Yes, we know we said No Fools Allowed
was going to be a weekly column. Yes, we know we did not deliver. Yes,
we
have a valid excuse. No, we are not going to explain any further. However,
we will do our best to produce as often as possible.
The November 3rd Movement
Moving right along, Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider Column of September
30, 2004 entitled "The November 3rd Movement", resonated with a
number of  readers.
Wayne Owens of
Middletown, California believes Margaret has a precise and honorable voice.
Your well-spoken thoughts have the clarity and integrity which alone
can bring the Democratic party back from the brink of its self-inflicted degradation.
Congratulations to you for the courage and the candor
you so clearly and eloquently express. I well remember
when I first became aware of Terry McAullife,
Bill Clinton, Ron Brown, et al. One needn't have done more than
simply look and listen. The smug sheen of money-lust was all over
them, wishing as they clearly were to be in with the corporate chieftans
who
were even then well on their way to corrupting the
political process.
At the heart of Fascism lies the lust for control
of all the wealth a
country can create. When the Democratic Party,
led by these weak and short-sighted men, tried to emulate the new Wall Street Radicals in the Republican
Party,
they started all of us on the road to hell.
I sincerely hope that your voice will be heard by
an ever-widening audience, and that you
will continue to fight for the very survival of all that we hold dear.
From Bethesda, Maryland, Margaret Iovino asks to be signed up in
Margaret's corner on November 3rd.
I agree it has to start w/ the media. We expect politicians to
betray
us, but the media needs to be reformed in order for democracy to
survive.
It is no different from the Nazi-controlled media in Germany which
I
studied.
Imagine inflating the image of a dangerous psychopath like Bush.
I think that they should be investigated and tried for war crimes,
like
Julius
Streicher.
African Town
Reverend Reynard N. Blake, Jr.,
President/CEO of
Community Development Associates in
East Lansing, Michigan thanks Sister Kimberly for her "African Town: Motor City
Melodrama" column of October
7, 2004.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Your African Town article is an important piece in terms of using Detroit
as example of urban desperation to revitalize an area. Although I live
in
East Lansing, I serve as a a minister of community development at Tried
Stone Baptist Church in Detroit. Let me tell you, it has been the hardest
job of my life!
Churches, which are the only viable institutions in
some
neighborhoods, cannot work together for any length of time to address
community economic development issues, not unless there is a direct
economic benefit to the institution or some egregious act of racism
in the
area. Having stated this, one would question how the secular world
of
Detroit could work together.
Common goals are never established in
Detroit, much less united action. Meanwhile, some neighborhoods and
the
downtown area become wastelands. To be honest, I really do not know
what to
do, sometimes. Even the state and area universities have limited commitment
to improving Detroit, not unless there is large amounts
of grant money. Now, THAT'S BAD!!!!
We have had Dr. Anderson [author of the African Town plan] to speak
at a couple of our community economic development conferences. I
was never impressed and after reading
his book
I became more disillusioned because his ideas are outdated (even nostalgic)
and almost unachievable.
Hopefully, things will change for the better in Detroit however,
things may
have to get worse (which, in some areas, has already reached that level)
before it gets better. But then, there will be an even stronger
movement
to the suburbs. Pray for us!
Again, thank you for your important and timely article.
Be at peace.
The Governator
A reader going by the name DPEASEHEAD reacted to Margaret's September 23, 2004 column entitled: "President Arnold Schwarzenegger."
The best thing that can be said about both the recent
recall election in California, and the 2000 Presidential election,
is that each event puts one
more nail in the coffin of the myth of American meritocracy.
Unqualified White
men continue to be installed in positions of great power
to the detriment of
the nation and of the world.
Leutisha Stills of
Oakland, California does not take the blame for the election of the Governator.
As a resident of Northern California, I know the embarrassment one
feels when they go out of state and get hit with the question:
"HOW DID YOU ALLOW SCHARZENEGGER TO BECOME CALIFORNIA'S GOVERNOR?"
First of all, I need to remind people that the majority of votes
the Terminator received came largely from Southern California
- with Los Angeles being the only county to join all nine
Northern California counties in not voting for him and not
supporting the recall. Those of us in Los Angeles County
and Northern California were definitely not drinking the Kool-Aid
regarding Ah-nold.
