Malcolm X Views on Integration, President Kennedy, and Race Relations (1963)

 

Malcolm X was critical of the Kennedy administration's lack of action on civil rights. Only when the violence in Alabama got more intense did the government take notice. Malcolm X did not support racial integration. Black separatism was in his view the only solution in a racist society. Developing a self sustaining community and in the distant future a black nation in North America was the goal. Non-violent resistance was in an ineffective tactic in Malcolm's perspective. Malcolm X was accused of hating whites by the media. His response was that he was not focused on false assertions. Such a question was a disingenuous one. The attempt was to demonize the Nation of Islam and Malcolm X as a threat. Members of the Nation of Islam were subject to police brutality and murder. Malcolm X was being spied on by the FBI. Separatism made sense in a country based on second class citizenship and segregation. Race relations would not be improved by integration. 

Billie Holiday Sings Strange Fruit (1959)

 

Strange Fruit was a blues song protesting lynching released in 1939. Billie Holiday would sing the song regularly during her career. During the Great Depression African Americans were subject to persecution not only by the state, but by vigilante and terrorist groups. The Black Legion and the Ku Klux Klan attacked African American communities. Billie Holiday's singing expresses the sorrow and fear living under violent conditions. The victims in the song are compared to fruit. The context shows how there was a disregard for the value of African American life. When Billie Holiday performed the song again in 1959, America was changing. The murder of Emmett Till sparked a movement for civil rights. The resistance never stopped and music is a part of movements for justice.  

The Professional job Recession

 

Economists have noted there is a decline  related to industries such a tech, consulting, and finance. Various corporation across numerous industries are doing layoffs. The traditional office job could be experiencing what occurred with manufacturing. The common description of this is white collar recession. To be precise, it is a professional job recession. The common term is misleading, because it claims to be only happening in certain occupations. Workers with higher education and multiple skills are still subject to the exploitation of a capitalist system. Education and working for a particular company was claimed to protect workers from layoffs or job loss. Since 2022, layoffs have increased in the white collar classified jobs. Searching for positions has become more difficult or companies slowdown hiring. Those who remain employed are doing more work for less pay. What the global economy is experiencing looks closer to the 2008 financial meltdown. The professional worker class is not protected. Blue collar work was subject to disruptions in the economy. White collar work was shielded to an extent. The professional worker is getting closer to the conditions faced by the working class on a regular basis. The reason most cannot recognize the exploitation of the professional class was related to job benefits. Paid vacations, healthcare, and possible promotion were common benefits corporations offered. Overtime, such benefits were either reduced or disappeared. The professional managerial class and business elite can exploit the workforce to their benefit. The professional job recession will be exacerbated by more supply side economic policies, automation, and outsourcing.  

Ukraine Rejects Peace Proposals

 

Ukraine has rejected peace proposals. The reason relates to the fact that Russia occupies the eastern section of the country. Ukraine is divided not only politically, but on an ethnic basis. Ukrainians at this stage might not be willing to accept their ethnic Russian neighbors. The support for the Russian Federation is present in areas with more Russian speakers. President Zelensky does not want to negotiate without getting the territories lost back. The Ukrainian military is not strong enough to do so without aid or direct assistance from other European powers. There is no pathway for Ukraine to win or expel Russia. The Trump administration claimed it would have some form of agreement. The problem is that with no INF Treaty, nuclearization of Eastern Europe will continue. The Biden administration refused to acknowledge that the conflict was a war of proxy. The intent was to weaken the Russian Federation using Ukraine as a trap. The situation is different from the Soviet-Afghan War during the 1980s. Ukraine has become a victim of US geopolitical designs. Demands are being made by the US for Ukraine to agree to a mineral deal. Ukraine has lithium, titanium, and uranium deposits. Natural resources explains the US interference in Ukraine. Russia wants to halt NATO expansion and promote Slavic nationalism in Eastern Europe. The war could be coming to a close, but the aftermath will have devasting consequences. Ukraine is not going to escape the debt from the billions borrowed from EU nations. The US is going to more control over Ukraine's economic affairs. A peace proposal could save the government. President  Volodymyr Zelensky could either be removed by Russians or deposed by his own people. Cancelling elections demonstrates that he knows his support has waned or that he wants to remain in power indefinitely. A peace settlement is the only rational choice to bring Europe back to stability.      

Sam Nujoma 's Namibian Independence Speech

 

Sam Nujoma ( 1929-2025)  was the first president of  Namibia. SWAPO waged a long liberation war against Apartheid South Africa's occupation of the land. Nujoma mentions that multiple resolutions were passed by international bodies. The United Nations resolutions did not obtain Namibian independence. It was through armed freedom struggle against  the white minority ruled regimes. When Apartheid South Africa lost Namibia in 1990, it was apparent the regime was going to fall. Sam Nujoma declared a new era was emerging on the African continent. European colonial imperialism was a relic of the past. Yet, Namibia and South Africa were still fighting it. The liberation movements of the South African region were successful. The new era that Sam Nujoma referred to was the independent states free from foreign interference and colonization. Namibia obtained its independence after a long liberation war. . Sam Nujoma would serve as president of Namibia from  1990 to 2005. After leaving office he continued to campaign for SWAPO and was like an elder  statemen. 

South Africa Repeals Expropriation Act 63 of 1975

 

South Africa is engaging in a new policy of land reform. The repeal of the Expropriation Act 63 of 1975 represents an effort to eliminate the remains of the Apartheid regime. Land distribution was made unequal by racist laws and practices from 1948 to 1994. The majority of South Africans want to see land distribution. White farmers in the past exploited land and labor, while the black majority was impoverished. The repeal of the Expropriation Act 63 of 1975 is constitutional. A concern about property rights have been discussed by those who oppose reforms. The land was stolen by the Afrikaners and similar to Zimbabwe many were displaced. The expropriation of land under the new law is not to enrich or displace populations. It is giving justice to those who were under colonial rule and racial segregation. The debate over compensation will be contentious. The South African Constitution and courts have to determine if compensation is to be given. Section 12 explains the conditions for transactions. Some object to this on the basis of the basis of the oppression that was inflicted by the white minority ruled regime. Afrikaners continue to benefit from past violence and discriminatory practices of the past. Repeal old laws and new legislation might not be enough. The ANC must embark on wider economic empowerment programs. Strengthening the rand and expanding trade across Africa ensures a better future. Land reform and distribution is the first step to South Africa's economic improvement. 

The M23 Rebels Make Advances

 

The M23 rebels are making advances in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. For a time the March 23 rebellion movement was not a serious threat. From 2023 onwards, clashes emerged. Observers cite that Rwanda and Uganda are fueling the current conflict. The M23 rebels are now making it an objective to take Kinshasa. The majority of the fighting has been in the eastern section of the DRC. An estimated 1 million people have been displaced. Another large scale civil war would devastate a region recovering from the Second Congolese Civil War. The reason President Paul Kagame supports the M23 rebels is because they are Tutsi armed group. Rwanda might be attempting to partition the DRC. The DRC is getting assistance from Burundi. The Tutsi population has felt isolated from the government. M23 represents an ethnic group trying to break away from the DRC. United Nations peacekeepers on present in the DRC and are collaborating with the Congolese Army. The Southern African Development Community has an active military mission in the DRC. The reason M23 became more formidable was from a new alliance. The Congo River Alliance was formed to overthrow the government. Corneille Nangaa was a politician turned rebel leader. Having both Rwandan and Ugandan aid, made the M23 rebels more powerful than they were in 2012. More armed groups are active in the Congo River Alliance. If the M23 rebels go beyond the east, the DRC will experience a large civil war.