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The Obama Conquest Newsweek Cover Stirs up an Array of Emotions.

November 12, 2012 By

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and this Newsweek cover ups the ante.  There’s a lot going on here with this provocative flick starting with the comparison of President Obama to Napoleon/ George Washington.

At a time when we have employers firing folks because Obama was re-elected, racial unrest on a college campuses like Ole Miss, folks from 15 states trying to kick off a secession movement and Fox News anchors having major meltdowns, this cover with its headlines will only serve to enrage folks more even if the story was intended to be complimentary.

At the same time one must keep in mind that the President of the US in many respects is the President of the world..so while many may see Obama as a conqueror of the racist adversaries who opposed him here at home, he’s still the man behind drone strikes, mass deportations Africom, regime change, and NDAA and in that sense he’s deemed a conqueror to be feared. The US is perceived as an empire and Obama is the head of it. the words Obama Conquest underscore that sentiment.

Toussaint L’ouverture

The Newsweek cover has in its headline GOP: You’re Old You’re White You’re History. Considering we had so much vitriol coming from the GOP with cries to ‘take the country back‘, which many took as code to stop Blacks and other people of color from advancing, this cover is sure to be a dagger is some people’s hearts. Obama winning or conquering has been his opposition’s worst fear. And while its true many have compared the picture to Napoleon or George Washington.. I’m gonna say Obama in this photo reminds me of Toussaint L’ouverture, the man who defeated Napoleon, maybe that’s why some folks are scared.

Anyway that’s my two cents, whats your thoughts on this cover?

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

On Veterans Day Lets Do More than a Parade to Thank Our Troops

November 11, 2012 By

November 11 2012: Today is Veterans Day..It’s a day where we take time out and honor all those who’ve served in the military and basically thank them for their service and sacrifice… I think its important we thank those who’ve served our country, but our thanks should go beyond a handshake, a pat on the back and a parade.

How about we say thank you to our men and women in uniform by making sure they have healthcare and proper benefits that are not caught up in Congressional red tape or attached to some draconian pork belly provision by an overzealous lawmaker trying to score points and using the military as a shield or political football?

In other words, there should be no homeless Veterans, but there are plenty, I see them all time and all over. There should be no joblessness amongst our Veterans but today we have close to a million who have no job. There are some in the Senate who who will attend Veteran Day parades, but won’t sign a bill that’ll put a billion dollars into a Veterans job program..You can read about that HERE

There should be no substance abuse amongst our Veterans. Sadly its pervasive amongst those on and off the battlefield. There should be no mental health challenges amongst our Veterans but thanks to our collective refusal to own up to this happening and put in place proper resources to help those who are ailing, we now have that as a challenge. Veterans committing suicide have now surpassed those we lost in combat . You can read about here in the NY Times.

How about we thank our troops by removing them from having to make sacrifices due to unnecessary war and conflict? We should have our troops here at home or around the world skilled in true humanitarian missions of providing food, shelter and clothing during natural disasters, not doing ‘humanitarian’ efforts as defined by unwarranted regime change where soldiers are forced to serve 4 and 5 tours of duty with the only real beneficiaries being big multinational corporations connected to the military industrial complex that pushed for it.

There are those who have served our country who have come to recognize that their sacrifice and skills sets were being dishonored and misused by those in power. There are veterans who have come to recognize that they were in foreign lands because of lies. As a result they have  stood up and spoke out. These men and women have recognized that they weren’t fighting for freedom, but instead fighting to secure resources and score political points that would be only helpful to the global 1%. Those troops who recognized this misleading effort and stepped up and called foul, really deserve our thanks.

We thank those men and women who served, who kept it 100, even if it meant being discharged, ostracized or jailed..These men and women made the sacrifice to keep their humanity in the forefront and speak out when they saw injustice or monstrous behavior being done in our name. We should thank those who have been willing to blow the whistle on us breaking international law for committing horrendous acts like torturing prisoners, committing acts of rape or discounting the humanity of those they fought. We honor those who put down the gun and sword and picked up the dove and threw up a peace sign because they recognized that war is not always the answer..

written by Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP830OFrAso

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Public Enemy Weighs in on Immigration Question w/ a New Song called ICE Breaker

November 11, 2012 By

Hip Hop artists have been on fire as of late. It seems like everyone is stepping up their game and making music that passionately speaks truth to power… One song that should not be overlooked is a brand new joint from Public Enemy called Ice Breakers.. It’s off their new album ‘The Evil Empire of Everything‘. This particular song addresses the issue of mass deportations and what its like for those who are living in immigrant communities and are literally being hunted by I.C.E.

