Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use
Vol. 9 No. 45…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…November 10, 2006
Intuit’s Vibe
Africa
By Maya Angelou
Thus she had lain, sugar cane sweet
deserts her hair, golden her feet
mountains her breasts
two Niles her tears
Thus she has lain
Black through the years.
Over the white seas, rime white and cold
brigands ungentled, icicle bold
took her young daughters
sold her strong sons
churched her with Jesus
bled her with guns.
Thus she has lain.
Now she is rising remember her pain
remember the loss
her screams loud and vain
remember her riches her history slain
now she is striding although she had lain.
Venue for
an Artist
The Politics of Oil and Poverty (Excerpts)
By Emira Woods
It is almost impossible to imagine, as we sit in a well lit, fully
functioning gas station on Main Street, USA, that a community blessed with oil
riches under its soil could look as impoverished as Yenagoa in the Nigerian
state of Bayelsa.
Yenagoa is the site of one of Nigeria's first oil wells, built in
pre-independence 1956. Yet as in many communities in Nigeria's oil rich Delta
region, most people of Yenagoa live in mud huts. Some reside only a few feet
away from the oil wells. But they lack electricity and indoor toilets. They
have no hospitals, no running water, no schools. And, there is unemployment
too. Oil companies, like Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Chevron and Exxon Mobil, bring
in foreign workers for even the most menial jobs.
African countries may well fuel future U.S. energy needs.
Historically, most U.S. oil imports come from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico
and Canada. Increasingly, as the US, China and other nations expand their
thirst for oil, and instability deepens in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa
is becoming a more attractive source for crude. The U.S. National Intelligence
Council estimates that Africa could supply 25% of U.S. oil by 2015.
The price of oil nearly tripled since President George W. Bush took
office in 2001, yet the majority of the people who live in the countries from
which fuel flows still experience grinding poverty. Taken together, the $10
billion quarterly profits of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, or Shell and the $1.15
per acre compensation paid (every four years) to some farmers in oil producing
zones, show just how unfair the global oil industry has become.
The oil curse has hurt Nigeria, Angola, and other countries in
Africa's richly endowed Gulf of Guinea region. Like many Africans, I fear that
oil companies look to Africa for its resource wealth without seeing the people.
Resource-rich communities are dehumanized and the color-line is ever present as
the greatest profits flow steadily to wealthy white men who already control
enormous wealth and power.
The next time you pull up to the pump, remember that the thick
black crude is extracted from the earth's crust at great social, political and
environmental cost. Then, do whatever it is in your power to demand dignity and
proper compensation for those whose land or sea may be cursed with the blessing
of this natural resource.
About Me: Emira Woods is co-director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the
Institute for Policy Studies. See this article at www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/37612
John Henrik Clarke
(1915-1998)
"History is not
everything but it is the starting point. History is a clock that people use to
tell their time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map
of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what
they must be." --John Henrik Clarke
The eldest son of sharecroppers, John Henry Clark was born in Union Springs,
Alabama on January 1, 1915. At age four, his family moved to Columbus, Georgia.
He taught the junior Bible class at a local Baptist church. He later recalled
reading many bible stories that happened in Africa, but "saw no African
people in the printed and illustrated Sunday school lessons." Clark began
to study and document the contributions of African peoples and find ways to
tell their story.
Clark's parents, John and Willie Ella Mays Clark, called him
Bubba. In his auto-eulogy, Clarke declared, "[B]ecause I had the mind to
do so, I decided to add the "e" to the family name "Clark"
and change the spelling of "Henry" to "Henrik", after the
Scandinavian rebel playwright, Henrik Ibsen. I liked his spunk and the social
issues he addressed in "A Doll's House." Having felt its sting,
Clarke wanted to address, just as spunkily, southern racism.
In the early 1930's, he moved to New York, settling in Harlem,
where he began his search for the true story of black people. His research
carried him to libraries, museums and archives in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe,
Latin America and Africa. Clarke enlisted in the US army and rose to the rank
of Master Sergeant. He studied history and world literature at New York and
Columbia Universities and at the League for Professional Writers.
Clarke put his findings in books, articles, interviews and more
than two hundred short stories. His most famous short story is the Boy Who
Painted Christ Black. On speaking to the issue, Clark questioned "the
political judgment of those who would have the nerve to paint Christ white with
his obvious African nose, lips and woolly hair." He also said, "When
the European emerged in the world in the 15th and 16th centuries, for the
second time, they not only colonized most of the world, they colonized
information about the world, and they also colonized images, including the
image of God, thereby putting us into a trap, for we are the only people who
worship a God whose image we did not choose!"
Dr. Clarke brought his "findings to life in discussions with
black audiences hungry for a history so long lost, stolen or strayed." He
developed special relationships with Africans throughout the diaspora,
including many heads of state; he mentored Kwame Nkrumah, when he was a US
student. In post-independence Ghana (1957), Clarke served as a journalist for
the Ghana Evening News. His articles and papers have appeared in journals
worldwide. He authored, edited and/or contributed to 24 books.
