Global Fusion Productions Inc » Haiti

From Shoe Shine Boy To President of Economic Powerhouse: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Global Fusion — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:49:14 +0000

The world is clearly in changing times, the wind of change is here whether anyone wants to recognize it or not. It is here with more to come at such a fast speed from an intense slow burn that anyone who doesn’t take it seriously or prepare for it will be blown away. As the citizens of Egypt & Tunisia call for change in their African nations that have somehow lost its African identity & association in the world lexicon discussing how this revolution will change the Arab world without acknowledgment of the birth of these nations in their African factor; many other African nations who are suffering the same issues in their need for change should pay attention to the precedents of blueprints past & present to determine their future for the opportunity to freedom & opportunity in the basic human pursuit of happiness.

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” —Frederick Douglass

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva‘s story is perhaps the type of romantic political story that many begging for change in the world would love to see. Perhaps Brazil with the largest population of Africans outside of the African continent can be a modern day blueprint on building a nation from third world status to a first world economic powerhouse by basically going to a nation’s roots & taking it back to basics with a balance of modern day technology. Brazil has shown some quick reformations in their economy through their understanding of the power of energy on many levels; whether that energy is in making them a dominating powerhouse in the world game of football or in the world game of politics & economics. All around the world same song. The era of hypocrisy in politics & foreign relations pitting the haves against the have nots is no longer acceptable to the majority .

“For years “Lula” was a dirty word at Brazil’s main stock exchange, the Bovespa in São Paulo. The mere mention of the fact that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former union-leader and once a ferocious anti-capitalist, had his eyes on the presidency was enough to send shivers through international markets. In the lead up to Lula’s historic 2002 election, Brazil’s currency plummeted as overseas investors fretted over what the country’s first working-class president might do to their balance sheets. Times have changed – and Lula knows it. “Ten years ago I’d walk past the [stock exchange's] front door and people would shake with fear. They’d say, ‘Where is that capitalist-eater going?” Lula joked last Friday, as he returned to the Bovespa to unveil the largest share offer in world history: the sale of $70bn (£45bn) worth of shares in the Brazilian energy group Petrobras…” READ MORE

“BRAZIL is famous for stunning beaches, carnivals and great footballers.But now the world is going nuts for something else – the country’s ECONOMY. In just ten years, the South American nation has been transformed into a financial powerhouse. The new kids on the economic block came of age over the weekend. The so-called BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – were given more voting rights and seats at the International Monetary Fund, the organisation that oversees the global financial system.This marks Brazil’s emergence on the global stage. Bumper oil reserves and a booming agricultural sector mean the country’s economy could be bigger than Britain’s in five years. The economic revolution is feeding national confidence – Brazil is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016. Ruth Lea, economic adviser to City stockbroker Arbuthnot said: “Brazil has done terrifically well. It just shows how the power in the world economy is shifting…”READ MORE

“Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is on a roll. In recent weeks he’s shared a dais with Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy, and drew effusive praise (“My man!”) from Barack Obama at the G20 summit in London. He even had a photo op with Queen Elizabeth II. The former machine-tool worker, who spent decades picketing “savage capitalism,” is now the toast of bankers and boardrooms. “Don’t you think it’s chic that we are now lending the IMF money?” he joked at a press conference. Not so long ago, such scenes would have been improbable. With Brazil’s tender democracy, clawing poverty and an accident-prone economy, the country’s leaders were more likely to be queuing for a bailout than standing toe-to-toe with rainmakers on the international stage. After decades of false steps, Brazil has become a solid free-market democracy, a rare island of stability in a region of turmoil and governed by the rule of law instead of the whims of autocrats. Now Brazil is asserting itself as never before, but in a way that is markedly different from other big global players….” READ MORE

“The world’s most powerful woman will start coming into her own next weekend. Stocky and forceful at 63, this former leader of the resistance to a Western-backed military dictatorship (which tortured her) is preparing to take her place as President of Brazil…As head of state, president Dilma Rousseff would outrank Angela Merkel, Germany’s Chancellor, and Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State: her enormous country of 200 million people is revelling in its new oil wealth. Brazil’s growth rate, rivalling China’s, is one that Europe and Washington can only envy…” READ MORE

Brazil is now one of top & fastest growing economies in the world along with being at the forefront of the renewable energy movement. If a shoe shine boy with little education can take a nation from third world status to a first world economic powerhouse within 10 years & step down peacefully to be proceeded by a woman revolutionary who went from exile back home to her nation by the will of the people to continue the forward movement as yet another historical first, then so can Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Haiti & even the USA. Brazil went from depending on handouts & bailouts from other nations in the pursuit of their resources at the lowest market value to building itself up & taking ownership of their economy by taking control over their natural resources in determining what would be fair trade to them as the manufacturers. Great leadership is not determined by soci-economic class. If given the opportunity through the will & faith of the people, any nation can rise up to economic Freedom & Change! Let The Evolutions of Revolutions continue because all around the world same song for Change We (the people) Can Believe In!

“Brazil is the 10th largest economy in the world, representing 75% of Mercosurs GDP and accounting for around 1.5 % of world trade over the last 20 years. It is the main player in South America, with over half of the regions GDP and population. For the EU, Brazil is the most important market in South America. Relations go both ways – Brazilian exports to the EU have seen a steady increase and have doubled in 5 years. But EU – Brazil relations go beyond economic trade; they share common goals on issues like climate change and other key environmental challenges. “

Let’s Hear It For The Douche Bags: Cipha Sounds You Will Not Get A Pass!

Global Fusion — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:33:18 +0000

I am so glad that we realize as a community that just because you are counted & amongst the so called minority doesn’t mean you get a pass..If Don Imus can’t say it neither can You- DON’T GET GASSED! We must not tolerate ignorance, prejudice & racism in any form of double standard. Today I am proud of us as a community for standing together & not allowing any excuses even from our own. As Martin Luther King said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice Everywhere” ! At a time when we need to be focused on coming together for Haiti , we have our own doing the devil’s work in causing division. Call Cipha Sounds the sacrificial lamb or just a plain old douche bag but don’t call him a radio personality on a station that I listen to!

