Trump Attacks Syria

Thursday evening at 7:40 p.m. CST (3:40 a.m. local time) President Trump ordered an attack on the Syrian government in a response to the chemical weapons attack that killed Syrian civilians that took place earlier this week.

This is a complete reversal of US foreign police towards Syria and the first direct US military attack on the Syrian government headed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the start of the six-year civil war.

Shayrat Airfield, reported to be the staging ground for the chemical attack, was the target of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles  launched from US Warships.

Now the questions we ask is – What’s next?  Is this extreme sabre rattling by Trump, whom many in the world community see as a wildcard?  Is this the start of Trump plan to forcefully remove Bashar al-Assad from power much like Bush did in Iraq with Saddam Hussein?

Quick Facts on the Syrian Civil War:

• 400,000 have been killed
• 4.81 million have fled the country
• 6.3 million displaced internally

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/world/meast/syria-civil-war-fast-facts/

Regime change is an expensive proposition that rarely provides the expected results (refer to Iraq).   The US cannot resolve this conflict in Syria by just lobbing a few cruise missiles at the problem.  This issue can only be resolved thru a committment to diplomacy by the world body.

War should always be a last resort.

 

Throwback Thursday Article – WHY???

Why all of the interest in holding cops to a higher standard than gangs?  Because they are not the navy blue negro killers.  They should be the example of the best in the community;  those willing to lay their lives on the line to serve and protect.  If they  choose to be thugs with a badge, why not just turn the badge in and either join or form a street gang because that is what you are.

Why focus on a white cop killing an unarmed black teen when you should be focused on so-called black on black crime?  So are you saying that before we begin talking about  a long overdue problem of racial injustice we should focus on its legacy?  That is like focusing on disease symptoms but not the disease itself.  Why not focus on both?  We as black people have the capacity to multi-task.  It is an insult to our individual and collective intelligence when you as a black person say that we can’t focus on both.

So you see a rally in Ferguson, New York and California, but you don’t see a rally about so-called black on black crime?  Really?  When was the last time you went to a black church?  When was the last time you paid attention to your community?  No one mentioned it at your church?  No one rallied in your community?  Why don’t YOU mention it in church?  Why don’t YOU organize a rally?  What?  You do not attend a black church?  What?  You do not live in a black neighborhood?  AND…

Stop criticizing those who ARE DOING something just because they are not doing what YOU feel they should do.  Be the change that you want others to be.

Jesuorobo A. Enobakhare, Jr. is a Moderate Democratic Blogger who cuts through the rhetoric so that individuals can see the reality of political statements and how those statements turned into action can affect them.  Contact him by email at jesuorobo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter @Jesuorobo.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jesuorobo A. Enobakhare, Jr.

This article was originally published August 27, 2014.

 

 

 

The Jokes on Trump

I must admit, I enjoy mocking our “president” but the fact remains that no matter how many clapbacks to his Twitter rants, he still is a very dangerous man sitting in the highest office of the most powerful county on this planet (universe for those who believe there is no life on other planets).

While humor is always helpful in stressful situations; action to remove said stress is extremely important. For those who believe that Trump’s policies are dangerous to individual freedoms, individual and collective prosperity as well as harm our environment and destroy our public education system; you have choices to make.

You can choose to be non-political and continue to be a recipient of whatever the American political systems spits out.

Or

You can choose to get politically active in your communities. Being independent is great, but if you want to make change you will need to pick a side – Democrat or Republican. The reality is we live in a two party system. The two parties control pretty much ever election system in this country (federal, state, and local) so if you want to change the system that allowed a “Trump” (or chump) to rise to power then you will need to work from within the established system.

The time to act is now. Local political parties are starving for your skills, abilities and leadership. Elected officials need to hear your voice. And YOUR community needs to stand up and take control of its political destiny.

Jokes are fun but once we finish laughing there is much work to do.

Is the US Political System Rigged?

Simple answer? No

The US political system is a participation based system. Groups that participate benefit. Those that do not participate do not benefit. In the early days of our country only white male landowners had a voice in the political process. If you weren’t white, a male, nor owned land you were SOL. So blacks and other people of color as well as women fought for and received a place at the table from a voting perspective.

Participation is much more than just voting. Voting is the bare minimum. Participation includes engaging elected officials on needed legislation as well as following up with elected officials on campaign promises. Participation includes joining like-minded groups and using group leverage to keep elected officials honest.

The problem with participation is this:

First, the percentage of the population that participates is very small. There are far more non-participants yelling that the system is rigged who don’t see that their non-participation is the reason the politics does not work in their favor. 

Secondly, there are participant groups that are a few members short of the numbers needed to achieve their like-minded goals. That lends to frustration that can cause the participation rolls to drop.

So the key to benefitting from the US political system is knowing that power is in the hands of those with the numbers. Get active. Join a political group. Participate.