FIGHTING THE CRIME INDUSTRY

"A dear friend of mine who lives in Florida has assured me that her state gives youngsters at the lower elementary level (2nd- and 3rd grades) statewide exams that help that state government decide how much additional prison space will be needed in future years, based upon how many youngsters fail the aforementioned exams. Imagine that! Did someone say, 'Crime Industry'?"

Dear friends,

Many of the young people in Our community, especially the teenage boys, are not either in jail or in contact with the criminal justice system, because they have been lucky thus far. However, it is only a matter of time before they may get swallowed into what is essentially an industry in this country. It is, the Crime Industry.

In fact, I do not care how well you raise your kids, for some reason, particularly, African American youth can fall prey to foolishness. Many great parents and those who work with youth through supportive community programs will attest to that. In other words, even those youngsters who have had all of the right parenting, environment, and so forth, can become food for the vultures of the Crime Industry. It's tough. The Crime Industry does not care about guilt or innocence. They make stuff up. Our children suffer. Also, peer pressure to be like the frauds on the hip-hop records is a major problem.

Again, it must be said: Crime in the USA is an industry just as enterprises that manufacture, for example, food, clothing, real estate, and automobiles are. Crime as an industry makes sense, of course. After all, less crime would mean less police, judges, prosecutors, corrections officers, court officers, prison architects to design prisons and construction companies to build them, food- and other types of vendors, you name it. Moreover, without the salaries and pensions of those groups just mentioned a large part of the overall economy of this country would be destroyed.

Actually, one would think that our energies should be used towards more useful purposes like finding cures to human maladies and the like. However, manufacturing crime is, also, a major component of programming for both print and electronic media - another source of great income for many.

Still, in especially urban settings, we hear talk about need to have more police and less guns in our communities as a means to solving our crime problems. Domestic guns are being made mostly for police purposes and sport hunting. Consequently, without the Crime Industry, the gun industry itself may have succumb by now. Let’s face it. In Philadelphia alone, during 2006, for instance, it has been reported that, at least, 20 people were killed by the police (17 of them unarmed). Consequently, the aforementioned data reveals that more police simply means more guns - and more deaths.

In all fairness, that just mentioned reflects only one side of the Crime Industry. On the other side, we have an inordinate amount of African American and Latino young people who display absolutely no dignity for themselves or respect for others, including a lack of consideration for authority. In other words, we have a population filled with young people who, emotionally and intellectually, seem to want to remain in the infant stage of the human experience.

Many of these youngsters were brought into this world by those who were children themselves. Now, the former are repeating what their parent(s) did. Moreover, these African American and Latino youth are the chief commodities of the Crime Industry, whether as petty thieves, drug-dealers, stooges for either drug distributors or the district attorney and the like, or those who are caught up in the court and prison systems with its probation and parole agents. The worst part of all of this lies with the fact that, in the general population of US society, European American (so-called white) youth, clearly, must commit more crimes, because of their numerically greater levels of poverty; however, they are not victims of a marked group that is "profiled".

At any rate, our children’s current behavior reflects our own. Let’s face it, again, history is the story of generations of families of varying sizes. Historically, these families have been headed by a single mother, because men have died young, gone off to war and been killed, or just left to indulge in selfish behavior. The fantasy of the Ozzie and Harriet two-parent household is a fabrication of Hollywood. Moreover, wisdom suggests that a young person, male or female, having a male figure around to help direct him or her through life's uncertain journey, is essential. Yet, single mothers do quite fine, and have done so for millennia. Hence, what is even more important than having male “mentors” is having a community that supports the development of its youth.

Of course, a civil society certainly needs some of those people mentioned at the beginning of this piece (e.g., police, judges, lawyers, and so forth). However, many jobs are created, specifically for and because of the Crime Industry, and maintained by those whose best interests are served by continued criminal behavior in our society. A good example lies with the fact that, all across the country, in many municipalities, district attorneys, are allowed to use confiscated drug money, for instance, for future hires, raising wages in their offices, and improved pensions for the same workers just mentioned. It is not, therefore, in the best interests of prosecutors and their agents to be too “tough on crime”. Dig? As a matter of fact, it makes more sense for such people (DAs, and so forth) to actually regulate crime.
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Here are a few ways that we can fight against the proliferation of the Crime Industry which robs African American people of so much of our potentially productive energy and resources. Can you think of some ways to do the same?

1.) Free Buses To Prisons Program

Transport children to prisons for the explicit purpose of having reading lessons with their incarcerated parents. Dr. Seuss books and other “phonics” type of reading materials are a great way to start. Many of these folks who are incarcerated have only first- and second grade reading levels. By learning their phonics better and due to the fact that they are older than their children, thus more experienced in life, invariably, these "parents" will begin to read at a higher grade level, acquiring deeper comprehension as well as greater mental stamina. This means that they will gain new ideas, by reading more informative literature, instead of only consuming thoughts from people who, like them, are locked up as well and just as clueless about how to be productive citizens.

As stated above, many of the brothers in prison either cannot read or read only at first- or second grade levels. More help in the classrooms at the first- or second grade levels (and a relationship with a loving elder) may have kept them trying in school longer. Their children deserve a better chance than they had. Also, regarding females, sisters in prisons are often there because of some knucklehead males. Therefore, young girls will also benefit from having a wider range of caring adults in their lives, whether those elders are incarcerated or not. Note: A dear friend of mine who lives in Florida has assured me that her state gives youngsters at the lower elementary level (2nd- and 3rd grades) statewide exams that help that state government decide how much additional prison space will be needed in future years, based upon how many youngsters fail the aforementioned exams. Imagine that! Did someone say, "Crime Industry"?

2.) Letters to Prisoners Program

Get people to be pen pals with inmates in area prisons. The main problem here will be that we need to make sure that inmates are not being selfish and engaging in deceitful behavior, in order to borrow money or get “favors” done on the outside. Telephone calls should be prohibited from being a way for inmates to connect with their pen pals. Incarcerated people should learn to write, so that they can think about why they are in that situation in the first place. A phone call does not require such reflection; people can just talk and feel good - then hang up.

3.) Convict Redemption Program

Get those convicted of either human or property damages - of any kind, to construct ways themselves to make up for their transgressions against their fellow community members. For example, as part of the “Buses” program, inmates who are not parents can still donate time to read and learn with young people.

Inmates must redeem themselves! Merely proclaiming belief in God or asking to be forgiven does nothing to repair the damage done. Besides, neither apology or claims of religious loyalty has meaning, if the person has not repaired the damage that he or she caused. For example, people go to AA and NA meetings and hold what amounts to religious revival forums. Yet, as far as I know, not a single member of those groups has ever gone back to a victim and said, "Here's the $100 that I stole from you." Instead, that AA or NA person says, "Will you forgive me for what I did?...I believe in God now." Well, guess what? Everyone on death row, conveniently - now - believes in God, after the fact. Moreover, no one can forgive anyone else. Rather, people must forgive themselves, then redeem themselves by trying to undo the wrong committed against the victim. Otherwise, there is no justice. You just have a crook who has gotten away once more.

The three programs mentioned above are only some of the ways that the community can reach out to our fallen brothers and sisters, in hopes that they will be appreciative for the love that the community has shown them, and, thus, return to the community as productive members.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Pope Benedict resigns after lambasting Capitalism

Dear friends,

During the recent "Fiscal cliff" nonsense about which the crooks in Washington and their lying mainstream media cohorts hoodwinked the American public, it was brought out that Pope Benedict wrote in his first book, several years ago, that "— Benedict XVI criticizes the “cruelty” of capitalism and colonialism and the power of the wealthy over the poor in his first book as pope released on Friday." World Business, NBC.com

Now the pontiff has suddenly and mysteriously resigned....Huh?

To be sure, during the Reagan era, Pope John Paul the 2nd was known as The President's Pope. In fact, he supported the puppet Reagan in all of his evil acts against humanity, under the guise of fighting Communism (whatever that is).

