Do you really buy the conventional wisdom about how much things have changed in the good ol’ racist, sexist, homophobic, class-driven USA? It could be the real answer is, “it depends.”
After all African-Americans in particular and minorities in general are not in chains, literally---just economic ones---and after only 400 years.
The “cause” of egalitarianism advanced by some of those who came here centuries ago has waxed and waned. Now-a-days if freedom is left to the compassionate, conservative Christians---not so much. Oh and the ccC plead, “please don’t bother me with the facts.”
Americans would rather not face the fact that since arriving 400 years ago those egalitarians landed here, slaves in tow, with the gift of genocide for the hemisphere’s natives and quit claim deeds for Mesoamericans. Not to put too fine a point on it, those egalitarians then ran Mesoamericans off Mesoamerican native lands (half what is now the United States) and then the invading European terrorists declared Mesoamericans “illegal aliens.”
After-all the egalitarians did allow Mesoamericans aka “illegal aliens” to visit their old homestead---at harvest time, planting time, ranching time and in short anytime, anywhere, anytime hard work and low wages were required.
Don’t remember that from your studies of history? Of course not. History is told by the victorious. In the name of “national harmony” they’d rather not discuss their egregious, violent, genocidal ways. Ways that are even the empire-drivers are foisting on people all over the planet.
Don’t take my word for it. Check out the following.
Democracy in America - George Carlin
from Texas Observer
Right, Righter, Rightest
Just nine months ago, I was on the phone with an editor up in Godless New york, pitching a story about the ugliest and most entertaining political smackdown in Texas since Ann Richards met Claytie Williams. So here’s the deal, I said, in my best freelance sales mode: You’ve got Rick Perry, the two-term governor, a.k.a. Mini-W., who’s gotten so desperate he’s stumping at tea parties in a brown Goodwill jacket sounding like the second coming of George Wallace, screeching about states’ rights and kissing the butts of these latter-day John Birchers who consider Glenn Beck an intellectual Colossus.
And then, in the other corner, you’ve got Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, coming back from Washington as the most popular Texan this side of Beyonce to challenge the Guv and save Texas Republicanism for the coming days when the white right can’t swing elections anymore. He’s Sarah Palin with testosterone; she’s Barbara Bush with a husband who knows his place. They’ve been rivals forever. Both mean as snakes. They’ll raise more money than Sir Allen Stanford and God put together. It’s gonna be war!
For anyone who actually believes our form of governance is a "democracy" I say, really. read the following, listen to the podcast, grow up and get real.
Who's Raising Money For Tea Party Movement?
OPR: Torture Lawyers Guilty of "Professional Misconduct"
The department's experts in professional conduct saw this as a slam-dunk case. Yoo, they found, "committed intentional professional misconduct when he violated his duty to exercise independent legal judgment and render thorough, objective, and candid legal advice." Bybee, they noted, acted in "reckless disregard" of his obligations to provide independent legal analysis. Yet because Margolis believes Yoo and Bybee committed these significant errors in good faith, he has given them a pass.
The first six presidents of our republic were deist. So how does that make us a “Christian nation?”
How Christian Were the Founders?
You always knew there was something squirrely about Ken Star. You just couldn’t’ put your finger on it. Fifty ($50M)---yes $50M dollars, eight years of yapping Chihuahua-like at the Clintons and imprisoning anyone he could (Susan McDougal) and not even close---and certainly though close, it was a case of “close but no cigar”---notwithstanding the fact that there was one involved. Isn’t there always?
'Clinton Vs. Starr': A 'Definitive' Account
Meanwhile the European turned American terrorists-occupiers ratchet-up their egregious, human-rights violation practices in what used to be a fairly lucid state.
The practice of confiscating/impounding vehicles of the voiceless, easily scapegoated “illegal alien” is counter to the very essence of the foundational principles of this nation. The practice is illegal, unconstitutional and just plain mean-spirited. Oh and by the way the cops have already been told so by the state’s attorney general, to no avail.
In California, Police Declare 2010 'The Year of the Checkpoint'
No surprises here.
Stimulus Failing People of Color
Tax Status Of Lawmakers' Religious Refuge Disputed
PETER OVERBY: One-thirty-three C Street South East sits a half block from one of the House office buildings, roughly three blocks from the Capitol. As with other religious organizations, the IRS takes the C Street Center's word that it's a church. That means the center doesn't have to file public tax returns the way most nonprofit organizations do. It's an arrangement that fits the C Street Center's practically invisible public presence.
But now a group of 13 ministers has asked the IRS to revoke that church status. Eric Williams leads the effort. He's pastor of the North Congregational United Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio. He says the C Street townhouse mainly seems to provide room and board to members of Congress.
Mr. ERIC WILLIAMS (Pastor, North Congregational United Church of Christ): Is there public worship? Is it open to the public? Are there trained leaders who serve the church? C Street really has none of those marks that make it a church.
OVERBY: And if that's the case, Williams says it opens up other questions about whether the C Street Center is doing things that violate the rules of 501(c)(3) charities.
We couldn't call the center for an interview yesterday, because it doesn't reveal its phone number - or numbers for lawyers or other contacts - on public documents or elsewhere. The townhouse would likely go unnoticed, except that its denizens keep popping up in embarrassing news stories.
'Living wage' could be factor in govt contracts
WASHINGTON – The White House is looking at a new policy that would give an advantage in bidding on government contracts to companies that offer generous benefits and good pay.
But business groups opposing the idea maintain it would shut out smaller businesses from competing for more than $500 billion a year in federal contracts and increase government procurement costs.
Texas Red: a cratered landscape of prisons, deplorable public education, lack of healthcare and politicians and majority population intent on keeping it that way.
Imagine that---good compassionate conservative Christians opposing a living wage? Sounds like, oh all right you guessed it---Texas Red: a cratered landscape of prisons, deplorable apartheid public education, lack of healthcare and politicians and majority population intent on keeping it that way.
More: 20 Years Of Defending Death Row Inmates
Bill Moyers: Theodore Olson and David Boies
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