Professor Tina Bell Wright: Response to Davey D Blog-The Surveillance State & Privatization

Today I posted an article that included two very insightful interviews about the emerging Police-Surveillance state.. You can peep the article which is title ‘Massive Domestic Spying was Wrong in the Past..It’s Wrong Today‘…Its generated alot of response, but one really stood out and wanted to make it a separate post.. This comes courtesy of Professor Tina Bell Wright who has long taught and spoken about the constant encroachments on our civil liberties… Her blog series Rise Up Hip Hop Nation has a lot of gems we should all soak up..

Professor Wright response to my latest article is essential and ads so much more to what was written and discussed..

ProfTinaWright-225I see a number of things coming to light with this …first, I know I’ve said it before Davey but while it looks like things are getting worse, or just “business as usual” as some claim…this is actually progress.

As we move more and more toward police state tactics, what we see is a people no longer believing the hype…Hegemonic power used to be enough to keep us all in line…We bought in to the system and supported it by the very act of buying in…Now it will take much more to keep folks in line – unapologetic breaches of privacy, police state tactics, and basically the end of the delusion that we live in a “democracy”. So that’s the first point…

Here you actually have some journalists saying “F’ the government” where before they were fine just being the “patsy of the govt“..You have whistle blowers and ideas like anonymous that are being strategically modeled to “fight the power“…you have mass protests in Turkey and Japan and worldwide (despite some media blackouts)….

You now have a counter strategy to expose and challenge today’s Cointel-Pro that did not exist in the 60s/70s..mostly due to the advances in technology…but then we get to how those advances can also be used to DISTRACT…So as you well note, you have many folks that care more about trivial celebrity shit than this…In other words,  while folks have much more access to information because of technology, many are distracted by technology – a strategy that so far has worked well for those in power….

MEDIA is a very powerful institution that will make or break the next progressive movement..Having a strategy to utilize media is critical in any plan….and yes, you have some black folks because of race allegiance coming to the defense of Obama…but Carter G. Woodson warned 80+ years ago about black educated class and support for black leaders and how that leaves the larger black community nowhere…

Now to keep it absolutely real: I promise you that the mass of black people don’t give a damn about Obama…the problem is many of those same folks also don’t give a damn about your momma…How are we dealing with this?

Those not distracted by media/technology are distracted by survival and the cultural adaptations that has given us – specifically VIOLENCE in many forms which reveals a total disregard for human life. On top of that, you have an upcoming generation that is ahistorical – many don’t really even know who Malcolm X is much less how to internalize his message!

PrivatizationFinally, a VERY important point is what you elude to in the article and where much of the power is being shifted to…PRIVATE companies... PRIVATIZATION is the way the 1% can and will keep power even while folks do start to wake up…

If folks are finally starting to scream “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore’ (from Network) en masse, we could see some big changes…but if all resources have shifted from the public to private entities, we will be a mass of people, that pay lower taxes because we own nothing…and hence have nothing to fight for and are completely dependent on private industry for our survival – from food and water (being privatized) to education (for profit schools) to freedom (private prisons)….

All aspects of our lives will be controlled by private corporations…And of course nation-states are a thing of the past thanks to globalization, so instead of trying to maintain its supremacy as a world power, the US is at the forefront of transferring its power (our money) to private corporations. THIS is our real war…

Ayn Rand lives.

written by Tina Bell Wright

3 Hip Hop Jams Everyone Should Peep To Prime You for the 2012 Election

Loving this new song from Jasiri X out of Pittsburgh, Invincible of Detroit and Grammy award winner and former political candidate Rhymefest .

“Candidates For Sale” was inspired by growing corporate influence over politics, and the ridiculous amounts of money now needed to win public office. “Candidates For Sale” was produced by Da Ricanstrukta, and is the first single off Jasiri X’s new mixtape “Rappers On X” which will be out next week.

In a recent interview with Rhymefest, he explained talked about a conversation he had with a Congressman who is a good friend of his.. This particular congressman noted that in order to sit on certain committees and caucuses he has to raise upwards to 500k per year. In order to run for election he is having to get at minimum 600k.. He told Rhymefest in order for him to get tat money in short periods of time, he has to rely upon on corporations.

By the time the dust settles, he said he has very little policy votes or bills to push on behalf of his constituents. He is essentially beholden to those big corporations.Rhymefest went on to add that the challenge before most folks who vote is not so much voting, but leveraging the vote.. He said its time for folks to move this political game to another level and change the balance of power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiN1Rhfdd6s

Another song to peep is Face the Vote.. FTV is an incredible song that addresses the issue of voter suppression… It’s part of a very large community reaction to the Voter Suppression (Voter ID) bill. The concept behind FTV is simple. The Twin Cities Hip Hop community has decided to put a face on the voters affected by the suppression bill. So with artist from all walks and backgrounds FTV formed and sprang into action.

We recently sat down with Toki Wright of the Rhymesayers collective and Nick Muhammad who was one of the main driving forces behind this project. They explained it was important to protect the voting process. Toki noted that Minnesota for years has had one of the strongest and most progressive voting process.

In 2008, record numbers of people came out. Percentage wise it was among the highest in the nation. The new attempts to pass restrictive voting laws is designed to turn back that tide of voters. He also noted that proponents state its to guard against election fraud, but in the past few years only 3-4 cases of fraud have turned up..

