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.
In the wake of the expulsion of the Organization of the American States from Nicaragua, we need to revisit one of its major crime scenes: Haiti.
Kwame Nkrumah’s 1961 speech on the assassination of Patrice Lumumba exposes the the international white supremacist cabal responsible for his death, and for the crisis of the Congo.
It is not surprising that a settler colonial state would practice racism for centuries or that race would be the major factor determining who lives and who dies.
Donald Smith always performed at Black Agenda Report events in New York City. He was a great musician and friend to the Black Agenda Report team. He will be missed.
BAR contributor Ann Garrison reports on conditions in Ethiopia.