Finally, in this day of mass communication through the Internet, Corporate Capitalism could hardly tolerate a pope that isn't in lock step with the greedy capitalist rulers. And the beat goes on...

G. Djata Bumpus
http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1050&context=srhonorsprog

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Re-visiting Harry Reid's Remark about the "Negro dialect" (originally posted 1/13/10)

"Think about it. Have you ever listened to an ordinary European American person do a voice impression of an African American? No matter what the voice of the latter actually sounds like, the European American just mentioned ALWAYS imitates the 'Southern twang'."

Dear friends,

Imagine. This whole media frenzy is all about Harry Reid using the term “Negro dialect”. What is the Negro dialect? For example, the so-called Southern dialect or twang, as it were, is simply the evolution of the vocal expression of West African captives as they tried to communicate with Europeans. (see Melville Herskovits’ New World Negro)

Think about it. Have you ever listened to an ordinary European American person do a voice impression of an African American? No matter what the voice of the latter actually sounds like, the European American just mentioned ALWAYS imitates the “Southern twang”.

Therefore, considering the above, many European Americans, especially Southerners, speak the “Negro dialect” - each moment of their lives.

So why all of the ruckus over a typical, stupid, inept Washington pol’s faux pas? Does the issue of “race” still fire people up - especially those who embrace the moniker “white”? In fact, who are “white” people? After all, not only people of European descent, but many Asians as well as many Latinos call themselves “white” too. Why is that? What does being “white” do for a person?

Well, by calling yourself “white”, you become part of an artificial “majority” group that mean-spiritedly pits itself against a body of then smaller groups who are labeled “minorities”. Moreover. the artificial group mentioned above automatically inherits privilege over the so-called “minority” groups.

But what if the “whites” started calling themselves Irish American, or Polish American, or Italian American instead? Except for the Irish Americans who, by the way, have only been considered “whites” for a few generations, Polish Americans and Italian Americans each, by themselves, would become a “minority”, at least compared to either the African American or Latino population. Consequently, they would lose privilege. That also means that calling one’s self “white” is in and of itself discriminatory, because it deprives African Americans the same privileges, particularly, equally so, in many areas of our lives. If that is not true, then why do people who call themselves “white” feel that they are being disempowered if they stop identifying themselves that way?

Considering all of this here-to-mentioned, it’s fairly easy to understand why the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. insisted: Discrimination is a hell-hound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.

Have you seen a McDonald’s commercial lately?

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Why do we need to know African American history, much less have a month to honor it?

"African American history is not a separate history; rather, it merely includes more people in the real story of Our country."


Dear friends,

James Baldwin wrote, "...when we speak of history, we are speaking only of how Europe saw - and sees - the world."

To be sure, the mere mention of anything that has to do with African American history often causes resentment among much of our citizenry. The reasons for this vary. For example, some people may feel that, when the historical experiences of African Americans are isolated and emphasized, the aforesaid folks are being excluded from the joy of celebrating and recognizing a past that seems to, at least, in part, belong to all Americans. Or, perhaps, the less informed view the aforementioned historical experiences of African American people as insignificant to the overall development of our communities and country. Finally, a few may even argue that distinguishing one cultural group, in this land, from others makes us appear to be a divided nation.

However, at least to me, the importance of acknowledging the contributions of African Americans to the prosperity of North America, generally, lies in the need for all of us to understand and appreciate the fact that human progress has only occurred due to the efforts of many different peoples. No one body of folks deserves credit for all human accomplishment to this date. Surely, no such group ever will.

Nevertheless, in a book written two generations ago called The Study of Man, author Ralph Linton summed it up best when addressing the question, "What is an American?" He wrote: Our solid American citizen awakens in a bed built on a pattern which originated in the Near East...throws back the covers made from cotton, domesticated in India...goes to the bathroom, whose fixtures are a mixture of European and American inventions, both of recent date...washes with soap invented by the ancient Gauls...Returning to the bedroom - puts on garments whose form originally derived from the skin clothing of the nomads of the Asiatic steppes, puts on shoes made from skins tanned by a process invented in ancient Egypt...Before going out for breakfast - glances through the window, made of glass invented in Egypt...stops to buy a paper, paying for it with coins, an ancient Lydian invention...At the restaurant - (the) plate is made of a form of pottery invented in China...has coffee, an Abyssinian plant, with cream and sugar. Both the domestication of cows and the idea of milking them originated in the Near East, while sugar was first made in India...finished eating - settles back to smoke, an American Indian habit...while smoking - reads the news of the day, imprinted in characters - invented in Germany...and, if - a good conservative citizen , gives thanks to a Hebrew deity, in an Indo-European language, for being 100 percent American.

In other words, all peoples have played or are playing a role in this experience known as human civilization. Moreover, the history of African peoples in the Americas (North, South and Central) is long and old. Yet, today, most people - regardless of either their ethnicity or culture - seem to think that our history here is much more recent.

This is largely due to a deliberate practice, especially by European American journalists and historians to "falsify by omitting" the existence and subsequent contributions of African Americans to the whole intellectual and cultural essence of the North American psyche and behavior. In addition, ever since some lost and confused men, led by one Christopher Columbus, were discovered by Early American Natives, on the shore of a Caribbean island, the rationalizations for almost everything that is relevant to human existence have largely reflected the interests of European rulers and their offshoots in the Americas.

As well, partly due to their controlling what information gets distributed, a dominance has resulted that has turned the Earth (and, in fact, the Universe) into the aforementioned rulers' empire. Consequently, Kwame Nkrumah's reflection regarding the influence of ruling classes on the majority of the population is quite appropriate for this discourse.

In explaining group or "class" interests, Dr. Nkrumah contended,"In societies where there are competing ideologies, it is still usual for one ideology to be dominant. This dominant ideology is that of the ruling group. Though the ideology is the key to the inward identity of its group, it is in intent solidarist. For an ideology does not seek merely to unite a section of the people; it seeks to unite the whole of society in which it finds itself. In its effect, it certainly reaches the whole society, when it is dominant. For, besides seeking to establish common attitudes and purposes for the society, the dominant ideology is that which in the light of circumstances decides what forms institutions shall take, and in what channels the common effort is to be directed." (see Nkrumah's Consciencism)

Oddly enough, however, judging by most of the existing "approaches" to studying historical periods, one would find it hard to draw the conclusions to which I have just referred. That is, under the pretense of sharing common goals, particularly, in creating what eventually became the United States of America, slave-trading rulers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson sold African captives, along with temporarily enslaved colonists, of largely British descent, called "indentured servants", the idea that the aforesaid rulers' interests were consistent with those of everyone else living in the British North American colonies.

As a result, the latter helped them win the war against the British ruling class and their gullible soldiers. It was Werner Sombart who has been credited with the phrase, "No theory, no history."When studying nations, groups or individuals, throughout Europe and North America especially, it becomes apparent that scholars abound with "historical approaches". As a matter of fact, both retail and university bookstores, along with public libraries, are full of literature regarding the subject of "historiography".

Moreover, for the most part, such publications represent the views of the ruling bodies. That is, those who control the manner in which people gain access to wealth, also advance specific attitudes and ideas to keep themselves in power. After all, the onus is on the aforesaid rulers themselves to maintain their wealth advantage. (see Lloyd Hogan's The Principles of Black Political Economy).

At any rate, ever since the end of World War 2, the most common method used for translating the history of African American people is to portray "white" history in blackface." That is, "white" history is based upon deceitful scholarship which calls upon everyday people to identify with an organized "minority" (i.e., European rulers and other celebrities), as opposed to the "majority" (that is, ordinary Non-European and European folks, who, historically, have been born into circumstances where little opportunity has existed for them to become a part of the here-to-mentioned ruling classes.)

