Stories of the Revolution

Whether you call it the movement or the revolution, most people I know desperately want to see a major shift in America and the world’s priorities including; pulling people out of poverty, reforming public education, ending this senseless war, helping put an end to the Darfur conflict, saving the planet, etc. Regardless of the issue, we are down for the “cause” so to speak. For those of us that share this burning desire, it is sometimes hard to understand why so many people just don’t get it.

The Weekly Dream: See You Next Week

Hello everyone,

 Due to sickness, exams and other general natural disasters, there will be no Weekly Dream this week.  However, feel free to search the archives for a review ;). 

Truth and Peace,

Steven M DeVougas

Does the end of the Black Family Channel signal the demise of Black TV?

The fight for Black entertainment more-positive-than-the-joke-that-is-BET is bracing itself for a serious blow. The Black Family Channel is close to being bought out. Unless something extraordinary happens, there will be two major, 24-hour “Black” channels left: TV One and [my least favorite,] BET (purposely not linking to website). What is the future of Black Entertainment?

Kilpatrick and CBC Institute Still Loves Fox News

If someone insults, consistently insults and hurts you, and does not repent/apologize/beg for forgiveness/something, you probably would not want to do busines with them.

Apparently the Congressional Black Caucus Institute (CBCI) doesn’t think this is how one conducts business. That is why they are still going ahead with these debates that they are airing with Fox News. What’s interesting is that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) itself is split on the issue.

Want to watch the Presidential Debates Online?

Did you know that it is illegal to show clips of Presidential Debates on YouTube? That’s because TV networks have exclusive rights to the video. That’s ridiculous, don’t you think? If these people are running for public office, then the things they do to campaign should be publicly available, right?

We thought so too, which is why we signed this letter to the Democratic and Republican National Committees urging them to put the debates into the public domain. It is time for us to fight for access to the media and for access to information.

Who’s fault is it that we’re fat?

This NY Times article says that it is partly the fault of the government that we have an obesity problem in the United States. Don’t be confused: this does not mean that there is no personal responsibility when it comes to your own health and diet. What it does mean is that the most effective way to make everyone more healthy is through policies that support our health! D@mn, that is another chink in the armor of the whole “politics doesn’t effect my life” ideology.

General Patraeus and Iran

The following is taken from an article at Voice of America.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq says an Iraqi group affiliated with an elite Iranian force carried out an attack last year in which five U.S. soldiers were killed near the Iraqi town of Karbala. The statement by General David Petraeus follows months of suspicion about Iranian involvement in the incident, but the general says he cannot directly connect Iranian agents to the attack.

First of all, if you can’t confirm your claims with evidence, shut up. Do I need to remind you of Colin Powell’s presentation of mobile lab cartoons and the empty vile prop? I am sick and tired of this administration being able to make claims that are passed off as facts but cannot be confirmed.

And seriously, with all of the work that General Patraeus has to do in making the “surge” successful, why are we trying to link Iran to an incident from last year? Maybe if we were more focused on rebuilding Iraq than we were trying to scrimp for reasons to invade Iran, we could bring home the troops. I’m done.

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

The Iraq War: Lost

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid recently said that the “Iraq war is lost.” I happen to agree with him and I am shocked at how much the truth rattles Washington insiders. Nevertheless, I haven’t really taken time to consider the immediate or future implications for American foreign policy and the geopolitical balance of the Middle East. 

There will come a time when our troops come home. But lest we forget, Bush waged preemptive war in our name so once it is “over” it won’t ever be back to normal. People in Iraq, our allies and our enemies resent the arrogance of our actions in Iraq. This resentment will fester for generations to come and I pray that American leaders have the wisdom to foresee the future harm this war is causing. 

And with the loss in blood and treasure, I think we have yet to see the true costs of this war. How do you think these costs will be materialized?

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

Education in 2008!

This is the campaign being spearheaded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to make education a key priority issue in the presidential elections for 2008. With a war chest upwards of $60 million dollars, this is the largest single-issue advocacy campaign ever seen. What’s more appealing is that the campaign is not seeking to endorse a presidential candidate or even take stances on legislation. It simply wants to make sure education is a top priority on our national agenda.

Michigan’s Budget Crisis

For all of the national financial news we digest, I cannot emphasize how influential your state and local governments are in your day-to-day affairs. This is especially true when we consider that many states (unlike the federal government) require balanced budgets.