“On-air personality DJ Cipha Sounds has been suspended from his post at New York City’s Hot 97 radio station after making a controversial comment earlier this week, which triggered members of the Haitian community to boycott the station. Cipha, who co-hosts the station’s morning show alongside hip-hop personality Peter Rosenberg, outraged Haitian listeners after making the joke, “The reason I’m HIV negative is ’cause I don’t mess with Haitian girls.” Although Cipha was quick to issue a full, on-air apology after making what he admitted was a “tasteless” joke, the station was immediately flooded with complaints from listeners. On Wednesday, it was announced that the 34-year-old morning show host would be suspended indefinitely from his post at the station. A representative for Hot 97 explained that despite Cipha’s apology, it was important to show listeners that their concerns were taken seriously…”READ MORE

We must understand as a community that the degradation of our young girls & women along with HIV/ AIDS are not joking matters. It is unfortunate that many ignorant people like Cipher Sounds know very little to nothing about the injustices that occurred in his own country & why Haitians would be beyond sensitive & livid about his comments that would take them back to a dark place in American history when the then President George Bush Sr. & the US Government/CDC tried to label Haitians in totality as carriers of HIV/AIDS!

“Camp Bulkeley was a detention center located within the United States military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where HIV-positive refugees and asylum seekers were held during the early 1990s. After two years of protest, including a mention by presenters Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins during the 1993 Academy Awards, the camp was declared unconstitutional by United States district court Judge Sterling Johnson Jr.. In a negotiated agreement with attorneys for the detainees, that decision was vacated and the camp was closed shortly thereafter. Brandt Goldstein writes about the camp in considerable detail in Storming the Court: How a Band of Law Students Fought the President–And Won (Scribner 2005). Following the September 30, 1991 overthrow of democratically elected HaitianPresident Jean-Bertrand Aristide in a military coup d’etat, a large-scale exodus of Hatian boat people ensued. The United States Coast Guard rescued a total of 41,342 Haitians during 1991 and 1992, more than the number of rescued refugees from the previous 10 years combined. Just days after the coup d’état, the administration of US President George H.W. Bush ordered the Coast Guard to stop bringing fleeing Haitians to the US, and instead to redirect their boats to the US military base at Guantanamo. There, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) ruled that more than half of these refugees were economic migrants, not political refugees, and had them deported back to Haiti. Others were deemed political refugees, but before being allowed entry to the United States, the INS tested them for HIV. Those who tested positive were denied entry under a 1987 law barring emigration of HIV positive individuals into the US. In all, 267 Haitian refugees were held at Guantanamo, making Camp Bulkeley the world’s first detention center for people with HIV/AIDS….” READ MORE

“Our community, the Haitian community & those that care about us walked across the Brooklyn bridge almost 20 years ago to say you are not putting this label on us..we are not going to take this..it is unacceptable & it is disgraceful…Hot 97 the parent company has a responsibility now…yes we want to see Cipher Sounds disciplined, but we also want to see them use this opportunity to launch an HIV prevention campaign… they have the opportunity to talk to young people…their largest listeners, people of color who are disproportionately effected by HIV in this country, so take this opportunity Hot 97 to make things right..As a Haitian woman with a Haitian daughter, many Haitian nieces & sisters.. I say to them again.. Hold your head up high…we know who we are…we know from where we come & we know where we’re going..” HOT 97…listen to the woman speaking below…take this opportunity & move forward in a teaching moment.

“The AIDS epidemic among African-Americans in some parts of the United States is as severe as in parts of Africa, according to a report out Tuesday. “Left Behind – Black America: A Neglected Priority in the Global AIDS” is intended to raise awareness and remind the public that the “AIDS epidemic is not over in America, especially not in Black America,” says the report, published by the Black AIDS Institute, an HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on African-Americans…” read more

“Hispanics/Latinos represent 15% of the population but account for an estimated 17% of people living with HIV and 17% of new infections. HIV infections among Hispanics/Latinos overall have been roughly stable since the early 1990s.The rate of new HIV infections among Hispanic/Latino men is more than double that of white men and the rate among Hispanic/Latino women is nearly four times that of white women….” READ MORE

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar:Women Rock While Taking Over Presidential Spots

Global Fusion — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 02:18:25 +0000

As James De La Vega said “Sometimes the King is a Woman”. This decade seems to be the decade of the woman & one of the best times in history to be a woman. From BET honoring Black women in showcasing that “Black Girls Rock” can be created from one women’s dream to empower a new generation of young girls by changing the scope of their global image, to Black women making history as first ladies & taking global presidential spots- Black Girls globally are rocking their shine. At a time when mainstream media chooses to persecute & blame Black women for the breakdown of the Black family in creating the type of family unit that is acceptable in the world’s view without taking into account our history & cultural tradition that states “it takes a village to raise a child” plus all sorts of endless foolish reasons used in trying to break down the worth of Black women; Women like Beverly Bond, Michelle Obama & President Sirleaf of Liberia are making unprecedented moves showcasing that our leadership as women & Black women has always been more than the ring on our finger, as we raise the bar in raising nations!

The world seems to need the nurturing & practical skills & mindset of women more than ever because we have allowed the men to pillage & destroy for far too long to a point of confusion & uncertainty globally.

The release of Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma will hopefully give rise to a new lease on life not only for her but for her nation. She will hopefully get her nation out of the darkness in building a truly secure future which her people elected her to bring forth!

“I think that freedom is sometimes a state of mind. Sometimes, mind you, but not always. I don’t think that the people in this country feel free. From a legal perspective, what is happening here is unacceptable. Fundamental violations of human rights always lead to people feeling less and less human. And when something like this continuously happens in your country, then you no longer feel comfortable. You, for instance, will leave Burma again in just a few days. But for those of us who have to spend the rest of their lives here, life can be very arduous….We Have to Tackle This — With Peaceful Means…” READ MORE

“Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese opposition politician and a former General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% (392 of 485) of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained under house arrest before the elections. She remained under house arrest in Burma for almost 15 of the 21 years from July 20, 1989 until her release on 13 November 2010. Primarily in response to her detention, Aung San Suu Kyi received the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by the government of India and the International Simón Bolívar Prize from the government of Venezuela. Aung San Suu Kyi is the third child and only daughter of Aung San, considered to be the father of modern-day Burma…” READ MORE

“Shepard Fairey made new stunning work portraiting imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma….“This Human Rights cause is something I believe in strongly,” said Fairey. “I created this portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi to raise awareness of her on-going house arrest and the oppressive nature of the military regime ruling Burma.”…“Aung San Suu Kyi is the Nelson Mandela of Asia,” said Jack Healey, the head of the Human Rights Action Center. “Shepard’s tribute to her will remind the world she is the rightful leader of Burma in a powerful way… READ MORE

Globally women are taking the mantle in the frontlines of leadership becase we are all sick & tired of being sick & tired! Women like Aung San Suu Kyi will hopefully give rise to other daughters of freedom revolutions like Samia Nkrumah of Ghana to take forth & resurrect the legacies that their fathers set & envisioned for their nation’s future before their time was cut short by those who apposed their vision of uncompromised freedom. Women fought in all the global revolutions of the 50’s & 60’s which changed the world’s landscape that brought unprecedented wind of true change, but many of these women were never recognized in their leadership roles. This decade will prove to be different when the faces & names of these revolutionary women will forever be inscribed in the fabric of our lives & our history books!

