The Sport of Gentlemen
SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 HBO Montreal, Canada
Adonis Stevenson vs. Tavoris Cloud 12 rounds, for Stevenson’s RING/WBC light heavyweight title Jean Pascal vs. George Blades 10 rounds, light heavyweights.
HBO Carson, CA
Julio Cesar Chávez Jr vs. Bryan Vera 12 rounds, super middleweights.
Chávez vs Vera Undercard: Demetrius Andrade vs. Vanes Martirosyan 12 rounds, WBO jr middleweight title.
Defending the City College of San Francisco
Students and community members of San Francisco march against the clousure of City College of San Francisco.
Agrella reassured students that City College would fulfill its obligations.
If you’re 75 percent through your program of study at City College of San Francisco, then don’t worry, he said, adding that the school will “teach you out,” meaning you will graduate with an accredited degree.
It’s less clear what will happen to tens of thousands of students who aren’t as far along. “We must find ways for those students to transfer and keep their records,” said Agrella, who was given all the decision-making authority of City College’s elected Board of Trustees by a state oversight body.
Doing that will be difficult. With some 75,000 credit and non-credit students, CCSF is one of the nation’s largest community colleges, and its closure would be an unprecedented step. Even Agrella admits neighboring colleges, while certainly aware of CCSF’s troubles, “aren’t prepared to absorb the impact.”
The issue is one of a number of questions the school must address in its closure plan, which outlines a set of steps CCSF will take for faculty, staff and students in the event that it does lose its accreditation next July.
An informal poll of 123 students put out last week by San Francisco Magazine showed some 42 percent did not know what they would do if the school closed. More than 80 percent said closing the school would hurt the entire Bay Area. But Agrella is adamant that won’t come to pass. “This is all supposition,” he said, “[because] none of this is going to happen.”
The U.S. Dept. of Education steps in
The accrediting commission’s decision was called into question last week by the U.S. Department of Education, which cited the commission for irregularities, including conflicts of interest and a lack of clarity in its handling of the evaluation. The federal investigation was prompted by a 300-page complaint filed by The American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 that raised doubts about the integrity of the review process.
While everyone at CCSF is in agreement over the need to keep the school open, there are sharp differences over just how to do that. The union and other groups say the Department of Education’s findings show the need to take the commission head on, though Agrella insists the school must still meet the ACCJC’s requirements, and that in order to do so cooperation within the college community and with the commission is needed.
“I strongly believe that the best path to maintaining CCSF’s accreditation is to follow the Commission’s rules, regulations, and directions and to continue to show substantial progress toward meeting the eligibility requirements and standards,” Agrella wrote in an open letter to the college community on Monday.
Tarik Farrar teaches African American Studies and anthropology at CCSF. He was at a rally Tuesday in front of City Hall carrying an AFT 2121 banner. Speaking over chants of “Save City College,” Farrar agreed with Agrella. “Cooperation is important,” he said. But, he added, the problem is that from day one, the “attitude of the current administration has been ‘We say jump, you say how high.’”
Farrar says the school’s new administration, many of whom have been with CCSF for only a short time, has shunned input from faculty. “Because they didn’t cooperate, they made decisions that were … detrimental to the school.”
Implementing reforms
News emerged Wednesday that the administration had broken off contract negotiations with the union, highlighting their differences. In a statement, AFT 2121 president Alisa Messer said, “We are concerned that those charged with putting CCSF’s accreditation affairs in order have simply walked away from their responsibility to negotiate in good faith with faculty.”
But Farrar echoed Agrella in pointing to the work that has already been done at the school over the past year. That includes the implementation of Student Learning Outcomes, one of the issues raised by the ACCJC, which cited the administration for not doing a better job of tracking students. “We made remarkable progress,” said Farrar. Still, Agrella told reporters at Tuesday’s briefing,
“When the commission looks at an institution, it looks at it in a very simple way … it’s either a yes or a no. It could be at 90 percent, [but] it’s still a no.” Agrella spoke alongside Joanne Low, CCSF Interim Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Faye Naples, CCSF Vice Chancellor of Student Development. The panel offered a broad outline of its plan to keep the school open, a balancing act that seeks to preserve access and affordability while also meeting the commission’s requirements.
