Reporting from Washington — The Supreme Court debated today whether the government can maintain a cross in a national preserve to honor fallen soldiers or whether an official display of this Christian symbol violates the 1st Amendment’s ban on an establishment of religion.
Yes. It does.
But the justices spent most of the hour mired in a side dispute over whether Congress solved the constitutional problem by transferring the land under the cross to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
No. It didn’t.
At issue was cross that sits atop Sunrise Rock in a remote part of the Mojave National Preserve in California, not far from the border with Nevada.
“At issue was cross…”? Two things, “Los Angeles Times,” don’t ask stupid questions and proofread before you publish.
Does a moment pass when Kim Kardashian isn’t selling? If she’s not hyping her workout video, she’s touting her online shoe club, her new book or her sisters’ “reality” TV spinoff, a gripping look inside their high-end Miami boutique.
Shameless self-promotion is the stock in trade among the famous-for-being-famous crowd. But should the self-described “Armenian Princess” have to tell the world if she’s getting paid for the endless stream of products — Famous Cupcakes, Balenciaga shoes, Quick Trim weight loss capsules — she touts seemingly round the clock as one of the most popular users of the micro-blog site Twitter?
WASHINGTON — Envoys from the UN Security Council’s top powers have called on Sudan’s feuding parties to urgently implement a 2005 peace accord and prepare for 2010 elections.
Wait, so there was a peace accord years ago? That didn’t do anything? Can ANYTHING stop the violence in the Sudan?
A health-care reform bill drafted by the Senate Finance Committee would cost $829 billion over the next decade and would meet President Obama’s goal of reducing the federal budget deficit by 2019, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.
We have a winner?!?
The bill would also expand coverage to 94 percent of Americans by 2019, the CBO said, up from the current 85 percent.
And the phrase “public option” is AWOL in this piece.
A day after soliciting the views of congressional leaders, President Obama is convening top national security officials Wednesday afternoon for a strategy session on Afghanistan and Pakistan amid escalating U.S. casualties in Afghanistan and signs of declining public support for the war there.
Maybe this time America will do what the UN advises!
Title: Black Panthers Speak Author(s): Phillip S. Foner. Includes writings by all your favorite Panthers: Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Angela Davis, and Stokely Carmichael, amongst others. Year: 1995 Pages: 328 Good Guys: Black Panthers and some of their vanilla comrades who fought beside them in the black struggle Bad Guys: Oppressive, White AmeriKKKA: Police, businesses, the entire U.S. Government (particularly the most rotten pigs, the FBI), and average, apathetic, ignorant citizens My Rating: A-
Why Subversive?:
I suppose it is “strange” for a white, suburban kid to walk around, clutching a book of militant black politics demonizing the wahhitte man and all his evils. But, then again I am a “strange” guy. So, why did I read this gem of incendiary material? Well, two main reasons: 1) I’m chiefly a propagandist, if anything. Without a doubt the Panthers are accountable for some truly outstanding propaganda. They are completely biased, unabashedly, may I add and write for their side/interests. The point of their works is not to offer you a fair look at how our society works or how certain events went down. Ohh no, they share their perspective of what it is like to be a free-thinking black revolutinary in an extremely racist and violent country that does not value them as human beings. If one were to read “objective” newspapers of the day they would not have the same reaction. The media was never fair to the Panthers, because they served and still serve the government. So, the Panthers fought the mainstream propaganda with their own propaganda and successfully did so. Crucial events such as the Chicago Conspiracy trial, Huey P. Newton’s manslaughter charge, the brutal murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark at the hands of Chicago Police with connection to the FBI are discussed extensively. 2) This book has helped me better understand how fucked up our nation was and still is and how ignorant, we white Americans are. Of course, by reading this or anything else, it does not immediately make me an expert on race relations and I certainly can not say I understand what it was or still is like to be a minority in the US of A. But, it does offer me an awareness of the American Nightmare for blacks, minorities, revolutionaries, and especially black revolutionaries (longer sentences than white revolutionaries). If the Weathermen were black they would all have been imprisoned. For those that doubt the sinister nature of our government, please look through the lens of the black experience in America. If you are privileged and white, then you will not be able to relate to it, but you will have a better understanding of how our vicious, racist system works.
I’m not saying I agree with all the Panthers’ tactics, but this subversive book at least demonstrates how positive and successful the Panthers were in their individual communities. They were a national organization and in each of their many chapters, they had schools, free breakfast for children programs, free medical clinics, and drug rehabilitation for poverty-stricken blacks. Unfortunately, history textbooks and other media outlets place too much emphasis on the violent conflicts and militancy of the Party and not as much focus on their positive, survival programs. Don’t get me wrong, the militancy was an important factor, after all their name was the “Black Panther Party for Self-Defense” and these were clearly violent times with extreme Police Brutality. In the following video, Co-founder, Bobby Seale details the Party’s Ten Point Program/Platform:
If you like this subversive book and/or want to learn more about the Black Panthers, the Black Struggle, or racist white scumfucks, then I recommend the following:
Soul On Ice By: Eldridge Cleaver Seize the Time By: Bobby Seale The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told To Alex Healy Malcolm X Speaks Live From Death Row By: Mumia Abu-Jamal
Seen above are Co-Founders, Bobby Seale, Chairman (left) and Huey P. Newton, Minister of Defense (right). Very badass.
The White House is pushing back against a profile in the Washington Post of the Obama Administration’s Special Envoy for Sudan, Air Force Major General Scott Gration
Why would that be?
The story states that Gration wants the US to normalize relations with the Sudan, “the only country in the world led by a president indicted for war crimes,” a reference to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
“We would not take a step like that absent significant changes in conditions on the ground,” says a senior administration official.
No kidding. Did you hear that the violence in Darfur is going down but in south Sudan it’s going up? I imagine the mainstream media would rather tell you about Roman Polanski.
BBC News sums up a speech by southern Sudan’s leader in their article’s first sentence: “The leader of southern Sudan says the country is at a “historic crossroads”, as it gears up for a national vote and a secession referendum for the south.” The story is buried somewhat in the Africa section. It isn’t mentioned on the front page. Iran dominates the headlines today. Merkel is mentioned on the front page as well. Even the Roman Polanski story is getting more attention. VOA News interestingly leaves the “historic crossroads” quote out. The lead instead paraphrases: “The President of the semi-autonomous Southern Sudan has reportedly said that there is a real chance the results of the 2011 referendum on the future of South Sudan will lead to secession from the north.” This is the top story in the Africa section and under the African section of the front page.
Top Album: The Declaration of Independence (1776) This is Tom at his finest; one incendiary motherfucker. Before he completely sold out with 1803’s corporate shilling Louisiana Purchase. No expansion my ass!
Top Lyrics: “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.” and “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing… the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 