Category Archives: Government Oppression

I want to thank Amanda Blaine for her thoughtful article and the entire Racial Equity Committee for their work with the Vashon Island School District (Addressing universal racial equity problem in schools requires engagement, honesty, May 10).

Blaine states: Leading with race helps us create equitable schools for all. When we focus on institutional racism, all students benefit. The classic argument regarding how to achieve a more equitable society is: Start with classism and that will solve racism its all about economics. For me, a long-time feminist, institutional patriarchy is at the core of oppression. Given all the factors impacting childrens success, the idea of leading with race intrigued me.

According to The City of Seattles Office for Civil Rights Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), there is good reason to lead with race when it comes to fighting all forms of oppression. America is unique in that we, as a nation, are founded on the attempted genocide of native peoples and the enslavement of Africans. Our national narrative is a story we constructed to rationalize a legacy of government-sponsored racial oppression and segregation.

According to research cited by RSJI, race is consistently a primary indicator of a persons success and wellness in society.

Most of us would agree that ranking the different oppressions is not useful. Leading with race would seem to contradict that, but seen in the context of our history and the resulting institutional racism that exists to this day, I feel that leading with race is a useful strategy. It is not a belief that racism is worse than other forms of oppression. It is a way to bring diverse communities together, including white people, to organize and work together in the pursuit of equity.

Jessica Lisovsky

The rest is here:

LETTER: Thanks for fighting oppression - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber (subscription)

I want to thank Amanda Blaine for her thoughtful article and the entire Racial Equity Committee for their work with the Vashon Island School District (Addressing universal racial equity problem in schools requires engagement, honesty, May 10).

Blaine states: Leading with race helps us create equitable schools for all. When we focus on institutional racism, all students benefit. The classic argument regarding how to achieve a more equitable society is: Start with classism and that will solve racism its all about economics. For me, a long-time feminist, institutional patriarchy is at the core of oppression. Given all the factors impacting childrens success, the idea of leading with race intrigued me.

According to The City of Seattles Office for Civil Rights Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI), there is good reason to lead with race when it comes to fighting all forms of oppression. America is unique in that we, as a nation, are founded on the attempted genocide of native peoples and the enslavement of Africans. Our national narrative is a story we constructed to rationalize a legacy of government-sponsored racial oppression and segregation.

According to research cited by RSJI, race is consistently a primary indicator of a persons success and wellness in society.

Most of us would agree that ranking the different oppressions is not useful. Leading with race would seem to contradict that, but seen in the context of our history and the resulting institutional racism that exists to this day, I feel that leading with race is a useful strategy. It is not a belief that racism is worse than other forms of oppression. It is a way to bring diverse communities together, including white people, to organize and work together in the pursuit of equity.

Jessica Lisovsky

The rest is here:

LETTER: Thanks for fighting oppression | Vashon-Maury Island ... - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber (subscription)

Media Matters for America (blog)

Listen to Sean Hannity contradict himself on human rights in Saudi Arabia within 5 minutes Media Matters for America (blog) But just five minutes earlier, Hannity had attacked Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama for their interactions with the Saudis over the government's oppression of women, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people. Hannity has frequently cited ... Travelling Trump: Riyadh and Jerusalem stops on a heavily-armed road to nowhereThe Sydney Morning Herald Saudis And The UAE Will Donate $100 Million To A Fund Inspired By Ivanka TrumpNPR Transcript of Trump's speech in Saudi ArabiaCNN all 902 news articles »

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Listen to Sean Hannity contradict himself on human rights in Saudi Arabia within 5 minutes - Media Matters for America (blog)

Education and Technology:

Microsoft Learning Tools is software that helps improve reading skills by reducing visual crowding, highlighting words, and reading text aloud, so students can engage with words in a whole new way.

Again?

AsTurkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes extraordinary steps to consolidate power and to crush dissent within his country. Here in the United States, Oklahoma City Thunder star and Turkish native Enes Kanter has been unafraid to speak out against the undermining of democratic institutions withinhis home country. His basketball stardom has afforded Kanter a platform most Turks dont have, giving his criticism of the Turkish government more weight. Thats too much for a strongman like Erdogan to take. So the Turkish government tried to silence Kanter just this past weekend once and for all, and now the basketball star is opening up about the oppression he and other Turks face with Erdogan in power.

The harassment of Kanter came to a head on his latest trip abroad. With his NBAseason over, Kanter has been traveling around the world, hosting basketball camps with his foundation. When he wasin Indonesia, Kanters manager knocked on his hotel room door in the middle of the night and said they needed to talk. He told me the Turkish government has called Indonesia and told them Enes Kanter is a dangerous man, Kanter says. The army and secret service were going to shut down his camp, and they needed to get out of the country.

They fled to Romania, the site of his next scheduled event, on the earliest flight they could board. But as he tried to enter Romania, he found the Turkish government had revoked his passport. He worried that he would deported back to Turkey and jailed by Erdogan. WhileRomanian policedetained him, he filmed a video for Twitter to let the world know what was happening.

To understand Kanters objections to Erdogan, it helps to have a little background. Erdogan effortsto change Turkey from a parliamentary democracy into to a country with a strong executive have been successful. It has been part of a decades-long quest for power. In 1994, when he was elected mayor of Istanbul, he started banning alcohol sales in cafs as part of his effort to turn secular Turkey into an Islamic-dominant country. In the 2000s he founded a party that would eventually win a majority of seats in Parliament and make him prime minister. Herose to president and just as corruption investigations seemed poised to bring him down;he was able to deflect blame and quash the inquest. Since then he has been cracking down on dissent. And with his country in turmoil, last year a failed military coup gave him the political capital to seize more power. He had people fired from their jobs, jailed people deemed as coup sympathizers, and became the worlds leader ofjailing journalists.

The frightening reach of Erdogans autocratic ways were felt in America last week. He came to the States to be welcomed by friend of dictators, President Donald Trump. While he was in Washington, D.C., Kurdish immigrants protested the Turkish embassy. What happened next was truly disturbing.

The bodyguards who beat the protestors in full view of Erdogan left the country withoutconsequence. In fact, when they returned, the Turkish government demanded an apology from the United Statesfor interfering with Erdogans security detail.

Its behavior like this from Erdogan and his lackeys that has Kanter speaking out that nearly cost him his freedom this weekend, but this wasnt the beginning of the harassment.It started with him being left off the Turkish national team, despite being their best player, and has evolved into his inabilityto visitTurkey for fear of being arrestedorkilled. Andto protect family and friends back home and in order to keep Erdogan from jailing them, hes had to cut off all communications. Those family members still face harassment in Turkey. (His dadhas been spit on at the supermarketfor having a son who questions Erdogan.)

With some help from the United States, Kanter was able to leave Romania for London and then return to New York toavoid detention by Turkish authorities. Yet, it will be a while before life will be back to normal for him or his country.

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What Erdogan And The Turkish Government Are Doing To This NBA Star Is Chilling - GOOD Magazine

File: Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba gives an economic policy lecture organised by the ANC Youth League's eThekwini region in Pinetown, Durban on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters / James Oatway

DURBAN The vast inequality in South African society is a clear indication that the economy has yet to escape oppression, Finance Minister and African National Congress national executive committee member Malusi Gigaba said on Saturday.

In 1993 it was agreed that power would be shared with the National Party and IFP [Inkatha Freedom Party] having important parts in the new government, he said in an economic policy lecture organised by the ANC Youth Leagues eThekwini region in Pinetown, Durban.

It was agreed that white people would continue to have a say in the economy. The ANC has stayed committed to these agreements but now has come a time for change. It is time to put us first, Gigaba said, speaking mostly in isiZulu.

READ:Gigaba insists economy must change, but says no nationalisation

The economy is controlled by a minority; they are a monopoly. There are a lot of companies owned by very few people and the services and products on offer enrich these few people.

