Friday, October 05, 2012

Connections and Natural Truths



People know about the political reality in America. Professor Robert Reich said it best about the debate from Wednesday. President Barack Obama won the debate on substance and Mitt Romney had a better performance in expressing his deceptive ideals. Romney was more aggressive and came to battle. In recent days, the President is acting more aggressive in his speeches after the debate. Mitt Romney has controversies with Bain capital, his comments on promotion agitation to fight Iran if necessary, and he was forced to apologize for his disrespectful comments about 47 percent of Americans. It is obvious that the President is not perfect, but the Republicans are ruled by strong reactionaries and borderline fascists. Now, Romney is switching positions in a matter of days in order to attempt to win the election. One of the biggest deceptive comments in the debate was when Mitt Romney wanted to promote states rights above the federal Constitution. States rights have been used as a code word decades ago as a means for Southern states to have Jim Crow segregation. Now, Romney doesn't want that, but the states aren’t infallible today. There is a balance between federal and state power. Their powers shouldn't be tyrannical, but the federal government has a role to promote the general welfare in society (in building roads, promoting science, and protect our liberties, which are found in the Constitution I might add as in Article I, Section 8). The reality is that trickled down economics doesn't work to develop our economy among the poor and the rest of Americans. The economics grows by spending in the right way via investments and other programs that can assist the poor and the middle class. Mitt Romney's views are nothing more than an updated, sophisticated version of Reaganomics. Corporations aren't people and we should reign in corporate corruption. We don't yearn for tax breaks for the super wealthy that allow the middle class to suffer or PBS to be stripped of it subsidies when PBS funding makes up so little of the total federal budget. There are a variety of forms of injustices in the world from many events in New Orleans and to the events in rural communities too. FOX News typically doesn't expose the plight of the poverty as a result of plutocratic policies either. There can be culture, autonomous communities, and communal power in the world to. That is why it is reasonable to have social democratic reforms in American society. Folks have the right to have collective bargaining rights, people have the right to receive opportunities in receiving universal education, people have the right to experience basic human liberties, etc. Also, even the Acts of the Apostles in the NT described many social democratic principles. Now, being a real American means to move forward. Moving forward means that medical care is a human right not a class privilege or a commodity to be solely traded in the market. We shouldn't be like Europeans culturally, but Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and other nations have great ideas about education, health care, etc. that we can utilize in influencing the development of revolutionary values. When you compare nations with universal health care and our health care system in America, there is no comparison. The words from Rush, Gingrich, O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, etc. don't represent all Americans. They represent some radical fringe that try to make folks move backwards and not forward into a progressive society. The reactionaries have the right to be on their private plans if they want to, but people who desire public services or Social Security ought not to be denied. The same ones lecturing us on personal responsibility say nothing on corporations behaving badly. Laissez capitalism leads to lax responsibility among the plutocrats or oligarchs (who use the Koch Brothers and some in Wall Street to fund Mitt Romney. Three quarters of all corporate funds are going to Mitt Romney. Corporate interests aided the reactionary Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin. Some Wall Street interest funds the President's campaign as well). The high level transnational corporations have record profits and there is record income inequality in the world. Some corporations usurp real jobs in small stores and cafes and shift union jobs overseas. Not all businesses are wrong, but many in the oligarchy use war mongers, criminals, and other miscreants for their own agenda. The government including the private sector can create jobs. Now, we should follow permanently the concept of human rights not the archaic philosophy of states’ rights alone.
  



