Winter Games Medal Frenzy For U.S., Canada
With 37 medals guaranteed, the U.S. has more than any country has won at any Winter Games. It's also only the second time in the 21 Winter Olympics that Americans have won the medal count, the other coming at Lake Placid, N.Y. in 1932. By taking gold in curling on Saturday night, the Canadians tied the record for most golds at a Winter Olympics, 13, set by the Soviets in 1976 and matched by Norway in 2002. Today, they surpassed the record, with a 3-2 victory over USA in men's ice hockey. Good for North America.
NBC: Olympics Attracts 185 Million Viewers
NBC Univeral said its broadcast of the Winter Olympics attracted 185 million viewers in the U.S. in 16 days, exceeding the same period for the 2006 games.
Yet as Booker Rising mentioned earlier today, while other Americans were tuned into Winter Olympics coverage, black households avoided Winter Olympics coverage like the plague. 'Tis a shame, because folks would've seen that more black athletes got medals than any other Winter Games.
Russia Now On The Clock As Countdown Begins For 2014 Olympics
Vancouver, Canada has passed the torch to Sochi, Russia which will host the next Winter Olympics in 2014. Sochi, located 900 miles south of Moscow, is a resort town set between the shores of the Black Sea and the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains. It is known as the Russian Riviera and is a popular tourist destination. The 2014 Games - which will be the first time that Russia will host a Winter Olympics - is already is under fire from activists. The World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace are protesting, claiming unique habitats are being destroyed and that the Mzymta River has been contaminated.
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2/28 News: The Winter Olympics
Black History Trivia Contest: Last Chance
Friday's trivia question has not been correctly answered yet. Come on, folks, you can do it! Here are clues about the mystery individual: (1) My profession deals with caelum; (1) I'm affiliated with the men who made Tuskegee soar in the air; and (3) I hail from a former capital of the United States (yes, there were many before Washington, D.C.). I've now added a fourth clue: the individual is a scientist.
Here's theGrio.com's list of "History Makers In The Making" (which includes brief bios), on which the mystery individual is an honoree. The first person to correctly answer the question will win a DVD copy of the documentary, "Meeting David Wilson". The documentary recounts the story of journalist and TheGrio's managing editor, David Wilson, in his attempt to reconnect with the descendants of the plantation owners that once enslaved his own ancestors.
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Rep. Charlie Rangel & Harold Ford Jr. Butt Heads In Harlem
The dean of New York's congressional delegation and a man who may try to become a member of it crossed paths - and maybe swords - in Harlem today. Rep. Charles Rangel and potential Senate candidate Harold Ford were at a closed-door meeting about Gov. Paterson when they exchanged words over health care reform and taxes. Mr. Ford Jr., a moderate-liberal Democrat, served in the U.S. House with Rep. Rangel (D-N.Y., a liberal Democrat) as a 10-year Tennessee representative. He is now mulling a Democratic primary challenge to appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
One source said "the tensest moment was when [Mr. Ford Jr.] took on [Rep. Rangel], saying [a] jobs bill should come before health care" and that a health bill shouldn't hike New Yorkers' taxes or leave businesses unable to hire people. Sources said Mr. Ford Jr. also warned the assembled leaders against losing touch with the will of the voters - and subsequently losing their offices - even if they felt they were doing what was best.
Rep. Rangel, in turn, insisted on defending his work with President Barack Obama on health care, witnesses said, retorting that the final reforms passed will be in Americans' best interest - and claiming to Mr. Ford Jr. and the rest of the room that taxes in New York are less onerous than elsewhere. "The tone that Rangel adopted seemed a little bit contemptuous - but that was consistent with how a lot of us reacted," a source told the New York Daily News. "It was almost as if [Mr. Ford Jr.] delivered a lecture to us."
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Americans Redraw The Map To Erase 'Offensive' Names
For more than a century, Negrohead Mountain (pictured left) has towered over the countryside north of Malibu, Calif. offering unrivalled views of the Pacific Ocean to generations of hikers. But this week, at the stroke of a bureaucrat's pen, the striking landmark's time-honored name disappeared from local maps (hat tip: Black & Right). The 2,031ft summit will henceforth be known as Ballard Mountain. The new title honors a blacksmith and former slave called John Ballard, who was among the first men to settle in its foothills in 1880, after fleeing Los Angeles to escape persecution by segregationist police officers.
Behind the scenes, the renaming of Negrohead Mountain marked the latest step in a controversial trend. And historians fear that the push to replace colorful words or phrases of America's landmarks with "acceptable" alternatives is seeing the nation's heritage sacrificed at the altar of political correctness. In San Francisco, the county board of supervisors debated a proposal to change the name of the Mount Diablo State Park to Mount Reagan State Park. The move was eventually rejected, but not before a group of conservative Christian activists had advanced a case to the effect that the park's historic name, which is Spanish for "devil", is profane and highly offensive to religious people. In the past two decades, nine U.S. states have also passed laws against place names deemed "offensive" to Native Americans. When South Dakota banned place names offensive to minorities, in 2001, Squaw Lake became Serenity Lake. In 2007 in Minnesota, liberal politicians attempted to change the name of Rum River because of the damage the drink did to the Native American community.
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France: Rama Yade In The News
French Black Liberal Writer: "Rama, Why Are You Silent On The 'Smearing' Of Black Socialist Criminal Ali Soumare?"
Claude Ribbe, a leftist writer, criticizes the moderate-conservative politico - who is known as "La Rebelle" (The Rebel) for her outspokeness - for not defending Ali Soumare, a Socialist Party candidate running in a local election in the Ile-de-France region in next month's elections. The ruling center-right UMP (Ms. Yade's party) has made accusations that Soumare - who is a Muslim, of Malian immigrant parents - is a "repeat criminal offender," with five criminal convictions, which has virtually torpedoed Soumare's electoral bid. Yet a local judge on Feb. 23 revealed that in at least one instance, Soumare had been wrongfully accused. However, Soumare has four criminal convictions (he has admitted to at least one conviction, which involved theft and minor assault).
Mr. Ribbe argues that Ms. Yade should come to Soumare's defense: "I remember Rama Yade had written a [best-selling] book titled Noirs de France [Blacks Of France]. I don't know if she denounced racism or not, or whether she was advocating affirmative action, from which she has benefited. In any case, I would've liked her opinion on the Soumare matter. Rama, who once spoke all the time, we do not hear anymore. We heard Fadela [Amara, a French feminist and current UMP member]; we heard Rachida [Dati, the former Justice Minister and current UMP member]. Both said that it was wrong to lynch Soumare. But Rama, mum. Yet it would be the time to know what she thinks of her fellow candidates who spit and vomit on the 'black socialist' by the pretty words of Alexis Brézet, the uninhibited journalist of Le Figaro, the disciple of Finkielkraut. For we must remember, for those who don't remember, that Rama is on the Pécresse list [as a candidate in the Hauts-de-Seine area]. Rama's opinion would've been even more interesting because she herself refused to stand in Val d'Oise, where Soumare is top of [his party's] list, and there is yet much from 'noirs de France' there than inclusion in the much more chic, Hauts de Seine, where there are far fewer 'noirs de France.'"
He continues: "Thank you, Rama Yade, having become popular and thus have furthered the cause of "noirs de France"! Here I understand. To reach the government and make oneself known, one must present oneself as a 'black' representative. To continue to be popular, and especially to continue to be part of the government when one is 'black', don't mention 'black' and always look at the ceiling when people in your party are busy breaking the Negro."
