Saturday, June 16, 2007

THIS JUST IN! BARACK LOST HIS GROOVE!

 
SMARTING FROM GETTING HIS PRISTINE (SOME SAY PRISSY) IMAGE MUDDIED IN HIS USUAL ATTEMPT TO DESTROY HIS OPPONENTS, BARACK OBAMA, U.S. SENATOR OF 2 YEARS, TOOK TO LOS ANGELES YESTERDAY TO PRESENT A . . .
WELL, IT'S NOT A "PLAN."  SOME REPORTERS IN OUR PRESS POOL OUR BILLING IT AS SUCH.
 
IT IS AN ATTACK ON AFRICAN-AMERICANS SO IT'S POPULAR WITH SOME OF THE WHITE CROWD AND THEY CAN'T VERY WELL BILL IT AS "BARACK PUTS BLACKS IN THEIR PLACE!" OR "BARACK, ONLY HALF-BLACK AND BAILING ON THAT!"
 
IN A SPEECH THAT SUPPOSEDLY ADDRESSED POVERTY, BARACK OBAMA INSTEAD CHOOSE TO MAKE LIKE A LITTLE BABY WHINING ABOUT WHAT HIS OWN (BLACK) FATHER DIDN'T DO FOR HIM.  LEFT OUT OF THE WHINING, RUNT NOSED CRITIQUE WAS THE FACT THAT HIS MOTHER RAISED HIM AROUND THE WORLD AND HIS FATHER LIVED IN AFRICA. 
 
BUT HE WAS DETERMINED TO SLAM BLACK FATHERS AND REVEAL ALL THE RAGE HE HAS TOWARDS HIS OWN AND, APPARENTLY, AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN GENERAL AS HE BLAMED FATHERS FOR POVERTY AND NOT THE VERY REAL ISSUE THAT THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR IN URBAN CITIES TOOK A HIT IN THE LAST CENTURY AND THEN PACKED UP AND MOVED OVERSEAS.
 
LIKE ANY "SELF-MADE" LIGHTER THAN AIR BOY-CHILD, BARACK STOMPED HIS FEET REPEATEDLY OVER THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BLACK FATHERS BUT NEVER ADDRESSED THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT REAL JOBS EXIST IN A COUNTRY. 
 
NEVER ONCE IN THE MIDST OF HIS CRY BABY RAMBLINGS DID HE NOTE THE VERY REAL FACT THAT A PARENT COULD WORK FULL TIME AT MCDONALS OR WAL-MART (THOUGH ON THE LATTER, ANYTHING OVER 32 HOURS WOULD HAVE TO BE OFF THE CLOCK IN MOST CASES -- CASES THE COURTS ARE HEARING) AND NOT EARN ENOUGH TO FEED A FAMILY, HOUSE A FAMILY OR EVEN TAKE A VACATION.
 
THOSE FAMILIAR WITH THIS "THE PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTRY TODAY IS BLACK MEN NOT LIVING UP TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES" MANTRA ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH HOW THIS FILM ENDS: THE ANGRY MOUTHER ENDS UP ON A GET AWAY VACATION WITH SOME JAMACIAN MALE APPLYING SUN TAN LOTION.  WE EAGERLY AWAIT BARACK'S FOLLOWING IN THE STEPS OF MANY AND "GETTING HIS GROOVE BACK ON" WHEN HE DISCOVERS THE MANLY DELIGHTS OF THE TROPICS IN THE FORM OF SOME YOUNG BUCK.
 