Many may know the name Fela Anikulapo Ransome Kuti, but very few know of the revolutionary who gave birth to him & fought for a better future for Africa, Nigeria & its women. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was not only Fela’s mother, but also the woman who many saw as the mother of Africa who happened to be a daughter of Nigeria’s Ogun State, which has recently captured the spotlight by making waves in the new wind of change that will determine Nigeria’s future. Women like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti whose blood reigned for her son to lead a new Nigeria in opening doors for a new way of thinking, a new definition of freedom & a new sense of national pride which rocked Africa’s sleeping giant at its core has once again found new life in resurrecting a new decade of Nigeria to come, where many more Nigerian women leaders will be cut from the cloth of their foremothers.

“Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a Nigerian activist who fought for suffrage and equal rights for her countrywomen long before the second wave of the women’s movement in the United States. Her involvement in international women’s organizations led her to travel the world in the period following World War II. She championed the causes of the poor and downtrodden of both sexes as she joined the anticolonial movement struggling for Nigeria’s independence…” READ MORE

As Brazil’s large population of African descendants fight for their freedom & positioning in a nation that has long forgotten them, there is a new woman in charge, a former freedom fighter who will hopefully see that her fight for freedom & justice for Brazil needs to be resurrected in including its African descendants.

“Authorities launched a massive sweep of the Alemao favela complex in northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday morning. Military police told reporters they were entering the virtually impenetrable labyrinth of slums, searching for drug gang leaders and illegal drugs. We will not retreat in our decision to bring peace to Rio,” Duarte said. “We are in our final stages of reaching the traffickers in the Alemao complex…We are serving a request by the department of defense with authorization by President Lula. We will stay for as long as its necessary,” he said..” READ MORE

Women like Rita Marley who is known globally as always keeping family first is a true example of a woman’s strength because what may break the weak or be the humiliation of many became her self sacrifice for the rise of a solid global foundation of music, nation & Rastafari because she knew the legacy was bigger than just her alone!

From Ghana, to Jamaica, to Burma, to Liberia, to Brazil & right here in the good ol’ USA, there is a call for the leadership of our mothers & the desire to be nurtured in their strength. Carol Moseley Braun has heeded the call of Chicago’s voiceless in a “soon come” type of way when a mother must act to save her children no matter what Goliath she has to take down. Rahm Emmanuel, President Obama’s ever partisan cheif of staff is running for the same position as Ms. Braun at a time when Chicago’s inner city children are dying for just trying to get an education, the same way as young girls from war torn Iraq & Afghanistan are yet no one cares to make it a national/ international cause to end Chicago’s crisis! Martin Luther King did tell us that “injustice anyhwere is a threat to justice everywhere ” & the legacy of Shirley Chisolm who paved the way for women like Ms. Braun proclaimed that she would be unbought & unbossed. This race is slated to be one of the ones to watch because it will hopefully finally allow us to have those conversations that needed to be had & if there is ever a time that these conversations need to be had…the Place is Now, the Time is Here! The women are setting is off !

“Seizing on a message she used two decades ago in her historic run for the U.S. Senate, Carol Moseley Braun announced Saturday she was running for Chicago mayor to be a voice for the unheard and an advocate for the underrepresented….”This great city can’t survive if some Chicagoans are treated like second class citizens,” Braun told about 150 supporters gathered outside on the chilly morning at Northerly Island along the lakefront. “This city must continue to grow with the support of and inclusion of every neighborhood, every community.“Braun made history in 1992 when she became the first African-American woman elected to the Senate. But her positive publicity didn’t last and six years later Braun lost to Republican Peter Fitzgerald following a troubled term that included an investigation in whether she abused spending in her campaign fund. Braun was also criticized for taking controversial trips to Nigeria, during which she met with the nation’s military dictator without the knowledge of the U.S. government. Later, she was an ambassador and most recently started an organic coffee and tea company. Braun alluded to the political scrapes of her past as she attempted to re-energize her voting bloc. ”I have been tested and strengthened and I now understand that challenges make us rise to be the best we can be,” she said. “We cannot always avoid the rocks that might be thrown at us, but we can persevere….” READ MORE

Chicago get ready to show your power! Will the legacy of Charles Rangel & the shaming of Black elected officials in recent media rest on our support for Carol Mosley Braun in showing that sometimes “the king is a woman”? Will there be further division in the Black community if the first Black President of the USA obligates himself to support his former chief of staff in his hometown instead of the Black woman who has already set a legacy in history & will set another if she becomes Chicago’s new mayor? Black political legacy has been under attack & there seems to be an urgency to resurrect & to do right by the legacy left for the youth, which many may say leaders like Braun & Rangel failed generations after them in solidifying because they were self serving instead of setting a foundation focused on grooming the next generation in order to pass the baton of legacy gracefully instead of it having to be yanked disgracefully out of their tight grip of entitlement. Mama Carol maybe exactly what the future of Chicago needs, but will one man’s ambition, political ties of power & entitlement trump that?

“Rahm Emanuel is firing back at Carol Moseley Braun after the former U.S. Senator and fellow mayoral hopeful criticized his Hollywood fundraiser and blamed him for Democratic losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections….”On this day when President Obama and Illinois Democrats are still recovering from the painful political debacle that he was the architect of, Rahm Emanuel is off in Hollywood hanging out with bankers and billionaires,” Braun said in a statement. “. . . Rahm Emanuel cut and ran after pushing policies that lead to the biggest Democratic Party political loss in 27 years. He left the President holding the bag. If Rahm abandoned the President of the United States, what makes anybody think heʼll stick by regular Chicagoans?” READ MORE

I look forward to the second act of Carol Mosley Braune in showing Chi-town how a true Black Girl Rocks! Chicago natives need to resurrect the freedom set forth by the hands & genius mind of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable’s Chicago. Ms. Braun may not be seeking the presidential spot, but what she will represent to this nation & the world at this very moment in its divides & unifications when one must bring it back to basics in allowing its fruits to flourish in a foundation of good cultivated soil will be carefully watched & scrutinized. Carol Moseley Braun has the experience & has proven herself to be a fighter through adverse situations many times over, so being able to turn Chicago around successfully will surely make the nation give the next mayor a second look at the presidential spot in search for Superman, but this time superman/the king may just be a woman!