“Our core mission is to serve students,” said Naples, who started with the school on July 3, the day of the ACCJC’s announcement.
“But there are places where [the system] is broken.”
One of those places is with the eight campuses scattered across the city. Agrella said there is no plan as of now to close any of the centers. But he did note that alternatives have to be considered. “We have to find ways of getting services into communities other than the centers,” he said.
He offered a similar assessment for the school as a whole, acknowledging the critical role CCSF plays for the city, but noting that the current model of being “all things to all students is not sustainable.”
Not everyone in the community agrees, but even as the debate over the shape of the school plays out, its uncertain fate has helped fuel a 15 percent drop in
enrollment. And with funding on a per-pupil basis, the lower numbers are potentially disastrous for the school.
Amy Lin just graduated from CCSF’s Political Science Department. An undocumented immigrant from Taiwan, she joined in the protest at City Hall Tuesday. “I know a lot of students who have dropped out because of the current situation,” she said, adding the school needs to do more to get the message out that it is still accredited.
As to differences over tactics, Lin says the objective is what counts. “The reason we have community college is to provide an education to everyone. That’s why we’re here. It’s the goal we have to work for.”
See what alumni and veterans are doing to save CCSF: http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2013-08/alumni-veterans-struggleto-preserve-city-college-ofsan-francisco-video#sthash.pQtXRlbk.dpuf.
by Narayan Ammachchi
Mexican teachers blocked today the headquarters of Televisa and demanded at least 30 minutes to explain the reasons of their protests in the streets against education reform.
Cars are banned from circulating on the street leading to Televisa in Chapultepec Avenue by teachers from several unions like Mixteca, la Sierra, Guerrero and Chiapas, among others, according to the on-line edition of La Jornada journal.
According to the source, Professor Isaías Jaime Ignacio Cruz said the teachers’s remaining in the place will depend on whether Televisa managers agree to their demand of the right of reply against the way their protests are covered, and they want to explain their reasons.
He said that if Televisa executives give CNTE at least 30 minutes of news programs, they will stage a rally and then return to the main square (Zocalo) in the capital, the place where thousands of them have been camping for over a week to protest education reform.
According to La Jornada, the demonstrators complain that Televisa uses hours of its time to discredit the teachers´ struggle, but it never gives them the opportunity to defend themselves as it is their right.
Central America to promote outsourcing opportunities at Nicaragua summit
Five Central American investment promotion agencies are jointly organizing a summit on outsourcing services in the Nicaraguan capital Managua.
The two-day event, which begins November 7, will emphasize outsourcing opportunities in the region.
Organizers of the event say they want to capitalize on the region’s competitive advantages – such as its cultural and geographical proximity with the United States – to promote the region as a nearshore outsourcing hub. The event is hosted by Nicaraguan investment promotion agency Nicaragua and will be coordinated by other agencies including CINDE (Costa Rica), FIDE (Honduras), Invest in Guatemala and PROESA (El Salvador).
Industry experts will present their views on the advantages and disadvantages of setting up an outsourcing services business in the region and discuss the prospects for the future growth of the market. Central America is already home to several internationally renowned companies such as IBM, TCS, Intel, Xerox, Transactel, Sykes, Stream Global Services, Citi and Hewlett-Packard.
UNASUR Summit marked by Syria
The condemnation of an possible military attack of US on Syria and a plan of action to simplify its internal functioning and step up its Secretary general marked the Summit of Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
The Paramaribo Declaration rejected the foreign interventions incompatibles with the UN Charter.
The text reiterated the call for peace waiting that the Syrian people, in exercise of its sovereignty, can find a peaceful and negotiated solution to the conflict.
The Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said that during the meeting will be analyzed a proposal of Caracas to change UNASUR statute to avoid its burocratization.
The also agreed that UNASUR general secretary, Venezuelan Ali Rodriguez Araque, who finished the post he was holding since June, 2012, remain in it for 30 days more while the substitute is found by consensus.
Maduro explained that the foreign ministers of the group will have two months to present a plan of action to simplify the running of the forum.
by PF Louis
Natural News
Chemical carcinogens are part of “better living through chemistry,” which was DuPont’s slogan from 1935 until 1982.
