Business & Financial News, Socio-Cultural Commentary

Is “increasing minimum wage” just feel good rhetoric?

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Is “increasing minimum wage” just feel good rhetoric?

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

For many workers across America, their hourly wage has remained stagnant, fixed, and inflexible. The only financial increase many have experienced is the cost of living.

This article will address the everyday cost of living and its’ incongruences with the hourly wage of the average American. The question to ask is, “Is an increase in hourly wage, too little too late or a last minute attempt to pacify the American populace?”

Household budgets remained strapped for cash. Family members routinely trim expenditures, and choose between their wants, needs, and mandatories. The inability to effectively prepare for retirement, emergencies, children’s education, afford a wedding, and even deciding to have children are all governed by our earning potential.

President Barack Obama rallied for an increase in the federal minimum wage with vigor, fervor, and tenacity in his State of the Union address a few months ago. President Obama’s aim was to increase the federal minimum wage to $10.00/hour. However, that is federal minimum wage, meaning for government employees. I agree with the President that the minimum wage should be increased.

My 2 questions for America is: “What about the non-federal employees across America?”, and “Is $10.00/hour enough to survive in America, realistically?”

Some states are adopting the approach that President Obama rallied for, and have begun to increase their state minimum wage. We’ve seen strikes, walkouts, and protests from fast food to Walmart employees breakout from state to state.

Let’s analyze this

Virtually every facet of our society has increased the price tag on the goods and service they provide to Americans.

FITNESS- Washington D.C. has moved to implement a Yoga tax. Yes, gyms will now have to pay a Yoga tax for fitness. The D.C. government feels this tax based revenue can help subsidize the expenses on the city’s budget.

MILK- The New York Post published a March 2014 article that details how the cost of a gallon of milk may increase to an extra $1.00 based on the projection of dairy industry experts.

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH- The Daily Mail quoted some statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in a June 2014 article. They assert that the cost of meat, poultry, and fish have increased 7.7% over the last year. Furthermore, they graphically displayed the increase in cost of meat, poultry, and fish based on the Consumer Price Index. Meat, poultry, and fish are at the highest point they have ever been since 1967 according to the Consumer Price Index.

CHILD CARE- In April 2014, The Pew Research Center published an article that analyzed the increasing trend of stay at home mothers over decades. The data reveals that more mothers are choosing to be stay at home moms due to the elevation in the cost of child care. The research also shows that from 1985 to 2011, the average weekly cost of child care increased by more than 70% when using inflation-adjusted dollars. All my friends and work colleagues with children attest that their weekly childcare is approximately $250 or more. This calculates to at least $12,000 per year in basic childcare. A $10.00/hour job calculates to $19,200 before taxes. Childcare alone will consume over half your income in a $10.00/hour job. This doesn’t factor in food, transportation, housing, utilities, clothing, emergencies, and SAVING!

Moving along……….

RENT- April 2014, The New York Times published an article that detailed how the average cost of rent has drastically increased nationally. The asserted premise recommends that rent and utilities should not exceed 30% of your household income. They provide detailed data from 2000 – 2013. The average percentage of rent and utility expenditures in 2000 hovered around 25%. 2013 the average percentage of rent and utility expenditures has risen to almost 40%.

ENERGY BILLS- I won’t go too far in detail about the increase in energy bills for households for the sake of brevity in the article. I’ll furnish the links for you to review at your leisure. However, from Chicago, to Baltimore, to New Orleans, to California, the utility bills are increasing dramatically. Chicago’s electricity bills are projected to increase by 18%, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company will add an additional $15.00 to customer’s monthly bill in the upcoming months. The New Orleans energy company, Entergy, has reached an agreement with Algiers, New Orleans to increase energy rates by 31% over a 4 year period.

TRANSPORTATION- Transportation costs have risen and are increasing nationally. The supplied links will illustrate how fares have increased for subways, tolls, bridges, tunnels, buses, and ferry.

COLLEGE TUITION- We can’t forget how the cost of tuition has skyrocketed to unimaginable and almost unattainable proportions (please read the NPR article that is attached).

GASOLINE- We can’t forget the cost of gasoline, and the implementation of the gas tax (please see the Washington Post article).

HEALTHCARE- Yes, we have Obamacare in play but not all states are implementing it. Secondly, just because you may now get healthcare, it doesn’t stop the increase on healthcare deductibles and copays that many insurance companies are hiking up. (Please see the USA Today article)

So in conclusion

The increase in minimum wage to $10.00 isn’t enough. This increase doesn’t match the cost of living in today’s society. The sad part is that the outcry from millions of workers across the nation is loud. However, corporations assert that they won’t have enough to run their business, and will be forced to lay off workers if they increase minimum wages. This is a bunch of nonsense because these same corporations give multimillion dollar year-end bonuses to their top cabinet members each consecutive year. This is supported by McDonald’s deciding to give their new CEO a $13.8 million dollar package from his $4.1 million dollar package in 2011.

Let’s not forget about the raiding and dismantling of employees pension funds.

The promise to raise minimum wage by 2 or 3 dollars is a pacifying move, something to placate the American demographic into silence. However, we don’t need a conciliation prize, we need gainful employment, and in the same breath, we as citizens need to focus on entrepreneurship and group economics to uplift ourselves.

The articles I furnished are proof positive that corporate America doesn’t care about the proletariat that propels them into wealth.

Science & Technology, Socio-Cultural Commentary

Weaponized drones will create the most unthinkable atrocities

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

What happens when drones become weaponized domestically?

by Dr. Samori Swygert

Most Americans are familiar with drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). What will happen when drones become weaponized domestically?

This article will address the dangerous possibilities of the manipulation and exploitation of drone technology and the dilemma of science and technology that outpaces legislation and regulation.

Some citizens are unconcerned about drones. Many feel that drones provide national security. However, drones are like any other device that can be used as a weapon. The final result resides with the person in control of the apparatus.

Here’s an example:

You can put a gun in the hand of a well-trained, ethical police officer and she/he can provide security without a problem. You can take the same gun and put it in the hands of a Virginia Tech student, and he can kill and injure multitudes of innocent citizens. What is the intent and mind state of the operators of these killing apparatuses?

