IT DOESN'T ADD UP

There's a lot of people with a little money right now. A lot of workers who don't have jobs. A lot of "outside-people" are staying inside. Homeowners are losing their homes. Senior citizens are seeing their long-term investments disappear. The fat are getting skinny because they have no food. We've definitely entered an era of change.

While many of us are drafting and implementing our own personal recovery plans, it's also important to understand how we fit into the larger plan for the economy. We are capital. If you are alive, you fall within one of the 17 definitions of the word. To not understand capital when living within Capitalism, is somewhat suicidal. In many cases people do take their lives. The majority, though, continue breathing at their economic peril.

W.E.B. DuBois said even before the The Federal Reserve's institution that “To be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships.” There's much to be learned from from the African Diaspora and more importantly the aftermath and progress that followed. Many believe that The Atlantic Slave Trade is ancient history. Many others forget when we put Japanese-Americans in concentration camps in 1942. The African struggle in particular has many teachers, but they seem to be systematically silenced and demonized. The same people that have historically oppressed the Blacks are still in power now. You can't have American history without African-American History.

At the top of the power structure are rich white men. That can't be denied. $250,000 is the marker the president is using for the upper class. As of August 2008, the real median income was $50,233 per year. 1 in 50(or 20% of earners) make $250K+. To give this some perspective, here are some key statistics for Lancaster, PA:

Based on 2 Adults, 2 children

LIVING WAGE = $28.18/hr
POVERTY WAGE = $9.83/hr
MINIMUM WAGE = $7.25/hr

Find your city here

The median income of Lancaster for 2008 was $44,600. This includes the likes of Armstrong CEO making $10M, while cutting jobs at or below the living wage.

The title of the Census' press release was "Household Income Rises, Poverty Rate Unchanged, Number's of Uninsured Down." Seems like a sandwich. Positive, Negative, Positive. The negative heart of this socio-sandwich seems to be ignored. I'm no economist(yet), but it should raise some sort of red flag when income rises and poverty doesn't change. It reflects the widening wealth gap. Higher salaries at the top distort averages and medians. Median is the numerical halfway point, e.g., 100 million earners, the median is @ 50 regardless of income. The average is adding all income and dividing by the number of earners.

The media, who are owned by the top 1% of earners, tell us that the rich pay the majority of taxes. That is true, numerically. What cannot be ignored when analyzing who pays taxes, is the huge gap between the actual incomes. In order to make the list of the 400 richest Americans, you would've had to make $1.3 BILLION last year. In 2007, the CEO's of bailed out financial institutions Merryll Lynch and Goldman Sachs earned $83M and $54M respectively. I'm all for rewarding achievement, but these banks failed.

We've arrived at this point by not being "in the know" and dismissing Politics as irrelevant. As a result, we have many laws and systems in place that are in direct conflict with our personal well-being and the common good. It's time to realize we can, and have to, make a difference. The middle class has disappeared, and many do not want to come to terms with this fact.

Any energy spent on arguing about differences amongst those who have so much in common is counter-productive and counter-REproductive. Race, Religion, Sex, Political Party, are just some of the divisive categories in which we're placed. Compartmentalization is a useful tool for those in power.

As Aesop tried to teach us in The Four Oxen and the Lions,

A LION used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.
“UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL.”

US AND THEM

I have a neighbor named Jim. He owns his home, where he's lived for 71 of his 76 years. 2008 was the first year of his long life that he made more than $10,000. And that was from SSI, the minimum the government provides for those who have not paid enough into the system. He receives food stamps and Medicaid paid, and continues to pay, for his 17 prescriptions and the plastic surgery required after having cancer removed from his face. Jim is White.

When I first met him and told him my name was Jose, he immediately asked me if I was Puerto Rican. After trying to explain the concept of a mixed heritage to no avail, we moved on. He'll still occasionally refer to me as Puerto Rican a year after we've known each other. Jim also likes to use the words nigger and colored when referring to Black folks, to include the president. And without a drop of hate in his voice or demeanor. It's so ingrained in him that he can't see the contradiction of using these words of hate in one breath, and in the next saying how every Black person he's ever actually met has been a good guy. Even the one who married his daughter.

Jim is a Republican and he basically has an IV of the kool-aid strapped to his arm. From segregation through the Reagan-crack years, welfare reform, COPS premiering on FOX, he's been staring at the TV and accepting these stereotypes as the truth. The only common factor between Jim and the Republican party is his skin color. He refers to the Welfare Office as the gift shop, but received a significant amount from an office he hasn't contributed to.

The fact that Jim takes what he's given for granted, while demeaning minorities for receiving the same is a common internal dispute. Jim feels like he "deserves" it, while others don't. He's never earned anything. His home was passed down through the generations. From a time when it was illegal for minorities to own property; Not long after they were actually considered property.

I know Jim grew up in a different era, so I don't hold it against him. He's in his last days; he can live them the way he wants. But he is a window into the past. And his programming needs to be understood, so we can counteract it and progress. He's a good guy; it's the subtle, institutionalized Racism that's the culprit.

Lately, I've been hearing the argument that it's no longer and Black/White thing; it's a class thing. I agree and disagree. It is a class thing. But it's also a Race thing. It's not either/or. It's both. We can't skip race to get to class just because class affects White people. Class cannot be dealt with until the Races are united within. Only then can we fight our true enemies. When we begin to focus on our similarities more than our differences, we will begin to understand and respect one another.

There's definitely a Class war going on, but our collective ignorance of history leaves us confused and frustrated. Targeting those that are in our exact socio-economic positions and keeping us divided. To be conquered by the Bankers.

