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Let’s Have a Real Protest, Not a Democratic Pep Rally, on October 2nd

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by BAR executive editor Glen Ford

A Washington rally for jobs, justice and peace that makes no specific demands on President Obama would amount to a capitulation to the status quo on all counts.” The October 2 “One Nation” rally, initiated by the NAACP and organized labor, is a huge work in progress, drawing numbers from “nearly the entire spectrum of labor, social justice and peace formations in the United States.” Some will come to protest massive unemployment, war, bailouts and other injustices, and call out the perpetrators by name. Others want only to join in a campaign rally for Democrats.

Let’s Have a Real Protest, Not a Democratic Pep Rally, on October 2nd

by BAR executive editor Glen Ford

The character and importance of the ‘One Nation’ rally will be determined by the demands that are made on Power, most especially on the White House.”

The October 2 rally in Washington to demand jobs and “stop moving money out of education and into wars and prisons," in the words of NAACP president Ben Jealous, promises to be huge. SEIU Local 1199, a co-initiator of the event along with the NAACP, has booked 500 busses from New York City, alone, and thousands more will be rolling into the nation’s capital from around the country. Participating organizations include nearly the entire spectrum of labor, social justice and peace formations in the United States.

But big does not necessarily mean historic, or even useful. The character and importance of the “One Nation” rally will be determined by the demands that are made on Power, most especially on the White House, where one man wields the power of an entire branch of government, is the leader of the majority party in both Houses of Congress, and commands national and global attention by virtue of the presidential “bully pulpit.” A Washington rally for jobs, justice and peace that makes no specific demands on President Obama would amount to a capitulation to the status quo on all counts, no matter if half a million attended. And if the event is allowed to become wholly a pep rally for Obama and Democrats, then that will tell the world that real movements for laboring people, social justice and peace do not currently exist in the United States – just a bunch of Democratic Party groupies with delusions of relevance to the burning issues of the day.

Tremendous pressures that have been brought to bear by the administration to avoid embarrassing the president and his party on the eve of congressional elections.”

That’s why, mindful of the tremendous pressures that have been brought to bear by the administration to avoid embarrassing the president and his party on the eve of congressional elections, strong majorities of the United National Anti-War Conference (UNAC), held in Albany, New York, in late July, endorsed a series of demands to be put forward at the October 2 rally, and beyond. These demands will be reflected in the placards carried by thousands of demonstrators concentrated in the UNAC contingent at the “One Nation” rally:

* $Trillions for jobs and education, not wars and bank bailouts.

* Bring the troops, mercenaries and war dollars home from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, now!

* Stop government attacks on unions, Muslims, immigrants and people of color. Civil liberties for all.

* End U.S aid to Israel. Billions for jobs, not occupation. End the siege of Gaza. Free Palestine!

The Black is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations is in agreement with the four demands, and will rally alongside the UNAC contingent on the Washington Mall. Black is Back will also demand an end to the ongoing wars waged against Black people here at home, through mass Black incarceration, police terror and constant economic aggression against Black communities.

Any peace movement worthy of the name must demand withdrawal NOW.”

There is no point in going to a demonstration for jobs, social justice and peace if you are not going to make substantive demands. It is the Obama administration that is waging wars of aggression in Asia and Africa; the Congress – including, most of the time, most Democrats –funds these wars. President Obama always claims to be in the process of ending his wars, even as he escalates, just as did George Bush. Any peace movement worthy of the name must demand withdrawal NOW.

The NAACP and labor say they want to see money moved “from war to jobs and education.” That’s what we used to call a “peace dividend.” But there is no hint of peace in Obama’s rhetoric of open-ended warfare to infinity, and no evidence of any military scale-back that could yield a peace dividend. The dividend can only come with the end of imperial warfare.

By far the biggest share of the bank bailouts that ultimately netted Wall Street $12 to $14 trillion of the people’s money were finagled by the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury, both directly or indirectly accountable to Barack Obama. If you have any complaints about the bailouts, lay them at Obama’s doorstep, where they belong. Demand he stop the wealth transfers to Wall Street, NOW!

If you have any complaints about the bailouts, lay them at Obama’s doorstep, where they belong.”

It is the government under President Obama that entraps and frames Muslims (largely African Americans) on terror charges, harries and deports more undocumented immigrants than did the Bush regime, fails to defend working people’s rights to organize, and maintains what is arguably the most thoroughly racist criminal justice system on the face of the planet. Obama is the executive in charge. Demand in plain language that he use all his powers to end the injustices.

The plank on Israel was the most hotly contested of the Albany conference, and caused a small minority of attendees and participating organizations to leave the United National Anti-War Committee. Too damn bad. It is long past time that the American anti-war movement make a decisive break with Israel, as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) did way back in 1967. An anti-war movement that seeks to rein in its own government’s aggressions in the world but fails to condemn apartheid Israel’s ceaseless violations of international law and crimes against humanity since the birth of the state, has no credibility.

The Obama administration’s water carriers within the October 2 rally’s sponsoring organizations will doubtless seek to transform the occasion into a campaign event for the Democrats. It is up to the crowd to demonstrate righteous discontent with the powers-that-be, and call the malefactors out by name. If that’s your preference, hang with UNAC and Black is Back. You’ll identify them by their clear and insistent demands – which is how it should be.

BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.

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I agree

It does sound like there is going to be a rally of some kind. Although I would like to be there for support I won't be able to make this one.

 

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Nothing to do with Obama

The One Nation Rally never had anything to do with Obama.
The rally is linked to similar protests in Europe. over the economic crisis. http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/09/30/workers-around-the-world-march-for-jobs/

BTW, thanks for writing this

I didnt want to go until I read this....fell and cracked my kneecap today...!

