Excerpt
China has dealt a blow to Western efforts to increase diplomatic pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme by dropping out of a meeting to discuss tougher sanctions against Tehran.
Russia, which like China opposes further UN sanctions against Iran,added fuel to the fire by announcing on Friday that the UN nuclearwatchdog would soon start inspecting and sealing atomic fuel boundfor an Iranian reactor.
The West fears Iran wants to develop atomic weapons but Iran deniesthis. Tehran says it wants only to generate electricity.
Political directors from Britain, France, Germany, the United States,Russia and China were due to meet on November 19 to assess reportsabout Tehran's nuclear programme from the United Nations and fromEU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"I think it's partly related to genuine travel difficulties, but alsolinked to resistance on the broader question of sanctions from thatquarter," a European diplomatic source said of China's decision.
Russian state-owned nuclear fuel producer TVEL said inspectors fromthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will begin preparatorywork on November 26 until November 29 on a shipment of nuclear fuelbound for the Bushehr nuclear plant.
****
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Cut Israel Off
by Charley Reese
It is long past time for American politicians to quit carrying water for the state of Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby. Congress' craven obedience to the lobby is a disgrace.
America's strategic interests in the Middle East lie with the Arab countries. Israel is a strategic and economic liability. The U.S. government's slavish support of Israel brands us as a hypocrite and is responsible for most of the hostility toward the U.S.
Americans have been brainwashed into believing that it's the Arabs, and the Palestinians in particular, who don't want peace. That is a big lie. The Palestinians made an enormous concession when they agreed to settle for a state on 18 percent of Palestine. Saudi Arabia proposed several years ago a peace plan in which all of the Arab countries would recognize Israel in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. The Israelis rejected it out of hand, just as they reject Arab efforts to have the Middle East a nuclear-free zone.
Israel's goal is and always has been to take all of Palestine and to get rid of the Palestinians. The Israelis employed ethnic cleansing in 1948 and again in 1967 to make hundreds of thousands of Palestinians refugees. For 40 years, the Israelis have refused to give back the Palestinian and Syrian lands they seized in war. They have blatantly violated international law by building settlements on occupied land, and by violating the airspace of other sovereign countries.
Palestinians are the victims, not the villains, in this case. The Israelis make their lives miserable in the hope they will give up and leave. At the same time, the Israelis, in cahoots with the American government, maintain a charade of proposed peace talks. They of course never come to fruition. The Israeli government is not about to allow the Palestinians to have a viable state. If they give the Palestinians anything, it will be a patchwork of enclaves completely surrounded and controlled by Israel. Having created 700,000 Palestinian refugees, the Israelis have from the beginning refused to allow them to return to their homes, farms and businesses, all of which Israel confiscated on the specious grounds that they were "abandoned property."
Without U.S. aid, which now is conservatively estimated to total $108 billion (think of the infrastructure and schools that amount could build in the U.S.), and without the U.S. wielding its veto every time the United Nations tries to act, none of this would be possible.
It is not just the Muslim world that hates our pro-Israel foreign policy, for sound reasons that it is unjust and cruel. Europeans and others around the world are contemptuous of America's slavelike obedience to a small foreign power. It has gotten to the point that to be seen as an ally of the United States is viewed negatively.
The Arab and Muslim people, with the exception of al-Qaeda, don't hate America or Americans. It is the pro-Israel foreign policy and, of course, our invasions of two Muslim countries that they hate. Virtually all of the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim propaganda generated in this country has its source in the Israeli lobby and in Israel itself.
Thanks to the unconstitutional largess of the cowardly Congress, Israel is a rich country and one of the world's leading military powers. It doesn't need American aid. It is time to quit dancing to the tune of a lobby with dual loyalties and to pursue America's interests.
Americans are being betrayed by their own politicians, and it's time to treat those scoundrels with the contempt they deserve.
It is long past time for American politicians to quit carrying water for the state of Israel and its powerful U.S. lobby. Congress' craven obedience to the lobby is a disgrace.
America's strategic interests in the Middle East lie with the Arab countries. Israel is a strategic and economic liability. The U.S. government's slavish support of Israel brands us as a hypocrite and is responsible for most of the hostility toward the U.S.
Americans have been brainwashed into believing that it's the Arabs, and the Palestinians in particular, who don't want peace. That is a big lie. The Palestinians made an enormous concession when they agreed to settle for a state on 18 percent of Palestine. Saudi Arabia proposed several years ago a peace plan in which all of the Arab countries would recognize Israel in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories. The Israelis rejected it out of hand, just as they reject Arab efforts to have the Middle East a nuclear-free zone.
Israel's goal is and always has been to take all of Palestine and to get rid of the Palestinians. The Israelis employed ethnic cleansing in 1948 and again in 1967 to make hundreds of thousands of Palestinians refugees. For 40 years, the Israelis have refused to give back the Palestinian and Syrian lands they seized in war. They have blatantly violated international law by building settlements on occupied land, and by violating the airspace of other sovereign countries.
Palestinians are the victims, not the villains, in this case. The Israelis make their lives miserable in the hope they will give up and leave. At the same time, the Israelis, in cahoots with the American government, maintain a charade of proposed peace talks. They of course never come to fruition. The Israeli government is not about to allow the Palestinians to have a viable state. If they give the Palestinians anything, it will be a patchwork of enclaves completely surrounded and controlled by Israel. Having created 700,000 Palestinian refugees, the Israelis have from the beginning refused to allow them to return to their homes, farms and businesses, all of which Israel confiscated on the specious grounds that they were "abandoned property."