Rama Yade On The Olympics: "France Did Alright, But We Should've Done Better"
The French Secretary of State for Sport and moderate-conservative is satisfied that the record of medals has been achieved, although she argues that France must diversity its sports performance to become a Top 5 country in the medal count (article in French). Excerpts:
How would you assess these Olympics? Eleven medals, not bad. The objective has been achieved. We had some nice surprises with the biathlon. They were a young team and we didn't necessarily expect things like Marie Dorin with her bronze medal. There are lots of women too. I felt a good atmosphere. It's that on the Alpine skiing or the ice sports, we have a longer wait in the class of athletes presented.
Aren't you disappointed when France could've have had more medals? I don't want to focus on anyone. Do not throw stones. They're doing the best they can. I am very proud of the medals. I also encourage those who failed to get on the podium. Hockey wasn't represented, nor bobsled. When one wants to appear in three or four best nations, it is important to dispatch performance in all its [sports] associations and not in some disciplines. Biathlon produced 2/3 of our medals. We need hockey, bobsled, ice sports to give a little, at least more than today.
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This Week's Bookerista Calendar
Tuesday In USA: Ugandan Journalist To Discuss "Africa & The Curse Of Foreign Aid" at Yale
The Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale University will host a talk by Andrew Mwenda, the founding managing editor of Uganda’s The Independent, on Tuesday, March 2. The libertarian journalist' lecture, titled “Paved With Good Intentions: Africa And The Curse Of Foreign Aid,” will take place at 4 p.m. in the Luce Hall auditorium, 34 Hillhouse Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
Tuesday In USA: Swedish Minister Nyamko Sabuni To Speak At United Nations
Nyamko Sabuni, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality and moderate-conservative, will speaks at the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York City. She speaks before the General Assembly at 1:00pm EST (article in Swedish). More than 8,000 delegates from around the world will participate in the meeting, including U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This year's session will include an assessment of how states have lived up to the commitments contained in the U.N. action plan on gender equality, known as the Beijing Platform.
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Our Stolen Generation, Or The Fetal Paradox
J. Thomas Hunter, a conservative Republican blogger in Illinois opines about Marisol Molina, a 25-year-old Chicagoan who was 7-9 months pregnant and underwent a self-abortion. She has been incarcerated with a $200,000 bond, charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty. Mr. Hunter argues that abortion law is similar to the infamous 3/5 Compromise in the U.S. Constitution - which obfuscated black humanity. He asserts that pro-choice advocates should be calling for Molina's release: "Why is Molina’s act considered murder if a fetus is not human? Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Matthew Walberg says that 'The charges hinge on the allegation that the child was physically separated from Molina and was breathing on its own prior to its death.' This distinction does not negate the humanity of the baby. In other words, the law allows for the murder of a child as long as it is in close enough proximity to the mother and prevented from breathing. Apparently, Molina’s mistake was not killing her daughter sooner."
He continues his commentary: "If abortion is an innocuous choice to undergo a procedure no more sinister than having one’s tooth pulled, why is Molina charged with murder? As a child, I pulled many of my own teeth. My teachers did not launch investigations into my home life and inquire whether or not a trained dentist pulled my teeth. Likewise, Molina was simply performing her own surgery — a successful one at that — one that resulted in the death of her own daughter. Is it illegal to do medical work on oneself?"
Booker Rising response: Slow down. Molina gave birth, placed her newborn inside a plastic bag and concealed the bag in a closet, thus causing death. An autopsy determined the child was breathing after birth. Thus, not comparable to abortion (and for the record, while I'm pro-choice I am opposed to partial-birth abortion). Except for an extremist minority, most pro-choice people do not favor abortion in the last trimester because of fetal viability. Illinois has a safe haven where one can leave a newborn - which used to be up to seven days but last month was extended to 30 days - with a hospital, fire station, or police station without fear of prosecution. A college graduate like Molina could've also easily found adoptive parents. Of course, she and her boyfriend should've taken precautions to avoid pregnancy in the first place.
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Angela McGlowan Trying To Turn 1st District On Its Ear
Former Fox News commentator Angela McGlowan is out to turn traditional politics upside down by running in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District race. She is a woman. She is black. She is a former beauty queen-turned congressional staffer-turned political analyst and is a best-selling author. And she says she is the most conservative candidate in a three-way Republican primary race to unseat U.S. Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) "I don't think that race and gender are going to matter," Ms. McGlowan said. "At the end of the day, poverty and unemployment know no color."
Ms. McGlowan, 39, announced her candidacy Feb. 8, the day after her contract with Fox News expired. Since then, she's been traveling the North Mississippi district in search of votes and campaign money. Ms. McGlowan faces state Sen. Alan Nunnelee and former Eupora Mayor Henry Ross in the GOP primary. Mr. Nunnelee is the acknowledged frontrunner in a race that is drawing national attention and is considered a toss-up between Mr. Nunnelee and Rep. Childers.
Ms. McGlowan established her conservative reputation in the 1990s while working for Republican members of Congress and as outreach director for former Sen. Bob Dole's Better America Foundation. She also cemented her conservative values as a Fox News political commentator and author of the best-selling book Bamboozled: How Americans Are Being Exploited by the Lies of the Liberal Agenda. Ms. McGlowan said she was born and raised in Oxford, where her father was a minister. After graduating from the University of Mississippi and going to Washington, D.C. she was crowned Miss District of Columbia, part of the Miss USA program, to go along with five beauty titles she had earned earlier.
One of her goals is to win black voters over to the Republican Party. At a recent rally in Starkville, Ms. McGlowan said only about 10 of the 700 people on hand were black, and she wants to change that. She noted that George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004 with only 11 percent of the black vote. "The Republican Party makes the big mistake of not reaching out to black voters," she said. Ms. McGlowan said she encourages black voters, who normally vote for the Democratic candidate, to pick her in the June 1 Republican congressional primary and again during the Nov. 2 general election. "I'm not looking to earn votes from just Republicans, because when I go to Washington, D.C., I'll represent all people," she said.
Booker Rising response: If she claims that race won't matter in this campaign, then why is Ms. McGlowan urging the district's black population (who are overwhelmingly Democratic) to pick up a Republican ballot in Mississippi's open primary? That's contradictory. Her campaign is DOA anyway (just keeping it real) because of her changing stance on the gun registry issue, which certainly ain't gonna sit well in Mississippi's GOP primary. Ms. McGlowan knows it, and thus realizes that she only stands a chance if a sizeable percentage of the district's 27% black population crosses over to vote in the GOP primary (which I doubt will happen).
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DUANE BRAYBOY COMMENTARY: A Clogged Pipeline But Somebody Has To Clean It
The conservative blogger in metro Atlanta, Ga. discusses black American men and career choices: "I think that for too long we have been dealing with the symptoms and not the actual causes of missing Black men. The reason why there is a shortage of Black men in areas like teaching, mentoring, non-profits, etc. is because we choose not to pursue those areas. What we do like, we pursue (and you can fill in the blank on that one). But before some overly-sensitive people out there take the punk route by suggesting that I am beating up on Black men (man, that is getting old), know that what I am saying here applies to every human being. Humans pursue what interests us. Each year the NBA and NFL turn away thousands of hopeful young Black men who have spent days, weeks, months and years training to get their shot at the pros. Same goes for the music industry. Are there Black men out there who pursue things like climbing the corporate ladder, starting their own business, politics, raising a family, etc. Yes. But those numbers do pale in comparison to the amount of young Black men who are pursuing some of the other areas that I mentioned."