We've been tricked into believing that (unregulated)Capitalism is good for us. Us, being the bottom 90% on the wealth scale. When everything's for profit, the common good is sacrificed. And as absurd as the phrase "bottom 90%" seems to be, it's the truth. The wealth gap is beyond the average citizen's comprehension. For example, in 2007, CEOs averaged 866 times as much as minimum wage employees.




Ben Franklin said "The inability of colonists to get power to issue their own money permanently out of the hands of George the III and the international bankers was the PRIME reason for the Revolutionary War."

After Woodrow Wilson realized what he had done by signing the The Federal Reserve into existence in 1913, he regrettably said "I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world. No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men."

We are on the edge of life as we know it. Although many people, Black and White, have been living in depression-like conditions for years and decades, only now that it has "trickled up" to another class has it sparked such outrage and public disapproval. Alas, the outcry is here. People are awakening to the truths of money and the evil at its root. The Federal Reserve, as a private corporation, lends the US Government money, with interest. Then through taxing the people the debt is paid upon, but never fully satisfied. That's because the Federal Reserve also prints our money, and they never print as much money as they lend.

That's a very remedial explanation of how the Banking system works, but its intricacies are not the main concern. Right now, the concern is the tax money we are promising to pay is being given right back the the Bankers. In effect, never lending us the money in the first place, but requiring us to pay it back. Twice.

There's a difference between a Human and a Person. According to the Uniform Commercial Code, person means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity.

We have to stop being People and start being Human.

"WHY NOT US?"

We do deserve better.
Letter to the editor.
Remember that peddler?
Steadier evolving towards the predator.

Time goes by.
Third-eye blind. No lie.
Can't deny when the walls bear flies.
Surprised at the Devil's disguise.

The easy road erodes
At the fork, you thought you chose.
Like when from concrete sprouts a rose
It grows, not without its struggles though.

You can be the best you.
But it don't mean a thing
Unless you open the door
When the doorbell rings.

UNDEFINED CHANGE

The stimulus bill has been signed. People have a little more hope. But not until we start receiving that $13 per week in our paychecks, will we begin to put our guard down. We've been through a lot in the last few years, and we have every right to demand a lot from our representatives right now. Since 2001, those who we've chosen to represent our interests in Washington(and Harrisburg) have been derelict in their duties to the people and the Constitution.

They are not alone. We have not held them accountable, and we were warned by so many. Albert Einstein said "all of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field." The inspiration of President Obama is real, but it's up to us, as the citizenry, to define the change that's fueling our inspiration.

All change is not good. The right changes must be made. For the right people. People like the recently awaken. Many voted for the first time in 2008; many 18,many more 38. Michelle Obama took some undue criticism during the campaign for her statements about being proud of the country for the first time in her adult life. I bet a lot of the 38 year-olds felt the same way. There was a sense of inclusiveness just to vote for the man, let alone elect him.

I've been following politics closely since 1997 and intensely(almost impulsively) since 2000. It's a dirty game, was always about money, but now has no choice to be exclusively about money. It seems like the politicians and their partners in finance, oil, and prescription drugs are making a run for it. We cannot allow this to happen.

People who HAVE been awake have been waiting for you to wake up. And help. Most Americans have been massaged or medicated into slumber; free from the responsibilities required by the law of the land that guarantee the rights we hold so dear. No matter how great Barrack Obama, the man and president, is or will be, he's nothing without US. We are the key.

People came to the polls for a reason last year. Change. During the campaign, it was used like wiggling bait. But NOW is the time to finish the sentence, "change is..." President Obama has given the whole country opportunity and now we must seize this moment. Grab it. Mold it. To look like US. Pennsylvania in particular is going to receive more than $6B . We can work with that.

The change we are about to define can also define us as a new people. An America where people can be different, and not deficient. Where we ALL care for one another. Where we celebrate achievements. Respect the histories of every individual. Broad brush strokes have gotten us where we are; it's now time to grab a pencil.

ILLEGAL IS NOT A NOUN!

THAT'S ONE POPULAR VIEW OF "ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION"

Here's another...



A vast kaleidoscope of peoples struggle to get to the US shores everyday, and each one of them has a story. A reason, a goal, a dream, and more specifically The American Dream. Many quest for US citizenships not because of what is here, but for what is not. To not know Freedom, whether it be economic, personal, or any other form, is difficult to comprehend for those who've always had Freedom. And to know there is a place in the world that guarantees Freedom and not try to get there is suicide of the soul.

People of all kinds want opportunity. If there isn't opportunity, the people won't come. Mexican people, regardless of citizenship status, are under intense scrutiny right now. With times being as "tough" as they are, people are scared and unsure about their futures. Just as we see our politicians operate within the "blame game," we also fell the need to blame someone. Those different than ourselves are easy targets because then we can claim that it's not our fault.

Immigration policy is very complex and should not be reduced to "sending Mexicans back where they came from!" For one, this philosophy is currently being applied through The National Fugitive Operations Program. Established in 2003, under The Department of Homeland Security, "to dramatically expand the agency’s efforts to locate, arrest, and remove fugitives from the United States," it has failed to do so. As a matter of fact, the program has proven to be a huge failure. 73% of those arrested had NO criminal records. With such a low success rate, it's hard to argue against the involvement of racial profiling.

This is an excerpt from an article I wrote for Associated Content It's currently in the editing stages and should be available soon.

White Privilege in Black History Month

With our current economic crisis bogartin' the news, we're not hearing so much about Black History Month events this year. I've heard some say that because of the election of Barack Obama, that there is no longer a need for organizations like the NAACP to exist. Members of the media and pundits on their programs like to use the term "post-racial America." And they're attempting to blend this term into everyday language.

