africa, so they call themselves South Africans or white South Africans, but not white Africans.
The audacity of the filmmakers and the many commentators and critics with the help of their black counterparts who have climbed aboard the bandwagon in an attempt to portray the oppressor as the oppressed and the king of racists as the victim of racism in order to claim their right to a land that was never theirs in the first place. It is not unlike America’s claim to Native American land which they stole and are now called pioneers and recognized for their courage and tenacity in holding on to the land through the genocide of Native peoples.
One should not confuse their feelings about Mugabe and his role in the economic catastrophe of Zimbabwe with a well calculated campaign to draw lines in the sand around who Is the rightful owners of land which was forcefully taken by conquerors and interlopers who have shown a appalling lack of regard for the welfare of African people in amassing wealth and power, but now want to be portrayed as heroes. As Malcolm said, “No More Days Like This”.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
President calls Kanye Jackass, another black man murdered by police
President calls kanye West a Jackass, Another unarmed black man murdered by Police.
It is really amazing that every time a prominent black person does or says something potentially inappropriate or inflammatory the media somehow manages to solicit or capture a comment from the President. Even more amazing is that the president seems to exercise very little restraint in providing cannon fodder for the exploitation of his reactions, especially when it involves the condemnation of black people.
In the case of Kanye West, the President called Kanye a Jackass for his actions at the MTV award ceremonies, These comments were subsequently broadcast on Twitter, an internet social interactive network. Whether the president anticipated exposure of his comments to such an extent is debatable. Nevertheless, the president should certainly understand that with the proliferation of the shadow media like facebook and twitter any recorded comments are fair game for the social networking junkies.
Kanye West’s outburst at the MTV award ceremonies , in wresting the mike from Taylor Swiff while accepting her award, received national attention and almost universal condemnation, and may have been inappropriate but was it necessary for the president to call him a “jackass”, even in a personal interview not scheduled for media distribution. (listen to the president’s comments on a twitter video at http://www.blackamericaweb.com
On the other hand, Congressman’s Wilson’s outburst in calling the President a Liar at his News Conference was handled with kit gloves by the president, even making excuses for the congressman’s behavior. Does this sound like a double standard or is that many of us are still in La La land when it comes to Obama.
On September the 14th another unarmed black man was shot down in a church in Rockford Ill, while little black toddlers in daycare watched. However, this horrendous incident, which jeopardized the safety of young black babies and was a gross violation of the victim’s civil and human rights elicited very little comment from the media and not as much as a whimper from the president.
It is not uncharacteristic of President Obama not to comment on incidents, no matter how, egregious or outrageous the injustice when it involves African people, with the exception of the Gates affair, when the president retracted and apologized for calling the Police stupid for arresting Gates inside his own home as an intruder. In the past, the president has remained conspicuously silent on the shootings by police of Jean Bell an unarmed black man in New York City 50 times or Oscar Grant , another unarmed black man in Oakland California, shot in the back. In contrast he was very vocal in his condemnation of the Reverend Wright and his categorical rejection of Minister Louis Farrakhan’s support in very unflattering language, during the presidential campaign.
On a slightly different note, in a recent conversation I had with a brother, he admitted that he was glad that Obama was not dealing with any “racial issues” at this time because there were more important issues at hand that affected all people, such as Health Care and that “racial issues” were polarizing, that is they tend to divide people apart rather than bring them together. How can you talk about health care I wondered without talking about the disparities in delivery and treatment when it comes to African people. I think that everyone realizes that "racial issues" are always going to be polarizing in America, but is that a good reason for avoiding them, and leaving African people to suffer the slings and arrows of our misfortunes, in a racist society.
What struck me as very disconcerting and saddened me greatly about the brother’s comments was his willingness, which seems to exist among many black people, to subordinate our agenda, regardless of urgency to the national agenda of the Democratic party or a Democratic President. Granted, there are a number of concerns, in fact,, such as Health Care that may be very important to us, as they are to everyone, but if they do not address the great disparities for which African people endure, then, it seems to me , we gain very little by their implementation.
The question is, of course, has this policy served us well. As the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Personally, I don’t see a lot of proof, in fact I am still looking for the pudding; how about you out there in La La land.
It is really amazing that every time a prominent black person does or says something potentially inappropriate or inflammatory the media somehow manages to solicit or capture a comment from the President. Even more amazing is that the president seems to exercise very little restraint in providing cannon fodder for the exploitation of his reactions, especially when it involves the condemnation of black people.
In the case of Kanye West, the President called Kanye a Jackass for his actions at the MTV award ceremonies, These comments were subsequently broadcast on Twitter, an internet social interactive network. Whether the president anticipated exposure of his comments to such an extent is debatable. Nevertheless, the president should certainly understand that with the proliferation of the shadow media like facebook and twitter any recorded comments are fair game for the social networking junkies.