“I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself….I was the first American citizen to be elected to Congress in spite of the double drawbacks of being female and having skin darkened by melanin. When you put it that way, it sounds like a foolish reason for fame. In a just and free society it would be foolish. That I am a national figure because I was the first person in 192 years to be at once a congressman, black and a woman proves, I think, that our society is not yet either just or free.” Shirley Chisolm

As Ms. Braun takes on the responsibility in leading one revolution started by a Haitian in America, Ms. Mirlande Manigat looks to be the first woman elected to Haiti’s presidential position in hopefully rebuilding & finishing the Haitian revolution that was crippled & taken off course!

“The woman who could be the next President of Haiti — and the first female to be elected to that office — doesn’t strike you as an insurgent when she walks into a room. But Mirlande Manigat, a smartly dressed, soft-spoken, 70-year-old Sorbonne Ph.D., insists she’s after nothing less than a “rupture” with Haiti’s dysfunctional political establishment. “Not one that’s violent or brutal, but there must be change,” Manigat said in an interview with TIME at her campaign’s Port-au-Prince headquarters. “We can’t leave so many millions of Haitians abandoned anymore…” READ MORE

This is the time when we need our women, our mothers our ill nanas, whatever that may mean to you it still represents a woman’s queendom. My nana is a Queen with great language skills, the illest MC, the nation’s griot & town crier who brings the real news & holds the forward passage of our legacies -She is A Woman That Rocks!

Ms. Nina Simone said it best “We’re in the middle of a revolution because I see the face of things to come“! Our women warriors are right in time to set the world on its rightful course the way only a woman who gives birth to life can!

HAITI: Past, Present & Future-From Freedom To Neo-Colonial Occupation-Never Forget

Global Fusion — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 23:07:57 +0000

“First we had the colonization of Haiti and now we have a kind of neo-colonial occupation of Haiti.”

“As long as imperialism exists it will by definition, exert its domination over other countries. Today that domination is called neocolonialism.”— Che Guevara, Marxist revolutionary, 1965….The term neocolonialism first saw widespread use, particularly in reference to Africa, soon after the process of decolonization which followed a struggle by many national independence movements in the colonies following World War II…Kwame Nkrumah, who in 1957 became leader of newly independent Ghana, was one of the most notable figures to use the term. A classical definition of neocolonialism is given in his Neo-Colonialism, the Last Stage of Imperialism (1965). The work is self-defined as an extension of Lenin’s Imperialism, the Last Stage of Capitalism (1916), in which Lenin argues that 19th century imperialism is predicated upon the needs of the capitalist system. Nkrumah argues that “In place of colonialism as the main instrument of imperialism we have today neo-colonialism… Neo-colonialism, like colonialism, is an attempt to export the social conflicts of the capitalist countries.” He continues:The result of neo-colonialism is that foreign capital is used for the exploitation rather than for the development of the less developed parts of the world. Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world. The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed….” READ MORE

On 1/12/2010 Haiti was shattered by the earthquake but the faith, endurance, spirit & will of its people has & will always be one that is unshattered & resilient!

“Sometimes the Haitian people are too resilient, they accept what they get regardless of the fact that they have the RIGHT TO ASK FOR MORE..We need to continue to support & pray for the people of Haiti“!

“One year after the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, how Sean Penn, Paul Haggis, Maria Bello and their friends are still fighting for Haiti’s survival amid unspeakable horror…”READ MORE

Thanks to MamiWata Healers Society, I was led to this excellent “Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil” moment as Nicolas Rossier interviews deposed Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide allowing him to tell his story in his own words. Haiti needs to reignite the dialogue that must be had amongst Haitians, their friends & enemies alike in discussing, facing & addressing Haiti’s past, present & future by breaking down every friend & foe’s involvement in its unnatural design that may never see a solution to its end without a clear & open dialogue where nothing is off the table. How do we speak of Democracy & holding up the law of the land when it comes to allowing Wyclef not to run for president as the people’s choice while supporting an illegal exile of a man who the people had overwhelmingly elected as their choice. Will post Ayiti who had her earth quaked to allow the truth to come to the surface allow its addition to Haiti’s legacy to be in the continual silencing of the people’s choice or to truly being on the side of justice, law, doing what’s right & letting freedom ring, letting Aiyit’s voice sing?

“When we say democracy we have to mean what we say.”

“If you want to know what the rulers of the United States would do if they had unchecked power to order the world as they saw fit, look at Haiti. It is in Haiti that the United States shows its true face: a face of infinite greed, boundless cruelty, absolute cynicism, naked aggression, and a total lack of respect for human dignity – especially, the dignity of Black humanity. Since 2004, Haiti has been a de facto colony of the United States. By organizing and funding the armed coup that toppled the freely elected government of Jean Bertrand Aristide, and then physically kidnapping and transporting him into African exile, the United States made itself responsible for everything that has transpired, since…” READ MORE

“The corporate media portrays former President Bill Clinton as a great humanitarian friend of Haiti. The truth could not be more different. He has always supported policies in the interests of multinational corporations and the Haitian ruling class at the expense of the country’s workers, urban poor and peasantry…After the 1991 coup that toppled Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Clinton as President did maintain relatively ineffective sanctions. But he violated his campaign promise and continued George Bush Sr.’s policy of jailing Haitian refugees in Guantanamo. He also pressured Aristide to adopt free market economic policies as the condition of restoring him to power in 1994. Confronted with this evidence, he recently apologized for impoverishing the lives of peasant farmers in Haiti. But as always with Clinton, his rhetoric could not be more different than his policies. After the second U.S.-backed coup against Aristide in 2004, Clinton has worked with former World Bank employee Paul Collier, multinational corporations and the Haitian elite to impose another free-market plan on Haiti. While U.N. troops have occupied Haiti since 2004, Clinton and Collier toured the country promoting sweatshops, tourism, and export-oriented agriculture...”READ MORE

As Kanye says: “you say something you risk everything” ! Sometimes the voices of the people echoed thru a clear organized voice representing the people creates the type of revolution which scares those whose worst fear is having that “real conversation” about past, present & future talking points of just saying you want to eradicate poverty & uplift nations, while actions have never matched up. As the saying goes…”When deeds speak, words are meaningless”!