The generation that survived WWII gleefully embraced this concept, which DuPont promoted often with their radio and TV advertising, until the baby-boomers started waking up and smelling the toxins.
The fact is 80,000 to 85,000 synthetic chemicals have been registered since WWII, and they have become part of our environment and day to day product use. Yet, only around 200 of them had been safety tested before being released.
Most of those synthetic chemicals are part of products we use everyday or exist within our home and office structures. Now, we are coping with invisible, radiating carcinogens from electronic and even natural sources, demanding that we protect ourselves from more than just the obvious hazards of “better living through chemistry.”
Protect yourself from household carcinogens:
1) Toss your conventionally produced household products: cleaners, air-fresheners, laundry detergents and bleaches, dish soaps, and interior cleaning products. Replace them with natural detergents and cleaners (read those labels carefully) or make your own. Do the same with cosmetics and bodycare items, even regular underarm deodorants, lipsticks, and haircare products. Chuck ‘em and go natural. Look for deodorants that are aluminum free and avoid most commercial cosmetics that contain other heavy metals and phthalates.
2) There are natural pesticides available to replace the toxic ones you may have in your dwelling. Don’t store paints, paint thinners, shellacs or varnishes in your living area. Try to keep them in a separate shed and use them in interior spaces only if you can ventilate well or vacate after using.
3) Is your furniture and bedding fire-proofed? Fire retardants emit gases that are carcinogenic. How about furniture made with particle board? The glue that holds that socalled wood together also emits carcinogenic gases. New house or office? A lot of new home and office construction uses particle board structurally. Fiberglass fibers seem to be almost as carcinogenic as asbestos. Protect against it and take measures to purify your indoor air.
4) Put up with more wires and cables instead of setting up WiFi in your office or home. Electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) are the invisible carcinogens of today. Minimize cell phone and portable phone use as much as possible. There are mechanical methods of screening EMF radiation from nearby cell phone transmitting towers and even snoopy “smart meters” on your wall. Those protective devices offered on the internet may not add to your decor, but they will protect you. Most of us can have our DNA affected adversely over time from EMF radiation; some people are more sensitive to EMF and feel negative effects quickly.
5) Radon is a naturally existing form of radioactive gas that’s emitted from the ground, and it can be trapped within a dwelling built on that ground. Your indoor dwelling can be checked for radon levels. Radon gas is a major source of lung cancer, along with asbestos and fiberglass. If your dwelling is radon contaminated, there are measures to handle it.
6) Cooking with aluminum is a bad idea, and almost everyone is aware that Teflon, a DuPont nonstick product, releases carcinogens when heated. Anodized aluminum is a good, but not perfect, non-stick alternative. The protective coating breaks down eventually, leaving some of the aluminum exposed. After seasoning with oil and heat, cast iron pans stick less. There are also ceramic coated metal pans and pots as well as tempered glass are choices. Don’t use Styrofoam containers with hot foods and beverages. Start cutting back on plastics for storing food and beverages. All of these are part of better living through toxic chemistry. The issue with microwave cooking is not so much EMF emission as it is what it does to the food cooked or water heated. It makes the foods and beverages carcinogenic.
7) It’s impossible to avoid all of these hazardous materials and EMF or radioactive dangers. So strengthen your inner terrain and immune system. Lots of vitamin D and C, magnesium, certain herbs and probiotics can all help protect you against even radiation (http://www.naturalnews.com).
by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research Analysis
In order to facilitate the action of liberative (sic) forces, …a special effort should be made to eliminate certain key individuals. …[to] be accomplished early in the course of the uprising and intervention, …
Once a political decision has been reached to proceed with internal disturbances in Syria, CIA is prepared, and SIS (MI6) will attempt to mount minor sabotage and coup de main (sic) incidents within Syria, working through contacts with individuals. …Incidents should not be concentrated in Damascus …
Further : a “necessary degree of fear .. frontier incidents and (staged) border clashes”, would “provide a pretext for intervention… the CIA and SIS [MI6] should use … capabilities in both psychological and action fields to augment tension.”(Joint US-UK leaked Intelligence Document, London and Washington, 1957).
