A lot of politicians and right-wing sycophants are grabbing for political power by demonizing Islam. Conservative Americans are making an issue of building a mosque a few blocks from the place where 9/11 occurred. It not the brightest idea to build there, I think, in these trying times of economic depression and prejudicial fears. And if it stopped there, MAYBE (and just maybe) it would not be so bad. But it doesn’t stop there. Muslims are getting push back everywhere. They are having difficulties building their houses of worship all over the country. And why? Because the Muslim equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan committed an act of terror that was designed to tear down the fabric of liberty in this country.

And Conservative America is helping them do it.

They don’t make the distinctions between Muslims and Jihadists. And in the process they lay the foundation for the persecution and restriction of the freedom of religion. They depend on us to follow their every word and give them the power to make us safe.

And they can’t.

They can’t because Conservative America gives the Jihadists EXACTLY what they want. Jihadists want us to persecute the Muslims in this country. They want us warring in their lands. The Jihadists want us playing the role of the White Devils they make us out to be so that they can gain power over their people who will look to them, the Jihadists, for safety.

And we give it to them. Jihadists make us afraid so that we will curtail our own freedoms and put the lie to the liberties we proudly we boast we have. Ignorant talk show hosts weave half-truths for the masses and we give away our freedoms by  curtailing the rights of others whose voices don’t have airways and whose faces most of us never see. It is SO easy to call a man you never meet a Devil.

But think for a minute, what it would be like if we lived up to the promise we make? We would make the distinction between a truly peaceful Muslim and an Islamic Jihadist the same we would make the distinction between a peaceful Baptist and a Christian neoNazi. We would embrace that Muslim the way we embrace that Baptist and incarcerate the Jihadist the way we do the neoNazis (we do jail the neoNazis these days, right?) Isn’t this what soldiers are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq? They have to know the difference betwee the Muslims they are defending, the Muslims who have their back and Islamic terrorists who are their enemy.

This isn’t North Vietnam and we are not at war with nations. We are embattled with the charismatic leaders of individuals with vulgar and barbaric interpretations of their religion. They don’t hold political offices, they don’t command armies with tanks. And they don’t command the faithful: only the lost.

Liberal America, Progressive America, Democratic Politicians are all afraid to make that distinction because they think you will assume that they are collaborating with the enemy. Are they right?

Do you have the ability to know that a true believer of Islam, Iike a true believer of Christianity, is your neighbor and not your aggressor?

Do you know that a Muslim has about as much in common with a Jihadist as a Christian does with a neoNazi?

If you know this, would you share that knowledge with the folks in the cafeteria, at the watercooler, on the stoop, in the neighborhood or at the church?

Would you share this with your family?

Do you even believe there is a difference? Or are you afraid to know and you want Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck to keep you safe?

What do you think?

If you haven’t heard about this fiasco yet, then let me catch you up.

Before vetting anything or performing the most cursory of investigations, the USDA Secretary, Tom Vilsack, recently decided to can federal appointee Shirley Sherrod for making allegedly racist remarks at an NAACP banquet.  The NAACP went in on her, then White House officials went in after them.  Who was behind the video’s outing?  Why, Fox News and conservative bloggers.

Smell a rat?  Me, too.

So, it turns out that the rat (also known as Andrew Breitbart) posted an edited video and touted it as current evidence of the Obama administration’s “reverse” racism.  On the full video, Sherrod actually was relating an anecdote that implored the audience to see beyond black and white, to help poor people.  In the middle of a volley of “you’re a racist” charges between Ben Jealous and the Tea Party, Sherrod becomes a convenient casualty of their race word-war.  Let the apologies and backpedaling begin here, here, and here.

I will freely admit that I fell for the okey-doke when I first heard about the “racist black USDA agent” on Monday, and my jaw dropped.  Racism on any side, in any form, is stupid, counterproductive, and wrong.   I now understand why there are conspiracy theories for everything.  Every media outlet that ran this story ran their mouths without even watching the entire video first. If CNN’s Roland Martin and Fox News’ Greta Bill O’Reilly are spouting the same thing, then it must be fact, right?