Without U.S. aid, which now is conservatively estimated to total $108 billion (think of the infrastructure and schools that amount could build in the U.S.), and without the U.S. wielding its veto every time the United Nations tries to act, none of this would be possible.
It is not just the Muslim world that hates our pro-Israel foreign policy, for sound reasons that it is unjust and cruel. Europeans and others around the world are contemptuous of America's slavelike obedience to a small foreign power. It has gotten to the point that to be seen as an ally of the United States is viewed negatively.
The Arab and Muslim people, with the exception of al-Qaeda, don't hate America or Americans. It is the pro-Israel foreign policy and, of course, our invasions of two Muslim countries that they hate. Virtually all of the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim propaganda generated in this country has its source in the Israeli lobby and in Israel itself.
Thanks to the unconstitutional largess of the cowardly Congress, Israel is a rich country and one of the world's leading military powers. It doesn't need American aid. It is time to quit dancing to the tune of a lobby with dual loyalties and to pursue America's interests.
Americans are being betrayed by their own politicians, and it's time to treat those scoundrels with the contempt they deserve.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The Shame of Our Flag
The United States is the power behind world repression. Since World War Two we have made it our policy to support the corporate exploitation of resources and populations the world over, so long as the bulk of those riches flowed into the US to maintain US consumption and economic growth.
The US is the leading producer of greenhouse gasses. Yet the US is the one country that has refused to do anything about them. It is the top consumer of world resources, consuming at a level far exceeding the carrying capacity of the environment. As such, the US is largely responsible for resource depletion and mass extinction.
Yet even our gluttonous over-consumption is not enough to sustain economic growth. So we have turned to juggling bubbles of debt. The public is told that it is their patriotic duty to consume, consume, consume, even as their adjusted income continues to shrink. To fulfill our patriotic duty, we take out second and third mortgages, and we max out credit cards. Our debts are then repackaged and sold off as investments.
Now these bubbles are becoming unmanageable. Foreign investors, the other pillar of our economy, are beginning to divest themselves of the US dollar. A major economic crash is imminent, a crash that could make the Great Depression pale in comparison. Once this crash is complete, plans are already in place to replace the US dollar with the North American Amero, to establish the supremacy of the North American Union over the federal governments of the US, Canada and Mexico, and to keep the public in line through the establishment of a repressive police state.
Meanwhile the US Empire and the conquest of the rest of the world will continue. Under the guise of fighting a war on terror, we have assumed the right to attack any country we wish through so-called pre-emptive strikes. We can imprison anyone anywhere indefinitely, without filing formal charges. And we can use any amount of force necessary, even torture.
The country we live in has become a fascist empire. Our government and our corporations have joined together to commit crimes against humanity and crimes against the planet. If allowed to go on, all of us will suffer - all of us but our elite masters. That is, if their insane greed does not destroy this planet's ability to support complex life.
Something has to be done to stop this madness, the sooner the better. And that goal will not be achieved by voting, writing letters to our congresspeople, or marching on the capitol. Our only recourse to prevent the unthinkable is a major uprising.
The US is the leading producer of greenhouse gasses. Yet the US is the one country that has refused to do anything about them. It is the top consumer of world resources, consuming at a level far exceeding the carrying capacity of the environment. As such, the US is largely responsible for resource depletion and mass extinction.
Yet even our gluttonous over-consumption is not enough to sustain economic growth. So we have turned to juggling bubbles of debt. The public is told that it is their patriotic duty to consume, consume, consume, even as their adjusted income continues to shrink. To fulfill our patriotic duty, we take out second and third mortgages, and we max out credit cards. Our debts are then repackaged and sold off as investments.
Now these bubbles are becoming unmanageable. Foreign investors, the other pillar of our economy, are beginning to divest themselves of the US dollar. A major economic crash is imminent, a crash that could make the Great Depression pale in comparison. Once this crash is complete, plans are already in place to replace the US dollar with the North American Amero, to establish the supremacy of the North American Union over the federal governments of the US, Canada and Mexico, and to keep the public in line through the establishment of a repressive police state.
Meanwhile the US Empire and the conquest of the rest of the world will continue. Under the guise of fighting a war on terror, we have assumed the right to attack any country we wish through so-called pre-emptive strikes. We can imprison anyone anywhere indefinitely, without filing formal charges. And we can use any amount of force necessary, even torture.
The country we live in has become a fascist empire. Our government and our corporations have joined together to commit crimes against humanity and crimes against the planet. If allowed to go on, all of us will suffer - all of us but our elite masters. That is, if their insane greed does not destroy this planet's ability to support complex life.
Something has to be done to stop this madness, the sooner the better. And that goal will not be achieved by voting, writing letters to our congresspeople, or marching on the capitol. Our only recourse to prevent the unthinkable is a major uprising.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Wesley Snipes Seeks Change of Venue in Tax Fraud Trial from Ocala, FL to NYC to Avoid "Hotbed of Klan Activity"
From the Smoking Gun:
In a bid to get his criminal tax evasion trial transferred from Florida to New York, Wesley Snipes claims that prosecutors "deliberately chose the most racially discriminatory venue available," an area that the actor claims is a "hotbed of Klan activity" and where "substantial pockets of prejudice exist."