Kanye West’s outburst at the MTV award ceremonies , in wresting the mike from Taylor Swiff while accepting her award, received national attention and almost universal condemnation, and may have been inappropriate but was it necessary for the president to call him a “jackass”, even in a personal interview not scheduled for media distribution. (listen to the president’s comments on a twitter video at http://www.blackamericaweb.com
On the other hand, Congressman’s Wilson’s outburst in calling the President a Liar at his News Conference was handled with kit gloves by the president, even making excuses for the congressman’s behavior. Does this sound like a double standard or is that many of us are still in La La land when it comes to Obama.
On September the 14th another unarmed black man was shot down in a church in Rockford Ill, while little black toddlers in daycare watched. However, this horrendous incident, which jeopardized the safety of young black babies and was a gross violation of the victim’s civil and human rights elicited very little comment from the media and not as much as a whimper from the president.
It is not uncharacteristic of President Obama not to comment on incidents, no matter how, egregious or outrageous the injustice when it involves African people, with the exception of the Gates affair, when the president retracted and apologized for calling the Police stupid for arresting Gates inside his own home as an intruder. In the past, the president has remained conspicuously silent on the shootings by police of Jean Bell an unarmed black man in New York City 50 times or Oscar Grant , another unarmed black man in Oakland California, shot in the back. In contrast he was very vocal in his condemnation of the Reverend Wright and his categorical rejection of Minister Louis Farrakhan’s support in very unflattering language, during the presidential campaign.
On a slightly different note, in a recent conversation I had with a brother, he admitted that he was glad that Obama was not dealing with any “racial issues” at this time because there were more important issues at hand that affected all people, such as Health Care and that “racial issues” were polarizing, that is they tend to divide people apart rather than bring them together. How can you talk about health care I wondered without talking about the disparities in delivery and treatment when it comes to African people. I think that everyone realizes that "racial issues" are always going to be polarizing in America, but is that a good reason for avoiding them, and leaving African people to suffer the slings and arrows of our misfortunes, in a racist society.
What struck me as very disconcerting and saddened me greatly about the brother’s comments was his willingness, which seems to exist among many black people, to subordinate our agenda, regardless of urgency to the national agenda of the Democratic party or a Democratic President. Granted, there are a number of concerns, in fact,, such as Health Care that may be very important to us, as they are to everyone, but if they do not address the great disparities for which African people endure, then, it seems to me , we gain very little by their implementation.
The question is, of course, has this policy served us well. As the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Personally, I don’t see a lot of proof, in fact I am still looking for the pudding; how about you out there in La La land.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
The Obama Dilemma, the Illusion of change, and the Myth of a "Post Racial Society"
Now that the smoke has cleared and the lofty expectations and novelty of the first black President has worn thin, a more critical assessment of Barack Obama has taken shape among his supporters and critics alike. The president’s enthusiastic and idealistic supporters who spearheaded a revival of hope with the promise of pumping new life into the struggle for fundamental change and visions for a “Post Racial Society,” are now having to preside over a funeral instead, The Eulogy includes a laundry list of betrayals and mourning the loss of trust and transparency; now all that remains is the benediction.
The President is now preparing yet another speech, one of about 18 others on the subject of Health Care Reform. Unless the sun fails to rise and sky falls from above, it promises to be just as hollow as the rest of his speeches, which have offered very little to rescue African people and workers from the economic quagmire in which so many are entangled; and there is no reason to believe his prescriptions for Health Care Reform will be any different. This latest speech will likely be ultimately characterized as too little too late.
In Obama’s address to both house of Congress, it will be interesting to note what other compromises he concocts with the so called “blue dog” or conservative democrats and republicans in support of some sort of Health Care proposal, which likely will have neither substance nor significance for the millions who lack access to quality and affordable health care, regardless of his claims to the contrary
We are able to shed more light on the Presidents dilemma with his critics and supporters alike by looking at the hole in which he has dug for himself since taking office.
Among his most recent and vocal critics is a tapestry of dissenters, including some in the president’s own backyard; who are newly elected democrats who benefited from an anti-Bush backlash, but not necessarily a pro Obama, Tidle wave. It also includes a number of self styled progressives who supported the President’s candidacy and shared some of his campaign goals and objectives but remained highly skeptical of his ideological position, as the lesser of two evils.
Another group of critics, who have climbed aboard the bandwagon, are a motley group of Republicans and conservative diehards, who have tried to conceal their profound disappointment at the rejection of their conservative ideals at the polls, and who are referred to as “sore losers”, like John McCain, the other contender for the oval office.
