U.S. Empire “Shrinking,” But Demise is “Not Imminent”
There is an antagonistic contradiction between U.S. imperialism and the interests of the vast majority of the people of this planet,” says Anthony Monteiro, Professor of African American Studies at Temple University, in Philadelphia. “North Africa and West Asia now become a center of resistance to American empire,” while “South America can no longer be considered a safe haven for neoliberal economic policies.” Prof. Monteiro spoke at a BAR panel at the Left Forum, New York City, last weekend.
Medical Bankruptcies Will Remain High Under Obama Health Plan
The Obama administration’s health care legislation will not prevent Americans from going bankrupt in large numbers due to illness, says Dr. David Himmelstein, an author of a study of the “almost identical” Massachusetts health care program implemented in 2005. “People get insurance but, basically, they got such lousy insurance that they ended up bankrupt if they got sick,” said Himmelstein. “For states “like Texas, Louisiana and California,” which have far worse health coverage than Massachusetts, “we’re not going to see much improvement” under the Obama plan.
Mass Female Incarceration Destabilizes Black America
The mass imprisonment of Black males has been a disaster, but “when a sister gets locked down, it rends the fabric of our community,” says Efia Nwangaza, of the Back Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations. “The children, if they are lucky, go to their grandmothers” when the mother is imprisoned, but many are “set adrift” because such support systems are increasingly unavailable. Ms. Nwangaza will address mass Black incarceration at the Black Is Back Coalition’s “National Conference on the Other Wars,” March 26, in Washington.
BAR’s Dr. Jared Ball explores “The Ten Commandments of Crunk,” promulgated by female rappers as part of a “feminist mode of resistance.”
Black Agenda Radio on the Progressive Radio Network is hosted by Glen Ford and Nellie Bailey. A new edition of the program airs every Monday at 4:00pm ET on PRN. Length: One hour.
The terrain of struggle will need to expand for the movement to avoid a Democratic Party-induced slumber.
Papa’s proud of you, handsome Grandsons, for hand-lettered signs, for taking to the streets during your generation’s 10 days that shook the world!
We must make clear that it is imperialism that degrades and destroys the earth, makes water a commodity, food a luxury, education an impossibility, and health care a distant dream.
Unless we identify genocide as the common underpinning to all of the brutality directed against Black people in the US, we are talking about the wrong thing.
This week colonial genocides, white supremacy, and the Democratic Party’s role were on your minds.
