Sophisticated Colonialism

Social inequality will always be at the center of U.S. politics.
Hurricane Katrina made visible for American that the social
and racial divide were one in the same. From all perspectives
it was visible that what is considered the American dream for
many selected folks is more of a nightmare to others. It
doesn’t seem as if things will change the way the reconstruction
effort has been imitated.

In September 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported, that
FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers awarded six contracts
for as much as $100 million, for recovery and rebuilding work
in the Gulf area. The Shaw Group landed two of these $100
million deals and other lucky folk included Bechtel, Fluor, and
CH2M Hill. Halliburton in the immediate aftermath of the
hurricane recived $29.8 million in Pentagon contracts to
rebuild Navy bases along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast.
Halliburton hits it big also in Iraq, grossing more than $10
billion in Iraq-war related income

The lessons learned abroad by big corporations are being
transferred here state side. Just as in Iraq, no-bid reconstruction
contracts have been given to corporations. This has been
common since the White House created the Office of the
Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization in August
2004. Headed by former US Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual,
since then, it appears as if the Defense Department and FEMA have
been able to successfully drop mega loot in the laps of the rich while
at the same time encourage and foster an atmosphere supportive
privatization. Most of which involve situations of rebuilding
communities after major disaters in which only big corporations
seem to benefit.

This strict focus on reconstruction, and using the private sector
to rebuild areas after wars and disasters, has been labeled by
some as disaster capitalism while a Bangalore-based
researcher named Shalmali Guttal, has described this as
“sophisticated colonialism.” For the government it make sense,
given in many respects, it was difficult to discern what we saw in
the gulf as being any different from Iraq and Africa. Clocking dough
is cool, but not ifnone of the folks indigenous to the problem areas
cannot make any of that money. It just lets me know to be leery of government
in general; maybe that’s their plan afterall.

Chipping Away Liberty

Man, I know most of yall think I am crazy. But on the contrary,
I just like to think and presuppose and offer the conditionals,
could, should and what if? The Bush administration has announced
that starting in October 2006; all U.S. passports will be implanted
with remotely-readable computer chips.

That’s Machine Readable Passports that make use of radio
frequency ID (RFID) chips that can transmit personal
information. About one-third of a millimeter across, these
chips act as transponders (transmitters/responders), that
search for radio signals sent by transceivers or RFID readers.
They transmit data by bringing it into range of a receiver.
Invented in 1969 and patented in 1973, they require no battery
meaning they are much smaller and can be placed, even permanently
in difficult locations. They can be found in everything from
credit cards, clothes and even pets. Hitachi's has developed
a new chip, which carries its own built-in antenna, that is
smaller a flake of pepper.

To me, as I indicated earlier (REF), it’s just some more martial law police
state shit proffered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
It will allow them to identify people in crowds and be able to
hold information including name, date of birth, place of birth,
digitized photographs, medical records and/or iris scans.
This just means cheaper (about 5 cents each) and smaller
surveillance. No matter what ones does the chip can't be
demagnetize. Maybe one could remove the chip, but they
would have to be able to locate it given its microscopic size.

Hitachi is talking with the European Central Bank on a project
to embed RFID chips in euro bank notes. While it is evident
that the government, under the guise of homeland security in
these United States of America, keep chipping away literally,
at our civil liberties. Another concern is that identity thieves
could snatch personal information out of the air easy by
directing an antenna at a person or a vehicle carrying a
passport or any other RFID containing item. Maybe the
Congress should require that all people be notified about
products with embedded RFID tags. But such is doubtful,
they don’t work anyway.

The Birds

Alfred Hitchcok did it 1st Mr. President

One of the best horror flicks I ever saw coming up was
Alfred Hitchcocks – The Birds. In the movie, Birds was (im country)
rolling like crips wreaking havoc on a small lily white, coastal
town. A few weeks ago, your boy G.W. got on the television set,
read a few tele-prompted words that he likely didn’t write
and played the role of contentious national leader. The speech
was on the war with Iraq, fighting AIDS, and guarding against
new health threats, namely the Avian Influenza virus.

Just a few weeks after the President did this, we began to see
a few more situations manifest. First the British government
said a strain of bird flu that killed a parrot in quarantine is has
made it to Europe. The bird died from the same strain that killed
61 people in Asia over the past few years. It has also been observed
in avian species in Russia, Turkey, Sweden and Montenegro.
In Russia, The latest incident of bird flu was in Tambov,
about 250 miles southeast of Moscow
Meanwhile back on the home front, the president actually
requested from congress, the power to use the military if
a bird flu pandemic ever occurs. He has also met with major
pharmaceutical company big wigs including GlaxoSmithKline
and Merck & Co., asking them to develop a vaccine against
bird. For some reason I feel that the President may have
already dropped a few vials of the H5N1 in the hands of
some of his cronies.