At the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, there are very few black-owned companies; less than five percent. I say this not to anger you but to show you the inequality in our economy.

This means that our economy is still built on the foundations of oppression, apartheid colonial relations. Looking at how to transform the economy we must ask ourselves what steps we need to take to make the economy democratic, he told the about 400 youth league members and supporters.

WATCH: Gigaba Q&A with economic cluster

The top one percent own 45 percent of the wealth in our country. The top 10 percent own 95 percent of the wealth in our country. We can agree that such a situation cannot remain.

While the purpose of his talk was not on the countrys junk status rating it should not be taken lightly.

[Junk status] will make it more expensive to borrow money from international bodies which will make it difficult to build infrastructure by state-owned entities and the jobs that would come with it. If this junk status continues we might find ourselves in runaway inflation, affecting the poor the most.

We must all work together to bring the economy back in shape. We must do everything in our power to restore our investment grade."

For the economy to work the right way, the focus should be on changing how it was controlled. The country needed to be weaned off its reliance on minerals and focus more on investing in industries, which would allow for trade with other African states and developed and developing nations. We must look at the industries we have and emerging industries that we can enter into, Gigaba said.

African News Agency

19 May 2017

Deputy Finance Minister Sfiso Buthelezi's appointment, brings an end to a two-month hiatus in which the board was unable to meet as it did not havea quorum.

12 May 2017

The laws are required for South Africa to meet its obligations in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

10 May 2017

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba faced questions on SAA, plans to stabalise the economy and prevent further credit downgrades.

31 March 2017

President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his cabinet after months of speculation.

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Economy still built on 'foundations of oppression': Gigaba - eNCA - eNCA

Catholic World News

May 19, 2017

At a special meeting in Caracas, Venezuelas bishops issued a statement on the worsening crisis in the nation.

Thanking Pope Francis and the apostolic nuncio for their solicitude, the bishops spoke about the growing hunger and despairand reminded their flock that they have called upon their parishes to observe May 21 as a day of prayer, fasting, and solidarity.

In their statement, dated May 17 and released the following day, the bishops encouraged the Venezuelan people to continue to express their views in a peaceful way. The legitimate and forceful demand of citizens rights should not be contaminated by violent actions.

The prelates also called upon the Maduro regime to heed the points presented by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vaticans Secretary of State, in 2016including the opening of a humanitarian corridor, the release of political prisoners, and the recognition of the National Assembly, which had been led by the opposition but was dissolved by the nations high courst.

Addressing the police and the military, the bishops denounced the numerous deaths of citizens caused by abuses of authority in repressive actions. The moral responsibility for acts that lead to violence, injury and death rests with those who execute them, as well as those who order or permit them.

The bishops then quoted the words of Blessed scar Romero of El Salvador: In the name of God and of this suffering people, I beg you, I supplicate you, I order you to stop the repression.

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Venezuela's bishops call on government to end oppression - Catholic Culture

Times Now

Wait, we are coming: Kerala IS fugitive tells associates in India Times Now This is because while, in some parts of India, Muslims face visible oppression, in many others, they really do not recognize the reality of their oppression. The hypocrite scholars misguide them. The Modi government is planning to change the ...

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Wait, we are coming: Kerala IS fugitive tells associates in India - Times Now

Srinagar:Abdul Rashid Abdullah, a resident of Kerala who fled to Afghanistan along with other 23 locals to join the Islamic State (IS) in Nangarhar province, says that Modi government in India is a blessing in disguise for the Indian Muslims.

In India, the Modi government is a blessing in disguise for us. This is because while, in some parts of India, Muslims face visible oppression, in many others, they really do not recognise the reality of their oppression. The hypocrite scholars misguide them. The Modi government is planning to change the Constitution and once that happens, the real oppression will begin. That is when Muslims will start searching for the solution. People only remember God when a loved one is dying in hospital. Jihad is like that, too, Abdullah was quoted by the Indian Express as saying.

Abdullah says that Muslims cant practice their faith hundred percent in a secular set up like that of India.