He argues that not enough Black men are pursuing things like teaching, non-profits, etc. because for many of these men, they did not have an example in their life to demonstrate the importance of such pursuits: "I live and work in the Atlanta area, so it has become commonplace for me to see young Black men who want to be women. As I walked through the city of Atlanta yesterday, it was just saddening to me to see the amount of young Black men who were either dressed up as women, or were at least working on perfecting the art of switching like one. Back in the day, we used to laugh at this stuff, but I have long lost my desire to laugh at it anymore. Too many of us are settling for the line that these men were simply born that way. That is not only a sentiment I disagree with, but I also see it as an easy way of not asking the basic question: WHERE WERE THE MEN IN THESE BRUT[H]AS' LIVES TO SHOW THEM HOW TO BE A MAN? I ask the same question about the many Black men who are in our justice system and those who are not taking care of their basic responsibilities when it comes to family."
More commentary from Mr. Brayboy: "On a personal note, the economy has been especially hard on my family. Like everyone else, I have bills to pay, kids to feed, etc., etc. So after spending several weeks looking for work, I was able to secure something that is helping us to stay afloat. Recently, I was asked by a co-worker 'What drives you?' I told her that I have a family to take care of, plain and simple. Her response was simply 'Wow!' Now for me, taking care of my family comes natural. Why? Because I had a father who modeled that out for me. But apparently there are people out there who have not seen that in action enough. I did not need someone to come to my doorstep to woo me into working for them. I looked for the work on my own and found it. So why then do we belittle so many of our Black men in claiming that we must go after them to convince them to help rebuild future generations? Even with a Black President, there are just some things government cannot do. Making people want to better themselves is one of them. Forums, roundtable discussions are good, but now we know what to do. Get behind, support and involve yourself with organizations that are doing the tough work of mentoring and raising up this next generation. As for the ones who are already grown, love them. But love them enough to tell them the truth and point the way out of the cycle."
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BLACK ICE SERIES: Winter Olympics: Checkin' In, Part X
Booker Rising has been highlighting the 20 (partially) black athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. I feel like a broken record here, but I can't believe the media (especially black-oriented media) has not picked up on the fact that two out of every five of the (partially) black athletes at this year's Games - which closes this evening - are going home with nine combined medals. This is historic. Granted, black Americans haven't been watching these Games according to Nielsen ratings, but come now. So Booker Rising will highlight the Black Ice medalists to honor their achievements. The Canadians in particular stepped it up:
Richard Adjei, Germany (pictured left), silver medalist in the two-man bobsled
Lascelles Brown, Canada (pictured far left), bronze medalist in the four-man bobsled
Shelley-Ann Brown, Canada (pictured right; no relation to Lascelles Brown), silver medalist in the two-woman bobsled
Shani Davis, USA, gold medalist in long track 1,000-meter speedskating. Chicago, baby, yeah! (sorry, I couldn't resist that our hometown guy is bringing back two medals!)
Shani Davis, USA, silver medalist in long track 1,500-meter speedskating
Jarome Iginla, Canada (pictured in center), gold medalist in ice hockey
Elana Meyers, USA (pictured right), bronze medalist in two-woman bobsled
Kalyna Roberge, Canada (pictured second from left), silver medalist in short track 3,000-meter speedskating relay
Robin Szolkowy, Germany (pictured rear), bronze medalist in pairs figure skating
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J.C. WATTS OP-ED: The Mother Of All Bailouts To Come
The conservative Republican lobbyist and former Congressman sounds the alarm about a provision within banking reform legislation: "Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., are working on bipartisan legislation to revamp the regulatory structure of the financial services industry. The House passed Rep. Barney Frank's version Dec. 11. The bill from Frank, D-Mass., would create a controversial Consumer Financial Protection Agency and codify a permanent bailout authority for the federal government. The big question for Americans who hate bailouts is whether the Senate will follow the House's lead and grant the Federal Reserve the statutory authority to bail out individuals, partnerships or corporations to the tune of $4 trillion. On Page 506 of the House-passed bill, which is titled the 'Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act' is the following language: The amounts made available under this subsection shall not exceed $4,000,000,000,000. This so-called 'reform' and 'consumer protection' legislation authorizes a $4 trillion bailout fund for Wall Street. That is more money than President Obama's 2011 budget ($3.8 trillion), the gross domestic product of Germany ($3.7 trillion), and between five and six times the amount of the Troubled Assets Relief Program. A majority of House members actually voted for a bill containing $4 trillion in new bailout authority."
More commentary from Mr. Watts: "There is a provision for a joint resolution of congressional disapproval, but the commencing of any resolution would not happen until after the commitment of funds had already been made. It is unlikely that members of Congress would be able to unravel any action. The Senate has the power to run away from this new bailout authority or to embrace it when senators debate financial services reform legislation. The direction that Dodd and Corker take in negotiations on this important issue will have severe ramifications for government policy on the proper role of the Federal Reserve to prop up failing companies in times of crisis. If this bill passes the Senate with bailout authority intact and gets one step closer to the president's desk, then voters will be mad at yet another abuse of the taxpayers' dollars. The idea of a small and limited government is inconsistent with the idea that the Federal Reserve should have $4 trillion more in bailout authority."
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CLARENCE PAGE COMMENTARY: ‘Elitism’ — The All-Purpose Pejorative
The moderate-liberal columnist argues that U.S. conservatives accuse liberals of arrogance, but they're the ones being condescending with the "elitist" charge: "Since Washington never has been much of a haven for humility, I cannot help but wonder about the current conservative obsession with smugness. Part of it is propaganda as usual, tied into what the late Washington Post columnist Meg Greenfield once described as a 'a kind of scruffy ‘populist' pretense that goes in and out of fashion here.' Conservatives have been knocking snooty lefty 'elitism' almost nonstop since New York City's Republican Mayor John Lindsay was branded a 'limousine liberal,' ironically by a Democratic challenger, in 1969. Over time, wrote self-described liberal Democrat William A. Henry in his 1994 book 'In Defense of Elitism,' the E-word 'has come to rival if not outstrip ‘racist' as the foremost catch-all pejorative of our times.'"
More: "And why not? What better way to grab some moral advantage over your adversaries, right or left, than to tap age-old strains of reverse snobbery that have long bubbled beneath the surface of America's political culture? A recent anti-elitist surge in the chattering classes followed a Washington Post essay by Gerard Alexander, a University of Virginia associate professor of politics, with the audacious headline: 'Why are liberals so condescending?' It's a thought-provoker, except Alexander makes the unsupported charge that liberals show this undesirable attitude 'to a degree far surpassing conservatives.' Sure, conservatives can be overtaken by their own self-importance, too, he allows, but he fails to back up by any metric his notion that lefties are more condescending than righties. On the flip side, there are those who take the populist, aw-shucks, 'I'm just a regular person' pose a bit too far. Sarah Palin danced dangerously along that edge in her recent interview on Fox News, the channel where she also works as a commentator. 'I'm never going to pretend like I know more than the next person,' said the 2008 Republican candidate for vice president. 'I'm not going to pretend to be an elitist.'"
