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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2015)
Opinion A New Breed of Bigoted Politicians “Challenging People to Shape a Better Future Now” B ernie F oster Founder/Publisher B oBBie D ore F oster Executive Editor J erry F oster Advertising Manager C hristen M C C urDy News Editor P atriCia i rvin Graphic Designer a rashi y oung D onovan M. s Mith Reporters M oniCa J. F oster Seattle Office Coordinator J ulie K eeFe s usan F rieD Photographers The Skanner Newspaper, es- tablished in October 1975, is a weekly publication, published each Wednesday by IMM Publications Inc. 415 N. Killingsworth St. P.O. Box 5455 Portland, OR 97228 A mong the many windswept cliffs that stand guard on the shores of the island of Okinawa, one is known for its par- ticularly gruesome history. “Suicide Cliff” is located on the southern portion of Okinawa. It is so named because thousands of Okinawans took their own lives at the site as American forces ad- vanced across the island in 1945 during the last months of World War II. Twenty five years later, flying low over cliffside memorials hon- oring the dead of various towns and villages who perished there, I was struck by the fact that so many people felt compelled to rush to their own destruction. I soon learned that for tactical rea- sons, and to further their own doomed war effort, the Japanese army had terrified Okinawan ci- vilians with tales of extreme cru- elties they should expect at the hands of the approaching Ameri- cans. The island’s people had their minds manipulated to the point that many chose to kill themselves rather than fall into the hands of a ruthless enemy. Eventually, the people of Okina- wa came to realize that these were “useless deaths” as the Americans turned out not to be the monsters portrayed by the Japanese army. In the years since viewing this tragic site, I learned it is not un- usual for people to be manipulated into a mass hysteria that makes them act against their own self-in- terest, or even to rush toward their own self-destruction. In this cycle of the U.S. presidential election, we have extraordinarily clear ex- amples of the type of propaganda Oscar H. Blayton NNPA Guest Columnist and demagoguery that leads to this type of madness. Donald Trump is the poster child for destructive demagoguery. This bloviating bigot has pulled the Re- publican Party down to new lows and, in the process, dumbed down the national political discourse to a point where America is gnawing Like the thousands who fol- lowed a manipulative Japanese army to their hurried end on Oki- nawa, individuals who flock to Trump’s banner of bigotry and foolishness eventually will see the senselessness of championing someone who makes extremely ill-considered pronouncements and whose campaign completely lacks sound policy ideas. Fortunately for them, however, Trump will not be president of the United States. Unfortunately, however, other Republican presi- dential hopefuls are mimicking his audacious and bigoted posturing because his followers are giving so much credence to this cartoon This is a person who feels so entitled that he can determine what America is and who Americans are at its own flesh in an attempt to ex- pel nonexistent horrors. Echoing the likes of former Gov. George C. Wallace of Alabama and the two Virginia senators, Harry F. Byrd Sr. and Harry F. Byrd Jr., Trump feeds his follow- ers platters of noxious vitriol that are devoid of facts. In addition to demonizing Lati- nos and “Black Lives Matter” ac- tivists, Trump, a privileged White man who inherited his wealth from his father, once declared that the Pequot Indians “don’t look like Indians to me.” This is a person who feels so en- titled that he can determine what America is and who Americans are. of an ugly American. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee may not be stoking the fires of the exact same bigot- ed causes, but they are ramping up their rhetoric to approximate Trump’s level of demagoguery. Just as George Wallace and both Senators Byrd relied on a strate- gy of saying the “N-word” louder than anyone else, this new breed of bigoted politicians base their strategies on attacking liberal targets of opportunity with more vigor than anyone else. And while there are varying degrees of big- otry among the Republican field of presidential candidates, they all seem to be willing to have the country self- destruct rather than give in to its liberalization. During the past seven years, most of them have urged their followers to reject the Affordable Care Act, with little regard for the fact that many of them can- not pay for basic medical needs. These Republican candidates have called upon their followers to op- pose an increase in the minimum wage, despite the fact that many of those supporters are low-wage earners. They ask conservatives to join them in opposing the multi- lateral nuclear deal with Iran, even though the sons and daughters of those conservatives might bleed on the battlefields of any ensu- ing war. And, of course, they op- pose extending equal rights to the LBGT community, while many of their backers have family mem- bers and loved ones who are in the LBGT community. They are urging their followers to go over the cliff and pull the rest of America over behind them. For those of us who refuse to swallow the venom of the likes of Trump, Cruz, Huckabee and Paul, we have a pressing obliga- tion. We must do all that is nec- essary to prevent the forces of self-destruction from taking hold. We must not allow a group of hysterical bigots to determine the future of America. We must stand against those who are taken by a type of self-destructive madness and would throw America over a political cliff to drown in a sea of hatred and despair. Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps. combat pilot and human rights activists who prac- tices law in Virginia. Telephone (503) 285-5555 Fax: (503) 285-2900 E-mail: info@theskanner.com www.TheSkanner.com 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 unsolicit- ed. © 2015 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE- SERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED. To view The Skanner website on your mobile device, scan this QR code • Local news • Opinions • Jobs, Bids • Sports • Entertainment • Music reviews • Bulletin board • RSS feeds Revolutionary Lessons from Burkina Faso T he Sept. 17 coup against the interim president of Burkina Faso, Michel Kaf- ando, contains important lessons regarding the struggle for justice and democracy. Under pressure from demonstrators, striking labor unions and the West Africa re- gional bloc, the coup leader, Gen. Gilbert Diendere, stepped aside and Kafando and Prime Minister Yacouba Issac Zida were restored to power as transitional leaders of the country formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta. The background to the Septem- ber 17 coup can be traced to Octo- ber 2014 when a popular uprising ousted long-time dictator Blaise Compaore, who had overthrown and murdered his former friend and comrade, the near legendary, Thomas Sankara in 1987. It re- versed the revolutionary changes that the central African country of Burkina Faso had experienced un- der Sankara’s leadership. Compaore returned Burkina Faso to its neo-colonial status un- der French and U.S. domination, and instituted a repressive dicta- torship. In the fall of 2014, after an attempt to extend the length of his presidency, millions of people turned out in defiance of the gov- ernment, ultimately driving Com- paore not only out of office, but out of the country. Page 2 October 7, 2015 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Bill Fletcher Jr. The Global African The excitement generated by this insurrection was infectious, not only in Burkina Faso but in neighboring countries. Yet there was an almost imme- diate problem. Was this an an- objective of the coup-people was clear. Regardless of whether Com- paore is returned, the coup leaders wanted a return to the old regime. Since the Arab democratic up- risings that started in late 2010, we have witnessed in the Middle East and Africa a phenomenon of similar democratic protests and in- surrections. In many cases, the leadership of such movements are not visible, and in other cases, they are quite dispersed. Popular, democratic uprisings can drive dictators out of office, Democratic uprisings can drive dictators out of office, but in order to purse a revolution, more is needed than masses of people in the streets ti-Compaore insurrection or was it a revolution? And, if it was to be a revolution, then how was it to be pursued? The Sept. 17 coup against the in- terim president was carried out by units led by the presidential guard, which had not been dismantled and remained loyal to Compaore. In carrying out a coup, shortly be- fore the upcoming elections, the but in order to purse a revolution, more is needed than masses of people in the streets. There is a critical need for or- ganization, whether in the form of political parties, unions or na- tional fronts that can harness the energy of those in rebellion and help to advance the interests of the majority of the people. It is also essential to have orga- nization in order to neutralize the organization of the “other side.” That is, the side that represents the old and corrupt regime. After all, the old regime would never have been able to stay in power absent organization. And there are few examples in history where the old regime has voluntarily surren- dered and walked off into the night of history. Usually, they attempt to find their way back into power. Recognizing that, Kafando an- nounced Friday the disbandment of the presidential guard, a unit of about 1,300 soldiers, and fired its commander and the minister of security. On Saturday, the country announced that it would freeze the assets of Gen. Gilbert Diendere and 13 others suspected of being associated with the coup. Gen. Diendere and presidential guard staged the coup because they were upset that supporters of former President Blaise Compaore couldn’t run in elections, original- ly scheduled for Oct. 11. They are expected to be post- poned for several weeks and a 30- day investigation of the coup will be conducted. In the wake of disbanding the presidential guard, the county is- sued a statement Saturday saying, “The government invites the pop- ulations to remain calm and exert restraint.”