The song features searing lyrics from Chuck D where he raps:

I KNOW A SILENT NATION IN DISLOCATION
FRUSTRATION FROM LEGISLATION
LED TO DEMOGRAPHIC IN ISOLATION
ANOTHER PARTICIPATION IN DECAPITATION
10-4 DIE RIVER DEEP MOUNTAIN HIGH
IS A WALL STUCK BETWEEN DYING AND DOING TIME
CANT IGNORE SMACK DAB BORDER WAR
AS THE BEAT GOES ON, WORDS FLOWED ON
I CAUGHT THE LAW
PYRAMIDS MACHU PICHU
THINGS THEY DONT TEACH YOU
DONT APOLOGIZE
YOU WERE HERE FIRST ON THIS EARTH
BEFORE THESE MILLENNIAL �COWBOYS CLAIMED THEIR TURF
NOW WHOS 1000 MILES AND RAN
DESERTED IN THE DESERT
WILD WILD WEST HURT TO THE DIRT
ANTI IMMIGRATION
AGAINST BROWN SWKIN
SOUNDS LIKE BROWN SHIRTS
SILENCED BY SO CALLED LEGAL VIOLENCE
SOMEBODY HAD PERMISSION
TO PUT HUMANS IN THIS CONDITION
THIS LAND IS WHOS LAND??
THEY MUSTVE FORGOT
KICKING THE BLACK IN THE ASS
WHILE KEEPING THE BROWN OUT
THIS ONE SIDED LAW MAKES ME SCREAM AND SHOUT

Chuck is joined  by The Impossebulls, Sekreto, Kyle Jason & True Math who all come with heat both in English and Spanish..Its good to see a group like PE keep it 100 when it comes to issues of the day..

ICE Breakers is actually the second song they did on the topic of immigration, when Arizona passed the anti-immigrant SB1070 law the group did a song called Tear Down That Wall ..Looking forward to peeping the video..for this new song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K9BgyjNpoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPeyQ9SdiOs

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Obama’s Re-Elected What Next? Michael Skolnik of Global Grind & Hip Hop Activist Rosa Clemente Weigh In

November 11, 2012 By

With the re-election of President Barack Obama, we been having a series of discussions on Hard Knock Radio with key activists and organizers all over the country about the next steps we should be taking. This is an important conversation considering how concerned and dissatisfied many were feeling in the weeks and months leading up to the 2012 election.

Many felt President Obama had come up short on a number of issues and was dreadfully wrong on others. Many who felt things weren’t headed in the right direction were cautioned that we should give the President time to get his bearings. We were told he inherited a tremendous mess and that change would not come overnight.

We were also told that President Obama was under tremendous pressure from his political opponents who were determined to limit him to one term. The type of obstruction Obama was up against in Congress was unprecedented. he amount of racism directed at him was unprecedented. Hence activist and organizers were encouraged to fall back and rally around the president with the goal of shielding him and getting him a second term.

That has finally happened the other night. In the aftermath of his re-election there should now be strong pushes for him to address issues of poverty, the plight of labor, ending the war and other imperialistic foreign policies, deading mass deportations and eradicating the ramped up domestic spying and erosion of constitutional rights via NDAA.

As Boots Riley of the Coup famously pointed out not too long ago, our vibrant movement for social justice where many of these key issues were being addressed and fought for long before Obama was even a presidential candidate somehow became morphed into a movement to get him into office. That was good for Obama but not necessarily good for the movement. The momentum garnered over the past 8 years should not have dwindled  It left us short-changed.

This time around, many are re-thinking, re-tooling and laying out plans of action for the next 4 years and beyond. Many activists are determined not to make the same mistake of jettisoning their respective movements for the sake of an elections. Others are determined to keep themselves and the people around politically engaged beyond 2 and 4 year contest. Still others are finding that its time to build from the ground up, by establishing strong local basis that can withstand any sort of national political storms.

Michael Skolnik

One of the people we interviewed a day or so after the election is Michael Skolnik who is editor and chief of Global Grind, which is an online publication owned by Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons. Skolnik was also a surrogate for the Obama campaign.

During our interview we covered a range of topics including how to hold this President accountable to why we didn’t see more young people who voted in overwhelming numbers having visible seats at the table.

We discussed some of the problems that many had with Obama on key issues and what would be the best ways to push him and not get be obstructed by supporters who were over defensive.