Specifically, acting as sycophants for their rulers (mostly, in order to eat, unfortunately), many North American educators and media people have concocted a "white" past that somehow connects all European Americans, as well as non-European Americans, with the rulers of Greece and Rome, that later progresses to being an even greater miraculously twisted logic, linking the aforesaid everyday European Americans and non-European Americans (preponderantly of non-English heritage) to the Kings and Queens of England, before bringing these aforementioned ordinary folks to their ultimate and "natural" psychological, emotional and spiritual union with North American businessmen and their flunkies called politicians.

It should be no surprise then that, in trying to satisfy book publishers and other media outlets, even many mainstream African American historians, particularly for the past generation or so, have focused their work largely on the deeds of African monarchs (rulers) and individual achievers as opposed to the circumstances in which the majority of African Americans, along with our brethren on the great continent (Africa) and throughout the Diaspora, have found and continue to find ourselves.

Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, books like Ivan Van Sertima's, They Came Before Columbus, Lerone Bennett's, Before The Mayflower, and Vince Harding's, There Is A River, and a number of books by Molefi Asante, have contributed immensely to our knowledge regarding the historical experiences of Africans in the Americas. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the available literature as well as the practice that seems to persist among many social theorists and writers is to present the history of African Americans in the same manner that North Americans view a Sear's catalog. Therefore, revelations such as: "Guess who made the first street light?" or "Guess who was the first African American airplane pilot?", are analogous to "Ooh, look at those nice tires!" or "Ooh, look at that great stereo system!" In other words, it gives the person a “lift”.

This excitement seemed to come from a new breed of African Americans who were, as they made their large migration from the South to northern states following World War 2, trying to fit into the previously-mentioned "mainstream" American society. For instance, during the just-mentioned post-war period, it became quite common for urban African Americans to brag, "I'm the first one on my block.". or "I'm the only one on my job." Widely distributed magazines with names like Ebony, Jet, and Sepia were born and specifically appealed to this kind of sentiment.

Unfortunately, this type of petty mentality still persists among far too many African Americans. So now it’s “Ooh, we have the first black president!” This, of course negates the fact that there are and have been scores of “black” presidents throughout Africa and the Caribbean for several generations. In other words, others have reached that status already in their own homelands. The USA is not the only relevant country!

Still, and fortunately, there are increasing numbers of African American folks who choose to side with their own cultural brothers and sisters as opposed to being imitators or "wannabes." Notwithstanding the abovementioned, at least to me, our approach to African American history should be centered around the economical, political, and social circumstances in which African Americans as a whole, not "famous" individual achievers, have found themselves, during the past sixteen generations or so in North America, particularly. Additionally, by observing African Americans as a people whose cultural presence not only blends with, but has, historically, contributed a special texture to the whole social fabric of this society, we may then be able to understand both why and how we have responded to and sustained ourselves through various periods during the historical development of the United States of America.

Clearly, when exploring the historical process of any society or population group, its development cannot be understood by merely recording the deeds of ministers, merchants, monarchs, or militarists alone. After all, a leader without followers is better study for a psychologist than an historian. Therefore, it is also necessary to know the circumstances in which citizens, as a whole, find themselves, during a particular period. Then the choices of actions that they take have real meaning for us, since the obvious limitations of the options that exist for them only allow a specific number of results to occur.

For example, in the British North American colonies, since Puritan ministers were the moral and ideological (and, often, even business) leaders in their communities, then it follows that both thought and behavior in New England - (the area that has historically been and still remains to be the bedrock of North American intellect and customs) were very much influenced by the African captives who generally lived and worked, as well as ate and slept in the same house, with the abovementioned clergymen/captors.

As well, African Americans, besides helping folks learn to relax from their uptight Puritan style by listening to music and dancing (please remember, before the War of Independence, dancing was illegal in Puritan New England, for instance), these African peoples brought with them skills such as farming, animal husbandry and medical care, along with politeness and table manners (character attributes unknown to most Europeans, at the time - see Melville Herskovits' classic book, The New World Negro). In fact, North American culture can only be appreciated within the context of its African as well as its British and Early American Native, along with, albeit to a lesser extent, German, Dutch, and French origins.

Of course, no one asks to be born. That simple fact, usually, even becomes clear to the most stubborn and argumentative person. Also, it is equally apparent that, in order to be born in the first place, at least one living person has to already exist (a Mother).Therefore, it logically follows that we are each born into situations which are directly tied to the economic, political and social well-being of our parent(s). Also, even the very language that we use has a connection with our social relationships. We need only refer to Franz Fanon's contention that inside the language of a people is "the world expressed and implied by that language".

In the final analysis, nonetheless, it should become evident that the real legacy of African American people is a group struggle for "equality, dignity, and justice" - not simply individual achievements of "high" social significance, inventions, or athletic excellence. In addition, all Americans should appreciate the importance of African American contributions, enmeshed with the offerings of all other cultural groups that have helped bring this nation to its current prominence. If we do that, then, ultimately, we should all be able to realize: African American history is not a separate history; rather, it merely includes more people in the real story of our country.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Will US female soldiers be raped less now?

Dear friends,

ON the link below is an interesting editorial from the Philadelphia Inquirer, regarding the new rule of allowing females to be combat soldiers. The editorial board, correctly, mentions the tragic rape statistics for female soldiers. Yet, isn't it dumb and cowardly for the US armed forces' male rulers to now allow women into combat as a priority, but not first express the same vigor against sexual assaults on female soldiers, by even suggestimg that the sexual assaults may be lessened, if their male counterparts start realizing that, perhaps, females may be needed to save the latter's arses?  Huh? Moreover, is being cannon fodder for the benefit of corporate capitalism something about which females - or males, for that matter, should aspire?...smh Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://articles.philly.com/2013-01-27/news/36579064_1_combat-roles-male-soldiers-female-troops Read full post

The Angeline Palmer Story - a children's tale (originally posted in 2008)

The following is a true, and very short, story about a young Amherst, Massachusetts girl who faced enslavement in 1840. It was written by one of my brothers, Eshu Bumpus, a renowned storyteller, based upon research done by yours truly. It has already been published several times (books, magazines, and so forth). Now it appears here.

In any case, it shows evidence of the operation of the Underground Railroad in the Amherst, Massachusetts area. Of course,Underground Railroad is the "romantic" term used, in US school books and the mainstream media, to describe an alleged system of escape for African captive workers (so-called slaves). However, there was no actual “system” as such. Rather, there were many ways that folks escaped from slavery. For example, some hid in wagons, while others either earned or were given money and simply hopped on trains.
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It was a seemingly ordinary Spring day, in the month of May, 168 years or three grandmothers ago (i.e., roughly around the time that the grandmother of the grandmother of a present-day newborn's grandmother lived). Angeline Palmer was an 11 years-old orphan. She was so poor that, in Amherst, where she had been born and raised, the townspeople decided to find a family that would care for her. She had an older brother named Lewis B. Frazier (her late mother's son from a previous marriage) who lived in Amherst. But he was only twenty years-old and could not afford to take care of her by himself.

Meanwhile, Mason and Susan Shaw, a European American couple from nearby Belchertown, offered to take Angeline to live with them. They seemed like a nice couple, so Amherst town officials were satisfied to have found a home for Angeline.

But things were not as pleasant as they seemed. The Shaws had a secret reason for taking Angeline. They had been planning to visit one of the Southern states where many African Americans were still being held in slavery. Mr. and Mrs. Shaw decided to take Angeline with them in order to sell her to a slave trader, because captive workers (so-called slaves)could be sold for lots of money. At any rate, to complete their scheme, when the Shaws returned to Massachusetts, they would tell people that Angeline ran away.