He continues: "Condescension is an easy charge to make because it is in the eye of the beholder. That means we probably will hear more of this lame rap, even when the real condescension is shown by those who think the public is too dumb to see through it. In many ways, Americans appreciate elites. If you have aspired to excellence and achieve some measure of greatness in this land of opportunity, we admire you. Just try not to get too stuck-up about it."
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Thegreyfalcon: "What We Can Learn About The History Of The Band KISS And 'Materialism'"
The conservative Republican blogger discusses success and market forces, vs. the White House's "war on success" that mainly penalizes first-generation millionaires who've created a product or service that's in demand: "There are those that say it is wrong for people like [KISS bassist] Gene Simmons to make so much money when school teachers make so much less. But examining the concept of marginal revenue product shows that this is not the problem that it has been made out to be. Economist Karl E. Case states 'The marginal revenue product (MPR) of a variable input is the additional revenue a firm earns by employing one additional unit of that input.' This simply means the profit the company makes after paying for the labor or advertising or what every variable factor is used in increase sales."
He continues his commentary: "Paying Lebron James $43,779,912 a year does not cause ticket prices to go up, ticket prices go up because having James makes the demand for tickets to increase. That demand will occur no matter how much he is paid, but understanding this makes him demand more money from the owners. And most of that figure is based on the television revenues that he is providing the team and league. Those revenues come from selling advertising time to firms that make cars, computers, elect[r]ic razors, and other things that make contribute to the nation’s economy. Lebron James is moving product. So is Gene Simmons. And [an] increase in ticket sales is not enough to discourage millions of people enjoying live viewing of the Gene Simmons and Lebron James [activities] in action. So unless these people have been tricked or coerced into feeling good about their purchases, the amount they are paid is just. And by the way, Gene Simmons was a school teacher before he was a rock star. Bill O’Reilly and Roy Blount were also teachers."
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Ideology Quiz
You Are 84% Capitalist, 16% Socialist |
 You're a capitalist pig - and proud of it. You believe that business makes the world great... And you'd never be ashamed of being rich! |
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Justice Malala: "It's Time For Good Men To Speak"
The South African center-right columnist argues that the silence of principled politicians condemns the ruling center-left African National Congress party, as the party's left an center wings battle over policies: "The president is weak, meaning [South African Minister for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins] Chabane and his colleagues are weak. They cannot tap an obviously challenged or incompetent minister on the shoulder and ask him to resign or be fired. Worse, it is becoming increasingly clear that [South African President Jacob] Zuma does not actually have the will to fight corruption or defend high standards. This makes Chabane's job redundant from the word go. There are a few others who show promise: The minister for international relations, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, is energetic, but would have been far more effective in an Mbeki administration. At least, that administration's foreign policy was coherent, albeit sometimes deluded, and even criminal, on the Zimbabwe front. In the ANC itself, Gwede Mantashe stands head and shoulders above his colleagues as a voice of reason and principle. Despite his communist roots, the man continues to display leadership qualities that transcend the petty level of politics to which the ANC has sunk. To realise the man's quality you merely have to see how much [controversial ANC Youth League president Julius] Malema hates him. Malema's passion is so deep that there is only one conclusion to be drawn: there is quality and mettle to the man. Beyond that, he continues to be a strong moral and ethical voice in the party."
More commentary from Mr. Malala: "The ANC continues to astonish. When Thabo Mbeki was trampling over good men and sidling up to dictators like Robert Mugabe, many in the party kept quiet. Then they claimed that there was a new flowering of voices in the party, that a new openness was afoot. Today, they are as quiet as mice as Zuma embarrasses and Malema terrorises. It is amazing that this is the party of Mandela, Tambo, Slovo, Hani and Sisulu. They would not be so silent in the face of such a descent into anarchy."
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2/27 VIDEO OF THE DAY: South African Gumboot Dance
As mentioned earlier this week given the national Sprite Step Off Challenge controversy, the influence on the step routines that predominantly black fraternities and sororities in America do comes from three sources: (1) West Africa (the Juba dance, aka hambone, that was done on Southern plantations since drums were forbidden due to their potential secret coding) (2) the country of South Africa (gumboot dance) and (3) the 1950s and 1960s synchronized moves of Motown groups such as The Temptations and Four Tops. In South Africa during the apartheid era, mining workers often used boot dancing as a means of communication:
I read that the late Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah (who was a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at Lincoln University) played a key role in bringing these African step traditions into the black Greek system back in the 1930s. A Pan-Africanist, he is allegedly the one who introduced canes into the world of black Greek stepping in America.
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REV. RAYMOND DIX JR. COMMENTARY: Agenda For Black Success Must Come From Within
Asserts the conservative pastor in Indiana, in response to the public spat between media personality Tavis Smiley and Rev. Al Sharpton over whether President Obama is paying attention to black liberals' agenda: "I asked myself, 'What is a black agenda?' I define any agenda that supports the self-determination and pursuit of opportunity for the advancement of any individual as a human agenda. In my humble opinion, the attachment of an ethnic label to this human agenda is an affront to the ancestors of black Americans who fought for freedom and the right to pursue it. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is not a black thing or a white thing; it is endowed by God as a human thing. Yet some people within the black community insist that we need to label the agenda for the uplift of our people. This might fly if the so-called leaders placed the onus of attainment upon those within the community, and not upon the government or the tacit approval and cooperation of those without."
He continues his commentary: "For example, as so-called black leaders pressure this current president to pursue a 'black agenda,' they seem to lack the courage to challenge musicians like R. Kelly and rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson to explain how songs like 'Pregnant' and 'Baby by Me' achieve the 'black agenda.' For those who speak out against such musical drivel, this does not apply to you. In addition, little is said from the so-called black leadership regarding the genocide of abortion and its stifling, as well as stagnating, effect on black women, men and families. But for those of us who celebrate and take seriously the rich heritage and contributions that black Americans made and still make to the tapestry of this country, these types of expressions and legal means of self-destruction underscore the need for change that must begin within the community and the family, led by those in the community and the family."
Final thoughts from Rev. Dix Jr., on what should be the black agenda in America: "The agenda for success must include not only the repudiation of such nonsense as culturally and socially relevant, it must also include the dynamic emphasis upon that which is relevant, such as the return to education as a value and the rejection of anti-intellectual behavior. Being smart and studious should never be something requiring an apology. With arguably three generations of black males lost to incarceration or some other negative contact with the penal justice system, it is time to focus our efforts on the elimination of celebratory accolades often thrust upon those who make money and fame off of the promotion of stereotypes that represent the worst in us. It is time for our houses of worship to espouse a message that not only emphasizes the cost of the freedom attained, but also the legitimate pathway of maintaining it. To this end, we must apply our hands to the plow of labor, calling upon the vision of our past to be the guide to our future. Judgment by the content of our character and not the color of our skin not only applies to those without, but more importantly to those within. This is the agenda for success."
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SAMUEL GONZALEZ COMMENTARY: Far Left Website Think Progress Smears Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)
Asserts the conservative Republican blogger in New York: "Frank[s] makes an impassioned criticism on the devastating consequences of abortion, particularly in the Black community where 50% of potential Black babies are aborted. Of course like a typical lib, the substance of what Frank[s] is saying has no impact on [liberal blogger Mike] Stark who continues on his agenda. But, Alex Seitz-Wald of Think Progress takes the deception even further by misrepresenting that Frank said Blacks were better off during slavery."
