Volume 5 Issue 36…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…September 13, 2002

Recapturing dying sparks from April 18, 1775 like an invading force landing in New York and Paul Revere riding the countryside, the cry went out. "The Williamses are coming, the Williamses are coming" rang like shots on the road to Lexington and Concord, as fireworks flew at the 121^st US Open. Although on home terra firma, the mostly American crowd seemed to favor the invading "red coats, Hessians and other European mercenaries," as they groaned on every point won by the "fabulous phenoms," Venus and Serena Williams, while erupting in cheers and applause on every point they lost.

Spurning the Betsy Ross or Dolly Madison role, time and again the "battling brood" came out like John Paul Jones. Laying siege to Flushing Meadows, Serena's stand was reminiscent of the "Battle of Saratoga." Springing her "cat attack" in a suit to match, Serena mauled Daja Bedanova, Daniela Hantuchova and Lindsay Davenport in straight sets as she stalked the finals. Not only did the "Sassy sibling" set tongues wagging with her "feline fashion," she displayed athletic prowess, awesome power and mental toughness.

Commanding the high ground on the low side of the draw, Venus played hit and run like George Washington from the start. Under siege in the toughest draw, Venus only escaped through great serves and ground strokes as Chanda Rubin sprung a horse shoe ambush. From the baseline, Venus shelled into oblivion Monica Seles' bunker trap. However, Amelie Mauresmo's net game unleashed a blistering bombardment that wounded the Sable Venus. And, although Venus won the battle, she lost the war.

As her fate turned from Washington's at Yorktown to Cornwallis', Venus' hope for a role reversal faded in the finals. Serena dictated the terms of surrender, and Venus furled her flag. A dominant display of talent, Serena is unchallenged as number one.

Phantom Scribbler

Deep Cover Operative Peep City Barnabas sends The DISH inner scoops with special instructions. Sparks Over the Potomac (The DISH Vol. 4 No 51) warned of an impending fight in the Bush White House over VP Dick Cheney and the Bush 2004 ticket. White House hawks, fearful Colin Powell had the inside track in the VP race, built "quail blinds" to snipe at him.

Signaling the opening bell, Enron Around VP (The DISH Vol. 5 No 2) opened with Wall Street high rollers pushing a new hedge fund called "Odd-Man-Out." Fading VP Cheney not being on the Bush 2004 ticket, the odd-man-out prospectus pays a quiniela for picking his replacement. A bearish outlook on the "shadow government," which operates out of the White House basement with a direct hookup to Houston, Texas, has forced Bush's "Principals' Committee" to bid up its stock with an attack against Iraq (Phantom Scribbler, The DISH Vol. 5 No 7). This inner sanctum of politicos represents the prime movers pushing Donald Rumsfeld as Cheney's replacement. Buying futures on 2008, when even a healthy Dick should be put out to pasture, odd-man-out is still not bullish on Powell.

Peep City connected the odd-man-out dots with a very hush-hush New England Democratic gathering over the Christmas holidays. According to Barnabas, some tight-lipped party operatives, fearing Al Gore will repeat like Adlai Stevenson and Walter Mondale, are exploring a Bill Clinton draft (2004 Democracy vs. Dictatorship, The DISH Vol. 5 No 9). The coup de grace for Powell short sellers is an IPO on Rumsfeld and options that "put" daggers in John Ashcroft and dark-horse Tom Ridge's hands hedging a 2008 VP shot.

Politics Y2K2

Major historical events are driven by the impact of wars with winners and losers providing lessons that go beyond plans, armaments, technologies and body counts. Coupled with agonizing losses at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, after appointing a succession of paper generals, President Abraham Lincoln realized in 1863, almost any general can fight a war, what the Union needed was one who, knew how to win one. Against this backdrop, Lincoln brought in Ulysses S. Grant, a general's general.

Beginning with George Washington, through Gen. John J. Pershing, George S. Patton, Douglas MacArthur to Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower, the United States' greatest assets in wars were its generals. This advantage slipped in Korea and the drop off was glaring by the end of Vietnam. More popular than Pres. Harry Truman, Gen. MacArthur refused to run for the Presidency because he felt politics was for civilians. Having authorized undercover operations that committed US troops in Vietnam, Ike knew that businessmen running the Pentagon saw war as an economic stimulus package. Leaving after two terms in office, Ike warned the nation that the "military-industrial-complex" posed a threat to freedom and economic stability.

Lyndon Johnson entered the White House as war hawks took control of Vietnam policy. Today, George Bush faces the same problem as Johnson, "How to convince the America people that an all-out war against Iraq is necessary?" For Johnson, Pentagon generals concocted a fictitious incident complete with video footage claiming a North Vietnam gunboat attacked an American battleship in the Gulf of Tonkin. Outraged, Congress passed "The Tonkin Gulf Resolution" (The DISH Vol. 4 No 39). Totally bogus, the Pentagon manufactured this ball-faced lie to escalate an unjust war in which thousands of young Americans died for profits. For the Bush Administration, war is like IPOs, privatizing Social Security or any other business scheme concocted for his friends and associates to make a buck.