Luckily, a woman overheard Mason Shaw telling some of his friends about the scheme. She did not like what the Shaws were planning. So she made sure that Angeline's brother, Lewis, found out about it. Lewis Frazier was a brave young man. He was not going to let anything happen to his sister. Lewis got two of his friends, Henry Jackson and William Jennings, to help him. The three young African American men broke into the Shaw's house and rescued Angeline. They brought Angeline to Spencer and Sarah Church's farm in North Amherst. The Church family was European American. Although she had eight children of her own, Mrs. Church agreed to care for Angeline and hide her when necessary.

Of course, Lewis knew that his sister could not stay in Amherst. He and his two friends sought the advice of an African American woman named Huldah Kiles who also lived in North Amherst. She brought Lewis and Angeline to her brother, Charles Green, who lived in Colrain, a small town next to the Vermont border. At last, Angeline had found a real home.

Because of how and from where they rescued Angeline, the three men were wanted by the local legal authorities. So, about two weeks after bringing her to safety, Jennings, Jackson and Frazier turned themselves in and were put in jail. Fortunately, because they all had jobs, the men were immediately able to obtain bail bonds and, therefore, freed from jail, until their case was brought before a judge.

When the trial came up, several months later, the judge offered to dismiss all charges if the trio would reveal Angeline's whereabouts. But the young men knew that they were right and would not say a word. So, they were sentenced to three months in the Hampshire County Jail, in neighboring Northampton. Knowing their story, however, Mr. Clapp - the jail keeper, did not take their sentence seriously. He let them leave the jail during the day as long as they promised to return at night, which they did. They were also allowed plenty of visitors who brought them food and clothes. When finally the three returned home to Amherst, they were received as heroes by both African Americans and European Americans alike.

Although Lewis Frazier died about ten years later from a hip complaint, Henry Jackson, who lived out his life in Amherst for over 60 years after the abovementioned incident, went on to become one of the town's most distinguished citizens. William Jennings also remained in Amherst, a little more than 20 years later, became a hero of the North American Civil War. Jennings. He served first in the all-AfricanAmerican 54th Regiment , then later he re-enlisted in the 5th Massachusetts cavalry. Both of these fighting units were depicted in the Hollywood production called Glory, starring Denzel Washington. The very brave Angeline Palmer continued to live a secure and happy childhood in Colrain, before re-appearing in Amherst, eleven years after her escape/rescue, as a married woman with children./em>

For more info about Eshu's storytelling, please copy and paste the following link to your browser: www.folktales.net Read full post

Lyrics From Lockdown at National Black Theatre January 25 - February 24, 2013 in NYC

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A Letter from Eshu Bumpus who is in Senegal since Xmas, until mid-January 2013

THis is my latest Kickstarter update.

E

Goree Island is a place of which I have very stark, vivid memories without ever having been there. Yesterday, we went to Goree Island. I saw the point of no return.

It's hard to know what to expect going to a place so full of history and yet full of it's own present that may reflect very little of what an outsider might imagine that history to mean to people today.

Imagine  going to visit your old neighborhood from when you were a child. Each building and street corner and store and playground may hold very significant meaning for you, but now there are new people living there. They understand that this place was special for you or someone like you, but every inch and every nuance of the place holds completely new meaning for the people who live there now.

We sat and had drinks with the Mayor of Goree. They have a delicious drink called Bissap which is made from Hibiscus and mint. The people, as all over Senegal, were friendly and welcoming. I didn't know what to expect so I tried to just keep an open mind and wait to see what we would experience.

We were there as guests of a wonderful music group made up of three brothers and their band. They are called Bideo BouBess (translates as New Sky).

They have been extremely generous in hosting us this trip. What was most meaningful for me was that I wrote a song many years ago called. "Land Called Freedom." Almost since I wrote that song I have dreamt of singing it on GoreeIsland and thanks to Bideo BouBess I was able to in their concert there. I'll post some pictures or video later, but it was an evening concert so the picture won't be great, but the experience was.

I'll post the lyrics here.

Love you all,

Eshu

Land Called Freedom

The ship was sailing on a western sea

I wondered what would become of me

They brought me to a land so strange

A land that they called Freedom

Separated from my wife and son

Worked as long as you could see the sun

Had to live among my enemies

In a Land that they called Freedom

I shed my blood just like I shed my name

I knew my life would never be the same

So I spend it struggling to be free

Don't want to pass on this misery

If you believe in things you cannot see

Make sure it's something that can set you free

Don't spend your time trying to pretend

You've found a land that they call Freedom

One day you'll realize you're not alone

Freedom's got to be for everyone

Each generations got to find a way

To build a land that they can call Freedom

Freedom doesn't come like a bird on a wing

You know it's got to be a hard won thing

To build a nation in a hostile land

Takes the work of every woman and man

Children will listen if you teach them to

Understand it's up to me and you

'Cause nothing ever comes easily

In this land that they call Freedom

To free yourself, you've got to think and plan

Then act it out with your own two hands

That's why we've got to work hand in hand

to build a land that we can call freedom

To build a land that we can call Freedom

To build a land that we can call Freedom

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Should a Jewish legislator support the Native American Holocaust?

 

Brilliant must-hear & see video lecture by Dr. Molefi K. Asante about the African Renaissance

"he is the actual person who popularized the concept of Afrocentricity..."







Dear friends,

On the link below is an hour-long must-see and -hear video lecture by a distinguished scholar, Dr. Molefi K. Asante. A longtime friend and teacher to me, I can proudly proclaim that Molefi's scholarship is both comprehensive and impressive. He lays out the history of the Atlantic Slaving Operations to the Colonization of Africa to Pan-Africanism to the ideal of a United States of Africa in a clear and concise manner that is as good as it gets. Moreover, he is the actual person who popularized the concept of Afrocentricity, the name of one of his 70 books. Enjoy!

Africans worldwide must unite!!!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI_ISfsCYJ4&NR=1 Read full post

WHY ARE NEWTOWN, CT MURDERS SO PREVALENT IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY?

WHY ARE NEWTOWN, CT MURDERS SO PREVALENT IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY?

Capitalism has been so attractive, because it is, thus far, the only type of economy that has afforded total political freedom to its participants, as workers. That means that a person can "flip the boss a bird", as it were, and walk away, being "free" to find another opportunity for employment. This was certainly not the case in either slave or feudalistic societies. Socialist countries do not allow that kind of freedom either, since everyone works for the "State" and, therefore, must work where he or she is assigned, more or less. 

The downside of total political freedom for workers within the capitalist political economy is: The "market” then controls all economic and, social relationships, based upon the notion of "supply and demand", whether for the human commodity - labor, or non-human ones (e.g., food, clothes, and so forth). Unfortunately, since, the end of World War 1 or so, the "market" has taken control of what we see as culture. As a result, the definition of culture, which historically, has referred to all of the actions by a specific population group, has become anything that the market determines it to be. 

Consequently, the notions of “youth" culture (clothing, hairstyles, piercing and tattoos, books, magazines with ads sold in them, and so forth), "Hip-hop" culture (drugs, guns, gangs, and so forth), and “gay" culture (weddings, nightclubs, exclusive recreational venues, magazines and newspapers with ads sold in them, and so forth), are, totally, market constructs. Additionally, while there are social constructs like age and gender, for example, those social structures were not created for the appetite of the market. Rather, they serve the purpose of establishing social relationships within the society itself that will allow it (said society) to last for hundreds or even thousands of years. 

The idea that a culture can develop without any connection to the past (except its increased availability of consumables) is a contradiction in terms. Hence, the notion of "youth culture", for example, is designed to exploit the vast and seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm of young people. Yet, it seems, at least, to me, that the energy and courage of Our youth should, actually, serve the purpose of moving society forward - but only under the guidance of that part of society (parents and other elders) that has both the experience and understanding to recognize the values that maintain both Our humanity and spirituality.

