Fili-Busted

It came as a small surpise that the a few Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement that averted the showdown in the Senate over Justice appoinments. It was little surprise because it has become very clear that the Democratic party is like a horse with a broken leg: lame.

Under the agreement reached the Democrats apparently will roll over and play dead on the three justices currently up for approval. In return the Republicans will agree well not to officially kill them off (not use the "nuclear option"). The Democrats would reserve the "right" to filibuster any "extreme" justices.

Translation:

Democrats play dead on these extreme justices, one of which believes that most labor, environmental and civil rights legistlation are unconstitutional. They beg to not be officially locked out of decision making in the Senate.

Republicans can still "Nuke 'em" should they be in the mood.

Thats not much of a compromise. Somewhere in the discussion of the "excessive use" of filibusters by Democrats is the fact that the vast majority of Bush appointees have been approved by both Democrats and Republicans. The ones who have been stalled are the extreme ones. And the Democrats just gave a free pass to those. That's not a compromise, thats crumbs off the table.

On the other side there is much ranting about Republicans selling out their base. Maybe they think so, but I think it's a ruse. Three appointees have just been given the all clear and as soon as the Democrats make a stink about the next two the Republicans can go and threaten them all over again. If I were a Republican I would be very happy with this compromise. Each time the Dems get out of line, I'll threated to lock 'em out and they will roll over. It's less convenient than an outright lockout, but the appearance of negotiation makes for a good cover.


Personally I think the Democrats should have held thier ground and allowed the Republicans to change the rules. They would have been creamed in the next election where the ever popular Bush cannot run and the true nature of the Republican Party would have been exposed. And of course because all things change at some point the Democrats will gain a majority again they would then wave that magic stick handed to them by Republicans and tell them to complain to Bill Frist if they don't like it. Sometimes you need to let the monkey climb.

Our Shining Prince

Today Black folks around the world, who care about black folks around the world are remembering Malcolm X, as described by the Egun Ossie Davis, our Black Shining Prince. We live today in a world where black self-hate and lack of cooperation has become the norm. Many black youth are enamoured with Hip Hop artists and consider them hero's though that have done squat to build anything other than their personal bank accounts. We have witnessed unspeakable horrors of black on black hate in the form of the Genocide in Rwanda and today in the Sudan. We have watched as Haiti was overrun and a democratically elected president ousted while black so called "power brokers" could do nothing but complain, wring their hands and make speeches that resulted in squat. We have witnessed the rise of the sellout class with the aid of white corporate money/. The same types that put us on ships in order to have the latest gun, pot, pan, bathtub and cloth. We are witnessing the Government's continued slap in our face as they tell us that Assata Shakur is a terrorist, and those telling us these things are now black and brown.
We are witnessing an increased gap in wealth between blacks and whites due both to institutional practices as well as or own unwillingness to put off self serving "wants." for our future.
We are witnessing black men increasingly going to jail while decreasing their presence in University commencement lines. There is no doubt that things have changed since Malcolm's time, but other than sitting in front of busses and sitting in Denny's the things that matter in America: economic and political power are worse than during Reconstruction. Internationally we constinue to see war and coups in various parts of Africa. AIDS is ravaging the population and we are thouroughly unprepared for the 21st century.

We should take time out today and reflect on the legacy of Malcolm X. We should reflect on those ideologies that preceeded and informed him. We should then decide where and what we can do to make the changes that need to be made in our own space and time that is consistent with the overall goals of Malcolm. Malcolm sacrificed all for his passion, his people. Most of us are either unwilling and unable to do so. We should not be ashamed of this! Every person has thier limits. What we should do is determine how much we can sacrifice we can make. Can we give a student, not related to us money for school? A computer? books? Can we give someone a ride that we pass every day? Can we put a book in our kids school libraries? Can we start a little business and put aside a portion of the profits? There are many many ways we can make sacrifices for our people. In fact these small, "invisible" sacrifices are what make mass movements. We do not hear of these things but they are the foundation of any movement.