Bush and the Pentagon want a "Declaration of War against Iraq." How can the American people know this is not another "Tonkin Gulf?" Senator Robert Byrd was in the Senate then; maybe, he can assure the nation this situation is different? Is the rush to war a scheme to help Bush's oil backers and reelect Republicans? The American Revolution, Civil War, WWI and WWII were fought over obvious principles easily recognized as threats to humanity. Bush is asking Congress to approve war based on what he claims is going on in someone's head. After "looking into Russia's President Vladimir Putin's heart," Bush is demanding that the world rely on him as a clairvoyant. Death and destruction are generals' stocks-in-trade. Like greed and prisons for profit, war is an American growth industry for Wall Street. Ike's greatest fears have come true.

Disgruntled says: Unlike FOX News, which claims to be "real journalism that is fair and balanced," but comes across as pure propaganda, the hosts of CNBC's Kudlow and Cramer are unabashed in their support of US imperialism. Repeatedly advocating the overthrow of Saddam Hussein to get Iraqi oil and improve the US economy, Kudlow and Cramer are poster boys for "ugly Americans." Discounting the death and destruction attending war, because the poor will do the actual dying on foreign soil, they see nothing wrong with the USA taking another country's oil. Only the health of the US economy and the wealthy few matter to ugly Americans.

Disgruntled feels: Apprehensive! Clearly, the real objective in starting a war against Iraq is control of Middle East oil. As the saying goes, "He who controls the spice (oil), controls the universe." Although it is not part of the public discourse, Iran is the linchpin in the plan to control the most valuable substance on Earth. Everyone with half a brain has reason to fear the fallout from such an enterprise. With each day that passes, my apprehension grows, because the only voices aired in US media are crows cawing for war!

Disgruntled wants to know: As a child and reluctant student of geography, I equated the shapes of countries with things that were familiar in order to memorize them for future examinations. The map of the forty-eight contiguous states of the USA always reminded me of a fat cow. Great Britain looked like a bunny rabbit sitting on its hind legs. Though the rest of the world advises caution, the US and Britain's Tony Blair are rabid for regime change (war) in Iraq. With the US leading the stampede, Britain is like "Alice in Wonderland." Since the bunny will be following a fat cow down this rabbit's hole, does that make the bunny leader a mad hatter?

"History is a mirror of the past and a lesson for the present." (A Persian Proverb)

Primarily known for its carpets, caviar, a costly war with Iraq and membership in OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), Iran has one of the richest and oldest cultures known to man. For centuries, the West called it Persia (Pars or Fars, a province in southern Iran), but the country has always been known as Iran (land of the Aryans) to its people. In 1935, the government specified that it should be called Iran; however, in 1949 it allowed both names to be used.

Iran is located in the Middle East. It borders the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Situated between Iraq and Pakistan, Iran also shares borders with Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan. Throughout its history, Iran was frequently overrun and ruled by others. A succession of dynasties from the Achaemenians, founded by Cyrus the Great, which controlled the nation from 559-330 B.C., to the Pahlavi dynasties (1925-1979) ruled Persia.

In 1908, oil was discovered in Iran. Reza Khan, a Persian Cossack Brigade officer, seized control of the government (1921). Making himself Shah (1925), Reza Shah Pahlavi ruled for almost 16 years. Under his reign, the central government reasserted its authority over the provinces. In September 1941, following the Allies' (U.K.-Soviet Union) occupation, he was forced to abdicate. His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, became the Shah; his rule ended with his 1979 overthrow.

During World War II, Iran was a vital link in the Allied supply lines. After the war, Soviet troops in northwestern Iran refused to withdraw and backed separatist regimes in Azerbaijan and Kurdistan. In 1946, the Azerbaijan revolt crumbled under U.S. and UN pressure that forced the Soviets to withdraw; Iranian forces suppressed the Kurdish revolt.

In 1951, nationalist leader Premier Mohammed Mossadeq forced the parliament to nationalize the British-owned oil industry. Opposed by the Shah, Mossadeq was removed, but quickly returned to power. The Shah fled Iran but returned when his Western-backed supporters staged a coup against Mossadeq in August 1953. In 1961, Iran initiated a series of U.S.-led reforms known as the Shah's White Revolution. Fueled by Iran's vast petroleum reserves, the third largest in the world, the country achieved unprecedented growth.

By 1978, domestic turmoil swept the country as a result of religious and political opposition to the Shah's rules and Western programs--especially SAVAK, the hated internal security and intelligence service. In January 1979, the Shah fled Iran. On February 1, 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned after 15 years in exile; he became Iran's national leader.

