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Business & Financial News, Environmental, Socio-Cultural Commentary

You know you can buy the weather

February 5, 2014 admin Leave a comment

You know you can buy the weather$$

By: Doc Swagg

We’ve been bombarded with a barrage of weird weather over the last few years. We’ve been trying to adapt to the extremes in weather that proliferate both in and out of season. We’ve also become acquainted with vocabulary that’s unfamiliar to our weather lexicon like: Derecho, Polar Vortex, and Arctic Blasts. We’ve witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. We’ve also seen mudslides, droughts and uncontrollable wildfires.

What if I told you that you can make money off weather in a multi-billion dollar industry? Would you invest? Would you do further research into this? Would you change your handling of money, knowing that even weather is for sale, and you are only a customer?

Let’s make it rain

Well truthfully people have been making money off the weather since early 2000. There are what’s called Weather Futures. The same way Wall Street conducts commodity trading of stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds and other financial capital, there is another entity called The Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This is where weather futures transactions occur. Simply put, futures is a contract that allows a purchaser to speculate or bid on the future projected price of a supply or resource, and lock in that price when that time arrives. This is good if you speculate properly.

This is the Chicago Mercantile Exchange link: http://www.cmegroup.com/

Let’s illustrate this for a better understanding. Suppose the current price for a pound of sugar is $2.00, as a competitor in the candy industry, I see the demand for sugar increasing. I can sign a futures contract to lock in a cost of $3.00 per pound in 2017. 2017 arrives and the demand for sugar is high like I predicted but the price of sugar in 2017 is actually $5.00 per pound. Well I’ve just saved a lot of money by locking in a purchase price of $3.00 per pound where as my competitors pay market price of $5.00. The down side is if I guess wrong and the future price drops, I’m then locked in a contract to pay $3.00 per pound and the 2017 price could be $1.50 per pound, so I’ve lost money.

Many weather futures bid on inches of rain fall, changes in temperature, snowfall and other variations of climate fluctuations. This has tremendous financial implications. Let’s extrapolate this knowledge into the American marketplace. When it’s cold like we’ve been experiencing lately, we increase demand for heat, and thus it’s a boom in revenue for the oil industry. When it’s extremely hot, we want air conditioning, and that is a big boom in revenue for utility companies. How does this impact the farming and agriculture industry?

Farmers must strategically plan and protect their crop production and harvesting capabilities. They must estimate rainfall, quantity of seeds, soil saturation, and more. If I can follow the trend of global warming, then it may be wise for me to lock in seed prices based on predicted increases in temperature.

There are weather derivatives just like stock derivatives. There are hurricane futures. The weather futures market was estimated to be a $19 billion dollar market back in 2010. The value has probably increased since then.

Striking 14 Carat “Cold”

All financial markets have forces that try to manipulate it for their financial gain. You are probably wondering how this happens with weather. Google the term “geoengineering”. There are agencies that have been conducting atmospheric climate manipulation and modification. This began with the experiments of Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) who created artificial lightening.

There was a bill that was submitted to congress called, THE WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005, but the bill died. The bill clearly explains the research used to artificially modify the weather, and the Department of Commerce was one of the agencies included in the bill. Why would the Department of Commerce be included in this bill? You have struck gold if you have the scientific and technological community able to modify the weather, and you have the capital to hedge on your future projections.

The proposed bill: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/109/hr2995/text

Anyway, now you know if you didn’t already, that windfall profits (no pun intended) can be made by investing in weather. Does this market encourage more geoengineering to increase profiteering in weather futures for individuals wealthy enough to participate in this form of hedging?

Some links below will fill in the blanks if you’re curious, and I’ve also included a video on weather derivatives from Bloomberg Business News.

http://business.time.com/2012/01/24/no-snow-no-problem-how-wall-street-profits-from-weird-weather/

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/14/mf.get.rich.off.weather/

What are your thoughts on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuwuWPxUF-Q&sns=em

Socio-Cultural Commentary

Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

Would African American reparations be America’s stimulus package?

