Monday News in early July 2015

We witness more than 70 years since the end of World War II. WWII changed the world politically, economically, technologically, and socially. Now, with events going on in America, Russia, and China, we must reflect on WWII in a higher level. This war was involved more than 100 million people and from over 30 countries. The war was the deadliest conflict in human history with about 50-85 million human beings who died from the conflict. It was the first war where 2 nuclear weapons were used in overt combat. It lasted from 1939 to 1945. Yet, the war originated by events long before 1939. After WWI, Germany had to pay huge reparations. In essence, WWI caused Germany to be defeated. The Young Plan forced Germany to pay U.S. $26,350,000,000 to be paid over a period of 58.5 years. It replaced the earlier Dawes Plan. This caused an economic collapse in Germany with high inflation. The League of Nations failed, because the League had lax enforcement and the world was divided on its portions and other parts of its rules. By 1929, the Great Depression existed in America with the Wall Street Crash. In September 18, 1931, the Japanese Empire stage a false flag bombing against a Japanese owned railroad in the Chinese region of Manchuria blaming Chinese dissidents for the attack (which wasn’t the case).This was the Mukden Incident. Later, the Japanese invaded Manchuria. This started the trend towards WWII. During this time from 1932 to 1933, the Soviet Union experienced a famine. The Japanese Empire soon conquers china. First, they ruled Manchuria and create a puppet state called Manchukuo. This Empire followed autocratic fascism like Franco did in Spain. In Germany in 1932, Paul von Hindenburg is reelected President of Germany. He defeated Adolf Hitler (who was in WWI) in a runoff election. This happened in April 10, 1932. Later, on May 30, Chancellor of Germany Heinrich Bruning resigned. President von Hindenburg asked Franz von Papen (who was a Knight of Malta) to form a new government. Hermann Goring was elected chairman of the German Senate in August 30. Paul von Hindenburg talked to Hitler (he was anti-socialist and anti- communist. One common definition of fascists is their hatred of socialists and communists) about forming a new government and he named Kurt von Schleicher to be Chancellor of Germany. Germany has a massive recession, people are desperate for resources, and there is massive suffering. Unfortunately, the Nazis exploited the economic turmoil in Germany as an excuse for them to promote anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of bigotry. In 1933, Japan continues to invade China. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg. On February 27, 1933, the Berlin Reichstag fire came about. The Reichstag was the seat of the German Parliament. The Dutch person Marinus van der Lubbe (who was mentally disturbed) was arrested at the scene of the crime. Lubbe was classified as the sole culprit by the Nazis. Immediately, the Nazis blamed the KPD or the German Communist Party of doing the arson, which is totally false. In February 28, 1933 alone, just one day after the fire, thousands of persons active in, or allied with, the workers movement were arrested. The first to be arrested also included writers Egon Erwin Kisch, Ludwig Renn and Carl von Ossietzky, later murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp. The Nazis slandered the progressives in Germany as responsible for the fire. Historians and scholars recently believe that the Nazis had involvement in the Reichstag fire as a false flag operation in order for the Nazis to gain power in Germany. In The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer wrote that at Nuremberg, General Franz Halder stated in an affidavit, that Hermann Göring boasted about setting the fire. Many German civil liberties are gone via the Reichstag Fire Decree. On March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated as President of the United States of America. Dachau or the first concentration camp of Germany was concentration would be created in the same year. Adolf Hitler becomes dictator of Germany in March 23, 1933 and he passed the Enabling Act which further violated human civil liberties. Jewish people boycotted German goods in response to the racism of Nazi Germany. Hitler outlaws trade unions on May 2. All non-Nazi parties are banned in Germany by June 21. By the end of 1933, Jewish people, the homeless, alcoholics, and the unemployed are sent to Nazi concentration camps. 1934 saw the growth of these events. Germany and Poland signed a 10 year German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact. Heinrich Himmler is made leader of all German police forces by March 20. The Nazi SS and the Gestapo use the Night of Long Knives in Germany (back in June 30, 1934) to kill potential rivals within the Nazi Party like SA leader Ernst Rohm and many prominent anti-Nazi conservatives. President Paul von Hindenburg died and Adolf Hitler makes himself Fuhrer of Germany. He was the head of the State and the Chancellor by August 2, 1934.