Yes! I am very concerned with "violence"

that might interrupt Dems war on the poor! Id much rather starve to death in a tent in a Vets Park....anyone who doesnt see the violence that Obama &Co are committing worldwide, must be rich or stupid.

Violent

Well, from the looks of those signs it seems to me that this rally is well on it's way to becoming violent, that is if those signs are any indication. I hope they gather peacefully and don't cause any trouble.

 

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Judge Porteous and Sorely Needed Louisiana Judicial Reform

For more than 5 years, I have been drum beating for social justice, and protesting against inequities in the court systems. I cannot afford to leave Louisiana and join the rally there, but I'd like to share with the blackagendareport audience my OpEd:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Judge Thomas Porteous and the Judicial 'Devil's Den' from Whence He Came http://newsblaze.com/story/20100922041842lawg.nb/topstory.html 

"The impeachment trial of federal Judge Thomas Porteous, is a once in a lifetime chance for urgently-needed judicial reforms to happen in Louisiana.

There is massive, inherent legal corruption in the judicial system, taking place in Louisiana, in what I call the "Devil's Den." This corruption has terrible consequences for citizens, and for the legal system itself.

I am alarmed that, even after exposure of irrefutable facts and truths at Porteous' impeachment trial, scandalous behavior will continue because Porteous is not the only problem - just the most conspicuous culprit.

The sustained Louisiana judicial decadence is now acutely displayed at this historical Congressional hearing, which the entire world can see for itself on C-Span. Facts, evidence, and testimonies therein solidify my convictions that the purpose of Louisiana courtrooms has very little to do with delivering justice.

This OpEd is not to rant about what I believe. It underscores how the facts, evidence, and the testimonies presented at the impeachment proceedings exhibit the legal crisis here. Louisiana's judicial chasm must not continue in light of such concrete revelations.

Precisely, that trial supplies prima facie proof that the courts of Louisiana serve the purpose of unfair enrichment, at the disadvantage of some people; and for certain politically-connected people, the courts serve as an avenue to 'the good life'. Additionally, anyone who hinders Louisiana 'good life' pursuits becomes subjected to the vilest treatment by jurists who disguise themselves as upholders and enforcers of laws.

Judge Porteous' vices, which he committed almost 5 years ago, pale in comparison to this incessant Louisiana judicial horror. Because the conduct of certain people in Louisiana is as bad or worse than Porteous, there is urgent cause for alarm, and judicial reform is a dire need.

As a matter of fact, corresponding with my beliefs about the court, the United States Fifth Circuit Chief Judge, Edith Jones, said "The American legal system has been corrupted almost beyond recognition," in a speech Judge Jones made in 2003, prior to Judge Porteous' wrongful conduct.

Our Judicial system is a devil's den, that is a home to evil, corruption, wickedness, depravity, vexation, malignance, and decadence.

In calling our judicial system a "devil's den,' I am saying that there is resident evil, corruption, wickedness, depravity, vexation, malignance, and decadence here. And 'evil' in the judicial arena has become camouflaged by something equally sinister, namely, 'confusion'; or in legal terms, 'obfuscation.' The matter is exacerbated by things like deliberate harm, viciousness, and deceptive - as well as disregard for responsibility for disastrous results. Further, obfuscation is often masterminded by rational people, but they subsequently become confused by the very confusion they manufacture.

Here in our State, corruption is often in the mix, and corruption is easy to accomplish because of confusion or obfuscation. Corruption traps and ruins people and everything and everyone it encounters unless they break free. *Examples of how corruption lures people in the legal field are NOW SHOWING at the impeachment trial of Judge Thomas Porteous, on the nearest viewing screen.

Sadly, as manifest from the testimonies the legal professionals are proud of how they operate. They are proud about things like status, one-upmanship, acclaim, and obtaining the highest personal gratification. Such things are part of the "Louisiana way." In fact, the impeachment committee was informed about this "way" in no uncertain terms.

However, there was a time when professional conduct meant something to the legal profession. Lawyers, judges, and politicians had pride about having served justice instead of themselves and their cronies. Therefore, what makes this all so much worse, is that the self-dealing legal system is irreparably harming defenseless people.

Depravity in Action

The devil's den in the form of depravity and corruption, is comfortable within New Orleans' infamous judicial and political corruption. Exchanges of quid pro quo deeds, hunting trips, judicial junkets, various 'gifts' to judges and their offspring, cronyism, and various other things which appear harmless, often became inroads to this degenerate legal community.

To clarify, the witness statements and evidence presented at the trial unabashedly explained the routine of lawyers giving gifts and doing favors for Porteous. That routine is a component of the commonly known "Louisiana way." But even though this is a trial of Judge Porteous, it is not possible for any reasonable person to imagine that the "Louisiana way" of lawyers giving gifts and doing favors is confined to only one judge, namely Porteous. Moreover, a reasonable person would be bereft of intelligence to believe that the only judicial friend those lawyers have is Porteous.

Further specifically, it is not likely that lawyers other than the ones who testified at Judge Porteous' trial, don't also have friends who are judges - and like Porteous, gifts and favors very plausibly influence judicial rulings. It is equally very likely, that gifts to other judges have had similar unlawful, improper outcomes as what occurred with Judge Porteous. For litigants who have unfairly been deprived of justice, the "Louisiana way" is utterly unacceptable.

Another thing about the impeachment trial and revelations of perks to Judge Porteous, it is perplexing for us who know about ongoing judicial improprieties which have nothing to do with Porteous, to see him being impeached, yet other miscreants - including lawyers and corporations who paid Porteous bribes, are continuing their business-as-usual offenses.

If gifts and favors are not causing judicial bias and unfair rulings, various unscrupulous legal tactics certainly cause unfair outcomes. Unscrupulous ways of litigating, as well as blatant unfair, contrary-to-law judicial rulings, are reasons why far too many people become deprived of justice.