Now that drone technology is out of Pandora’s Box, what are we to do? The government isn’t the only manufacturer of drones, there are private sector manufacturers that construct drones.

To confound the situation, we also have home-made engineers and physicists that build all types of machines and apparatuses within the confines of their abode.

The majority of American inventions were built in an attic, basement, garage, backyard, or private lab. These same inventions are eventually sold to government agencies, corporations, or propel the inventor into successful entrepreneurship.

I forecast that in the near future, backyard inventors will equip home-made drones with guns and other forms of munitions. The moment this occurs, we will witness some of the most unthinkable atrocities across the country.

Exploring the possible implications

Think about how Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, and John Kennedy were assassinated. Imagine an armed weaponized drone that can hover around a specific target unknowingly and discreetly. The drone could be perched at an inaccessible but perfect vantage point for a kill shot, and then remotely guided back to its owner with stealth. Instead of drive-by’s we could start seeing fly-by’s.

Think about how we have Neo-Nazis, KKK, Skinheads, and other racists and anti-Semitic groups across the country. These groups could wage their own sick wars on innocent civilians with personal weaponized drones. They could fly these drones into highly populated African American communities and take out many blacks, and the news would probably say, “They were victims of random acts of gun viοlence, gang wars, innocent by-standers, or drug related shootings,” and people wouldn’t think twice.

Let me make this clear: This could enable a high-tech, modern day “Black Wall Street” or “16^th Street Baptist Church Bombing.” The Black Wall Street bombing was the aerial fire-bombing of a productive African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing in Alabama was a hate crime where four little girls were killed by a racist. The only difference now is that this new technology could allow this to be done by a drone.

You may say I’m pushing the envelope, but let’s extrapolate this to mass school shootings. Imagine a sick individual that has positioned a weaponized drone by schools, offices, or shopping malls, and remotely shoots innocent civilians while at home eating milk and cookies like it’s a video game. Woah! Well we just saw two 12-year-old girls stαb another girl multiple times to please a fictional internet character.

Let’s be logical

I’m just a writer that thinks about situations from several angles other than the one angle presented. The use of drones is presented as a security tool, but there are many other dimensions that are ignored and intentionally dismissed.

Last week, CBS reported that a Seattle woman saw a drone hovering outside her apartment window and viewing her activity. The woman alerted the building staff and they went outside, at that point the owners of the drone quickly packed up their equipment and drove away before local authorities arrived.

According to Politico, this also happened to Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Dianne Feinstien said she walked up to one of the windows in her home and a drone was positioned just inches away from her face. Once that occurred, she began pressing for drone regulation. Now, imagine if that was weaponized.

My thoughts

I think it’s too late now. The technology is here, and you can’t regulate criminals. You can make laws, but a criminal’s philosophy is premised on the disregard for law. How do you regulate and control what people are building in their homes?

My other concern is the government or police’s use of drones domestically. Once you’re on a watchlist, you don’t know if you’re targeted for surveillance and or elimination. There is a no fly-list, but people are unaware of the eligibility criteria that places them on this type of list and other lists. What happens if you’re viewed as a threat or your name is confused with another individual that should be on a watch-list? There are even companies in South Africa that have built drones that fire pepper spray bullets for striking South African miners.

However, there is a drone industry, and industries generate money and tax-based revenue. I’m very cautious about the use of drones. If I can see this and feel reluctance and apprehension, please believe some sicko is probably already plotting and salivating for the right time.

This is not a case of IF but a case of WHEN. Keep your eyes peeled! Peace!

Here is a Youtube parody clip I made from Watch the throne by Jay-Z and Kanye West:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iEHFRgW-j8Q

Environmental, Socio-Cultural Commentary

11 catastrophic trends that we are ignoring

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

11 serious trends that we may be ignoring

by Dr. Samori Swygert

Are we paying attention to these critical trends in today’s society? Our Brave New World is so busy. The average citizen is stuck on a social hamster wheel and the rest of the country is like a circus or movie.

It appears as if we only have enough time to take a breather of a nap, and do it all again the next day. We only have a morsel of “me time” between careers, spouses, children, relatives, social/civic/religious commitments, school, traffic and friends.

However, do we take enough time to piece apart what we are seeing? Do some of us just brush off serious events like they’re one-time scenarios? Are we growing desensitized?

Let’s look at these trends:

1. Parents killing children and children killing parents

A 16-year-old may face 40 years for killing his parents because they punished him by taking away his iPod. In the same vein, we just saw a father throw his child off the roof in New York City this winter, and a mother driving her kids into the sea, and a father hacked his son to death because he said his son was possessed. What’s behind all of this? I’m positive that there is some mental health issues at hand here. However, these are not isolated incidents. There has been a surge in these atrocities across the nation, but are we paying attention and taking tally? Why is murder considered as a solution for problems now?

2. Teen Suicide is on the rise

The cry for help, attention, and love from our children is reaching the highest audible decibel, but we still turn a deaf ear to our offspring. Elementary school kids to college students are killing themselves in unprecedented numbers. Our youth are killing themselves because they feel they aren’t accepted, they’re bullied, harassed about sëxual orientation, unloved, feel the pain of broken families, and more. Are we too busy as parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors to stop, listen, talk to and help workout the complexities of life with our youth?

3. There’s an increase in the diagnoses of Bipolar Schizophrenia, ADD, ADHD, OCD, Depression

Whenever you watch a TV show, a drug commercial comes on that advertises the latest prescription drug for a psychological disorder. The commercial typically starts like this, “Do you feel moody sometimes; Have your friends sensed a change in you?; Do you just not feel like that person you once were?; Do you have problems focusing through the day?” The commercial will list a myriad of signs, symptoms, and subjective adjectives that you can relate to. However, that is just the commercials. How many people do you know that have been diagnosed with a mental disorder? How many children do you know that have been diagnosed with a behavioral/mental disorder? Are you paying attention to this increase? What is it about today’s society that has many of us undergoing behavioral/mental/psychiatric disorders? Why are so many Americans suffering from mental illness lately?