By: Samori T. Swygert

What would you do if you opened your mailbox, and received a letter from the United States government? The letter read something like this, “a review of historical data by members of various levels of government and the treasury department concluded that being a descendant of African American slaves that were wrongly obtained, detained, forced to slave labor without wages or salary, and subjected to various forms of abuse, we would like to first apologize with sincere honesty and hope you accept the enclosed check for $100,000.00. We are aware that the reward is meager compared to the hardship, disadvantages, and disenfranchisement that has occurred over the years. However, due to rewarding numerous citizens that are eligible for this compensation, restitution, and reparation, we concluded this amount may help lessen the burden and show true contrition for the act of slavery.”

What would you do? The check is ready to be redeemed, cash money!!!

I pose this question because of a conversation a coworker and I had. What would be the best form of reparations? Would the best act of reparation lie in a check for a specific amount of money, free education, work and live as citizens without paying any taxes, or etc? My response to the question has a biblical basis. The book and passage of the bible I would rely on is; Romans 12:2- “and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.

This is not a religious blog, but African Americans need a paradigm shift before receiving reparations. I may be accusatory or speculative, but I firmly believe that we have been groomed into an addictive consumer relationship with America. It’s not fair to paint the whole African American population with a broad brush, but you must concur that a great deal of us are groomed to be consumers and not producers. White Americans are large consumers also, but they differ from us because they are also largely the producers, owners and beneficiaries of various markets in the American economy.

I feel that $100,000.00 check would be a stimulus package to White America and other multinational groups. The music, music videos, commercials, magazines and billboard advertisements indoctrinate us to be gross consumers. This would be okay if we owned the majority of the products we consume or the sole proprietor of services we patronize. The truth is we do not own the majority of what we patronize. The contemporary culture overemphasizes and glorifies: luxury cars and aircrafts, designer clothes, top shelf alcohol, expensive electronics (new flat screens, Playstations, iPods, iPads, tablets, and computers), ostentatious jewelry, choicest restaurants, state of the art hotels and resorts, hi-tech fire arms, and then all the accessories, amenities and accoutrements to top off our purchases. Now this is not all blacks!! We must free our minds from consuming the symbols and byproducts of success, and really achieve true success! I am guilty myself, if this helps you settle into the honesty of these statements.

There are questions that need to be asked. How many black owned automobile and aircraft manufacturers exist? How many alcohol breweries and distilleries are black owned? How many cell phone, TV and electronics manufacturers are black owned? How many jewelers are black owned? How many black owned precious metals and diamond minds exist? How many choicest restaurants are black owned and franchised across the nation? How many gun manufacturers are black owned? What was the last black owned hotel or resort you’ve checked into? How many black owned fashion designers do you know and purchase from? What quantity of produce do you purchase from the black farmers? If you are being completely honest with me (keep it 100), your answers to these questions should be, few to none. I’m a pretty good dancer so I’m not trying to step on anybody’s toes, but this is done to force true introspection and self-evaluation. These questions also reveal where our hard earned money is squandered, and where we are creating millionaires by false visions of success and happiness they solicit to us via various mediums. These questions also reveal the various markets that we need to begin to compete in as owners and producers. Why should others take from the black community? Why must our dollars be everybody else’s stimulus package?

In the spirit of the Olympics, I would like to make a comparison of the Olympics to the African American community. In the Olympics, various countries compete for the gold medal in various sporting disciplines (boxing, track, gymnastics, swimming, archery, and etc). In our case, the gold medal translates into the “Black Dollar”. The various sporting disciplines translate into numerous industries (fashion, electronics, communication, recreation, entertainment, food, automobile, and etc). There are so many cultures from various foreign countries within and outside our neighborhood. They’re competing for the “Black Dollar”.

The conundrum is we are underrepresented in the competition for our own money. In lieu of the current economic, educational, and social conditions, we need to transform through the renewing of our mind. We need to begin learning these skills, technologies, business stratagems, and even create new markets and industries. This is the era of the inventor and entrepreneur. Unemployment is high, jobs are being outsourced, incarceration is increased, what are you going to do to get that gold medal? Do you have the innovation to create a new industry and market to captivate the black consumer, and command the black dollar? You have nothing else to lose if you’re already unemployed or underclass.

So we need to transform our minds to conserve our finances, pool our resources, plan and strategize. The chances of receiving reparations seem slim, but we can’t let our disposable income be everyone else’s stimulus package. We need to become more fiscally astute and financially scrupulous. If we do not read, apply our education, and think outside the box, we will be doomed to be permanent consumers, and cemented in the underclass. I’m starting by working on myself now. I just wanted to share my spirit with you, and God Bless!

