The Presidential Hopefuls – An Occasional Series – Elizabeth Warren in Aurora, Colorado
Elizabeth Warren at The Hanger, Aurora, Colorado. April 16, 2019
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Note – this is the first of a number of entries on the presidential hopefuls. Attending their Denver appearances – does not entail endorsements.
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Elizabeth Warren, many sound domestic policy ideas, but avoids foreign policy issues and the country’s cancerous military budget…
Elizabeth Warren came to the Denver area to boost her campaign to win the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency in 2020. Speaking at The Hanger at the Stanley Market Place in Aurora on April 16th, she enthused a large crowd . (1)
So…We – Molly, Nancy and I – went to hear her speak.
There are only two Dem candidates for Prez that interest me in the least – Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren…For those interested I am far, far more supportive of Sanders than Warren…but that said, Warren herself is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack – She has a program, it is – on domestic issues – progressive, to the left of the Democratic Leadership Council which has pushed – or is it shoved – the Democratic Party rightward…and their symbolic if not real leaders, Bill and Hillary Clinton. Read more…
The Tunis Souk
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Ladhari, as well as more generally the Islamists, and their secular Tunisian allies for that matter, have no economic program or vision for their country, except implementing World Bank and IMF diktats, and blindly following the neoliberal agenda, Globalization and the myths of free trade, now discredited everywhere, and even rejected –at least in their current form- by many throughout the world, including by the American people
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(Note: Tunisia…Despite spurious claims of having been “the only successful example of the Arab Spring” Tunisia limps along at the edge of a precipice that could easily lead to an implosion. Bleeding of its youth who flee to Europe, many drowning in the waters of the Mediterranean, others joining this or that militant Muslim fundamentalist group. The social crisis which triggered the 2010-2011 crisis have hardly been addressed, unemployment, especially youth unemployment remains high. The chaos in Libya resonates in the country and a small but persistent al Qaeda-like guerrilla opposition continues in the country’s western mountains near the Algerian border. The country is run politically by a geriatric neo-liberal capitalist and the Tunisian arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Ennahdha Party, both factional in their own ways. One could go on and on.
The country has announced upcoming elections, legislative polls on October 6 and a presidential vote to follow on November 6. Currently the polls suggest that the Ennahdha Party has the advantage and, if that continues, that it will emerge as the defining political factor. If so, there is a good chance that the present current Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation, Zied Ladhari could become the country’s president, capping off a nine-year effort of Ennahdha to dominate the country’s political system. Generally unknown outside of Tunisia and the region, he is well-known in Tunisia. All indications are, that if elected, he will continue the economic policies that have led the country to nowhere.)
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In a commentary on social media, Negib Ayachi, Executive Director of Washington DC – based Maghreb Center weighs in. Not a pretty story: Read more…
The Christian Fundamentalist Curse: It’s still hard to teach evolution in too many public school classrooms.
Early hominid (australopithecus) technology. Not exactly the kind of stuff to face off with a saber-toothed tiger.
Brunch with neighbors
This morning friends came for breakfast, another couple from the neighborhood.
As usual the discussions were wide-ranging, from the personal – how both couples coupled originally, a recent lute concert, how our friends heated their house with junk mail in their wood stove – it became an item on CBS’s 60 Minutes Charles Kuralt’s “On The Road,” to the political – the fate of the earth – how long will human society continue? fifty years? 100 years? 500 years? to the unending Israeli punishing occupation of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, to religion and atheism, Marxism thrown in for good measure, and then the insect holocaust… to evolution.
Often happens that at some point evolution, or more specifically questions of human nature, enter into casual conversations. My friend’s reading of history is common enough. Looking back on the past 5000 years, one could conclude that ours, that of the human species, is on the whole – music, art and literature aside – a dismal species that will destroy most other life forms before imploding.
Of course highly possible if not probable. Read more…
Algeria in revolt: “We Woke Up and You Will Pay”
Algerians demonstrating for a new government…out with the old
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(note: This article by Algerian scholar Hamza Hamouchene, long as it is, is still an abridged and translated version of a longer article that originally appeared in French. It is, as a French friend, “vraiment remarquable” (truly remarkable)… and so I reprint it in full. It goes into much greater detail than the piece I recently published on the same subject… [which will appear at “AlgeriaWatch” to website I occasionally write for.]
It should be noted that what is happening in Algeria at this moment is “in transition” – a truly radical democratic transition? or something less “all the change necessary to maintain the status quo” – it has not played out, but what is emerging is a major power struggle between the great majority of the Algerian people on the one hand, and the trinity that makes up its ruling strata – the military, the security apparatus and the compradore bourgeoisie.