4. There’s an increase in natural disasters

We have grown accustomed to natural disasters plaguing our environment. They appear to happen like clockwork. The only thing that we can’t predict is the severity and the number of casualties involved. Think about the tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, wildfires, sinkholes, droughts, and flooding. Some of us are so busy, and don’t care to think in depth, as long as these disasters don’t affect us or our loved ones. I’m also aware of man-made disasters and human tinkering of our planet with geo-engineering, fracking, mining, and underground experimentation. Where are we headed environmentally if these disasters keep occurring naturally or by human manipulation of nature?

5. There’s an increase in emerging infectious disease

I’m not just referring to HIV, I’m talking about the resurgence, and spread of new and old diseases. Polio has reappeared all over the globe, we have MERS spreading, the measles and mumps are popping up all over the map, SARS and “SARS-like” diseases are spreading. There’s the Chikungunya virus plaguing Africa and the Caribbean. How, why, and where do these diseases originate? Are we dealing with pure microbial progression or something more sinister in nature?

6. A surge in blatant police brutality

It’s strictly my opinion that police brutality has increased in frequency and rapidity. It seems like every other week, police officers are being caught abusing their power, using excessive force, and/or shooting unarmed citizens. How comfortable or conditioned are we with this abuse of power, and increased militarization of local law enforcement?

7. Surges in banking fiascos

We can talk about the long list of banking employees that have committed suicide since last year. We can talk about how hundreds of millions of dollars keep going missing, and a manager will get fired with a fat severance check. We can talk about the Libor scandal, or even the closing of banks in Europe, or offshore banking with Credit Suisse. Yet, Wall Street is seeing one of its biggest rallies in history. How do you feel about that?

8. Stripping of civil liberties

Police can take your DNA samples, your phone, your email, and your text messages are no longer private. Drones hover above us; cameras are ubiquitous. Cops can now pull you over for driving and search your car based on an “anonymous tip.” Do you feel like everything is being taken away from you bit by bit?

9. Food, Device, Automobile, and Drug recalls

If it’s not tomatoes, spinach, chicken, thousands of pounds of beef, automobile airbags, ignition switches, defective seat belts, child car seats, peanut butter, or prescription medication, something is always being recalled. What is really going on in our production and manufacturing process? Does safety, quality, and care go into anything we make anymore?

10. Pastoral Suicides

I won’t even try to count the amount of pastoral suicides. All I will say is visit: www.allchristiannews.com and do your own homework.

11. Gentrification

Across America we’re seeing citizens being displaced from their communities. We can look at Harlem, Chicago, Washington, D.C., all the way to California, and you will see this socio-economic phenomenon rearing its head. How are we creating a population of nomadic citizens?

Thoughts????

Business & Financial News, Socio-Cultural Commentary

Corporate America’s “do more with less” is killing us

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Death and product recalls tied to job layoffs

by Dr. Samori Swygert

The O’Jays made a song entitled “For the Love of Money.” Now, the chickens are coming home to roost.

I started thinking about the unemployment rate and the associated correlations. There is nothing wrong with creating revenue, but corporate greed always produces human carnage. Have you paid much attention to the increase in recalls of automobiles, drugs, and food? Have you really examined the root cause analysis of the VA Hospital debacle? What about the recalls of cribs, car seats, and strollers?

It’s strictly my opinion that America has become obsessed with the philosophy of, “do more with less.” I think this corporate economic ideology is responsible for increased layoffs, downsizing, and the shipping of jobs overseas. Ultimately, this approach results in tragedies and greater expense.

However, if we continue conducting in-depth analysis, we’ll see there’s a correlation between many of these recalls and the cutting of jobs, and cutting of corners. Check out the examples below:

General Motor Recalls and Layoffs

I read a June 7, 2013 article in Bloomberg Business that explained how GM was going to lay off 430 factory workers (in Michigan) so the company can “retool.” The article said that 430 workers will be furloughed in phases, and they have no obligation to keep temporary workers. GM was reported to be building a new plant in which the workers would return to work. I don’t have an update on the employees that returned. However, we now see that GM has come under intense unprecedented corporate scrutiny and chastisement for faulty ignition switches which have been implicated in 13 deaths and 54 accidents. Globally, GM had to recall approximately 15 million vehicles.

Ford Motor Recalls and Layoffs

Ford Motor Company had to recall 1.3 million vehicles due to power steering defects at the end of May 2014. According to USA Today, “The biggest recall was of 915,216 Ford Escapes and its corporate sibling, the since-discontinued Mercury Mariner, from the 2008 to 2011 model years over the steering issue. All of the compact SUVs were made at Ford’s Kansas City Plant and 736,407 are believed to be in the U.S., with most of the rest in Canada and Mexico”. Ford also recalled 195,527 vehicles produced from its Chicago plant from 2011-2013.

I researched this a little bit and the Kansas City Business Journal reported that Ford laid off 150 workers from its Kansas City Plant. A 2008 article from The Chicago Tribune reported that Ford was going to cut over 2,000 salaried employees. The following are direct excerpts from the article, “There’s a full-court press on to get things done as quickly as possible,” said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “The pressure is on to get the turnaround under way before the money runs out. They’ve got to conserve cash as best they can. Ford has 23,700 salaried workers at the end of 2007. The automaker has cut the number of full-time salaried workers in North America by 10,800 since the end of 2005.”

Graco Car Seat Recall and Layoffs

You start to see a direct correlation when you compare the time frames of the layoffs to recalls. I think this also is prevalent with the baby car seats. Let’s take a look at Graco. Graco is a Minnesota-based company that manufactures baby car seats and other retail items. According to a December 2008 Star Tribune article, Graco cut up to 240 jobs, and the company projected that the cut would save them $9 million per year. Fast forward to 2014, Consumer Reports published an article detailing the recall of 3.7 million car seats due to buckle issues. The time frame for the recall included various models from 2009 to 2013. Hmmm… Coincidental???