Finally, among the President’s most vociferous and angry dissenters are a very destructive group of “haters” who temporarily repressed their seething resentment of a black man in the white house, for the lack of a venue in which to do so, legitimately; so in alliance with other critics and dissenters of the President they have used the Town Hall meetings to unleash their frustration and vent their anger, without having to account for their racist sentiments, under the cover of a “Post Racial Society”.
The President’s vacillation on a number of issues and his failure to follow through on a host of campaign promises has alienated some of his most ardent and loyal supporters. The time table of his campaign rhetoric for bringing about any kind of fundamental change expired, shortly after his inauguration, using his own barometer. By sending a mixed message about his position on Health Care Reform and the role of the Insurance industry, and not respecting the voice of single payer advocates, he has created a bridge between himself and many of his political allies, to the extent he is no longer able to command or galvanize those forces to rescue him from the abyss in which he finds himself, and no speech on “Heath Care Reform” at this point is likely to heal those wounds.
Obama’s failure to consolidate his political base has opened the flood gates to attacks by some of his most virulent critics and allowed the most entrenched and reactionary opposition to regain a foothold in American politics; despite the fact that most of the policies the opposition purports to reject have been substantially moderated or eviscerated. For example, the Public Option feature of the Health Care Reform proposals, now fighting for its life, has already been scaled down from enrolling 130,000,000 Americans to accommodating lees than 10,000,000, and the president is now entertaining the notion of some kind of co-op to soften Republican opposition. We will see what kind of Hybrid emerges from his most recent proposals.
The President’s flip flopping has provided cannon fodder for those who had lost a commanding voice in Public affairs after a resounding defeat in last November’s election, and these are not likely to subside with another one of his infamous speeches. The President is largely responsible for reenergizing these reactionaries, racists and not so happy campers of the right wing and their allies in the media, who have seized the opportunity to seduce their audience with sensationalism, and inject their two cents worth in the service of their ruling class benefactors.
Dick Cheney, the former vice president, an embattled conservative and an immensely unpopular figure, has appeared on the news and talk shows almost as often as the president, supporting the most horrendous torture of so called enemy combatants, a considerable number of which have been denied a hearing or trial or have been proven innocent.
In the past few months the media has devoted an inordinate amount of prime time to the coverage of a bunch of screaming and foul mouthed rebel rousers at the so called Town Hall meetings designed to ostensibly discuss the merits of Obama “Health Care Reform” proposals. Instead these meetings have provided a platform for the racists, and conservative die hards and reactionaries who have found a venue to express their views and rekindle support of a right wing agenda. They have used the meetings to discredit any movement toward change, under the pretext of opposition to the cost of Obama’s Health Care Reform Proposals, and have acted as obstructionists for any sane and civil discussion of the Health Care Delivery System in the United States and how to best guarantee universal coverage and quality care for all.
Although in reality no one knew at that time what was actually being proposed in the Health Care legislation in the first place, including members of congress, the unruly mobs made it up as they went along, with the media exploiting the sensationalism for the consumption of a gullible viewing audience.
Not anywhere in the media did we hear a denouncement of the savage and tyrannical tactics used by the almost exclusively white audience, tactics that would have likely brought down the wrath of the media establishment and Obama himself if it had come from the left of the political spectrum or involved black people or other progressive grassroots organizations. Unfortunately, most of the participants in this charade could have probably benefited from the most comprehensive Health Care plan one could envision, but instead fail victim to a Ruling class strategy in sabotaging their own best interest.
The irony of all the drama is that none if any of these no nothing, contemptuous rabble rousers could explain in any detail what they were actually fighting for; consequently we have to consider what they were fighting against and the only conclusion one can draw is that they were fighting against Obama himself, using the Health Care debate as a pretext. This forum of Town hall meetings provided a cover for racists and others to express their resentment of Obama without being exposed for the racists they really are thanks to the Myth of a “Post Racial Society.”
What is the greatest of all ironies however is that Obama was never a threat to these hoodlums or to any of his more sophisticated critics who might have harbored white supremacist tendencies. The resurrection of this mummified crew of the walking dead was a monster of his own creation.
Obama in his campaign and after his election devoted a lot of energy in trying to placate potential opponents and prevent the emergence of fears and discomfort at having a black face in the White House. Obama was obliged to reject his long time mentor and confidant, the Reverend Wright in strong and inflammatory language and categorically repudiate the support of Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. He was careful not to be seen at black churches or other black fraternal organizations until after his nomination and refused to speak out on the most egregious violations of Human rights of African people, like the shooting of Sean Bell by the New York Police in Queens, 50 times, shortly after his wedding. By ignoring this incident and others like it, and disassociating himself with any manifestation of militancy among blacks, Obama paved the way for the creation of the illusion of a Post Racial Society to allay the fears of a potential white constituency, who might harbor serious reservations about his loyalties, and whose votes were crucial to his election.