In a venue change motion filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Ocala, Snipes claims that government lawyers are angling to get an "all-white Southern jury" to hear its case against the 45-year-old performer. According to the November 5 Snipes motion, the Ocala area features statues honoring the KKK founder, and the hate group "adopted highways to commemorate the Klan." Additionally, he adds, "the Confederate Flag flies over government property."
To support the claim that he faces a possible judicial lynching, Snipes commissioned a public opinion poll comparing racial attitudes in the Ocala area and his preferred judicial jurisdiction, the Southern District of New York (which includes Manhattan, The Bronx, and a few outlying counties). The survey report, a copy of which you'll find here, includes New York-Florida comparisons on topics like interracial marriage, race-based hiring preferences, and whether the Confederate flag is a symbol of pride, not prejudice. Oh, and when asked whether burning a cross on someone's lawn should be a federal crime, the Snipes poll found that 23.8% of Ocala residents replied "No." That's compared to 13.2% of New Yorkers polled. Though a previous Snipes venue change bid was rejected, a federal judge recently allowed the refiling of motions after the actor fired his entire legal team for what he claimed was incompetence.
Read More
*******
IMO he has a point, the last thing I would want is a group of rednecks deciding my faith, No what I mean.
In a bid to get his criminal tax evasion trial transferred from Florida to New York, Wesley Snipes claims that prosecutors "deliberately chose the most racially discriminatory venue available," an area that the actor claims is a "hotbed of Klan activity" and where "substantial pockets of prejudice exist."
In a venue change motion filed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Ocala, Snipes claims that government lawyers are angling to get an "all-white Southern jury" to hear its case against the 45-year-old performer. According to the November 5 Snipes motion, the Ocala area features statues honoring the KKK founder, and the hate group "adopted highways to commemorate the Klan." Additionally, he adds, "the Confederate Flag flies over government property."
To support the claim that he faces a possible judicial lynching, Snipes commissioned a public opinion poll comparing racial attitudes in the Ocala area and his preferred judicial jurisdiction, the Southern District of New York (which includes Manhattan, The Bronx, and a few outlying counties). The survey report, a copy of which you'll find here, includes New York-Florida comparisons on topics like interracial marriage, race-based hiring preferences, and whether the Confederate flag is a symbol of pride, not prejudice. Oh, and when asked whether burning a cross on someone's lawn should be a federal crime, the Snipes poll found that 23.8% of Ocala residents replied "No." That's compared to 13.2% of New Yorkers polled. Though a previous Snipes venue change bid was rejected, a federal judge recently allowed the refiling of motions after the actor fired his entire legal team for what he claimed was incompetence.
Read More
*******
IMO he has a point, the last thing I would want is a group of rednecks deciding my faith, No what I mean.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Bush, Clinton, Bush ... Clinton?
WASHINGTON - Forty percent of Americans have never lived when there wasn't a Bush or a Clinton in the White House. Anyone got a problem with that?
With Hillary Rodham Clinton hoping to tack another four or eight "Clinton" years on to the Bush-Clinton-Bush presidential pattern that already has held sway for two decades, talk of Bush-Clinton fatigue is increasingly cropping up in the national political debate.
The dominance of the two families in U.S. presidential politics is unprecedented. (The closest comparisons are the father-son presidencies of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, whose single terms were separated by eight years, and the presidencies of fifth cousins Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt, whose collective 20 years as president were separated by a quarter-century.)
"We now have a younger generation and middle-age generation who are going to think about national politics through the Bush-Clinton prism," said Princeton University political historian Julian Zelizer, 37, whose first chance to vote for president was 1988, the year the first President Bush was elected. And as for the question of fatigue, Zelizer added: "It's not just that we've heard their names a lot, but we've had a lot of problems with their names."
And now, if Hillary Clinton were to be elected and re-elected, the nation could go 28 years in a row with the same two families governing the country. Add the elder Bush's terms as vice president, and that would be 36 years straight with a Bush or Clinton in the White House.
Already, for 116 million Americans, there has never been a time when there wasn't a Bush or Clinton in the White House, either as president or vice president.
Does a nation of 303 million people really have only two families qualified to run the show?
Source
With Hillary Rodham Clinton hoping to tack another four or eight "Clinton" years on to the Bush-Clinton-Bush presidential pattern that already has held sway for two decades, talk of Bush-Clinton fatigue is increasingly cropping up in the national political debate.
The dominance of the two families in U.S. presidential politics is unprecedented. (The closest comparisons are the father-son presidencies of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, whose single terms were separated by eight years, and the presidencies of fifth cousins Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt, whose collective 20 years as president were separated by a quarter-century.)
"We now have a younger generation and middle-age generation who are going to think about national politics through the Bush-Clinton prism," said Princeton University political historian Julian Zelizer, 37, whose first chance to vote for president was 1988, the year the first President Bush was elected. And as for the question of fatigue, Zelizer added: "It's not just that we've heard their names a lot, but we've had a lot of problems with their names."
And now, if Hillary Clinton were to be elected and re-elected, the nation could go 28 years in a row with the same two families governing the country. Add the elder Bush's terms as vice president, and that would be 36 years straight with a Bush or Clinton in the White House.
Already, for 116 million Americans, there has never been a time when there wasn't a Bush or Clinton in the White House, either as president or vice president.
Does a nation of 303 million people really have only two families qualified to run the show?