Business & Financial News

How Corporate Christmas Celebrations are Hypocritical

January 25, 2014 admin Leave a comment

By : Samori Swygert

Corporate America could stand to sit down and watch, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. During this festive holiday, many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, embrace the blessings of family, and exchange gifts to show consideration of the wants and needs of family and friends.

Corporate America really milks and exploits this holiday season, as it proves to be the most lucrative in profit generation. Christmas themed music, decorations and motifs festoon galleries, atriums, hallways, and main entrances of buildings. Reindeers, stockings, cotton snow, Nutcracker arrangements, and shopping mall Santas pose with the children of mall patrons. All of the aforementioned accoutrements compliment a tradition, but many companies use them strictly as bait.

Many associate Christmas with the warmth of charity, good-will, love, and care. Well as much as this sounds spiritually enticing, there is a contradictory angle here.

Who is Ebenezer Scrooge

Those who are familiar with the movie, A Christmas Carol, remember how the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge was so obsessed with money that he had no regard for the spirit of humanity. He overworked and underpaid his employees. He penny-pinched to the point of insanity. His employee had a son, Tiny Tim that was forecasted to die from health ailments unless Scrooge relented his extra miser-like practices. Three spirits visited scrooge and revealed how his stingy, inhumane financial disregard for humanity resulted in the terrible demise of all he conducted business with. Does this sound familiar to you?? Hmmmm……

HUMBUG!!!

Although Walmart may have Salvation Army bell ringers on their premise, let’s not forget how they sought to deny increases in employee wages. Although McDonald’s may have Christmas themed ornaments on their establishment and food wrappers, remember that they also choose to deny increases in minimum wages. Despite the expected formalities in the greeting “Happy Holidays”, remember the furloughs that Grinch-like members of congress allowed to happen at the peril of the average tax paying citizen, as they received paychecks. Remember the companies that are raiding employee pensions in Michigan and across the nation. Think of Tiny Tim, by remembering the millions of children that remain uncovered by healthcare because employers choose to c*t healthcare benefits to curb expenses.

Remember to pray for the thousands across the nation that are being displaced to the dynamic of gentrification. Remember the poor and destitute as Wall Street Holiday parties flow with champagne, eggnog, mistletoe, and CEO’s receive million dollar year-end bonuses for downsizing.

The Gift Wrap-up

Allow me to keep this succinct and pithy, Corporate America, and members of the U.S. government are celebrating the holidays aesthetically, but internally, they are harboring the same gluttonous, greedy spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge. However, I would like to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all with no strings attached. Remember it’s not too late to donate to your local food bank, clothing drive, or give a few dollars to someone in need. As for Wall Street and the government, I hope you listen to the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and develop a true spirit of humanity…….Fooey!!!!

Business & Financial News

Rebuilding the Black CEO for Black Business

December 2, 2013 admin Leave a comment

By: Samori Swygert

This will be a 3 part series breaking down the new Black CEO. First, when I say CEO I’m not discussing the title of, Chief Executive Officer. When I refer to the Black CEO, the mnemonic stands for the 3 business components (Customer, Employee, Owner). The black community needs an economic revolution, and all business begins with the CEO trifecta.

Various symposiums within the black community are trying to zero in on rebuilding wealth, ownership, employment and business within our neighborhoods. Black America has been made aware of our $1.1 Trillion power base, but like Dr. Claud Anderson said ” this money is disaggregated”. If we are going to rebuild black economics, we must do it right. Today I will deal strictly with the Owner.

The Owner

The first component I would like to address is the Owner. Owners of black businesses should try to employ black labor, foster apprenticeships, training and development. The black unemployment is nearly %14 on a national level and higher on local city and state levels. Owners should eschew all forms of deliberate financial mismanagement, embezzlement, nepotism, cronyism and malfeasance. This behavior diminishes our brand, tarnishes reputations, ruins consumer trust, and earning potential. As a Black Owned Business (BOB) we cannot conduct business as scam artists, hustlers, con men, unconcerned merchants and community leaches.