There are a couple of flat-out wrongs here:

1) Breitbart needs to be sued for defamation (or whichever legal form of get-back is appropriate) for misrepresenting excerpts of Sherrod’s speech as the whole enchilada.  Fox News…will go on being Fox News, or someone in their own house with journalistic integrity can call them out for accusing Sherrod of racism on Monday and then brown-nosing her to spite Obama’s face on Tuesday.

2) The Obama administration, the NAACP and their officials need to slow their rolls when dealing with the GOP, Tea Party members and/or people they deem “opposition” who are decrying reverse/black racism.  And not because it’s an invalid claim, but because every person deserves at least an investigation before they undergo a castigation.   They jumped the gun in the middle of a knife fight and caught one in the ass.

Shirley Sherrod should be commended for her refreshing honesty in the face of a debate where each side likes to claim victim without admitting any wrongdoing.  I, for one, feel horrible for believing the hype and hope they give this woman a fat check, her job back, or whichever means the most to her.

For me, the concepts all start with the fundamental understanding of sovereignty – a construct imbued in us not from or by any man but rather a Supreme Being or higher power. Sovereignty means supreme or highest in power. To be sovereign means to be independent of, and unlimited by, any other; possessing, or entitled to, original authority or jurisdiction. This is what liberty and freedom are based on in these United States of America with respect to the un-alien-able rights men documented in the constitution.

I say this because a sovereign individual is self-reliant and does not need anyone (even government) to provide for him, protect him from himself nor tell him what to do. To be sovereign means to be responsible for one’s own actions, to be financially independent and free from unnecessary government interference – basically living the life he desires. The problem again is that many do not understand these concepts or how mandates are in direct opposition from the aforementioned concepts.

Recently Obama passed a Health Care reform bill that mandates folks buy health insurance, similar in the vein that we are mandated to purchase auto insurance and or wear seat belts (if your state demands such by law). Truth is, some states do not and that there were times when it was not required to buy auto insurance or wear seat belts. Many may be too young to remember such, but it is true. When I mentioned my problem with this to a friend, he told me that he was glad such was mandated because driving is not a right but rather a privilege. I said that anything I can do, create or think of is legal and provided to me by that greater than me and not a man.  I also added that by his logic, reading and learning is a privilege also, for that is how slave masters saw it – that they could decided for you as government entities do now. I also added that I thought it was unnecessary to have a marriage license, gun permit and driver’s license. Again he disagreed. So I reminded him of why we have both.

There was a time when there was no such thing as either, that is until or near the end of slavery. Historically, all the states outlawed the marriage of blacks and whites. Not until the mid 1800’s did some states allow such but in order to do so, they were mandated to received a license from the state (had to get permission to do an act which without such permission would have been illegal). Blacks Law Dictionary notes historically that a marriage license is defined as, “A license or permission granted by public authority to persons who intend to intermarry.” “Intermarry” is defined in Black’s Law Dictionary as, “Miscegenation; mixed or interracial marriages.” Up until this period, there was no such thing and now states all use them as a way to make money, for God requires no such permit.

The same is true with respect to gun permits. Throughout much of American history, gun control was used as a method for controlling blacks due to the racial fears of whites. Racist arms laws were on the books before the US was established. The French Black Code required Louisiana colonists to stop “any black carrying any potential weapon, such as a cane.” If a black refused to stop on demand, and was on horseback, the colonist was authorized to “shoot to kill.” Even before that the sixteenth century the colony of New Spain, prohibited all blacks, free and slave, from carrying arms. Mississippi went further, and prohibited any ownership of a dog by a black person. Such restrictions increased dramatically after Nat Turner’s Rebellion in 1831. Virginia’s response to Turner’s Rebellion prohibited free blacks “to keep or carry any firelock of any kind, any military weapon, or any powder or lead”. Simply, America has a fear of armed blacks based on the collective unconscious of what many made Africans in the American Experience. Even the end of slavery did not eliminate or change racist gun control laws. Blacks even needed to obtain a license before carrying or owning a gun or knife when such was not required for whites. Even today the same practices based on race via mandates stem from what we saw in the years of slavery. From public housing residents being singled out for gun bans to so-called “gun sweeps” by police in “high crime neighborhoods.”