Source
Hizbullah: If Israel attacks Syria, we'll respond
Senior members of Lebanese, Palestinian organizations vow to stand by Damascus if Jewish state launches war. 'Doors will be open which have not been open before. Israel will pay a heavy price,' they warn
"If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price," a member of Hizbulla's political council warned Thursday.
In an interview with the Nazareth-based Kul al-Arab newspaper scheduled to be published on Friday, Dr Ahmad Malli warned Israel against considering an attack on Syria, saying that the Lebanese organization would respond to such an offensive with full force.
Tension
IAF sends fighter jets to Israeli-Syrian border / Hagai Einav
Syrian aircraft detected flying over Syrian part of border. After determining planes were not engaged in hostile activity, Israeli jets return to their base
Full story
"I believe that things have changed," Malli explained. "The times when everyone was afraid of the Israeli threats are over. The Zionist entity knows more than anyone that the price of such adventurousness would be heavy, and the Israelis know the price more than anyone.
"Since 2006 we have begun a new stage in the Arab-Israeli conflict and have demonstrated this during the Israeli aggression in July (the Second Lebanon War). If anyone wants to make an adventurous move, it will baer responsibility for this aggression."
Asked whether he was referring to aggression both against Lebanon and against Syria, Malli replied, "We are all in one Middle East."
"If Israel dares to make an adventurous move against Syria, it will pay a heavy price," a member of Hizbulla's political council warned Thursday.
In an interview with the Nazareth-based Kul al-Arab newspaper scheduled to be published on Friday, Dr Ahmad Malli warned Israel against considering an attack on Syria, saying that the Lebanese organization would respond to such an offensive with full force.
Tension
IAF sends fighter jets to Israeli-Syrian border / Hagai Einav
Syrian aircraft detected flying over Syrian part of border. After determining planes were not engaged in hostile activity, Israeli jets return to their base
Full story
"I believe that things have changed," Malli explained. "The times when everyone was afraid of the Israeli threats are over. The Zionist entity knows more than anyone that the price of such adventurousness would be heavy, and the Israelis know the price more than anyone.
"Since 2006 we have begun a new stage in the Arab-Israeli conflict and have demonstrated this during the Israeli aggression in July (the Second Lebanon War). If anyone wants to make an adventurous move, it will baer responsibility for this aggression."
Asked whether he was referring to aggression both against Lebanon and against Syria, Malli replied, "We are all in one Middle East."
Banner Sounds Off On Hip-Hop Lyric Controversy
Excerpt
September 27, 2007, 12:25 PM ET
Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.
On Sept. 26, David Banner joined fellow MC Master P, music industry executives and scholars to discuss offensive language in hip-hop music before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Reading from a statement, the 33-year-old Mississippi rapper/producer tenaciously defended hip-hop from its detractors.During his testimony, Banner said, "If you fix our communities, we'll fix our lyrics." Asked how that would affect change, he tells Billboard, "In the Katrina hearing, one congressman asked, 'Haven't we done enough for Katrina?' They live in a world that we don't live in, and it's hard to speak for a majority when you don't live under the same conditions. People don't sing happy songs if they're broke.""Rap music does for us the same thing gospel did for the slaves," he adds. "We communicate our anger through our music."
******
September 27, 2007, 12:25 PM ET
Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.
On Sept. 26, David Banner joined fellow MC Master P, music industry executives and scholars to discuss offensive language in hip-hop music before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Reading from a statement, the 33-year-old Mississippi rapper/producer tenaciously defended hip-hop from its detractors.During his testimony, Banner said, "If you fix our communities, we'll fix our lyrics." Asked how that would affect change, he tells Billboard, "In the Katrina hearing, one congressman asked, 'Haven't we done enough for Katrina?' They live in a world that we don't live in, and it's hard to speak for a majority when you don't live under the same conditions. People don't sing happy songs if they're broke.""Rap music does for us the same thing gospel did for the slaves," he adds. "We communicate our anger through our music."
******
Pregnant Halle Berry receives death threats
Actress Halle Berry has been forced to hire security guards after being bombarded with death threats. The actress, who is three months pregnant with her first child, is reported to have received sickening letters from an anonymous person who has threatened to maim her and her baby. The letters are believed to be part of a race hate campaign aimed at Halle, 41, whose father is African-American, because she is having a child with Canadian model Gabriel Aubry.
Advertisement A source tells the Daily Record that one threat said the child would be 'cut into hundreds of pieces'.
The threats, which were sent directly to Berry's home in LA, are being investigated by police and the star has decided to pay for her own protection. "Halle does not normally use security," the source says, "but she has taken on a couple of guys to make sure nothing happens."
Advertisement A source tells the Daily Record that one threat said the child would be 'cut into hundreds of pieces'.
The threats, which were sent directly to Berry's home in LA, are being investigated by police and the star has decided to pay for her own protection. "Halle does not normally use security," the source says, "but she has taken on a couple of guys to make sure nothing happens."
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Police Find Swastika Cut Into Acres Of N.J. Cornfield
Back behind the towering corn is a message that can only be seen from the air.
It is one of the most infamous symbols of hate -- a swastika -- cut into acres of cornfields in Washington Township, Mercer County.
It is one of the most infamous symbols of hate -- a swastika -- cut into acres of cornfields in Washington Township, Mercer County.
9/11 an Inside Job, by H. Titan, Ph.D
In the wake of revelations of murderous deception in the Iraq War, carried out by the Bush Administration, more and more Americans are asking questions regarding the basis for the US "War on Terror".