We open Pandora’s box of trouble when we look at the American human labor force as dispensable. Yes, many companies took a hard hit from the 2008 economic crisis and had to make decisions. However, it’s imperative that companies conduct true risk-benefit analysis and not just cost-benefit analysis. The cycle of layoffs, furloughs, and downsizing can carry risky ramifications that may cost more than the money you project to save through layoffs. This over conservative practice eventually compromises quality assurance, product integrity, inspection, oversight, and safety.

Saving a few million dollars doesn’t compare to the loss of money from a tarnished brand, class action lawsuits (from death or injury), litigation, forced inspections, and upgrades from government and industrial agencies.

I think this illustrates how the greed of capitalism destroys families via unemployment and physical harm. This illustrates how greed returns to ruin you. Furthermore, this illuminates the necessity, and integral role that human labor plays in public safety.

Can I definitively conclude that layoffs cause death and product recalls? No, but based on the preponderance of evidence which I’ve supplied, there is a strong correlation. What are your thoughts? You decide….

“Money can drive some people out their mind”- The O’Jays

http://youtu.be/kjuRhETwbI0

Human and Civil Rights, Socio-Cultural Commentary

Does the black LGBT community give away too much of its’ power?

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Does the black LGBT community give away too much of its’ power?

by Dr. Samori Swygert

Routinely, popular culture loves throwing out slogans and clichés. The following are my favorite two because they are so far from correct: “We’re a post-racial society” and “Gay is the new black.”

I want to address the cliché “Gay is the new black.” When a person tries to explain why they are not the same, many people immediately jump to Bayard Rustin as a convenient talking point. Bayard Rustin was an African-American civil rights advocate that assisted Dr. Martin Luther King. He was also a homosëxual.

Well this write-up is to stimulate critical thinking and wise logic to assess the priorities of the parties involved. Before readers get on their knee jerk soapbox — no, this article isn’t about “gay bashing.”

Here is my question to the public:

What about the gay racist?

I think because homosëxuality is a race-neutral issue, some people don’t consider this a reality. When I say race-neutral I mean, there is no one specific race that practices, embraces, subscribes, or endorses homosëxuality. All races have individuals within their race that are homosëxual (American, European, African, Asian, Hispanic, Latino, Middle Eastern, East Indian, Pacific Islander, etc).

When you look at the still photos and video footage of gay pride parades, you’ll see an assortment of ethnicity. However, homosëxuality only denotes sëxual preference or orientation. Homosëxuality has nothing to do with race relations at all. These are two completely separate social issues.

The same way that there are racist heterosëxuals, there are racist homosëxuals. However, there is never dialogue or discussion about this particular subject.

A hypothetical situation

Let’s examine this a little bit: Assume there’s a racist white homosëxual male that is seeking the passage of marriage equality in his respective state. I believe he would be more than welcoming of all homosëxuals (regardless of race) because they would contribute power (numerically) to get legislation and policies passed or changed. The multicultural support would benefit his goal of marriage equality in his state. His goal has been met, yet he can still be dedicated, committed, and devoted to the oppression of African-Americans, Latinos, and an Anti-Semite.

What I’m saying may sound like theatrics, but think about J Edgar Hoover.

There are several books, witnesses, materials, and even the movie about his life that denote he was homosëxual. J Edgar Hoover was committed, devoted, and dedicated to the systematic oppression and undermining of the civil rights movement. J Edgar Hoover was complicit in the COINTELPRO program that was responsible for the suppression of the Black Panthers, Martin Luther King, Fred Hampton, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and more.

This is an interesting point that I think deserves heavy contemplation. When non-white homosëxuals rally in mass numbers for marriage equality and other rights, liberties, and freedoms for homosëxuals, they may help many racist homosëxuals achieve their goal, but there may be no reciprocity on other issues that pertain to them.

The numerical power of African-American homosëxuals can sway political decisions that can turn the tide on marriage equality. However, how many racist homosëxuals are vehemently and diametrically opposed to affirmative action, reparations, or even support policies like Stop and Frisk and Stand your Ground (which adversely affects African-Americans more than whites)? Would all of the members of GLAAD and the LGBT community support reparations? How many members of the LGBT community would thank you for the vote but still consider you subservient, inferior, or support policies and legislation that adversely affects you as a race?

Remember, race relations and sëxual orientation are two separate social issues.

I don’t have an answer for this at all. I just wanted to stimulate thought because at some point in time, a person will have to prioritize or make a critical decision in which race and sëxual preference are the tipping points of a scenario. How will they choose, and what will govern their decision making process?

Think very broad in scope about this, because I simply used a racist white male as an example, but racial hatred can come from any race and be directed at whomever.

What are your thoughts? Lastly, please refrain from negative and vulgar commentary, it’s unnecessary.

Global Issues, Socio-Cultural Commentary

America claims ownership of 782,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

America claims ownership of 782,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean

by Dr. Samori Swygert

I hate saying, “I told you so,” so I’m moving along as planned… A front page, above the fold article in the June 17th Washington Post, revealed the United States plan to expand our claim over the world’s oceans. According to the article, President Obama has addressed the plan at a meeting. He detailed how a vast portion of the Pacific Ocean will now be off limits.

The impetus that’s driving the proposal is to preserve a precious section of the Pacific Ocean. Supposedly, this section has some of the most purest water on earth, it’s devoid of pollution. The proposal will also prevent fishing, energy exploration, and “other activities.” There is an open comment period in which the public can submit concerns and issues for the administration to review.

The terminologies that the administration is using to refer to this vast expanse of water are “sanctuaries and monuments.” Currently, America has claim over 87,000 square miles of the ” Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.” President Obama will expand this to 782,000 square miles. The article also says, ” The ocean area under consideration, by contrast, encompasses uninhabited islands in a remote region with sparse economic activity.”

Early last week, I wrote an in-depth 2-part article called New World Water: Part 1 and Part 2. I illuminated the fact that nations and multinational corporations are laying claim to the world’s water supply. There was a 2014 Global Water Summit in Paris, France that the TV media failed to cover back in April, and the newspapers failed to give any fanfare or attention. This only confirms my assertions and position about the summit. This appears to be one of many sequential steps in complete global dominance.