Dr. Clarke founded the Harlem's Writers Guild, the African
Heritage Studies Association (1968), the Association for the Study of Negro
Life and History, National Council of Black Studies, and Association for the
Study of Classical African Civilization. In 1969, Dr. Clarke was appointed
founding chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Studies Department at Hunter
College in New York City. Dr. Clarke taught at Hunter College and Cornell
University; he retired from Cornell in 1985.
In 1986, the Africana Library at Cornell was named in his honor.
Dr. Clarke played an important role in the early history of Cornell University's
Africana Studies & Research Center. A Distinguished Visiting Professor of
African History there in the 1970s, he helped establish its curricula.
The father of three daughters, Dr. Clarke died on July 16, 1998 in
New York City. His auto-eulogy closed, "Oh, by the way, Christ is Black; I
see him walking at distance with Nkrumah. I think they are coming over to greet
me." (Sources: www.cwo.com/~lucumi/clarke3.html, www.library.cornell.edu/africana/clarke,
and www.aaregistry.com)
Disgruntled says: If Karl Rove had an
October surprise, it was an unmitigated flop. So far, the November surprise has
been nothing short of earth-shattering. Change is in the air. Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld fell on his sword the day after mid-term elections. With
Democrats in certain control of the US House of Representatives and possibly
the Senate, George W. Bush, no doubt, hopes to deflect some criticism against
the administration's Iraq policy onto Rumsfeld's back, when in fact, the buck
stops at his desk. Bush made the critical decisions or certainly should have
played a role in them and must take ultimate responsibility. Whatever good or
ill criticism launched at Rumsfeld should be trebled and hurled at Bush. We're
betting history will rank him among the nation's worst commanders-in-chiefs.
Disgruntled feels: Delighted! On Tuesday, it rained all day in Georgia, USA. Determined
to perform my civic duty, I ignored the precipitation and went to vote for
change. The Bush neo-con junta must be held accountable for its disastrous
six-year stewardship of this nation. Indicative of how low the USA has sunk,
even Bush spiritual advisers scream Sodom and Gomorrah. Then, there is the
sheer hypocrisy of a closet homosexual like Rev. Ted Haggard using issues
surrounding his sins as wedges to help the GOP divide the US electorate.
Drowning in a sea of lies, sexual misconduct, corruption and mismanagement, a
third of evangelicals voted Democratic. It seems a majority of the US
electorate that turned out on Tuesday is fed up with this morally bankrupt
regime. As a member of that majority, I am delighted we kicked the bums out!
Disgruntled wants to know: The US public and the international community have been given
many justifications for the US military misadventure in Iraq. Originally, the
US attacked Iraq because it was linked to the terrorist attacks of 9-11 and
possessed weapons of mass destruction; the need to act precipitously was a
matter of national security. The US had to attack to prevent a mushroom cloud
over Peoria. Those who advanced the argument that Iraq's oil (petrodollars) and
Israel are the prime unspoken motives for the US military intervention and
occupation of Iraq have been dismissed as conspiracy theorists. Yet, recently,
George W. Bush proclaimed the US could not leave Iraq precipitously for fear
the terrorists will find safe haven there and oil revenues to fund their terrorist
activities. Now, is it about the oil and who controls this vital resource?
Bio-Piracy: Neo-Colonialism
in Africa
Bio-piracy is used to describe a new form of 'colonial pillaging.'
Western corporations reap large profits by taking out patents on indigenous
materials from developing countries and turning them into products such as
medicines and cosmetics which can be extremely valuable in western markets.
Rarely do any financial benefits accrue to the country of origin. Some critics
call bio-piracy neo-colonialism.
One of the best known recent cases of bio-piracy involves Hoodia,
an appetite suppressant known to the indigenous San people in South Africa.
Developed and patented by the South African Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR), exclusive rights to this traditional knowledge were
sold to a British company. After worldwide outcry, a minuscule percentage of
the royalties were made available to the San in the form of a trust.
The Edmonds Institute, a US-based non-profit group specializing in
education about intellectual property rights, recently published Out of Africa: Mysteries of Access and
Benefit Sharing." Available at www.edmonds-institute.org,
the report lists 36 medical, horticultural and cosmetic products 'pirated' from
Africa. These include diabetes drugs, antibiotics, drug addiction and arthritis
treatment, appetite suppression, peanuts from Malawi, ocean resources, a cancer
fighting agent, infection-fighting mycobacteria and cosmetics.
Western companies involved in the piracy deny any wrongdoing. In
releasing its report, Edmonds Institute warned the robbery will continue and
urged the implementation of "international rules to regulate
bio-prospecting and ensure fair and equitable benefits to countries and
communities that provide biological resources and associated traditional
knowledge."
Read more about bio-piracy in Africa at www.edmonds-institute.org.