Here are examples:
·  In the judicial devil's den, up is down
·  fraud on opposing parties is admirable
·  luxurious lavishment on one's family after deceptively causing opponents to go out of business is acceptable
·  foreclosing on homes and then bidding on the homes is a, 'your loss, my gain' - don't take it personal reality
·  mailing a 5-paragraph pleading to opponents, but filing in the record a 25-paragraph pleading containing statements and information completely oblivious to opponents, who prepare completely different "memorandums in opposition", is something to have gut-busting belly laughs over cocktails
·  pro se opponents destroyed for even attempting to litigate their cases due to inability to afford a lawyer <<<

·  litigants fortunate enough to obtain lawyers encounter the misfortune of the judge prescribing to lawyers how the judges want the lawyers to manage the cases - including what motions the judges want filed!!

Localities for setting up the Den

The den, located in New Orleans, has eight courts: Louisiana's supreme court; 4th Circuit Appeal Court; Orleans Parish Civil District Court; Municipal Court; Criminal Court; the Eastern District Federal Court; Bankruptcy Court; and the Federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The New Orleans Federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is the highest federal court - other than the United States Supreme Court. Its appellate authority encompasses Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The Chief Justice for the 5th Circuit is Edith Jones.

New Orleans' notoriety for corruption, as well as its location for so many courts, makes what occurs or does not occur in this legal system vitally significant to the entire Southern region of the United States. Corruption here must be vigorously tackled.

The devil I have met!

This is a mere sketch of what I experienced, as it pertains to horrors I know of, concerning federal court. In my follow up piece, I will provide more facts and details. To me, the federal court system is a devil's den because of racism, oppression, injustice, and persecution to which I was repeatedly subjected by more than one federal court judge in New Orleans.

The backdrop for presenting what happened to me, is a repeat of what I stated:

The courts of Louisiana serve purposes of unfair enrichment, at the disadvantage of certain people; and for certain politically-connected people, the court systems are for no other purpose than an avenue to 'the good life'.

Whatever, or whoever hinders those 'good life' pursuits, becomes subjected to the vilest treatment by jurists who disguise themselves as upholders and enforcers of established laws.

The fact of New Orleans federal court racism is hard to deny - particularly prior to Hurricane Katrina. It is basically unheard of for a Black person or minorities to receive justice at the New Orleans federal courts; it is even more unheard of for a Black attorney to initiate a civil case in federal court. Also, I am reasonably certain that roughly 90 percent of cases heard at the federal court did not originate from minority litigants; and if minorities are parties to such lawsuits, it is either through class actions, or because of being an "indispensable party" to a lawsuit.

Further, it is an understood, common reality that Black attorneys practice their professions at "Tulane and Broad" and Orleans Parish "CDC;" and that federal court is 'for White people'. (In a follow up, I will supply more definite facts and information about these things, and much more.) The majority of people who received some measure of federal court justice, did so because of courtroom publicity.

During my times of frequenting federal court, there was no such thing as a fair tribunal for me. Instead, there was the most egregious, blatant, repeated acts of malicious injustice - not only because of the color of my skin, but because I unwittingly interfered with white collar greed and political corruption. Further, the primary reason why the fact of federal court racial disparity is not so evident now, is because many pre-Katrina minorities have not returned to New Orleans.

Additionally, the few African-American attorneys brave enough to attempt representing minorities after their cases arrived at federal court - often because of reasons beyond African Americans' control, lived to regret it. Further, from 500 Poydras Street, New Orleans, African-American attorneys can find themselves "suspended" - sometimes without logical explanation, sometimes without any explanation at all - from practicing at that aggrandized federal location - especially if the client's case has merit.

I am recounting my virtual purgatory experiences prior to my being exiled from New Orleans due to Katrina and due to political corruption. And although I'm speaking from past judicial experiences, I do not believe things have changed, based upon my current sources. Even if some things have changed, past corruption must be addressed because many people have been harmed and the "long arm of the law" must extend to those within the judicial system. Furthermore, the existence of rampant political corruption makes improvement of Louisiana's judicial systems an impossibility.  **my entire article posted @ http://newsblaze.com/story/20100922041842lawg.nb/topstory.html 

 

Brown is the new black

Obama and establishment Democrats are courting Hispanic voters more these days because they don't trust the Black vote to stay loyal.  Honestly, I hope y'all DON'T show up on election day because I'm a committed Tea Partier but I'd rather you join us and take power from the political establishment and return it to the people where it belongs.  Instead of an oligarchy of political back-scratchers, we could have a tiny government with low cost and minimal intrusion and use our resources the way we see fit.

Scapegoating is a futile as marching

 

“There is a war between the rich and poor,

 A war between the man and the woman.

 A war between the left and right,

 A war between the black and white,

 A war between the odd and the even.”

 

(Leonard Cohen)

 

 

At the beginning of the third chapter of his book, Nonsense On Stilts,  Massimo Pigliucci writes:

 

 

Here’s a forecast for a particularly bizarre consequence of climate change: more executions of witches.”  This chilling opening is from a New York Times column by Nicholas Kristof.  The article cites a study by an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, Edward Miguel, who found that women are routinely murdered as witches in rural Tanzania, but that the rate increases when there is a drought or a flood, that is, whenever the living conditions for the local populations are dire and depend on quirks of the weather.  Kristof goes on to suggest there is a good reason to think that historical European witch hunts were also triggered by environmental factors, coinciding with crop failures. ...

 

Despite widespread skepticism about global warming, it took little more than a month for Kristof’s prediction to come true: an article in the Italian newspaper la repubblica published on 21 May 2008 reported on fifteen women accused of being witches burnt at the stake.  Only the location was slightly off: Kenya instead of Tanzania.