In his haste to accommodate his opposition and build a legacy as the great arbiter of the racial divide and partisan politics by courting the favor of the ruling class, and undercover racists, Obama forfeited his claim as an agent of fundamental change, and a champion of equality. Whatever finally emerges from the “Health Care Reform” debate or what happens with the future of the economy is academic. Obama has already left his indelible footprints in the annals of history. The dimentions of these footprints match perfectly with those of the Bankers and the imperialist oligarchy of the world, and they are branded on the backs of Africans, workers and the poor.
Failing in his mission to promote the Myth of a “Post Racial Society and the illusion of fundamental change, Obama is left to stew in his own dilemma which will likely follow him to the end of his term. He is slowly digging his own grave and when the hole is big enough, he will fall in it.
The President is now preparing yet another speech, one of about 18 others on the subject of Health Care Reform. Unless the sun fails to rise and sky falls from above, it promises to be just as hollow as the rest of his speeches, which have offered very little to rescue African people and workers from the economic quagmire in which so many are entangled; and there is no reason to believe his prescriptions for Health Care Reform will be any different. This latest speech will likely be ultimately characterized as too little too late.
In Obama’s address to both house of Congress, it will be interesting to note what other compromises he concocts with the so called “blue dog” or conservative democrats and republicans in support of some sort of Health Care proposal, which likely will have neither substance nor significance for the millions who lack access to quality and affordable health care, regardless of his claims to the contrary
We are able to shed more light on the Presidents dilemma with his critics and supporters alike by looking at the hole in which he has dug for himself since taking office.
Among his most recent and vocal critics is a tapestry of dissenters, including some in the president’s own backyard; who are newly elected democrats who benefited from an anti-Bush backlash, but not necessarily a pro Obama, Tidle wave. It also includes a number of self styled progressives who supported the President’s candidacy and shared some of his campaign goals and objectives but remained highly skeptical of his ideological position, as the lesser of two evils.
Another group of critics, who have climbed aboard the bandwagon, are a motley group of Republicans and conservative diehards, who have tried to conceal their profound disappointment at the rejection of their conservative ideals at the polls, and who are referred to as “sore losers”, like John McCain, the other contender for the oval office.
Finally, among the President’s most vociferous and angry dissenters are a very destructive group of “haters” who temporarily repressed their seething resentment of a black man in the white house, for the lack of a venue in which to do so, legitimately; so in alliance with other critics and dissenters of the President they have used the Town Hall meetings to unleash their frustration and vent their anger, without having to account for their racist sentiments, under the cover of a “Post Racial Society”.
The President’s vacillation on a number of issues and his failure to follow through on a host of campaign promises has alienated some of his most ardent and loyal supporters. The time table of his campaign rhetoric for bringing about any kind of fundamental change expired, shortly after his inauguration, using his own barometer. By sending a mixed message about his position on Health Care Reform and the role of the Insurance industry, and not respecting the voice of single payer advocates, he has created a bridge between himself and many of his political allies, to the extent he is no longer able to command or galvanize those forces to rescue him from the abyss in which he finds himself, and no speech on “Heath Care Reform” at this point is likely to heal those wounds.
Obama’s failure to consolidate his political base has opened the flood gates to attacks by some of his most virulent critics and allowed the most entrenched and reactionary opposition to regain a foothold in American politics; despite the fact that most of the policies the opposition purports to reject have been substantially moderated or eviscerated. For example, the Public Option feature of the Health Care Reform proposals, now fighting for its life, has already been scaled down from enrolling 130,000,000 Americans to accommodating lees than 10,000,000, and the president is now entertaining the notion of some kind of co-op to soften Republican opposition. We will see what kind of Hybrid emerges from his most recent proposals.
The President’s flip flopping has provided cannon fodder for those who had lost a commanding voice in Public affairs after a resounding defeat in last November’s election, and these are not likely to subside with another one of his infamous speeches. The President is largely responsible for reenergizing these reactionaries, racists and not so happy campers of the right wing and their allies in the media, who have seized the opportunity to seduce their audience with sensationalism, and inject their two cents worth in the service of their ruling class benefactors.
Dick Cheney, the former vice president, an embattled conservative and an immensely unpopular figure, has appeared on the news and talk shows almost as often as the president, supporting the most horrendous torture of so called enemy combatants, a considerable number of which have been denied a hearing or trial or have been proven innocent.