He continues: "Frank[s] doesn’t even come close to saying that. And even Stark himself doesn’t react to what Frank[s] actually said by asking directly, 'Are you saying Blacks were better off during slavery?' That would’ve been the logical follow up question if that was what Frank[s] was trying to say. But, that question was never asked because Stark understood the analogy Frank[s] was trying to make between what’s happening to the Black community today under legalized abortion that has taken 50 [million] innocent lives since 1973. It’s an American Holocaust that [l]iberals routinely sweep under the rug. Nice try Think Progress, but no cigar."
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U.S. Is Cast As Villain In Japan
A series of aggressive U.S. federal probes into the recalls of Toyota autos are looking at whether the automaker has been dishonest about the safety defects of some of its vehicles. But in Japan, many believe it's the U.S. government that has something to hide. Congressional hearings on the recalls, they say, are part of conspiracy to help prop up Toyota's largest American rival, General Motors Co., which the government bailed out of bankruptcy last year, becoming the majority shareholder (hat tip: Black & Right).
At least 34 deaths have been blamed on sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, according to complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which the agency said is more than all other automakers combined. Still, to some in Japan, the congressional hearings are reminiscent of the anti-Japanese hysteria of the 1980s, when Japanese investments in high-profile properties such as the Rockefeller Center in New York set off a political firestorm.
Even some Japanese analysts, while acknowledging problems in Toyota's handling of its recall, said they thought Congress has been a bit too opportunistic in its pursuit of a solution. "Many Japanese see these hearings as an effective way for the U.S. to beat up Toyota and allow General Motors and Chrysler to recover and grab a bigger share of the market," said Koji Endo, an analyst at Advanced Research Japan, an independent research house. While acknowledging the safety problems that prompted the recalls, some in the United States also wonder whether the passion with which Congress has gone after Toyota during the hearings isn't partially fueled by economic self-interest. It "can't be ignored," said Mark Zupan, dean of the University of Rochester's School of Business. Mr. Zupan said that if lawmakers applied the same standard to all auto companies, the hearings would never end. "This is not an unbiased jury." Toyota has made things worse by not addressing its problems more aggressively, he said.
On Friday, auto information company Edmunds.com released its analysis of sudden-acceleration complaints to NHTSA and found that while Toyota's rate of complaints was higher than any other automaker, Ford Motor Co. also had a high number.
In Tokyo, consumers believe the Toyota recalls have called into question the entire nation's reputation for producing quality products. The fallout from the automaker's massive recall in the U.S. is also spreading to Toyota's home market. Japanese officials are investigating 38 consumer complaints about sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles. It was the first indication that the accelerator problem had affected Japanese car buyers.
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NADRA ENZI OP-ED: Stand Up For Black Conservatives
Asserts the moderate-conservative Republican in Savannah, Ga., who argues that black conservatives must forge their own path: "Black conservatives are ambassadors within a two-party system that does a disservice to their people. Often, liberals treat us like pets while numerous conservatives consider Black folks animals to be caged. Neither policy serves our interests. Our conservatives can become referees keeping their movement honest on racial issues. They can also inform it on matters of which it's blissfully unaware - for example, what Black folks really think. Simply fitting in as black Pat Buchanans falls short of the mark. We can be no one but ourselves. My opposition to excessive government is rooted in the American captive experience. Americans of African ancestry should be standard bearers for liberty. Otherwise all the suffering was in vain. Silence on vital issues for fear of not adhering to a narrow version of conservatism actually undermines the movement. If you're too scared to speak up perhaps your hold on freedom is tenuous."
He continues his commentary: "You can't be a 'part-time Negro' in this business. Courting extremist, right-wing elements destroys Black conservative credibility in the community. Their message of traditional values, entrepreneurship and dignity plays better when not hanging out with known racists. Anyone countering the Left has prejudice won't get an argument from me. As an Individualist, I know any Black, non-Democrat doesn't need apologist baggage. Political conservatism is already a hard sell among our people. Why make the job harder? I like the idea of Black conservatism. My respect for many of its spokespersons is boundless. Somebody has to scream, 'Whoa!' to the cultural decline of Black America. My concern is insuring they aren't whispering 'Yassuh boss!' behind closed doors. We already know Black Democrats defend their racists to the bitter end. Our conservatives should be better than that."
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The Common Sense Wisdom Of Booker T. Washington
The Booker T. Washington Society (one of Booker Rising's sponsors) has compiled a list of Booker T. Washington quotes. Check it out.
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Communist Cuba: "Enemy Of The State" Dies
Orlando Zapata Tamayo, jailed since 2003 on charges including disrespecting authority, died Tuesday at a hospital in Havana, Cuba. Fellow dissidents say the 42-year-old plumber had been on an 85-day-long hunger strike to protest against prison conditions where he had been since 2003 on charges of disrespect, public disorder and resistance, becoming the first imprisoned opposition figure to die in such a protest in nearly four decades. It was not until today that Cuba's state-owned media acknowledged his death, of course with the obligatory claim that foreign governments and international media are exploiting his death to criticize Cuba:
An image of Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo hangs on a door during a service in Havana on February 24
Cubans from the Mario Chanes de Armas Civil Resistance and Disobedience organization pose for a photo outside the house where they fasted for several hours in memory of Mr. Tamayo. who died of a hunger strike on Tuesday, in Havana February 26, 2010. The signs read, "Orlando Zapata is still alive," and "Zapata, hero of the people."
A Cuban exile demonstrates outside the Cuban Embassy in Madrid, Spain, on February 24 after jailed dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death
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Democratic Leadership Council: Research Papers On The Economy & Job Growth
FYI, the moderate-liberal Democratic organization has put out two research papers:
"Sell More, Borrow Less: A Long-Term Strategy For Economic And Job Growth", by Edward Gresser and Paul Weinstein Jr.
"Where Jobs Come From: The Role Of Innovation, Investment, And Infrastructure In Economic And Job Growth", by Jessica Milano
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BLACK ICE SERIES: Winter Olympics: Checkin' In, Part IX
Booker Rising has been highlighting the 20 (partially) black athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. I'm surprised the media hasn't picked up on this fact yet: This has got to be a record, because the Black Ice crew has eight medals so far.....with one more medal on the way tomorrow (as Canada's Jarome Iginla plays in the USA-Canada men's hockey final tomorrow). Almost half of the Black Ice crew members will have at least one medal around their neck during tomorrow's Closing Ceremony. Germany's Robin Szolkowy got a bronze medal in pairs figure skating, USA's Shani Davis won 1000-meter gold and has 1500-meter silver in men's speedskating, Germany's Richard Adjei got a silver medal in two-man bobsledding, Canada's Shelley-Ann Brown and USA's Elana Meyers got silver and bronze medals respectively in two-woman bobsledding, Canada's Kalyna Roberge got a silver medal in the 3,000-meter short track speedskating relay, and Canada's Lascelles Brown got a bronze medal in the four-man bobsled event. Here's an update:
Richard Adjei, Bobsledding, Germany
Dusseldorf, western Germany
Mr. Adjei, who already has a silver medal at these Games in the two-man bobsled, came just shy of another medal when his four-man bobsled team placed fourth in today's competition.