 

 

More recently, with government encouragement, the camps of the Roma people have been set ablaze in Italy;  and the President of France, Sarkosy, has initiated massive deportations of the Roma from France.  In the United States, mosques and Muslims have joined Hispanic immigrants as scapegoats of the frustrated, slow-witted, and poorly educated..

 

And, when scapegoats are needed, there are always the Jews.  It’s amazing that people still cite the discredited forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.  And amazing that victims of scapegoating will participate in the scapegoating of another group.  

 

When our justifiable fears of imminent catastrophe should compel us to unite, we turn on one another instead.  It’s depressing to see this strain of stupid bigotry in BAR; and it is especially depressing to see two of my favorite comment writers accept it without criticism.  

 

PIMP THAT VOTE!

I have noticed that right on schedule, just before the upcoming election cycle, the same President Obama who has been so good at showing indifference, impatience, and even open hostility to any interests which could even remotely be described as "Black" has suddenly become aware of our existence, and is even making noises as if he is actually one of us. Don't fall for it, he is just another bigoted, neo-liberal, "centrist" who holds our that people and their interests and well-being are irrelevant. Like all of his kind, President Obama believes that the Democrats are entitled to get the vast majority of the black vote in spite of their consistent and systematic "failure" to deliver anything of substence. To those of you who constantly ape the white man (and woman's) critique of Reverends Jackson and Sharpton as shameless and ineffectual opportunists, could some of you please tell me what is so different about the behavior and the effectiveness of the Obama-type politicians whom so many of you embrace and spend so much time and energy making excuses for? For example, why is it okay for the President and the do-nothing Dems to fail to provide justice and relief to the Black farmers once again, in spite of the fact that the very same people successfully bailed out Wall Street and continue to keep the spigot of taxpayer dollars cranked wide open for the state of Israel no matter how appalling its behavior becomes? Black people really need to grow up. Being fussy about whom they allow to pimp them does not make them any less of a pack of stooges.

will your vote count this November?

I doubt it. What the traditional black leaders (no need to name) won't tell black voters is that the Democrats can't win one state without the black vote. (maybe Vermont) This is powerful. Can you think of a traditional BLUE state that can be won without the black vote? The borderline states like Ohio and Pennsylvannia durn sure need the black vote. That is why Democrat Pimps like Eugene Robinson try real hard to stir the fear of Tea Baggers. Trying to scare black voters into their traditional Democrat Support. When in fact, the real racism like what Michael Alexander speaks of is practiced by Democrats equally as much as the Rethugs. In the last six months, the Dems are the ones that have stirred most of the race talk. But realisically here is the United States of America, (preaching to the choir, I know) The Collusional Duopoly, manages the store of the Plutocracy that is owned by the Oligarchs and direct the managers from their Board Rooms all around the world. These same Oligarchs also own the NATIONAL DEBT, makig them the real owners of our government and giving them the right to write all the legislation, which they do, they then take it to Capitol Hill where the Duopoly stage a debate on this legislation. The minority faction of the Duopoly gets to play act The Good Guy in these debates, until the public gets fed up, then that is usually around election time, so the roles just get FLIP FLOPPED.

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Boycott the vote

There's more power to be gained from Black people NOT voting than voting.  Let the phony "Liberals" and Dummocrats taste defeat.  Let them kiss up to the Tea Party as Bill Clinton urges them to, and then get punished by Black voters staying home.  The Dummocrats need a reminder, a brief history lesson, AGAIN:

How soon people forget that it was Blacks and Hispanics that were the numerical tipping point for Obama.  The White vote was clearly in McCain's favor.  Here's a Pew Forum article post-election and a Gallup piece pre-election.

http://pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/How-the-Faithful-Voted.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111703/final-presidential-estimate-obama-55-m...

An Obama victory would also owe a great debt to overwhelming support from racial and ethnic minorities. McCain led among white voters, 51% to 44%, but Obama more than made up for that with an 83% to 13% advantage among non-whites, including a 97% to 1% advantage among blacks and a 73% to 24% lead among Hispanics.

According to Gallup's final pre-election polls, the last time a presidential candidate won without winning the white vote was Bill Clinton in 1992. That year George Bush narrowly beat Clinton by two points among white voters, 41% to 39%, with 20% supporting third party candidate Ross Perot. Prior to that, Gerald Ford in 1976 received 52% of the white vote to Jimmy Carter's 46%, but Carter won the election with 85% of the non-white vote."

Black folks are just plain stupid, too non-analytical to know when they are being pimped. No one can win the Presidency or most other offices without the Black vote, but you have the media making everyone believe that a bunch of rich, warmed over Rethugs, who were ALWAYS Rethugs are difference makers.  Show the crackers who the real king makers are. Perhaps the best way for your vote to "COUNT" is to not vote at all. 

America will continue it's rightward lurch regardless of which Party is in power because that is the direction both parties want to go in.  Stop spending your money and time organizing for whites or well connected, institutional Blacks (read:  sell-outs) that will sell you out in a heartbeat, spend your time, money and talents building grassroots institutions.  Are Blacks too stupid to not see that their asses are about to be thrown to the curb as everybody starts preaching and acting on this fiscal austerity bullshit?  If not, they deserve what they get. 

Let's see how much media attention a Black Voter boycott gets.  I can hear it now, the racists accusing Blacks of being racist because they opt out of a racist system. "F'em"  Only in Amerikka.

co-signing with the boycott E.C.

I agree Enlightened Cynic, I'm not voting either. I refuse to vote as there is literally nobody to vote for. All that we are allowed to choose between are conservatives. Elect a republican and you get a conservative; elect a democrat and you get a conservative with better manners. That's not a real choice. It's like Saddam's elections where you can choose between "Saddam is doing an excellent job" and "Saddam is doing a good job". Wow, what a choice right? People need to realize that the trappings of democracy and going through the motions and rituals of a democracy doesn't amount to shit if all the choices are carefully controlled by the elite.