In the past few months the media has devoted an inordinate amount of prime time to the coverage of a bunch of screaming and foul mouthed rebel rousers at the so called Town Hall meetings designed to ostensibly discuss the merits of Obama “Health Care Reform” proposals. Instead these meetings have provided a platform for the racists, and conservative die hards and reactionaries who have found a venue to express their views and rekindle support of a right wing agenda. They have used the meetings to discredit any movement toward change, under the pretext of opposition to the cost of Obama’s Health Care Reform Proposals, and have acted as obstructionists for any sane and civil discussion of the Health Care Delivery System in the United States and how to best guarantee universal coverage and quality care for all.
Although in reality no one knew at that time what was actually being proposed in the Health Care legislation in the first place, including members of congress, the unruly mobs made it up as they went along, with the media exploiting the sensationalism for the consumption of a gullible viewing audience.
Not anywhere in the media did we hear a denouncement of the savage and tyrannical tactics used by the almost exclusively white audience, tactics that would have likely brought down the wrath of the media establishment and Obama himself if it had come from the left of the political spectrum or involved black people or other progressive grassroots organizations. Unfortunately, most of the participants in this charade could have probably benefited from the most comprehensive Health Care plan one could envision, but instead fail victim to a Ruling class strategy in sabotaging their own best interest.
The irony of all the drama is that none if any of these no nothing, contemptuous rabble rousers could explain in any detail what they were actually fighting for; consequently we have to consider what they were fighting against and the only conclusion one can draw is that they were fighting against Obama himself, using the Health Care debate as a pretext. This forum of Town hall meetings provided a cover for racists and others to express their resentment of Obama without being exposed for the racists they really are thanks to the Myth of a “Post Racial Society.”
What is the greatest of all ironies however is that Obama was never a threat to these hoodlums or to any of his more sophisticated critics who might have harbored white supremacist tendencies. The resurrection of this mummified crew of the walking dead was a monster of his own creation.
Obama in his campaign and after his election devoted a lot of energy in trying to placate potential opponents and prevent the emergence of fears and discomfort at having a black face in the White House. Obama was obliged to reject his long time mentor and confidant, the Reverend Wright in strong and inflammatory language and categorically repudiate the support of Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. He was careful not to be seen at black churches or other black fraternal organizations until after his nomination and refused to speak out on the most egregious violations of Human rights of African people, like the shooting of Sean Bell by the New York Police in Queens, 50 times, shortly after his wedding. By ignoring this incident and others like it, and disassociating himself with any manifestation of militancy among blacks, Obama paved the way for the creation of the illusion of a Post Racial Society to allay the fears of a potential white constituency, who might harbor serious reservations about his loyalties, and whose votes were crucial to his election.
In his haste to accommodate his opposition and build a legacy as the great arbiter of the racial divide and partisan politics by courting the favor of the ruling class, and undercover racists, Obama forfeited his claim as an agent of fundamental change, and a champion of equality. Whatever finally emerges from the “Health Care Reform” debate or what happens with the future of the economy is academic. Obama has already left his indelible footprints in the annals of history. The dimentions of these footprints match perfectly with those of the Bankers and the imperialist oligarchy of the world, and they are branded on the backs of Africans, workers and the poor.
Failing in his mission to promote the Myth of a “Post Racial Society and the illusion of fundamental change, Obama is left to stew in his own dilemma which will likely follow him to the end of his term. He is slowly digging his own grave and when the hole is big enough, he will fall in it.
"Health Care Reform", a letter to a comrade
By Hamadi Walls
At Town Hall meetings across the country democrats are reeling from a concerted, well organized and increasingly militant attack by republican partisans and other right wing malcontents who are targeting the Obama Administration’s so called “Health Care Reform” legislation pending before Congress. These Town Hall meeting were Initially organized by the democrats to help push their version of a Health Care plan though Congress, but were hijacked by republicans who encouraged right wing extremists to sabotage those efforts. The Obama administration is now calling for their supporters who originally included single payer health insurance advocates, who they marginalized and excluded from the Health Care Reform debate,.to come to their defense in combating this latest opposition to their legislative agenda on Health Care Reform.
In this context, I wrote a letter to Glen Ford, Executive Director, of The Black Agenda Report, a very progressive internet magazine. Mr. Ford has aggressively taken Obama and his administration to task for their broken promises, distortions and misrepresentations since the election last Fall. This letter is in response to an interview on KPFA on friday, August 7 , in which Glen Ford commented on the situation now facing Obama and his “Health Care Reform” initiatives.