Furthermore, although it is not a secret, it is not generally known the degree to which the Algerian ruling strata is tied to the hip to the United States through a series of security arrangements – some of this is cited below. There are quite rigid limits to how far Washington will “permit” a revolution to proceed before it feels its strategic interests are threatened.)
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ROAR
Algeria in revolt: “We woke up and you will pay.”
April 8, 2019. Hamza Hamouchene
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The abdication of President Bouteflika is a historic victory for the Algerian people — but the struggle for a true democratic transition is far from over.
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What is happening in Algeria is truly historic. The people won the first battle in their struggle to radically overhaul the system. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, president for the past twenty years, was forced to abdicate after more than six weeks of street protests and a re-configuration of alliances within the ruling classes.
Since Friday, February 22, millions of people, young and old, men and women from different social classes have taken to the streets in a momentous uprising, re-appropriating long-confiscated public space. Historic Friday marches followed by protests in several sectors (education, health, petrochemical industry, students, etc) united people in their rejection of the ruling system and their demands of radical democratic change. Read more…
Colorado and the Horn of Africa – Interview with Kassahun Checole, Eritrean Scholar. (Part One of a Series)
Horn of Africa
The interview I did for KGNU’s “A Public Affair” with Eritrean scholar Kassahun Checole begins 24:00 minutes into the program. It runs for more than half an hour. It was conducted by phone on March 2, 2019 and aired as the second segment of “A Public Affair” on April 4, 2019
The first 24 minutes is an interview with former Colorado legislator and attorney general candidate Joe Salazar who lost the Democratic Party nomination in 2018 by a sliver. Now he is Executive Director of “Colorado Rising” that worked on the legislation to regulate the state’s out of control fracking industry.
Both are worth listening to.
To listen to the interview with Kassahun Checole…go to April 4, 2019 program at the following link:
Where and What is Tanzania — Teaching High School Biology in Tanzania: A Peace Corps Volunteer Experience
Note: All of the following information was gathered from many internet sites including Wikipedia. Interesting Tanzania superlatives: The most continuous record of human evolution during the past 2 million years at Olduvai Gorge: Homo habilis, 1.9 million years ago (mya), Paranthropus boisei 1.8 mya, Homo erectus, 1.2 mya and Homo sapiens, 17,000 years ago. The […]
The “New Normal”…the NY Times Magazine Weighs in the Israeli Occupation; the Palestinian Narrative Hits the U.S. Mainstream
Palestinians in Israeli prisons
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It is close to an acknowledgement that seventy-odd years of U.S. blind support and financial aid to Israel has left the United States in a hole in the Middle East where – if the results of the failed U.S. led effect to partition Syria are any indication – U.S. influence is on the wane. It suggests that much of the rationale often offered for the US-Israeli connection (“the only democracy in the Middle East,” nonsense about “shared values”) is bogus.
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Yesterday, the Sunday NY Times Magazine published a long piece “How the Battle Over Israel and Anti-Semitism Is Fracturing the American Politics.” The title should read “How the Battle of Israel and the Palestinians is Fracturing the American Politics” but it is still too much for the NY Times to acknowledge the Palestinian cause in the title of an article. It is a long and detailed article, more honest from where I am sitting than most pieces written on the subject that the Times has published, although recently, if the op-ed written by Michele Alexander suggests, “Time to Break the Silence on Palestine” there has been the beginnings of a shift.
Algeria: How Far With The Changes Go? A Radio Interview With Rob Prince. KGNU, Boulder Colorado. March 26, 2019
Audio Interview – KGNU Hemispheres, Middle East Dialogues
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(Above the audio interview. It begins at 1 minute and 37 seconds into the recording)
Concerning the program notes below: these are the notes I work off. Generally, and this case follows the rule, most of notes form the basis of the program. Several people have asked me for them, so they are provided. The goal in this case was to introduce listeners to the historic demonstrations taking place in Algeria at present, some background to the current crisis, which is about much more than presidential elections in the country.)
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After a twenty year hiatus “the Algerian Question” is back on the map
Hope to explore some themes related to the current events..
1. What is happening and why
2. Some general background for our listeners.
2. What I refer to as the ongoing crisis of legitimacy in Algeria
3. The U.S-Algeria Connection
Recently U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) told representatives of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center in Boulder Colorado that he will sign-on and become a co-sponsor of House Resolution 1004, this according to Peace Center organizer Carolyn Bninski.
