The recent incident, gone viral, of former Obama Administration official Stuart Seldowitz harrassing and brow-beating ordinary workers inside a food truck has struck a nerve. It not only put on full display the bankruptcy of US policy when it comes to Israel and the Middle East, but also the consistency of this policy across administrations. Republican and Democrat alike. For African-Americans it yet further confirmation that Obama, rather than being the second incarnation of JFK era Camelot, was instead Bush Jr. lite. That Obama could take counsel from such a man as Seldowitz is beyond disturbing but astounding and perplexing if one buys into the narrative on Obama pushed by the political establishment. AS it turns out, Obama was no less faithful servant of Empire and the Oligarchy as all the Presidents that preceded him and those that followed. Who Knew? People in the know like me did. But I digress. This is about Seldowitz.
Category: Society (Page 1 of 3)
After many years pondering why the world works the way it does, I have come to essentially the same conclusions as Ms. Johnstone. Rather than absolutely the problem, Capitalism is an expression of the psychotic element of humanity. Reading Michael Hudson’s book “and Forgive Them Their Debts” recently, it drove home that the roots of these psychotic elements’ domination can be traced back to the rise of civilization and the accompanying division of labor (thus creating classes) ten thousand years ago. It became clear that the creation of the Priesthood/Warrior class/Merchants in the birth of civilization was mid-wifed from the start by those elements of humanity drawn to power and domination. The kicker is that the rest of humanity . . . the normal part . . . acted and acts as enablers at almost every turn. The question then is why? Continue reading
Paperback: 154 pages
Publisher: Columbia Global Reports (Nov. 13, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0999745468
ISBN-13: 978-0999745465
Tim Wu’s book is one of many books published in recent years by mainstream publishers purporting to have answers to the malaise Capitalism is mired in. Naturally, being given the imprimatur, of a “respectable” publishing house, Wu’s book suffers from the same weaknesses as all the others. Rather than name the system . . . Capitalism and confront it head on, they all do side swipes or drive bys. This, at best, comes off as long past its due date reformism or, at worst, a diversion from the burning issue of the day. Namely, how to get rid of Capitalism. Continue reading
Recently, I learned that 71 percent of young Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible to serve in the military. That is, over 24 million of the 34 million young people cannot join the armed forces—even if they wanted to–they’re physically unfit. Likely it is this unfitness for military duty of much of the young American population, rather than fake concern over Iranian lives, that contributed to Trump’s eleventh-hour decision to halt the recent intended attack on Iran. Continue reading
Note: This is from a discussion with a friend on the feasibility of reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans. No doubt, it is a difficult, contentious and painful topic. It is now making headlines in the news as its done every few years since I can remember. Below is my thinking on the subject a few years ago the last time it was in the news followed by my thinking now.
I do not know if I’ve ever seen somebody actually workout the numbers R. However, in my case and the millions like me, there is a bit of the “devil is in the details” aspect. Half my ancestry is European (on my mother’s side) and he limits himself to those enslaved in the states. How about the rest of the African diaspora of the “New World” from which the other half (father’s side) of my ancestry stems from? Continue reading
Note: This is an older post from my Blogger days.
Below are my comments on Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” model for human fulfillment. According to Maslow’s model, humans have five basic needs that can be arranged in a pyramid like fashion. These are: Physiological Needs (at the top), Safety Needs, Needs of Love, Needs for Esteem and, finally, Needs for Self-Actualization (at the bottom). After the top tier need is secured, according to Maslow, we seek in successive order the fulfillment of the rest. Here is what I had to say: Continue reading
Note: This is an older post from my Blogger days.
What follows is comment left at the WSWS in regard to a piece dealing with the connection between the war In Iraq, but in the larger view US imperialism in general, and the abandonment of a major American city in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Money used for bombs is money not used for social needs or the rescue of an entire city truck by disaster. Continue reading
Note: This is an older post from my Blogger days.
Below is comment I posted in response to a Blog post (included below) by David G at his “Dangerous Creation” blog. His post in essence, deals with what I call the means of resistance. As I explain below his post, one should not confuse the means, even when improperly used, with the ultimate aim of employing such means. In other words, a tool can be used in various ways. Some good some bad. This, however, is not necessarily reflective of the tool rather than to what end(s) the tool was wielded for to begin with. Continue reading
Note: This is an older post from my Blogger days. Since the halycon days of the Bush Jr. there have been more figures that have joined the list of class collaborators and race traitors that Powell and Rice are already on. The top spot on this list now goes to one Barack Hussein Obama. He not only managed to betray the hopes of African-Americans, who had a big hand in getting him in office, but through his bail-out of the banks and the signature bill that established Obamacare greatly eroded the fortunes of the larger working class whom he had promised so much. “Hope and change” were made four letter words by Obama’s cynicism and mendacity. When people think of Trump, they should not forget Obama’s huge role in getting him into office. His policies massively widened the wealth gap and left the 99% grasping at straws. The perfect opening for a demagogue and political charlatan like Donald J Trump. It may be a while before anyone from the Black or Latino community rises, or should I say descends, to knock Obama out of the top spot on the list of betrayers to genuine progress.
From B. J Sabri’s “The Splendid Failure of Occupation” (appearing at Online Journal):
As an opportunist Zionist and violent imperialist craving to subjugate the Iraqis to his monovision of the world, Powell did not learn anything significant about the struggle against slavery, colonialism, and imperialism. Continue reading
Note: This is an older post from my Blogger days.
I commend Bill Van Auken On his piece “America on a Killing Spree” (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/nov2004/kill-n18.shtml). He is absolutely correct in saying that “That the massacre of an innocent people more than 5,000 miles away can be promoted as a means of boosting public morale and fostering national unity is an indication of a society suffering from protracted and profound degeneration.” This degeneracy was again made perfectly apparent domestically with the uproar over football player Terrell Owens and “Desperate Houswives star Nicollette Sheridan’s plug for her T. V. show before the start of MNF (ABC’s intro showed Sheridan wearing only a towel and provocatively asking Owens to skip the game for her as the two stood alone in a locker room. She then drops the towel and jumps into Owens’ arms). Never mind that Sheridan’s show is a monument to trash and that football is a very violent sport that glorifies war and militarism. What most of the mainstream press concentrated on instead was the trashiness of the plug while little was said of the raced based sexual taboos raised and the violent culture that helps make the NFL the most popular sport in the U.S. This whole episode is yet another example of how far off the moral compass of U. S. society is. This is particularly true in regard to race and this is where I believe Mr. Van Auken falters. While he touches upon many bases he does not directly address the endemic racism within U. S. society. It is racism, as well as militarism, nationalism and cultural hubris, that is a defining characteristic of the face that American society is now perhaps more clearly than ever presenting to the world. Continue reading
