The Reality of Institutional Racism

The recent death of Sandra Bland, in the jail in Waller County Texas, shows the reality of institutional racism in America. While Bland's death has been "officially" ruled a suicide, there is a clear pattern of law enforcement targeting and brutalizing African-Americans. Some people insist these are the actions of a few "rotten apples" which raises the question of how many rotten apples make up a rotten crop. The law enforcement mechanisms are the most prominent features of any government, and any institution which targets people on the basis of race has a serious problem.

American Repub or the GOPer Factor

John Kasic, Ohio governor, is now the 16th contender for the GOP presidential nomination. The GOP race is starting to resemble one of the annoying tv talent shows. Ironically enough those kinds of shows seem to be losing favor with the public, as shown by the demise of both the X-factor and American idol. Just as a side not I tried to watch "SYTCD" and all I could think was, how can a show be that loud and gaudy but still be boring? And Cat Deeley has lost the ability to speak coherently.

The "talent" of the GOP race seems to be warmongering. Scott Walker now says that if he is elected President that he will bomb Iran on inauguration day. The GOPers have become the "War Party." It seems whoever wins the GOPer race will have to be kept out of the white house. Otherwise, something really awful is going to happen.

No Compromise with Racism

What is so appalling for us who grew up in the sixties and seventies, when this country seemed to be moving beyond its racist past, is how quickly racism became respectable once again. It started in 1980 when Ronald Reagan became President while denouncing "welfare queens." Then there was the growing acceptance of racist humor, from "The Black Joke Book" to the prevalence of radio shock jocks. By 1988, when Bush I became President by pandering to fears of "black crime," the racist revival was well under way. The emergence of new racist pundits, like Charles Murray, gave the New Racism a degree of "intellectual" respectability.

Donald Trump has entered the GOP fray, campaigning against Mexicans. The curious fact about racism is that the same rhetoric that it used to target one group of people can just as easily be used against another group. Make no mistake about it; anti-immigrant rhetoric has always been racist. It has always been about targeting and vilifying people. We remember how Trump set himself up as the champion of the "birthers." We at first thought it was cynical self promotion, But it turns out that he really believes his own bullshit. The big lie about American racism is that it was mainly a problem for the poor and uneducated but in reality the rich and powerful have been crucial to maintaining the culture of racism. Trump, nothing but a real estate hustler who happens to be hustling the most expensive real estate in the world, shows that the rich are possibly the worst bigots of all.

In this situation, we must remember that an attack on the rights of one group are an attack on the rights of everyone.

No Compromise with racism!

Greece Says No

Greek voters rejected, by a vote of 62% to 38%, the EU's austerity program. It's not clear what the next move is going to be or what it "means." But it's interesting to see what didn't happen.

1. The world didn't end

2. The world economy didn't collapse.

It's possible that the kingpins of the EU, especially Germany, have already accepted, and might even want, Greece to leave the EU. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken such a hard line. Maybe the EU should've have stayed simply as a Common Market, and not try to become a "United States of Europe."