The DISH
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Vol. 9 No. 51…Dedicated to the
Dialogue on Race…December 22, 2006
Blood
for Oil: The Ghost of Christmas Past
By
John Burl Smith
This
time of year carolers sing "Peace on earth and goodwill to all men!"
Unfortunately, this year as the world celebrates the birth of the "Prince
of Peace," war in Iraq dominates conversations. A gift to the world in the
name of the American people, George W. Bush promised it would bring lasting
peace. However, Iraq is a gift that keeps on killing. Rather than a bearer of
joy and good tidings for those who were good and ashes for those who were bad,
Bush has only blood-filled stockings for all.
Outraged
over Iraq, during the mid-term elections, US voters soundly rejected Bush's
"blood for oil" policy. Given a mandate to pursue immediate
withdrawal, Democrats have changed their tune and are coraling the neo-con's
plans that call for an increase in US troops in Iraq. "Staying the
course" in Iraq is a re-mix of Richard Nixon's choral "Peace with
Honor," a hit that lengthened the Viet Nam War. Bush and his congressional
harmonizers are off the chart with "Support Our Troops and Win in
Iraq!" Such a recital is as unwanted by the world as uninvited vacationing
relatives with kids dropping in for the holidays.
Hidden
away, like Toys in the Attic,
is a gift left by the ghost of Christmas past. Unopened, even today, this box
contains stories about the time when "blood for slaves" ruled the
world. Blessed by the Catholic Church, the slave trade was the life's blood of
the "New World's" economy for hundred of years. The Vatican made
trillions of dollars underwriting the use of human lives as the basis of an
economic system. The buying and selling of human beings became God's work.
European
empires were built and destroyed fighting for control of the slave trade. Based
on kidnaping and forced bondage, had Dow-Jones existed then, dealing in human
flesh would have topped the big board, much like oil today. A time when young
Europeans died for what kings said, war was also a means of population control
of the poor relative to the rich. The
fly in the ointment, when it came to convincing poor people the King's word was
worth dying for, once he decided to go to war, lying was the name of the game.
The King could never admit that their fighting and dying was to establish
control over the slave trade.
Private
marauders roamed Africa kidnapping and transporting human beings for profit.
This was called "the free enterprise system." Mired in poverty after
the Dark Ages, Europe had very little gold. Dominated by the wealth of the
Catholic Church, slaves became international currency. Consequently, European
countries warred to control slavery, for the same reason the US is fighting to
control Iraq's oil. Those young Europeans in the 17th, 18th
and 19th century that died in wars were ignorant and had no idea
their deaths supported a "blood for slaves" policy. Historians
romanticized this period by focusing on the personalities (kings) rather than
on how Europe built its wealth using "blood for slaves."
Invading
Iraq, Bush initiated his "blood for oil" policy. Already having cost
tens of thousands of lives, it is a Christmas present that can't be returned
after the holidays. Emulating kings that desired the wealth trading slaves
generated, Bush's lies about WMD, 9-11 and al-Qaeda had nothing to do with war
in Iraq. Neatly wrapped in a media blitz that was opened before Christmas, Bush
presented the world with the news that he is not going to withdraw from Iraq.
Congress tied the bow on his gift by refusing to consider cutting off funds for
Iraq's killing fields. So, the only option on the table is a continuation of
Bush's bloody policy.
This
scenario underscores Bush's commitment to spilling blood until the US
establishes control over Iraq's oil. Killing young Americans and Iraqis of all
ages is the cornerstone of Bush's empire building. Bush's road map for future
gifts is the Project for a
New American Century.
Venue
for an Artist
Happy
Holidays - Perhaps Not
By
Rodney D. Coates
I
must admit up-front that it is my belief that political correctness is
tantamount to deceit at the very least and lying at its very best. In a country
that has no problem with saying Happy Halloween, or the drunken orgies that go
for Mardi Gras in New Orleans -why is it so hard to say Merry Christmas?
It
seems that the 'holidays' come earlier and earlier each year. This year, even
before Thanksgiving, 'holiday' ads, ornaments, merchandise and displays were
prevalent in the malls and stores, cityscapes and buildings. Municipalities
have no problem with lining its trees with lights, heralded the beginning of a
new season of ceremony and celebration. Now, as happy holidays, the sounds of
cash registers and strange tunes such as "Santa Baby" fill the
airways. Not to be outdone, the Rolling Stone Magazine cover features Snoop
Doggy Dog adorned in Santa gear -with the subtitle -"America's most
lovable Pimp" - I wonder what is being celebrated.
Happy
indeed are the plastic reindeers and teddy bears, the millions of miles of
wires connecting billions of colored lights, millions of artificial stars and
giant inflatable's on lawns in every neighborhood. In this insanely ego driven
mania to see who can erect the largest array of stuff with lights, who can deck
the halls to the maximum, I wonder if somewhere lost in the happy holidays and
'decking the halls' we lost not only the significance but perhaps the entire
meaning of these events.
