Again or Still? Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Libya

Seems like there is rarely a mention of Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Libya in the mainstream news anymore, and more importantly, from the oral cavities of U.S. politicians. Maybe we might hear about the occasional bombing that happens in Iraq each day nationally since U.S. forces invaded the country and left, in particular in Sunni dominated areas, to live along side al Qaeda just to survive, or a word or two from a lame-brained republican about Benghazi, but really that is about it.

I am even more assured that we will not hear about Afghanistan (with the exception of their lunatic of a President Hamid Karzai) or Libya. In particular from the hawkish John McCain, Lindsey Graham and more exacting, from the lips of President Obama.  Especially now with the feces hitting the proverbial Ukrainian fan.

America is really in a leadership, or even more basically, hand-holding vacuum.  See real leaders, or better yet statesmen can walk the walk while holding the hands of folks who require baby steps to make any progress on anything. In Iraq for example, it is coming to pieces, it may be three or even four states by time all the smoke clears. Last year alone, more than 10,000 people died, and most likely many more. And just in the first month of 2014 alone, more than 1000 Iraqis were killed in car and suicide bombings, most of which were civilians.

If we were hearing about Iraq, we would be reminded of how we meddle into affairs that were not ours, on a completely other side of the globe and which we leave in shabbles. If Obama or the media mentioned Iraq, they would have to show how the al Qaeda group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken over the region, a region were al Qaeda never existed be for the U.S. Invasion and occupation of Iraq. Or how refugees from the Western part of Iraq and in the Anbar provinceare making fast motion to become refugees in Jordan. Or even worse, how the man we installed as Prime Minister (Nouri al-Maliki) has provided no service to Sunnis, made them focus of attacks, and used government troops to squash any open and “democratic” protest against his government. Now unbelievably, Sunni side with ISIS against another U.S. backed regime. And Libya is definetly out of the question with the Islamic extremist being in control of ALL the oil and even shipping it to North Korea. And God forbid i mention that the Libyian Parliment ousted Prime Minister Ali Zeidan out of office Tuesday. 

Now back to Ukraine, am I the only one that considers the hypocrisy of U.S. Foreign policy with respect to the rhetoric hurled towards Russia?  If my history is correct, the only nation I recall Russia, since the break-up that is going to war with was Georgia in 2008.  For Obama to say that Russia needs to respect the borders of sovereign nations is kind of lames, and like someone not living in my home telling me what to cook: given the U.S. has had at least four wars (all undeclared) with Iraq, Libya, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan and currently bomb without any respect of “territorial integrity” to use the words of Secretary of State John Kerry of places like, Yemen, Somalia, Kosovo, Serbia Bolivia and you name it.

It is even more ironic when one includes U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland (wife of Robert Kagan), be caught and recorded telling the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine which leaders of the Ukrainian coup should be placed in a new government and which ones should not when she quipped, “Fuck the EU.” How is it that a simple statement is considered more news worthy than the content of her telling a “sovereign” nation to put who the U.S. want in office and not the people of said nation?

Even to consider the Ukraine as a ground for the start of a “liberal democracy” is ridiculous, when we all know it will only become a western puppet nation run by feudal oligarchical landlords. Not to mention everybody seems to forget that if the EU and America were not sitting on their hands, they would have been able to have played a role other than watching the game from their living room sofa’s.

U.S. hypocrisy regarding the Ukraine is shameful and beyond ridiculous. We say or Describe Putin as being like Hitler (Hillary Clinton’s historical inaccuracy) yet taking U.S. tax payer money to the tune of $1 billion to send to a government filled with nationalist fascist yet they don’t have any money to spend on behalf of American job seekers. We say it is anti-democratic and wrong for people to desire and practice self-determination in the Crimea but ok for all else in Egypt, Libya and Syria. Which suggest according to this Administration and the many before him, self-determination is only cool when it serves the U.S. and no one else? We all know that it was Obama that described the desire of the Crimean people to vote, and want to vote on their future as “undemocratic” and “illegitimate.”

But none of this won’t be told or mentioned by our government or news media. The reality is if they did bring up Syria, or Libya, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, out hypocrisy would be on the red carpet for all to watch and document and equal to them shooting themselves in the foot..