We also talked about long term strategies and what we should be striving for during Obama’s second term. Skolnik offered some great insight and suggestions Peep the Hard Knock Radio interview below. Let us know what you think…

We also spoke with long time Hip Hop activist and former Green Party vice presidential candidate Rosa Clemente. Rosa has long been pushing that the Hip Hop  generation move away from constraints of the democratic party and adopt a more radical and uncompromised politic. She feels Hip Hop has become too much of a mouthpiece for the democrats and has lost a lot of its bite and overall integrity, especially when it remains silent and actually cheerleads a president who embraces policies that Hip Hop folks have long stood against.

She talked about the importance of us focusing on younger voices, creating space for many who have been locked out and highlighting the work of on the ground organizations like the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement who never stopped organizing and pushing even with Obama in the White House.

Clemente noted that there’s been a pressure to vote over organizing and its led to folks believing that’s the only thing needed to be politically changed. This has been too much of an oversimplification in addressing systemic and complex problems and that perspective needs to be changed. With the re-election of Barack Obama, Clemente sees opportunity for endless possibilities for great change. She notes, the focus can now return to us  resolving our issues vs getting someone re-elected.

Rosa concluded our Hard Knock Radio interview by sharing her personal vision for change during which includes stepping up and strengthening the Green Party. .. Click the link below.

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Hard Knock Radio Intv Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

M1 of dead prez Teams up w/ Nas to Pay Tribute to Denmark Vessey

November 10, 2012 By

Loving this new jam called ‘Genocide Highway’ from M1 of dead prez and Nas that pays tribute to Denmark Vesey, who led a slave revolt and became free on November 9th, 1799. This is a dope cut and I get the sense that we have more of these types of songs coming down the pipe.. Props to M1 and Nas as well as Beatnick & K-Salaam on the beat, the hook and the scratch.

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

Nas

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

A Year Ago Cal Students Were Beaten by Police Protesting Fee Hikes-They’re still Fighting Back

November 9, 2012 By

 

One year ago today Cal Students peacefully protested massive fee hikes to the tune of 300% . They stood on Sproul Plaza and made their grievances known when riot police came along and started beating students.. A couple of weeks later peaceful students at UC Davis were pepper sprayed..To give you an idea of how harsh these hikes have been .. Less than 10 years ago students paid 1500 per semester to these public universities which for decades were actually free..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_f06VQOkI4

This year the average student will shell out 12k. There were plans to hike them up another 80%.. All this is happening as the money is being found to the tune of hundreds of millions to build new football stadiums and fancy new buildings and pay crazy salaries to deans and chancellors. There have been no rollbacks in any of those areas, but lots of sacrifices on students..

The passage of Prop 30 which was once known as the millionaire’s tax was designed to halt fee hikes and turn things around.. Students all over the state busted their butts to pass get the proposition passed.Out of state billionaires poured money into the state to try and defeat Prop 30. Students and teachers did what many deemed impossible. It was the first time in over 30 years a tax increase of this magnitude was passed in California. Sadly after all that work the UC Regents who are meeting next week are pushing to raise fees anyway..

Yesterday several hundred students held a rally in the pouring rain to protest and lmake it known they will be out in full force at those Regent meetings.. They also reminded folks that no politician can be trusted to solve these problems.. They will have to be pushed… Here’s an excerpt from yesterday with Cal Leader Katy speaking

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , ,

19 Years Ago the World Was Introduced to Wu-Tang Clan..’The 36 Chambers’

November 9, 2012 By

19 years ago today…one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all-time was dropped Enter Wu-Tang the 36 Chambers and the world was introduced to an incredible group, that many initially thought was Chinese.. When we first heard the lead joint Protect Your Neck and heard them claiming they were from Shaolin and was going by the name Wu-Tang Clan,  many of us outside of New York were marveling at how Hip Hop had expanded and some raw Asian cats were repping hard on the mic..

Later we discovered the who the group was and their depth of talent and remained impressed. We loved how artists like Rza and Gza who had previous stints as solo artists  or in groups like Grave Diggaz under the names Prince Rakeem and the Genius respectively, had remade themselves and resurfaced as cornerstones of this new 9 member crew..that would flip Hip Hop upside its head. Many of us were left awestruck to see how Staten Island, the so-called forgotten borough had become the epic center for Hip Hop nearly overnight..Its been almost 20 years and many of us still have not fully come to know and appreciate all that is and has been Wu-Tang..

This is what writer  Christopher Muhammad who reminded us about today had to say..