Anybody who achieves the name recognition needed to be a serious contender for office, whether as a senator, member of the House or for president, is already so thoroughly bought and paid for by the ruling class by the time we've ever heard of them that electing them is guaranteed to do nothing but continue the status quo. That's just how the rich want it, no surprises, no messy nail-biting elections but rather continuity, predictability, stability. Long ago they seem to have figured out that rigging elections at the ballot box is so third world and that it's far easier to simply buy the plastic puppet candidates from both sides of the increasingly meaningless republican-democratic political divide (I should say from either wing of the Big Business Bourgeoisie Party which is really what both parties are) and then let their puppet hopefuls fight it out and tear each others' guts out to see who can be the best, most loyal toady of the elite. May the best puppet win! Because at that point they don't care which it is as either one is guaranteed to be someone already deep in their waistcoat pocket.

Voting in this pseudo-democracy is worse than a waste of time, it's helping entrench the problem because all one is doing by pretending to be choosing the "lesser of 2 evils" is lending false legitimacy to a phony, crooked system. It is saying "Thanks for screwing me in the ass and may I have another?" It's saying that you're satisfied with the "choices" that you are given and that American elections are meaningful exercises rather than hollow, fake dog & pony shows designed to make the average dumbass think that they have some kind of a say in what governs them. They obviously don't. Time to let the establishment know that we're onto them.

Even some conservatives are throwing in the towel

No less a persona than Paul Craig Roberts,  former Republican administration offical, clearly no liberal by any stretch of the imagination has written that the United States is a Police State.  And I refuse to chose between good cop/bad cop. 

I believe I'm not alone in saying African Americans need to spend their organizational time, money, and resources on charting their own course of action irrespect of so-called leaders, be they Black or White.  Voting in America is no different than voting in the Soviet Union.  It's funny how we rail about Chavez but Venezuela is twice the democracy we claim to be.  It's been written by many experts as well that though there was some evidence of voter fraud, Ahmadejinad did in fact win his election in Iran by carrying the predominant rural vote.

There's a poll out that says that the Tea Party only constitutes less than 30% of Americans, and the vast majority are wealthy and white; are we surprised?  Altemeyer wrote in "The Authoritarians" that 30% Americans are "authoritarians."  The goddamn media makes people think they're some juggernaut.  American will continue to go hard right, it's useless and frankly stupid for African Americans to believe there's something in it for us. 

I've fucking had it with the White Media censoring us from any political discussion or dialogue, any "demands" vocalized by African Americans are treated as "Black issues" instead of working and middle class issues.  Frankly there are few Black faces even in the MSM.   It's clear that we are officially Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" (and women).  Fuck the Anglo-controlled political establishment, I refuse to look for them for anything of worth or expect anything from them.  It's worthless and detrimental to our health, leave it alone.

Wake the hell up people, all that time, money and organizational skill needs to be directed elsewhere.

It Is Official: The US Is A Police State

by Paul Craig Roberts, September 25, 2010

 

http://original.antiwar.com/roberts/2010/09/24/it-is-official-the-us-is-a-police-state/

 

http://www.chris-floyd.com/

 

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/poll-vast-majority-tea-party-participants-white-wealthy-affluent/

 

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

78% of Jews voted for Obama. I'm going to write in a name, not

going to boycott.  (Am atheist Jew not Black.)  Due to my age, boycotting an election just doesn't feel right.  If more people of color had voted in the NYC mayoral election of 2009, Bloomberg would have lost. 

I would agree with boycotting, but

Ohio finally let me register as a Socialist this year and I want to vote that ticket. If it turns out that I cant, I wont vote either.

 

In the meantime, (f)buck up, folks! Jeeez....

Once upon a time....

I participated with my fraternity members in voter registration drives, and giving information to felons on how to regain their voting rights.  But I can't say that I will do so in the future.  During those drives the common refrain from those resisting our urging was:  "It doesn't matter."  I use to think this was more ignorance, and to a degree it was, but you can reach the same conclusion whether through "ignorance" or "high-falutin, nuanced analysis."

 

I did a quick google search to see if I find discern voting patterns, surmising that many Blacks and Democrats voted for Bloomberg, I didn't find anything during this cursory effort, but I suspect I'm right.  At any rate it's clear that Democrats helped put Bloomberg in office, so if you're Rakim in Bed Sty:  "Does it matter?"

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/nyregion/26keaney.html?_r=1http://www....

 

Excerpt:

Trying to rebuild the formidable ground operation that helped sweep him into office, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has hired Maura Keaney, a top aide to the speaker of the City Council, as head of field operations for his re-election campaign.

Ms. Keaney, 34, who has strong ties to organized labor, will be responsible for turning out voters for the Bloomberg campaign, which has already named a campaign manager, media strategist and voter analyst more than nine months before Election Day — well ahead of his likely rivals.

Mr. Bloomberg just snatched up Ken Strasma, a consultant who researched voting patterns and preferences for the Obama presidential campaign."

As Paul Harvey would say, "Now you know the rest of the story."  As many have said, the system is going to crash no matter what we do.  I submit time is better spent formulating "after-the-crash" plans. If there is one thing there is IRREFUTABLE evidence for it's that Blacks and the poor are about to be ass-out, every pol of every stripe is talking budget cuts and we all know where that will start and end, it will be another permutation of the "Just Us" system.