Peace
Ase -O!

GG

Ohhh the Lies we tell!

In the run up to the war in Iraq. President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair used "intelligence" about Saddam, specifically his possession and prior use of WMD. The London Times already exposed the fact that the Bush administration had long planned to attack Iraq. Furthermore the article show that Both Britain and the US were looking to create a political climate for such an attack:

The minutes, published by The Sunday Times today, begins with the warning: “This record is extremely sensitive. No further copies should be made. The paper should be shown only to those with a genuine need to know.” It records a meeting in July 2002, attended by military and intelligence chiefs, at which Blair discussed military options having already committed himself to supporting President George Bush’s plans for ousting Saddam.

“If the political context were right, people would support regime change,” said Blair. He added that the key issues were “whether the military plan worked and whether we had the political strategy to give the military plan space to work”.

The political strategy proved to be arguing Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) posed such a threat that military action had to be taken. However, at the July meeting Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, said the case for war was “thin” as “Saddam was not threatening his neighbours and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran”.

Straw suggested they should “work up” an ultimatum about weapons inspectors that would “help with the legal justification”. Blair is recorded as saying that “it would make a big difference politically and legally if Saddam refused to allow in the UN inspectors”.


We know that one of the arguments used by Bush to get into Iraq was how he gassed the Kurds. It now seems that claim is untrue. Counterpunch has published an interview with Ghazwan -al-Mukhtar in Iraq, who states:

In comparing Saddam with US actions there are remarkable similarities. Both Iraq and Iran had and used chemical weapons in their war. The United States and the United Kingdom assisted, encouraged, armed, priovided intelligence and protected Iraq in the UN during Iraq's war with Iran for their own political and economic goals. Iraq used gas in Halabja then the two governments, UK and US, made every effort to cover-up facts, again for their political and economic interests. Saddam supposedly "gased" his own people during the war with Iran: Not according to the CIA offical who wrote in the N.Y. Times that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency issued a report that said this was speculation and that in fact it was likely Iran used gas on the Kurds.

The New York Times article in question, A War Crime or an Act of War?, written by a senior CIA political analyst claims:


all that is known for certain is that Kurds were hit with poison gas that day, during battle with Iranians; explains that US Defense Intelligence Agency's report found both sides used gas during battle, and blamed Iranians for Kurdish deaths; notes Kurds died of cyanide-based gas that Iran, but not Iraq, had at time; explains that Iran sought control of key dam near Halabja, part of impressive Iraqi waterway system that is most extensive in Mideast; adds that Bush administration owes Americans full facts before going to war (M)

Clearly then the Bush administration has used the ignorance of the public (and members of Congress) to justify the war in Iraq. That this January 31.2003 Op-Ed piece was simply allowed to disappear in the press is amazing. Even the anti-war peopl have conceeded that Sadddam gassed the Kurds. We shall see what happens during Saddam's trial. I expect much embarrasing information to be revealed, if he isn't killed first.

Links:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60816FC3D5C0C728FDDA80894DB404482
http://www.counterpunch.org/zeese05112005.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1592904,00.html

Hands Off Assata!!

Recently it was reported that the bounty for Assata Shakur's capture has been raised from $150,000 to a cool 1 millon. Why?

For those of you who do not know, Assata Shakur alone with Malik Shakur and Sundiata Akoli were stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1979 for "having a tailight out." Let me pause here to comment on this:

I live in New Jersey. I have been stopped twice for "having a tailight out" by racist pig cops one of whome had me exit my vehicle, IN THE FUCKING RAIN, so he could show me the "out"taillight" that was clearly on. His intent was clearly to agitate me as an excuse for taking me to jail or worse. fortunately for me a white male in a minivan stopped behind the officer and started askign for directions. At this point I went back into my vehicle. I am positive that had that individual not stopped I would have been brutalized or worse.

