Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire
  • omnibus

Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Chowdhry, BAR Comments Editor
13 Feb 2019
Letters from Our Readers
Letters from Our Readers

This week readers were eager to discuss anti-Russian war hysteria and the role of privatization in public education. Strong responses came for “Freedom Rider: Democrats Are the McCarthyites” and “Cory Booker Hates Public Schools.”

“Freedom Rider: Democrats Are the McCarthyites” by Margaret Kimberley argues that liberals are endangering the world with their use of Russia-gate to promote war hysteria.

Debbie Tucker writes:

“So - the corrupt Dem establishment pretends to want war anywhere and pretend it is because they are going against what Russia wants. Such a crock of BS. It is FOR THE MONEY and FOR THE RESOURCES -- money for all the privatized war companies no matter what, money for the resource profiteers as a bonus if our takeovers are successful. The entire duopoly is corrupt and colluded with each other to dupe the public in so many ways, not least of which is the pretense that the parties have different goals and 'fight' each other.
“Putin wants GOOD RELATIONS and fair dealings with other countries, and has correctly noted that the US wants 'vassals,' not partners. And my research says that Russia provides healthcare (might even still have doctors do housecalls?), 3 years maternity leave, a month of vacation, and free college or good assistance with college. Hmmmm....”

Michael Shamamian writes

“I canvassed for Sanders for months in 2016, then switched to Trump for days. The Clinton's expansion of NATO and the Deep State's rush to war with Russia is very alarming.

Russians have much pride in their history and their nation. They defeated Napoleon and Hitler and would not simply give in to Clinton. Russia does not have the conventional weaponry to match the USA/NATO alliance and such a war would have to become nuclear. If Israel with 300 warheads can speak openly of the Samson Option, Russians, matching USA nuclear assets, must at least contemplate the same.

I'm old enough to remember when the American left was concerned to avoid nuclear war; now they seem to crave it.”

In “Cory Booker Hates Public Schools” Eric Blancdetails the history of the presidential candidate’s strong support for privatization of public education.

Greg Davis writes:

“I hate public schools too. All of the schools that serve my neighborhood are failing schools. The elementary school has 14% grade level performance. The middle school 13% and the high school 16%. The ACT average is 15.8. This has been the case for years. The school board and the school administration blame the kids, their parents and their community. I have given up on advocating for change. They have been impossible to fight. The only hope for the children is to take these schools away from these dysfunctional public education professionals and allow new and different approaches and management.”

Debbie Tucker responds:

“We need to understand how the corrupt have defunded schools (started to defund in the 90s), put in accountant types to supervise instead of education experts, and arranged in every way to cripple public education (and infrastructure, and the Post Office, etc). There was NO NEED for this, except that we have had greedy, corrupt money addicts running things for decades, and their biggest scam to enrich themselves is 'privatization, devised around 1970.
“Privatization is NOT AT ALL like a regular private business -- instead, it gets basically unlimited federal money, and the corrupt know that they can bill the federal govt for massive exec salaries and millions/BILLIONS in profits. And investors -- even Wall Street firms invest in these 'companies' -- typically know how it works and that profits are GUARANTEED via federal money.
“Our many dozens of war companies are privatized. And many federal prisons, and all migrant detention centers, and our healthcare insurance companies. And the charter school system they are pushing now is 'privatization.' That Orwellian word is to dupe the public, along with the blatant lies we are told.”

It is great as always to see serious debate on our articles. This is not something you will see in the mainstream media so we will all need to keep up the good work.

Jahan Choudhryis Comments Editor for Black Agenda Report. He is an organizer with the Saturday Free School based in Philadelphia, PA.

COMMENTS?

Please join the conversation on Black Agenda Report's Facebook page at http://facebook.com/blackagendareport

Or, you can comment by emailing us at comments@blackagendareport.com

Comments

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles. Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


Related Stories

Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
03 March 2021
This week the blackout in Texas, the recent film on Fred Hampton, and Democracy Now’s international coverage were on your minds.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
10 February 2021
This week you discussed the multilayer crisis facing American people.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
27 January 2021
This week our readers talked about the weakness of the U.S. left, the storming of the Capitol, and the crisis of U.S. imperialism.
Letters from Our Readers
BAR Comments Editor Jahan Choudhry
Letters from Our Readers
10 December 2020
This week the role of US elites in controlling resistance by Ugandans and Black Americans were on your minds.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Chowdhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
02 December 2020
This week the ideological education of the working class, the need for socialism, and the aims of a Biden administration were on your minds.
Letters from Our Readers
BAR Comments Editor Jahan Choudhry
Letters from Our Readers
25 November 2020
This week the lives of the incarcerated, Susan Rice’s bid to be Secretary of State, and the incoming administrators of the empire were on your mind
Letters from Our Readers
Jason Choudhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
14 October 2020
This week corporate funded NGOs, liberal sympathy for Trump, and Russophobia in progressive organizations were on your minds.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
07 October 2020
This week Russophobia and the recent presidential debate were the topic of conversation.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
16 September 2020
This week Ibram X. Kendi, Toussaint Louverture, community control of the police, and the trial of Julian Assange were on your minds.
Letters from Our Readers
Jahan Choudhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
09 September 2020
This week the Democratic Party presidential ticket was on your minds.

More Stories


  • ELAPRE
    There is no Revolution Without Revolutionary Consciousness
    13 Aug 2025
    Revolution requires more than violence—it demands collective awakening. Haiti’s crisis exposes the danger of hollow slogans masquerading as liberation.
  • Youssef Fares
    Survivors of Aid Massacres: Israel Is Eroding Gaza’s Social Fabric
    13 Aug 2025
    As the world condemns indiscriminate bombing, Israel continues to commit genocide by social erosion. The systematic dismantling of Gaza's social foundations through massacres at aid lines,…
  • Alan MacLeod
    The CIA Built Hundreds of Covert Websites. Here’s What They Were Hiding
    13 Aug 2025
    As governments worldwide crack down on "foreign disinformation", America’s most powerful intelligence agency has been caught running the largest known network of fake media outlets.
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio August 8, 2025
    08 Aug 2025
    In this week’s segment, we discuss a protest exposing corporate media’s collusion with the U.S. and Israeli governments in reporting genocide and how ICE is violating the law and human rights with…
  • ICE Detention
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    ICE Mass Deportations in New York
    08 Aug 2025
    We’re joined by Mario Bruzzone, Vice President of Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition. He joins us from New York City to discuss Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions taking…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us