There has been a defunding of the NIH for years. The cuts in our public health services have contributed to the problems involving handling ebola. Also, there has been miscommunication among agencies in the world. Certainly, we need a stronger infrastructure & greater investments in America including Africa as a means for human beings to fight back against ebola. We wish confront and assistance to any victim of this dangerous virus. Legitimate precautions ought to be taken. Not to mention that we have to educated on ebola and realize that we have to be careful in our lives as well. This story is why HEALTH CARE is not only important, but we have express concern for humanity. The ebola situation is strange. We all express compassion and sympathy to our Brothers and to our Sisters suffering ebola in Africa. There are the white missionaries who seemed to be cured from it. The cameraman experienced it too. The Liberian man is suffering in America. Also, many words (from great people) signify the infrastructure problems in America. The reality is that the NIH budget and the public health safety systems in America have been heavy underfunded for years. That is why there is some confusion on how agencies are responding in America to ebola. As for Africa, there are infrastructure problems too. The Liberian man’s family is being monitored including about dozens of people in the Dallas area. We all pray for the Brother’s recovery. The Liberian man’s family was under gun point by the police not to leave the apartments for a while. Yes, the Dallas hospital should have acted more responsibly when dealing with this situation. The residents of the apartment have to get food from the local authorities. They were in mandatory quarantine for about 21 days. The cover story on why the Brother hasn’t received the Zmapp drug is that there is not enough around. The truth is that one African doctor (named Sheik Umar Khan from Sierra Leone) was infected at the same time or before the white missionaries, yet Western authorities refused to give him the Zmapp medicine. That courageous doctor died in helping his neighbors. The ebola story is very important and the history of genetically engineered VIRUSES and biological warfare are real. Obviously, the corporate media has harmed democratic processes in the world. Select corporations have huge power in showing mainstream news in the world. That is why it is important for all of us to keep on discussing real issues, allying with real activists, and helping our communities. We have to continue to defend the rights of black people (I will always respect Brothers and Sisters fighting for justice. As a Brother, I will always honor the black liberation struggle), immigrants, and the rights of humanity in general. I respect the Real News Network for its CONTINUED independent, progressive commentaries on real issues.
The interimperialist war of World War One was brutal and bloody. It was called the Great War. There was the July crisis. Russia first issued a general mobilization of its troops. They mobilized against Germany on July 30th, 1914 too. Germany responded when Germany declared a "state of danger of war." This also led to the general mobilization in Austria-Hungary on August 4. Kaiser Wilhelm II asked his cousin, Tsar Nicolas II, to suspend the Russian general mobilization. When he refused, Germany issued an ultimatum demanding the arrest of its mobilization and commitment not to support Serbia. Another was sent to France, asking her not to support Russia if it were to come to the defense of Serbia. On August 1, after the Russian response, Germany mobilized and declared war on Russia. Soon, Germany and France fought each other. Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914 as well. There was confusion among the Central Powers. Germany wanted Austro-Hungary to attack Russia while Austria Hungary wanted Germany to attack Russia. This caused the Austro-Hungarian Army to divide its forces between Russian and Serbian fronts. Austria invaded and fought the Serbian Army in the Battle of Cer and the Battle of Kolubara starting in August 12. Serbia won the Austro-Hungarian invasion of 1914. It was a huge upset. WWI involved battles in Africa and Asia as well. Trench warfare existed when people used new technology like gas warfare and the tank. Tanks were first used in combat by the British during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (part of the wider Somme offensive) on 15 September 1916, with only partial success. However, their effectiveness would grow as the war progressed; the Germans employed only small numbers of their own design, supplemented by captured Allied tanks. The Germans used chlorine gas for the first time on the Western front on April 22, 1915. In the next 2 years, WWI was almost a stalemate among all sides. The British Empire and the French suffered more casualties between 1915 and 1917, because both sides were heavily invested in trench warfare. In February 1916 the Germans attacked the French defensive positions at Verdun. Running until December 1916, the battle saw initial German gains, before French counterattacks returned matters to near their starting point. Casualties were greater for the French, but the Germans bled heavily as well, with anywhere from 700,000 to 975,000 causalities suffered between the French and the Germans.
I realize the huge errors of Baby Doc. There is no justification for human rights abuses at all. Yet, let's not forget the Western embargoes, the U.S. illegal occupation of Haiti (in the early 20th century), and the brutality from other factions in Haiti (like the Parlsey Massacre of October of 1937). Haiti was not just harmed by Papa Doc and Baby Doc. It has been oppressed by Western imperialists too since it declared its rightful independence from French imperialists in the year of 1804. Many Haitian Brothers and Sisters want the UN occupation of their country to end. We are in solidarity with the Haitians as well. Sister Jemima Pierre and other great people have written great articles on Haiti too. The inhabitants of Haiti deserve dignity and respect. The fact is that European terrorists have murdered the original inhabitants of Haiti. The French oppressed black slaves in Haiti. The Haitians centuries ago stood up and fought back against the French. Toussaint fought back and he was captured by the French. The black Haitians finally caused their independence in 1804. Jefferson (he opposed the Haitian Revolution, but he loved the French Revolution. He was a slave-owner and a hypocrite. Not to mention that he supported Adam Weishaupt. Jefferson was an enemy of black people) was angry that Haiti was free, so America caused an oppressive embargo in Haiti. That embargo harmed many Haitian human beings. Haiti has suffered by many factors (like the bad structural adjustment policies) and not by all Haitians collectively at all. The UN is occupying Haiti (they have been in Haiti for over a decade) as documented by Jemima Pierre, Glen Ford, Greg Dunkel, and others. Jemima Pierre is a black Haitian Sister. I trust her research. Haiti needs justice, compassion, and investment not racist words. Western involvement dealt with occupation, stealing its resources, and harming its people (which have been fully documented). The French even had the nerve and the audacity to force Haiti to pay them indemnity for no reason whatsoever. The West in fact supported many Haitian dictators too. The West allowed the kidnapping of Aristide. That is why independent Haitian people are fighting to IMPROVE Haiti right now. There are independent Haitian political organizations now in Haiti fighting like Fanmi Lavalas (which has been excluded from the election process. This policy has been backed by the U.S.). Black people have every right to reject imperialism, to stand up for unity, and to disagree with reactionary propaganda. So, the people of Haiti are strong, resilient, and they need our solidarity and support (via grants not loans) not ridicule. The Haitians are our Brothers and our Sisters.