No More Blank Checks
Since 9-11, the Bush regime has operated without the restraints of
constitutional checks and balances -- all three branches of government were run
by a single uncritical political party. This has not been healthy for this
country. Dozens of measures offered by members of the minority party in
Congress languished in committees, were sabotaged with poison-pill amendments,
like the minimum wage bill, or otherwise were not considered by the
deliberative body.
This republic was built on slavery and checks and balances. Without constraint,
the Bush administration has mired the nation's future in trillions of dollars
of debt, gone to war on multiple fronts and chose to finance these conflicts on
credit, while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.
There have been plenty of allegations of wrongdoing by an overly secretive Bush
administration. Because the GOP-controlled Congress has not been diligent in
performing its oversight responsibility, there has been little in the way of
'real' investigation, ala Bill Clinton.
The political party change in Congress should signal an end to the Bush blank
check. No more overdrafts!
The Constant Gardener (2005)
Actress Rachel Weisz (The
Mummy) won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a
Supporting Role for her portrayal of Tessa Quayle, a British activist working
in Kenya. When Tessa is killed, her husband, Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a
mild-mannered, low-level diplomat and constant gardener, goes in search of the
truth behind her murder over the objections of his superiors.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles', The Constant Gardner is based on the
best-selling John le Carré novel. With all the evidence pointing to a
crime of passion and infidelity, Justin Quayle treks across three continents
and risks his life to uncover and expose the truth - a deadly conspiracy far
greater than he could have ever imagined.
Director Meirelles' cleverly uses flashbacks to flesh out
characters and provide information from events that transpired prior to Tessa's
death, such as their meeting, whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage and
Tessa's relationship with Arnold Bluhm, a black doctor and prime murder
suspect.
In undertaking his investigation into Tessa's death, Quayle must
overcome a host of obstacles, including colleagues, local police, mercenaries
and a corrupt CEO. Quayle perseveres and discovers a link between the British
High Commission and unethical practices of the pharmaceutical industry.
Highly entertaining, this movie sheds some light on bio-piracy --
the new colonialism -- and the predatory practices of the pharmaceutical
industry. Rent it tonight!
Mailbox:
E-Mails, Faxes and Phone Calls
Email www.nytimes.com
A Wartime Love Story...By Maureen Dowd... At the heart of every administration,
there is one relationship above all others that shapes history. Ron and Nancy.
Poppy Bush and James Baker. Billary. Cheney & Rummy. W. is the hood
ornament, but Cheney & Rummy are the chitty chitty bang bang engine of this
administration. Their four-decade friendship stretches from Nixon to Bush II,
from Vietnam to Vietnam II. It's a beautiful love story, really, even more
touching than Ted Haggard, the evangelical preacher and Bush White House
adviser, asking a male prostitute for crystal meth....
Email adey45@yahoo.com
...Is China colonizing Africa?..What are the pros and cons of stronger links
between the two? This week there's a major summit between China and Africa in
Beijing. China's investments in Africa's business, trade, transport and
healthcare development, which totals trillions of dollars, has led some to
argue that the country is colonizing Africa. But China says it will lead to
Africa's own development. What is the truth about the relationship between
Africa and China? How serious is China's influence on the continent and does it
matter? Is Africa important to China?
Email myers@cyberone.com.au Damning Court Documents Concerning
Glaxo's Addicting and Potentially Lethal Drug Paxil Are Revealed: BigPharma
Corporations, Rather Than Losing Court Cases, Routinely Settle Out of Court -
and Then Impose Unethical Gag Orders on Plaintiffs to Hide the Truth...By
Evelyn Pringle - www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/paxil.html
Secrecy agreements in litigation hide information about defective products or a
company's negligence, and sometimes go so far as to prohibit the parties from
discussing that there ever was a lawsuit. Such is the case with Paxil and as a
result, unwitting patients continued to take the drug long after its dangers
were known to GlaxoSmithKline. Many lawsuits against Glaxo have been settled
out of court, with confidentiality agreements that prevent the public from
knowing about drug's harmful effects. Previously sealed documents and internal
company memos suppressed with protective orders, prove that Glaxo knew about
the problems with Paxil before it received FDA approval, but continued to sell
the drug for over a decade without warning consumers.
Email Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com The US has issued a
warning to its citizens in the Horn of Africa about the threat of suicide
attacks from Somali extremists. The US embassy in Nairobi said public landmarks
in Kenya and Ethiopia could be targets for suicide bombers. The alert follows
the collapse of peace talks between rival factions in Somalia vying for control
of the country. In Somalia there are reports of heightened military
preparations in an increasingly tense situation. A spokeswoman at the US
embassy in Nairobi said the warning was based on threats by Sheikh Hassan Dahir
Aweys, one of the leaders of a group of Islamic courts in Somalia who urge
Somalis to carry out the attacks. The Islamic courts are in a struggle for
power in Somalia with the weak interim government of the country. Peace talks
in Sudan have collapsed.
|| 2006
Issues ||
The DISH
||