” there is a kind of neo-colonial occupation of 8,900 UN soldiers with 4,400 policemen spending, more or less, fifty-one million US dollars a month in a country where 70% of the population lives with less than a dollar a day. In other words it’s a paradise for the occupiers…. We see people invading a country, pretending to help, while they are actually involved in rape, child abuse and so on…” former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Currently in forced-exile in South Africa, )….READ MORE

Haitians must wake up & see how the powers that be has used the same blueprint from slavery & colonialism in continuing to use Haitians in their own demise. When will global Africans see past their own internal divides to understand that this too is part of the self proclaimed & taken Master’s plan?

“The cholera epidemic in Haiti is rapidly spreading. It has become the dominant issue leading up to elections set for Nov. 28. And as popular rage grows against international aid workers, protests have erupted in the ruins of Port-au-Prince…The crowd, mostly men and a few women, runs past wreckage, mountains of garbage and corrugated metal huts. Sweat streams down their faces. It’s 10 a.m. and already oppressively hot in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, which has become a capital of the suffering, as the protesters run shouting through the streets. A man with a shaved head and deep-set eyes running in the middle of the crowd pauses for a moment, gasping for air, then says: “There was no cholera here before. The UN brought cholera into this country. They should get out of here!” He starts running again.“READ MORE

“17th November 2010: UNICEF is mobilizing all its staff and resources in an effort to stem the spread of cholera in Haiti, and warned today that with 50 per cent of the population under 18 years, large numbers of children are affected….Up to 200,000 cases are expected…” READ MORE

November 28th,2010-The Future of Haiti will be determined! Haitians & the world at large should pay close attention to Haiti’s elections. Every Haitian owes it to themselves & their nation to stop, look, listen & assess past, present & future as they exercise their vote. Haitians must diligently follow the money in making or breaking their nation! Aiyiti can no longer afford to elect the wrong leader who is a puppet of colonizers…Haiti has no more lives to spare! Forward Ever, Backward Never-Freedom Now!

“PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — With some candidates already crying fraud, and the delivery of voter identification cards mired in delays and confusion on Saturday, Haiti braced for one of its most pivotal presidential elections in decades. Official public campaigning ended Friday, but hours before the first ballots were to be cast Sunday, many of the 19 candidates and their representatives took to social media and old-fashioned news conferences to question the election’s fairness. The United States ambassador, while expressing cautious optimism that balloting would be fair and orderly, raised concern that many people, especially the more than one million who have been living in tent encampments scattered across this capital city since January’s earthquake, may not be aware of basic information like the location of the island nation’s 11,000 polling places….“You have people who are registered to vote in their old neighborhoods but living somewhere else,” the ambassador, Kenneth H. Merten, said in an interview on Saturday. “I’m not sure that all of them know where they have to go. We will see tomorrow….”READ MORE

“Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) — Candidates wound up a flurry of election campaigning before a midnight deadline Friday night amid reports of a violent attack on one of the candidates’ campaigns…The campaign of flamboyant komba-singer-turned-presidential-candidate Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly issued a statement late Friday night, claiming he had survived an “assassination attempt” in the town of Les Cayes in southern Haiti…”Many wounded, at least one dead,” the campaign said in a press release...” READ MORE

Here are some wonderful Generation Nexters doing it for Haiti:

Farm Haiti.org

Vanishing Seeds

Built For Haiti

‎”I Don’t Come To Bow, I Come 2 Conquer!We refuse to be….What you wanted us to be…We are what we are…That’s the way (way) it’s going to be. You don’t know!You can’t educate I For no equal opportunity…(Talkin’ ’bout my freedom) Talkin’ ’bout my freedom…People freedom (freedom) and liberty! Yeah, we’ve been trodding on the winepress much too long…Rebel, rebel!
Yes, we’ve been trodding on the winepress much too long…Rebel, rebel! Babylon system is the vampire, yea! (vampire)…Suckin’ the children day by day, yeah! Me say: de Babylon system is the vampire, falling empire…Suckin’ the blood of the sufferers, yea-ea-ea-ea-e-ah! Building church and university, wo-o-ooh, yeah! Deceiving the people continually, yea-ea! Me say them graduatin’ thieves and murderers..Look out now: they suckin’ the blood of the sufferers (sufferers). Yea-ea-ea! (sufferers)…Tell the children the truth…Tell the children the truth…Tell the children the truth right now!Come on and tell the children the truth. ‘Cause – ’cause we’ve been trodding on ya winepress much too long…Rebel, rebel! And we’ve been taken for granted much too long…Rebel, rebel now! From the very day we left the shores (trodding on the winepress)…Of our Father’s land (rebel)…We’ve been trampled on (rebel)…Oh now! (we’ve been oppressed, yeah!) Lord, Lord, go to….”

Global Fusion Playlist @The movies:Afrolatinos: The Untaught Story

Global Fusion — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:56:30 +0000

As the power of South America becomes more visible on the global stage with the formation of the Union of South American Nations (USAU), powerhouses like oil giant Venezuela unapologetically flexing its power in unity with other Latin American, Caribbean, South American, Middle Eastern & African nations -some of whom are sworn enemies of America & its allies & Brazil being the 8th largest economy in the world with a newly elected first female president who was once an urban guerilla & Brazilian revolutionary; the nations & people who were once considered “third world” have quickly become the example & envy of the so called first world nations & super powers.

Many of these nations have struggled for centuries to recognize & rectify the lack of inclusion in the sharing of wealth & acknowledgment given to the African descendants of their nations who have been left to live in poverty while their European counterparts basque in the wealth created from centuries of free labor from their ancestors & their own minimum wage & indentured servitude labor of today. As the power & recognition of these nations grow globally, the descendants of the enslaved Africans who were instrumental in building these nations are looking for their piece of the pie in the wealth, success & the telling of their stories as part of their nations. Get to know the stories of AfroLatinos/AfriLatinos from Puerto Rico, to Brazil, to Ecuador, to Venezuela, to Panama, to Guatemala, to Cuba, to the Dominican Republic & all points in between. It isn’t only a theory that we all come from Africa, but it is a proven scientific fact!

