Weekend News

I am always learning more about Africa all of the time. I was researching about what is going on in Burkina Faso. The activists in the nation want freedom. They have experienced the tyranny of colonialism and neo-colonialism from an authoritarian regime. The people have risen up since they want a better life. Many people are opposed to reactionary neoliberal policies (including the bad structural adjustment policies). There is the history of Thomas Sankara too. Blaise Compaoré led a coup which killed Thomas Sankara. Hopefully, the recent events can bring up a new phrase of the African revolution in the 21st century. Also, the Brothers and the Sisters there are opposed to foreign multinational corporations exploiting workers in that country as well. The working class and others in Burkina Faso fighting for liberation deserve our solidarity. We can never be free for real unless we have economic and political power. I have no issue with restoring voting to people who left prison and paid their full debt to society. We know how vicious the prison industrial complex is. Yet, that is not enough. We need to develop our communities and our families too. Commonsense dictates that if our families are strengthened, then our communities are strengthened. Then after that, we shall see a more PROSPEROUS community as black people. That is just totally logical. The solutions that are needed will be multifaceted. The cause for justice will not be easy and it will take a lot of struggle and sacrifices. The dignity of black men and of black people in general should be respected. Our heroes from decades ago sacrificed their time and effort in fighting injustices like lynching, racial discrimination, and economic injustices. Therefore, we should sacrifice and support giving people opportunities to better their own lives. People deserve self-determination.


Many black people now are being involved in mentorships, in community development PROGRAMS, in health enrichment actions, in educational work, and a myriad of actions. Therefore, black people have the right to not only be politically independent. Some may say that they are Independent, but they are nothing more than closet Republicans. We should advocate real change. That change deals with challenging the racial discrimination and inequalities found in law enforcement including judicial practices (which has been proven by articles, studies, activists, etc.). The War on Drugs must end and a ballot initiative recently passing in California is a step in the right direction. Also, many ballot initiatives where numerous states (including some conservative states) have increased the minimum wage are good things as well. A rational foreign policy is needed. The interests of the poor and the working class (The documentary “At the River I Stand” showed how Memphis workers stood in defiance to the actions of the reactionary mayor Loeb) should be fought for and advanced. The prison industrial complex should be challenged too. People can do a lot of things. Revolutionary actions are needed.


Also, Tim Scott proposed a bill that would kick families off food stamps if one adult was participating in a strike. The legislation made no exceptions for children or other dependents. That is outright cruel. So, the GOP has shown their real agenda. They may act like slick and use new tactics, but their goals are the same. Many of them want the growth of corporate tax breaks and some of them are heavily anti-workers’ rights. Some of them refuse to support environmental protections too. Scott VOTED to give taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil corporations when oil companies have huge profits. He did support cuts to the state of South Carolina's HIV/AIDS budget. Race has played a role in politics for a long time. If we want real progress, then we need to have our infrastructure invested, we need policies that protect our civil liberties, the poor need to be supported, and our democratic rights in general ought to be totally maintained. Some people refuse to understand or accept the cruel policies that Tim Scott has done. Also, the desperation of reactionaries is truly amazing. It is a historical fact that the private and the public sector have created jobs throughout human history. There is no refutation of that. Also, Tim Scott cutting funding for HIV/AIDS and supporting cruel proposals outlines his agenda. People have every right to disagree with his policies. This has nothing to do with the man personally. It has to do with his policies. A federal government job is a job by definition. So, the semantic games shown by others don't work. I don't imply nor advocate turning everything into government control. Other people imply that. To eliminate poverty, economic inequality must be addressed, unfair corporate loopholes should be eliminated, corporate welfare should be gone, and the structures of society must change since the status quo doesn't work. Laissez faire capitalism and the elimination of all regulations in society will not work. I do believe in the protection of the environment. Fighting pollution is common sense. I support the general welfare and I believe in human civil liberties without question. I believe in workers' rights as well. I won't back down on my core convictions at all regardless of what you type.


This is a new era. President Barack Obama wants to meet up with more Congressional leaders. He is now discussing about the administration’s policies involving Iraq and Syria. The Middle Eastern war is being escalated. Over a thousand of U.S. troops will be sent to Iraq to support the Iraqi army (via training, etc.) in its fight against ISIS. There should be a push for a Congressional approval of military force or the authorization of the use of military force (AUMF). This war could last well over a decade. The midterm election has caused more U.S. military intervention in the world. Both Republicans and Democrats heavily support this action. In mid-September, both houses of Congress voted by substantial majorities and with virtually no debate to approve $500 million for the arming and support of U.S. backed Syrian “rebels” and then goes into recess quickly without considering the broader war. America has bombed Iraq for months. There is bombing in Syria as well. Congress has not authorized many of these military interventions in a Congressional act officially from the Afghanistan attack to the Iraqi War of 2003. In his televised post-election statement Wednesday, Obama claimed that he was now asking for congressional authorization because, “The world needs to know we are united behind this effort and that the men and women of our military deserve our clear and unified support.” The reality is that the military intelligence apparatus of the West and the financial oligarchy are supporting these actions. ISIS originated from Western imperialism along with its puppet Gulf monarchies. The evil policies of unjust regime change and extra judicial assassinations (including of American citizens without due process of law) continues. It is a tragedy to see drone attacks ordered from the White House. There is nothing humanitarian about imperialist interventions. They are wrong. Real people will continue to fight for justice. I am an independent thinking black man. I believe in helping the poor, improving the environment, promoting workers' rights, and defending human rights. Also, I will always disagree with reactionary tenets too. The overall point is that black people have the right to be independent and to reject neo-conservative war mongering, fear mongering, and other forms of deception.


 I like how more people understand about the real history of the black liberation struggle. The film "Selma" is certainly very inspiring. We should be motivated to fight for real, revolutionary social change. The events of Selma showed the courage of human beings and it outlined how persistence can cause unjust laws to end while establishing a just law to be established (which is the VOTING Rights Act of 1965). Also, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a radical man. By 1968, he was outright calling for the end of the Vietnam War and the radical redistribution of economic and political power. We also should acknowledge the unsung heroes who worked in the Selma movement too. Their lives ought to be respected. We ought to never give up. Life is not easy, but we should carry onward with determination, strength, courage, compassion, and empathy for fellow human beings. The truth is known about what times we live in. There is still a lot of anti-Black racism existing in the judicial system, the police, employment, and their areas as denounced by the UN, Amnesty International, and America’s ACLU. Many works from philosophers and psychologists have reinforced those findings. There is an issue of class in the world. We must not act distant from the poor (as some in the middle and upper classes are). We should have always embraced that revolutionary ethos irrespective of which class we are in. Some of the middle class are cautious, because they won’t rock the boat in fear of going into poverty. Although, we should know about the sacrifice made by of our Brothers and our Sisters. We should remember Rosa Parks, the sit-ins, the revolutions in Africa, the actions of the heroic Lumumba, and other real occurrences in our struggle. Some middle and upper class person are outright reactionaries, which is very disappointing to say the least. One such reactionary is Clarence Thomas and he’s on the Supreme Court. Yet, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came from a middle class family who were socially active. His father was involved in the struggle in Atlanta when Martin was a child. Angela Davis was born middle class and his mother Saylle Davis was involved in left activism while Angela and her siblings were growing up. So, many middle class and upper class person are conscious like Paul Robeson, Kwame Ture, CLR James, etc. Today, many people among numerous ages are fighting for justice Ferguson. They have dealt with militarized police, tear gas, and unjust laws, but they are still persisting.


By Timothy