Not all BOBs conduct business as the aforementioned characteristics, but there are so called BOBs that are parasitic to the black community, and the only thing they have in common with the black community is their complexion.

Owners need to understand the African American market. Don’t seek to price gauge, and over price services and commodities that are outside our purchasing power or affordability. I would encourage owners to establish a relationship with the communities via philanthropy, scholarships, food and clothing drives. These activities create incentives that encourage blacks to spend at your establishment because there is a return on investment.

As BOBs and entrepreneurs we must ensure top quality products and services. We must take pride in the appearance of our establishment and products. The condition of the establishment and product is an indicator of your business practices. All BOBs should provide clean, undamaged, and functional goods, and maintain a clean and organized facility.

All services provided should be punctual, timely, prompt, and expedient. Time is money, and time is something nobody can afford to waste. Consumers should be given high priority and attention on a temporal scale. If store hours are from 9am- 10pm, then stores should be open, cleaned, and all registers manned by 8:50am. If BOBs are providing a service within communities then appointments should be timely, we shouldn’t foster the traditional stereotype of “CP time”. A simple but important mandate is to create transparent, understandable, and unwavering purchase and return policies.

Business and pleasure don’t mix! Countless businesses have failed because of s****l harassment, and/or mixing business functions between spouses and lovers. When the romantic relationships sour and disintegrate, the business will typically be destroyed because both parties try to extract ownership and capital from the business. This results in unemployment for employees, a loss of a service in the community where black consumers must now find a new merchant to patronize, and often times the sale of real estate. This opens the floodgates for other races or vulture corporations to infiltrate and occupy our community.

The current economic condition with in the black community is depressed, and this calls for black businesses to partner and unify. We hear that competition and rivalry is good for business, but at this particular time we need a united front. Black businesses need to coalesce. All black businesses need to see a common community goal and work in a concerted effort to help each other grow and expand the market. Developing these partnerships and interrelationships builds institutions like the famed BLACK WALLSTREET.

A common symbiotic goal between businesses will lift the community. When the community is lifted and strengthened economically, your business will see record breaking gain because you are attracting customers to spend with you. Share resources, ideas, strategies, suppliers, distributors, and networks. Corporate America does it all the time! Haven’t you seen Taco Bell, and KFC under the same roof, same power, and same water filtration source? Haven’t you seen a corporation endorse another group’s interest like Target promoting the Susan G Komen foundation? Haven’t you charged money on a credit card and earned rewards for a flight on an airline, or redeem a discount at a hotel? This is how we need to embrace and promote each other.

Black businesses should be more proactive and assertive about customer feedback. Find out how you are performing in the customer’s eyes. The most important thing to find out is how you can improve your product or service, and how do you compare to bigger named corporate entities. Conduct these on a routine basis.

The major emphasis is politics now. You have to almost be a hybrid of an owner and politician, because so many laws are coming down the political pipeline that can make or break your establishment like the Healthcare reform. New tax reform codes are being levied that the previous owners didn’t have to address. You also must keep up with immigration reform and its’ mandates on human resources during the employment process and all the legalities it entails.

Lastly, technology, technology, technology!. Technology can propel your business forward, or force you into irrelevance and obsolescence. However, it is important to stay abreast of the tech advancement but also balancing it with a mindful approach of maintaining a human workforce.

This is it for the first installment of my opinion of the NEW BLACK CEO (Customer, Employee, Owner). The next article will discuss my opinions on the black employee…..Be blessed. I don’t have all the answers but I love sharing my thoughts. What do you think?

You can also read this at: http://www.kulturekritic.com/2013/11/news/samori-swygert-rebuilding-black-ceo-black-business/

Science & Technology

Dr. Samori Swygert: Asteroid has so much gold that it’s worth $20 Trillion Dollars!!

November 18, 2013 admin Leave a comment

By: Dr. Samori Swygert

I’m very passionate about sharing knowledge with people. I fervently believe knowledge should be shared and not hoarded for personal gain. I would like to share some info about Gold that many of you may not be aware of. There is Gold in space, and tons of it!