There has been a sordid history of U.S. involvement in Haiti. I don’t believe in isolationism though. I believe in rejecting unfair or evil interventionism. For example, there is nothing wrong with nations having fair trade with Haiti. There is nothing wrong with legitimate humanitarian aid sent to Haiti. There is nothing wrong with international meetings in Haiti. So, relationships among nations can be more than diplomatic, but we have to reject bad foreign policy actions. That is the point. The problem deals with unfair interventions made by the West (via NGOs, many UN policies, etc.) that are a detriment to the progress of Haiti. There is nothing wrong with real humanitarian aid sent to Haiti during the aftermath of the 2010 Earthquake. The problem is that much of the money was not sent directly to the Haitian peoples, but much of that money was sent to corporate interests. So, the deal is that Haiti needs investment, but investment in the right way not the wrong way. Haiti should be allowed to handle their destiny, but the West owes Haiti an apology and compensation. It is wrong to call for a nation, who is the victim of oppression, to pay compensation for the oppression that they have not directly caused at all. The origin of the oppression comes from Western imperialism centuries ago. Haiti was forced against its will to pay France money during the 19th century in the millions of dollars. This (along with the embargoes, etc.) contributed to many of its economic problems. That has harmed Haiti including neoliberal economics. Western forces have occupied Haiti and funded Western-backed dictators in Haiti. Therefore, I wouldn’t blame Haitians calling for reparations. The U.S. is not God and it has made many errors (like its 1915 U.S. Occupation of Haiti), which to this day some Americans ignore or refuse to admit. Let’s not forget that. The U.S. should use a more progressive foreign policy where the needs of the people are respected. Assistance to Haiti should come from both public (as the Haitian government providing for the needs of its people is by definition a public source) and private sources along with mechanism in place to make sure that the sources are sent directly to the people. Also, we have to support and express solidarity with real Haitian revolutionaries who want change like fair elections and democratic rights protected. That is why I support the Lavalas political party. Dr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide should have not been kidnapped at all. The Haitian peoples should be protected by national and international law. The U.N. has a mixed history. They have done good and evil. The UN should disengage from Haiti. Gaza is suffering because of a blockade, harm of their human rights, and other reasons. Real international organizations have every right to bring humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and document how many civilians in Gaza have suffered economic oppression, blockades, checkpoints, and even death (which is all documented by people from across the political spectrum).
We are all rooting for South Africa. South Africa’s revolution is unfinished, but South Africans are fighting for that revolution to be finished. There are tons of South Africans working to make sure that the revolution is completed as well. The new book entitled, “The Coming Revolution” by Janet Smith from 2014 describes this situation fully. The book was edited by Flod Shivambu and its foreword comes from Dali Mpofu. In South Africe, we see how the most of the economy of South Africa (involving land, mines, banks, etc.) are dominated still by a white minority. We see that some in the ANC government since 1994 allied with neoliberalism (or the privatization and liberalization of industry including other sectors of the economy). The author goes as far as stating that: “…the ANC is committed to a right-wing, neoliberal and capitalist agenda which has kept the majority of our people on the margins of South Africa’s economy.” We saw the courageous strength of the ANC Youth leaders like Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe back then. In 2008, the ANC Youth League 23nd National Congress passed a resolution that declared that, “the state should control and be in ownership of strategic sectors of the South African economy.” Once Julius Malema and the ANC Youth League began to organize working class and unemployed Black youth to achieve these objectives, he was expelled for “disciplinary reasons.” This treacherous action contradicts the stated goals of the Freedom Charter. That is why the more independent EFF group or Economic Freedom Fighters want to join workers, students, traditional leaders, youth, non-profits, and others as a means to fight for real solutions in South Africa. The EFF made a founding manifesto that wants fair and equal land redistribution, they want the nationalization of mines, banks, and other parts of the economy, they want quality education, healthcare, houses, and sanitation, etc. They want an open, accountable, and corrupt free government and society without fear of victimization by state agencies. The EFF are involved by revolutionaries like Amilcar Cabral, Fanon, etc. At the same time, they state: “Black consciousness found a proper home in the EFF and is expressed through its Fanonian character.” In short, the EFF is not a dogmatic Marxist organization that blindly copies the Soviet Union or China. They want a cultural revolution where they acknowledge how evil centuries of colonialism was in order to establish a better future. The EFF is about 400,000 people strong. They have 25 members in the National Parliament. So, we need economic emancipation and real power in the hands of those in the African continent, the African Diaspora, and throughout the Earth.
By Timothy
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