This day 19 years ago one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time by arguably the best rap group of all time was released November 9, 1993 on Loud Records and distributed through RCA Records. The album’s title originates from the martial arts film The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978). The group’s de facto leader RZA, also known as Prince Rakeem, produced the album entirely, utilizing heavy, eerie beats and a sound largely based on martial-arts movie clips and soul music samples.

The distinctive sound of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) created a blueprint for hardcore hip hop during the 1990s and helped return New York City hip hop to national prominence. Its sound also became hugely influential in modern hip hop production, while the group members’ explicit, humorous, and free-associative lyrics have served as a template for many subsequent hip hop records. Serving as a landmark record in the era of hip hop known as the East Coast Renaissance, its influence helped lead the way for several other East Coast hip hop artists, including Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z.

Despite its raw, underground sound, the album had surprising chart success, peaking at number 41 on the US Billboard 200 chart. By 1995, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of one million copies in the United States. Initially receiving positive reviews from most music critics, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) has been regarded by music writers as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all-time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 386 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Salute to RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa,and the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCZrz8siv4Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjZRAvsZf1g

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News, Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Was President Obama’s Re-Election About Our Hopes or Our Fears?

November 7, 2012 By

There’s a lot to reflect and say about last night’s election. The re-election of President Barack Obama brought enthusiastic cheers from all corners of the country. But one should be cautious and not misread those cheers. They weren’t the cheers of 2008 where there was literally dancing in the streets as history was made and folks were left hopeful.

Last night what we heard were cheers of relief. It was relief that came from millions of people having to endure he humiliation of chaos at the polls , where many wound up standing for up 6 or 7 hours or were aggressively questioned by Tea Party backed True the Vote poll watchers who suspected their eligibility, and a range other widespread voter suppression efforts.

Last night the cheers were being relieved of having to deal with Neandrathrolic behavior from sitting lawmakers who felt that there was ‘legitimate rape‘ and that women should not only not be allowed to have abortions, but shouldn’t have access to birth control

Last night we heard cheers of relief, because folks were fearful of having what little safety nets were left to be immediate dismantled or repealed on the day those seeking power took office…

Like it or not, Obama won last night’s election because of widespread politics of fear..not hope. Many who voted for him, did so with lots of dissatisfaction and disappointment on an array of policies the President championed or did not champion, but what they perceived was coming down the pipe was so frightening folks quickly got in line and pulled the lever for the President..

It was clear with Mitt Romney that there was a 47% of the population that needed to be ousted. He and many of his supporters felt like many of us were ‘leeches’ and no longer needed to be seen as fellow human beings… The mean-spirited racially charged policies being proposed and brought before the floor in Congress, sent a strong message to many, that there was a helluva a lot of white folks who were not playing around and were going all out to roll back anything and everything that had progressed in the past 50 years. That frightened people and Obama was a beneficiary.

Last night Mitt Romney had a voting base that consisted of 89% white people. That xenophobic angry base and how they see the world is best personified with the remarks of Bill O’Reilly and his Fox News cohorts. Its personified with the nasty tweets sent out by singer Ted Nugent where he refered to Obama supporters as whores and welfare cheats. Its personified by the angry tweets from Donald Trump who said the election was  sham and a travesty and America must fight to stop what had just happened.. (an Obama win)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZZt3jPDvNQ

Only time will tell if what we experienced was some grand exercise of Good Cop Bad Cop with the end game of getting everyone to reinvest into a system that has constantly failed people. But for now many are happy that they pushed back on something they felt would be irreversibly catastrophic. By voting and re-electing Barack Obama many who are part of a growing demographic of folks who feel they’re constantly marginalized felt like they were standing up and pushing back on the type of attitude expressed in the O’reilly video..

Unfortunately, it’ll take more than just voting. More push back is needed. It ranges from deading citizens united which allowed unlimited money to come into politics to having comprehensive election reform that restricts deceptive practices and voter suppression tactics. Close to 5 Billion dollars was spent for this past election..

It’s gonna require push back to stop the relentless attempts by corporate giants to own and privatize everything from our drinking water to FEMA which is what Mitt Romney proposed. It’s gonna require us to push back and demand economic and social justice..

All the forces that worried folks are still here, most likely plotting and scheming on how to better advance their cause. Bain Capitol and uncaring companies like it are still around and doing business as usual. In fact that might be vengeful and economically spurn their workers because of the win.