 
Turning to war resistance.  In June of 2006, Ehren Watada became the first US officer to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq and in February of 2007 his kangaroo court-martial ended in a mistrial over the objections of the defense when Judge Toilet sensed (rightly) things weren't going well for the prosecution.  As noted Tuesday, Mike Barber (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) reports the second court-martial is set to start July 23rd.  Barbara Kelly (Juneau Empire) covers the issue of war resistance in a recent column (June 12th) and notes "those who take such a stand are execrcising a certain kind of moral courage . . .  In speaking of Lt. Ehren Watada's refusal to deploy to Iraq, Maj. Gen. John Batiste who has been outspoken in his criticism of the president's Iraq policy, recentlyl stated that Watada followed his conscience.  Batiste says he respects Watada even though he does not agree with what the lieutenant did.  Batiste does not consider Watada a coward."  But he has become a cultural touchstone.  Zbignew Zingh (Dissident Voice) uses Watada as one of his examples of how we have now arrived at "Cola Crime."  Also today, Megan Kung (Asian Week) writing about an exhibit of Tezuka Osaumu's artwork notes: "With Guantanamo Bay, Karl Rove, Iraq and 9/11, it does seem like we're living an anime.  Too bad fighting those 'shadowy' forces in real life is not that easy -- remember Ehren Watada?"  A lot do.  His story has traveled far and wide and, if the military does attempt another court-martial, even more people will be paying attention than in February. 
 
The movement of resistance within the US military grows and includes Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Augstin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder , Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Joshua Key, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Jeremy Hinzman, Stephen Funk, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Care, Kyle Huwer, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, forty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
 
 
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at Center on Conscience & War, The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters.
 
This week, Iraq Veterans Against the War Adam Kokesh learned that the kangaroo 'court' on him had rendered a verdict: the honorably discharged marine was informed he'd received a general discharge from the IRR.  Earlier, Geoffrey Millard (Truthout) reported on Kokesh and the compilation tells the story up through the news that came out Wednesday -- this is a video report.  Kokesh states at the end, "I think what they were hoping to achieve with this decision is that because it won't effect my benefits the way an other-than-honorable-discharge would that I would go away quietly but that's not but that's not the case and I don't think they understood or any of the things that I've written or bothered to read the e-mail responses to the plea bargain but I'm standing on principle and we're going to contest this on principle and it's not going to go away."
 
Liam Madden and Cloy Richards are also targeted for speaking out against the illegal war.
Cloy's mother, Tina Richards wrote (at Grassroots America) about their recent Memorial Day march, "He [Cloy] could have chosen to march with the Marines and received numerous cheers.  For him, it's not a choice.  He has a moral imperative to speak out to end this war, and for this he is booed.  It is not an easy route to take, but the one our family has chosen.  Our children are being killed and maimed as others celeberate and we will not let them forget it.  That Memorial Day was one of distress; I waited to see if my son was going to make it through another tough day.  Another memory of what Iraq wrough him.  Would I walk in and find him with a gun in his mouth, or even worse, I didn't come in time.  Every day I fear my son will not survive this war."  The US military has no such concerns.  They've been happy to launch a witch hunt and a campaign of intimidation and silence at Cloy Richards despite knowing full well that he suffers from PTSD.  That was the US military's own 'special thank you' to Cloy Richards.
 
In different ways, it's a thank you they hand out to many as Aaron Glantz (IPS) demonstrates as he explores the realities for today's returning Iraq veterans which already includes at least 400 homeless while Vietnam homeless veterans "did not usually become homelss until nine to 12 years after their discharge."  Today, the Pentagon announces more money is needed for veterans.  Kristin Roberts (Reuters) reports that the Pentagon announced today that America's "military's mental health system fails to meet the needs of troops and is too short of funds and staff to help service members sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan . . .   Repeated and extended deployments to those war zones over the past five years have driven the need for mental health services higher, but resources have not climbed in response, members of a Defense Department task force said."  Are you shocked and suprised?  Then you must work for the alleged FactCheck.org which made a point of denying this issue in 2004.  Aaron Glantz notes, "A recent study by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government found that by the time the Iraq and Afghanistan wars end, there will be at least two and a half million vets.  Because of that, the Harvard study concluded, Congress will have to double the VA's budget simply to avoid cutting services."
 
 
 

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