Timothy Beck, Bobsledding, Netherlands
Assen, northeastern Netherlands
Unfortunately for himself and his country, Mr. Beck didn't get an opportunity to compete at the Games because the Netherlands - or more specifically, the driver of his bobsled team - pulled out of the four-man bobsled event a few days ago, citing safety concerns over the track.
Chuck Berkeley, Bobsledding, USA
Walnut Creek, California, western U.S.
Mr. Berkeley's four-man bobsled team also didn't start the third of four runs, after his team rolled off the course during the second run (but finished the race).
Lascelles Brown, Bobsledding, Canada
*Bronze Medalist*
Calgary, Alberta, western Canada
Today his four-man bobsled team was a mere hundredth of a second off the silver medal. While bobsled driver Lyndon Rush is upset about the placement, Mr. Brown, a brakeman (and the other two teammates), was satisfied with bronze. “A medal is a medal. I love it. Andre [Lange, the German bobsled driver and legend] is the great one, and he beat us by a hundredth of a second. We’re proud to be right behind him.” For his bronze medal placement, Mr. Brown will collect a $10,000 bonus.
Kwame Nkrumah-Acheampong, Slalom Skiing, Ghana
born in Glasgow, Scotland | raised in Ghana
Mr. Nkrumah-Acheampong placed 47th out of 48 athletes who completed the slalom event (this excludes the 53 competitors who failed to finish the race or were disqualified). Well, he technically beat American ski star Bode Miller, who failed to complete the first run. The "Snow Leopard", as he's called, also accomplished his goal of not being in last place in making Ghana's debut at the Winter Olympics.
The 35-year-old charismatic, anomalous skier, who became a PR sensation at these Games, states that this will be his only Olympic Games. Instead, he is busy constructing a ski slope for grass skiing in Ghana (where it doesn't snow, so Ghanaian kids can learn the sport's fundamental techniques). "You'll hear of skiing in Ghana soon," he said.
Henry Nwume, Bobsledding, Britain
Nottingham, mideastern England | born in Zambia
Mr. Nwume's team placed 17th out of 21 finishers in today's four-man bobsled event, after rebounding from yesterday's crash in the second heat. So it's back to being an Army doctor.
Bill Schuffenhauer, Bobsledding, USA
Ogden, Utah, western U.S.
His car got repossessed, and he and his fiance even had to get rid of their son's dog after being evicted from their home. However, nothing was stopping Mr. Schuffenhauer from his third Olympic Games. His team came in 13th place out of 21 teams who finished the four-man bobsled event.
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Massive 8.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Chile, Tsunami Warning For Hawaii
Clifton B., a conservative Republican in New Jersey: "When I heard of this, I could not help but be reminded of the people of Haiti who are still struggling after their earthquake. Thankfully, Chile is better governed and will be able to do a better job at helping themselves. They will still need help from the world, but no where near as urgent as Haiti’s. Hawaii will no doubt be able to handle the tsunami should one hit. They have plenty of lead-time to evacuate the low lands. Property damage should be the biggest problem."
More: "As these natural disasters hit, we are again reminded that it is the United States who usually gives the biggest helping hand. We are rapidly losing our ability to help out in these situations, as our leaders squander the nation’s fortune. Who then will take our role in helping the world in times of need? China? Russia? India? All are doubtful."
Booker Rising response: The Chile earthquake has killed more than 300 people so far. It also toppled buildings and freeways. Good for Chile that the earthquake struck at a relatively deep 21.7 miles, and its building codes are strict. About 50 years ago, the country was struck by the biggest earthquake ever recorded: a magnitude 9.5.
Hawaii escaped any major tsunami damage unleashed by the giant earthquake off the coast of Chile, with tsunami surges far lower than predicted. Nevertheless, evacuations of more than 100,000 people took place on low-lying areas throughout the state as a precaution.
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WEBSTER BROOKS COMMENTARY: Obama's Grand Strategy In The Middle East & Central Asia
Webster Brooks, a senior fellow at the Center for New Politics & Policy (USA) and moderate, emailed this op-ed to Booker Rising:
For the next two decades, Middle Asia — the predominantly Muslim region of the Middle East, the Caucuses and Central Asia — will dominate international security concerns. Extricating U.S. armed forces from Afghanistan and Iraq and containing Iran’s nuclear program will occupy the center of President Obama’s foreign policy agenda. From Turkey to the West Bank, from Yemen to Pakistan, Middle Asia is the world’s most dangerous region. Rent with the currents of Islamic empowerment, nationalism, secessionist struggles, terrorist movements and nuclear proliferation, it is a cauldron of global instability. Middle Asia is also home to sixty percent of the world’s oil and natural gas reserves in the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea Basin and Central Asian steppes. For these reasons Middle Asia has become the focal point of war and great power rivalry between Europe, Japan, China, India and Russia over spheres of influence and energy resources. Thus, the pacification and reorganization of Middle Asia is the central task of the U.S.-European global project. The precipitous decline of U.S. power in 'Middle Asia' now poses the most serious threat to American global hegemony and its role as the ultimate guarantor of international security. The Obama administration’s setbacks in the region during his first year in office underscore the urgent need to reassess American grand strategy and the direction of its foreign policy.
America’s grand strategy to sustain its preponderance of global power rests on two pillars; maintaining the unfettered flow of Middle Asia’s energy resources to the U.S.-Atlantic alliance and preventing any single power or constellation of hostile powers from dominating Eurasia. The ascendency of an adversary to political and military dominion over Asia or the Middle East would inevitably reduce America to a second rate power. While Europe remains firmly committed to the Atlantic alliance, American hegemony in Middle Asia is the geo-strategic lynchpin sustaining U.S. global pre-eminence. President Bush’s wars to subdue Iraq and Afghanistan were part of a larger regional strategy to establish a permanent forward military presence on China and Russia’s doorstep while encircling Iran to foment regime change. Seeking to leverage America’s 'unipolar moment' after the Soviet Union’s collapse, President Bush sought to achieve overwhelming control of Middle Asian energy resources as a strategic component of preventing the 'rise of a global peer.' But wars have uncertain outcomes. Bush’s 'imperial overreach' resulted in American engagement in two unwinnable wars that drained its treasury, unleashed domestic dissent and tarnished Washington’s image around the world.
Assuming the Oval Office with America’s power on the wane, President Obama moved quickly to re-position his exhausted U.S. military forces and repair Washington’s damaged international image. By reducing America’s military footprint in Middle Asia President Obama attempted to balance Washington’s global overextension with the need to reinforce America’s core national security interests. However, the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan has resulted in a major contraction of American power in Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. President Obama’s actions may minimize America’s short term losses, but the long-term impact of America’s strategic retreat in Middle Asia will have far reaching implications.
Despite the surge of 30,000 U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan, scheduled troop withdrawals in 2011 were a tacit acknowledgement that the Taliban cannot be defeated militarily. Even if efforts to bring the Taliban into the Karzai government succeed the Taliban will likely remain a powerful non-state actor. The pullout of U.S. forces will also increase Pakistan’s need to preserve Taliban and Al Queda forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border as a hedge against India’s encroachment in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The possible outbreak of civil war between the non-Pashtun Northern Alliance majority and the Taliban cannot be dismissed. Intervention in Afghanistan by Russia, Iran, India and Pakistan is also a contingency if the government collapes. At best, Kabul’s weak central government will exercise nominal control over a highly fragmented country — making Afghanistan a very dangerous country and flashpoint for a regional conflagration for years to come.