It’s ironic that only two months after the 2014 Global Water Summit, President Obama seeks to expand the designation and demarcation of America’s “claim” in the Pacific Ocean. The article I wrote addressed only a few topics from the Global Water Summit such as: purchasing water rights, developing water management systems, imposing water restriction policies, and how to develop profitability policies. I’m certain there was more to the summit, but it was an exclusive meeting, and the specific material would only be divulged to entities privileged or authorized to attend.

The Washington Post article also reports that the British government is also creating a “marine sanctuary’ in the Pacific, and the president of a Pacific Island nation of Kirbati said he will close an area “the size of California” to commercial fishing by the end of 2014. President Bush also set aside a claim in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands while he was in office.

The intentions appear noble and good because we are using terms like: “conservation,” “preservation,” and “sustainability.” These terms sound good — they are audibly palatable and pleasing. However, there is a fine line between conservation and imposing man-made limits of a natural resource required for human vitality. When America demarcates these geographical boundaries, who are we depriving of a resource? Who gives us the authority to lay claim over the ocean, and who can/can’t fish in specific marine locales? Why must other nations be restricted from one of the most purest portions of Earth’s oceans?

Understand Political Talk

We must specifically assess the verbiage in political speak. What do they mean when they say “other activities” and “other threats”? These are broad terms. What will it entail, and require to enforce these boundaries? Will this portion of the ocean be specifically untouched by everyone, or only our military and other governing bodies? What’s the criteria for use if this section of water is needed?

I will attach the Washington Post article, my article on the NEW WORLD WATER and the Global Water Summit of 2014, also note that the U.S. Military has developed a way to create Jet Fuel from seawater.

Are we exercising “maritime manifest destiny”?…what are your thoughts?

Click Here to Read New World Water Parts 1 and 2

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Global Issues, Socio-Cultural Commentary

New World Water Part 2

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

New World Water Part 2: The 2014 Global Water Summit (Click here to read Part I)

by Dr. Samori Swygert

What does it mean to you when heads of major hedge funds and private equity firm managers speculate on the profitability of water?

First, I’d like to be fair and address the current need for water management:

Reasons that water management should be exercised

We’ve witnessed oil spills like the Exxon Valdez and the BP oil spill. We’ve also seen millions of gallons of toxic coal ash leak into North Carolina’s Dan River and the toxic spill into West Virginia’s drinking water supply. We’ve also witnessed and continue to hear about the nuclear spill from the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor, which has made way to the west coast. Portions of Iowa and other states that rely on agricultural commerce have seen a pervasive infiltration of nitrates into their water supply from fertilizer. We’ve witnessed an increase in water deficits in drought-prone areas throughout the Midwest to California. Many remember Shane Snyder, an ecological toxicologist who elucidated the increase of feminized male marine life in Lake Mead (Nevada), the Potomac River (DC), Denver, and California. This phenomena was occurring due to “traces of codeine, Prozac, Valium, common antibiotics, insect repellents and a host of chemicals termed endocrine disruptors into the Lake Mead reservoir.”

We must remember the Uranium contamination of Red Water Pond Road of the Navajo Nation of the Native Americans. Their reservation is the site of the largest Uranium dump in America. The remaining groups of the Navajo tribe will be displaced from their reservation because the EPA has ruled it too toxic for inhabiting due to Uranium mining and dumping (their cattle and kids play in contaminated water).

Lastly, the Supreme Court recently said that ex-military and North Carolina plaintiffs couldn’t be rewarded from a lawsuit against an electronics company that is responsible for toxic contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The water was tainted with benzene, Trichloroethylene, and other chemicals that led to generations of individuals with rare forms of leukemia, liver, kidney and other cancers…….Yes, mater Management and oversight are needed!

The technology

Big corporations have procured the best scientists and engineers to devise water treatment systems that multinational corporations are investing in, encouraging nations to adopt, and develop international standards. According to the agenda of the Global Water Summit of 2014, they’ve designed bacteria that breaks down waste, ultrafiltration membranes, advanced desalination systems, nanofiltration technology, hydrolysis, reverse osmosis systems and a myriad of other “solutions”.

My issues

When have you ever seen the privatization of earth’s natural resources turn out good? Throughout the Global Water Summit agenda, a specific theme is: Repetitive, Ubiquitous, and Diffuse. The theme is maximization of profit and how to impose this technology on nations and local municipalities for profit. I wouldn’t have a problem if the approach was noble in effort, but money and profit always pervert noble motives.

I believe this will evolve into a system of “hoard and ration.” The major corporations have hundreds of billions of dollars to sway politicians to present logical arguments on water conservation, but it will ultimately lead to “hydro-austerity.” The fact that this summit wasn’t even in the news or the traditional newspaper outlets speaks volumes. The exclusivity of the summit allows the privileged, wealthy, and powerful conglomerates to posture themselves for windfall profits because water is mandatory for life.

Examples of my hypothesis

California has already initiated proposals and standards to be imposed on its citizens. An article in the Sacramento Bee highlighted future mandates. “All urban water districts in California must decrease water usage per person at least 20 percent by 2020. By 2017, all pre-1994 homes must be retrofitted with low-flow plumbing fixtures in showers and toilets. The city faces a 2025 deadline under state law to finish metering all customers.” Furthermore, they are shrinking lot sizes of properties that are on the market to regulate water consumption.

These are means to reduce water consumption, but this will also lead to increase in water bills and taxes. The forced adoption of new water efficient technology is a pat on the back to the designers of the technology that attended the conference. They will get rich by imposing new laws and standards centered on the science and technology they developed and marketed around the globe.

How can we apply this knowledge of the Global Water Summit as African Americans?

The EPA said that we will need to spend at least $380 Billion dollars to upgrade our water infrastructure. Maybe we can get finance expert and scholar Dr. Boyce Watkins to explain how to invest in Tax Free Municipal Bonds that are set aside for the upgrades nationwide. Also, now is the time to thoroughly survey your property and find out if you’re sitting on water, and look into purchasing water rights too.