Moreover, once the market is allowed to define culture, Our only values become those which drive it (the market). For that reason, the mentality needed to function within the market system itself, has a great deal to do with causing the people in this society, for the most part, to not have the ability to act in a loving way towards each other, since it defines people by price or money-name. Hence, terms like low-income and wealthy become the false abstractions, like so many other monikers, that tend to sort out and classify people, then assign said folks to their stations in society and life, with most people never having any real control of their destinies

Therefore, and ultimately, if Our youth are to be Our future, then it will only happen if We as adults, particularly parents, take the reins of this present culture and provide Our children with both an historical and social conscience, and set the example for them, by informing identity through recognition of the connection between generations and defining human life in a meaningful way (as opposed to basing who they are upon unstantiatable claims regarding with whom they are having sex, or what "gang colors" they're wearing). That way, Our society will benefit from the "leadership" of Our youth. As well, the "market" will then be a function of the values of the society and not vice versa. 

Finally, culture has no meaning once taken out of the context of a reproductive process. A people who cannot reproduce themselves as a people will cease to exist as a people and become part of something else. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. For example, the culture that held Africans in slavery, in this society, could no longer reproduce itself in that form and had to change, because of the well-deserved hostility and resistance it engendered.

In any case, let Us stop asking children what they want to be, in the context of what they will possess, when they grow up. Instead, let Us ask, what they want to be, regarding their relatedness to others. Let Us ask, "How will you help the community when you grow up?" Let Us ask, "What kind of work will you do to help people when you grow up?" 

If We are to become real communities, We need the will and actions of a community. Obviously, We do not have either right now. Still, it seems that it is equally apparent, from the current standpoint, that We definitely have the resources to develop a loving and prosperous African American community, for example, in Philadelphia, and in any other locales across the country. Let's do it! Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

An Interview/Discussion about Zionism" with Neil Zagorin and Palestine/Israel (originally posted 1/28/09)

The Israeli narrative about the creation of the Palestinian refugee population was that these refugees fled either on their own initiative or upon the urging of their leaders. The Palestinian narrative has been that they were driven out..."

**************************************
Djata: We especially hear the term “Zionism”, coming from Arab Muslims and their supporters, whenever there are bloody conflicts such as the one happening in Gaza right now. How do you define Zionism, Neil?

Neil: Jews lived in many parts of the world since the end of the Roman Empire, and remembrance of the biblical land of Israel has been important in Judaism, in the study of bible and in prayers. Zionism was a 19th century philosophy, originating in Europe, that took this impulse and turned it into a secular, nationalist movement to establish a homeland for the Jewish people.

The great majority of Zionists were not religiously inspired, but rather viewed Jews as an ethnic/national group on the basis of their shared experience as a distinctive minority in many places. Being a minority meant being vulnerable, and in 19th century Europe, Jewish communities were not only vulnerable but often mistreated. Having a homeland like everybody else would solve this – that was the belief of Zionism.

There were different viewpoints within Zionism. For example, some thought that having viable Jewish communities in the biblical land of Israel as places of refuge and as centers of Jewish cultural renewal would be a suitable goal. This was known as Spiritual Zionism. The majority view, in the end, was known as Political Zionism, whose central figure is a late 19th century Austrian journalist named Theodor Herzl. Political Zionism sought to develop a modern Jewish nation-state in the ancestral homeland of Jewish people, the Land of Israel – also known as Palestine.


Djata: Does Zionism, whether spiritual or political, represent an attempt by some Jews to “perfect” the understanding and practical expression of their religion, for themselves?

Neil: Zionism was largely a secular movement. Certainly it sought to reformulate Jewish cultural norms and practices, which were rooted in or influenced by Judaism, into norms and practices that could underpin and cement a modern Jewish nation-state.

Djata: Do you believe that Zionism is a form of “self-estrangement”, inasmuch as it is embraced as Jewish people’s nationality as “Jews” over and above their nationalities as, say, North Americans or Europeans ?

Neil: I don’t think that Jews as a group fit into any neat category. At times it’s made sense to view Jews as a community sharing a religion: Judaism. This is how most Jews in the US view themselves today, for example, and this is how Jews are viewed within the US.

At other times it’s made sense to view Jews as an ethnic or national group. Often this has made sense because of the reactions of others. During the period of the Spanish Inquisition, for example, “Jewishness” was a matter of “blood.” A Jew who converted to Christianity could still be regarded as a Jew. In 19th century Europe, the attitude of Christians towards Jews in many places was similar to this. So, for 19th century Zionists, living in an environment where the separation was already there, embracing Jewish “nationalism” wasn’t a matter of self-estrangement, it was an attempt to make a virtue out of a problem.

Is being Jewish a matter of religion or ethnic/national identity? This has been a puzzling dilemma for Jews in the West for the past couple of centuries. Zionism was one of many attempts at resolving this, and Jews have tried resolving it in both ways.

Djata: Particularly in the mainstream media of our country, we hear about Israel’s “right to defend itself”. Yet, since these bloody conflicts, here-to-mentioned, seem to go on constantly and – at least to me – will not end without statehood for Palestinians, is there an issue of legitimacy that the government of Israel is always trying to prove to itself, its citizens, and others?

Neil: The short answer: yes. The State of Israel was born in conflict and lives in conflict. Israel, or at least its ruling elites and supporters, constantly seeks affirmation of legitimacy. There’s a question of what type of legitimacy Israel seeks: as a potent force not to be messed with, or as a society with which its neighbors can live in peace and respect.

Djata: Neil, do you agree with the Palestinian assertion that they were intentionally expelled by Yishuv and later Israeli forces in terms of a plan drawn up even before the war?

Neil: “Yishuv” is the Hebrew term for the community of Jewish settlements in pre-1948 Palestine. The Israeli narrative about the creation of the Palestinian refugee population was that these refugees fled either on their own initiative or upon the urging of their leaders. The Palestinian narrative has been that they were driven out. Jewish militias drove Palestinians from their homes. That this happened is beyond doubt. It is reflected not only in the stories of Palestinian refugees, but by the work of the Israeli “new historians” of the past generation who have found documentation of this in Israeli governmental sources.

I do not know the degree to which the intentional displacement was pre-planned and organized in a top-down fashion. I have heard conflicting claims about this, but it seems fair to assume that there was some level of forethought and planning.

There were also Palestinians who fled a war zone of their own initiative, and Palestinian leaders who ordered their people to move away from the fighting. It is important to acknowledge this to avoid fruitless quibbling about which side did what. I do not know which of the two factors was the most important, and am happy to leave that to be determined by historians in the fullness of time. The important fact to me is that, on the Zionist side, there was definitely intentional displacement of Arabs in order to establish the new Jewish nation-state.

Djata: What do you think of Dr. Ilan Pappe’s claim that, “If you don't understand colonialism, ethnic cleansing and the war for freedom, you can't understand Palestine”?

Neil: Ilan Pappe is one of the Israeli “new historians”. He takes his conclusions about Israel’s willful suppression of Palestinian national aspirations farther than others, and is for that reason very controversial. I want to acknowledge that before responding to this quote. I'm just somebody who cares about justice and human dignity for all. I can’t judge his basis for selecting these three criteria as the bottom-line basis for “understanding Palestine”. I do think that examining these areas is very revealing.

Colonialism: Zionism was not a monolithic movement. However, it emerged in its modern form in late 19th-century Europe, and reflects some of the same beliefs that motivated and justified colonialism by European powers. The State of Israel controls the land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River today, and as such is the primary force limiting Palestinian nationhood. I think it is also important to recognize that the Ottoman Empire before World War 1, and the British Empire after it, controlled this land and played a role in how the conflict between Zionist settlers and Arabs developed and unfolded.

Ethnic cleansing: Intentional displacement of Palestinians to create a Jewish nation-state played a part in the birth of the State of Israel. This must be taken into account when discussing relations between Palestinians and Israel.