Half of New Yorkers believe US leaders had foreknowledge of impending 9-11 attacks and consciously failed to act; 66% call for new probe of unanswered questions by congress or New York's Attorney General, see Zogby, and thousands of Americans have signed a petition for a new probe.
A poll shows 89% of CNN Internet users feel this way and over 63% of Canadians feel similarly. On the 3 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks 80% Al-Arabia satellite TV viewers thought others, besides Bin Ladin, were behind 9/11.
According to a July 2006 poll conducted by Scripps News Service, one-third of Americans think the government either carried out the 9/11 attacks or intentionally allowed them to happen in order to provide a pretext for war in the Middle East.
Numerous Washington insiders have also expressed their lack of belief in the Bush administration story. People worldwide began their own investigations. I especially like Prof. Steven E. Jones, Randy Louis, Mike Ruppert, Prof. David Griffin, Eric Blumrich, Roedy Green and of course this article. Very little if any of the information in these articles was disclosed by major media outside of Manhattan, although most of the information contained herein has been fact-checked by multiple newspapers and researchers.
On September 12, 2005 (4 years after 9/11) the Bush Administration released a less redacted version of the Zelikow Monograph. This report provides some details on the Official Theory but does not contradict or address the observations brought up in this article or other 9/11 articles mentioned above.
Half of New Yorkers believe US leaders had foreknowledge of impending 9-11 attacks and consciously failed to act; 66% call for new probe of unanswered questions by congress or New York's Attorney General, see Zogby, and thousands of Americans have signed a petition for a new probe.
A poll shows 89% of CNN Internet users feel this way and over 63% of Canadians feel similarly. On the 3 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks 80% Al-Arabia satellite TV viewers thought others, besides Bin Ladin, were behind 9/11.
According to a July 2006 poll conducted by Scripps News Service, one-third of Americans think the government either carried out the 9/11 attacks or intentionally allowed them to happen in order to provide a pretext for war in the Middle East.
Numerous Washington insiders have also expressed their lack of belief in the Bush administration story. People worldwide began their own investigations. I especially like Prof. Steven E. Jones, Randy Louis, Mike Ruppert, Prof. David Griffin, Eric Blumrich, Roedy Green and of course this article. Very little if any of the information in these articles was disclosed by major media outside of Manhattan, although most of the information contained herein has been fact-checked by multiple newspapers and researchers.
On September 12, 2005 (4 years after 9/11) the Bush Administration released a less redacted version of the Zelikow Monograph. This report provides some details on the Official Theory but does not contradict or address the observations brought up in this article or other 9/11 articles mentioned above.
ANALYSIS: The clear loser from Ahmadinejad's visit is Israel
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Columbia University in New York on Monday resulted in one clear loser: Israel. In his speech, Ahmadinejad took aim at Israel. If he managed to convince one person of his views on Israel and Zionism, then he has already gained. If he managed to persuade 50, then he has gained even more.For months, Israel worked fervently to prevent what happened on the podium Monday. For the duration of his speech, Ahmadinejad produced a televised illusion: It is not Iran versus the world, but Iran versus Israel. If he manages to convince enough people of this, the mirage could become reality and Israel would be isolated, and that is exactly what Ahmadinejad is trying to accomplish.The visiting Iranian even berated his listeners for condemning him before they had given him a chance to speak. He patiently explained that their behavior was impolite. He went on to offer a thorough explanation of his Holocaust denial. All he wanted was to promote research in the field, he said. How could an enlightened university that supports freedom of expression oppose that?The protesters outside only served to reinforce his claims, as many were Jews wearing skullcaps who carried signs protesting his Holocaust denial and calls to wipe Israel off the map. To many, this serves as further proof that Iran is only a problem for Israel, or at most for the Jews.Ahmadinejad aimed precisely for that. "It's the Israelis, stupid" was his primary message. Forget about the "Palestinian problem," Ahmadinejad was telling his listeners. "Instead, we need to solve the Israeli problem - and finally bring peace to the Middle East." While he did not explicitly reiterate his calls for Israel's destruction, in practice, the message could not have been clearer.The pro-Israel camp consoled itself with the knowledge that those who are familiar with the regional complexities, and with Tehran's antics, will surely realize the absurdity of Ahmadinejad's proposal.But the average American is not familiar with the regional complexities. He is tired of the region's fighting. To him, Ahmadinejad's idea may sound tempting.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Gangsta Rap, Dying in the Street
If I were a gangsta rapper, I'd be changing my tune. Not because congressional hearings on misogynous rap lyrics are slated for next week. And certainly not because a group of church folk held a protest last week at the home of a Black Entertainment Television executive who lives in the District.
No, what would concern me is the money. The hustle and flow are getting too slow. Rap album sales have fallen far faster than those for the music industry as a whole, plummeting 43.6 percent since 2000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's getting hard out here for a pimp.
Here's my rap on why: Gangsta rap is contemptible, the lyrics indefensible. The rapper isn't credible, just plain old irresponsible. And the public stopped being gullible.
Check out the results of a recent national survey of black, white and Hispanic youths by the University of Chicago. Among the findings:
72 percent of black youths agree that rap videos contain too many sexual references.
41 percent of black youths say rap music videos should be more political.
Majorities of all young people agree that rap music videos portray both black women and black men "in bad and offensive ways."
About 58 percent of black youths (ages 15 to 25) say they listen to rap music daily and watch rap music videos several times a week, compared with 45 percent of Hispanic youths and 23 percent of white youths. That's still a lot of youths. But interest in the genre is clearly waning. In 2006, rap sales were down 21 percent from 2005 and 27 percent from 2004.