QE3 hasn't been effective in handling the unemployment situation in America. Even people from across the political spectrum have talked about this issue. The Federal Reserve promoted its third round of quantitative easing. QE3 is mostly not likely to radically to reduce unemployment, because it will not put money in the pockets of consumers, it’s won’t reflate the money supply, and it won’t lower interest rates for homeowners. The action will be an action on the bank balance sheets. Main Street will not get dollars from the QE3. Catherine Austin Fits believes that the QE infinity plan was to unwind the mortgage debacle, so pensioners won't bankrupt to begin another war. She said that there is a criminal liability problem that could drive the global and national leadership (if all of the derivatives would default). There are the issues of derivatives piled on top (and who owns them), fraudulent mortgages, and other fraudulent mortgage securities. The Fed wants to use QE as a means to buy up toxic mortgage backed securities (MBS) with money created on a computer screen. The investors will hope to get their money back and the banks will reap their unearned profits. Fannie and Freddie will be bailed out. Yet, no radical policy is sent to help out homeowners. Many of them were bought into the system by good faith and some are losing their homes. Others have lost their homes. There are no write-downs and write-offs aimed at relieved the beleaguered homeowners. Some want to have write downs and write offs in order for homeowners to be relieved of burdens. Many massive banks are doing almost anything that they want to. High paid lobbyists still oppose some of the legitimate regulation of Dodd-Frank since they oppose any proposed regulation. Some want to nationalize the big banks or break their power up since it is very difficult to efficiently regulate them. In 2009, General Motors was temporarily nationalized until they were brought back to their feet. The government still owns a controlling of its stock. One of the largest insurance companies in the world is essentially nationalized. The government still owns about 60 percent of its stock. Some large banks need bankruptcy, receivership, and nationalization when toxic MBS has been allowed to default. Some large banks could have been insolvent. The FDIC can have a closure, liquidation, or merger with a healthy bank. Continental Illinois was the 7th largest bank in America. It failed in 1984. The FDIC wiped out existing shareholders, infused capital, took over bad assets, replaced senior management, and owned the bank for about a decade, running it as a commercial enterprise. In 1994, it was sold to a bank that is now part of Bank of America. Insolvent banks can experience receivership and bankruptcy before the government can possibly take them over. Some even want to nationalize the Federal Reserve Bank or make it under the control of the people directly. Breaking up the largest banks and turned them into really genuinely public investment banks (and make new socially owned and region banks) can finance more work for society. This plan of a democratic public solution has been proposed by Seumas Milne as found in July 2012 in the UK Guardian. The unemployment rate according to new figures decreased to 7.8 percent, which is the lowest level of unemployment since 2009. 114,000 jobs have been added in September. Most of the jobs deal with private sector health and transportation jobs. Public jobs grew. We aren't out of the woods yet, but these job numbers are better than no jobs created at all.

There is the Turkey and Syria conflict. NATO still wants a greater pretext for war with the recent issue over Turkey. Turkey claimed to the U.N. that Syria had apologized and had taken responsibility for the mortar attack. Some fear that the Turkey/Syria conflict can escalate into some war between both nations. There is new information coming out. The information says that there is the likelihood that the shelling could have been carried out by the Turkish-backed FSA rebels. Reuters now reported that Turkey's parliament gave the green light for military strikes to be carried out inside Syria. Also, Reuters described on how Turkey's deputy prime minister Besir Atalay told the UN how Syria admitted that it was responsible for the shelling that killed 5 civilians in Turkey (and Syria formally apologized for the incident). Turkish military forces are moving troops and tanks near the Turkish border. There is growing evidence now that the FSA rebels not the Syrian forces are responsible for the initial attack. The German news channel ZDF broadcast made 2 separate reports on how the Syrian rebels have taken responsibility for the attack in Akçakale, Turkey. There is a newly released video having Syrian rebels purportedly in the very region that the mortar attack took place showing off mortar shells and taking credit for the attack. Regardless, the some in the international community blamed Syria for the attack collectively. They want to condemn President Assad despite there being scant details of the incident. The Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan wants America to impose a no fly zone over the country in response to the attack. Syria never took responsibility for the attack or apologized for it. Bashar al-Jaafari (or Syria's UN representative) said that offering condolences to the victims of the attack in Turkey, Syria refused to accept the blame. al-Jaafai said that he wanted an investigation of the attack and expressed solidarity with the civilians. He said that the Syrian government is doing an investigation to see what is happening. The establishment is trying to make Syria to be blamed for the attack in Turkish territory as an excuse for NATO to attack and have regime change in Syria. I reject some pretext for a NATO forced regime change in Syria via a fabricated incident. Lies have historically been shown (by war mongers) in order for some contrived casus belli for a military assault. Assad is still in power after months of rebel attacks.