My second incident involved no less than FOUR state troopers, one of which had a gun pointed at me. The absolutely BOGUS claim that the officer had "never seen a temporary out of state transport plate." was the excuse he had to have me surrounded by officers and ask me at gunpoint whether he could search my vehicle.

So let me say that I have absolutely NO SYMPATHY for any police Officer who gets leaded for violating the rights of black people to travel freely.


Continuing:

According to the Afro-Cuba website Shakur states:

On May 2, 1973 I, along with Zayd Malik Shakur and Sundiata Acoli were stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike, supposedly for a "faulty tail light." Sundiata Acoli got out of the car to determine why we were stopped. Zayd and I remained in the car. State trooper Harper then came to the car, opened the door and began to question us. Because we were black, and riding in a car with Vermont license plates, he claimed he became "suspicious." He then drew his gun, pointed it at us, and told us to put our hands up in the air, in front of us, where he could see them. I complied and in a split second, there was a sound that came from outside the car, there was a sudden movement, and I was shot once with my arms held up in the air, and then once again from the back. Zayd Malik Shakur was later killed, trooper Werner Foerster was killed, and even though trooper Harper admitted that he shot and killed Zayd Malik Shakur, under the New Jersey felony murder law, I was charged with killing both Zayd Malik Shakur, who was my closest friend and comrade, and charged in the death of trooper Forester. Never in my life have I felt such grief. Zayd had vowed to protect me, and to help me to get to a safe place, and it was clear that he had lost his life, trying to protect both me and Sundiata. Although he was also unarmed, and the gun that killed trooper Foerster was found under Zayd’s leg, Sundiata Acoli, who was captured later, was also charged with both deaths. Neither Sundiata Acoli nor I ever received a fair trial. We were both convicted in the news media way before our trials. No news media was ever permitted to interview us, although the New Jersey police and the FBI fed stories to the press on a daily basis. In 1977, I was convicted by an all- white jury and sentenced to life plus 33 years in prison. In 1979, fearing that I would be murdered in prison, and knowing that I would never receive any justice, I was liberated from prison, aided by committed comrades who understood the depths of the injustices in my case, and who were also extremely fearful for my life.

I'm going to assume that Either Acoli or Shakur actually shot the officer involved. And with that assumption they are still innocent. That the officer fired at the unarmed passengers meant that these individuals were in danger and had the right to defend themselves, with deadly force.

Meanwhile Superintendant "Fuentez" (Who I will refer to as a "spanish speaking cracker") makes a press announcement:

State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes said he hopes the sweetened reward will encourage someone to come forward with information leading to the capture of Chesimard, who has been living in Cuba under the protection of Fidel Castro's government.

"We have pretty long institutional memories," Fuentes said at a news conference at State Police headquarters on the 32nd anniversary of the killing. "This is a debt that she owes to the residents of the state of New Jersey for the crimes she committed."

"Fuentes" doesn't represent me or a great deal of people in Newark, Irvington, Englewood, Trenton and other black neighborhoods.

Albertop Gonzalezm, the new "spanish speaking cracker" in the Just-us department apparently approved new funds for this new public interest in Shakur:


The money from the United States Justice Department, personally approved by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, will be paid for information leading to her safe capture. It would not be paid if Chesimard is killed in a capture attempt, Fuentes said.


BUt what is perhaps saddest about this thing is the silence emanating from the so-called "black press" and so called "black leadership." who concerned with advertisers and votes are to scared to even take on these evil people. Even if one does not agree with my position that crooked cops deserve lead, the evidence presented in Shakurs trails clearly shows that she and he comrades were victims. And we're taling 1979. 1979 folks. And it is CLEARLY documented how the NJ STate Troopers do. CLEARLY!!.

I thank Olodumare for Fidel Castro having the balls to stand up to the US in this case and hope anyone who attempts to put a hand on Shakur gets leaded.