A small point:Bloomberg's coverage in NYC media has been

without criticism from his early days.  I should have added in my previous comment that the newspapers had stories (suggested by Bloomberg staff, we later learned) that he was going to win big, when he'd kept quiet his own polling results showing it was going to be a close race in 2009 for mayor.  The part I should have added was that he won by 4% and that many African-Americans, and others, believing he would win big, didn't go out to vote.  The news media has given Bloomberg a "free pass" and continues to do so, which might influence what shows up on google.

  I agree with your point that one needs to do work after, but I'd add, before (which is sort of the other side of the same "coin"), organizing locally and getting good candidates locally, and press coverage isn't going to help.  Charles Barron, for example, is running for Gov. and is not getting much media attention.  Elections are part of the story, as you and I both agree about.  Only part. 

At least we can agree on "grassroots"

But my point was that "professional consultants," image makers, publicists, campaign strategists, media "experts" and the like are straight whores.  They work for money and wins, not people.  They'll happily (and have) moved the Dems to the right if it means more campaigns, more wins, and more money.  These people feather their nest playing a shell game on the public. (For Exhibit "A" think Carville and Maitlin for your match made in heaven). 

I didn't look hard (still haven't) for statiscal breakdowns or demographic breakdowns shall I say.  But I DID discover that "Democratic Operatives" aka professionals of the sort I described above, HELPED BLOOMBERG WIN!

We don't have the data to analyze or presumptively say that the 4% margin of victory would have changed with a large Black turnout because of the "Bradley Effect," or because some cause and effect where some Whites run to the other side when there's a large Black turnout.  The logic being, put crudely, that if it's good for them it's bad for me.  Indeed, isn't that part of the momentum behind the Tea Party and the so-called "Independent Voter's" abandonment of Obama and the Dems? 

I understand your point about turnout, my counterpoint is that the "winner" doesn't much matter, Black, White or Jew.  Because he or she will be beholden to the power structure regardless.  What opened my eyes and really got me "addicted" to BAR was an article I read few years ago about Atlanta having the highest infant mortality rate (or among the highest) in the nation.  Hotlanta, where I lived for 12 years, the land of Black Milk and Honey.  I didn't have any idea of such though Grady Hospital (county hospital where po folks are birthed) has always been in bad fiscal shape. 

Fast forward and BAR has additionally demonstrated in numerous essays that the Black political class in Atlanta is amongst the most reactionary there is.  And for more of the same, check out the World Socialist Website's seemingly ongoing critique of Black mayor and former NBA Star Dave Bing's "corporate" stewardship in Detroit. (Yeah I know he's better than Kwame, but that's like saying Shaq is a better actor than Dr. J.).

At least D.C. got rid of it's sellout, so that's a counterpoint for you. or ...aruably you and me both, because that was a grassroots rejection of Fenty.  But that's unique, a 4% shift in Black vote don't mean much in "Chocolate City"  lol.  Good talking to ya.

 

p.s.  Almost forgot, Bloomberg got better coverage because that was the "Golden Rule" you know which one I'm talking about.  But counterpoint back for me, he did have a damn good Democrat creating the feel good propaganda, no?  One more point for me.

Score:  Shaq 3, Dr. J 1

ain't arguing. Just that it looks different inside NYC than out

side and depending on who's doing the viewing inside NYC.  The mainstream media is manipulated (as you noted), has a love affair with $$$ (as in Bloomberg, as you noted) but there's data that shows that the mayoral election of 2009 was perhaps the lowest turnout in NYC history (or in many decades) and clear that many African-Americans did not vote- so suppressed turnout/voter suppression (long a Repub. game) is the "other side of the coin" of boycotting an election.  I like the idea of writing in a name, if one doesn't like the candidates on the ballot or leaving blanks for some lines.  (I get a paper ballot as being on permanent list of Absentee Ballot for Homebound Disabled, and for me, it is a political point to vote - an access thing, which is a totally separate, but related issue.)  In NYC, voting is not made easy. Dems./  Pols like to know how people will vote (as based on previous elections and districts-many are segregated) and like to keep the vote down.  I can't prove that, but I've heard it and it sounds about right.  One side effect is that local elections, such as in recent primary, had winners by very few votes in Congressional and state assembly/senate districts).

  (There's a gender thing, and maybe age, too.  I don't work on scoring points.  It's OK with me if you "win".  I only have to score a victory at home in an argument with spouse, chuckle and then we negotiate.)Your points of view make a lot of sense but on some of the edges, I've disagreed a bit.  On data: I'm too ill to do much hunting/research, but I do recall the NYTimes did totals by district (as they do) and I had spouse get the data for me on our election district because I like to know.  I'm in a so-called liberal district and it went for Bloomberg.  (Rangel is my Rep*. and my NYS state senator is about as good as one can get in such a crummy legislative body**.  I plan to vote for Charles Barron for Gov., Freedom Party.  I have been listening to his interviews for years and was sorry he did not run for mayor - he bowed out due to money.  So we just went full circle: as you said, the Golden rule...)* I was surprised to learn that our/Rangel's district is not majority African-American - slight majority of Latinos and whites.  It's always referred to as Harlem in the media, but it's got a chunk of Upper West Side, also.  Gentrification.  I'm a renter and landlords are getting us old folks out as can, so they can go "market value" as they destroy rent stabilization.  I got here via having lived in a tenement pre-Urban Renewal and my Mitchell-Lama rental ended when the law expired and the cynical pols in Albany let us fall into the sharks' waters.  I'm in my apt. 42+ years, court fight delayed but not saved us from slow bleed to higher and higher rents.  There is "vacancy decontrol"...if I die, or get shipped to some nursing home, ditto for spouse, our apartment can get "redone", go to luxury rent...Most of my neighbors die in situ or get shipped to nursing home to die quickly.  And don't collect much social security since they didn't live and most of them are people of color.  Basta...except to say that in NYS/NYC: real estate and finance rule.