I hope I am just being far-fetched, cynical and conspiratorial
but it is very ironic, that almost two-weeks after The
President gave his speech talking about the threats of
at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, we
begin to see first: 1) news coverage outlining the risk and
scaring the general public, 2) news releases that
pharmaceutical companies will begin mass production of a vaccine
that we don’t or won’t know will work, and 3) outbreaks of the
virus in countries across Europe. I don’t know how much risk
we are to the bird flu, frankly I feel a greater risk of being
beaten to death by a cop or crashing on I-285. I wonder
what will be the next thing the government uses to scare
us into denying our civil liberties and moving us closer to
martial law and a police state. If it is a remake of an
Alfred Hitchcock classis – I ain’t buying it.

ya dont say

"Eighty-nine percent of blacks" believe them folk owe us
some land and loot...... more.

in the mean time the man
and they pundits hate - now its Spike Lee

The there is the new possibility of more war.

Will the next world war be fought over the internet or will Vice President Cheney dicide to go else where like Syria or Iran be the next sites for war?

Female Dog Gluteus Maximus Negro

[originally called Bitch ass nigga-editors changed it]
I have always traveled back and forth to Africa rather
frequently over the last 12 years. Each time I learn something
new about African cultures as well as my own, being an
African American. My most recent trip brought to the fore
an experience that I never would have dreamed of
occurring – meeting a fellow African American, whom for
me it was obvious was his first time in Africa, who did
not acknowledge another fellow countryman. Now
when I’m there, I stay in houses or five star hotels.
This time I was in one of my regular habitats in
Johannesburg – the Hyatt Rosebank in Sandton. For the
purpose of anonymity, I will try to tell the story in an old
fashion way as to not give out too much information on
the person I am speaking about.

Once upon a time, an expatriate returned to South Africa
on one of his usual business trips. He stayed in a luxurious
five star hotel where he often occupied the Bill Clinton
Suite. The floor of this hotel, where this suite was located
also contained all of the other suites in the hotel. One
morning by chance he woke up and exited his room.
At the same time, a fellow African American was coming
out of his room also. He spoke to the young man. He could
recognize his face but did not know where he had seen him
before. Being the courteous person he was, he started small
talk and introduced himself. The young man seemed to be
brash, and not interested in the fact that there were other
African Americans staying in the hotel with him. Before
He could say have a nice day, the rather diminutive man
hurriedly walked away to the elevator, putting the head
phones to his mp3 player on his head, trying not to make
eye contact with the man. He was also very surprised to
see how short this person was, and If he would not have
know better, he may have though of him as being a black
mini-me of the Austin Powers variety.

The expatriate found the entire situation strange, especially
when it dawned on him who this person was. He was an actor,
a very popular actor. Although he had not seen any of his
movies, he knew that he had played several major roles
opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. In one movie
adapted from a major novel, he played opposite Whoopi
Goldberg and Angela Bassett. In another, he has also
played opposite of Omar Epps, Mos Def and Sanaa Lathan. The end.

I was very troubled by his actions and at first thought it
was just bad timing or an aberration. But we meet again,
and as I was saying hello again, he quickly jumped on the
elevator trying not to notice or make eye contact with me.
I say all of this just to instruct folks on how expatriates behave
when they are abroad. All Americans, especially African
Americans usually meet, greet and speak to each other
when in Africa. I have been with other notable celebrities in
a host of African countries, and even in flight, they are cordial
and seem to recognize the importance of acknowledging ones own
kind in a foreign country. So people please, when ever you are in
Africa, and you see a person who looks American, or hear a
distinctly unique American voice, common protocol is to
speak and be courteous, for you never may know who you
will run into. And please, what ever you do, don’t act like
a, well since I cant say what I would like to, a female dog
gluteus maximus Negro. I will not hold this against him,
hopefully he will learn from his mistakes and use this as
a growing experience. Besides I would never reduce myself
to such pettiness – not speaking when spoken too. I have
too much home training for that.

Ethnic Cleansing (10.1.05)

We will always remember from here on out the aftermath of
Hurricane Katrina. For me, it will begin with redefining and
rearranging old concepts into new ones. In particular is the
concept of ethnic cleansing. I have followed the recent
natural disaster that tore up the gulf coast, especially
New Orleans rather closely.
Ethnic cleansing refers to policies of forcibly removing
people of one ethnic group through actions man made
that can range to cover forced emigration, mass population
transfer and/or genocide. For most historians and
politicians it mainly refers to as the forced expulsion
of an unattractive and unwelcome group of people
from a given area (New Orleans) as a function of racial
discrimination. It was first used exclusively during
the conflict between Serbia and Croatia. Now, given
the recent comments by politicians and other
associated with the New Orleans community,
ethnic cleansing takes on a new meaning.
First, there is House Speaker Dennis Hastert
statement he made to a Chicago newspaper
that it was senseless saying that large areas of
New Orleans look as if they could be bulldozed.
Then there is Mark Drennen, who president of
Greater New Orleans Inc., who has referred to
residents of the damaged area as being a minority
group when in fact African Americans in the city
are the clear majority. Next there is former First
Lady Barbara Bush who stated that by loosing
their homes and being forcibly removed, that
the” underprivileged” were in a situation that
was” working very well for them.”
It will be some time before or if New Orleans as
will resemble its old self. Not only is the estimate of
nearly 200,000 homeless residents is high, President
Bush has proposed the “Urban Homesteading Act”
which really doesn’t do anything about the problem.
The concern is that the minority or approximately 25
percent white community will likely be allowed to
slowly return to the areas that were least damaged
(the French Quarter and the garden District) while
African Americans from the hardest hit areas will
have a more difficult task of retuning given they have
been bussed and transported to places as far away as
Minnesota and Utah. Maybe this is what was meant when
Republican Congressman Richard Baker of Baton said that
that the housing projects were finally cleaned
up--we couldn’t do it, but God did.
What has occurred in the city of New Orleans is a
deliberate and systematic destruction of the urban
African American community. More than 200,000
individuals, mostly African Americans have been removed,
transported and relocated to other parts of the country
under the guise of protection. But then again, that’s the
excuse the Serbs, the Croat’s and the Rwandans used also.