Don't believe it! Don't buy into it! There is much for all of us to learn. Good things and bad. Friends go through the ups and downs together because they have that understanding of each other and feel one another's pain. I'd like to share a series of events I've encountered in the past week on a discussion forum. It's not a regular forum I read; I got there through an article I wanted to read. Then I started to read the comments; I immediately registered and here's how it went...

MY FIRST POST (in response to the bold)

I'm sorry, but I didn't spit on any children. Did you? I wasn't calling the cops on my neighbors for being black. Were you?

I didn't either, and I thank you for not doing so. But I believe you are misunderstanding Racism. It's not individual Racism that's at question. It's the systematic and traditional constructs in place.

And I'm sure everyone who gets pulled over has their plates scanned. You make it sound like there are no black police officers; like there is some vast white conspiracy to pull over all black drivers.

You don't have to call it conspiracy, but you can't deny the facts of the disproportionate police brutality on blacks. When was the last time you saw a white guy being beaten by police on the news? While at least 2 black men were killed by police in the last month that I can recall off the top of my head. Is this coincidence?

Your talk of slave trade implies you are still living in the 1850s. Are you aware that it is 2009, and slavery no longer exists in the United States? Do you know any black people that were involved in the slave trade? Then stop commenting on it. You, single-handedly, are living in the past and refusing to move forward.

Your refusal to even discuss the topic shows some kind of denial or lack of knowledge on the topic. It is 2009, and there were several cases of slavery in the US last year. Not to mention the sex slave trade that's a booming business, especially in DC.
Slavery is not ancient. People were born into slavery into the early 1900's. And you can't underestimate the passing of generational wealth, combined with discriminatory laws. These are issues that need discussing.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and derive that you're probably a Democrat. Just a completely random guess. No clues from your ignorance guided me toward that conclusion. *Sarcasm*

I agree with President Theodore Roosevelt's quote: "There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americans."

NO RESPONSE

NEXT POST

A black man from a broken family was elected to the highest office in the land. If he can do it, so can YOU. Quit blaming your race on your failures.

One black man out of an estimated 20 million. Do you think that YOU could be president? That doesn't seem realistic to think that since one man(that had to have a lot of things fall in place to get there) can do it, that all can-for any race. I don't think anyone is blaming their race for anything.

NO RESPONSE

NEXT POST

As soon as the Black are willing to give up affirmative action and enttitlement programs that are race based.

What specific race-based programs are you talking about? Most programs are income-based, and by simple population numbers whites outnumber minorities when it comes to receiving govenment assistance. White women are the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action.


A level field for all the races.
No race based questions on any employment or housing applications.
No extra points for being a minority what so ever.

What extra points are you talking about? The people that fill out applications do not put the questions on them. That is a government requirement, as result of the discrimination that had taken place in our recent history.

Then racism will have no traction and no one can complain!!

Still I doubt that the free pass mentality will shut up anytime soon!!!!

NO RESPONSE

Then, a few days later comes the article, Topic: Blacks in Lancaster. The comments are too long to post, but the following PM I received should pretty much sum it up.

May I make a kindly, well-intentioned suggestion? Everyone who joins TB learns as they go, and takes their share of hard knocks. One of the things a lot of the "regulars" on TB are touchy about is quotes, keeping what they have written separate from our replies to them. They take it personally when they think they have been misquoted or taken out of context.

If you do a "reply" format, it leaves their words in the quote box, and your words outside the box. Makes it easier for readers to sort through as well. As I said, as relatively new myself, and having taken my lumps, one of the older posters sent me a note like this and it lessened misunderstandings.

Not trying to be bossy, just trying to keep the contention to a friendly level, especially on the race threads. (Oy!)

Wow!

I've said many times that DENIAL is a trait of racism. If this doesn't directly reflect this theory, then nothing can. But that's part of the struggle. Nothing worth having is easy. Hopefully, one day we can all look back and laugh about how stupid we acted. But for now, we have much work to do.

This is my community, and this is what's called a friendly level.

"TAX CUTS"

Life is more than just cuttin' taxes.
Fact is you represent yourself and disregard the masses.
Passes, you continually demand. Classless
Bastids for what you did to acid.

LSD, amongst other things I consider personal.
None of your business; I'll paint surveillance cameras purple, yo.
Like Barney and Grimace pushin' poison like in "Serpico."
Torture, so you say, represents the USA?

We gotta pay the right people.
Pray against the sequels to Halliburton, KBR,
FDA's revolving door; All Republican values.
What's in store for the poor?

Third eye's too focused on the all mighty dollar.
Holla at ya boy; come and chat in my parlor.
12 billion per month for a war in Iraq.
I'm payin THAT! My cuz needs some food stamps, so get off his back.

"WOE IS ME?"

It isn't "woe is me"
When I mention poetry.
I'll show; you'll see
How instantly worries can be shed quite deciduously.

Define yourself.
Don't incline yourself
To settle for bottom shelf
When it comes to your true wealth-your health.

Not like marathon running.
Results just as stunning
When you're keen and your cunning
Overpowers the doubt, and the fears of the shunning.

Superior confidence?
Some call it pride.
Frowns, tears all subside
When you pour out your soul and let out what's inside.

"THE WAY THINGS ARE"

The way things are,
Try looking from afar.
Hardy, Har, Har.
Divine distance from the star.

Learning exposes those holes.
Those not known, but to the soul.
Don't disregard your feelings.
Analyze, understand; then start healing.

No need to be alone.
Compounding problems 'cause we're prone
To get stuck in our zone.
Personal choices that we own.