Syria occupies a strategic location in the Middle East. The war on Syria is part of a roadmap of military undertakings. It is an integral part of a broader US-NATO-Israel military agenda directed not only against Iran, but also against Russia and China. Moreover, it is part of an extended military agenda which consists in establishing control over Middle East-Central Asian oil reserves as well as strategic oil and gas pipelines.
It is a component part of a broader process of war and of country level political destabilization in the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia.
The failures of the US sponsored Al Qaeda insurgency in Syria (launched in March 2011) integrated by mercenary forces and supported by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel have set now the stage for a conventional theater war involving the deployment of air force as well as boots on the ground.
The US and its allies are now accusing the Syrian government, without evidence of using Sarin gas against its own population, with a view to shaping a pretext to intervene militarily in Syria.
US, British, French and Israeli officials are currently involved in a round of consultations regarding the nature and timing of this operation.
Pretext to Wage War: The Kosovo Model
Referring to the so-called “Racak massacre”, which was a staged event used as a pretext for NATO’s intervention in Yugoslavia, Washington has hinted that it may use the precedent of the Kosovo Model (1999) with a view to justifying an R2P military mandate in Syria.
Ironically, while President Obama has called for military intervention, US intelligence has cast doubt on the official story, pointing to the fact that intelligence is shady and that there is no “smoking gun”:
An intercept of Syrian military officials discussing the strike was among low-level staff, with no direct evidence tying the attack back to an Assad insider or even a senior Syrian commander, the officials said.
So while Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that links between the attack and the Assad government are “undeniable,” U.S. intelligence officials are not so certain that the suspected chemical attack was carried out on Assad’s orders, or even completely sure it was carried out by government forces, the officials said. (AP, August 29, 2013):
Escalation is an integral part of the military agenda. Were a US-NATO military operation to be launched against Syria, the broader Middle East Central Asian region extending from North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border with China would be engulfed in the turmoil of an extended regional war.
This war would inevitably spread to Lebanon and Jordan. Israel and Turkey would be actively involved both in the air campaign and the deployment of ground forces. America’s allies in the Gulf including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which have played a key role in recruiting and training the “rebels”, are also involved in the staging of this military operation. Iran and Russia are military allies of Syria. The crucial question is whether they will choose to actively side (from a military standpoint) with Syria if and when the attack is implemented.
Recent reports suggest that a cyber-warfare operation has been launched. Allied special forces are reported to have entered Syrian territory from Jordan and Turkey. British special forces are reported to be searching for Syrian air defense systems “in readiness for Allied strikes”.
Humanity is at dangerous crossroads
There are at present four distinct war theaters: Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine and Libya.
An attack on Syria would lead to the integration of these separate war theaters, eventually leading towards a broader Middle East-Central Asian war.
Moreover, several other countries including Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, Mali, Niger, among others, are now strung in the midst of US sponsored “civil wars”, invariably leading to economic collapse, political instability and the demise of State institutions. In these countries, US military intervention often takes the form of counter-terrorism operations against Al Qaeda affiliated rebels (who are supported by US intelligence).
Public opinion is largely unaware of the grave implications of these war plans which could potentially lead humanity into a World War III scenario.
Moreover, an extended regional war in the Middle East and Central Asia will inevitably have repercussions in other regions of the World including South East Asia and the Far East, where the US is threatening North Korea, China as well as Russia as part of its “Pivot to Asia” strategy.
The US Sponsored Insurgency
“Mass civilian casualty events” play a central role in US military doctrine. Civilian casualties are triggered with a view to drumming up public support for war on humanitarian grounds.
What we are dealing with is a diabolical staged event of civilian deaths with a view to blaming the Syrian government and triggering a regional war.
From the very outset of the insurgency in Daraa in mid-March 2011, terrorist brigades –largely integrated by mercenaries– have been set loose inside Syria.
A pattern of media disinformation was set in motion. The deaths of civilians have consistently been blamed on the Syrian government. The mass civilian casualties and atrocities committed by so-called “revolutionaries” have been used to demonize the Syrian government of Bashar al Assad.
MI6, CIA and Mossad operatives as well as Western Special Forces had integrated rebel forces from the very outset. The high profile terrorist attacks were coordinated by highly trained military contractors and intelligence operatives:
Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal and Editor of the globalresearch.ca website. He is the author of The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003) and America’s “War on Terrorism”(2005). His most recent book is entitled Towards a conWorld War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011).