The letter reads as follows:
I listened to you this afternoon on KPFA, listener supported radio in Oakland California and I must say I was a bit surprised and somewhat disappointed at your narrow interpretation of the events surrounding the behavior of Republican supporters and an assortment of hooligans and anarchists who have besieged the so called, “Town Hall Meetings” and exploited the media‘s unquenchable taste for sensationalism. While I heard your critique of the Republican Party and its reactionary history in support of right wing extremists and white supremacist, I did not hear a critique of the Democratic Party which shares a common history and ultimately a common bond with these obstructionists, as part of the oppressive arm of imperialism. While the democrat’s complicity is not as clear in this particular instance, they should not be allowed to escape scrutiny for their role in formulating a flawed strategic plan on Health Care Reform in the first place.
I believe that our critique of bourgeois Democratic politics, under whatever circumstances must always include a critique of the major players who make up the heartbeat of an oppressive and reactionary social and political system, and that includes both democrats and republicans, or any other formation which operates under the umbrella of finance capital, period.
Some on the left or so called “progressives” are acting as if they have some sort of obligation to come to the aid of the Obama administration in their attempt to salvage the ill conceived and aberrant “Health Care reform” legislation that restricts coverage, rather than extends it, and further subsidizes the Insurance industry, despite the democrats proclamations to the contrary. By taking this position. progressives are in danger of abrogating their responsibility to speak out on the need to push for true Health Care reform legislation, like a single payer system. This is not to say we should not oppose those who want no plan at all, and leave the Health Care of the American people to the shenanigans of Private Insurers. However, if the right kind of plan does not emerge, it might be just as well that we have no plan at all, and come back to fight another day.
If we allow the public to view our response to these incendiary tactics by a group of goons, and misguided rebel rousers as supporting Obama and his administration’s Health care legislation, then we may have set back the cause of real and meaningful Health care reform for many decades. Our response to the mobs that have hijacked these meetings must include our own Health Reform agenda and not a submission to the agenda of the Obama administration. We can’t let these events obscure what the real debate around health care reform is all about , and that is a fully funded affordable health care system for every American, universal coverage for all medical conditions, and the access to the most technologically advanced and life saving procedures availabable, and unfettered protection against abuse, through a single payer system. Our support or accommodation of anything less is a total negation of our responsibility as a progressive and revolutionary alternative to the status quo
I was also disappointed that you did not mention the hypocrisy of the Obama Administration in their present attitude toward the insurance industry as the villain in the Health care debate, when they so assiduously courted the favor of the industry and succumbed too many of its demands in writing the present version of the Health care reform legislation, like scaling back the public option from 130 million Americans to less than 10 million. I am convinced that our opposition to the Obama plan and the obstructionists is a very important position for the political left to undertake and for the public to understand , if we are to command any kind of legitimacy among those whose support and solidarity we seek. However, I did not hear anything on this broadcast from the so called left or “progressives” forces that injected this crucial perspective into the conversation.
Again, why should we come to the aid of the Obama administration now that they need us, when they have rejected and excluded single payer advocates from the Health Reform debate from the very start?
Just as with the election of Obama, black people and others appear to be prepared to place our own agenda on hold to support someone who has never really championed the causes for which we portend to espouse, and which are in our best interest. It also seems we are poised once again to take the position of supporting the lesser of two evils, a bankrupt strategy which has retarded the growth, influence and advancement of a truly progressive agenda for fundamental change for a very long time. Instead of acting as if the Obama administration are victims in this debacle, we should seize the opportunity to expose the system for what it is, and rekindle our efforts to push for a single payer Health care solution.
We must remain clear and focused. I am a frequent visitor to your website and a strong supporter of the fresh perspectives from many of my comrades of a “progressive “or political left persuasion. I have been greatly inspired by your commentary. I consider your site as a beacon of hope for those who are about fundamental change and unwilling to compromise the ideas and values which represent that change. I call upon you to be resolute and not deviate from what you know is the truth and not submit to expediency or opportunism, which I have faith you will not.
Peace
In solidarity
Your brother
hamadi
You can access the Black Agenda Report Website, by placing the address
http://www.blackagendareport.com,
In your browser.
At Town Hall meetings across the country democrats are reeling from a concerted, well organized and increasingly militant attack by republican partisans and other right wing malcontents who are targeting the Obama Administration’s so called “Health Care Reform” legislation pending before Congress. These Town Hall meeting were Initially organized by the democrats to help push their version of a Health Care plan though Congress, but were hijacked by republicans who encouraged right wing extremists to sabotage those efforts. The Obama administration is now calling for their supporters who originally included single payer health insurance advocates, who they marginalized and excluded from the Health Care Reform debate,.to come to their defense in combating this latest opposition to their legislative agenda on Health Care Reform.