**I was unable to find out the results for NYS senate race in my district the day after the election, searching online.  Many decades ago, when I was a 21 year old teacher, I was a volunteer in the old way votes were tabulated: they were sent in to the police headquarters and written down (I was one of the jotters).  Ancient history.

Neither am I arguing: friendly debate

just using a little sarcasm, snarkiness and hopefully "wit" to make some salient points.  Bottom line my Dear, Money controls elections.  And "gold" still rules.

There must be other reasons that Black voters stayed home, I don't know, I'm not "on the ground" there, but I believe DISILLUSIONMENT, RIGHTEOUS disillusionment is a huge part of it.  Everybody promises but no body delivers.  I'm an educated, so-called professional who's cynical as hell, and I'm doing all right financially, ain't creating no jealousies with my lifestyle mind you,  but I have decent income and not much debt other than house note.

Now contrast my plight to the plight of hundreds of thousands of others struggling mightily who've heard the same ol same ol time and time again.  I concluded they ain't as "ignorant" as I thought, in fact, maybe I've been the stupid one all along???

The "system" is simply not set up to work.  People fool themselves into thinking they making crap happen when their "leader" is working on the "inside" getting coopted. Look at the grassroots supporters for Obama, what did they gain from their love affair?

Just finished listening to Prof. Spence of John Hopkins University on NPR give the "Black" spin on the "enthusiasm gap," and he basically said, and I agree, Obama didn't solicit imput from Black folks who thought he was "heaven sent."  So now he's scrambling to get out the Black vote with no incentives.  There you have it my friend.

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128852964

E.C.:I like your last 2 sentences and I never "debate"

  But take a look at the comment of he who we ignore. At top, today's date.

I am all for making a big

I am all for making a big rukus this OCT. THis is ridiculous!

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melasma treatment

MORE BEGGING?

Marching is a waste of time. From time immemorial when ever a disenfranchised group truly felt marginalized and disagreed with a ruling group they used violence to exact change. However, the African community in America is a conquered race (although the only true human species), thus they are really, really, really scared. Africans in America are scared to death to pick up arms or whatever object that is not fasten down with bolts and fight against an awesome inbred mutant albino war machine, a war machine that had enslaved their forefathers and continues to oppress and marginalize them till this day.

What Africans in America do not want to understand is that the inbred mutant albino war machine is like a cancer and the more they ignore the cancer the bigger it will get. Africans in America must attack the disease or it will grow, eventually destroying its psychologically weaken host. I for one have given up talking or thinking within the same inbred albino paradigms (progressive? liberal? conservative?) these terms mean nothing........ Get over your fear African people; get over your fear; there is no white Jesus or white Muhammad that will be coming to save you or help you regain your dignity as an autonomous people. Those religions are a tool to pacify us.

Stop with this nonsense

Glen Ford, please stop this nonsense of advocating for "real protests", thus raising the hopes of the naive that somehow the direction of the US can be altered in any way, shape, or form.

The country is finished. Its all over, and you know it. All that remains is its inevitable slide into massive chaos, disorder, and eventually, irrelevance.

I used to love your writing at BC, because it was fresh and avant-garde. You were once way ahead of the curve, but now you've fallen far behind it.

You would do far better to tell people straight out that societal collapse is inevitable, and what that development will mean for people of African descent living there (nothing good, to be sure).

If you continue to dwell in the past, and to deceive people into thinking that America can be "saved" by any action of its citizens, then you're part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Load them Slingshots Progressives

I don't think that any of us win what we want by sitting back, but the Right sure calculates on us doing just that.

So we should only react relexively in fear

Its gotten us SOOO far/////        

En Vogue

nader paul kucinich gravel mckinney

free your mind and the rest will follow

Yah, that's right we really

Yah, that's right we really need to Have a Real Protest, Not a Democratic Pep Rally. Just to add a little information, I just read a news about
Authors hoping to write bestsellers can only hope their publication gets censored. Operation Dark Heart is the latest title to benefit from the press involved. This time around it comes courtesy of the Government. ”Operation Dark Heart,” according to the Department of Defense, contains passages written by a previous intelligence officer that might be used by America’s enemies to undermine United States of America interests. To prevent its release, the Department of Defense wants to dip into its bottomless well of taxpayer dollars, purchase each existing copy and subsequently burn them.

We Shall Over Come

One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing (marches) over and over again expecting a different result. Let's see--march to Washington to ask a White Man (Obama) created by Bolsheviks (Jews) to feel our pain. You better "HOPE" he and his minions (Jews) don't lock you away in their Gulags until you "Change" your minds about marches.

Excellent point, amenra. I

Excellent point, amenra.

I wouldn't recommend joining in any gathering headed by the NAACP and SEIU. These two corrupt, co-opted, feckless Democratic plantation cotton pickers have proven time and again their uselessness in advancing an agenda favorable to the poor and working classes. You can bet next month's rent that they will hog the spotlight and point fingers at all the usual right wing subjects. Obama and the Democratic majority Congress won't be mentioned except to defend "these poor souls" from the "bigots, Tea Party and Fox News."

Those groups who truly intend to make demands and raise real hell need to organize their protests apart from the civil and labor rights industrial complexes.

FYI: The following story was on 9/14/10 Democracy Now. Interesting piece that would be well worth some talented journalist or author pursuing further for an article or book. I'm sure there were other Benedict Arnolds who sabotaged the civil rights movement too. I wonder if this guy ratted out MLK's location in the hotel in Memphis where he was murdered.