Have you ever wondered what NASA does in space? We routinely hear how a new shuttle has launched into space off of Cape Canaveral, and later we welcome it back to earth to much fanfare for a safe return. The news outlets never really go into depth about what they discovered in space. Yes we understand that they have built spacestations, there may be life on Mars, new planets have appeared in our galaxy, but that is typically the extent. What they don’t fully disclose, but you have to research, is the amount of wealth this country and others are competing for, a literal STARS WARS.

What’s it worth in $?

The United States is no longer focused solely on “their GOD” (Gold. Oil. Diamonds). These material items are not my GOD. However, the United States is “Asteroid Mining”. According to an article from the BBC, an asteroid named, Eros, has been noted to contain 20,000 million Tonnes of Aluminum, and equal amounts of Gold, and Platinum. This data that I’m reporting is old news to the space community, because that article was published July 22, 1999. The asteroid itself is quoted to be worth $20,000bn. Yes the numbers, commas, and units of monetization are correct; please view the original article at your leisure from reference number one.¹ Scientists report that an asteroid less than a mile in diameter could be worth $20 Trillion dollars, because of the precious and industry metals within it.² Brent Spiner reported to Forbes Magazine, that there approximately 9,000 asteroids in Earth’s vicinity that are available for mining.³

Who are the players?

Many billionaires and privately owned mining firms are jumping into these unbelievable expeditions. A few of these companies are: Space X, Planetary Resources, and Deep Space Industries. Google executive Larry Paige and ex-presidential candidate Ross Perot have even invested with the company, Planetary Resources.^4,5 The precious metals are not the only things these aerospace explorers and investors are interested in. The companies are also using crowd funding as methods of fundraising for their endeavors. Many of these asteroids contain copious amounts of hydrogen and oxygen. This reservoir of these elements expands the possibility of water resources for fueling and other uses.^4,5 Deep Space Industries already have two spacecrafts ready for launching and mining called, The Dragonfly and The Firefly.⁶ These companies and executives are set to become the new Vanderbilts, Fords, Rockerfellers, Carnegies, and Morgans of the space frontier.

The take home message

These companies have imagined, studied, planned, and are now executing their plots. As blacks, I see no reason why this should be an exclusive domain to a few. Based on this information, I think we should definitely encourage our children to become active competitors and participants in this field. We already had Dr. Mae Jemison (a black female medical doctor and astronaut). Also, these can be good investment opportunities for those that have the money or practice group economics. Lastly, this is motivation to think BIG, and don’t think anything is impossible. There are other links you can access to read up on this, and view some videos.^7,8Be blessed, motivated and share the knowledge. God Bless!

References

Global Issues

Dr. Samori Swygert: Is Africa for sale?

November 18, 2013 admin Leave a comment

Dr. Samori Swygert: Is Africa for sale?

Africa, THE MOTHER LAND, has been the “cradle of civilization”, and is still the placenta of global economics. Africa is revered as the continent where life first started, and the birthplace of math, science, spirituality, and philosophy. However, the allure and fascination with this continent among foreign nations is the abundance of wealth and resources it contains.

Historically speaking, Africa has been the target of conquest and domination. This statement is best illustrated, and supported by the usurpation of land, and slaughter of the Zulu tribe of South Africa by the European Voortrekkers, King Leopold of Belgium, and Cecil Rhodes. I will go in depth about these endeavors in a part 2 follow up to this post, because it’s too lengthy.

Let’s fast forward into the 20^th and 21^st centuries. First, to gain perspective of extent and enormity, 1 metric ton equals 2,204 pounds, and 1 standard ton equals 2,000 pounds. March 1^st 1984, the New York Times published an article that detailed a discussion with Clive Knobbs, the Vice President of the Chamber of Mines in Johannesburg. Knobbs said that gold production would peak at 792 tons per year by the end of the decade. He reported that South Africa had produced 750 tons of gold in the previous year, and that production would drop to 560 tons of gold by 2005. Keep in mind this was in 1984.¹

In Zambia, Africa, companies are now repairing the railroad lines to ship copper to South African ports for export. Zambia is the continent’s largest producer of copper. According to an article in Bloomberg news, they want to upgrade 746 miles of railway. Copper is used for pipes, wires, and cables. They are projecting output to reach 1.1 million metric tons of copper annually by 2015. In 1975 Zambia produced 6 million tons of copper. The deterioration of the railways accounted for a decrease in exportation. In 2009 exportation declined to 690,000 tons of copper from Zambia. Currently in 2013, Zambia Railways has increased the number of trains for transport to 68, and thus project 1.1 million tons of copper for export. The majority of the mines in Zambia are Chinese owned.²