Nick added that our political involvement has to go beyond just voting. Its all about political awareness and being vigilant. political awareness will of course keep people up to speed on any and all developments including attempts to strip away voting rights..

Face The Vote includes
The Lioness, Malley, Danami, Toki Wright, Maria Isa, Kaleem, B Dot Croc, Nazeem, Muja, Felix, I Self Devine, Master Mind & Jamecia Bennett

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bufna_JbNw

The last joint to check out is one from Bambu and Rocky Rivera called Rent Money..Definitely feeling the theme of this song which talks about poverty and the types of steps all of us will have to take to once and for all dead a situation where one out of seven are living below the poverty line..The song is especially on point when you consider both Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have focused on the Middle Class and have avoided talking about poverty.. props to Bam and Rocky for the jam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkIKzsMiOhY

Below is the full interview where we talked about the 2012 election and what it means to the Hip Hop generation.. Our guest included author Bakari Kitwana, Ohio organizer Angela Woodson, Shamako Noble and Prof Tina Bell Wright of Hip Hop Congress, Rappers Rhymefest from Chicago and  Toki Wright of the Rhymesayers and Nick Muhammad of Face The Vote out of Minneapolis..  Click the link below

The TRUE Cost of War…TRUE LIVES for TRUE LIES

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The TRUE Cost of War…TRUE LIVES for TRUE LIES

by Tina Bell Wright
 
ProfTinaWright-225In April 2007 I was asked to write a commentary for PLAYAHATA.COM..I had to choose a modern day villian or playahater…I chose the corporate interest fueling the Iraq war. Many understood this war was unnecessary, but few were paying the physical, emotional, and mental price…only the Iraqis and our youngest men and women that join the military to serve this country or access better opportunities really understood the cost. Today (Nov 5th 2009) Texas (Fort Hood Massacre) and anyone by their TV got a little glimpse.

It is ironic that veteran’s day is around the corner. The irony has never been lost on me that we say we honor and respect our troops but we allow them to make unlivable wages (where some families must depend on AFDC). They fight on battlefields beside private entities that are often compensated 5 times what our soldiers make (Blackwater). Corporations and capitalists defend a system where banks that rip off consumers can then rob the treasury for bailouts in order to keep their 600 to 1 percent salary rate when compared to an enlisted Marine who puts his/her life and mental health on the line daily. Our GIs can’t get decent health care (Walter Reed) but the Walton family (Walmart) can go anywhere in the world for the best health care their money can buy (Walmart being richer than 160+ countries) with the money they make from outsourcing American jobs to China and paying Chinese workers a couple dollars a day. The irony of it all…we accept this as inevitable. We believe what we are told to be true…we buy the true lies…

But the only inevitable thing is this system is unsustainable…and cracks in the dam (the numerous anecdotal stories that do not get reported of soldiers suffering from PTSD and crimes they commit) will give way to the dam breaking soon enough (today’s massacre).

I went back to the commentary I wrote over two years ago…that day I had a first hand encounter with one of the many anecdotal situations that play out everyday in the lives of our returning soldiers…The writing has been on the wall…and here it is:

my playahater choice is a little more personal because of one person that

crossed my path two weeks ago. I was on a Southwest flight to

Sacramento.Sitting beside me was a young brotha (24). He was a Marine and had

already done 3 tours of duty in Iraq. He was supposed to finishing his time in

June and was getting out, but he was not feeling too secure in that

since the military can now call back discharged soldiers to tour, despite the

fact that they have completed their contracts and done their time.

Slavery is alive and well in 2007.

Back to the plane and the young brotha. He was from a military family;

His father had served as well as his aunt and uncle. He had always wanted

to be a marine. He has two young children. His hope now is that the

military service legacy that defined his family will end with him. He does not

want his children to follow in his footsteps. Why? War is hell and he has

lived it. This brother was real jittery and obviously had seen more

than any human being should. When asked what his job was in the marines, he

answered: “you don’t wanna know what I do” (saying this repeatedly).

Then coming with:”I’m a killer.” He then wanted to share with me the

4000 pictures and 100s of videos he had taken in Iraq. He watched the

slideshow of bodies mangled, children decapitated and blood and guts lining the

streets without any reaction. He wanted to talk about it and said it

helped, so I just listened, trying not to get nauseous from the gore.

And for all that they must bear: being away from their families, killing

men, women and children, living with that nightmare and coming home to

subpar medical facilities and families that can’t afford to live without

food stamps, they get abandoned and random strangers sitting beside them on

a plane must serve as psychiatrist. This war is my Playahater, and the

ITT Corporation embodies what’s wrong with the poor fighting the war for

the rich’s interests. We all deserve better than this, but especially

brothers like this, and the Iraqis with which they now share the dance

of death.

Original Link: http://www.playahata.com/?p=2352

Many believe the TRUE LIES that corporate interests fuel through corporate media…even when our TRUE LIVES…reality…is all we need to know.

TRUE LIES by Taalam Acey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unntwxaF_LQ

 

“We are capable of bearing a great burden, once we discover the burden is reality and arrive where reality is.”
“Take no one’s word for anything, including mine – but trust your experience” – James Baldwin, The Fire next Time

one final note…

i went to see “This is it” again…and i think MJ really did say it best:

“The time has come. This is It. People are always saying.. ‘Oh they, they’ll take care of it.’ ‘The government will do it. They’ll’ …THEY WHO? It starts with US ..it’s US. Or else it’ll never be done.”
– Michael Jackson

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