Prominent Civil Rights-Era Photographer Was FBI Informant
And newly disclosed records show that one of the most prominent photographers of the civil rights era, Ernest Withers, was also a paid informant for the FBI. According to the Commercial Appeal of Memphis, Withers worked closely with the FBI to monitor civil rights activists during the 1960s. Withers is said to have provided photographs, background information and scheduling details to two agents in FBI’s Memphis spying office. Withers photographed Dr. Martin Luther King at several marches and was the only photographer to cover the entire trial of those accused in the murder of the black teenager Emmett Till. In January 2007, months before his death, Amy Goodman interviewed Ernest Withers at his studio in Memphis, Tennessee. He talked about one of his most famous pictures: a mass of striking sanitation workers holding signs reading "I am a man" at what would turn out to be the last march led by Dr. King.

Ernest Withers: "The last march of his, of Martin King, they were lined up there at [inaudible] and Hernando outside of Cleveland Temple Church, and they were there with all those ’I’m a Man’ signs. And I thought it was dramatic and historic in what it was, but I didn’t know it was ending up to be as popular. But it was the last march of Martin King."

Withers’s alleged involvement was revealed because the FBI forgot to redact his name in declassified records discussing his collaboration.

Glenn Greenwald and Tariq Ali were (mostly) good on DemNow today

On the topic of this commentary.  (Ali said that Pakistan flooding was 1000 times worse than Katrina; he should have said "bigger".)

Beverly You Light Up My World!!!

Beverly, as Neo said in the first matrix "Hit Me Again" with your astute words of mental penetration. I love your statement, "I wouldn't recommend joining in any gathering headed by the NAACP and SEIU. These two corrupt, co-opted, feckless Democratic plantation cotton pickers have proven time and again their uselessness in advancing an agenda favorable to the poor and working classes. You can bet next month's rent that they will hog the spotlight and point fingers at all the usual right wing subjects. Obama and the Democratic majority Congress won't be mentioned except to defend "these poor souls" from the "bigots, Tea Party and Fox News." The entire system is and has been corrupt to the core for well over 400 years and it is long past the time that we put these so called marches to rest. What new methods do we have? Instead of asking ourselves what would Jesus do, should not the question be, What Would Nat Turner Do? Can we not think of anything new, besides groveling or begging master for permits to picnic on the "White house Lawn." It is time we come up with new strategies that will free us from the tyrannically degenerated white madness.

Ching, ching..

The only groups benefitting from this "march" will be Reagan International, Dulles, and the Mayflower Hotel (or similar digs).  The Cabbies and Hotel lobby staff will get a few coins. Beverly, you pretty much summed up the battle cry, homilies and half-backed words primarily IN DEFENSE OF OBAMA targeting the usual suspects.

Sorry, I can masturbate at home, more privacy and comfort.

And, what of the utility of "marches" unless they are REAL protests, real points of agitation and controlled anger.  I'm actually with the Tea Party (as are most Liberals/Leftists) when it comes to the bankster bailout (though not much else).

Let's go back to the "Million Man March" and assess what that accomplished, or do we really have to do an "assessment?"  Shit! niggas would have been better off pooling what they paid in gas, hotel, over-priced drinks at the hotel bar, dining, night clubs, jazz clubs, strip clubs, (you get the picture??) and creating some real shit.  All this shouting, lamenting, and complaining about shit without progammatic implementation is tantamout to a jerk off sesssion.  You see, programming, implementation and financing of same takes HARD WORK, not hanging out the mall feeling "black and proud" then chasing honey's later in the night. (and yall know damn well what I'm talking about, betcha no one burnt midnight oil drafting manifestos and organizing follow up).  HA!  A million Black men, just blew over (conservatively) $500 a piece, but at least DC got beautiful women.  So I guess it was worth it instead of starting a $400 million dollar development fund.

It's not like this current cast of characters are imitating the Greeks, the French, or other nationalities who are truly in the streets fighting the Oligarchs and Elites, and actually sticking a pole in the gear of statecraft.  These perpetrators basically shouting over which team has the best uniform or mascot.   Bump that,  I'll pass. 

I ain't mad though, the D.C. economy, them "Chocolate City" hotel workers and cabbies can use all the scratch they can get.  "Ching, ching."

Speak Enlighten Cynic Speak!!!

Write On Enlighten One, Right ON.

Very wary of this march

I'd like to come, but only if I have a group to march with who are actually protesting this new regime's continued attack on the working class. Sounds like hanging with you guys might work. I want no part of a pep rally for Democrats. I through playing Charlie Brown to Democrat Lucy and her continually pulling away the ball. Where are you congregating?

MUSLIMS AND THE AFRICAN SLAVE TADE

Why should Blacks support Muslims????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zM_MzkLKPY

that was a disturbing film

but not suprising. Humans are just wretched creatures, especially us whites, but we are not alone. Here is something interesting. Did you know that Patrick Leahy had a website called bushtruthcommission.com ?????????????? If you didn't , don't worry , The Democrats including Patrick Leahy don't want you to know about it. It is a petition to start a truth process about the the criminal activity of the Bush Administration.. Now many may have known about this petition, but I don't think so, the Dems or Leahy didn't advertise it. I found out by a fluke a month ago from an European newspaper. Leahy put this website up right after Obabla took office. It was never intended to go anywhere. It was one of those, "see, we are trying" carrots. Leahy nor the Democrats want this petition signed because they are just as guilty of criminal activity and war crimes as the Bush Administrtion. When I found out about this website, it had approx, 135,600 signitures. I posted on several progressive websites for people to take two minutes and go to that website and sign it. In a months they are only showing one hundred or less more signatures. In other words, I believe they are fudging the numbers. Wouldn't it be nice to have the money to advertise this website in the WAPO and the NYT, and JOURNAL. With five million signatures , they would almost have to take action. Get everyone you know to go sign this petition, look at the numbers, then a month later look at the numbers again....IT'S AMAZING how they count. They are really good a fudging figures. That is exactly what IVY Leauge schools teach FUDGING FIGURE 101....201, 301, UNTIL PH.D



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