I hope and I wish
That the rope stays loose.
Don't continue what you're doing.
History's dangling our noose.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

Although many Americans have used the "Bush countdown" as motivation to get through the past 5-6 years, now that the end of the countdown is here, the real challenge for us is also here. There's no doubt that the majority of the Bush presidency has been very divisive for our country. And for many of us, opposite the Decider, it has been very frustrating and awfully difficult times. Until now, we could find solace in the mere fact that he would be gone. On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, our 43rd president will do his part. Then, it will be our turn.

2009 is going to be a very challenging year for many different reasons. We're on the verge of another national depression, and in some parts of the country, it's already here. The current wealth gap in this country is already beyond that of the 20's and 30's, so there are already people living in depression-type conditions. We also face the challenge of defining the "change" we have been supporting for almost 2 years. The optimism and hope that has inspired many, young and old, is no longer in the future. It's now.

We're also facing the financial and human costs of two wars. Even President-elect Obama doesn't seem to be slowing the momentum of our war-like foreign policy. We cannot accept withdrawing troops from Iraq as progress if these same men and women are redeployed to Afghanistan. In his final presidential press conference, Mr. Bush finally admitted to some mistakes (or "disappointments," as he called them.) And the big one that stood out to me was "NO WMD'S." This admission, on top of the WMD jokes, shows us that he either doesn't know, or doesn't care that we've been in a permanent state of war mainly because he, amongst others, scared us into believing that we would absolutely be attacked with these punchline, non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

"America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." ~ George W Bush, 10.7.2002

So the questions "what is going to end?" and "what is going to begin?" are very important to all of us, individually and collectively. We must expand our awareness and not accept the status quo. We cannot judge our 2009 by 2008.

Change for change's sake is not necessarily what's best for us. We must define and make our change. That will be made possible by the bait the Obama Campaign has been wiggling in front of us for some time now - "bottom-up." We must educate our ignorant, feed our hungry, build our pride. We're always told that we, humans, are social creatures, but we're not told how other influences mold our beings.

Ever since Mr. Bernaise made us into "Happiness Machines," with his invention of Public Relations, we've been consumers, too busy to look past the headlines. In this generation of e-mail, IM's, text messages, the "inner-nets," and iPods, we must not succumb to the virtual world to the extent that our social contact and communication is degraded any more. A simple conversation with a genuine interest in learning from one another is far more rewarding and productive than abbreviated language and symbols.

This year marks the end of ignoring our needs, and prioritizing our wants. The beginning of taking the reigns of what's ours, morphing the walk with the talk. Action will be necessary to see what we want. We have the opportunity before us to mold the future by improving the present. It's time to change what we want to change, and for a lot of us that'll start with the mirror.

W., Thanks and Farewell!

"IT HURTS TO HAVE A HEART"

It hurts to have a heart.
Vitalist of all vital parts.
Starts from the inside out.
Happiness to love hangovers and those pitiful pouts.

Many doubts, no doubt.
Continuously I repeatedly allow
My self to be welcome
Inside circles where many others find themselves seldom.

Microchips and random numbers
Define the majority, ignorantly in slumber.
Numbers plummeting; technically dumber.
Farmer? Plumber? -turned politician, CPA to recalculate the numbers.

Care for everyone you SEE.
Amazing. The multiplicity.
Siddity and arrogant, quite silly to me.
Connectivity of the hearts, universally recognized since the start.

"SHINE IN 2009!"

Wait 2008, it's not too late
To answer some of the questions that frustrate
Me, my mate, my homie. Dude, just wait.
Telling us to anticipate.

Those of your faction, always in action.
Opposed to our inaction. Self-distraction.
But your distraction; 2009's picking up traction.
I suppose, "who knows." Just asking.

Global politics, Free Trade.
Another dollar just made, for a day's work.
Laid-off workers losing more than dollars.
Shirts off their backs to what their bodies' all lack.

Redefined Truth.
Like gangsta rappers when they spittin' in the booth.
So much proof.
Another year gone by without us having made a move.

FROM PROPERTY TO PRESIDENT

Thank you, America! As frustrated as I have been the past few years with my fellow citizens, I'm happy to see us move in a positive direction. We've elected a black president. An intelligent president. Not one we wanna drink a beer with; but one who has the power of communication and can inspire. Motivate. Call to action.

As much as Obama came out of nowhere, to many of us, 2 years ago so has the fact that we've elected a black president. Five years ago, and more recently for others, the mere discussion of a black man as president was ridiculous and laughable. The collective "attitude" of white people and other non-black minorities(who are just happy they're not called black) was the black scapegoat.

In Obama's victory, he got 43% of the white vote. That's not only an amazing percentage for a black candidate, but it's also the highest a DEMOCRAT has ever gotten. He won Indiana! That alone is reason for optimism for those who truly seek change and the justice that will result from it.

To keep things in perspective, he ONLY got 43% of the white vote. To look at the red/blue election maps, the historical slave states stayed Republican voting for McCain and keeping their Congressional seats conservative. Although I do not agree with the ideologies of my southern neighbors, I realize that we need them too. Without a doubt, the root of the problem is education/miseducation. And that we can fix.

We cannot make the mistake of being satisfied with this enormous advancement we've taken. We must follow this up with actions that break the barriers for all minorities. And most of all, do not fall victim to the falsehood of "post-racial America." This election reflects more progress for whites than it does for blacks. The opening of minds and opportunity to unite is finally on the table.

Race in this country has always been a sensitive subject throughout our history. Besides the point of most people not willing(or able) to comprehend the actual physical destruction and treatment of slaves, we're suffering now because of our failure to accept the aftermath of freeing an enslaved people(that we enslaved in the first place.) The psychological effects, combined with the denial from the oppressors, are vitally important to understanding our problems with race.

