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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2011)
opinion what’s Really Going On in the mideast? “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future now” B ernIe F oSter Founder/Publisher B oBBIe D ore F oSter executive editor t eD B AnKS advertising Manager J erry F oSter account executive l ISA l ovInG news editor B rIAn S tIMSon reporter D AvID K IDD graphic Designer M onICA J. F oSter Seattle office Coordinator J ulIe K eeFe S uSAn F rIeD Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, established in October 1975, is a weekly publica- tion, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc., 415 N. Killingsworth St., P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228. Telephone (503) 285-5555. E-mail: info@theskanner.com World Wide Web site: http://www.theskanner.com Fax: (503) 285-2900 the Skanner is a member of the National Newspaper Pub lishers Association and West Coast Black Pub - lishers Association. All photos submitted become the property of the Skanner. We are not re - spon sible for lost or damaged photos either solicited or unsolicited. © 2011 the Skanner A R GH S R S RV D R PRODUC ON N WHO OR N PAR W HOU P RM SS ON PROH B D Knowing what’s Important Can Change your life! Subscribe to The Skanner – don’t miss an issue! Please sign me up for: q 1 year $74 q 2 year $140 q New Subscription q Renewal name _________________ Address _________________ City _________________ State ______ ZIP ________ Phone Mail with check or money order to: The Skanner P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 S omething very weird is afoot. I have been hearing commentators suggest that the invasion of Iraq and the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003 set the stage for the current Arab demo- cratic revolt. The story goes some- thing like this: The people of the Arab world saw that a dictator could be overthrown and they then saw the benefits of an alleged democracy. This, according to the story, sparked their desire to move to overthrow various Arab despots. When I first heard this, I assumed that someone was joking or being sarcastic. The thought that the U.S./British invasion of Iraq, in clear violation of interna- tional law, followed by the instal- lation of puppet regimes would have inspired a democratic revolt eight years later is a bit absurd. If you leave aside some level of delusion, what is one to make of these suggestions? The foreign policy view of the so-called neo-conservatives—the largely Republican group that dominated foreign policy debates during the George W. Bush admin- istration—was one calling for an active and interventionist role in installing pro-U.S. govern- ments. The neo-cons called these governments “democratic,” but what they meant by that was per- mitting people to vote as long as mately and have moved to take overthrown with either the active U.S. ruling circles have failed to approve. As such, the neo-con view has nothing to do with democracy but revolves instead around whether a regime is per- ceived as being pro- or anti- the objectives of the U.S. ruling cir- cles. Two other examples of this the cynical manner in which this plays out were the coups that over- and permission of the U.S. gov- ernment, yet this was not at all seen as a threat to democracy by the neo-cons. Instead, the neo- cons applauded such actions as necessary efforts to restore democ- racy! The Arab revolt that we are wit- nessing has nothing to do with Iraq. The Iraq invasion and occu- pation was reprehensible as far as the Arab World was concerned. Today’s revolt is a revolt against tyrannies, including those openly supported by the U.S.A. (such as Egypt). As such these are not only revolts against domestic tyrants but they also represent revolts against a global system that has helped to place such tyrants into power and reinforce their rule dur- ing the decades. The next time that you hear someone suggest that the Iraq invasion was a step forward for democracy and that it inspired the Arab masses to revolt, well, it is fine to laugh. t rAnS A FrICA their countries in a direction that support or at least the knowledge Bill Fletcher Jr. they vote for pro-U.S. candidates. The neo-cons called these governments ‘democratic,’ but what they meant by that was permitting people to vote as long as they vote for pro-U.S. candidates This is why U.S. ruling circles so bitterly hate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian threw Haitian President Aristide (2004) and Honduran President Zelaya (2009). In both cases, dem- Today’s revolt is a revolt against tyrannies, including those openly supported by the U.S.A., such as Egypt President Evo Morales. These leaders were both elected legiti- ocratically elected leaders were Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of transafrica Forum and the co-author of “Solidarity Divided.” Obama’s Budget makes disturbing Cuts P resident Barack Obama has proposed a 2012-2013 budg- et that is, at best, politically pragmatic. Responding to the Republican sway in congress, he has decided to impose a set of his own cuts, anticipating those his opponents might offer. Their response is predictable. The Obama cuts are not deep enough; they do not go far enough. And, I think they are just too much. In other words, President Obama has been forced to take the knife to programs he supports, and he chooses to do so to hold another set of programs harmless. He would cut community service pro- grams, but he’d hold firm on edu- cation. In yielding to the new Republican majority, he has also reminded us that education is a priority for him, and that he will not cut the plethora of educational programs that buttress his vision. Still, it is disturbing that educa- tion is on the table in a number of cities and states. When people have to balance budgets they come up with all kinds of cockamamie schemes, including reducing school days from five to four, or reducing classroom hours, or reducing something that not only impacts the ways students encounter learning, but also the quality of their lives. Some school districts, thanks to cuts, have no more than 900 hours a year of instruction for students; others have as many as 1400. Imagine what this means on a daily basis when, post high school, these students encounter a class- room. Some are well prepared, Page 4 The Portland Skanner February 23, 2011 B ennett C olleGe Julianne Malveaux some are unprepared, both are products of decision that grown folks made, often mistakenly, about ways to manage budgets. there are challenges, and the chal- lenges are also federal, because our government has been asked, as states must, to balance budg- ets. What does this mean for edu- cation? To cut education in recession is akin to eating seed corn when it is clear that planting will provide resources for a new day. We can cut a plethora of things, but cutting education is unconscionable. Education is our nation’s investment into futures, Still, it is disturbing that education is on the table in a number of cities and states And now the budget thing is really rearing its ugly head. What will we do to balance federal, state, and local budgets? In our opportunity to shine, grow, compete we have to wrap our arms around our young people, To cut education in recession is akin to eating seed corn when it is clear that planting will provide resources for a new day Wisconsin, there is a proposal to change the way the state deals with teachers. In North Carolina we are blessed to have a governor who says she will not sacrifice classroom study on the altar of a blanked budget. In other states, person for herself”. Some phe- nomenal young women can use more parental support than they get, and more of an opportunity to explore life’s opportunities. African American students are less likely than others to have the access that comes from unpaid internships, often because parents and others expect them to work, and to earn, during their summers. If we want to develop a world that is resplendent with diverse opportunities, we must develop a world where our young men and women are held harmless from cuts that are too deep, too harsh, too much. President Obama has been a visionary in suggesting that we in the United States can again lead the world in college attain- ment, but a budget that cuts educa- tion does not reflect his goals. Politics notwithstanding, it is on time and overtime for us to figure out ways to educate more people. Even as programs are cut, educa- tion funding must be expanded. Those who have budgets in their hands must be prudent. Sound fis- cal planning does not mean cutting today to hurt tomorrow. Education must be our priority. Whether we are looking at cities, counties, states, or our nation, we must hold education harmless as we exercise fiscal prudence. young achievers, and provide them with opportunities. One of the most disturbing ends of the early 21st century is the extent to which parents have embraced the notion of, “every Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College for women and author of Surviving and thriving: 365 Facts in Black economic history, www.lastwordprod.com.