One of the greatest leaders of promoting human rights was Hubert Humphrey. He certainly inspired many people then and now, especially in the state of Minnesota. Minnesota is whereh e was raised. I admire a lot of his views, except his views on the Vietnam War. Although, he certainly and forthrightly agreed with human rights for all human beings without exception. He lived during the time of transition from much of hardcore traditionalism of the past to the modern society that we witness today in the 21st century. He specifically articulated measures of reform in order to enhance the community of the world without strident oppression against fellow human beings. He was one of the greatest legislators in American history. He was responsible for us drinking some fresh water, breathing clean air, and promoting foreign aid to nations that legitimately need assistance. Back in July of 1948, Hubert Humphrey promoted human rights and civil rights for all people during the Democratic Convention. He spoke out against lynching, discrimination in voting, employment, and the armed services in 1948. He believed that human rights are beyond states rights, which is true. The civil rights plank was later passed in the Democratic Party platform and the bigoted Dixiecrats walked out. As we become older, we realize that we must respect people. We shouldn't advocate discrimination as some way to dominate a person savagely. All people are created equal and all human beings deserve equality. If a person genuinely needs help, I will help that person out free of charge. He was born in May of 1911. The social contract of the government relates to the government executing its duty to provide the general welfare of society. Hubert Humphrey wanted a national health care program as well. Ironically, President John F. Kennedy was influenced by Humphrey. They debated each other before JFK was elected President. Later, JFK's Peace Corps plan was inspired by Humphrey's avocation of foreign aid into foreign lands. Humphrey wanted Kennedy to promote civil rights legislation. The Kennedy administration was hesitant at first until 1963. In 1963, JFK started to wake up about civil rights issues for real. Republicans and Democrats worked to pass civil rights and voting rights legislation (in 1964 and 1965). Humphrey refused to attack a place in North Vietnam, and LBJ shunned him to promote the Great Society programs. Humphrey was tied to the war since he was the Vice President. He campaigned in 1968 and lost to Nixon in a very close election. During the 1968 Presidential race, Humphrey promoted a campaign of peace and an end to the war in Vietnam. He called for a withdrawal of troops and an end of bombing in Vietnam. Scholars said that if he would have of spoken about a peace platform earlier in the race, he might of beat Richard Nixon during the 1968 election. The Paris Peace talks was about to occur, but the Nixon campaign prevented it causing the war to continue for more years. Hubert Humphrey died of cancer, but he was remembered in many ways. He promoted the caring for the young, the old, the oppressed, and the disinherited among the whole world.




Now, there are many issues in the black community. Fundamentally, we are Black Afikans period. We are Africans as Kwame Ture said. Just because you are born in another continent doesn't make you any less African. A real African, who was born in Africa, taught me heavily on economics. Africans assisted the civil rights movement and other movements of black social liberation. Africa is our original homeland. Kwame Ture, Malcolm X, and Dr. King worked with Africans decades ago to established cultural, political power. No real black person will bash the good things that are found in Africa period. We know in black African cultural, there is collective, communal essence of society. That means that we are our brothers and our sisters’ keepers. We help one another and love each other as human beings. Also, another part of black culture is the co-regent power of the Black King and the Black Queen. In other words, black men and black women have equal value in the black community without oppression. Marcus Garvey once said, “If Blacks knew more of their glorious past, then they would be more inclined to respect themselves!”  Also, we should improve our conflict resolution skills, our leadership abilities, and other qualities of our lives. I have empathy and all people should have empathy with each other. So, it's our job to show strength and compassion in a balanced approach (as a means to fight racism and white supremacy). Our survival is tied to the growth of black families. That is why Black Unity is very important to grow not only our black cohesiveness, but our strength and power in society. Strong families equal into strong Black Power. It's simple mathematics. Not to mention that we can have solace for the great work of heroes past and present. One such hero was the great civil rights leader named Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. He worked throughout the nation to promote liberty for all peoples and develop housing for black people in Cincinnati, Ohio back in 1989. He created the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights back in 1956. Of course, he joined with the SCLC (or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) as a means to protest Jim Crow segregation in 1963 (at Birmingham, Alabama). He defeated the efforts of the brutal white supremacist Bull Connor (this evil man used police and fire department to assault innocent black men, women, and children. This was shown in live television decades. Today, we have Bull Connors now harming our brothers and sisters via police brutality, assaults, and even murders like what happen to the 6 year old sister named Aiyana in Detroit). Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth fought against racial injustice all of his life. You know the Sister Fannie Lou Hamer fought for human liberty too. She experienced assault by police officers, but she protested for black people to experience voting rights. She worked with SNCC along with Kwame Ture and Malcolm X. Fannie Lou Hamer was gifted with a strong oratory ability. In the 1960's and the 1970's, she advocated rights for the poor, rights for women, and she opposed the Vietnam War (her ethos was anti-war and pro-peace indeed). There are other people like Rita Dove, who wrote eloquent poetry that described the mindset and creativity of black people. Natalie Hinderas even was a great black American classical pianist, composer, and Professor at Temple University in Pennsylvania. She performed her musical gifts nationwide. She was performing in orchestras in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, and New York City. Now, we respect our ancestors and their promotion of unity, peace, harmony, balance, and strength. These are of the cores of true spirituality and true spirituality has their origins from Africa.

By Timothy

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