This steady decline in demand has been all but obscured by anti-rap protests and misguided calls for censorship.
"We want media and music companies to develop universal creative standards for the music and videos they produce, market and distribute," says the Rev. Delman L. Coates, pastor of Mount Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton and leader of an anti-rap group called Enough Is Enough.
On Saturday, Coates and about 500 others, mostly church members, staged a protest in front of the home of Debra Lee, chief executive of Black Entertainment Television. They want BET to ban any show that "objectifies, degrades or promotes violence against women" and "portrays black and Latino men as gangsters, pimps, thugs and players."
And they plan on returning to Lee's home every weekend until BET meets their demands.
Nice try, Reverend. But we call that kind of censorship "Taliban-ing." And it doesn't sit well with the spirit of the First Amendment, either.
"I want the rest of you to come out and let the world know we are not pimps, gangsters and thugs and that our women are not sexual objects, not female dogs," Coates told the group. "We have to stand up and say we aren't taking it anymore."
But will anyone stand up against such movies as "American Gangster," which makes its premiere the first weekend in November? Will anyone be marching to protest Hollywood? Or will they all be inside the theaters watching Denzel Washington star as the gangster?
I'm betting on Denzel.
Excerpt
*********
No, what would concern me is the money. The hustle and flow are getting too slow. Rap album sales have fallen far faster than those for the music industry as a whole, plummeting 43.6 percent since 2000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's getting hard out here for a pimp.
Here's my rap on why: Gangsta rap is contemptible, the lyrics indefensible. The rapper isn't credible, just plain old irresponsible. And the public stopped being gullible.
Check out the results of a recent national survey of black, white and Hispanic youths by the University of Chicago. Among the findings:
72 percent of black youths agree that rap videos contain too many sexual references.
41 percent of black youths say rap music videos should be more political.
Majorities of all young people agree that rap music videos portray both black women and black men "in bad and offensive ways."
About 58 percent of black youths (ages 15 to 25) say they listen to rap music daily and watch rap music videos several times a week, compared with 45 percent of Hispanic youths and 23 percent of white youths. That's still a lot of youths. But interest in the genre is clearly waning. In 2006, rap sales were down 21 percent from 2005 and 27 percent from 2004.
This steady decline in demand has been all but obscured by anti-rap protests and misguided calls for censorship.
"We want media and music companies to develop universal creative standards for the music and videos they produce, market and distribute," says the Rev. Delman L. Coates, pastor of Mount Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton and leader of an anti-rap group called Enough Is Enough.
On Saturday, Coates and about 500 others, mostly church members, staged a protest in front of the home of Debra Lee, chief executive of Black Entertainment Television. They want BET to ban any show that "objectifies, degrades or promotes violence against women" and "portrays black and Latino men as gangsters, pimps, thugs and players."
And they plan on returning to Lee's home every weekend until BET meets their demands.
Nice try, Reverend. But we call that kind of censorship "Taliban-ing." And it doesn't sit well with the spirit of the First Amendment, either.
"I want the rest of you to come out and let the world know we are not pimps, gangsters and thugs and that our women are not sexual objects, not female dogs," Coates told the group. "We have to stand up and say we aren't taking it anymore."
But will anyone stand up against such movies as "American Gangster," which makes its premiere the first weekend in November? Will anyone be marching to protest Hollywood? Or will they all be inside the theaters watching Denzel Washington star as the gangster?
I'm betting on Denzel.
Excerpt
*********
Kanye West outduels 50 Cent
By Steve Jones, USA TODAY
Kanye West won in a landslide in his face-off with fellow rapper 50 Cent. West's Graduation outsold his rival's Curtis 957,000 to 691,000 in the first week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures.
The two discs topped Billboard's albums chart, followed by country star Kenny Chesney's Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, which sold 387,000 copies.
Graduation's sales are the largest since 50 Cent's The Massacre opened with 1.1 million copies in March 2005 and the first album to surpass 800,000 since West's Late Registration sold 860,000 copies in August 2005. Graduation also set a first-week record with 133,000 digital downloads.
"It's a great day for hip-hop and for artistry because people in hip-hop emulate success," says Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, president and CEO of West's label, Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam. "It signals that with the right amount of attention and a credible album, there is still an interest in buying physical CDs."
Jay-Z says West got a boost in street credibility with defiant single Can't Tell Me Nothing. His Daft Punk-fueled Stronger did well on rhythmic and pop radio stations. Most reviewers favored Graduation over Curtis.
Despite all the attention leading up to the Sept. 11 releases, it was the quality of music, not the hype, that drove sales, says Island Def Jam chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid.
He says the date was chosen to take advantage of West's participation in MTV's Video Music Awards two nights earlier.
And while the rivalry got people talking, such pairings are unlikely to become routine.
Competition is "invigorating to the participants and to the spectators," Reid says. "But if people think this is a new way of releasing records, they are going to be sadly mistaken."
The public was fascinated in this case thanks to the outsized personalities of the controversial rappers. For weeks, the debate raged on radio, TV, magazines and blogs.
Early on, 50 Cent, who previously had outsold West by a wide margin, declared he would quit making solo records if he finished second. He has since backed off, saying he has another album in the works (Before I Self-Destruct) and blaming his label, Interscope Records, for not promoting Curtis well.