Perhaps
sober reflection upon the fact that murder rates in Cincinnati will reach an
all time high, and there is no end in sight. Perhaps we should recall that we
have an increasingly large and apparently permanent unemployed and seemingly
unemployable pool of people. We have an increasingly large, and what seems to
be a permanent, inmate population. We have an increasingly large, and what will
be a permanent, elderly population with little or no health insurance, limited
retirement benefits. Also consider the reality that those with good jobs, whose
taxes can support these through social security, are declining at an alarming
rate. Next, consider that we have an increasingly large group of students who
fail to complete high school much less college or technical school. Lastly we
have an increasingly large and apparently permanent group of children being
born to children (teen single mothers) which fuels the feminization of poverty.
Internationally
the world is teetering on chaos. Consider the reality that the war in Iraq
drags on as it appears that a civil war is no longer immanent but a reality.
Israel and Palestine continue in what appears to be a struggle to the death.
The violence, genocide and insanity in Darfur, Zimbabwe and the Congo not only
go unchecked but mostly unnoticed. In Russia, as is also the case in Brazil,
violence against women is ignored. AIDS continues to threaten millions
worldwide, and poverty, starvation and disease go unabated among half the
world's population.
Yet,
we line the trees with lights; we pump air into even larger displays on our
front lawns, and in the air, in print, and in the mail someone shouting -happy
holidays. Perhaps, it is not a happy holidays that is needed, rather
"Peace on Earth, and Good Will To all men," Merry Christmas.
About
Me: Rodney D. Coates is professor of Sociology/Gerontology and Black World
Studies at Miami University. He can be reached at coatesrd@muohio.edu.
Disgruntled
says: In the ghetto, we pay more than other folks for everything, whether it is
a public service or private good. An excellent public service example in
Atlanta, Georgia is MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) and its
one-cent sales tax assessed in predominantly black DeKalb and Fulton Counties.
It is the region's only dedicated public transportation revenue stream. MARTA
and its tax are controlled by and disproportionately benefit Atlanta metro
counties in which the tax is not levied. In fact, residents of these majority
white counties have steadfastly refused to pay the MARTA tax. In the private
sector, "legitimate" businesses that operate in our communities treat
ghetto (black) consumers like Enron treated its employees and investors.
However, rather than kill themselves off with unbridled greed, most of these
enterprises are satisfied to bleed consumers to death. When the daily
bloodletting borders on fraud or crosses over into criminality, the big guys -
the blue chips - stand aside and farm the leeching and looting out to their
downstream subsidiaries, the predators that offer payday loans and other exotic
financial services at exorbitant rates of interest. By the way, contrary to
some faulty assumptions, you do not have to live in the ghetto to pay more -
just be black, ignorant or poor.
Disgruntled
wants to know: Imagine the enormous wealth created by slavery passed on to
subsequent generations that used this inherited wealth to amass even greater
wealth. In a society built on slavery where the prevailing economic philosophy
is based on self-interest and profit maximization, can the less fortunate,
especially slave descendants, be more than victims competing against this
tremendous economic advantage?
Disgruntled
feels: Messianic! According to George W. Bush, he did the right thing in
invading Iraq, even though all the intelligence used to justify the action was
wrong. He thinks God gave him this mission and failure is not an option. US
troops will not leave Iraq. Bush is messianic!
Bit
of History
Muhammad
Yunus
By
giving us this prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has given important support
to the proposition that peace is inextricably linked to poverty. Poverty is a
threat to peace. I believe terrorism cannot be won over by military action.
Terrorism must be condemned in the strongest language. We must stand solidly
against it, and find all the means to end it. We must address the root causes
of terrorism to end it for all time to come. I believe that putting resources
into improving the lives of the poor people is a better strategy than spending
it on guns. (Nobel
Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus (2006)
Born June 28, 1940 in the village
of Bathua in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus studied at his village school. In 1947,
his family moved to the city of Chittagong; his father had a jewelry business.
He enrolled in the Lamabazar Primary School and later studied at Chittagong
College. In 1957, he enrolled in the department of economics at Dhaka
University and completed his BA in 1960 and MA in 1961.
After
graduation, Yunus joined the Bureau of Economics as a research assistant. In 1961,
he joined the staff at Chittagong College as a lecturer in economics. A
Fulbright scholar, Yunus earned his Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt
University in the United States (1969). From 1969 to 1972, he was an assistant
professor at Middle Tennessee State University.
In
the book, "Banker to the Poor," which is co-authored by Alan Jolis,
Dr. Yunus recalls teaching economics at Chittagong University in southern
Bangladesh in 1974, when the country experienced a terrible famine; thousands
of people starved to death. The sight of skeleton-like people robbed Yunus of
the thrill he once experienced studying and teaching economic theories that
said nothing about reality and its misery.
Dr.
Yunus went looking for real solutions to poverty. In 1976, he became
"banker to the poor." He founded the micro-credit Grameen Bank, which
makes loans without collateral to poor Bangladeshis. In addition to
microcredit, it offers education loans and housing loans as well as financing
for fisheries and irrigation projects, venture capital, textiles, along with
other banking services such as savings.