For example, imagine being taken from your home(with family or not), taken to another country(with another language), where you're a slave(no matter your previous status). Your oppressors read to you from the bible, where they preach that their God has destined you to serve them. When you question this and want to read the book yourself, that's not an option. You're KILLED when caught reading(or teaching.) You learn what you can and cannot say by the crack of the whip(from a person who thinks no more of you than a farm animal.)

Then 200 years later, they discriminate against you because of the way you talk.

What I like most about President Obama is his approach to solving the many problems he(and WE) are currently facing. I realize that most of what we've heard on the campaign trail these last 2 years, we will not see happen in the next 8 years. Not to be downplayed is the fundamental change in perspective that will result of an Obama presidency(as a whole), for the American people. This SOCIALISM that we are being told to fear is exactly what we need.

Some of the issues that have stuck with me, throughout all the 72-hour news cycles, and what watered my flower of HOPE and ultimately got Obama my vote are:

Universal healthcare and the fact that he believes healthcare is a RIGHT.

His community organization background, coupled with his inspiring speech delivery. Promoting public service and rewarding it.

Taxes. Of course, he said what he had to say to get elected. When it boils down to it, I'd be satisfied with the Bush tax cuts expiring in 2010. Along with tax breaks based on the individual (medical, saving, volunteering)

Realizing that letting US repair and improve our local infrastructure creates jobs and builds a sense of pride and community. Give us something to be proud of.

You get the point. Instead of this idea of "HANDOUTS," when discussing how OUR tax money gets distributed, why NOT reinvest this money in ourselves and our communities. There are great challenges NOW and in the near future for this country. We need to be united.

I think we have a better chance as a people if we lean towards socialism, versus this ANTI-SOCIALISM from which we currently suffer.

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MATH PROBLEMS

"Visualize WEALTH and put YOURSELF in the pictuuuure!" - KRS ONE, 1997

I admit that it has a lot to do with luck when it comes to "getting" math. I am one of the lucky ones. I got it from an early age with enough ease to coast through high school into college, financial analyst in the AF, loan officer, now caseworker. All these positions included the manipulation of numbers in some way. I guess it's more the economic-side of math, versus the scientific-side.

But I've definitely experienced those around me and those I work with struggle with math(or numbers), and it's powerful. A good majority are intimidated, and have a fear of numbers. I'm sure those are the old classmates from grade school who struggled even then. Frustration grown into discomposure. I guess they call them problems for a reason.

I attended public school, so I can't talk about private school, but in my classes the teachers seemed to teach to the students that already understood. The ones who had the better memories, and could memorize enough to keep up, got by-but without an understanding, you have a hard time applying math to the real world. To them, and the others practically ignored by the teachers, it becomes a lifelong burden. It seems to me that we would see an improvement in our math scores if we would just switch the term "problem" to something more positive.

Without an understanding, or at least a willingness to understand, your entire world view is different. When the only math you do is at the end of the month, trying to pay the bills(with very little math problems), you fail to see bigger (math)problems like:

BETWEEN 50-55% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS, DON'T VOTE.

I understand math enough to NOT be a gambling man. But as a consultant I would say it's a pretty safe bet that the majority of the non-voters are not those prospering. It's debatable whether this majority has been manipulated into this apathetic state by the prosperous-or not. Just think if even HALF of these non-voters would vote in their best interests (which would be either Democratic OR third party), the country would change rapidly.

HIP HOP SECRET SOCIETY

As one who truly believes that Hip Hop is a culture, of which I am a part, I see its effects. We've come a long way and have undoubtedly made an enormous impact on the world. From the beginning, Hip Hop has promoted tolerance, and artists like the one in the video have lasted so long because of his subject matter-TRUTH.

Something I DO NOT consider debatable is the effect on society of Hip Hop. That being the opening of minds of whites towards blacks. And I don't think it would even be possible for Barak Obama to be considered for president, let alone the frontrunner, if it wasn't for Hip Hop.

Within the first two generations of Hip Hop Culture, there is a great possibility of a Black President. I think credit is due. Not that I agree with the extreme portrayal of Hip Hop through radio airplay and video, but like anything there are those "on the edge" on both sides.

My point is that the NUMBERS(population) are in our favor. And if we can realize that our personal math problems can be solved within the greater math problem, we have a great chance to mold this nation into something to be proud of. Where we all prosper.

Educate your friends on your local leaders. These elections are much more important than the president. They make a more significant impact on your daily lives. The same PROBLEMS that turn people away from politics can be solved by participation. Solve the long division.

If you think voting doesn't make a difference, just look at those who prosper. How many millionaires do you think don't vote?

BLACK QUARTERBACK

Although I've pretty much given up on the MLB, NBA, and I think the NHL is still on strike, I just can't let go of the NFL. The Eagles specifically. And it's not just the fact of the compounded stress that comes from supporting the Mets and Sixers ON TOP of the Eagles. Baseball just consumes too much time. 4 hours per game; 162 regular season games. The NBA has become an entirely different sport of basketball. I stopped watching it for the same reasons I stopped playing it. When you get looks of amazement because you PASS, the game's passed you by.

I admit I have an emotional attachment to the Eagles. It's the home team; and when you're away from home it acts as a reminder (of home). From 99-04, the birds did quite a bit of winning and gave an impression that things "were OK at home." But the problem I have with the NFL is the exploitation, corruption, and overall similarities to slavery.

Slavery? These guys makes millions of dollars! True, but they're also the bottom-feeders of this "business." The white men writing their checks are making billions. The rules in place for the "sanctity of the game," in reality keep them in line. The fines are outrageous. This past weekend, DeSean Jackson AND Quentin Demps got fined $10K for a TD celebration.