A new version of 50's hit I Get Money (Billion Dollar Remix), featuring Jay-Z and Diddy, was released Monday. "We're still competing, but we're not enemies," says Jay-Z.
This week's numbers were good news for the ailing record industry. West, 50 Cent and Chesney sold 2.04 million albums combined to surpass total sales for the previous week's top 200 albums (2 million). Still, overall sales are down 9% compared with the same week last year.
Barack is the new 'bling'
Inspired by Barack Obama, or 'B-Rock,' rap artists are shifting focus back onto real-life issues and politics
By Sara Libby
Los Angeles - Rap stars have long been in the business of name-dropping. Louis Vuitton. Escalades. Dom Perignon. Even Holiday Inn gets its share of attention.
But more and more, hip-hop artists are doling out shout-outs of a different kind: presidential endorsements.
It all hearkens back to rap's roots – and suggests that an epic change could be in the making.
Hip-hop music was born out of racial and social unrest, and its earliest pioneers took seriously their roles as the pundits of the streets, addressing real-life issues such as racial profiling, political corruption, and poverty. Rap groups such as Public Enemy and NWA showcased the gritty, rebellious perspectives of an oppressed community.
Yet as the genre gained mainstream attention and began raking in Grammys and record sales, some of its biggest stars reduced themselves to touting bling, belittling women, and not much else. This year has been especially rough for rap music, thanks to Don Imus. The radio commentator's remarks had conservatives blaming rappers for creating an environment in which racist and sexist remarks are casually tossed around.
With all the finger-wagging that the genre has endured, it's made it easy to overlook the fact that rap has taken the lead in acknowledging what is promising to become a monumental presidential race.
Many of today's more socially conscious rappers are putting the spotlight back on political issues and candidates – and their go-to guy has become Democratic contender Barack Obama, or "B-Rock" as he was recently dubbed by Vibe magazine. Rap artist Common, whose latest CD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts earlier this month, brags that he'll "ignite the people like Obama." Talib Kweli echoes that on his latest release when he says, "speak to the people like Barack Obama."
This brand of socially conscious rap has become unique in that it still has incredible appeal with young audiences yet doesn't necessarily resort to a dumbed-down agenda. Aside from the blind flag-waving kind of patriotism that has become a hallmark of country music, most of today's popular musicians tend to sidestep politics altogether. And top-selling pop outfits certainly never mention specific politicians.
It's easy to see why the hip-hop community is so excited by Mr. Obama's ascent. In him they see not only someone who is young, black, and, for many rappers, a native son (from Chicago) – but someone who acknowledges the badly broken political process that still marginalizes minorities and the poor. Indeed, Obama seems to address a need to fix the very conditions that necessitated the genre's formation.
Instead of rappers urging people to fight the power, their shout-outs to Obama signify a collective sense that they could actually "seize" the power. Instead of fighting the man, a black man could "be" the man. With Obama having a legitimate shot at becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, there exists a hope that has at least temporarily replaced sentiments of constantly being given the short end of the stick.
As Obama tries to appeal to a wide swath of voters, he has been wary of embracing hip-hop too openly. Yes, he's met with rap stars like Ludacris, but he also had some harsh words for hip-hop after the Imus debacle, saying that rap music lyrics include the same offensive language that got the radio host in trouble.
Still, rappers' frequent references to Obama show what an extraordinary cultural-historic moment the politician's rise to prominence has created for the hip-hop generation.
Meanwhile, the growing popularity of politically conscious MCs has changed what it means to be a star rapper. In outselling artists like 50 Cent, they've proven that their audience is ready to embrace a return to social awareness and focus on community.
By Sara Libby
Los Angeles - Rap stars have long been in the business of name-dropping. Louis Vuitton. Escalades. Dom Perignon. Even Holiday Inn gets its share of attention.
But more and more, hip-hop artists are doling out shout-outs of a different kind: presidential endorsements.
It all hearkens back to rap's roots – and suggests that an epic change could be in the making.
Hip-hop music was born out of racial and social unrest, and its earliest pioneers took seriously their roles as the pundits of the streets, addressing real-life issues such as racial profiling, political corruption, and poverty. Rap groups such as Public Enemy and NWA showcased the gritty, rebellious perspectives of an oppressed community.
Yet as the genre gained mainstream attention and began raking in Grammys and record sales, some of its biggest stars reduced themselves to touting bling, belittling women, and not much else. This year has been especially rough for rap music, thanks to Don Imus. The radio commentator's remarks had conservatives blaming rappers for creating an environment in which racist and sexist remarks are casually tossed around.
With all the finger-wagging that the genre has endured, it's made it easy to overlook the fact that rap has taken the lead in acknowledging what is promising to become a monumental presidential race.
Many of today's more socially conscious rappers are putting the spotlight back on political issues and candidates – and their go-to guy has become Democratic contender Barack Obama, or "B-Rock" as he was recently dubbed by Vibe magazine. Rap artist Common, whose latest CD debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts earlier this month, brags that he'll "ignite the people like Obama." Talib Kweli echoes that on his latest release when he says, "speak to the people like Barack Obama."
This brand of socially conscious rap has become unique in that it still has incredible appeal with young audiences yet doesn't necessarily resort to a dumbed-down agenda. Aside from the blind flag-waving kind of patriotism that has become a hallmark of country music, most of today's popular musicians tend to sidestep politics altogether. And top-selling pop outfits certainly never mention specific politicians.