In this context, I wrote a letter to Glen Ford, Executive Director, of The Black Agenda Report, a very progressive internet magazine. Mr. Ford has aggressively taken Obama and his administration to task for their broken promises, distortions and misrepresentations since the election last Fall. This letter is in response to an interview on KPFA on friday, August 7 , in which Glen Ford commented on the situation now facing Obama and his “Health Care Reform” initiatives.
The letter reads as follows:
I listened to you this afternoon on KPFA, listener supported radio in Oakland California and I must say I was a bit surprised and somewhat disappointed at your narrow interpretation of the events surrounding the behavior of Republican supporters and an assortment of hooligans and anarchists who have besieged the so called, “Town Hall Meetings” and exploited the media‘s unquenchable taste for sensationalism. While I heard your critique of the Republican Party and its reactionary history in support of right wing extremists and white supremacist, I did not hear a critique of the Democratic Party which shares a common history and ultimately a common bond with these obstructionists, as part of the oppressive arm of imperialism. While the democrat’s complicity is not as clear in this particular instance, they should not be allowed to escape scrutiny for their role in formulating a flawed strategic plan on Health Care Reform in the first place.
I believe that our critique of bourgeois Democratic politics, under whatever circumstances must always include a critique of the major players who make up the heartbeat of an oppressive and reactionary social and political system, and that includes both democrats and republicans, or any other formation which operates under the umbrella of finance capital, period.
Some on the left or so called “progressives” are acting as if they have some sort of obligation to come to the aid of the Obama administration in their attempt to salvage the ill conceived and aberrant “Health Care reform” legislation that restricts coverage, rather than extends it, and further subsidizes the Insurance industry, despite the democrats proclamations to the contrary. By taking this position. progressives are in danger of abrogating their responsibility to speak out on the need to push for true Health Care reform legislation, like a single payer system. This is not to say we should not oppose those who want no plan at all, and leave the Health Care of the American people to the shenanigans of Private Insurers. However, if the right kind of plan does not emerge, it might be just as well that we have no plan at all, and come back to fight another day.
If we allow the public to view our response to these incendiary tactics by a group of goons, and misguided rebel rousers as supporting Obama and his administration’s Health care legislation, then we may have set back the cause of real and meaningful Health care reform for many decades. Our response to the mobs that have hijacked these meetings must include our own Health Reform agenda and not a submission to the agenda of the Obama administration. We can’t let these events obscure what the real debate around health care reform is all about , and that is a fully funded affordable health care system for every American, universal coverage for all medical conditions, and the access to the most technologically advanced and life saving procedures availabable, and unfettered protection against abuse, through a single payer system. Our support or accommodation of anything less is a total negation of our responsibility as a progressive and revolutionary alternative to the status quo
I was also disappointed that you did not mention the hypocrisy of the Obama Administration in their present attitude toward the insurance industry as the villain in the Health care debate, when they so assiduously courted the favor of the industry and succumbed too many of its demands in writing the present version of the Health care reform legislation, like scaling back the public option from 130 million Americans to less than 10 million. I am convinced that our opposition to the Obama plan and the obstructionists is a very important position for the political left to undertake and for the public to understand , if we are to command any kind of legitimacy among those whose support and solidarity we seek. However, I did not hear anything on this broadcast from the so called left or “progressives” forces that injected this crucial perspective into the conversation.
Again, why should we come to the aid of the Obama administration now that they need us, when they have rejected and excluded single payer advocates from the Health Reform debate from the very start?
Just as with the election of Obama, black people and others appear to be prepared to place our own agenda on hold to support someone who has never really championed the causes for which we portend to espouse, and which are in our best interest. It also seems we are poised once again to take the position of supporting the lesser of two evils, a bankrupt strategy which has retarded the growth, influence and advancement of a truly progressive agenda for fundamental change for a very long time. Instead of acting as if the Obama administration are victims in this debacle, we should seize the opportunity to expose the system for what it is, and rekindle our efforts to push for a single payer Health care solution.
We must remain clear and focused. I am a frequent visitor to your website and a strong supporter of the fresh perspectives from many of my comrades of a “progressive “or political left persuasion. I have been greatly inspired by your commentary. I consider your site as a beacon of hope for those who are about fundamental change and unwilling to compromise the ideas and values which represent that change. I call upon you to be resolute and not deviate from what you know is the truth and not submit to expediency or opportunism, which I have faith you will not.