Neguse is the first Eritrean-American elected to the United States Congress and Colorado’s first congressman of African descent. Over the past 40 years, the population of immigrants from the Horn of Africa living in Colorado has grown dramatically from a few hundred to possibly more than 40,000 all tolled. It includes Ethiopians, Eritreans and Somalis in the main. There is a strong concentration of them living east of Denver, in Aurora. Significant Somali communities live in Denver and Ft. Morgan. Read more…
The Result of the Mueller Report: “Trump Unleashed”
From Earth Day Demonstration, Denver, Colorado. March 25, 2017
Trump Unleashed: This Is How It Matters. by Bhadrakumar Mekulangara
Of course there will be a flood of commentaries about the Mueller Report. I hope you read the link above. It is by Indian (from India) retired diplomat, Bhadrakumar Melkulangara. For those of you who follow politics, which is most of you, I suggest that you find him on social media or follow his blog (link at his name above). Along with Sarah Abed, who writes poignantly and with great wisdom on the geo-politics of what is happening in Syria (follow her too) and US machinations in the Middle East in general. Reading what thes two have to say is pretty much how I start the day getting my international news. Both are extremely sharp and know what they are talking about.
Anyhow, I can sum up my analysis of the consequences of the report rather succinctly. The title of Bhadrakumar Melkulangara’s article “Trump Unleashed” hits the main points well. All I am doing below is, as they saying goes, dotting some “i’s” and crossing some “t’s.” Read more…
Algeria where on several recent Fridays, more than 1,000,000 people demonstrated against their president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, standing for a fifth term
Algeria: A Historic Turn …or The Change Necessary To Maintain The Status Quo
Hear Rob Prince* on KGNU Boulder (88.5 FM, 1390 AM, Streaming at http://www.kgnu.org) on Hemispheres, Middle East Dialogues hosted by Jim Nelson, Tues, February 26, 2019 @ 6-7 pm Mountain States Time
The program is available for streaming/downloading tomorrow at KGNU’s archives
* Ibrahim Kazerooni, with whom Prince is a co-commentator on this program, is currently spending a month in Iraq, from whence he hails. Expect an updated analysis of the situation in Iraq – a political football between the United States and Iran (the United States is losing by the way) – on Ibrahim’s return.
IfNotNow-organized demonstration to protest the Denver Jewish Federation’s failure to criticize the anti-Semitism spewed by Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign
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“The American Jewish community has a racism problem,” Rebecca Pierce, Jewish American activist..
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Author’s introductory note. I am republishing below a rather lengthy article “The New Faces of Jewish-American Resistance To Israel” that appeared a few days ago in an on-line publication called “Middle East Eye.” I have run across other articles from this publication but really don’t know who is behind it. That said, it is a fine summary of developments in the U.S. Jewish Community visa vis Israel. Posted this piece elsewhere on social media. It resulted in what has already been a rich exchange. In introducing the article I published the following commentary which I reproduce here:
[A few evenings ago] with a small group of progressive Middle East activists meeting in a fine, highly recommended, Denver restaurant, The Phoenician – the question of distinguishing anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism came up as did the more immediate case of the campaign against US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, for her remarks criticizing AIPAC, the effective pro-Israel lobby. Because I am Jewish, much of the discussion turned to me for answers – I tried to explain things – most especially how to counter the charge of anti-Semitism when it is simply a way to change the subject from Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians. Can’t say I was very effective. Read more…
U.S. – Hands Off Algeria
A few days ago, a million Algerians took to the streets. In a country where more than half the population is under the age of 20…The youth want a future, and their voice in it.
US – Hands Off Algeria
A posting from the Maghreb Center out of Washington D.C. on social media (Facebook) quotes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “that Russia was concerned by protests in Algeria and saw attempts underway to destabilize the situation in the North African country.” He was speaking to Algeria’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, in Moscow at the time. Contrast Sergei Lavrov – one of the most sophisticated voices internationally to the bulbous and usually vapid U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo is yet another embarrassment for anyone living in these United States.
As the Maghreb Center posting notes:
[Lavrov’s remarks were}…obviously, a warning against all kinds of machinations, interferences, manipulations, and provocations, by right-wing and liberal interventionists and their Islamist “friends” and agents in the US, in Algeria, neighboring Tunisia, and elsewhere in the region.
Exaggerated concern?…After all what did the US do to destabilize Syria, Iraq, Libya?
Funny – well not very – but I was sitting here thinking it is time for peace movement forces and others not drunk with neo-con “humanitarian interventionist” nonsense…what to call for…Not complicated:
US – Hands off Algeria…
This is, of course an idealist, impractical – if highly ethical – demand… like calling on the US in 2002-3 not to invade Iraq, 2011 not to intervene (through proxies) to try to overthrow Assad in Syria, 2012 to oppose the US orchestrated NATO intervention in Libya, the current calls to oppose the US green-lighted Saudi war-crimes war in Yemen, etc…
Idealist, impractical – if high ethical – demand – entirely appropriate.