Drug testing, curfews, dress codes, mandatory media participation...

The Black QB paradigm, and more specifically 5. This guy is the Rosa Parks of black quarterbacks. He's been in the league since '99 and has actually lived through much of the "progress" that has been made for black qb's. McNabb has always been a "company guy." To me, he often tries so hard to be "accepted" by the mainstream that he looks awkward. That may be him...but that would make him a pretty corny guy. And even that, I'm OK with. I respect the guy for what he does ON THE FIELD.

But that's also where this morphing occurs. Crossing over onto the field. What made the fans who boo'd him on draft day change their minds QUICKLY was his combination of run/pass abilities. It could be argued that his injuries in recent years is the reason he isn't running anymore, but 1) the running curtailed before these injuries, and 2) history proves differently. Akili Smith, Andre Ware, Byron Leftwich, Mike Vick, and God bless Kordell Stewart.

The stereotype used to be open: black quarterbacks don't have the mental capacity to play the position. The energy it takes to constantly fight this stereotype, on and off the field, cannot be disregarded. It's a fact, whether you want to admit it or not. If these guys say it on a consistent basis that it's more difficult, than it is. Stay in the pocket, read the defense, stick to the script, don't run too much.

McNabb has adjusted to fit the mold. And it seems to be to his detriment. Athletes get paid the money they do because they perform in ways the average human cannot. And it's because of their natural ability, instincts, and talent. These are rare human beings, capable of amazing physical feats. Systems don't make players; players make systems.

All of us would like to think that we get equal treatment, but we don't. I tried to find the video clip of Rush Limbaugh from 2003, but it's nowhere to be found. Anyone knows that it is tougher to do anything when Lyin' Limbaugh is on the other side. I was able to find a replacement though...

"GOV'T OF THE PEOPLE(OF THE GOV'T)"

From where does it come?
Plenty doe to fight wars,
While the poor get the crumbs
700 billion dollars - so ho-hum

CORPORATE WELFARE - we ain't THAT dumb!

No healthcare for all,
That law always stalls.
Before you vote this year,
Don't decide too quick - pause.

Don't vote for wins.
Vote for help.
Burnt to the crisp from others' sins.
Full clip in the mind; go for self.

YOUR best interests.
Right in the mirror.
We're all different.
Much smaller than the full sphere.

CAPITAL HOMESTEADING

My stance on this bailout: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

And if you're reading this, that should be your stance as well. If you have any worries about this historic economic failure, you're on the wrong side of this scam. No matter HOW hard "times" are, there are always those who still manage to prosper. It's ignorant to think there's no correlation between the two. The prosperous few are profiting as a direct result of the exploitation of the impoverished (and those naive enough to think there's actually a middle class in this country.) You're either IN or OUT.

Interestingly enough, you will never hear a politician of either of the two major PARTIES, refer to the POOR as just that, the poor. Their "enlightened language and superstitious wisdom," defines this demographic as the "under-privileged." UNDER-PRIVILEGED? This logic, subconsciously, makes them the OVER-PRIVILEGED. But no one would EVER fix their mouths to say it.

"...to be a poor man is hard, but to be a poor race in a land of dollars is the very bottom of hardships." W.E.B. DuBois, 1903.

In his "time," Dr. Dubois' statement here culminates from the aftermath of (the beginning of) the end of slavery. There is a lot to learn from the descendants of African-American Slaves. They've been going through, what's sadly about to happen to the large majority of white people in this country. And the large majority of these folks are the same ones who, TO THIS DAY, deny the existence of white privilege; and they, in no way, are responsible for the current oppression and exploitation of minorities (and in many cases, themselves.) If race plays ANY part in ANY decision you make, that's a problem.

To me, the danger in Racism is not seen in the extreme "skinhead" expression, but in the subtle psychological programming of denial. To disregard the psychological effects of being PROPERTY, being "freed," living under laws where enslavement is STILL a debate, and the history of legal exclusion, is irresponsible and intellectually dishonest. What must be admitted by all is that problems exist, changes are needed, and we are much stronger united.

If this bailout goes through, and the responsibility of paying for the $700 BILLION gambling debt of the same people who are writing the contract, it WILL unite the bottom 90% of our population. We will have no choice.

THE BOTTOM 90% is fundamentally a contradiction of terms. And that should send a message to those who still search for hope and wonder why they cannot be bailed out at the end of every month with just a couple hundred bucks. Just to keep the lights on and add meat to their meals.

How can SO MANY be SO WEAK?

The bottom line, here, is WEALTH. The main reason for the SILENT MAJORITY is the confusion(of) and exclusion(from) Capitalism, and finances in general. "Numbers" is a very complex (and intimidating) paradigm. The universe requires balance; and the success of capitalism is no different.

Those who control the incomprehensible wealth in this country are now asking us to help them out. I don't know about you, but I AIN'T GOT IT. 700 BILLION? Can't do it! Would if I Could! Your FICO's not high enough! After the background check, we the people have decided that it's not in OUR BEST INTEREST to grant you the loan. Not a good BUSINESS decision! We're going in a different direction...

Since we seem to be INVESTING $700 BILLION, I think we would like to invest it in US! Seems crazy, but we would like to see a RETURN, for once. I'd like to see something like this...

700B (money that we must have, right?)
/ (equally distributed to)
131M (taxpayers)
= ( solves the problem by)
5,434 (being given to each of the voluntary investors.)

Investors? The investment goes directly TO BAIL OUT THE BANKS. But instead of the taxpayers being slaves to this "critically necessary" financial commitment, we will all now OWN the banks. Any moves being made by the banks we will know. How you ask? By that check you get in the mail every month.

