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Nadir Omowale

The Great Disruption, Deception, Dismay?


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Workin’ For the Man
(Badmitten’s Workin’ Overtime Mix)

We can’t even pretend that the current global crisis isn’t real – we’ve been suffering a harsh reality in Michigan for a long time – but, much of the insanity that is going on could be lessened if we could manage a lot less greed and a little more common sense. Over lunch yesterday, my friend, Carmen (not her real name) relayed a story that offers a striking example.

Last fall Carmen was laid off from her job at Ford after 22 years of service. Like many others, she’s had trouble finding a new job, and for now is surviving on her severance package and work as a freelance creative.

In an effort to be responsible, Carmen called her credit union to refinance her mortgage. She’s only four years away from paying off the house she and her ex-husband bought years ago. Her hope was to negotiate a lower payment so she can keep her home for as long as possible. She recognizes that she has an obligation to pay, and wants to handle the situation while it’s manageable.

The loan officer told Carmen there is nothing they can do for her. Why? They can’t refinance and lower her payments because she doesn’t have a job.

Has the world gone crazy or what?
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Investigate Bush War Crimes Next

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Nadir & Rev – Is That What You Wanted?!
DJ Butterface Casio Funk Radio Edit

With the International Criminal Court’s unprecedented warrant for sitting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the stage is set for the indictment of George W. Bush for war crimes.  The Bush administration is unapologetic about their violations of US and international laws.   But according to the Associated Press:

The prospect of the court ever trying Bush is considered extremely remote, however.

The US Government does not recognise the court and the only other way Bush could be investigated is if the Security Council were to order it, something unlikely to happen with Washington a veto-wielding permanent member.  – AP

Senator Patrick Leahy has called for a Truth & Reconciliation Commission so we can learn exactly what happened during the eight years of Bush’s presidency.

I couldn’t agree more.  The president has admitted to spying on U.S. citizens, and torturing prisoners who are being held without charge.  If those are the crimes they will confess, can you imagine what they AREN’T telling us about?

Continue reading

Investigate Bush War Crimes Next

NOW PLAYING:

Nadir & Rev – Is That What You Wanted?!
DJ Butterface Casio Funk Radio Edit

With the International Criminal Court’s unprecedented warrant for sitting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the stage is set for the indictment of George W. Bush for war crimes.  The Bush administration is unapologetic about their violations of US and international laws.   But according to the Associated Press:

The prospect of the court ever trying Bush is considered extremely remote, however.

The US Government does not recognise the court and the only other way Bush could be investigated is if the Security Council were to order it, something unlikely to happen with Washington a veto-wielding permanent member.  – AP

Senator Patrick Leahy has called for a Truth & Reconciliation Commission so we can learn exactly what happened during the eight years of Bush’s presidency.

I couldn’t agree more.  The president has admitted to spying on U.S. citizens, and torturing prisoners who are being held without charge.  If those are the crimes they will confess, can you imagine what they AREN’T telling us about?

Continue reading

‘The Bankers Think We’re Chumps’

President Barack Obama’s financial stimulus package does nothing to change one fundamental problem with the current economic crisis: It fails to hold accountable the greedy bankers who caused the financial meltdown in the first place.

As former chief economist for the IMF, MIT professor Simon Johnson told Bill Moyers on the February 15 edition of Bill Moyers Journal, “The structure [of our] banking system, the concentration of power in big financial institutions has to change.”

But Obama’s plan, which at best will put a band-aid on the crisis, does not hold bankers accountable, and does not do anything to really curtail exhorbitant executive bonuses. The BlackCommentator.com cartoon below demonstrates the point well. It’s a dream to believe that the avaricious oligarchs in the banking system will repay the American taxpayer once the economy rebounds and the finanical system is stable.

They are playing us for chumps.

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Bob Marley’s Sun Is Shining Changed My Life

The first Bob Marley song that really changed my life was “Sun Is Shining” from 1978’s Kaya album.

(Click the link to listen to Bob Marley’s “Sun Is Shining”)

I was hanging at future Beat Kang Reavis Mitchell’s home studio in Nashville working on music for the Distorted Soul album listening to the man for inspiration.

Of course, I had a copy of Legend, the greatest hits collection that turned so many of us on to Marley’s powerful songwriting. I loved classics like – “I Shot The Sheriff”, “Stir It Up”, “One Love”, et al. And even on Kaya, “Sun” is sandwiched by “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”, two masterpieces that were included on Legend.

But this was the first time a Marley album cut reached out, grabbed me by the collar and virtually kicked my ass! Continue reading

Death of Sam?

Is the United States in danger of collapse?  A Russian academic and a now defunct Nashville hip hop group say it is possible.

It’s really hard to stay positive with so much bad news flying about.  So the apocalyptic overtones of a December article in the Wall Street Journal entitled ’As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.’ certainly aren’t helping to brighten my day.

However, daily accounts of the economic implosion we are enduring hit much closer to home now.  The signs have been prevalent here in Detroit for quite some time, but even more people are losing their jobs amid what is now a global economic crisis.  Can we even consider the possibility that the United States as we know it may soon disappear from the face of the map? Continue reading

Death of Sam?

Is the United States in danger of collapse?  A Russian academic and a now defunct Nashville hip hop group say it is possible.

It’s really hard to stay positive with so much bad news flying about.  So the apocalyptic overtones of a December article in the Wall Street Journal entitled ‘As if Things Weren’t Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S.’ certainly aren’t helping to brighten my day.

However, daily accounts of the economic implosion we are enduring hit much closer to home now.  The signs have been prevalent here in Detroit for quite some time, but even more people are losing their jobs amid what is now a global economic crisis.  Can we even consider the possibility that the United States as we know it may soon disappear from the face of the map? Continue reading

Secret Service on Vacation?

What is lost in all the hoopla over paparazzi pics of Barack Obama’s physique is this question:

If a photographer got to within 150 feet  of the president-elect to snap this photo, he was close enough to fire a rifle.  Where was the Secret Service??

This photo essay of the Obama family’s vacation and G.W.’s reliance on his cat-like reflexes when dodging Muntadhir Al-Zaidi’s size 10s make us wonder whether the Secret Service’s presidential details have themselves been on vacation over the past couple of weeks.

The photo agency who snapped the shots says security was well aware of the photographer’s presence, and assumes that the Obamas were in the know as well: Continue reading

Secret Service on Vacation?

What is lost in all the hoopla over paparazzi pics of Barack Obama’s physique is this question:

If a photographer got to within 150 feet  of the president-elect to snap this photo, he was close enough to fire a rifle.  Where was the Secret Service??

This photo essay of the Obama family’s vacation and G.W.’s reliance on his cat-like reflexes when dodging Muntadhir Al-Zaidi’s size 10s make us wonder whether the Secret Service’s presidential details have themselves been on vacation over the past couple of weeks.

The photo agency who snapped the shots says security was well aware of the photographer’s presence, and assumes that the Obamas were in the know as well: Continue reading

Can You Say ‘War Crime’?

Can they really get away with this?

In an interview with ABC News, Dick Cheney admitted that he authorized and supported the practice of waterboarding on Guantanamo detainees.

The world has condemned  this form of torture for centuries.  After World War II, the United States prosecuted Japanese soldiers who used the technique, and convicted them as war criminals.

How can the people of the United States allow Dick Cheney and George W. Bush to arrogantly flaunt their crimes in our faces?

We should be embarrassed and ashamed, and we are accessories to the crime if we don’t do something about it. Continue reading

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