As I have written elsewhere – and will do so again soon – in exchange for whitewashing the crimes committed against the Algerian people by the Algerian government in the 1990s (especially) in the “international arena” – Algeria has entered into a strategic-military partnership with Washington…which is of no good, as these relationships tend to be. It resembles the U.S. relationship with the Saudis, Israel, Pakistan…This relationship has now endured nearly 20 years.
Any political change in Algeria that might threaten this relationship will be not just opposed but actively opposed by Washington.. and as the current situation is already moving out of control of the current government, long considered illegitimate by the Algerian people… Washington is “worried” – actually more like defecating in their pants – if you pardon the expression – because they did not anticipate this…Nor have they anticipated ANYTHING of significance in the region despite their super-duper NSA monitoring system which other than targeting Afghan weddings can’t predict anything. That means some attempt to derail the political processes underway in this strategic North African country to sweep away 67 years of corruption, repression and abuse.
I do not know what Washington is preparing now for Algeria other than it is evil, Details to follow.
U.S. Hands Off Algeria.
Algeria’s Youm Echâab – Day of the People – 1
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• “Dear USA, there is no oil left, so STAY AWAY unless you want olive oil”
• “Algeria is kidnapped by a gang”
• “Voleurs, vous avez mangé le pays!” (Thieves, you have stolen our country)”
• “Monsieurs our generals! If you dare to fire a single shot, to spill one drop of our blood, THE PEOPLE will drag you to the International Criminal Court and indict you for crimes against humanity. The blood of the people is the red line you dare not cross.”
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(republished at MediaPart)
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After a twenty year hiatus “the Algerian Question” is back on the map.
It started on February 22, 2019. A series of powerful demonstrations throughout Algeria began, an unanticipated national mobilization. The demonstrations are massive, militant and well organized It continues as of this writing. When the announcement was made that Algeria’s ailing – to put it mildly – president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika would run for his fifth term a national protest explosion erupted that has not yet run its course. For weeks now Algerians have been turning out in force throughout the country voicing their disapproval at the very thought of Bouteflika running again.
The several weeks of non-stop demonstrations have achieved their first tactical victory. The upcoming elections where Bouteflika would have run for the fifth time have been called off. The Algiers’ power brokers have simply called off the election for the time being until they can figure out how to proceed.
It is a moment when political commentary passes from journalists and tv commentators to the street. The posters and banners reflect not only the demands for change, but as French publisher Francois Gèze pointed out “the remarkable lucidity” (la remarquable lucidité) of the Algerian people concerning the nature of their government. They were in Arabic, French and English: Read more…
Lisa Danielle Gallant and Ruth Bradspies. 1974
Morning dawns sounding like spring,
the light comes early,
the birds sing their song of hope despite the temperature of 1 degree
And in my email,
a gift from my mother
who would have turned 77 this month, but instead died nearly 29 years ago and never fails me when I need her
Her cousin, her beautiful cousin who looks like her so much it steals my breath to look at her,
writes to remind me of my strength
reaches back through time
and reminds me of my heritage,
conjures my relatives by name
Molly, Herbie, Ruthie, Lizzy, Robert
This cousin reminds me that love conquers all, that language carries love through time shining on us when we are ready,
that my Great Grandma Molly, working in a bra factory all day only to return home to a drunken husband, no food or rent,
did not suffer in vain.
Trust the universe, she writes, pour love into your spirit soothing poems,
understand the compelling power of real authenticity put out into this world,
I listen with an open heart and I hear.
Molly, Herbie, Ruthie, Lizzy, Robert, Sarabelle, I embrace this gift and I thank you.
Lisa Danielle Gallant
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* The title is mine as it had no title…Perhaps better that way? Lisa Gallant is my cousin Elizabeth’s daughter on my father’s side.
She writes poetry – like her great Uncle Herbie and her cousin Sarabelle, she has a fine appreciation of language and uses it well.
There is history in this poem that I had forgotten – that my grandmother Molly Prensky had worked in a bra factory in the Bronx. There is reference to my grandfather Abraham Prensky. He had worked his way up from a construction worker to become a successful contractor, only to get caught up in the crash of 1929 that ruined him and the family financially. My understanding is he always drank some, but after the crash his life collapsed and he became an alcoholic, abusive to his wife. He also contracted tuberculosis and spent some time in a Denver sanitorium. I have tried to track down which one but to date have been unsuccessful. In his later life Abraham dried out and the Prensky couple had a few peaceful years..He died of the tuberculosis in 1948, she in 1971.
View from the Left Bank: Rob Prince's Blog 