“There are an estimated 200 million Afro-descendants in Latin America but the majority of them do not have political or economic power. This documentary takes you on a journey to meet Afrolatinos throughout Spanish and Portuguese speaking nations and explores their culture, in an attempt to initiate social change throughout Latin America. The documentary series will begin with the slave trade in the early 1500’s and touch on the Cimarron (Palenque) communities, as well as cover the controversial theory of the African presence in ancient America. The program’s quest is to better understand the religious connections and distinctions between the Catholic Church and religious practices such as Yoruba and Voodoo...” READ MORE

NEW AFRICAN IMMIGRATION TO SOUTH AMERICA

Global Fusion Playlist: BUILT FOR HAITI :STILL WORK TO BE DONE:NEVER FORGET!

Global Fusion — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:30:29 +0000

When we say “Never Forget” -Let’s Actually Mean It! Haiti is no longer in the global headlines but Haitians are still waiting for a hand up & to rise up from devastation! Let’s Continue to Build For Haiti!

Join 54 Kingdoms and Addicted To African And Caribbean (ATAC) Magazine, in a campaign effort to provide both a physical and mental support system for our neighboring brothers and sisters in Haiti. Let’s not just build Haiti. Let’s rebuild a BETTER and STRONGER Haiti.

The Global Fusion Playlist @ The Movies :Vanishing Seeds! Rebekah Frimpong-Black Star Rising!

Global Fusion — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:52:41 +0000

Black Stars continue to rise globally staying true to Ghana’s national slogan of Forward Ever, BackWard Never! Ms. Rebekah Frimpong: Filmmaker/Poet/Mentor/Activist is a Global Fusionist that you will be sure to hear more about soon. From pageant crowns to being in the front lines of a global revolution for sustenance, land and one’s human right to participate in one’s own self-preservation to prevent vanishing seeds in favor of growth & self sustainability, Rebekah shows that beauty is truly skin deep. Rebekah emanates beauty from the exterior by shining the light into its deepness. Check out Rebekah’s upcoming project, Vanishing Seeds, where she manifests her words

” Revolution over loot! Africa must be free in our hearts, Africa is our home only we can change the landscape of tomorrow…”

Vanishing Seeds From Haiti to Ghana… One Seed Can Make A Difference.

About The Vanishing Seeds Film Project.

The Vanishing Seeds film project was developed as a program that would use the medium of film as an educational tool to teach audiences about the devastating effects of deforestation. Vanishing Seeds also will educate individuals and communities on how to combat deforestation with active volunteerism and public campaigns. The Vanishing Seeds project was developed by Rebekah A. Ofori-Frimpong in partnership with Trees for the Future Caribbean and African department. This project will include a year long campaign that will include film screenings, educational seminars, volunteering initiatives, and community programming. The Vanishing Seeds films will serve as public service announcements to educate various communities in the United States, the Caribbean, and Africa. The Vanishing Seeds Films will follow the work of Trees for the Future in Haiti and Ghana as Miss Ghana USA 2010/11 finalist Rebekah A. Ofori-Frimpong documents the efforts on ground in both Haiti and Ghana. Trees for the Future as of 2009 started two new tree planting programs in both Haiti and Ghana to further support the ongoing reforesting projects in place and Vanishing Seeds from Haiti to Ghana will show this progression. READ MORE

Find out more about Rebekah other philanthropic initiative, Mama Africa . Sending personalized care packages to mothers in need in Africa and US. Read More Here

Haiti’s Football Boys Bring the Type of Pride, Hope & Joy that Money Can’t Buy & Earthquakes Can’t Shake!

Global Fusion — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:44:37 +0000

As Wyclef Jean continues his protest through music for being denied his much to do about nothing unconstitutional run for Haiti’s presidency, which seems as if it has taken over his ego & self importance along with taking up the spotlight & global interest in Haiti; Haiti’s Boys -Haiti’s under-15 youth football team- have risen to the occasion in true leadership as examples of the type of Haitian spirit that is unselfish, unwavering & never defeated regardless of the obstacles placed in its path when it comes to truly unifying for Haiti. Where was the leadership of Wyclef as Haiti’s global ambassador who cares so much for Haiti’s youth in bringing attention to this great Haitian acheivement by Haiti’s youth instead of focusing his twitter & media platform on the demise of his presidential aspiration when the focus should be on how Haiti is moving forward & firm solutions for forward movement? Haitians, 8 months after the most devastating earthquake in Haiti’s history have not seen much change nor many displaced Haitians returning to their homes, much like New Orleans, 5 years after hurricane Katrina with millions to billions of dollars given in charitable aid.

Wyclef has kept the spotlight of Haiti on him by contesting the validity of Haiti’s constitution in not changing the laws to suit his eligibility to run for president as he decides to sing in protest to the people of Haiti in the Creole language that he can not speak directly to them in conversation, arrogantly singing that the youth of Haiti are the ones who have lost by him being denied the right to run for president. If Beyonce can make a Spanish album then don’t be so surprised that eyebrows are raised & lips are “stripsing” for that musical effort in protest of something that you seem to feel entitled to strictly based on your celebrity. Mr. Jean, just in case you are unaware, the youth of Haiti have won & have shown that they will continue to win with or without your presidency, so let’s move on & do the work that you promised to do with or without a seat at the presidential palace.

“How are you gonna be an effective leader, how are you gonna be inspiring the youth, if you’re telling them to forget French, forget Creole, speak English? That’s in their blood, that’s 200 years of culture. It’d be like Obama coming in and telling people to speak Cantonese.” READ MORE

Haiti’s under -15 team was put together only 6 weeks before they went in to fight for their spot at FIFA’S Summer Youth Olympic Games. Haiti’s boys secured their spot in the finals hosted by Singapore, surprising the world with little media coverage of the hope & can do attitude that Haitian youth are creating for themselves instead of waiting for some sort of rock starlike anomaly to come to bring them “Change they can Believe in” after many governments locally & globally have failed them for most of their lives. We salute & honor the youthfully large & empowering spirit of the Haitian Boys as they raise up their Silver medal- showing their fellow Haitians that nothing is impossible if you put in the work, fight the good fight & Believe!

