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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2015)
July 8, 2015 Page 7 2SLQLRQDUWLFOHVGRQRWQHFHVVDULO\UHSUHVHQWWKHYLHZVRIWKH 3RUWODQG2EVHUYHU:HZHOFRPHUHDGHUHVVD\VSKRWRVDQG VWRU\LGHDV6XEPLWWRQHZV#SRUWODQGREVHUYHUFRP O PINION %ODFN/LYHVDQGD0LQLPXP:DJH 3URSRVDOFRQIURQWV SRYHUW\DQGUDFLVP MXVWLI\ WKH KRUUL¿F \HW SUR¿WDEOH economic system of slavery that the United States enshrined in its consti- tution. :KHQ VODYHU\ ZDV DEROLVKHG -LP BY T ERESSA R AIFORD &URZ VHJUHJDWLRQ WRRN LWV SODFH The church mas- ZKLFK NHSW EODFN SHRSOH SRZHUOHVV sacre by a white DQG WUDSSHG LQ QRQXQLRQ VODYH VXSUHPDFLVW LQ wage jobs. Under slavery and Jim Charleston has &URZ D WLQ\ HOLWH ÀRXULVKHG DPLGVW re-injected racist vi- SRYHUW\DQGGHJUDGDWLRQ olence into the na- After segregation was crushed tional discussion. The grisly underbelly of our coun- slave wages were maintained by oth- WU\ KDV EHHQ WRWDOO\ H[SRVHG E\ WKH HUPHDQV,QKHUERRNµ7KH1HZ-LP VWHDG\ VWUHDP RI UDFLVW SROLFH NLOO- &URZ¶ 0LFKHOOH$OH[DQGHU FRQYLQF- LQJV LQFOXGLQJ WKH UHFHQW PXUGHU RI ingly argues that a caste system has Walter Scott in North Charleston. EHHQ FUHDWHG LQ WKH 86 EDVHG RQ D The Emanuel AME deaths serve as a PL[WXUH RI SRYHUW\ PDVV LQFDUFHU- DWLRQ DQG WKH P\ULDGV RI GLVFULPL- WUDJLFH[FODPDWLRQSRLQW 5DFLVWYLROHQFHLVQRWMXVWWKHZRUN QDWRU\ SROLFLHV DQG UDFLVW DWWLWXGHV of bigoted individuals. Racism and WKDWPDLQWDLQDG\QDPLFZKHUHLQ its violent enforcers were created to EODFNPDOHVDUHLQYROYHGLQWKHFULP- LQDO MXVWLFH V\VWHP ZKLOH SHUFHQW RI WKH SRSXODWLRQ OLYHV LQ FRPSOHWH luxury. ,Q2UHJRQSHUFHQWRIEODFNVOLYH LQ SRYHUW\ KHOSLQJ HQVXUH WKDW WKH µVFKRROWRSULVRQSLSHOLQH¶ZLOOEHWKH IDWH RI PDQ\ \RXQJ SHRSOH UREEHG RI UHDO RSSRUWXQLW\ ,Q FRPPXQLWLHV where there is sub-standard educa- WLRQ IHZ MREV DQG HYHQ IHZHU OLY- LQJ ZDJH MREV SHRSOH DUH LQHYLWDEO\ SXVKHG LQWR WKH µLQIRUPDO HFRQRP\¶ ZKHUH SROLFH KDUDVVPHQW GHWHQWLRQ humiliation and violence is waiting for them. )RUWXQDWHO\ LQ 2UHJRQ WKHUH LV D FRQFUHWH UHDOLVWLF ZD\ WR GLUHFWO\ FRQIURQWSRYHUW\2UHJRQLDQVIRU KDV¿OHGDEDOORWLQLWLDWLYHIRUDVWDWH- ZLGH PLQLPXP ZDJH ZKLFK LI SDVVHG ZRXOG OLIW XS DV PDQ\ DV 2UHJRQLDQV $ PLQLPXP ZDJH LV D QHFHV- VDU\ ¿UVW VWHS DQG VKRXOG EH HQWKX- VLDVWLFDOO\ VXSSRUWHG E\ DOO JURXSV ¿JKWLQJ UDFLVP ,W¶V QR VXUSULVH WKDW throughout most of the country