On November 4, 1979, Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran and held it until January 20, 1981. Following Khomeini's death on June 3, 1989, the senior clerics chose Ali Khamenei as his successor. In August 1989, Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, speaker of the National Assembly, was elected President. (Sources: www.odci.gov/cia, www.art-arena.com, Encyclopedia Americana and www.worldrover.com)

Intuit's Vibe

We stood at the edge of forever and watched her paint

deep torrent Atlantic blue against the rocky shore.

Mist and spray danced light in the crystal air.

The sun cooperated benevolently,

creating gentle rainbows,

signifying our little moment in heaven.

Father rested his hand upon my shoulder.

We gazed into the hereafter

where the pale azure sky made love to life stirring liquid.

As they lost definition,

forms melted into one another.

With violent passion,

that shapeless body of chaos and creation

let its power be known.

Anxious to consume those who dared

watch such ancient beauty,

she stormed the patient earth,

producing electrified white foam,

ending in a swirling swell of energy.

After each massive surge,

salty drops kissed our faces.

Life’s water rushed over the cliffs by thundering wind.

Her thanks for our appreciation.

While watching the US Open Championship, an image flashed in my mind recalling an experience embossed and sculpted by time. Holding a photograph, my great-grandfather, The Circuit Rider, Rev. Burl Lee, asked "Who is this?" Shrugging, I responded, "I don't know." Placing an arm around one shoulder, he drew me close. He said, "This is you. Not your face or body, but everything you are. This is your family!" Pointing to images on it, he continued, "Your great great-grandfather and mother, great-grandfather and mother, grandmother and grandaunts and uncles. All you are and all you will become, you get from family"

Oblivious to this experience until Saturday night, it flashed through crystalline drops. Watching those bittersweet moments, for anyone who has children and love them, The Circuit Rider's point, so neatly tucked away by years, unfolded through the maturing of Venus and Serena Williams. Growing up before our eyes, these beautiful children were the pictures of everything we wished for in our own. Surrounded by an adoring family to share their moment of triumph, Venus and Serena made the US Open an American family album.

Life unfolds as a journey we take individually. Some pack too much for the trip, while others too little; still some, let others pack for them. Only today does The Circuit Rider's meaning resonate. "You take with you inside all that makes you who you are. Everything else is added and can be lost at any time. But that which you are is always there, if you remember you have it."

Those blurry crystalline drops were for Venus, who recognized, as did her father, Serena's potential and pushed her baby sister to the max. Making herself vulnerable by exposing her own weaknesses, Venus showed Serena her strengths. Giving such unselfish love, she is the model older sister. Emerging stronger at this point, Venus reflects the tremendous difficulty in shedding the role of protector and teacher.

A baby brother myself, the situation was crystal. Having grown up with beating big sister as life’s perfect picture, Serena must now find new motivations. Icons to the hip-hop generation, both sisters must remember that life is more than snapshots; it is about balance. Flying high, Serena must not lose contact with the ground, and Venus must never get so down on herself that she forgets how to touch the sky.

Email brotom@lava.net Excerpts from an article by Stan Goff at www.Copvcia.com "Should forces hostile to U.S. imperialism gain control over the Gulf States and its oil, they would effectively control the lifeblood of the entire global economic system. U.S. hegemony would collapse in an historical instant. Compared to this scenario, Sept. 11 was a walk in the park. And, the U.S. ruling class, especially the current petroligarchy administration, knows this"

"If the Saudis, for example, under the threat of domestic de-stabilization, decided out of self-preservation to punish the U.S., they might withdraw or liquidate all their U.S. dollar-denominated assets. The only sticking point for them is the fact that U.S. companies perform the lion's share of extraction activities. Nonetheless, if they were to expel the U.S., it would be a devastating blow to the U.S. and have the added incentive of restricting supply and raising the price per barrel, raising domestic revenues to quiet their restless populations. This nightmare scenario for the Bush de facto Administration is surely fueling their sense of urgency to emplace more and permanent military infrastructure in the region to prepare for this contingency."

Email revg@minister.com Amen OG - I am in the south where sportscasters hate Venus and Serena for dominating "their" sport, and Tiger for dominating "their" sport, and Barry for proving he can do more than hit home runs (he leads the majors in batting average this year). Anna "can't beat my dog playing tennis" KornaCOMA is a favorite because these white boys down here are racist jock sniffers that want anything white to rave about. Serena in her cat suit is now the wallpaper on my computer, and if you put Anna in the same suit it just wouldn't resonate. Since "Eve" was created in Africa, I find Serena to be not only extremely attractive but a goddess in the sense of what true beauty is all about. Her blonde motif is an inside joke of sorts she and her parents are running after the criticism she and Venus took about their beads and braids the last couple of years. Richard is a down brother that leads his daughters in ways to say to white folks, "whether we look like what we are (black) or what you think the ideal woman looks like (blonde), we are still going to beat your arse like a drum."

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