ICYMI: Obama Justifies FEMA imprisonment of civilians

China vs the USA

Homelessness Getting Worse in America

1] Code Blue declared; local church helping to homeless (PA)

2] As homeless seek safe haven, counties seek out solutions (FL)

3] Thurston County seeks permanent homeless site (WA)

4] As winter descends, some of Madison's homeless live in tents (WI)

5] Homeless in the desert (AZ)

6] Church-run shelter opens when it drops to 20 degrees (OR)

7] Homeless Campground Cleared By City Police (TN)

real n the field

Point of order: 1] Bumping that Al Stewart Year of the cat in my shop as I write.

2] “I'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round.” Mumahhad Ali

My boy Dante stopped by the shop this week (in photo). He was one of my former students. He gave me a great compliment. He said outside of his dad, I was the only man that he had ever received real guidance and inspiration from. He also said that I was part of the reason he decided to go into doing his painting full time for real (other pics).

Note: If you meet him don’t be asking what is he painting or that you need some pictures because his work is too abstract for he will say “open your brain and see what you can see folk.”

You see he is an artist, and one his painting will be on the poster for the National Black Arts festival this year (PSA – I have 2 signings during this event). A world renowned artist at that with his works hanging in some of the top museums and galleries around the world. In our conversation, we talked of politics and of the state of the world today. In essence we came to the conclusion that it is on. That race is being obviated these days and that it is all down to surviving.

I use this to just say that what we see as war currently, is about to change. We only see Afghanistan and Iraq, but war soon will be pronounced in these streets over here in the USA. For it wont be too long when folks start waking up in the morning and seeing 11 or 12 folk in front of their cribs with gats not to just rob people, but to eat. For can goods and gasoline. Yep we are about to go through some turbulent times here in these United States of America and if u cant pay yourself, as I have said before, you wont eat, unless you take to the streets and tax others the wild wild west way.

I aint trying to scare nobody, nor am I attempting to be prophetic. I am only offering a warning. For down here we have a saying, “These ni***z are real in the field (gerund being none race specific).” And naw, this aint the rhetoric of 19^th century scholars, but the plane truth. Just the other day down here in East Point, Ga, two white boys went up into a gas station, and stole gas in broad day light. And if you know East Point, folks don’t even speed there. Broad day light and when East Point 12 rolled up, they just started bussing, in broad day light. BLAP, BLAP, BLAP. They even turning over Urns up in this camp, you know on grave sites and selling them.

Yea folk its on, war overseas is faux pa now, its finna be over here up in this camp for as it has been said, THESE N****Z IS REAL IN THE FIELD. So don’t be surprised if they start buffaloing cribs for can goods and grits. vote

Much Ado about Reparations-circa 2002

Reparations: The act or process of repairing or the condition of being repaired. the act or process of making amends; and/or something done or paid to compensate or make amends. All of the aforementioned definitions are nouns that refer to something given in compensation for loss, suffering, or damage suffered at the hands of another.

This is the new calling card of descendants of slaves in America and it is not difficult to see why a big push is being made for such in light of the fact that the United States will never proffer such restitution -- reparations for slavery. The way I see it, there is no way possible for millions of white folk to pay let alone admit that slavery was so damaging to our kind. One problem is the observation that most whites did now own slaves. Complicating this is the current administration position on the issue of race. Both President Bush and the Attorney General have blocked any discussions on the issue of race and white privilege in America as well as issues related to compensations for African Americans. They even refused to send representatives to a conference in Durban, South Africa where racial issues were being discussed. Only an simpleton would think that those same forces would ask their corporate sponsors to tax themselves as a punishment for becoming rich off free labor in the form of slavery? Another concerns are that the vast majority of people who have spoken publicly on the issue have been less than articulate on the main points.

The Entire United States of America benefited from the institution of slavery. This includes individuals able to afford slaves, insurance companies that insured ships and human cargo, builders making slave ships, loggers who cut down trees to the smallest businessman? All of these people profited and benefited from the institution of slavery both financially and socially. In the final word, the truth is we will be lucky if we get an apology for slavery. This however, is very unlikely given the current locution and attitudes of the political public in this age of growing polarization in America. Is it possible to provide reparations to 36,000,000 or more African Americans for the enslavement of some Africans in the United States between the 16th and 19th centuries? I say yes. Establishing regional banking institutions that assist in developing and providing no interest loans to individuals for education and business development purposes can do it. This type of an approach would be apt given how racism as a consequence of slavery resulted in reduced access and opportunity for African Americans.

Whatever the solution for empowerment, we must do something. Something other than try convince some white folks about the morality of reparations and the obvious disinfanchisment of descendants of slaves complicated by not being able to participate and have a history of wealth and its intergenerational transfer, in a manner similar to people of european descent in America.