Second, since he's become Governor, Ah-nold has flip-flopped on
more legislation and political stances than Bush and Kerry COMBINED.
Ah-nold's tactic is to attempt to bully the Legislature
into giving him what he wants, and if that fails, then he
attempts to place the issue on ballot initiatives and let
those in rural California decide legislation that affects us all. He
also
mocks the Legislature by calling them "Girlie-Men" (which was
code speak for him calling the men and women who serve in the Assembly
or Senate the
homophobic slur of "fags") and the amazing thing is, no one called
him on it.
He has yet to set foot in Oakland, cause he knows he's going
to have to deal with us and the budget cuts he's imposing, which lessens
the quality of life for the lower-income masses, the elderly
and
children (the state didn't put Randolph Ward over the Oakland
Unified School District to save it - but to destroy it and sending it
into privatization and facilitate the promotion of school vouchers).
He
won't come to Oakland because he knows we will hold him accountable
for the way he displaced a democratically elected governor
(Gray Davis) by campaigning on the promise
that he could do the job
better than Gray. All he has done is implement what Gray Davis was going
to do, anyway, and he's managed to really screw it up. At least
Davis was competent
enough to do what was beneficial for all of Californians, and not just
those with fat bank accounts (that are probably off-shored
in the Caymans).
This whole recall thing was embarrassing and made California a
laughing stock in the eyes of the Nation. However, don't be
surprised if other states (especially those with Democratic
governors) try it to advance their personal political agendas.
But then again, this is the land where five fools
on the Supreme Court acted in concert to give the White House to George
W. Bush, despite his being the most unqualified individual that has ever
occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Your article, as always, was insightful reporting. I just wanted
to share the experience as a Californian, the pain and embarrassment
behind it.
Race Pride
On September
16, 2004, The Freedom Rider Column, "Race Pride - Weapon
of Mass Distraction" caused Gary Harding to thank Margaret for advice
on dealing with Black traitors.
Thank you very much for your very frank advice in how
to deal with persons with black faces who continue to betray the African American community and the worlds'
black community.
We do need a wake up call to help us deal with the
facts, reality rather than emotional charged wishes.
All groups have traitors, and more of these
traitors need to be identified, and exposed for the
good of the whole community.
Again, I thank you and Black commentator for your
leadership in this very important area. Enemies need to be identified
no matter what color they might be.
Painful Voting
's
Cover Story: "Kerry - A Painful Vote" on September
9, 2004 brought this comment from William Bowles.
Yes, very painful indeed. Having read both the "Painful Vote"
piece and Ms Kimberley's "The Unthinkable" it's hard
not to come to the conclusion that in urging people to (painfully)
vote for Kerry they will have to pretend it's the Democratic
Party
they're really voting for, not Kerry and that once elected,
the DP grassroots will, through some process exert some kind
of influence
over the State Department and the Pentagon. But is this a
realistic position given that it'll be Kerry who's prez
not the DP?
After all, Bush is only widening the path already carved by Clinton
(and tested to destruction in the now former Yugoslavia).
Is it realistic to assume that Kerry will move "backwards" as
your piece put it? And backwards to what? Kosovo?
On the key issues, Iraq (and other points East), Israel, the Security
State, Kerry is in lockstep with Bush. You say that on domestic
issues he may save what's left of social benefits but how will
he pay for it if he is to pursue the key elements of a US imperialist
foreign policy? He may well not have evangelical (fascist) judeo-christians
on his side but he doesn't really need them to pursue the policies.
In fact, he may well be better positioned to enact Bush policies
than Bush is. I think the mistake is to view it as a Bush versus
Kerry fight when the events unfolding are intrinsic to the system.
It strikes me that there's a lot of wishful thinking involved
in rationalizing a vote for Kerry for it assumes that
this time, the grassroots and the Left will mobilize. We live in
hope.
Go well
Negro Miseducation
Joseph Adefope writes to thank Dr. Rhymes for
his "EXCELLENT" commentary on Desegregation. ("The Continuing
Miseducation of the Negro" by Edward Rhymes Ph.D., September
2, 2004).
I've shared the same feelings regarding African
American children in the public school system! My wife and
I are currently struggling with our second child in PISD (Plano Independent
School District, Texas). ALL of your commentary provides perspective
and answers! I sent it out my distribution list and encourage
those
to send it on to family, friends and school administrators!