The war for freedom: This primarily means the Palestinian struggle for national freedom. Previously, it took a politically nationalistic expression. Now, with the ascendancy of Hamas, it is taking an Islamist-nationalist form. I don’t know whether Ilan Pappe intends the following, but the conflict between Israel and Palestinians has taken place in a larger context of Third-World nation-state formation and the struggle for freedom from Western control or dominance. Lastly, Zionism was a bold but desperate attempt to seek freedom for Jews on a national/ethnic basis. It was not an attempt to exploit a colonial possession for the benefit of a colonial power far away, and for most Israeli Jews the survival of their state is a matter of both political and physical life and death. I think that acknowledging this sheds light on an important reason that this conflict is so enduring and bitter, and why it is so difficult to see the way forward to a resolution. But this brings us full circle: when thinking of the struggle for freedom in the context of Palestine/Israel, it is the Palestinians who do not have national freedom. There can not be any reasonable resolution until they do.

Djata: I understand what you are saying. I don't like to use the term "Third world", because, like the term "minority", it suggests that certain people are "naturally" inferior to others. Therefore, I prefer non-European. However, since Jews are not a monolithic group, that means that various Jews have different interests. That having been said, if Zionists simply wanted a place where they can live in peace and be left alone, then why did they expand their originally-allotted territory, along with conducting business with a number of world powers, especially the United States, that allows the Israeli government a presence - and influence - in other lands?

Neil: Guess I date myself by using the term “Third World,” don’t I?

You ask about Zionists wanting a place where Jews could live in peace. Again, Zionism has encompassed a variety of outlooks. Many of them were not so utopian as to imagine that nationhood would bring “peace”. Nationhood would bring “normalcy”, that is, Jews as a people doing all the things that any people do to make their way independently in the world. Build, work (in all levels of the economy, not just those to which the host country allows access), play, make decisions. Peace is sometimes part of the picture, but so is conflict.

Modern Zionism developed in late nineteenth-century Europe, a time and place when many of the stereotypes of Jews being treated as victimized outsiders were in fact true (and I don’t subscribe to the view of Jewish history that says this is the essence of Jewish life in Europe). One of the roots of the Israeli army is in local Jewish self-defense groups that arose in towns and cities in Central and Eastern Europe in response to waves of pogroms. Many rank-and-file Zionists who came to Palestine were accustomed to an atmosphere of violence and expected a hard life. They called themselves “halutzim,” or “pioneers,” and they meant it.

So, let’s turn your question into a statement. The State of Israel seeks to project its power beyond its borders. There are a number of reasons for this.

When Zionism was in its visionary phase, it often imagined a Jewish state on the land from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River (and even beyond). This is not how the borders were drawn by the UN in 1947, and not how the borders were fixed at the end of the 1948-49 war. I want to believe that most Israeli Jews, if given the choice between endless war and a realistic chance for a saner life, would not hold to a vision of a larger Israel. However, there are sectors of the Israeli political system that do hold strongly to it, for nationalistic, religious, military, or other reasons. This is a major explanation for the continuing growth of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, even during this past 15 years of negotiations for a two-state solution.

The State of Israel also acts as a regional force. Some of Israel’s reasons for doing this relate to its perceived national interests. Other times, Israel gets swept up in larger political currents. Many local and international powers vie for influence and control in this area. There have been regional rivalries beyond that of Palestinians and Israel. On a larger scale, the Cold War rivalry seems to have been replaced by a rivalry between Iran and the US-led bloc. War, bloodshed, and other suffering result from these things. Israel is not blameless, but there's a lot of guilt to share in this.

Please stay tuned...

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The Federal Deficit and Going off a Cliff

“Yet, how much of our government’s purchases/expenditures, for example, are directly tied to doing business with US corporations and big banks?”

  Dear friends, 

 The federal deficit is defined as, “The excess of federal government spending over tax collections. The flip side of the federal deficit is the less common federal surplus, the excess of tax collections over spending.” 

 Yet, how much of our government’s purchases/expenditures, for example, are directly tied to doing business with US corporations and big banks? So, what if the government charged tax rates according to the amount of money and other assets that an enterprise has, since greater security (i.e., police and military) is needed in order for that aforementioned enterprise to survive? After all, the current crop of Republican politicians and their corporate sponsors/bosses enjoy the protection of their assets, both here and abroad, at low cost? 

 I mean, what if they had to hire their own armies and police? Would that be a higher expense than the taxes that they pay at present? And so, is the rant about wanting “small government”, actually, a red herring? 

 How much time would the owners/managers of the aforementioned corporations and banks have to invest towards creating more wealth, if they had, instead, to spend more time on protecting their assets from those who have less (the so-called 99%)? Moreover, what type of lives would these owners/managers of corporations and banks, mentioned above, have, in terns of enjoying their wealth, as a result of having the responsibility of protecting their assets? 

 Please remember that greed is always short-sighted, from the cheating spouse to the BP oil spill. 

 G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Dr. Ndibe shows how banks from the West help keep Africa "poor" (originally posted 4/12/10)

"There’s no question that many – I dare say, most – of those who answer to the name of leader in Africa are in the mold that Frantz Fanon categorizes as “contemptible fools.” But there’s also, we must not forget, the issue of the hypocrisy of the world’s economic powers – the nations whose banks facilitate the thefts in Africa, and keep the proceeds. "


"The art of throwing money away"

by Okey Ndibe (okeyndibe@gmail.com)

It’s always deeply painful when Africa achieves another distinction in the wrong sector. This time, it’s in the foolish art of throwing money away!

Last month, the Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based research group, released a sobering report on the illicit outflow of cash from African nations. The report concluded that, in the four decades between 1970 and 2008, African nations lost $854 billion through illegal transfers of funds. And GFI suggests that it’s a conservative estimate. Actual outflows, the report states, may be as high as $1.8 trillion.

In case Nigerians are wondering – yes, our country (once again) topped the list. With $240.7 billion, Nigeria clinched a claim as the outstanding star in the league of exporters of cash. Nigeria’s closest competitor, Egypt, lost $131.3 billion. The other countries in the top five are South Africa ($76.4 billion), Morocco ($41 billion), and Algeria ($35.1 billion).

There’s little surprise about Nigeria’s stellar showing in this dubious league. It’s estimated, after all, that Sani Abacha alone pocketed more than $3 billion. Last year, a Swiss judge ordered the freezing of $350 million in assets “belonging” to Abba Abacha, one of the dictator’s sons.

The picture is dismal. Much of these stolen funds end up in European, Asian, and North American banks. And then comes the paradox: the same public officials responsible for frittering away the continent’s resources are quick to haunt the capitals of Europe and North America, bowl in hand, to beg – shamelessly! – for alms.

The GFI report illustrates the anomaly: what Africa has exported in illicit cash is at least double the official development aid that’s come to the continent. That’s one way of saying – forgive the cliché – penny wise, pound-foolish. Here’s the diagram of events. First, our rulers wire good money to the so-called big donor nations. Then they travel to the Western capitals to debase themselves begging for handouts. Often, they return, like triumphant fools, clutching the pittance they received – at best, half of the loot they “donated” to Western banks. And then they promptly privatize much of the aid – and wire it back to their Western sponsors.

What’s worse, foreign aid – unlike the cool cash we idiotically transfer – comes with strings attached. Often, it’s aid only in name, but in reality part of the scheme by donors to further impoverish African peoples. All too frequently, foreign aid is abracadabra, pure and simple. It’s often packaged as “technical” assistance that destitute African nations are coaxed to pay for – often at hideously inflated prices.

It’s a financial magician’s dream trick. One day, no questions asked, African rulers enrich the banks and economies of the West with looted funds. The next day, these same rulers show up in Western capitals on perennial begging missions. They look like miscast mendicants in their designer suits and handcrafted pairs of shoes. They mope, listening – with little or no sense of shame or irony – to Western “donors” give them long, stiff and humiliating lectures on the virtues of wise investment, sound economic planning, and financial discipline.

I invoke the words of Ayi Kwei Armah: Why are we so blest?