Peace
In solidarity
Your brother
hamadi
You can access the Black Agenda Report Website, by placing the address
http://www.blackagendareport.com,
In your browser.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy Falters in Supreme Court
Gays in the military
Obama administration deserts cause
The Obama administration erected yet another tombstone in the burial ground of broken promises as it dispatched its legal vanguard to the Supreme Court to argue for a dismissal of a challenge to the “Don't Ask Don’t tell “ policy of the U.S Armed Forces. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy has been around for the past 10 years or so, and is the brain child of the Clinton Administration. Upon its inauguration, it was proclaimed by policy makers as a milestone in reforming the policies of the military toward gays and lesbians. Critics insisted, however, it was just another indulgence in tokenism and one more roadblock to homosexuals serving openly in the military.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy”, as did its predecessors, sets the standard of behavior for gays and lesbians in the military, which has resulted in number of dishonorable discharges, for those who object to its enforcement. More than 230 service members have been kicked out of the military under the policy since Obama took office, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Fund. The present policy is not much different from the old policy, except it prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of a recruit. Conversely, it prohibits any member of the Armed forces from revealing in any manner through innuendo or behavior his or her sexual orientation, thus, Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. In affirming the policy, the administration cited an almost universally discredited argument, an argument Obama had once refuted himself, that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military would undermine the morale of the troops.
For years, gay people in the military served inconspicuously, but with distinction under an ominous cloud of fear and intimidation. The military was known to employ various clandestine methods, including surveillance and entrapment in its witch hunting inquisitions to weed out any manifestation of homosexuality or inclinations.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” Policy was initially conceived as a compromise during the reign of Bill Clinton, designed to appease those on both sides of the issue. Under pressure from the military brass, Clinton backed away from his original stated objective to permit gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, although some dispute this commitment. More radical elements of the gay rights movement were outraged, while others acquiesced rather than rethink their loyalty to the Democratic Party.
Obama, like Clinton had promised during his campaign to support equality for homosexuals in the U.S Armed Forces and indicated he would seek to reverse the “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” policy of the Clinton Administration. Obama’s recent actions however, along with prolonging the agony of its proponents, relegates the issue of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military to an early grave, and diminishes the possibility of its resurrection.
Amazingly, Same Gender loving individuals, or SGLs just like a majority of the American public, are yet to demonstrate any proclivity for protecting their own self interest from the evolving antagonism of their president. Obama’s increasingly one sided policy of pacification of the Banking and Industrial classes as opposed to looking after the well being of working people are becoming legendary, in just a little over 100 days in office. Insofar as the American public is concerned, one cannot help but wonder and even agonize over what it will take to awaken the sleeping giant.
Obama administration deserts cause
The Obama administration erected yet another tombstone in the burial ground of broken promises as it dispatched its legal vanguard to the Supreme Court to argue for a dismissal of a challenge to the “Don't Ask Don’t tell “ policy of the U.S Armed Forces. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy has been around for the past 10 years or so, and is the brain child of the Clinton Administration. Upon its inauguration, it was proclaimed by policy makers as a milestone in reforming the policies of the military toward gays and lesbians. Critics insisted, however, it was just another indulgence in tokenism and one more roadblock to homosexuals serving openly in the military.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy”, as did its predecessors, sets the standard of behavior for gays and lesbians in the military, which has resulted in number of dishonorable discharges, for those who object to its enforcement. More than 230 service members have been kicked out of the military under the policy since Obama took office, according to the Service Members Legal Defense Fund. The present policy is not much different from the old policy, except it prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of a recruit. Conversely, it prohibits any member of the Armed forces from revealing in any manner through innuendo or behavior his or her sexual orientation, thus, Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. In affirming the policy, the administration cited an almost universally discredited argument, an argument Obama had once refuted himself, that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military would undermine the morale of the troops.
For years, gay people in the military served inconspicuously, but with distinction under an ominous cloud of fear and intimidation. The military was known to employ various clandestine methods, including surveillance and entrapment in its witch hunting inquisitions to weed out any manifestation of homosexuality or inclinations.
The “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” Policy was initially conceived as a compromise during the reign of Bill Clinton, designed to appease those on both sides of the issue. Under pressure from the military brass, Clinton backed away from his original stated objective to permit gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, although some dispute this commitment. More radical elements of the gay rights movement were outraged, while others acquiesced rather than rethink their loyalty to the Democratic Party.
Obama, like Clinton had promised during his campaign to support equality for homosexuals in the U.S Armed Forces and indicated he would seek to reverse the “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell” policy of the Clinton Administration. Obama’s recent actions however, along with prolonging the agony of its proponents, relegates the issue of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military to an early grave, and diminishes the possibility of its resurrection.
Amazingly, Same Gender loving individuals, or SGLs just like a majority of the American public, are yet to demonstrate any proclivity for protecting their own self interest from the evolving antagonism of their president. Obama’s increasingly one sided policy of pacification of the Banking and Industrial classes as opposed to looking after the well being of working people are becoming legendary, in just a little over 100 days in office. Insofar as the American public is concerned, one cannot help but wonder and even agonize over what it will take to awaken the sleeping giant.
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