My wife and I belong to a group called Club Generations Success
(www.clubgs.org), a non profit group that champions the
interest, concerns and advancement of African American children
in the
Dallas, TX metroplex.
Haiti in Chains Marguerite Laurent of the Haitian
Lawyers Leadership Network posted
Kevin Pina's article
of Sept 16, 2004,
"One Man’s Democracy
is Another Man’s Chains: The Untold Story of Aristide’s
Departure from Haiti", to her list. Her introduction
was the following.
"One Man's democracy is another man's chains..." is
one of the best and most thorough accounts of the OAS/US/EU
machinations that led to
the overthrow of Haiti's democracy I've yet to read. I too
was present at
that hotel lobby in Port-au-Prince when Luigi Einaudi of the
OAS made his
infamous remark, before the necessity for a Coup d'etat, about
how horrible it was
that "Haitians were running Haiti." This article
is required reading for all
Haitian men, women and children. It should be in all our textbooks
and translated
in every language for all interested in unraveling the Latortue/Haitian
army
noose being secured around Haiti's Liberty and how the 2004
Coup d'etat, the
insane bloodletting Haitians have suffered this year, was orchestrated
and
implemented by the Western powers.
Ethnic Warfare
Cheryl Hutchinson appreciated our September
23, 2004 Cover Story:
"Ethnic Warfare as Policy: Sudan and the U.S. are Guilty."
Your article published today regarding Sudan is the best, most edifying
article I have seen on the subject. It is a difficult conflict to understand
because
so many are using it to advance their own agenda.
The ADL for example wants to further incite Christians against Muslims. Therefore,
they want to portray it purely as a clash between the two religions, in spite
of the fact many victims are also Muslims, or even animists. They, along with
others, also seem to like to throw in the race issue, portraying it as Arabs
vs. Blacks, though racially, many on both sides are racially indistinguishable.
Other nations (France and China come to mind, among others) want to downplay
the situation because of their own greed and avarice (oil resources!).
All of the posturing is tragic, particularly since there seems to be so
little concern
for the actual victims and the daily hell they are living!
Thank you for not only clarifying what is going on, but putting it in context.
I hope your article enjoys the widest possible readership.
Faith-Based Economics The Black Commentator's core audience is African Americans and their
allies in the struggle for social and economic justice. Therefore,
the truth about jobs in the U.S. is extremely important to us. It
was with great interest we read "Faith-Based
Economics" in Counterpunch written by Paul Craig Roberts. Here
are some excerpts.
The US economy has ceased to create jobs in tradable goods and services.
The disastrous September payroll jobs data are a repeat of the monthly
trend that has held for the nearly four years of the Bush administration.
Of September's 96,000 new jobs, 73% are accounted for by two categories:
government jobs and temporary help! There were only 59,000 private
sector jobs created in September, and 33,000 of those--56%--are temps!
It is easy to blame the Bush administration, but the real blame lies
with outsourcing and offshore production. By locating production for
US markets offshore, US firms can substitute much cheaper foreign labor
for US labor to make the goods and services sold to Americans. The
high speed Internet makes it possible for US firms to hire foreigners
residing abroad, where living costs are low, to do knowledge-based
jobs formerly performed by US university graduates.
The US is losing the ability to manufacture a range of advanced technology
products and is now dependent on imports of advanced technology goods
from China and Japan. Entire high tech occupations are beginning to
disappear in America, with computer engineering enrollments in topflight
schools such as M.I.T., Georgia Tech, and UC, Berkeley shrinking by
45%.
Last week economist Joseph Stiglitz reported that median US income
has fallen by over $1,500 in real terms over the past three and one-half
years.
Despite all evidence to the contrary, "free market," "free-trade" economists
continue to give assurances that Americans are prospering from outsourcing.
This delusion is equivalent to the Bush administration's delusion
that the US is winning in Iraq.
As high-tech US jobs move offshore, economists chant a lemming-like
chorus: the answer is more high-tech education.
Other economists claim that we need more tax cuts to help US firms
acquire more capital with which to make US workers more productive
and, thus, more competitive. This is a pointless exercise when the
capital (and technology) is being used to employ foreigners in place
of Americans.
Outsourcing and offshore production are new phenomena. They have not
been around long enough to comprise a large share of US production
abroad. But they have been around long enough to erode American employment
and wages in tradable goods and services.