the µ¿JKW IRU ¶ LV D %ODFNOHG PRYH- ment. 2QFH ZH SDVV ZH¶OO IHHO RXU SRZHU$QGSRZHUIXOSHRSOHGHPDQG better conditions. We need rent con- WURO D SXEOLF MREV SURJUDP DQG UHDO DI¿UPDWLYH DFWLRQ WKDW SURYLGHV UHDO RSSRUWXQLW\ We are in a moment where bold de- PDQGV FDQ LQVSLUH SHRSOH WR DFWLRQ and this moment must be seized. Or- HJRQLVUHDG\IRUDQGQRWDFHQW less. 7HUHVVD 5DLIRUG LV D IRUPHU FDQ GLGDWH IRU 0XOWQRPDK &RXQW\ &RP PLVVLRQDQGDOHDGHURI'RQ¶W6KRRW 3'; Ghost of Osama Rises with US Militarism BY I BRAHIM S. B AHATI Since Osama bin /DGHQ¶VGHDWKLQ WKH RI¿FLDO DFFRXQW RI the Navy Seals’ raid KDV EHHQ FKDOOHQJHG most recently by jour- QDOLVW6H\PRXU+HUVK alleging that “Wash- LQJWRQ¶V RI¿FLDO DFFRXQW RI WKH hunt for Bin Laden and the raid that led to his death was a lie.” ,Q IDFW WKHUH KDYH EHHQ PRUH ³FRQVSLUDF\IDFWXDO WKHRULHV´ about this event than there are on Illuminati. Was OBL there? Was he even alive then? Is he still? ,QGHHGPHUHGD\VDIWHUWKH6HSW DWWDFNV*HRUJH0RQELRW wrote in the Guardian that “If 2VDPDELQ/DGHQGLGQRWH[LVWLW would be necessary to invent him” since “his usefulness to Western JRYHUQPHQWV OLHV LQ WKH SRZHU WR WHUULI\´ HQDEOLQJ WKH FRQWLQXRXV unleashing of billions of dollars in PLOLWDU\ VSHQGLQJ²RQ DQ\ JLYHQ GD\DOO\HDU No wonder the ghost of Osa- PD ULVHV IURP 3DNLVWDQ IURP 6X- GDQ IURP $IJKDQLVWDQ RU IURP WKH RSHQ RFHDQ $ OLH WR JLQ XS GHPDQG IRU REVFHQH SUR¿WV DQG SRZHU" 7KDW LV HDV\ WR EHOLHYH 7KHWUXWK"7KDWLVWRXJKHUWR¿QG 6LQFHWKHFROODSVHRIWKH6RYLHW (UDLQ$PHULFDIRXQG itself with all its threats VHHPLQJO\QHXWUDOL]HG:DU KRZHYHU LV DOZD\V JUHDW EXVLQHVV YHQWXUH QRW RQO\ for nation-states but for all manner of military con- WUDFWLQJ FRUSRUDWLRQV WKH JDWHZD\ WR DPDVV SUR¿WV DW rates no legitimate business can SURGXFH(QHPLHVDUHUHTXLUHGUH- DO LPDJLQDU\ RU PDQXIDFWXUHG ,Q 5D\ 0RVHOH\ ZURWH LQ WKH &KLFDJR7ULEXQH &RXOG LW EH that NATO discovered the Islamic WKUHDWEHFDXVHDIWHUWKHGHPLVHRI FRPPXQLVPLWGHVSHUDWHO\QHHGHG a new threat to survive as an orga- nization? ,IWKH3DNLVWDQLVZHUHOHIWRXWRI WKHRSHUDWLRQDV3UHVLGHQW2EDPD DOOHJHG ZKHUH GRHV WKLV OHDYH XV ZLWKWKHQRWLRQVE\3DNLVWDQL([ 6S\ &KLHI *HQHUDO $VDG 'XUUDQL WKDW ³,6, SUREDEO\ NQHZ RI WKH al-Qaeda chief’s whereabouts un- til his death”? The US has under- written ISI by billions for decades. :KHQZLOOWKH86WD[SD\HUVWDUWWR wonder about the value of this? $QG PRVW