The forces behind banning ethnic studies books in Arizona have not left. Those who wish to public education and privatize public universities are back at work gearing up for the next round of tuition hikes. Police are still gunning down Black people every 36 hours..The people who obstructed Obama and demonstrated racial hostility are still in Congress and the Senate.

The policies that Obama embraced or didn’t embrace are still in front of us..How will we get him to match the words he uttered in his speech last night that left many feeling re-charged?  How will we become partners in reshaping America so that beneficial for all vs being disposable tools who are only tapped when its election time? In short there’s lots more work to do and hopefully all of us are up to the challenge.

written by Davey D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddx8t6zGWxA

Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Voter Suppression Intimidations Tactics in Full Swing All Over the Country this Election Day

November 6, 2012 By

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

Barbara Arnwine

After 2 years of campaigning and over 4 billion dollars spent, it all comes down to Election Day which is happening as we speak..Voter Suppression is everywhere with the power elite trying everything they can to stop folks from voting.. You can peep the video above where they tried to close the doors on people in Ohio.. Thank God Jasiri X, Bakari Kitwana, Angela Woodson and Paradise Gray were on hand..

Today we spoke with Barbara Arwine from the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights who broke down all the  Voter Suppression tactics are being used everywhere. you can listen to our interview by clicking the link below..

During our conversation she explained that there are long lines in many places where folks have stood for up to six hours as biased election boards have lessened voting sites and voting machines available for the public in some areas. In short folks are being discouraged to vote with the long lines

The Voter Suppression billboards erected by Clear Channel in Black neighborhoods in places like Cincinnati, Ohio, have been replaced by people driving tracks with mobile billboards.

The biggest problems is True The Vote, a Tea Party/ Koch Brother backed organization out of Texas which had as it’s goal to recruit one million vote challengers. As we speak in places like Pittsburgh, PA, African-American voters are being bombarded with TTV folks demanding to see IDS and questioning folks… The laws are that people do not have to answer or show any ID to anyone..In fact in almost all the states except Tennessee, restrictive voter ID laws have been struck down, but that hasn’t stopped True to Vote poll challengers from harassing people.

We are also finding that phone calls are being made telling folks they can vote over the phone. Some of these calls are coming from people pretending to be from the Board of Elections.. There is no such thing as voting by phone…

Here in the Bay Area, thousands of people woke up to deceptive flyers that rearranged voting endorsements from a Democratic club. On the new flyers Prop 37,the GMO labeling bill has switched from Vote YES to Vote NO.. That’s totally inaccurate and a distortion of what the Democratic club had stated..There has also been ballot tampering in nearby Vallejo.. People seeing any of this are being asked to call 1-866-OUR-VOTE…

Our guest Barbara Arwine from the Lawyers Committee of Civil Rights said that what will need to happen after this election is nationwide election reform bill banning deceptive practices and voter suppression tactics..

Here’s our insightful intv w/ Barbara Arwine, giving us the lay of the land all over the country

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Filed Under: 2012 Daily News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Revolution Has Come… Rebel Diaz Speak Truth in Times of Turmoil

November 5, 2012 By

I’m so proud of Hip Hop right now… Ice Cube,  Brother Ali, Boots from the Coup, dead Prez, Jasiri X and Invincible have all dropped material in the past few weeks that has uplifted the community and inspired us to fight for better tomorrows.. Adding to that list is Rebel Diaz who skillfully sampled and flipped the chant from the Black Panthers..’The Revolution Has Come‘ and added their own 2012 twist..

It was just recently we lead rapper Rodstarz on our Hard Knock Radio show to give us crucial updates as to how things were faring under Hurricane Sandy. The day after the storm hit Rod explained to our listeners how poor folks were getting mistreated and how Mayor Michael Bloomberg had shut off power to housing projects days before the storm came..

He talked about how folks in his community had to organize themselves and make sure the elderly were taken care of because the city wasn’t going to do it..The day we did that interview there was some criticism from punditary types who lived nowhere near Rodstarz’ South Bronx neighborhood, but insisted that he was wrong with his info..They were citing press releases from Bloomberg as their source to counter Rod’s arguments.

Now that the dust is settling and the waters are receding, we see that all over NY in poor communities, there’s been neglect in the recovery efforts and was Rod was accurate and on point to the fullest with his assessment and breakdown of the situation.

Him and Rebel Diaz are and true to the spirit of ones who loves their people and seeks justice..This is a song underscores that sentiment and should not be slept on.. Turn it up and let it be the sound track to your day to day struggle for freedom..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byL3o3VMUKk

Filed Under: Video New Music Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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