On the heels of America’s retreat in Afghanistan, Russia and China have strengthened their efforts to push American military bases out of the Central Asian states of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Moscow and Beijing are also seeking to block U.S. efforts to underwrite new energy pipelines from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Western Europe. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) led by China and Russia has evolved as the key vehicle for both countries to exert political and military control over Central Asia’s 'Four Stans' that hold 21 percent of the world’s oil reserves and 45 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves. China has substantial energy interests in Central Asia. And maintaining stability in neighboring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is critical to China’s efforts to suppress its restive Uighur Muslim minority in Xinjaing Province. In furtherance of China’s efforts to limit U.S. influence in Central Asia, Beijing has been conducting annual joint military exercises with its SCO partners and expanded its naval presence and ports in the Indian Ocean. Assuming all the trappings of a rising world power China’s presence in the Middle East is growing. With 17 percent of its oil imports coming from Saudi Arabia and 15 percent from Iran, more than half of all Saudi oil imports now come from the Middle East. China is not only locking up long-term access deals but purchasing exploration and development rights. China's economic muscle in the Middle East and Central Asia is undermining U.S. influence and its long-term energy agreements with Iran and the Sudan is further undercutting U.S. attempts to isolate hostile regimes.
Similarly, Russia’s backing of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and its strategic energy alliance with Tehran threatens to reconfigure the balance of power in Middle Asia. The convergence of Iran and Russia’s interests in controlling gas and oil pipelines transiting Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia and Turkey enhances both countries potential to exert strategic leverage over Europe, India and China — all massive energy importers. In 2008, with Russia’s support, Iran was granted “Observer Status” in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Although the 2008 announcement by Qatar, Iran and Russia to form an international gas cartel never matured, the trace lines of an 'Eastern Energy Alliance' anchored by Moscow and Tehran is an idea in search of a viable organizational structure. In this light, Russia’s military action in the breakaway Caucus republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that torpedoed Georgia’s ascension to NATO and threatened Tbilisi’s energy pipelines to the Caspian Sea reinforced Moscow’s contention that the former Soviet Union’s republics are its “near abroad” security perimeter.
It remains to be seen whether Russia's actions are those of a strategic competitor or adversary. However, President Obama’s hopes of securing Russia’s cooperation to derail Iran’s nuclear program by canceling missile defense deployments in Poland and the Czech Republic in return for Moscow’s support for sanctions against Tehran was rejected by President Medvedev. Moscow has helped build and protect Iran’s nuclear program from sanctions precisely because a nuclear armed Iran threatens America’s allies and its dominance in Middle Asia. Increasingly, the Obama’s administration is conceding that it cannot stop Tehran from crossing the nuclear threshold. Therefore the administration is accelerating the deployment of sea and land based missile defense systems in the Persian Gulf while trying to avert a nuclear arms race in the region. With Russia expanding its sale of weapons systems and arms to Iran, Turkey, Syria and most recently Saudi Arabia, Moscow’s re-entry into the Middle East is a unsettling enterprise undermining U.S. influence.
America’s decline in the region has also been complicated by its troop withdrawals in Iraq to avoid entanglement in another Vietnam-style quagmire. For the first time since World War 2, Iraq and Iran — the two nations that policed America’s imperial order in the Persian Gulf — have vacated Washington’s orbit, leaving Saudi Arabia more vulnerable than ever. Notwithstanding the possibility of Iraq fracturing into another round of sectarian violence, Iran has become the dominant foreign influence over Baghdad’s Shi’a-led government. Greater access to Iraqi oil and a friendly Shi’a led government on its rival Saudi Arabia’s border has enhanced Iranian strategic depth across the Middle East and Southern Caucuses. As the leader of the Shi’a Muslims empowerment movement in the Middle Asia Iran also spearheads the anti-U.S. rejectionist front that includes Syria, HAMAS and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Iranian enlargement has effectively split the Middle East into pro-America and anti-American camps. Iran's ascendency to the nucluer club will only exacerbate the split in the Middle East and exert enormous pressure on the pro-U.S. Gulf states, many of which are already seeking accomodations with Tehran. President Obama hasn’t ruled out missile strikes against Iran to degrade its nuclear program. However, with America’s regional allies opposing air strikes and Iran’s opposition movement against President Ahmadinejad and the clerical establishment growing, surgical strikes against Iran are less likely to occur.
Beyond the dangers posed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran's destabilizing expansion, the Obama administration has been buffeted by other setbacks in the region. The failure to counter Al Queda’s buildup in Yemen and force President Saleh to broker agreements with the Shia-based al Houthi insurgency and the secessionist Southern Movement finds Yemen tottering of the brink of collapse. The volatile situation has left Saudi Arabia with a war on its southern border and Al Queda with a launching pad to attack the Kingdom. President Obama’s attempt to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks by demanding Israeli concessions on settlement activities was an embarrassing failure. In reviving the talks Obama hoped to remove the conflict as the source code of Arab — U.S. tension and accelerant of Islamic radicalism across the Middle East. The peace talks debacle demoralized the 'Arab street' and squandered the political capital Obama amassed in the Cairo Address. President Obama’s back channel efforts to coax Syria out of Iran’s orbit never got off the ground. Worse still, Turkey’s President Erdogan’s refused to back U.S. sanctions against Iran, stating that Ankara’s energy relationship with Iran and Russia are not negotiable. And although, Hezbollah failed to win Lebanon’s hotly contested parliamentary elections, Hassan Nasrallah and Hezbollah’s militia forces maintain control of most of the country.
With the United States retreating in Afghanistan and Iraq and U.S. power being challenged across the region, America’s project to pacify and re-organize Middle Asia is faltering. The expansion of Russian and Chinese power in Central Asia and the Middle East is a new reality that must be managed with great diplomatic skill. No longer dominant enough to impose its will on the region, Obama’s foreign policy must strive to achieve two strategic goals. First, prevent a China-Russia-Iran alliance that severely curtails American power in the region. While Moscow and Beijing have substantial interest in Middle Asia, China's foreign policy seeks to dominate East Asia while Russia's ultimate fate is tied to continental Europe. Just as Richard Nixon's 'Opening to China' in the 1970's help divide the two powers, Obama must wedge the Eastern Alliance while simultaneously engaging Moscow and Beijing in policies that promote regional stability, contain terrorism and foster the equitable sharing of energy resources.
Second, the Obama administration must increase its pressure to reform the authoritarian regimes whose repressive policies and stagnant economies are fueling radical movements and anti-American sentiment. America’s defense of dictatorial Arab kings, sheiks and presidents in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Yemen and the other Gulf states has placed the United States on the wrong side of history and the majority of Middle Asian citizens. Middle Asia is engaged in a historical course correction where the artificial borders and nations created by the British and French after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire and World War 1 are crumbling. A mass awakening of political, ethnic, Islamic and nationalist movements is in full bloom. So too, the breakup of the Soviet Union has put the energy rich, but predominantly poor Muslim Central Asia states in play as the revival of the 'Great Game' drags the world powers into the vortex of struggle for hegemony over energy resources. Accommodations and political space for the Muslim Brotherhood, the Kurds, the Al Houthi, the Baloch, the Shi’a and other must be made. And the sooner the better. The overwhelming majority of these movements are not jihadist struggles and therefore must be embraced. Indeed, recent history suggests that radical and even anti-American forces participating in more democratic environments in Iraq and Lebanon tend to moderate over time. The burden of governing often proves to be sobering check on radicals-come-to-power. In short, America must stop defending the dead hand of the past in Middle Asia.
