On Urban Areas

The harm done to the cities have been in decades in the making by the ruling elite. They via fractional reserve currency policies, austerity, bad trade deals, deindustralization, brutal privatization, the War on Drugs, gentrification, etc. have either harmed cities or caused the ruling class to dominate them. Worldwide, there is bad currency manipulation by central banking interests and that is evil. Libor has been caught doing it. Such financial scams have harmed urban communities and other communities. Record bailouts and imperialistic policies have harmed the black communities and others in America. So, if there is a possibility of radical improvement, it could take many years or many decades. We have to fight economic inequality too, because economic inequality can cause more unjust wars, more poverty, and more destructive policies in our communities straight up.

There can be no comprehensive solution unless the military industrial complex ends (that means that the imperial, wicked war on terror must end completely) and there should be an emergency plan among all levels of government to CREATE JOBS, INFRASTRUCTURE, IMPROVE EDUCATION, AND THE BUILD UP STANDARD OF LIVING OF PEOPLE IN URBAN COMMUNITIES. We can get funds for this by ending the war on terror, creating debt free money, end bailouts for the big banks, use policies to end fraud, waste, and abuse, end tax breaks for multinational corporations, even create guaranteed annual income, etc. Also, you can break up the big banks, so the smaller banks can have immediate investment in Main Street. The State bank in North Dakota is highly successful now, so it can be done. That makes the playing field more level.

ALSO, these local governments should end RACISM, end DISCRIMINATION, end POLICE STATE LIKE LAWS INCLUDING POLICE STATE LIKE POLICIES, end GENTRIFICATION, end the PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, end the WAR ON DRUGS, end BRUTAL PRIVATIZATION, AND end ECONOMIC OPPRESSION (which contributes heavily to the problems in the cities). You have to treat this situation as an emergency, because it is an emergency for real.

-By Timothy (Me)


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Thank for your words Brother. Many of the "leaders" refuse to advocate real ideals, because of fear, many lost their revolutionary spirit, and some are bounded under corporate backing from the 2 party system (many of them are CFR members, and they ally with the establishment outright). Many of them want token reform not real CHANGE. We have the right to resist evil. Reform can only take folks so far, but real comprehensive CHANGE can change the world (this change deals with opposing the War on Drugs, opposing poverty, wanting imperialism to end, wanting workers to have economic justice, and to believe in improving the environment. Improving NATURE is a foundational aspect of spiritual TRUTH. Oppression is related to racial and class issues). We should advocate community development, black self determination, and true CHANGE without following the agenda of the oligarchy.

-By Timothy (Me)



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Some practically think of him as a holy man, almost as someone who walks on water. Others practically see him as the devil. Why all this LOVE and HATRED for Barack Obama? I see him as a politician, far better than the Republican adversaries who ran against him. He does have a progressive background, as is evident from his memoir DREAMS FROM MY FATHER and commentaries from persons who knew him as an activist--some of which have appeared in THE NATON or THE PROGRESSIVE. I think his administration offers openings for a new popular democratic movement and the beginning of a new era. But he's not going to split the Red Sea. NOr is he the anti-Christ. He's a centrist liberal Democrat with some progressive sympathies, but whose progressive background may or may not reveal itself in his administration. So what's with the deification of Obama on the one hand, the the demonization of him on the other?

-Savant

http://www.topix.com/forum/afam/TI8QH81UK5V19C9GM

http://socialistworker.org/2014/07/17/a-flood-of-bigotry-about-the-border

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/26/nader-obama-is-a-war-criminal-but-romney-would-be-worse/

http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-11062008-135716/unrestricted/GRS_Dissertation_VU08.pdf


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 Bush was nearly condemned to a lackluster presidency, especially given the Florida debacle and the dark cloud under which he entered office. The horrible irony is that Osama and this thugs helped save Bush's presidency in the beginning. He and America gained moral capital due to the crimes of 0/11. And as commander in chief amidst a crisis and an atmosphere of fear, Bush support rose for a time. But only to fall to the lowest levels of unpopularity probably in the history of American presidents. Barack Obama achieved popularity coming into the presidency; and his approval ratings have actually gone up a few points recently. Moreover, his popularity is global as well as national. But how long can this last? Why is he so popular? And why is there still a good number of people (though a minority) who not only disagree with Obama, but HATE him? How can sane people (if they ARE sane) REALLY believe that Obama is a communist and a fascist, a terrorist Muslim and a Marxist? And how could his election spark a RISE in activity (including violent activity) among white supremacist and far right people? This exceeds even the Republican animosity toward Bill Clinton.


 -Savant



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 OBAMA'S LEFTISM? Another thing of interest is the continued claim that Obama is a socialist or a Marxist. Since I AM a democratic socialist, I wish this were true. But let's look at reality. The guy believes in capitalism. He models himself after Lincoln and FDR, a president whose "liberal" economic reforms are said to have saved capitalism during the Depression (though FDR was also labeled a socialist). Obama has even SAID he believes in capitalism--unfortunately. And I think the elite corporate community has far too much influence or power to block whatever progressive initiatives Obama may attempt to promote. But also, I wonder whether people who make these claims that Obama is a socialist or even a Marixt, have ever READ any of Obama's writings or speeches. I have. And as a student and teacher of Philosophy I'm quite familiar with the ideas of Marx as I am with those of Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau or Locke. I believe that if Obama was a Marxist I would have noticed it by now. I asked someone on anothe thread what evidence he had that Obama was a Marxist, and could it point out in Obama's own speeches or writings or even organizational affiliations any evidence of Obama's Marxist inclinations> My interlocutor's response: Zilch. Just the usual moronic response that "it would take an idiot savant not to see that Obama is OBVIOUSLY a Marxist..."etc. Strange inversion of reality which holds that a man who THINKS and refuses to accept claims without eviddence is the idiot, while the man who believes all sort of paranoid fantasies in total disregard for reason is supposedly more intelligent. But this shows another side of this anti-Obama hatred: a fanatic animosity wich is equally an hatred of reaason and truth. A hatred of thinking. And that is SCARY. 

-Savant

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 As an African-American man, I admit his election gratifies me. But I would be considerably less pleased if he had been someone like Alan Keyes. Just being black hardly cuts it. What intereste me as a politically and socially PROGRESSIVE Black person is Obama's progressive background (evident from his writings and commentaries by persons who knew or worked with him that appeared in THE NATION & THE PROGRESSIVE). And the possibilities for the beginning of a NEW ERA that this election, and the apparent shift in much of American social consciousness which made this election possible, is quite exciting. But my assessment of Obama's performance at present is MIXED. I approve of some things, have reservations about some others, and simply disapprove of still others. But probably a separate thread to discuss President Obama's performance as well as possible achievements would be needed to discuss this in a thoughtful manner. -Savant