Random Thoughts Post..The Sequel

In the spirit of my first random thoughts post I decided to spit out some more of my ramblings....

(1) I think the G8 Summit to discuss debt relief and aid to Africa is quite compelling...Why you may ask? Aren't most of these nations in the G8 the very ones that through their colonial occupations are responsible for the blighted and poverty stricken condition of the African Continent as we speak? Great Britian, France, Spain....I mean come on...Is this not the APEX of arrogance and hypocricy? Sure the 50 billion in aid and the cancellation of the poorest African Nation's debts does help...But it does not and cannot return the millions of lives lost at the expense of colonialism and the culturally genocidal policies that these colonial powers forced upon the peoples of Africa. The media likes to characterize the now independent African nations as disorganized and disorderly and their leaders as corrupt. This, in some instances, may be true. But lets not forget who wrote the blueprint for corrupt governmental behavior...(and the irony is that many of these African leaders are either U.S. or European educated)...The U.S. or Europe could give two flying shits about the plight of Black Africans...All us Americans have to do is go into any HOOD in America and you can clearly see what they think about their domestic "niggers"...so let's not expect any great WORLD revolution around the AIDS/POVERTY epidemic in Africa...

(2) Along that same line of thinking, was I the only one who was a bit troubled by this whole idea of "Eliminating Poverty" in our lifetime that was being spewed at the LIVE 8 concerts? Unless people are planning a whole scale attack on lassiez-faire capitalism anytime soon I would venture to believe that poverty is here to stay. We are so busy, as usual, being paternalistic in the rest of the world that we've failed to see that we have a serious problem with poverty and AIDS right here in America. No we cannot and will not eliminate poverty in ANYBODY'S generation or lifetime because to REALLY make that happen the American Corporate Oligarchy would have to make some serious concessions that would not be in the interests of those who are at the very top of the social, political, and ECONOMIC ladder...In other words, the HAVES would have to give up what they HAVE and the privileges that come along with it..And that AINT happenin...BUT I do believe there are ways that we can begin to seriously attack and reduce poverty in this country...

(a) I strongly believe that the argument surrounding education in this country needs to be framed as a matter of NATIONAL DEFENSE. We need an educated populace. We need Universal, FREE, education from K through College. An educated people will be better equipped to compete in a job market that is becoming incresingly more stringent in it's educational qualifications.

(b) The equation is easy to me.... higher quality education = increased job opportunities = more suitable standard of living...When you don't educated people properly you subsequently do not give them the skills to compete in the market...and hence, other means of making MORE than simply a subsistence wage come into play i.e. the "UNDERGROUND" economy. We spend trillions of dollars on law enforcement when, in my estimation, the best way to keep citizens on the right side of the law is to educate them properly so that they can maximize their opportunities..politically, socially, and economically....

(3) In his poignant "Letter From Birmingham Jail" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke particularly about the 4 steps that lead to a non-violent, driect-action-style protest...Those steps are..

(a) Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices have occured
(b) Negotiation
(c) Self-Purification
(d) Direct Action

Now doesn't it seem that many of our SO-CALLED black leaders today have forgotten these steps. Seems like Black Folks just wanna march before we even know the facts and have sat down at the table and exhausted every possibility for change within the system...And the most important STEP is "Self-Purification"....Before we as black folk can make any more demands of our government we've got to clean out the skeletons in our closet and get somewhere near the SAME PAGE. Considering the rampid homophobia and class warfare (*clears throat* Dr. Cosby) I do not think that we are equipped yet for another mass movement...Seems like Master Clinton and Bush let some Negroes in the big house and we are satisfied...Don't be fooled by the symbolic politics...Simply because these people are of our skin color does mean they operate in the best interests of our people...

These are just my ramdom thoughts and my informed opinions....I could be wrong...

Remember..Opinions are like ASSHOLES...Everybody has one and some are shittier than others...Of course, mine aren't shitty...lol..

peaceloveandeternity..

Quaheem