A
success story, the Grameen micro-credit model has inspired similar efforts
worldwide, including the Grameen emphasis on "lending specifically to
women. More than 96% of Grameen loans have gone to women, who suffer
disproportionately from poverty and who are more likely than men to devote
their earnings to their families."
In
December 2006, "Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank were awarded the 2006 Nobel
Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social development from
below." In making Dr. Yunus the first Bangladeshi Nobel recipient, the
committee hoped to focus international "attention on dialogue with the
Muslim world, on the women's perspective, and on the fight against poverty.
Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in
which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from
below also serves to advance democracy and human rights." (Committee
Chairman Mjos)
Recipient
of numerous honors, including 27 honorary degrees, Dr. Yunus is married to
Afroji Yunus, a professor of physics at Jahangirnagar University. He is the
father of two daughters. (Sources: www.norwaypost.no,
http://en.wikipedia.org, www.pbs.org, www.stromme.org/
and www.eu-cord.org/)
Comments
from the Bat Cave
The
Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro is thirteen years old, this holiday
season. His advanced age is no reason to end the tradition of making a
Christmas wish list, which simply said, "video games, clothes, shoes and
money." When asked for comments, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro exclaimed,
"I hope I get everything on my list, 'cause I believe in Santa
Claus!"
News
You Use
Beware:
Mortgage Fraud
Creative
housing solutions in the recent US real estate boom included "exotic"
financing such as interest only and payment options adjusted rate mortgages
(ARMs). These financial instruments bypassed traditional qualifications for
home loans, allowing families that did not qualify under the more stringent
standards to purchase homes.
Now
that the housing market has cooled and interest rates have risen, many of these
homeowners face financial difficulties. With monthly mortgage payments
increasing as interest rates rise, it becomes increasingly difficult to make
these payments timely and avoid foreclosure on their property. As a result of
these exotic instruments, mortgage lenders anticipate a wave of foreclosures in
2007 as ARMs reset. Unless family incomes are rising, the higher monthly
mortgage payments, which in some cases can be as high as an additional several
hundred dollars, strain family budgets. Desperate to avoid foreclosures, many
fall prey to mortgage fraud.
According
to the U.S. Treasury Department, mortgage loan fraud in the United States rose
35 percent in 2005. The top 10 geographical areas for foreclosures and mortgage
fraud are California, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, New York,
Ohio, Washington, and North Carolina. Homeowners in these and other states are
advised to beware of mortgage fraud schemes that prey on vulnerable homeowners
facing foreclosures.
Already
"legally" robbed by reputable mortgage companies selling
"exotic" loans along come housing industry enterprises that engage in
outright fraud. Beware of companies that promise to eliminate your mortgage in
mere months. If they can do it, so can you, but you cannot, so it is too good
to be true. Talk with your mortgage lender at the first sign of a problem
making your monthly payment. Do not fall prey to sophisticated equity stripping
operations that claim to help homeowners make up overdue mortgage payments
through purchase-lease arrangements. It is a scam! Another scam to avoid
involves contractors that offer financing for home improvement loans. Learn to
recognize these schemes and what you can do to avoid foreclosure, visit http://homebuying.about.com
Hood
Notes
Rich
and Poor
According
to the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations
University (www.wider.unu.edu/wiid/wiid.htm),
global wealth is unevenly distributed among and within nations. Stats on global
wealth include: (1) the wealthiest 1% owns 40% of the world's wealth; (2) the
richest 10% account for 85% of total global assets; (3) nearly 90 percent of
the world's wealth is held by adults in North America, Europe and high-income
Asian and Pacific countries, such as Japan and Australia; (4) 34 percent of
household wealth is held by adults in North America, which accounts for roughly
6 percent of the world's adult population; and (5) those in financial services
and Internet sectors are among the super rich.
The
wealth and income disparities within these countries are equally striking. In
the US, where the wealth of the nation is controlled by a few families,
millions live in poverty. A recent New York Times analysis of Internal Revenue
Service tax data showed how incomes of the very rich have risen under the tax
and spend policies of the George W. Bush administration. Even as the nation's
economy grew, the middle class and poor lost ground. Real incomes have declined
since 2000. Rather than trickle down, the nation has defied gravity; income and
prosperity trickled up, resulting in wealth transfers from the poor to the
rich. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer under Bush.
Mailbox:
E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls
Email
www.afamreport.com In Columbus, Ohio the NAACP
has joined with black parents who are complaining that their children are being
suspended from schools at rates higher than white kids. These types of
accusations are being echoed across the country.
Email
www.nytimes.com A long-awaited report on Brown
University's 18th-century links to slavery should dispel any lingering smugness
among Northerners that slavery was essentially a Southern problem. Brown did
indeed benefit from money generated by the slave trade and by industries dependent
on slavery. It did so in an era when slavery permeated the social and economic
life of Rhode Island. Slaves accounted for 10 percent of the state's population
in the mid-18th century, when Brown was founded, and Rhode Island served as a
northern hub of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, mounting at least 1,000 voyages
that carried more than 100,000 Africans into slavery over the course of a
century.
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