For comedy sake

We may have more water available if they didn’t waste so much hosing us down during civil rights protests. I also know that these company executives are studying how to charge us for water as they smoke cigars in their jacuzzi. Maybe all this depletion of water will eventually result in the recovery of Malaysian Flight 370 (yeah right!). I project that the division between the rich and poor will produce a real “Watergate” — rich on one side, and poor on the other. We need Moses to come and tap some of these rocks to spew forth some fresh water. Man I miss water balloon fights and Super Soakers.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (Part 1 of this article)

Global Issues, Socio-Cultural Commentary

Did you know that a bunch of wealthy people gather to discuss how to control your water?

July 15, 2014 admin Leave a comment

The New World Water part 1: The Global Water Summit of 2014

by Dr. Samori Swygert

One of my favorite emcees is Mos Def. A while ago, he made a song titled “New World Water” on his first album. Now fast forward to 2014 and we realize that the record is more than just a song.

Water is a natural resource made available to all inhabitants on Earth. Many believe that the accessibility and availability of water is a human right. Now may be the time to reexamine these premises and assertions. Are you aware that the GLOBAL WATER SUMMIT OF 2014 just concluded this past April in Paris, France? Were you aware that they have GLOBAL WATER SUMMITS?

This summit is the “Who’s Who” of global executive leaders, private equity firms, hedge fund managers, technology strategists, and infrastructure development experts. Yes, the water we know, need, and love is currently being speculated on for venture capital investments as an emerging market.

The itinerary of the summit consisted of 45 sessions that addressed desalination, advanced water treatment technologies, water transport, developing public policies for urban water use, and devising sustainable water solutions in: Africa, Singapore, Israel, India, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Pakistan, and Bahrain.

Here are 5 titles of the 45 sessions that were presented

Water’s impact on Profitability, New Metrics Underpinning Investment in Water Management Programmes
Water conflict and peacemaking in Future Cities
Venture Capital Investments in Water: Ingredients to success
Technology investor focus: Which water treatment technologies are getting investors’ attention and why
Competition in the urban water supply chain: What are the emerging trends?

This is the lexicon of speculators. It sounds more than just sustainability and environmental conservation.

Why is this important?

Globally and domestically, there are companies and individuals that are buying up water rights. What are water rights? When you purchase property, people typically think of acreage, square feet, and overall perimeters they will own. However, real estate savvy individuals recognize the importance of what is below your land. Your property may be pregnant with gold, oil, coal, water, and more. You can purchase the rights to own those resources below your property.

Some people own property but someone else may own the water rights to the H2O beneath it. Bloomberg Businessweek produced an article that detailed how the Royal Dutch Shell is buying groundwater rights in Colorado, Nestle is purchasing water rights throughout America, and investors in Australia are buying water rights and reselling it to farmers at a marked up value.

The article also details how an old Texas oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, owns 68,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle that sits on the Ogallala Aquifer that contains a QUADRILLION gallons of water. He projects that he will eventually sell 65 billion gallons a year to Dallas.

This is important because government agencies forecast that the demand for water will exceed the supply by 40 percent by 2030. The demand is based on increased population, climate change, urbanization, and industrialization. The principle basis of economics is scarcity. How do you manage scarce resources, and match it with the demand of the public, while making a profit? Throughout America, water rights are being purchased like home foreclosures. This is occurring in Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and other states.

The proposed technology and infrastructure

The proposed and current technological processes deal with desalination of ocean and seawater. This process is similar to hemodialysis. Water filtration plants are being built and renovated throughout America. The filtration plants will suck up ocean water and filter out the salt content so that it’s suitable and safe for human consumption and redeposit the remaining salt back to the ocean.

There is also reverse osmosis. This process is being used and heavily proposed nationwide. This takes groundwater, sewage waste water and systematically separates the particulate matter, contaminants, microorganisms, pharmaceuticals, and carcinogens and then passes them through ultrafiltration membranes, ultraviolet lights, and ozone to “purify” it. I encourage you to read everything on your bottle of Dasani, that’s all I will say.

Furthermore, according to three different stories in USA Today, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Times, the U.S. Navy has confirmed that they’ve developed a method that can convert seawater into jetfuel. We all know our country’s thirst for war (no pun intended).

Proponents for reverse osmosis feel that it’s safe for consumption, but currently many companies and utilities use it for agricultural irrigation, toilet, bath, cleaning, industrial needs (thermonuclear energy, semiconductors, and etc.).

It’s all about the Benjamins Baby

The Environmental Protection Agency said that America will need to spend at least $380 billion to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure. This is why you have Private Equity Firms like Blackstone in attendance at the summit. The Clark County Water Reclamation District is currently estimating spending $585 million to construct a 17 mile long water pipeline to supply Las Vegas. California constructed a $481 million Groundwater Replenishment System that conducts reverse osmosis. In the U.K., a water service provider was propositioned by a conglomeration of Kuwaiti, Canadian, and British investors for $8 billion. In Melbourne, Australia a company named Tandou Ltd has approximately $30 million in water rights. Nikko Asset Management, a Tokyo based subsidiary tried to raise $100 million from Australia for water funds. A utility company called, Canadian River Municipal Water Authority purchased 43,000 acres of water in Texas for $14.5 Million.

The story gets even deeper… Stay tuned for “The New World Water Part 2.” This is too much info for one article.

Global Water Summit 2014 Itinerary link: http://www.watermeetsmoney.com/agenda

Rapper Mos Def was prophetic (Youtube link) New World Water, listen closely: http://youtu.be/IxvQKZPb6Wo

Read Part 2 Here

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Black men are angry, Muslims are terrorists, and White men are______?

July 12, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Black men are angry, Muslims are terrorists, and White men are______?

by Dr. Samori Swygert

One of the most frequently frustrating labels to me is the “angry black man”. I detest and abhor it. American society has persistently found a way to stigmatize and bastardize the black male image. The media has utilized their cinematic, audio-visual apparatus to stereotype black men for ages.