It's easy to see why the hip-hop community is so excited by Mr. Obama's ascent. In him they see not only someone who is young, black, and, for many rappers, a native son (from Chicago) – but someone who acknowledges the badly broken political process that still marginalizes minorities and the poor. Indeed, Obama seems to address a need to fix the very conditions that necessitated the genre's formation.
Instead of rappers urging people to fight the power, their shout-outs to Obama signify a collective sense that they could actually "seize" the power. Instead of fighting the man, a black man could "be" the man. With Obama having a legitimate shot at becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, there exists a hope that has at least temporarily replaced sentiments of constantly being given the short end of the stick.
As Obama tries to appeal to a wide swath of voters, he has been wary of embracing hip-hop too openly. Yes, he's met with rap stars like Ludacris, but he also had some harsh words for hip-hop after the Imus debacle, saying that rap music lyrics include the same offensive language that got the radio host in trouble.
Still, rappers' frequent references to Obama show what an extraordinary cultural-historic moment the politician's rise to prominence has created for the hip-hop generation.
Meanwhile, the growing popularity of politically conscious MCs has changed what it means to be a star rapper. In outselling artists like 50 Cent, they've proven that their audience is ready to embrace a return to social awareness and focus on community.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
McNabb tells HBO that race is an issue at QB position
Donovan McNabb says African-American quarterbacks are perceived differently than white quarterbacks in a wide-ranging interview that will air tonight on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel."
In the conversation, which will be shown at 10 o'clock, McNabb also talks about the pressure of being the quarterback in this city and what it takes to tick him off. The interview was taped Aug. 31, an HBO spokesman said.
At one point, interviewer James Brown asks McNabb about how people perceive him as a quarterback, alluding to the lack of African-Americans at the position because some people thought "they weren't smart enough."
"There's not that many African-American quarterbacks, so we have to do a little bit extra," McNabb says.
When pressed by Brown, McNabb continues, "Because the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play this position, is low, so we do a little extra."
Brown later pushes on with the race issue after McNabb talks about people's reactions to his play.
"I pass for 300 yards, our team wins by seven, [mimicking] 'Ah, he couldn've made this throw, they would have scored if he did this,' " McNabb explains.
Brown then asks, "Doesn't every quarterback go through that?" McNabb says flatly, "Not everybody."
Brown ponders if the media is as tough on Carson Palmer or Peyton Manning, or if they are more harsh on McNabb because he's an African-American.
"Let me start by saying I love those guys," McNabb says with a smile. "But they don't get criticized as much as we do. They don't."
The interview begins with McNabb speaking about his time here in Philly.
"Every year I'm part of some criticism," McNabb says with a chuckle. "But every day that we go through life, you're faced with a lot of adversity. Now the answer is how do you handle the adversity. How do you respond?
"I try to handle myself with class. I try to handle myself with dignity. I think sometimes people look to players to act out, speak loudly, pretty much be an idiot. But that's not me."
The piece dives into McNabb as a child growing up first in Chicago, then in the mostly white suburb of Dolton, Ill. McNabb's parents, Sam and Wilma, talk of how they raised their sons to always try to do the right thing and to be leaders, not followers. McNabb talks of his struggles with bullies in the neighborhood, admitting to getting into a few fights. Brown then asked what pushes McNabb's buttons now.
"If you put your hands on me, I've got something for you," McNabb seriously proclaims. "You can talk all you want to. If you continue to try me, then we've got a problem."
Source
In the conversation, which will be shown at 10 o'clock, McNabb also talks about the pressure of being the quarterback in this city and what it takes to tick him off. The interview was taped Aug. 31, an HBO spokesman said.
At one point, interviewer James Brown asks McNabb about how people perceive him as a quarterback, alluding to the lack of African-Americans at the position because some people thought "they weren't smart enough."
"There's not that many African-American quarterbacks, so we have to do a little bit extra," McNabb says.
When pressed by Brown, McNabb continues, "Because the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play this position, is low, so we do a little extra."
Brown later pushes on with the race issue after McNabb talks about people's reactions to his play.
"I pass for 300 yards, our team wins by seven, [mimicking] 'Ah, he couldn've made this throw, they would have scored if he did this,' " McNabb explains.
Brown then asks, "Doesn't every quarterback go through that?" McNabb says flatly, "Not everybody."
Brown ponders if the media is as tough on Carson Palmer or Peyton Manning, or if they are more harsh on McNabb because he's an African-American.
"Let me start by saying I love those guys," McNabb says with a smile. "But they don't get criticized as much as we do. They don't."
The interview begins with McNabb speaking about his time here in Philly.
"Every year I'm part of some criticism," McNabb says with a chuckle. "But every day that we go through life, you're faced with a lot of adversity. Now the answer is how do you handle the adversity. How do you respond?
"I try to handle myself with class. I try to handle myself with dignity. I think sometimes people look to players to act out, speak loudly, pretty much be an idiot. But that's not me."
The piece dives into McNabb as a child growing up first in Chicago, then in the mostly white suburb of Dolton, Ill. McNabb's parents, Sam and Wilma, talk of how they raised their sons to always try to do the right thing and to be leaders, not followers. McNabb talks of his struggles with bullies in the neighborhood, admitting to getting into a few fights. Brown then asked what pushes McNabb's buttons now.
"If you put your hands on me, I've got something for you," McNabb seriously proclaims. "You can talk all you want to. If you continue to try me, then we've got a problem."
Source
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