There’s no question that many – I dare say, most – of those who answer to the name of leader in Africa are in the mold that Frantz Fanon categorizes as “contemptible fools.” But there’s also, we must not forget, the issue of the hypocrisy of the world’s economic powers – the nations whose banks facilitate the thefts in Africa, and keep the proceeds. When the right crop of African leaders reclaim their nations from the depraved hands of those who steal for a living, then the issue of the West’s role in impoverishing Africa must be raised.

It would be comforting if we could say that the GFI report focused on a habit that African leaders have since been dropped. Sadly, that’s far from being the case.

Take Nigeria. Despite some modest gains made over the last eleven years against the scourge of corruption and money laundering, the culture of stealing public funds remains alive.

Last week, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association reminded the world that his country has not lifted a finger about the Halliburton bribe scandal. This, despite the fact that there’s no doubt that officials of Halliburton handed hefty bribes to high-ranking Nigerian public officials. And despite the fact that Mr. Umaru Yar’Adua promised that he would not shield any implicated officials, and made a “show” of setting up an investigation panel. Chances are that, had Yar’Adua not been hobbled by sickness, he would have bestowed national honors on some of the Nigerian recipients of Halliburton bribes.

Nigerians pay a steep price for a culture that garlands corrupt people with pompous chieftaincy titles and hollow honors. That price is that corruption has become as familiar as staple food; the stealing of public funds is so normalized, in fact, that those who reject the temptation to steal are often viewed as fools – or worse.

Nigerian officials are specialists in squandermania, the disease of throwing money away. Nigerians throw away money on power generators, neglecting to fix their country’s power supply. Too many government officials splash huge fortunes on high-priced cars, but won’t invest in road construction and maintenance. They dole out stupendous sums to foreign hospitals and doctors, but won’t provide a healthcare system worthy of human beings for their hapless fellows who are stuck in Nigeria.

Today, Nigerians are riveted by the scandal of the N64 billion-runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. How did Julius Berger win a contract to construct a runway whose price tag surpasses the cost of building an entire airport? Nigeria has a Bureau of Public Procurement whose statutory job includes the carrying out of due diligence before signing off on contracts. Did the officials of that bureau go to sleep when it came time to vet this contract? How in the world did the bureau give a thumbs-up to a project whose cost – from all appearances – is so scandalously inflated?

The aviation committee of the House of Representatives has been holding hearings, but I doubt that its members are less puzzled than the rest of us. Numerous officials have appeared before the committee in Abuja, but none has given a coherent explanation. The runway saga is, I fear, one of those bizarre narratives that point up how Nigeria’s cash takes wings and flies away to foreign vaults.

Here’s a textbook case deserving Nigerians’ attention. The bar association, labor unions, student activists, the media and other civic organizations ought to use this case to advance the cause of accountability in Nigeria. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan ought to ask for briefing on this scandal. At the very least, he should send away the leadership of the Bureau of Public Procurement and demand that Julius Berger renegotiate the contract.

GFI’s director, Raymond Baker, stated that stemming the “devastating outflow of much-needed capital is essential to achieving economic development and poverty alleviation goals in these [African] countries.” It’s questionable that Mr. Jonathan has the will to play spoiler to those who profit by throwing away Nigeria’s cash. But he has a rare opportunity to rise above the limitations of his political career, and the forces that contend for his loyalty. If he acts to freeze the runway contract until the disturbing questions are resolved, and to dismiss procurement officials who seem to doze while Nigeria is being fleeced, he’d send a signal that the era of irresponsible fiddling with public funds is nearing the end of its run. Read full post

HAMAS - Liberators or Terrorists? (originally posted 5/4/09)

"Hamas (حماس Ḥamās, an acronym of حركة المقاومة الاسلامية Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamat al-Islāmiyyah, meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement") is an Islamic Palestinian socio-political organization which includes a paramilitary force..."



Dear friends,

Particularly mainstream media in the US lump both HAMAS and Al Qaeda together in the same category as “terrorists”. The idea is: terrorism is a great act of “evil”.

However, if we use history as a guide, terrorist actions are often not just carried out by mean-spirited people for the sake of “evil”, as it were. Rather, they are used mostly, in fact, as part of a larger plan that lesser military powers carry out against their more potent and larger foes for the former’s intent to gain autonomy. A case in point that occurred right here in the United States happened during the 19th Century, when Confederate forces openly robbed and burned stores of armaments from both warehouses and ships belonging to the Union, until President Lincoln was finally forced to declare war. And descendants of many of the Confederates and their ilk, by the way, continue to proliferate in this country, at all levels of power.

Nevertheless, the role of HAMAS is not simply terrorism. After all, their main duties appear to be administrative ones where they are responsible for providing social services to the citizens of Gaza, from food and health care to education. This aspect of their work is rarely, if ever, mentioned by the mainstream media of the West.

At any rate, in the informative discussion/interview, below, with noted Jewish scholar Neil Zagorin, he and I shared ideas about the role of HAMAS in the Israel/Occupied Palestine mess.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
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Djata: Hey Neil, talking about HAMAS in the US in anything other than a negative light seems to bring uneasiness among a certain part of the population.

Neil: HAMAS is treated like such a bogeyman that it's hard to say anything positive about it without making it seem naive and easily dismissible.

Djata: Neil, personally, I see HAMAS as a grass roots, freedom-fighting group. How do you see them?

Neil: Virtually every organized Palestinian group in the past century has striven for Palestinian freedom in one way or another, as far as I can tell. If you’re asking whether I see HAMAS as primarily motivated or inspired by the struggle for freedom, I’d say that’s a main factor.

Djata: In the context of their religious/political direction, do you consider HAMAS part of the body of Islamic fundamentalists who seem to be controlling an increasingly larger portion of the Middle East?

Neil: They are an Islamist group that seeks a Muslim renewal of some sort. Of course, the perceived need for that should be seen in the context of the dispossession and lack of freedom Palestinians have endured in the past century. It’s been fashionable, at least in the US, to view Islamism negatively, but I don’t think we should resort to stereotypes. If Al Qaeda is towards the far end of an Islamist spectrum, the ruling party of Turkey, with whom the West seems able to live respectfully, is at a different part of that spectrum. I would be cautious about concluding that HAMAS is like Al Qaeda.

Djata: But if HAMAS is simply another “terrorist” group, then why do they have so much support from everyday Palestinians?

Neil: Hamas would not be where it is without tremendous grass-roots support among Palestinians. As I understand it, HAMAS has earned a reputation for being more honest and competent in discharging administrative duties than the Palestinian Authority. They have earned respect for being confrontational with Israel in a context where 15 years of negotiations have not produced a 2-state solution, but have produced significant Israeli settlement in the West Bank that threatens to make a 2-state solution impossible.

HAMAS will use brute force to achieve political goals within Palestinian society, but brute force is a common tool in that region. The reasons for that are many and complex, and HAMAS is not the roughest group in that part of the world. In the end, for a combination of reasons, HAMAS commands grass-roots support, even among Palestinians who are not Islamist, or even Muslim.

Djata: Do you agree with the US government not wanting to include HAMAS in the dialogue?

Neil: The governments of both the US and Israel have dealt with and do deal with HAMAS. They both tolerated, if not enabled, HAMAS to get started a generation ago, seeing it as something that could counterweight the Palestinian secular radicalism of the PLO and similar groups. Now that HAMAS is a genuine national force, they still deal with them. There’s been quiet cooperation, at times, between Israeli government officials and Palestinian officials who are Hamas members on administrative matters pertaining to daily life. Israel negotiated one truce arrangement with HAMAS last summer, that is, in 2008, that was relatively successful in keeping armed conflict damped down for the duration of its limited scope, even if it was unsuccessful in other ways, particularly in having border crossings into Gaza opened as HAMAS wanted.

Israel and the US deal also with HAMAS by publicly rejecting a direct relationship, and treating it confrontationally. That is also a way for one political actor to deal with another political actor.