My Issue With Subjective Media Labeling of Black Men

I harbor such disdain for this label because often times, black men aren’t angry. When black men decide to vocalize opinions or feelings, society chooses to equate our expressions with hostility. When we refrain from speaking, then we are pushed over, ignored, and considered docile, unsure, and “feckless.” This places black men in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” dynamic.

Much is said about black men. However, it’s almost taboo to truly address, and more importantly, create a label for white men. America has been ducking and ignoring this conversation for a long time.

See, it’s okay for the news outlets to call black men gangsters, thugs, hoodlums, and menaces to society whenever there is a gang shootout or random inner-city murder. Yes, it’s easy, expected, and convenient to slap these negative monikers, and other stereotypical nomenclatures on us.

However, when white males commit ghastly and atrocious murders, the conversation shifts to mental health, support, and help. When has the media considered mental health as a contributing factor in murders committed by black men? The answer is very few and far between. I can only think of Colin Ferguson (the Long Island Railroad shooter) and the Washington Navy Yard shooter. You can’t even say John Muhammad because it was ruled that in his case it was a well orchestrated and methodical plot.

A Probable Theory

I think that many white men who have committed “mass murderous acts” are mentally ill, but I also believe there are other confounding variables that America dismisses. It’s my opinion that many of these white male mass murderers suffer from a trifecta of issues: 1) mental illness 2) belief in white supremacy 3) belief in white privilege.

I think all three fuel and feed each other. I’ve carefully listened to, and replayed Elliot Rodger’s video before he committed his murders in Santa Barbara, California. These three themes were recurrent throughout the video.

The media persistently conducts a smear campaign that ultimately propagandizes black men as criminals. However, this is not entirely true or close to the truth. Just as all white men aren’t mass murderers, all black men aren’t gangsters, thugs, pimps, and players. American society needs to get familiar with its black male constituency and quit the disparaging imagery and rhetoric, unless it chooses to come to grips with the atrocities that certain demographics of white males commit. The black community is chock full of doctors, lawyers, business men, scientists, Ph.D’s, inventors, and just all around stand up honest hardworking black men.

This demonizing imagery has contributed to the placement of multitudes of black men into the cross hairs of police, which results in daily targeted harassment and stop and frisk-type policing. This also happened to Muslim Americans after 9/11. Sectors of African American men and Muslims become the poster-child for the whole group, but this doesn’t apply to white men. Why?

If you’re white and reading this, think about how many cool, respectable, honest, hardworking, intelligent black men you work with and are friends with. Does that friend resemble anything of the street thugs that pop up in media mugshots? I doubt it.

How Does White Privilege Play a Role In These Murders?

The focusing on black males and Muslims has allowed white males to go unchecked and allows them to accomplish the most unimaginable and horrific schemes in American history. This occurs because local authorities are distracted on young men with sagging pants and a hoodie, or a man in a turban with a full beard.

Just think for a moment…….Would a Muslim man by the name of Abdul Hasan Fareed be able to order thousands of rounds of ammunition and high powered assault rifles online without the government knocking on his door? We already know the answer to that. However, this is how many of these mass shooting killers acquired their ammo and firearms (online).

Elliot Rodger felt compelled to kill people because he was denied sëxual experiences. His family is worth millions of dollars from the film industry. The dynamic of white privilege allowed Elliot Rogers to commit these heinous murders. The Alta Vista cops say they were aware of the videos and threats but they failed to make a full intervention. Why? They said he appeared to be okay. Yet, you have a person saying that he would “make a mountain of skulls, and a river of blood”, and “go into the sorority house and kill every girl.” Why would you not take death threats serious, or at least give the due diligence to notify the college campus and the sorority house about these threats?

I have some questions: If Elliot Rodger was a Muslim and made these type of threats, would his video be ignored? If Elliot Roger was a Muslim, would the police inquiry simply stop at a doorstep wellness interview? Eliot Rodger was given the benefit of the doubt and that doubt resulted in multiple murders and injuries. However, we have innocent Muslims that have a whole NYPD task squad dedicated to dissecting each fabric of their lives (and they haven’t made one threat).

How Can White Supremacy Contribute to Mental Illness?

What happens to a person that believes that they are better and superior to all races, and then discovers that they aren’t? When a person believes they’re smarter than another person just because of skin color, and then fails out of school, how does that person feel? When a person believes they are the most sexiest person because they are white, but can’t get a date, how does that person feel? When a person believes they’re stronger than everyone else because they’re white but loses every street fight, how does that person feel? When a person believes they are privileged because they’re white but lives in a shack, how does that person feel?

I think this creates cognitive dissonance because what they believe, and what’s reality, are two opposite realities. I think this makes the person feel like a loser, and a failure because they are not living up to a false standard placed on them. This may result in murder in some cases because the act of murder may be viewed as a final display of power and control. This false perception of achieving power through murder is a last minute validation of the power they’ve been seeking all along.

Not all of the following white male murderers and domestic terrorists fit the proposed trifecta that I mentioned. However, I think it is something to consider. I also think honesty is what’s really lacking in this conversation of violence and race. Not all black men are thugs and killers, however we do have a significant segment that engage in a lot of unscrupulous behavior. Not all white men are psychopathic in nature, but there are segments that choose to kill innocent people they don’t even know.

I say we all need to come to the table and engage in a mature, respectful, and honest conversation. This is the only way to resolve these issues. We may be surprised with what we come up with, but denial will kill us just like denying you have cancer. The ideology of white supremacy is destructive and breeds nothing but hate and division in a country that depicts itself as loving and welcoming. I also believe gun control is not the answer — a demented person will just find a different weapon to inflict pain and harm on their target.

Lastly, Mark Cuban said he would cross the street if he saw a black kid in a hoodie approaching him. Yet, he could have crossed the path of a psychopath like Elliot Rodger (who looked harmless), and Elliot Rodger could have shot him to death……..think about it.

I would like you to look at these names and events and think about them in their entirety, and research them. This is what I did prior to writing this article!