Muslim leaders in India claim that it is possible for Muslims to practise their faith 100% in India: we can pray, fast, go for hajj, and so on. But the hypocrite Islamic scholars stay silent on the Quranic commandment for Muslims to engage in offensive jihad. They know that the Prophet went with weapons and conquered the whole of the Arabian peninsula. The Islamic State follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, yet these so-called scholars criticise it, the report quotes him as saying.

Abdullah rejects claims that the Islamic State is hated by local tribes, the report says. Here in Khorasan, we have Pakistanis, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Arabs, Russians, Indians and all of us live like brothers, along with the Afghans from local tribes. The Islamic State was only resisted by some with nationalistic goals, or with secular ideology, who revolted against Islam and the Caliphate. They were executed. That news is true, the report quotes him as saying.

Regarding Taliban, Abdullah says that they are misguided.

They implement sharia, but not 100% they only want to capture Afghanistan, implement sharia in it, not in the whole world, as Allah commands us to do. This is anti-Islamic. Ever greater numbers of Indian Muslims, Abdullah believes, will be drawn to jihad in the future, the report says.

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Modi government is a blessing in disguise for us: Indian IS leader in Afghanistan - Kashmir Narrator (satire) (press release) (registration) (blog)

It seems left can never be right. This is true when you are talking physically and politically!

Bigger Government helps freedom?

The bigger the government - the more rules and regulations. Automatically that reduces freedom.

Corporations oppress you?

Only the government can oppress you because they make the laws. When in history has corporations thrown people in jail and oppressed a nations population. You have to be a moron to believe this. Only forms of Government can do this. Every oppression in HISTORY has been done by some form of Government.

Abortion doesn't kill babies?

Do I EVEN have to say anything. No one, and I mean NOT one person, really believes this. They all know that when a woman is pregnant, she is Pregnant with a baby. They just don't care.

Boys and Girls are the Same?

.................... Um .........Yeah.......

Raising Taxes helps the economy?

Who are these people? I don't have to teach basic economics, do I? Taking money out of the economy can not boost it. Economies can grow despite taxes, not because of them.

Disarming people makes them safer?

Walls don't make people safer?

People sneaking into the country Illegally is a good thing?

Killing convicted murders is wrong - Killing babies is a right?

We are all going to die from global warming? (because we are outside of nature)

We came from Monkeys? (because we are of nature)

I could go on and on. Pick an issue, any issue you want. Guess what, the left isn't right.

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When is the Left ever Right - WSAU (blog)

A mere 100 days after swearing to uphold the Constitution, President Trump blamed it for impeding his agenda.

Recently, Trump called the Constitution a very rough and archaic system that is really bad for the country. Angered by being checked and resentful of being balanced, President Trump the liberal is sounding less and less like candidate Trump the conservative.

Truth be told, hardly anyone these days understands the Constitution or cares about how its supposed to work, least of all Supreme Court justices or so-called constitutional experts.

The original Constitution was, in fact, an elaborate system of provisions designed to maintain self-government through concurrent majorities. Using a system of vetoes, concurrent majorities counteract the tendency of sinful, human-operated government to oppression and abuse. They equalize and rectify the action of the government in reference to the various and diversified interests of the community.

But the original Constitution contained a flaw that, under Abraham Lincoln, would prove fatal. Though well-intended, the framers violated the principle of concurrent majority by proposing a single executive or president, a system far more prone to usurpation than a plural executive. In the 1840s, Americas greatest statesman, John C. Calhoun, identified this flaw and how to fix it.

Calhoun proposed an amendment to create a dual executive two presidents, each possessing a veto power on the other, and elected from different constituencies, South and North. He explained how this dual system would protect and harmonize all states and sections and preserve Americas union with liberty.

Sadly, tragically, the people of the North rejected Calhouns plan and inaugurated thereby a long, bloody, fratricidal war that would destroy American freedom and render the Constitution the dead letter it is today.

Winston McCuen

Aiken, S.C.

Originally posted here:

Trump blames Constitution - The Augusta Chronicle