In Nairobi, Kenya, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and Radar Technologies International discovered enormous water aquifers. The report revealed that a minimum reserve of about 66 Trillion gallons of water resides below Kenya. They also reported that precipitation in Kenya and Uganda replenishes them with approximately 898 billion gallons of water annually. They have so far discovered 5 aquifers. The Lotikipi Basin Aquifer is approximately the size of Rhode Island, another is named; Lodwar Basin Aquifer. The other three are still being prospected. Kenya, the United Nations, and Japan are in talks about how to use this for irrigation for the Kenyan people and other uses (other uses?).³

The Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa is pregnant with Tin, Tungsten, and Tantalum. These three metals are used in the manufacturing of smart phones, digital cameras, and laptops. These metals are being exported in a manner reminiscent to Blood Diamonds. The drive to procure these metals caused U.S. lawmakers to introduce acts similar to the Kimberley process for diamonds. The name of the acts are; The Congo Conflict Minerals Act, The Extractive Industries Transparency Disclosure Act, and The Dodd-Frank Law. These acts mandate that major electronics corporations like Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Nintendo and others disclose the specific mines they receive their Gold, Tin, Tungsten, and Tantalum from.⁴ The Congo has also quadrupled their gold output over that last 5 years, and has produced 26 metric tons of gold in 2012 alone.

Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa was previously named Leopoldville, after the violent Belgium conqueror King Leopold. Currently Kinshasa and Zambia have some of the largest Cobalt mines, and China is prospecting these Cobalt sites for mining and extraction. According to the 2011 United States Geological Survey, between 2009 and 2013, more than 100,000 tons of cobalt is being extracted per year. Cobalt is one of the most unique and necessary metals of our time. Cobalt has unique strength and thermal stability, and is thus used as alloy in turbines, batteries of cell phones, laptops, electric and hybrid car batteries, and munitions.⁵

Lastly, the United States has established drone bases in West Africa, North Africa, and East Africa under AFRICOM (Africa Command arm under the Pentagon). The U.S. military operations expands into Niger, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and has opened a drone base in the Seychelles off the African coast to conduct further East African surveillance. Furthermore, President Obama has pledged $7 Billion over the next 5 years to 8 countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mozambique). The ultimate goal in accordance with the International Energy Agency is to have universal electricity access to the Sub-Saharan region by 2030. The final price tag is estimated to be $300 Billion.⁶

Moreover, The Gates Foundation has formulated, and executed a vaccination campaign in Africa. Their goal is to eradicate Polio, by using satellite photography and GPS to find all their targeted villages and dispense oral Polio vaccines to the people.⁷ Bill Gates has pledged $1.8 Billion by 2018 to accomplish this campaign, and his subsequent campaign will be to target Malaria in a similar protocol. Bill Gates has also partnered with Monsanto (purchased 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock) and other biotech giants to map, sequence, and analyze the genomes of African fruits, vegetables, and plants. The aim is to battle malnutrition, famine and address concerns about agricultural sustainability in the African continent.

Take Home Message

Honestly, I’m somewhat skeptical and cynical about the various foreign endeavors into the African continent. I’m also aware of the malfeasance and corruption that goes on inside some of the African nations. However, I see a silent reincarnation of imperialism and colonialism happening under the guise of philanthropy, humanitarianism, and benevolence. Terms like “sustainability” and “infrastructure” cater to receptive ears, because the continent does need these improvements. However, with the vast amounts in exports of raw material, African people are still impoverished in many nations, but the multinational companies are getting filthy rich. The lifestyles of the African people has not been ameliorated or improved from the wealth they possess. I also have my own concerns about biotech industries and the African people, but that will be discussed in a future post. Africans in America and abroad should return to the continent, and show the people how to use the materials that are exported. The continent can then competitively manufacture the same products for retail in global commerce as China, and own the resources.