“Haiti’s footballers, who travelled here to the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics cloaked in tragedy and sadness, are riding a massive wave of sympathy to stand on the brink of winning the most unlikeliest gold medal of these Games. The country’s boy’s footballers brought some much needed joy to their earthquake-stricken nation as they remarkably defied the odds to book their spot in the boy’s final with a 2-0 win over Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium last night. The Caribbean country made global headlines at the start of the year after a devastating earthquake ripped it apart and left their sports system, along with everything else, in tatters. With such utter devastation hitting their homeland, Haiti were applauded for simply turning up at these Games. Little was expected of them, especially after they lost their opening match 9-0 to Bolivia…..” READ MORE

“Instead of people crying in Haiti, which is all that has been happening for the last eight months, I hope what our boy’s have done out here has finally bought some smiles to people’s faces. It has been so hard for us and my team fought so well and I am very proud of them for that. We have achieved so much here but we wanted to go one better and bring the gold back to our country. We gave everything we could for ourselves and for the people of Haiti but Bolivia were simply better tonight. They have been together 15 months while we have been together for six weeks but that is no excuse and they deserved it. We have a silver medal and for that, we very are grateful and grateful to FIFA for letting my players come here and away from the struggle they face at home.”

“Haiti coach Pierre Sonche says his side’s march to the boys football final has brought joy to a nation still suffering. ”We can’t give money to our people back in Haiti, but at least I know they are very happy with this result and our campaign here in Singapore,” Sonche said after his team’s 2-0 win over Singapore…” READ MORE

“August 25 – A brave Haitian team could not secure what would have been a fairytale finish at the Summer Youth Olympic Games as they were soundly beaten 5-0 by Bolivia in the boy’s football gold medal match at the Jalan Besar Stadium here tonight. Bolivia had beaten Haiti 9-0 in the first match of the competition before the heroic footballers from the earthquake-stricken nation defied all expectations by storming through to the final to set up a second encounter with their rivals. But, the footballers from the Caribbean island, who have captured the hearts of the world with their unexpected success story in Singapore, could not produce another shock and were forced to settle for a hard-earned silver medal as Bolivia were crowned boy’s football champions…” READ MORE

“Now there will, of course, be people who lose interest in the race, who feel that they have no dog in the fight. I hope Wyclef Jean is not one of them. What he has promised to do before — create jobs and educational opportunities and inspire young people who have already lost so much to the earthquake that inspired him to run — he can continue to do through a reformed version of his Yele Haiti foundation and his music. As our roving ambassador, he can now do this more freely, without the statesman straitjacket and forced political lingo. He can speak directly to us and from his heart. He can console his young supporters and urge them once again to remain calm. And he won’t have to do it en francais. That could be his most important contribution yet to a country for which he has proven his love and devotion over and over again. What could be more presidential than that……? READ MORE

DOES ANYONE ELSE NOT SEE THE IRONY IN TALKING ABOUT LAWLESS HAITIAN LEADERS, WHEN ONE IS ASKING TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS IN ORDER TO BECOME THE NEXT LEADER-HMMMM?

GLOBAL DIVIDE IN THE FIGHT FOR LAND : EVERYONE WANTS THEIR PROMISED LAND

Global Fusion — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:42:35 +0000

As I watched the documentary the “Promised Land” on PBS a few weeks ago, I was reminded how there needs to be a global dialogue on the worldwide divide, infighting & wars over land; whether it is Palestinians against Israeli settlers, Native South Africans against Afrikaner settlers, Native Americans against New American settlers, enslaved Africans & their descendants still awaiting their promised 40 acres & a mule for hundreds of years of forced unpaid slave labor, the very first freed slaves of Haiti or poor farmers in Brazil who are still fighting to claim their land for self sustainability in order to escape & eradicate foreign dependency & agricultural dictatorship, or Native Bolivian Indians & Native Zimbabweans championing a President who they voted in to finally take back the land from the descendants of former settlers & colonizers to redistribute back to the natives of the nation. It seems all over the world from South Africa to South America, someone is trying to write the wrongs of colonialism, imperialism, racism, apartheid,war & occupation with all eyes on the prize of the Promised Land.

“Brazil is the target of an offensive by big capital, joined by transnational corporations and banks, in an alliance with the capitalist landowners who created a model of organization of agriculture called agribusiness. From the second half of the 1990s – and even more after the crisis of international capitalism – large international corporations, underwritten by finance capital, began to advance on Brazilian agriculture: land, water, seeds, production and industrialization of food and the marketing of pesticides.” READ MORE

“Brazil, South America’s largest economy, is finally poised to realize its long-anticipated potential as a global player, economists say, as the country rides its biggest economic expansion in three decades. It has also given Brazil new swagger, providing it, for instance, with greater leverage to push for a tougher bargain with the United States and Europe in global trade talks. After seven years, those negotiations finally broke down this week over demands by India and China for safeguards for their farmers, a clear sign of the rising clout of these emerging economies.” READ MORE

“Villase had walked into one of the fights over land, rooted in Haiti’s history of slavery, occupation and upheaval, that have served to slow recovery to a near-standstill in the six months since the earthquake leveled much of the capital and killed as many as 300,000 people.The government, already weak before the magnitude-7 quake and still hobbled by its aftermath, is trying to build anew in places like Corail-Cesselesse, a nearly empty swath of land that begins about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of the capital. But the effort is paralyzed by disorganization, bitter rivalries and private deals being struck behind its back. Multiple families claim title to almost every scrap of real estate. Already one reconstruction official has been forced to step down for steering a public project to his company’s private land at Corail-Cesselesse. Wealthy landowners vow the “new Haiti” will become yet another vast slum unless the government rebuilds on their terms. Caught in the middle are the homeless, looking to grab a patch of ground from the thugs hired to keep them away. Even facing machetes, Villase had to be dragged from her flimsy shelter.”I didn’t want them to take the tent away,” she recalled. “They said, ‘We don’t care. We can rip it up while you’re inside.” READ MORE

With the recent opening up of America’s racial wounds with former USDA Director, Shirley Sherrod, becoming the poster child uncovering America’s long history of racism, classism & land disputes, I learned that in our recent history Black farmers had been rewarded a settlement of $1.25 billion in 1999 for discrimination by the USDA in its allocation of farm loans and assistance between 1983 and 1997. This class action lawsuit is known as Pigford v. Glickman, which still has not been fully paid to date in its settlement. Where’s Fox news on this one- oh hell where is the Black news media in taking any responsibility in shedding light or education on this one in assistance & historical education of our youth?Absent as usual! I am a 37 year old African-American who would have never known about this if it hadn’t been for Fox News trying to Massacre Shirley Sherrod. In wanting to know more about who she is, I researched & stumbled upon this very important piece of history.

