Friday, January 26, 2018

Important Facts of History and Culture.



We always believe in justice. Also, we believe in opposing unwarranted Internet censorship. For a number of years, we have seen an increase of many forms of Internet censorship, especially against progressive Internet sites that courageously expose imperialism and corporate malfeasance. Also, we witness a reality. Neoliberalism has been exposed today like no other time in human history. More people realize that corporate capitalism, neo-liberalism, militarism, and other forms of human exploitation don't work to help humanity collectively or end poverty in general (the Davos, Switzerland World Economic Forum includes some of the richest countries in the world). There is no way to spread democracy and improve humanity unless a radical redistribution of political and economic power is implemented on a global scale as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (who promoted democratic socialism and was for international peace) has rightfully advocated. The centralization of wealth into a fewer and fewer hands has no long term benefit to the masses of the people period. Americans are not only harmed by an exploitative economic system. Numerous human beings in Africa, India, Russia, China, etc. are victims of corporate policies of financial exploitation, draconian anti-democratic policies, and discrimination. For example, some workers in China are paid $1 an hour and work 12 hours a day. Some people in Bangladesh work under the payment of 32 cents an hour. That is obscene and evil. Companies like General Electric, Bank of America, etc. find ways to pay no federal income taxes. The super rich have trillions of dollars in offshore accounts.

In America, we have a problem with mass incarceration and black plus brown people being victims of racism. The corporate power structure has no allegiance to anything, but to money and power. We have net neutrality being harmed by the establishment and the CIA (who has been complicit in voting fraud oversees and coups for decades) aiding not only Bezos, but Hollywood too (from movies to business ventures). Imperialism is evil, because it is based on the premise that the nation-state must exploit and conquer resources in other areas of the world (based on bigoted premises regularly) in order for power to be maintained in a few hands (i.e the 1%). The far right reactionaries are just as complicit as the centrists in advancing militarism, austerity, the prison industrial complex, and massive privatization. Imperialism is incompatible to democracy and human freedom. Massive surveillance continues by the FBI and Homeland Security and they target even innocent political activists (from the Black Lives Matter movement to Occupy Wall Street) who just want social change. Recently, some in the FBI has slandered black activists for justice as "Black Identity Extremists." That is why the working class and the poor should unite in fighting for real solutions. We are more numerous than the oligarchy and we have the right to speak our minds, to organize, and to create real revolutionary change in our world.


Also, we will always express solidarity with Haiti. We look at history too as a means for us to realize the truth. For centuries, European imperialists dominated Haiti with slavery and sugar resources. Then, black Haitians legitimately showed a rebellion against slavery and against oppression by the late 18th century. The black Haitians were victorious and formed the first black Republic of the Americas in 1804. Later, the U.S. refused to recognize Haiti as a nation until 1862 because America had racist leaders. Also, the French forced Haiti to unjustly pay them money. From 1915 to 1934, U.S. military forces unjustly occupied Haiti. During this time, more than 3,000 Haitians were killed at least. Later, we see the 2010 earthquake. Many people have aided Haitians greatly and others have not. As the Center for Economic Policy Research Director Mark Weisbrot said in a January 2014 report, "The lasting legacy of the earthquake is the international community's profound failure to set aside its own interests and respond to the most pressing needs of the Haitian people." The problem is that much of the foreign aid have benefited U.S. corporations and the corporate power structure in general. Overall, just $48.6 million has gone directly to Haitian organizations or firms--just over 2 percent. Comparatively, more than $1.2 billion has gone to firms located in D.C., Maryland or Virginia--more than 56 percent. The difference is even starker when looking just at contracts: 65 percent went to Beltway firms, compared to 1.9 percent for Haitian firms. We know that UN troops introduced cholera to post-earthquake Haiti. Then, you have Trump who wants to end the Temporary Protected Status for the Haitian refugees, which shows his racism and xenophobia. Trump is a white racist period. Also, it is important to show the truth that Haitian people are beautiful. They have made great contributions in world history and they are resilient. We are inspired by their strength and their passion for justice. We honor all people of the African Diaspora and we will forever honor the Haitian people.


Yesterday was the Birthday of a musical, young legend. Her name is Alicia Keys. She is now 37 years old and she was born in Manhattan, NYC. She has worked hard in music. Songwriter, producer, pianist, and singer are just some of her gifts. Today, she has also been a judge on a show judging artists. She is an activist for many causes too. Power, great messages, and inspiration qualify her songs. When you hear an Alicia Keys song, you know that you're going to be motivated to do something constructive in this world. 2001 was the time of her breakout album of "Songs in a Minor." It went multiplatinum. Fallin and A Woman's Worth are classic songs to this very day. Her second album of A Diary of Alicia Keys went multiplatinum too. She is an excellent songwriter too. Many of her records are empowerment anthems, especially for women. Her combination of jazz, hip hop, and other elements of music into her own songs is a blessing. She has won NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, Grammys, and American Music Awards. She is one of the greatest signers of the 21st century and one of the best singers of our generation period. She has 2 children. She always an activist. She fights to help those with HIV/AIDS. She stands for environmental and racial justice. She promotes women's rights and she believes in helping the youth. She has worked to help people in Africa too. She also worked in the no makeup campaign, which wanted to show the truth that beauty can exist with or without makeup. I wish Sister Alicia Keys more blessings.


Great honesty and bravery is part of the life of Sister Jenifer Lewis. She is now 61 years old and she was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her gift is her empathy for fellow human beings and her great honesty in telling others about her story, so more constructive blessings can exist for others. Her career doesn't just consist of acting. She is a singer, a comedian, and a social activist. She has worked hard, especially back in the day, when opportunities for black actresses were very limited. Her determination is very firm and she utilized her strength in order for her to achieve excellent success. She was in Broadway and she was in sitcoms and shows like A Different World, Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Friends, Roc, etc. She was in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air too. She was in the Preacher's Wife movie too, which is a classic. From comedy to drama, she was involved in tons of movies and TV shows. She has written a book about her life too. Another aspect of her bravery is to publicly say that she has bipolar disorder. In our black community (even today), it is taboo for some of us to admit to mental health issues. Just because a person has mental health issues doesn't mean that he or she is weak or inferior. No one is inferior and Jenifer Lewis is courageous to talk about a real subject. Those, with mental health issues, deserve love, compassion, and respect. She's a beautiful black women inside and out with amazing talent, a great husband, and a brilliant daughter. I wish Sister Jenifer Lewis more Blessings.

By Timothy

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