Mook -B, Born Immaculate & Fabo

Congrats to my Folk on their 98th place showing on
Billboard this week. Ill stop by the spot this week
Mook-B. more specifically it said "

This week's top debut was Alicia
Keys' "Unbreakable,"
which bowed at No. 61. Also new to the list
...... D4L's "Laffy Taffy" (No. 98).

typical assailant (7.28.05)

"Whoop that Trick"

If somebody is missing, you know the procedural manual
suggests blaming a man, preferably one of a darker shade.
Just ask Jennifer Wilbanks whose April wedding was
supposedly interrupted by a Latino man. Or, let’s go way
back to Charles Stuart in Boston, Massachusetts,
who said a black man shot his pregnant wife –when
actually, he was the assailant. Then there was Susan Smith,
who in 1994 stated that an African American man
kidnapped her sons, but authorities later discovered
that she drowned them herself.

This time, police in Aruba detained Mickey
John and Abraham Jones in connection with Natalee Holloway’s
disappearance. They were eventually released, but
they meet the standard of being males of African descent.
Why they were held so quickly and considered prime suspects
from jump street is not the issue. The issue is that history, replete
with incessant examples of allegations against men such
as myself, tends to repeat itself.

It appears that there has not been much change at all from
the days of law enforcement opening the jails and allowing
groups of white men to freely have their way with us without
due process. Now true, the justice system in Aruba is very
different from ours in the U.S. But the quickness with
which these men were held and condemned as being guilty,
was a continuation of past acts.

The men and women out there who happen to be mothers
and fathers, myself included, must always reinforce to their
daughters that they are valuable and that they will be
looked for if they’re ever missing, regardless of media
coverage. And for our sons, we must remind them that
things are not as they seem and that they too,
instantaneously and without due process can be considered
the typical assailant.--torrance stephens

i eat peta’s (1.27.05)

I want to unswervingly address this essay to the
organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
or PETA. Just to set the record straight, there is no
legitimate substitute or alternative for meat; not even
vegetable sushi or grilled tofu.
PETA is harping some new foolishness regarding fish
consumption by humans. This deception is called the
Fish Empathy Project. First, I cannot figure out why
PETA desires to behave as an oppressor and tell me
as an individual what I can and cannot consume. Second,
it is perceptible that they are picking solely on humans,
unless they are marketing this project to sharks and
other fish-eating fish, too.

It is beyond my mental faculties to consider that fish
require empathy when all I can think of is grilled salmon,
fried tilapia and tuna fish; and don’t forget to mention
crab, shrimp, oysters and clams.

No organization, not even the government, has the
authority to tell any person what to eat and/or place in
their body, for that matter. This is by all accounts an
inalienable right. By definition, inalienable rights are
rights that only God can allot. Not to mention, I eat
PETA’s – stuffed with meat and vegetables. PETA needs
to have empathy for soybeans and stop the spread of the
wind-borne soybean rust spore that is presently devastating
crops before their members find themselves eating
fish also. -torrance stephens

pictures of american presidents (1.6.05)

The economy is rather problematic; that is, if you are a
resident of the United States. The dollar is not as powerful as it
used to be. Currency exchange rates and our penchant to
borrow from abroad have lead to these concerns. As things
stand, the picture does not appear to be improving anytime
soon. There is an increase in requests for unemployment
benefits and the U.S. has not engendered any new development
of economic capital within its borders to create employment
for an already large and ever expanding populace,
although the president just signed a $388 billion pork-filled
bill to keep the government up and running for another fiscal year.
As we continue to borrow and increase our national deficit,
China—where the current value of the Chinese yuan is
8.3 to one U.S. dollar—is sitting pretty and set up to
make an appealing penny, as well as create a strong
boost for their own economy by flooding the U.S. with cheap
imports.

Other countries may be in dire economic times, but we, as
our forefathers might say, are up a creek without a paddle.
Surely, we can recover, but how long will this take? Add to
the aforementioned the open-ended cost of occupying Iraq,
and unstable energy prices at the consumer level. We should
all expect a deluge of pink slips in our communities. This is
because the world, especially the folks from whom we borrow,
are weary of us forcing our views on other countries and no longer
want to accept U.S currency bearing minute pictures of American
presidents for their services and products, because the dollar
has no value. –torrance stephens