All I am trying to say is that we speak and accept these mandates by the government and they are often accepted under the guise of privilege as opposed to a right. We do not value freedom or liberty as much as we say or we would have continued the struggle that our foreparents lead. It seems again as we think we are free, or think we have made ourselves think we have overcome, but the truth is we accept without question. Accepting mandates as such makes us slaves, obviates us from individual responsibility and takes away our enumerated rights stated in the constitution. I mean it is not rocket science – if we are not sovereign, we have no liberty; if we have no liberty, we have no freedom; if we have no freedom, we have no rights – all that is left is privilege, which by definition can be given and/or taken away at anytime.

Raw Dawg Buffalo, aka Torrance Stephens, considers himself to be a “professional criminal w/o a criminal record.” A very prolific writer and blogger, you can find an extensive, if not incomplete, collections of his works, journals and blogtalk radio interviews at rawdawgb.blogspot.com

Now it is a very sad conundrum, the aftermath of the Earthquake. Seeing people dead in the streets, maimed, injured and dying is enough to make ones flesh crawl. It was devastation that I could not imagine. Now with that said, I don’t want folks to take this the wrong way albeit I don’t care – but what good is relief and news coverage if it only parades folks for the purpose of individual attention and ratings. What little I saw gave me this opinion and this as a man who has worked in places all over Africa stopping infectious disease pandemics in small rural communities. When I see news folk broadcasting, all I can think is that they may be sorry but really don’t care and that they really acting, just like the major relief groups as well. Unfortunatelly our government places more importance on getting military troops on the ground than physicians. And then there are the media pundits.

They ask questions as if the folk in Haiti could have dealt with this not recalling that the last Earthquake to occur was some 200 years ago. Then they stand over folks and as opposed to presenting news they present commentary. Figure if they really cared they would be sleeping in the fields with the folk they covering instead of hotels, and being out removing rubble instead of taking pictures and showing make-believe I care faces. Then there is the issue of not know history. Reporters never speak of how Woodrow Wilson and the US occupied Haiti in 1915, or how we basically killed folk on site, or how Bill Clinton continued the same Progressive political approach of Woodrow Wilson. And yep, I’m not in support of progressives for around the world they feel that folks can’t solve their own problems and prefer to interfere and mess things up and ex post facto blame the targets. We forget that Haiti was made poor by the French and even US who did not even recognize them as a sovereign nation on until 1862. We neglected them then for years and now we blame them and don’t even see how we made them or accept that we made the one of the four poorest nations on the globe. And I won’t even mention all this talk about orphans and having folks in America on TV looking sad because they can’t get the kid they wanted to adopt – when these same folks don’t even want to adopt black kids in their own backyard.

Yep, this is why I don’t watch TV news – they will pass anything over as objective information and we are too ignorant to see that what is presented is neither objective nor information but rather conjecture empty of historic perspective. Cut your TV folks, they making you make yourselves slaves. We should see that there is enough research on Earthquakes and their impact historically to act as if this is a new thing and we have to study to help folk on the ground – humbug. I wonder what else is really going on in the world, cause it aint being covered given eleventy-seven news reporters are all occupied with Haiti.

Raw Dawg Buffalo, aka Torrance Stephens, considers himself to be a “professional criminal w/o a criminal record.” A very prolific writer and blogger, you can find an extensive, if not incomplete, collections of his works, journals and blogtalk radio interviews at rawdawgb.blogspot.com

For the past coupla a few years I have been writing and thinking a lot about money and economics. Before then I used to always write about foreign policy, I don’t know why, for my professional expertise, or any of my Undergraduate, master of doctorate degrees are in the area of either foreign policy or economics. Moreover, nor am I a conspiracy theorist. I guess you can say I just like puzzles and problem solving and more importantly freely thinking for myself.

I have been consistent and even accurate in my analysis and evaluation with respect to the US government and the so-called representation of an economy it fosters. I have also been consistent in pointing out that there is no difference really between the political beasts we call Washington, DC and the financial varmints we label Wall Street. And for me there is no better example than the Crooks who operate at the top levels of Goldman Sachs. The way I have figured since the 1960, the folks who run and formulate Washington’s economic policy are the same folk who make fist full of loot for their own personal interest. Starting with the chief Thief in charge – Robert Rubin. Now Rubin was forced to resign from CitiGroup as its Chairman earlier this year for his messed performance. It was profitable for him seeing he left with more than 100 million in his pocket. However, he got his start with Goldman Sachs in the mid 1960s where he eventually became co-chairman in 1990. He was only around for a few years for afterwards he became Assistant to the President for economic policy and eventually US Treasury secretary in 1995.