“The interesting thing about land is that in spite of the fact that we were enslaved, in spite of the fact that share cropping was a quasi form of slavery, between 1865 and 1910, according to census bureau figures, the African American community had acquired approximately 16 million acres of land. Now that’s 45 years after slavery when we could not read, could not write, and for all intents and purposes did not know where a college or a university was at. Our ancestors owned more of this country on a per capita basis 150 years ago than we do today.” READ MORE

“United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli announced in February that a lawsuit by Black farmers who alleged the agency discriminated against them, had been settled, and that there would be a $1.25 billion payout. President Barack Obama stated last May that the funds to pay back the Black farmers would be included in the 2010 budget, and Congress was to approve the settlement before March 31 of this year.At this point, money has still not been allocated.” READ MORE

“Bolivian President Evo Morales, the country’s first Indian leader, was re-elected to a second term in December 2009. Morales makes land redistribution and titling a cornerstone of his presidency. The majority of the country’s land has long been owned by a powerful non-indigenous fraction of the population, whose holdings are concentrated in the country’s fertile eastern lowlands. Morales’ government is now giving government-owned and unused land to poor and landless people, like Fernandez, in an attempt to combat this monopolization of Bolivian soil.” READ MORE

Today, particulary in Africa it seems descendants of many of Africa’s former colonizers are looking to Africa as the new frontier as the global recession makes what was once considered the European & American dream no longer tangible for most. As the instability of never ending wars in the Middle East looms over & threatens the American & European need for Middle Eastern oil, the lure for new markets in oil & energy resources outside of the Middle East has bolstered emerging markets in energy from Latin America to Africa. There is a new scramble for Africa based on the global need for energy & the natural resources of a continent that even after centuries of colonial pillaging is still bountiful.

“Portugal, one of Europe’s ailing economies, is increasingly placing its hopes of recovery on Angola, a former colony that has established itself as one of the strongest economies in sub-Saharan Africa — thanks largely to oil and diamonds. The shift comes as competition is getting stiffer in Brazil, another booming former colony, and as Portugal’s traditional European trading partners, led by Spain, struggle under a mountain of debt and soaring joblessness. Angola has already become Portugal’s largest export market outside of Europe, accounting for 7 percent of Portuguese exports last year, compared with 1 percent in 2000, according to the Portuguese statistics institute and Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency.” READ MORE

These 2 videos below are very telling of those who have been truly oppressed in history in their humility & humanity. The South African woman below still finds compassion for the White Afrikaners who oppressed her & her people for years in being shameful to see another human being suffer- Africans & their descendants are by far the most compassionate, hospitable people on earth. The majority of us would never be able to do unto Whites what the majority of them have done unto us in history & present day. Even when they bring hate we find a way to muster up love. Many may be upset & say this is a racist thing to say, but the facts of history are the facts of history & we can never rectify it if we are too afraid to address it & confront it. Just listen to the difference in tone & speak of the Afrikaners who for the first time in their life are experiencing what they have dealt to South Africans all their lives -where is the humanity & compassion for one another as human beings in their tone & speak? All of a sudden when roles are reversed the oppressor now sees the ills of oppression, but still can not understand why he has been dealt or deserves such misfortune in anyway. As the man from Zimbabwe in the video above said -now all of a sudden they want to talk about civil rights but when we were begging for it they didn’t want to hear it-SMH! If we all had the type of compassion displayed by the South African woman below & many who have suffered oppression all their lives, oppression would never have happened nor continue to happen, but it seems the idea of White Privilege has somehow been accepted & embedded in all of us-both as the oppressed & as the oppressors.

“I was shocked ..cuz I couldn’t believe it.. u know in the apartheid, whites used to get everything & blacks we’re the ones who were suffering so it was a shock to see that..I felt uncomfortable because I couldn’t believe it.. It’s ok with blacks because we are used to it, but for whites .. it was unbelievable .. I felt sorry for them”

We Are The World Re-Make -Really?

Global Fusion — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:23:54 +0000

I can’t believe I am saying these words, but for the first time in my life I must say Jay Z speaks for me. He is very on point on his “We Are the World” critique. “A for effort, but come on son”! All I could think when I saw the video, after the endless hype on what was to come was- damn why did you have to do Michael & Haiti like that!? It is far from an upgrade. If this is what the new era sounds like then take me back in time! I will continue to support Haiti with my donations & spreading the word, but I am with Jay on taking a pass on downloading this worse than mediocre re-make of this song. I am not into S&M so I can’t handle certain parts of this re-make that are just way too torturous to my ears. I really think we should all just pause for a long minute on the musical tributes to Michael Jackson because they seem to be lackluster & getting worse & worse. I guess when you are the King, all else become mere lowly subjects. Let’s let the King of Pop rest in peace & enjoy the endless gifts of great music he left for us in their glorious memorable form!

Via BLOGXILLA-
“Well I guess Jay is still mad at the nonsense that is the “We Are The World Remake.” At first I had no problem with them remaking the song. When I saw the pictures from this epic event I was happy, I remembered the feeling when they first made the song 25 years ago. Then I heard my favorite rapper Lil Wayne on the track… In Auto-Tunes then Akon and Then T-Pain and I was through. How can you allow Autotunes on We Are The World? We are not robots, we aren’t machines, hell if that’s the case you might as well put Rudy from The Jetsons on the damn song. We are the world.

I thought autotunes was dead. I mean never mind that I actually paid for the T-Pain app, or that I have 14 autotunes versions of me making booty calls that I recorded with that app. You just don’t add autotunes to We Are The World! Why not make a new song. I understand we want to honor Michael Jackson and all but #ComeOnSon! The song gets an A for effort, but that’s about it. I’ll just text Yele to 501501 rather than purchase this song from Itunes to make a donation. ”

I guess we now know why Jay didn’t participate -no schedule conflict just didn’t want to get down with the wackness-LOL! But umm Jay Z -Pause- who are u making booty calls to ? Does calling your wife for a romp count as a booty call or did you just tell on yourself-LOL!

You decide?
Original

Remake