If the Banks are gonna prosper as the result of this 700 BILLION dollars, then so should WE. The banks will undoubtedly come back, and when they do, let us get a little piece of the pie. This way, it won't hurt so much when you use this money to lend to MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS who choose to use it overseas for jobs Americans used to do. Now if you choose to pay children in China $2/day, you have to split that amongst 131 million other investors.

That's the change we need!

THE CAPITAL HOMESTEAD ACT.

MORAL FIBER(OPTICS)

John McCain has made it clear that he is no fan of the internet and uses it as a last resort. Like many other 70+ year-olds of all generations, past and future, change is very difficult. If not for the mere labor involved to keep pace mentally, the body demands much more attention in this period of life. Plus, it must be very difficult to think there's a better way when you've lived through your sacrifices to get to where you are. It would seem to be a sort of conflict of self-interest. Beyond comprehension for many, but time does pass you by and it's not a bad thing. It's different. A different and essential part of society.

Change does not just challenge seniors though. Many of the younger generations cannot keep up intellectually or technologically. Cell phones, computers, the innernets- ALL completely feared by many that think they can't understand. Amongst these folks, there are perfectly programmed Americans. Those who react on queue, when the flag is waved or someone threatens their gun rights, or someone yells "SMALLER GOVERNMET!"

Little do these folks know, the part of government that will be cut is the part that benefits them.

Unfortunately, the majority of the US population are these people. Fortunately, the majority don't vote and are completely apathetic. You only have to listen to them repeat what they hear on TV when you encounter them in public; you don't have to reap their ignorance through uneducated, misguided votes. And I mean MISGUIDED.

Keep the majority dumb, and aggressively manipulate them through propaganda-advertising. THE GREAT EXPERIMENT seems to be quite successful. The rich white majority (in their science coats), seems quite pleased observing the (rat race) of the American majority, while they navigate through the various dead ends (of the capitalistic maze). A land of laws with lawmakers who target the innocent, through their taught-ignorance.

Phone sales, mailers, spam, pop-ups all target the uneducated. As much as I love the internet, it is dangerous. And not so much because of "child predators." But consumer predators.

Banking deregulation, greed, and complex psychological manipulation techniques mixing with wage slavery, xenophobia, and exploitation have brought us to where we are now. And that is a place where MAIN STREET is left with the gambling debt of WALL STREET, with no options.

In 2005, the Wall Street-controlled Congress put into law,THE BANKRUPTCY PREVENTION AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, that makes it, more times than not, unaffordable; nonetheless, merely impossible for Joe Citizen to file for bankruptcy protection. If not ethically-questionable enough that HALF of personal bankruptcies are the result of medical emergencies, we now see ourselves, just 3 years later, paying for the bankruptcies of the same financial institutions that lobbied for these laws.

A child born today, is already $30K in debt.

WHITE SLUR!

Remember the childhood idiom "Sticks and Stones...?" I don't know its origin, but I know I've heard it my whole life. Many have. So much that you probably believe it, as I did until today. It's ignorant to think that our main communication tool, speech, doesn't hurt. Emotion brings out the worst in people. As much as emotions make us who we are, they also have the ability to completely transform us. Negative emotions are powerful and evil. So much so, that you can't keep them inside; they practically fight their way out.

In the past, before self-expressive arts, humanities and civics curriculums were "cut-back," we could at least vent this energy in a productive way. Now, we have WORDS. Not even SENTENCES.

I've been in the midst of many conversations of white men jokingly discussing being called crackers, honkeys, and the other funny names that have no history, and comparing it to blacks and nigga. There's no debate here.

A thought to ponder though is the fact that projected birth rates and future immigration of non-whites into the US will make this country a a True melting pot by 2042. As this happens, the fear that whites currently have inside will start showing more and more.

As they become the minority, these funny racial slurs aimed at them that can be easily disregarded and laughed-off will turn to the real names that historically define them. I wonder how whites will react to being called

SLAVE OWNERS, or OPPRESSORS, or LIARS, or, RAPISTS, or EUGENISTS, or KILLERS, or THIEVES, or RACISTS...

These descriptive words are not easy to ignore. And although not all white people are necessarily actively participating in anything that warrants this backlash, they will feel the effects. It's the inaction that will be balanced by the universe. And much like how these same whites are not currently reaping the benefits of white supremacy economically and deny its existence, they will unknowingly be the target of its end. The whites who put this in place are safe. They've created this system to amass the majority of the world's wealth and that will protect them. Mainly because they can become millionare-hermits.

Denial is the biggest trait of a Racist.

RACIST RACE!

Race is a topic that seems to make a lot of (white) people uneasy. From my experiences and provocations, there are definitely some "trends" amongst those who can't grasp the full scope of Racism. The following reasonings rattle off the tongues of deniers of Racism, and its socio-economical effects, with the confidence of answering a basic math problem. And just like singing your ABC's, there's no depth or room for debate. Absolute.

1. I treat everyone as an individual; I see no color.

2. "I" don't own slaves; "I" haven't benefitted from slavery.

3. When is an apology accepted?

4. Affirmative action takes jobs away from white people.

5. Black people and N*ggers/Chris Rock philosophy.

These are a few examples. The point is that the majority of this country is white people; W = 245M; B = 40M. A majority of THIS majority subscribe to one of the five brain stains above. To avoid redundancy, I won't explain why each of the above is nothing but a propaganda slogan. They are. If you believe any of the above are legitimate, I'd be happy to discuss.