LQWHUHVWLQJO\ ZK\ has there come no vivid clinical information (rather than verbal FODLPV DERXW 2VDPD¶V '1$ KLV GHDWKLQFRPEDW SLFWXUHV DQG KLV burial. Obama asserted that Osa- PD ZDV JLYHQ D SURSHU 0XVOLP burial. Says who? Says which Muslim authority? Which Imam ZDV SUHVHQW" :KHUH LV LW ZULWWHQ WKDW SURSHU ,VODPLF EXULDO WDNHV SODFH DW VHD" 1RZKHUH ,W LV DV LI we have settled for a reality that PLJKW KDYH VFRUHG DV D SRRU HSL- VRGHRI 6HSDUDWLQJ IDFW IURP ¿FWLRQ LV DQ HQGOHVV ODERU /HDNV E\ (G- ward Snowden that the NSA actu- ally forced Google and Samsung WRDOORZD7URMDQKRUVHWRVS\RQ Americans and international citi- zens shows the ongoing erosion RI FLYLO OLEHUWLHV 3HRSOH DUH QR longer citizens of their nations but LQVWHDG DUH RIWHQ ³SHUVRQV RI LQ- terest” for entirely legal conduct. Are we an autocracy or a de- PRFUDF\"'LFWDWRULDOUHJLPHVOLNH Saudi Arabia have been massive- O\ VXSSRUWHG XQGHU WKH EDQQHU RI µDOO\¶ GHVSLWH WKHLU EDG UHFRUG RQ human rights and governance is- sues. In fact today’s war on terror- LVPKDVSOD\HGWKHWRWDOUHSOLFDRI WKH PXFK ZRUVH XQHQGLQJ XQ¿Q- LVKHG&ROG:DU:HVXSSRUWVWDWH WHUURULVWVLQWKHQDPHRIRSSRVLQJ non-state terrorists. Whether events surrounding 2VDPD¶VGHDWKZHUHDVSRRIRUDV WKH 6HDO 7HDP FODLPHG TXHV- tions continue and the US seems DUURJDQWO\ SURXG RI LWV ³JOREDO manhunting machine.” Osama’s ghost has not rested. 6H\PRXU0+HUVKQRWHV³2EDPD today is not facing re-election as KHZDVLQWKHVSULQJRI+LV SULQFLSOHG VWDQG RQ EHKDOI RI WKH SURSRVHG QXFOHDU DJUHHPHQW ZLWK ,UDQVD\VPXFKDVGRHVKLVGHFL- VLRQWRRSHUDWHZLWKRXWWKHVXSSRUW RI WKH FRQVHUYDWLYH 5HSXEOLFDQV in Congress. High-level lying nevertheless remains the modus RSHUDQGLRI86SROLF\DORQJZLWK VHFUHWSULVRQVGURQHDWWDFNV6SH- FLDO)RUFHVQLJKWUDLGVE\SDVVLQJ WKH FKDLQ RI FRPPDQG DQG FXW- ting out those who might say no.” ,Q +HUVK ZDV WKH \RXQJ LQYHVWLJDWLYHMRXUQDOLVWZKREURNH the story of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam after the Army covered LWXSDQGOLHGFRQVLVWHQWO\DERXWLW KHLVVWLOORQSRLQWWRGD\ :KDWHYHU KDSSHQHG WR 2VDPD ELQ/DGHQKLVJKRVWPD\EHIRXQG LQ WKH VSLULW RI ,6,6 DQG DOO RWKHU 86 HQHPLHV UHDO DQG LPDJLQDU\ XUJLQJWKH86HPSLUHWRFUDFNLWV KXOORQWKHURFNVRIZDUDQGPLO- LWDULVP DQG MRLQ KLP LQ D ZDWHU\ bloody grave. Will we let bin Lad- en’s ghost have the last laugh? ,EUDKLP%DKDWLVD\RXQJSHDFH VFKRODU IURP .DPSDOD 8JDQGD DQGLVV\QGLFDWHGE\3HDFH9RLFH