He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages. He can be reached at crgeditor@yahoo.com.
– NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Due to its length, we are unable to publish the complete article in El Reportero. However, you may read the complete story in the link below. And, if there is no war by the time we print next week’s edition, we might continue publishing this article in parts.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/dangerous-crossroads-a-war-on-syria-prelude-to-a-world-war-iii-scenario/5347370.
by Marvin Ramirez
Marvin RamirezNOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The following is the second and last part of the article from Michael Snyder, of American Dream. He caves in much of what the mainstream media ignores, that China could be a hidden enemy in the bushes getting ready to attack. This is the last of a two-part series. PARTE 2 and LAST.
The secret document that proves China considers the United States to be a mortal enemy
by Michael Snyder
American Dream
And without a doubt, China is defeating the United States on a whole host of fronts right now. The following examples are from one of my previous articles entitled “40 Ways That China Is Beating America“…
#1 When you total up all imports and exports of goods, China is now the number one trading nation on the entire planet.
#2 During 2012, we sold about 110 billion dollars worth of stuff to the Chinese, but they sold about 425 billion dollars worth of stuff to us. That was the largest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world.
#3 Overall, the U.S. has run a trade deficit with China over the past decade that comes to more than 2.3 trillion dollars.
#4 China now has the largest new car market in the entire world.
#5 China has more foreign currency reserves than anyone else on the planet.
#6 China is the number one gold producer in the world.
#7 China is also the number one gold importer in the world.
#8 The uniforms for the U.S. Olympic team were made in China.
#9 85 percent of all artificial Christmas trees are made in China.
#10 The new World Trade Center tower is going to include glass that has been imported from China.
#11 The new Martin Luther King memorial on the National Mall was made in China.
#12 One of the reasons it is so hard to export stuff to China is because of their tariffs. According to the New York Times, a Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs $27,490 in the United States costs about $85,000 in China thanks to all the tariffs.
#13 The Chinese economy has grown 7 times faster than the U.S. economy has over the past decade.
#14 The United States has lost a staggering 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#15 The United States has lost an average of 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
#16 Overall, the United States has lost a total of more than 56,000manufacturing facilities since 2001.
#17 According to the Economic Policy Institute, America is losing half a million jobs to China every single year.
#18 China now produces more than twice as many automobiles as the United States does.
#19 Since the auto industry bailout, approximately 70 percent of all GM vehicles have been built outside the United States.
#20 After being bailed out by U.S. taxpayers, General Motors is currently involved in 11 joint ventures with companies owned by the Chinese government. The price for entering into many of these “joint ventures” was a transfer of “state of the art technology” from General Motors to the communist Chinese.
#21 Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of the world’s high-tech export market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years later, the United States had less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#22 The United States has lost more than a quarter of all of its hightech manufacturing jobs over the past ten years.
#23 China’s number one export to the U.S. is computer equipment, but the number one U.S. export to China is “scrap and trash”.
#24 The U.S. trade deficit with China is now more than 30 times larger than it was back in 1990.
#25 China now consumes more energy than the United States does.
#26 China is now the leading manufacturer of goods in the entire world.
#27 China uses more cement than the rest of the world combined.
#28 China is now the number one producer of wind and solar power on the entire globe.
#29 There are more pigs in China than in the next 43 pork producing nationscombined.
#30 Today, China produces nearly twice as much beer as the United States does.
#31 Right now, China is producing more than three times as much coal as the United States does.
#33 China now produces 11 times as much steel as the United States does.
#34 China produces more than 90 percent of the global supply of rare earth elements.
# 35 China is now the number one supplier of components that are critical to the operation of U.S. defense systems.
#36 A recent investigation by the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services found more than one million counterfeit Chinese parts in the Department of Defense supply chain.
#37 15 years ago, China was 14th in the world in published scientific research articles. But now, China is expected to pass the United States and become number one very shortly.
# 38 China now awards more doctoral degrees in engineering each year than the United States does.
#39 The average household debt load in the United States is 136% of average household income. In China, the average household debt load is 17% of average household income.
#40 The Chinese have begun to buy up huge amounts of U.S. real estate.