References

National & Local Politics

Humanity versus Hu”money”ty

November 18, 2013 admin Leave a comment

Humanity vs Humoneyty = American Hypocrisy

By Dr. Samori Swygert

The secret is out! The government of the United States of America is officially SHUTDOWN! This may come as no surprise to many citizens. The Democrats and Republicans have come to a stalemate yet again. The citizens are again the collateral damage in the clash of egos, arrogance, philosophy, and greed.

This repetitive battle has become an infuriating conundrum among the people. As citizens, we work hard, sacrifice, and pay taxes. The government’s payroll, and services operate off the tax base of our hard earned money. However, members of congress are embracing the belief that they can operate with impunity, unaccountability, and still receive a paycheck for not doing their jobs.

Tea Party members and Republicans have a consistent complaint of their American tax dollars going to welfare programs. Many of these individuals feel that their money will be funding citizens that won’t work, and just collect a paycheck! Ironically, they are exercising the exact accusations they make of individuals on welfare now. Our congress men and women decided not to work, and still collect a paycheck for services not rendered.

We’ve been indoctrinated with the hypocrisy of cliched patriotic slogans, and mottos. Routinely we hear: “Liberty and Justice for All, In God We Trust, Be Patriotic, Provide Humanitarian Aid, This land is your land-This land is my land”. When do we get past the platitudes and elegant rhetoric of an American Utopia? The fact is, America is broken, been broken, and is currently breaking!

Where is the true sense of God, humanity, and patriotism? Our elected officials should be harangued, and lambasted out of office. Their actions demonstrate that they have no HEART or CONSCIENCE. Approximately 890,000 individuals will be out of a job due to their lack of commitment to the citizens they pledged to serve. I say, “even one day out of work is too much!”

Many people are so financially strapped in this economy, that each dollar of their paycheck is itemized and accounted for in their household budget before it’s spent. The wealth gap has expanded tremendously that the line between middle class and poor has dissolved. I have long felt that we are a society of “haves and have nots”, but this makes it evidently clear if you had prior doubts.

How do we continue to embrace these insults? They have dismantled Affirmative Action, which was put in place to show some form of acknowledgement of wrong done to blacks, and that got watered down and diluted to the point that anybody fits the criteria. They have dismantled the Voting Rights Act. They have dismantled the SNAP program that provided welfare and public assistance to struggling families. They have closed public schools and allowed the privatization of charter schools to flourish.

They have tried numerous times to increase the interest rates on student loans. They have allowed the proliferation and privatization of prisons. They have allowed the shipping of manufacturing jobs overseas, which increases the U.S. unemployment rate, and allow multinational corporations to warehouse $32 Trillion dollars in offshore accounts, but then complain about a debt ceiling! They allow companies like McDonald’s and Walmart to profiteer off employees with out paying them wages that are congruent to the contemporary living standards. Families are going into bankruptcies and foreclosures from predatory loan lenders.

They allow banks and other financial institutions to operate while conducting all kinds of monetary malfeasance, and get away with Golden Parachutes and slaps on the wrists. Many CEOs have even been given bonuses. We want wars overseas, and still haven’t processed the VA hospital benefits of over 860,000 veterans. So 860,000 veterans benefits have yet to be fully processed, and about 890,000 citizens are out of work? Urban renewal and gentrification is occurring nationwide. IS ANYONE TALLYING THE ENORMITY AND TOTALITY OF THIS DATA? Is this America?

Members of congress have amassed so much in pay, and have accumulated so much from corporate lobbyists that they feel they are above the fray ,and are immune or exempt from any kind of scrutiny and punitive actions. Maybe they feel secure because they have insulated their family, friends, finances, and partnerships from the impending collapse of the American economic system. Maybe they are comfortable and able to retreat to the security of quiet luxury homes, estates, condos, private schools, and suburban fortresses.

It’s convenient to embrace these “Disneyland Kumbaya Moments”, when there is national tragedy such as hurricanes, earthquakes, mass shootings, and acts of terror. However, what happens to the continuum of humanity and care for your fellow citizen, neighbor, and brother when the National Day of Prayer is over, and individuals go back to their separate realities of life?

890,000 citizens out of work is unacceptable and represent 890,000 households affected by these political wargames. Our congressmen and women need to comeback to the negotiation table or need to be kicked out the house. American families, children, elderly, and infirmed have no time for this grandstanding. STOP PLAYING WITH OUR LIVELIHOOD, and that goes to both political parties!