When a US multinational ceases to produce in Ohio for its domestic
markets, and moves the production abroad, the Ohio jobs disappear.
Wages fall or stagnate in similar lines of work that still remain the
the US.
American students are becoming aware of the facts, but economists
hold firmly to their fantasy that other new and even better jobs are
taking the place of those that have been outsourced. There is no evidence
whatsoever in behalf of this claim.
Economics has ceased to be an empirical science and has become a religious
faith.
Paul Craig Roberts is John M. Olin Fellow at the Institute for
Political Economy and Research Fellow at the Independent Institute.
He is a former
associate editor of the Wall Street Journal and a former assistant
secretary of the U.S. Treasury. He is the co-author of The Tyranny
of Good Intentions.
Listening to The Black Commentator John Farabee is a RADIO
BC listener.
1) Thanks for the "Cuba" radio commentary. I never considered
the race angle (silly me). 2) The absurd proposition that a substantial
amount of Americans want to send Bush 2 back to the White House betrays
a widespread, debilitating panic: "If we don't keep Bush, we'll
be forced to surrender some of our white privileges." This stain
wears well.
P.S: Thanks for your always sleek, sinewy, unadorned analysis. It's
a privilege to know you!
All RADIO BC commentaries are voiced by Co-Publisher
and Editor-In-Chief, Glen Ford. All of these audio commentaries are
available for listening
on the RADIO BC main page.
Some of them were created for broadcast on the program Uprising on KPFK-FM,
Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles which can be heard live Monday thru Friday
from 8 to 9am Pacific time. RADIO BC is
part of Friday's program.
All audio files are in WMA 9 format. Click
here to download a Windows Media 9 Series player for your PC
or MAC. The Windows Media player is free and free to download. It
is usually included as part of a Windows operating system.
Each program is between 3 and 4 minutes long
Glen also speaks for when our thinking is requested by radio and
television interview programs. Deborah Edghill heard Glen in New York
City.
I heard your interview with Doug Henwood on WBAI radio. It was engrossing and
perceptive. I stumbled on your site sometime ago when I was researching the Tennessee
Congressman H. Ford.
Your on air voice was as compelling as your web commentaries. Too bad Skip Gates
is the only media darling for the intellectual black voice. I wish more people
who
market themselves as a "black voice" had your depth within historical
and current event frameworks. His sometimes shallow and self deprecating work
is in serious need of psychoanalysis.
Brother Ford responded as follows.
Dear Ms. Edghill:
Thanks for the kind words. Prof. Gates has groomed himself
over a lifetime to be an acceptable "black voice" -
acceptable, that is, to the general white audience. In that
sense, he is quite successful. He acts as a filter
of the Black world view. White folks think they're smoking, but it ain't
the real thing.
A dead Senator
A powerful senator dies after a prolonged illness. His soul
arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the
entrance. "Welcome
to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before
you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see
a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure
what to do with you. "No problem, just let me in," says the
guy.
"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up. What
we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and
one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity. "Really, I've made up my mind. I want to
be in heaven,"
says the senator. "I'm sorry but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he
goes down, down, down to Hell. The doors open
and he finds himself in the middle of a green
golf course. In the distance is a club and standing in front
of it are all his friends and other politicians
who had worked with him, everyone is very happy
and in evening attire. They run to greet him, hug him, and reminisce
about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of
the people. They play a friendly game of golf
and then dine on lobster and caviar.
Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy
who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.
They are having such a good time that before he
realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves
while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up and the
door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting
for him. "Now
it's time to visit Heaven."
So 24 hours pass with the head of state joining a group of contented
souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the
harp and singing. They have a good time and, before
he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns. "Well
then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity."
He reflects for a minute, then the senator answers, "Well,
I would never have said it, I mean Heaven has
been delightful, but I think I would be better
off in Hell." So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator
and he goes down, down, down to Hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and he is in the middle of
a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking
up the trash and putting it in black bags. The Devil comes over
to him and lays his arm on his neck. "I don't
understand," stammers
the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there
was a golf course and club and we ate lobster
and caviar and danced and had a great time. Now all there is,
a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.
The
Devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we
were campaigning... Today you voted for us!"
Send your e-Mail to [email protected].
Thank you very much for your readership and keep writing. No Fools
Allowed will return in the near future - stay tuned!
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