Then there was Stephen Friedman who served as Chairman from 90 to 94 and as the director from 2005 to date. However in between he was the Chairman of the New York Federal Reserve from 2008-2009. Also there is Adam Storch (VP from 2004-2009 for GS) who now serves as the managing executive of the Security and exchange – as if we expect folks to police themselves. Henry Paulson was Chairman CEO of Goldman Sachs until he resigned to become US Treasury secretary in 2006 until 2009.

It also works the other way around. Michael Paese was deputy staff director on the House Financial services committee from 2007-2008 before becoming Director for Government Affairs for GS which he serves as today. Robert Zoellick was US trade representative from 2001-2005 as well as deputy secretary of state from 2005-06 before putting in work as a managing director at GS from 2006-2007.

This is just an example for I can say the same about Citigroup and others. In fact Geithner was VERY close to executives of Citigroup, ( Robert E. Rubin). Now all I am saying is that it is difficult for me to see how folks who created this problem while working both on Wall Street and In the Halls of Washington Politics can solve the problem. Moreover, I think it really show what the problem is. One of importance is revealed incessant incompetence. If most of us messed up dollars on our jobs at scales way less than what Rubin did at Citigroup – we would be fir4d and likely not be employed again. But not these folks. They are head of the game. And we Americans don’t get it, nor does Obama or any of them other politicians regardless of political affiliation. I don’t know about yawl, but I don’t trust nor love them Wall Street, DC hoes. I mean I do not see a difference between the two: Wall Street or DC, do or can you?

Raw Dawg Buffalo, aka Torrance Stephens, considers himself to be a “professional criminal w/o a criminal record.” A very prolific writer and blogger, you can find an extensive, if not incomplete, collections of his works, journals and blogtalk radio interviews at rawdawgb.blogspot.com

Ok, we just did a first as far as I can recall, count down the first 100 days of a standing president in office in the form of a formal press conference. The last time I saw count downs like this were for a space shuttle flight. Now Hats off to the President, from where I stand he has received a range of grades personally from an A+ to peace relations with the Muslim world and Health Care to a D- with respect to the economy and Pakistan.

With that said, I want to add how I am some what disturbed by the blind allegiance people give to anyone. In the African American community alone, we have a big problem with this and have labeled such folks as groupies, whether one follows Super head, Lil Wayne and yes, even President Obama. So with out further hesitation, my top reasons you know if you are an Obama Groupie.

* You accept without question all that the President proposes.

* You argue vehemently with anyone that disagrees with an approach or policy the President proffers even when one has not read the policy for themselves, and worse

* His picture hangs on the wall next to Jesus Christ in the front room of your house.

* You still have a campaign sign or bumper sticker on your car reading Obama Biden.

* It is sacrilegious for any one to criticize a suggested approach offered by the President and that those who do in your eyes, will suffer eternal damnation in hell.

* If someone’s disagrees with a particular policy, you are likely to question their blackness (just because I don’t agree with giving banks that are gonna fail billions don’t mean I am not as black as thou LOL).

* You feel as if the policies he proposes are written by the president himself, even on Swine flu, health care and economics, when in fact experts other than the president write these positions.

* You get mad and fuss at idiots like Sean Hanity, Rush Limbaugh and others when we already know that these lames don’t deserve our objective attention for they just plane ole hatters and sore losers (they wouldn’t be down with him if he got the GOP a zillion new members).

* You take the time to read the GQ, or Vanity Fair, or Essence magazines cover stories of the first family are in but wont read his budget plain of recovery act.

* Last but not least you will not find this post funny, won’t laugh, and get mad.

Now this is just a little fun to me, but on the real, as I say we must be critical of the office holder not the man, especially if we want him to succeed – it ain’t stop with your vote and remember that. Good Day

Raw Dawg Buffalo, aka Torrance Stephens, considers himself to be a “professional criminal w/o a criminal record.” A very prolific writer and blogger, you can find an extensive, if not incomplete, collections of his works, journals and blogtalk radio interviews at rawdawgb.blogspot.com