The War on Drugs has been a scourge on society for decades. It has increased the prison industrial complex. Its laws have violated civil liberties. People from across the political spectrum have exposed the War on Drugs as detrimental to community development and social progress. We know that families have been damaged by drug addiction and other issues. There is one big myth going on. That myth is that the War on Drugs existed since Richard Nixon started his modern day war on Drugs in the 1970’s. When we look at the truth, we see that the War on Drugs existed long before the 1970’s. During 1914, the Harrison Narcotics Act was passed. This law regulated and taxed the production, importation, and distribution of opiates and coca products in America federally. It was the first law of its kind in America. Back then, Coke used to have coke for real. There is a loophole where doctors can still prescribe for addicts. Harry Anslinger came about to enforce these laws. Also, there was the hysteria that used racial stereotypes against the Chinese, African-Americans, Latinos and other as a way for reactionaries to harass people who had drug usage or had addiction issues. This was called “Reefer Madness” and other names. During the 1930’s, racist anti-Mexican rhetoric was used by some to try to end marijuana usage in America. Anslinger was the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Anslinger used agents to harass Sister Billie Holiday when she suffered addiction and she wasn’t a nefarious criminal. People with addiction need treatment not extensive jail sentences. Under Eisenhower, there was the Boggs Act of 1951 had already established mandatory minimum federal sentences for possession of marijuana, cocaine, and opiates, and a committee led by Senator Price Daniel (D-TX, shown left) called that the federal penalties be increased further, as they were with the Narcotic Control Act of 1956. By 1969, when Richard Nixon came into office, he was obsessed with developing the modern War on Drugs that we witness today.

Los Angeles during the 21st century started with massive changes. The Dolby Theatre came about in 2001 in Los Angeles. It is the new venue for the Academy Awards. During the 21st century, overall crime rates in Los Angeles became to go down. Mayor James Hahn made the mistake of firing the popular Chief Bernard and replace him with the Chief Bill Bratton (who was involved in Stop and frisk policies in NYC). This caused Villaraigosa to be mayor of LA (since a coalition of Black and Latino voters voted for him).  Also, another historic event came about in Los Angeles in 2005. Antonio Villaraigosa becomes the first Hispanic America to be mayor of Los Angeles since 1872. After his election, Newsweek featured him on the cover with the headline “Latino Power.” There is nothing wrong with Black Power either. In 2006, the Getty Museum in Malibu reopens after years of renovation as the Getty Villa, housing the foundation’s significant collection of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities. Educational issues have existed in LA for a long time, but this time, the issue of charter schools and school cuts come about in a higher level. Our education system should never serve the needs of the free market or private interests. It should serve the needs and aspirations of the people alone. Even some Democratic politics agree with the privatization of education. Like in the past, Los Angeles faces the evils of racism, economic inequality, poverty, and immigration issues. Many black people have left Los Angles, but black people have the most people living in Los Angeles than any other Western city . Also, in 2006, anti-immigration forces supported the federal Border Protection, Anti-terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437). The act would make "unlawful presence" an "aggravated felony." On 25 March, a million Latinos staged La Gran Marcha on City Hall to protest the bill. It was the largest demonstration in California history. Similar protests in other cities across the country made this a turning point in the debate on immigration reform. To this very day, immigration is an important issue that is being discussed in America. I believe in progressive immigration policies. One serious problem in LA is about poverty and economic inequality. The percentage of people living below the derisory official poverty line in Los Angeles County has climbed to 19.1 percent. Los Angeles added a million residents between 1980 and 2010; however, during that same time, the city lost 165,000 jobs. In 1980, Los Angeles had 12 Fortune 500 companies headquartered within its city limits—now it has 4. So, we need our infrastructure in America to be rebuild not just in LA, but nationwide. We see black people fighting for freedom and liberation in Los Angeles today. There are police brutality issues in Los Angeles.  Many people have been killed by the police and these people were unarmed. Ezell Ford was killed by the LAPD too and recently officials found out that the officers violated policy in their actions. In 2015, Charley Saturmin Robinet was killed in 2015. That is why protesters continue involving the Black Lives Matter Movement and other social justice movements (who are fighting against lax wages. $7.25 an hour is just unlivable especially in our time). On June 2015, Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour (by 2020), which was very historic. The Fight for 15 movement was heavily vital in getting this new policy enacted. This is great news. The journey for justice will continue in LA and throughout the Earth.