Finally, while America still enjoys a preponderance of global power, it can no longer dominate the new international system. In the new multi-polar world order of competing great powers and rising middle powers, President Obama must now lead by forging international consensus to legitimize America’s global leadership role--always seeking to balance American national interests with the interest of a shared global community. Over the next three years that leadership must be exercised with great energy, intellect and diplomacy in Middle Asia.
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Benjamin Banneker: The First African-American Geek
So claims Matt Blum over at Wired.com: "Banneker was born free in Maryland in November of 1731 — three months before George Washington’s birth. It’s not known precisely where he got his knowledge of mathematics and astronomy — some historians speculate that his maternal grandfather was a member of the Dogon tribe from Mali, who are reputed to have a long tradition of studying astronomy. Wherever he learned it, though, it certainly piqued his interest, and that, combined with some schooling from a local Quaker farmer, gave him a solid grounding for geeky pursuits. His first known major geeky activity was when he at age 21 reportedly built a clock out of wood using a borrowed pocket watch as his only guide. The story (for which evidence is scant, but it seems likely there is some truth to it) goes that the clock kept working until after Banneker’s death. Banneker’s clock is sometimes referred to as 'America’s first clock,' but that is likely an overstatement of its historical importance."
He continues: "Banneker became an avid astronomer, and used his observations and calculations to assist a survey team working to draw up the boundaries of what would become Washington, D.C. By that time he was getting on in years, so after only a short while surveying he returned home and instead turned his astronomical data into a series of almanacs. In 1791, he wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, pleading for justice for African-Americans. He argued the then-radical idea that African-Americans such as himself were just as capable and smart as white people, and as supporting evidence included an ephemeris he had constructed. Jefferson replied, agreeing in principle with Banneker’s arguments, but he would later, after Banneker’s 1806 death, write that he did not think much of Banneker’s abilities."
Booker Rising response: No surprise that Thomas Jefferson was drinking that haterade. That is, when he wasn't busy forcing himself on his black slave mistress/half-sister of his own wife (don't give me that nonsense about it possibly being consensual; Sally Hemmings was a slave and thus had no right to consent) and fathering her children while simultaneously owning slaves and pontificating about "black inferiority". So he was always out to try to demean black folks. Even with societal disadvantages, Benjamin Banneker was still able to rise.
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Obama Follows Bush, To Renew Patriot Act
Mr. Grey Ghost, a conservative Democratic blogger in New York City, writes about how the U.S. Congress is sending legislation that extends three provisions of the Patriot Act to U.S. President Barack Obama, for his expected signature: "Geez, maybe Colin Powell was right in criticizing Dick Cheney's allegations that Barry's been keeping us 'less safe', when you consider that Obama has pretty much kept in place every national security policy that Bush started. See our enemies a lot different now that you're Prez, huh Barry?"
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JAMES CLEVERLY OP-ED: Ashcroft & Left-Wing Hypocrisy
The London city councilman and Conservative Party member discusses campaign finance in Britain. He argues that the Labour Party and liberal media have been attacking Lord Michael Ashcroft for donating to Conservative Party parliamentary campaigns in swing districts because he has been successful in making a difference: "Michael Ashcroft is a Conservative and wants a Conservative government, he doesn't dictate policy or try to lead the party around by the nose. The headline of the Independent's latest attack on him today talks about 'Ashcroft's election war-chest' and of 'Ashcroft money' upon reading it turns out that the vast bulk of the 'Ashcroft money' is actually raised by the local grassroots within the constituencies themselves. Far from relying sole[ly] on Michael, local parties are doing it for themselves. It is also worth comparing the decentralisation of Conservative funding with the Labour party who receive about 60% of their fundings from the unions and 75% of the value of their Q4 2009 registered individual donations came from just three people. Incumb[e]nt Labour MPs might not like the fact that Conservative's are well funded by the should remember that they are spending public money on their communication allowance (which I have always opposed) and the Conservative opponents are not."
More commentary from Mr. Cleverly on campaign finance: "The other main attack is about Michael's tax status. I don't know if he is a full UK tax payer but I do know that the Conservatives will bring forward legislation to ensure that all political donors are. If Labour feel that it is so important an issue why have they not brought in similar legislation? Might it be because it would cut off funding from Lord Paul, one of their own super rich major donors? Michael Ashcroft's donations are also made from his own money, as far as I'm aware he has never syphoned off public money to fund a political party unlike the union movement who take part in the government supported money-go-round. It's funny how the left are so worried about high spending in elections over here when I know of many who were more than happy to lend a hand in Barack Obama's ultra high spending presidential election campaign."
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Black History Trivia Contest: Come On, Guess My Identity!
Yesterday's trivia question has not been correctly answered yet. Come on, folks, you can do it! Here are the three clues about the mystery individual: (1) My profession deals with caelum; (1) I'm affiliated with the men who made Tuskegee soar in the air; and (3) I hail from a former capital of the United States (yes, there were many before Washington, D.C.).
Here's theGrio.com's list of "History Makers In The Making" (which includes brief bios), on which the mystery individual is an honoree. The first person to correctly answer the question will win a DVD copy of the documentary, "Meeting David Wilson". The documentary recounts the story of journalist and TheGrio's managing editor, David Wilson, in his attempt to reconnect with the descendants of the plantation owners that once enslaved his own ancestors.
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2/26 News: Bookerista Politicians & Duckets
USA: At Merrill Lynch, Ford Jr. Received At Least $2 Million
As he flirts with a challenge to appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Harold Ford Jr., the former congressman from Tennessee, has been dogged by questions about his compensation on Wall Street, a sensitive issue because of taxpayer-financed bailouts of big banks during the financial crisis. As a vice chairman at Merrill Lynch, the moderate-liberal Democrat has benefited from an arrangement that paid him generously regardless of how he and his firm perform.
In 2007, Mr. Ford Jr. began working at the firm under a contract that guaranteed him annual compensation of at least $2 million. With a bonus, his pay could well exceed that figure. A Ford spokesman, Davidson Goldin, declined to comment on what he called “speculation about a private citizen’s pay” and urged Sen. Gillibrand to disclose her pay when she was a corporate lawyer representing tobacco interests. An aide to Sen. Gillibrand said that she had exceeded all financial disclosure requirements as a candidate and as an elected official.
During Mr. Ford Jr.'s time at Merrill Lynch, the firm was allocated billions of dollars in bailout money from the federal government and became the subject of multiple investigations for failing to tell shareholders about generous bonuses promised to its employees before it was bought by Bank of America. Bank of America has repaid all the bailout money.
Ghana: Attoh Quarshie: "'Cash & Carry’ Will Destroy NPP"
A founding member of the center-right New Patriotic Party, Joshua Attoh Quarshie, has warned that those who influence delegates at the party's national convention tomorrow with money to vote for them are killing the party's spirit. Mr. Attoh Quarshie says if people would continue influencing delegates with money, it could ruin the party since capable people may not have the chance to serve the party. “This politics of cash and carry must stop”, he asserted. Mr. Attoh Quarshie explained that people should not vote due to money influence, but rather elect capable people who can do the job.
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