Along with this mind state, we also must factor in the portrayal of people of color on the idiot box. ESPECIALLY black men. The result of this repetition of scary black and brown men is a fear and prejudice towards them. This is fact. And intentional.

Take this mindset, fear, and prejudice and apply it to our presidential race. McCain is so soft-spoken and Alzheimer-like and he's telling his base (old, rich, white men) that Obama is ATTACKING Gov Palin. With any knowledge of the complexities of how white men historically juggled the interactions of black women, white women, and black men, you will know that white men have a guilt and a fear. Subconsciously guarding against reaping what was sown through how they treated black women, white men feel overly-obligated to protect white women from black men.

This race seems to me like a reality show, "American Prejudice." And that includes the exploitation of Gov Palin. Remember, you don't have to consciously agree with what's going on to be a part of it. Even if you deny it, it's taking place. You HAVE to make a conscious effort to NOT agree with it.

It's bigger than YOU. It's a system, a way of life, just as much as Capitalism.

Is it just a coincidence that John McCain's ancestors OWNED slaves, "had" sharecroppers, and he supported S. African Apartheid, and couldn't recognize the importance of MLK holiday? To say Race has no influence on Politics is, dare I say, UNAMERICAN.

"GETTIN' BY"

Trickle-down economics?
It works; next topic!
Hey! Wait just a minute.
Got a home, tryna stay in it.

I'm asking YOU.
You defer to him.
Always on hold.
Comin' out my skin.

I need a loan,
Opportunities to save.
Wanna work me to my grave.
What you say's not how you behave.

Don't wanna record-setting bank account.
Food, clothing, shelter, and what amounts
To Life, Liberty, and Pursuit
Of Happiness. Just need a little loot.

"TOO DENSE TO GET IT"

Too dense to get it.
So easy to just forget.
It doesn't go away;
Day after day.

Blissful ignorance.
Traditionally American ever since.
Exercising resistance.
Vital to existence.

Two things can be true.
Differing views; me and you.
Too true, you see.
No choice but diversity.

Our duty to question.
Constitution's first lesson.
Expand your mind.
Just told you one more time.

ANSWERED PRAYERS

I don't know if the conservatives of this country just started praying late or what, but they must have PRAYED really strong and hard because the rain is coming! Hurricane Gustav is being predicted to make KATRINA look like the tear that fell from Dick Cheney's face when he first learned his daughter CHOSE to be a Lesbian. Also has the chance to be the most destructive natural disaster the World has ever seen. The most interesting part of God's answer to this prayer is (S)He picked the date like no other God. (SLAVE) LABOR DAY!

Although VERY important, suppose the total disregard of the poor/working poor by the Republicans is less relevant when compared to the fact that these rains are coming just in time for the RNC. And even more surprising than the flooding and possible total destruction of the Gulf Coast we will watch safely from our living rooms is that these rains pervertly prayed for by the conservatives is gonna FORCE them to THINK ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN $$$!

Now I hope that some of my conservative brothers and sisters expand their awareness through the WORK and service that will result from being a part of the perilous struggle many will have when these rains cross our Universal borders. And I also hope this expands the awareness of US who see what the conservatives lack and focus more on that than what WE could improve on. This storm needs to be a wakeup call for EVERYONE on many different levels.

We, as the people of this government of OURS, have to accept this 2-party system is a myth, failure, and against the very things the majority have in common. Although I'm currently supporting Obama, it's not because I think he's gonna save the world, this country, or even our broken democracy. Democrats and Republicans both have something in common that separates them from the common human interest, and that's that they're rich. As much as we like to think people remember where they come from, the fact of the matter is that the SYSTEM rewards them to forget.

The hope I have in Barack can't be found in any Politics Handbook or resume. It's the fact that he is a great LEADER and MOTIVATOR. If you listen to him speak, you hear the inclusiveness and call to action. He admits that it's about US. He's understands that HE'S NOTHING without US. Although he's questioned for his experience on an executive level, it cannot be denied that the communication skills he possesses are backed up by plenty of experience. We need a leader that knows how to MOTIVATE THE HOPELESS. Not a leader with war experience, especially when you're experience is from behind enemy lines.

The other hope of mine I have for Obama is that just by his being a minority, it inspires those that have been victim of the father figures conspired upon them by Slavery, The War on Drugs, and a propaganda war by the media, that THEY CAN BE PRESIDENT. Or at least better than most of the other portrayals they see of those who look like them. I also hope it inspires the conservative, white, rural, seniors (and their descendants) when they see a person of color running this country, and to a large extent the world, and not just as the robbers, rapists, and all-around scary THINGS they see in the NEWS everyday.

Once these folks are aware of the power they possess, we must have ORGANIZATION in place to harbor this inspiration into action and TRUE CHANGE. THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER! As in 3rd-party; and not that the 3rd party is THE answer. But with the acceptance of a third party, will come a 4th, 5th, 6th...and more overall involvement. America boasts of its freedoms and voting rights, but ranks last in participation amongst the Western World.

ALL of us will be called upon to act in the near future. It's time to find the CHANGE we're looking for in ourselves.

"REVOLUTION"

Nothing's amusin'
When the solution's revolution.
Pollution's turnin' us to mutants,
Vodka-drunk like Putin.

My business ain't mine no more.
Cross-eyed looks, using cash at the store.
Swipe the card, fill up with lard.
Nevermind the who's, why's, and what-for's.

What do we think is in store?
For all of us, not just the poor.
It's finally caught up; overlooking corrupt
Politicians, statisticians, and physicians...now you got multiple prescriptions.

Freedom's just a word to us.
Missed our chance to hop on that bus.
Apathy's a gateway drug.
Have you thinkin' how to get out of the hole you just dug