Djata: Yes, I understand your point; however, the Obama administration seems to be following the same path as the Bushies did, by not acknowledging HAMAS as a crucial group in the process regarding dialogue that will lead to solving some of the problems that both Israel and Palestine face.

Neil: If you’re asking me whether I think it would be better for the US government to deal openly and directly with the HAMAS-led government in Gaza, I think that it would. The objection at this point is usually that HAMAS is a terrorist organization, or is a bunch of Muslim fanatics, or is rejecting of Israel’s right to exist.

Djata: One of the points that are made against HAMAS is their use of Palestinian civilians as “targets:, during their confrontations with Israel. Is that your position?

Neil: Yes, HAMAS has been willing to harm civilians, and to create fear among civilians, as tools to achieve political aims, which is a definition I would use for terrorism. Yes, HAMAS is an Islamist political entity that has striven for Muslim rule over all of historic Palestine, though some segments of Hamas say they would be willing to settle for a 2-state solution. Substitute “Israel” for “HAMAS” and “Zionist” for “Islamist” and “Muslim” in the preceding sentences, and see how they read.

Yes, HAMAS says it can’t recognize Israel. This is for theological reasons, as I understand it: all lands that were historically under Muslim control should remain under Muslim control. Some people in HAMAS speak of long-term truce that could be extended indefinitely as a method of co-existence with Israel. They may be sincere, or not. In honesty, this is an alien type of political view to me, a Westerner. Look at the Israeli body politic; at this point, though, there’s reason to doubt that it has the intention and will to negotiate a settlement with Palestinians in which Palestinians actually achieve some real independence.

The point of this is that if the US wants to only deal with groups that are politically high-minded and dedicated to non-violence, it may as well pack up and go home. If the US wants to be involved to foster a resolution that will bring some kind of justice and normal life to the region, it should deal with major players. Hamas has a real presence in Palestinian society, it represents a genuine spectrum of Palestinian opinion, it may well be a reality-based player that would adapt to being included in the mainstream by behaving as a mainstream player. Will it become “moderate” in its view of Israel? Doubtful, but let’s be honest, there’s little real moderation in that part of the world. In any case, it would take a long time after some kind of resolution of the conflict is put in place and works out well for most Palestinians to feel okay about the situation.

Djata: President Obama appears to be maintaining a hands-off position with HAMAS. If his administration maintains that stance, how will this help HAMAS become engaged in the dialogue?

Neil: The US has taken a stance of rejectionism vis-a-vis HAMAS for years, while the situation has gone from bad to worse. Congressmen and Senators have visited Gaza recently. It's hard for me to resist the conclusion that this is a form of dealing with HAMAS directly, if not openly. If so, maybe it portends something beneficial. Read full post

Noam Chomsky on the USA and Israel - partners in crime

"It's something that you'll never see on PBS or even Democracy Bow."

Dear friends,

I was personally introduced to the great scholar Noam Chomsky back in the early Eighties, at Temple University. We shared a mutual friend who insisted upon us meeting. Nevertheless, I found Noam to be a very straightforward guy. Yet, he has an extremely mellow personality.

Nevertheless, the disgraceful move by the Democrats last week, during their convention, to name the occupied territory of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has inspired me to revisit the link below. It is a 36 minutes-long video of Dr. Chomsky at a college lecture/panel that happened not long ago. He really gives a great synopsis of the relationship between the USA and Israel. It's something that you'll never see on either PBS or even Democracy Now.

Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30X2tYUGK_8 Read full post

Why is the C.I.A. so much in fashion these days?

"I find it amazing that, even in a time of WikiLeaks exposing covert US government misconduct, that the same C.I.A. who, historically, murdered the likes of Patrice Lumumba, Che Guevara, and Salvador Allende are now blatantly perpetrating revolts around the Middle East and North Africa."

Dear friends,

I find it amazing that, even in a time of WikiLeaks exposing covert US government misconduct, that the same C.I.A. who, historically, murdered the likes of Patrice Lumumba, Che Guevera, and Salvador Allende are now blatantly perpetrating revolts around the Middle East and North Africa. Worse yet, television programs sporting C.I.A. operatives, like NCIS w/LL Cool J and CHAOS, are now in fashion. Moreover, is all of this about "transparency", arrogance, or getting citizens to accept this ruthless group that is worst than any of its organized crime counterparts?

Nevertheless, after recently seeing a New York Times piece about the role of the C.I.A. ‘s current involvement in Libya, I decided to do a piece about this shameful US foreign policy body. During my research, I came across an article that really pointed out the exact history of this agency that engages in never-ending, unconscionable acts against humanity, that seemingly happens totally outside of this government. The article appears on the link below.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.serendipity.li/cia/cia_terr.html Read full post

Piling Up On POTUS - a poem

“Piling on POTUS” – a poem 
by G. Djata Bumpus   

They said that 
he’d never get the job done. 
Piling on POTUS. 

 It started 
with an election run. 
Piling on POTUS.  

To think that 
a Black man finally won. 
Piling on POTUS. 

 Disheartened 
racists, far more than one. 
Piling on POTUS. 

 Now claim that 
his being there isn’t fun. 
Piling on POTUS. 

 Hmmm… Read full post

South African Youth Getting High on HIV Drugs

Dear friends,

It has recently been brought to my attention that a former "problem"  in South Africa has now reached an almost epidemic level. It is: Young people are trading sexual favors and robbing people for HIV drugs, in order to smoke them and get some kind of alleged euphoric nightmares. The problem seems to be limited to South Africa right now. No other African nations have complained about it yet. However, it just goes to show what people will do to escape the reality of oppression, while, simultaneously, being content with said oppression.

On the link below is a BBC piece that was written about the earlier stage of the problem, several years ago. Cheers!
G. Djata Bumpus

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7768059.stm Read full post

Obama's Re-election Temporarily Beats Racism

“About two decades ago, while venting to a very wise man from India about racism (the euphemism for White Supremacy), he offered, ‘Yes, Djata, but everyone likes to inherit property – not guilt.’ “  

Dear friends, About two decades ago, while venting to a very wise man from India about racism (the euphemism for White Supremacy), he offered, “Yes, Djata, but everyone likes to inherit property – not guilt.” 

Back then I immediately countered, “That’s for sure…However, racism is an active agent that is enmeshed in the total social fabric of American culture…It is not a thing of the past.” And while, as I had predicted both on Facebook and in public, for the past week, that President Obama would win re-election by a landslide, he has yet to address the fundamental issue of racism in this culture. 

More importantly, that also means that he has not helped to create social conditions in America that will provide a chance for another qualified person of African, Latino, or Asian descent to have a chance of repeating such an astounding victory. 

That is not only inappropriate for him to be behaving in that manner, but, as well, at least to me, it gives off the stench of opportunism. For African Americans, from Daddy Grace to Reverend Ike to Al Sharpton, we’ve already experienced too much of that, as a people. Moreover, racism didn’t only get an undeserving liar like Mitt Romney millions of votes. Even worse, every single day, it (racism) affects our ability to acquire fair and reasonable housing, jobs, and health care, to name a few things. And every adult African American, Latino, and Asian knows exactly about what I am talking. 

 Finally, the biggest victory in President Obama securing his re-election over the unashamed racist Republican Party is: Education won’t be slashed, and access to health care will continue to grow in its availability. But President Obama should consider developing programs for the youth that focus on having them accept value judgments that reject people using each others as means to ends. After all, 25 years from now, most middle-aged Americans will be dead. Yet, those aforementioned young people will be here to keep the society going. Otherwise, except for benefiting a few – that is, the organized minority of each country, what’s the point of defending human civilization anymore? Cheers! 

 G. Djata Bumpus Read full post

Barack Obama sings to Dionne Warwick

The brother can pipe too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo8nLMCLT60

Read full post