It is blatantly clear that the expansion of the Western Empire has harmed not only America domestically (when we have massive poverty, massive neoliberal policies, and a surveillance state. The war on terror and the War on Drugs in its history are filled with laws and policies that violate fundamental human rights). We witness huge foreign policy tensions. There is the decrease of the influence of petro dollars with the rise of the BRICS system. Western imperialists are desperate for resources, control, and hegemony in the world (in competing against Russia and China). The mistakes done by some central banks contributed to the economic chaos in Greece (in Greece and in other places in Europe, there is the growth of massively reactionary, racist, and xenophobic groups like the Golden Dawn). There are other people in Greece who are fighting against austerity too. We see massive drone strikes and people more concerned with the interests of the military industrial complex than the needs of the people. First, it is important to witness that the reactionary movement is against black people and all freedom loving people. People should know about Denmark Vessey and the fact that hundreds of slave revolts existed in the USA alone which tried to liberate humanity from the bondage of slavery. The murderer of 9 innocent people in the Charleston Church never believed in his lies out of a vacuum. The murderer's evil views existed from the CCC and other organizations who want to deny the general welfare and they desire to end the human rights of African Americans. The Confederacy was wicked and evil. The Confederate flag is an emblem of hate, bigotry, racism, and oppression (the Confederate Constitution and the declaration of secession by many Southern states make it clear that they seceded to preserve slavery). Also, early America called black people 3/5s of a human (which was wrong) and in our generation, we are still fighting for liberation unconditionally (there must be an international unification of the working class and the poor, so we can achieve revolutionary change). We are opposed to the neoliberal agenda and capitalist exploitation. Capitalism and racism are linked as said by Malcolm X (in 1965) explicitly. We want the entire human race to be free. The evil of the system of white supremacy must end. The show SOUL! is a classic show. I heard of the show before. That show gave voice to the diverse views of black activists. Also, the show SOUL! have shown amazing music. We want social justice, so the power is given in the hands of the people not to the oligarchy. All power to the people.

Justice doesn't sleep, therefore the Black Lives Matter Movement should maintain political independence. More and more people are standing up not only against racism and police brutality. People are against economic oppression. I have no respect for the Confederate flag at all. There should be political and economic changes from the development of a living wage, the growth of our health care, the ending of the prison industrial complex, and to the protection of our environment. We're blessed to learn books about Africa and black culture. We know about history, anthropology, sociology, and other important subjects. It’s a shame that many of our own black people have this self-hatred and just lust after degrading each other. Since, we know better, we have precious gift and responsibility in helping others. That is what the Creator would want us to do while we're here. We both love black people a lot. We love our heritage and we want the best for our people. Unity and respecting plus loving our identity is key for us to have liberation. There were tons of black people who lost their lives by evil people during the Maafa, during slavery in the America, during Reconstruction, during Jim Crow, and today in our generation. Also, it is important to note that our people fought back. There were hundreds of slave revolts in America alone. The Deacons of Defense, and other groups used arms to defend their communities from white racists who wanted to attack black people. The terrorism inflicted on black people should always be remembered including the sacrifice that our people made in building up their communities too. We are inspired by our ancestors' courage in the midst of oppression and we will continue to live on the tradition of unity, solidarity, and resistance. Some people are very unfair and judge people based on a certain segment of their lives (instead of looking at the big picture). Necole is very humble to use self-reflection and to project the truth that we have the right to transition into a new phase of our lives. Also, in her interviews, she always had a great sincerity and a spirit of happiness not animosity. WSHH can learn lessons from her. Her words were emotional, personal, and inspiring, because sometimes we have to take risks in order to achieve our goals. Sometimes, we have to go through the valley in order to see the mountain of fulfillment. Life is not just about individual pursuits. It is about blessing others, so we are blessed ourselves. This is why Necole is not only a strong person, but she is an honest person. We all want the best for her and her journey should be honored.

By Timothy