In fact, Chinese citizens purchased one out of every ten homes that were sold in the state of California in 2011.
Sadly, most of the people that will end up reading this article will not take it seriously.
In fact, there will inevitably be quite a few comments left after this article mocking the idea that China considers us to be “the enemy”.
A lot of Americans have been deluded into thinking that China “needs us” and that they always will. But that is not how the Chinese think. Once they have extracted as much wealth and technology from us as they want, they will have no problem turning on us.
The Chinese truly believe that their system is superior to ours and that they will win in the end. Most Americans will never understand this until it is far too late.
by Luke Hiken
In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote a satirical novel entitled It Can’t Happen Here. In the book, a democratically elected President transforms the country into a totalitarian, ruthless regime, relying upon patriotic rhetoric and fear to dominate and control a docile populace.
Just as Lewis predicted it would, it has happened here:
1) Those who identify and expose government misconduct are labeled as traitors and criminals.
2) The bankers and corporations who gambled with the money entrusted to them get off Scot free for the theft of untold trillions of dollars, while the world’s people are forced into conditions of austerity and economic survival. The poor are prosecuted for trying to survive, while the rich are immunized from any negative consequences for their crimes.
3) The U.S. government spies on its entire population, and arrogantly insists upon the right to do so.
4) The U.S., and its overseas puppet, NATO, wage war upon every nation that opposes U.S. economic hegemony over the world. The presence of hundreds of U.S. military bases on every continent bolsters U.S. control over the world’s people.
5) Result-oriented judges, appointed by obedient politicians, immunize transnational corporations and military aggressors for every abuse inflicted upon the working and poor people of the world.
6) Health care, education, and retirement security are reserved solely for the rich, while the poor, minorities, and elderly are left to die and suffer in poverty.
7) The so-called “political parties” are merely servants and handmaidens to transnational corporations, serving their economic masters at the expense of everyone else.
8) The mass media mouths the corporate propaganda of the moment obediently and without question.
9) Prisons, violence and war are the primary vehicles used by the State to control an ever more rebellious and dissatisfied population.
10) Civil rights, voting rights and personal freedoms are viewed as privileges reserved for the rich.
11) Dissent equals treason, and those who oppose authoritarian rule are labeled enemies of the state.
In Lewis’ novel, a disillusioned citizenry eventually rebels and takes up arms against the dictatorial regime that has seized control of the United States. In the book, the ultimate outcome is left in doubt.
For those of us who fear the parallels between Sinclair’s nightmare, and the current military-industrial cabal that runs today’s world, the question arises as to whether the military resistance described by Sinclair is the only avenue of recourse available against the government’s common enemy. If so, we are in serious trouble in this enemycountry. The Pentagon is not only complicit with the corporate-controlled state, but it’s main proponent.
In Sinclair’s book, it is a rebellious faction of the military that fights back against the repressive state. That has not been the case for other revolutionary struggles almost anywhere during the last century. Instead, revolutionary cadres, underground organizations and unorganized rebellious citizens have initiated struggles against the state, and only when the masses came to their assistance were the revolutionaries able to create and sustain an armed force capable of fighting those in power.
In virtually all of the successful revolutions of the last century, there was a political leadership that put forward a vision of what an alternative state would look like, and how it could avoid the fascist tendencies of the current oligarchy. For many struggles, the resistance adopted the mantle of communist revolution (Russia, China, Cuba), in others it was a nationalist, democratic vision that was put forward (South Africa, Venezuela). But in the U.S., there is no unity as to what a different form of government would or should look like.
Americans realize that our present government represents only the interests of the rich, and uses the “electoral process” as a charade to force the poor to act against their own interests and support the racist, reactionary program put forth by their corporate owners. Nonetheless, Americans are years away from unifying around a politics that would replace those in power with a more democratic leadership. In spite of the reality facing us every day, Americans still believe that the problem lies not with our form of government, but with the people we “elect.” That level of naiveté deserves the beating it is taking.
In fact, there are no forms of government that cannot be twisted to serve the interests of the few against the needs of the many. What is needed is a social consciousness as to how to create a democratic, participatory process that meets the needs of the society as a whole, and not merely a handful of billionaires. It is not so much a question as to what structure will enforce such principles, but rather how to unite the masses of people to pursue a common goal.