Charles Manson
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols with the Oklahoma City Bombing,
Ted Kaczynski the “Unabomber”
Eric Robert Rudolph ( 1996 Atlanta , Georgia Olympic park bomber, antisemite and felt white people were God’s chosen people)
James Eagan Holmes ( the Colorado theatre shooter),
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (the Columbine High School shooters),
Adam Lanza (the Newtown Connecticut Elementary School shooter)
Ronald DeFeo Jr (the real life character of the Amityville Horror movie)
Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Goldman (Jonesboro, Arkansas school shooters)
Dennis Rader “The BTK killer”
Ted Bundy
Jeffrey Dahmer
David Berkowitz “the Son of Sam”
The Zodiac Killer (all survivors and authorities describe a white male)
John Wayne Gacy (killer of 33 teenage boys and basis of the movie “Gacy” and “To Catch a Killer”), Albert DeSalvo “The Boston Strangler”
Gary Ridgway “The Green River Killer” (convicted of 48 murders, and confessed to over 71 murders)
Buford O Furrow Jr (1999 Los Angeles Jewish Community Center Shooting, fired 70 shots in the center, and was a white supremacist),
Wade Michael Page ( Wisconsin Sikh temple shooter, killing 6 and injuring 4 Sikh parishioners)
Douglas Williams (The Lockheed Martin Plant Shooting, where 14 coworkers were shot with a shotgun)
John List (planned and executed the murder of his own mother, wife, and 3 children),
Charles Whitman (engineering student that killed 13 people, and injured 32 others from the observation deck of the University of Texas tower)
Jared Loughner (shot congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head, killed 6 others, and injured 12 other attendees to a political event)
George Hennard ( the mass murderer in Killeen, Texas that drove his truck through the front of a cafeteria and shot 43 people and then killed himself)
“Whitey”Bulger,
The Tsarnaev Brothers (bombed the Boston Marathon)
Nathan Campbell (attempted multiple vehicular manslaughter on Venice Beach)
Michael Brandon Hill (went into an Atlanta elementary school with AK-47 with 500 rounds but was talked out of killing by a black staff member)
Elliot Rodger ( 22 year old Santa Barbara, California virgin mass murderer)
Frazier Glenn Cross (73 year old Kansas Jewish Center murderer)
Paul Anthony Ciancia ( 23 year old Los Angeles Airport shooter)
John David LaDue ( 17 year old in Minnesota that made bombs, had several firearms and plotted to kill his family, then set off bombs, go to school kill the security guard, chain the doors and then shoot as many kids as possible but was intercepted by a lady who called the police on suspicion)
Alex Hribal ( 16 year old Alex Hribal, stabbed 20 students and an adult in a Pittsburgh High school)
Charles Carl Roberts IV ( 32 year old male that murdered several students in an Amish school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with a Ruger Bolt action rifle, 12 gauge shotgun, and 9mm handgun)
Thomas “ TJ” Lane ( 17 year old, murders students in Chardon High school in Chardon, Ohio)
Geddy L Kramer ( 19 year old, shoots 6 coworkers in Atlanta, Georgia at a FedEx plant and kills himself)

Also I encourage knee-jerk trolls and commentors to watch this video about White Privilege by Tim Wise that radio show host Warren Ballentine recommended. This video further supports my position on Elliot Rodger, and the “angry black man” label: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN8pmhQwcnY

Remember a murder can be a “manslaughter” or another “mans-laughter.”

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Donald Sterling and the DNA of hate

July 12, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Donald Sterling and the DNA of Hate

by Dr. Samori Swygert

I have another angle and final thought about Donald Sterling that America should really consider.

This is how racism is transmitted from generation to generation to generation:

Donald Sterling imposed this racist practice on his female trophy acquaintance. What do you think he would instill and indoctrinate in his offspring — someone he has a genuine vested interest in, someone that bares his last name and bloodline? If he was concerned about how his friends and colleagues viewed his “glamour girl,” I’m speculating he would be even more concerned about how they view his children.

This is what cripples any hope about fixing racism. Babies are born and children of various ethnic backgrounds will play together in fun and pleasantries, but the ideologies on race are encoded into the psyche of a young impressionable, and vulnerable mind.

Eventually this conditioning leads to habit, then to belief, and finally manifestation. I remember growing up and going to summer camps in different states and cities. I made good friends with children of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds; we shared lunches, played dodgeball, bowling, roller skating, baseball, basketball, had arts and crafts, went on biking trips and numerous field trips. The irony was that we all got along, we were ignorant to the dynamic of racism. Our concern was having fun and how we could make the next moment better.

However, we grow older, and centuries of indoctrination gets placed on a fragile mind. We get fed disinformation about humanity, superiority, inferiority, and our innocence becomes corrupted. That’s what’s so dangerous about Donald Sterling’s comments. Children look to their parents for guidance, direction, support, and instruction. As a child you are more liable to accept what your parent says because you have no true knowledge of the world and how it works. Kids will believe their parents primarily because these are the individuals that were routinely involved in their feeding, cleaning, clothing, education, spiritual development, and etc. So although racism is taught, it’s people like Sterling who are responsible for the transfer of racism like a bad chromosome or a contagion.

You then have to ask yourself: Where did he learn this, and who taught him this? Who are these friends that he caters to about race relations? What do these friends teach their kids about how to interact with African Americans and other ethnic groups? No, I don’t know his children at all, thus I can’t make a statement about their beliefs. However, you have to wonder what it would be like to be a fly on the wall in Donald Sterling’s household during conversations on race.

You have to think about the young fledgling recruits in the KKK, Neo Nazis, Skinheads, and other hate groups. Think about these public acts of violence. Many of these may be attributed to psychosis, but how many are racially motivated?

Donald Sterling is not an anomaly, I’m certain there’s lot more people that concur with his sentiments. Sadly, there’s probably another young generation that probably supports him because they were taught this hate speech. This fosters what I call, blind hate. This is the type of hate you have for someone you never even met, and are willing to exact hateful ACTIONS or IN-ACTIONS……..just because.

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