The list of how and why democracy prevails is as long as the history of social uprisings, themselves.
The ossified, selfperpetuating autocracy that the U.S. government has become is not an indicia of the success of the “American dream,” rather it is the essence of why the citizens of this country are disenfranchised, disillusioned, and ignored by a corporate autocracy loyal only to its own class interests, and not to any particular nation.
Throughout the world today, one nation after another is rejecting American domination – in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, China and elsewhere. As the Pentagon attempts to coerce the international community to support its repressive efforts against those who speak out against U.S. imperialism, a growing number of nations offer sanctuary and asylum to U.S. “enemies.” The American people themselves would honor and applaud the Bradley Mannings and Eric Snowdens of the world, if this government did not manipulate and monitor the propaganda campaigns against them. Sinclair ’s predictions parallel those of all great writers from Socrates to Marx, to the effect that totalitarian regimes sow the seeds of their own destruction.
Forward looking Americans will reject the patriotic tripe urged upon us by the corporate media and join with other progressive forces worldwide, who seek to dismantle the stranglehold that transnational corporations and their G8 allies hold over the governments of the world. Such actions don’t constitute treason; they represent the only means by which working people internationally can regain democratic control over our lives. Saluting the flag, honoring our mercenaries, and glorifying the rich, are nothing short of collective suicide. The corporate military coup has already happened here, and the true patriotic response is to recognize it and overthrow it.
(Luke Hiken is an attorney who has engaged in the practice of criminal, military, immigration, and appellate law).
by the El Reportero wire services
Gael García BernalActor Gael García Bernal will star in the next Jonas Cuaron movie, in which he will play an undocumented Mexican immigrant trying to enter the United States illegally, Deadline Hollywood said.
The film will be called “Desierto” (Desert) and will be produced by Esperanto Kino, Itaca Films, BN Films and Canana Productions, of which Garcia Bernal is co-owner.
The screenplay was written by Mateo García and the young Cuaron, who is also co-author of Gravity, a soon-to-premiere film produced by his father Alfonso with co-stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.
The plot of Desierto has the character played by García Bernal finding love while trying to escape from an American vigilante who sees himself as the border patrol.
Rita Moreno hopes to see more Latino actors in starring roles
Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno said on her native island that she expects Hollywood moviemakers to offer more starring roles to Hispanic actors, just as it does to artists from other parts of the world.
Moreno, 81, said during a showing of the documentary Latino Americans, in which she participated, that racial discrimination is still a problem in the mecca of American movies, though not as much as it was decades ago.
“The door is open, but not all the way. I keep hoping to see a role for a man or woman, actor or actress, which could win them an Oscar, but that hasn’t happened,” Moreno said at the University of Turabo in this eastern Puerto Rican city of Gurabo.
Moreno, the first and up to now the only Hispanic actress to win an Emmy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Grammy and a Tony, recalled that she suffered some of that same discrimination when she was acting Franciscothe part of Anita in the movie West Side Story, which eventually won her some very prestigious awards.
Moreno, born in the town of Humacao in the southeastern part of the U.S. commonwealth but who grew up in the mainland United States from the time she was 5, recalled that “it wasn’t a very good thing to be a Puerto Rican” in those days because of the ugly names she was called for being a Latino woman.
But she got over that oppressive feeling, she said, while studying the role of Anita, described as a woman who “had courage, dignity, strength and self-respect,” which made Moreno think again, overcome her fears and take pride in being Latino.
The documentary Latino Americans will premiere Sept. 17 on PBS public television. The project explores the influence of Latinos in the transformation of America over more than 500 years.
The feature-length film, which lasts six hours, will be aired in the United States on three consecutive Tuesdays to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins in September.
Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff
A Mamacoalt painting by artist Gabriel Pardo. (GRAPHIC BY GABRIEL PARDO)Cine+Mas SF Latino Film Festival in theatres and cultural centers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, screening award winning and critically acclaimed documentary and feature films throughout Latin America, South America and the USA.
The audience will have the opportunity to participate in discussions with local and visiting filmmakers after many of the screenings. Films are screened in their original language with English subtitles. Opening night at the Victoria Theater, on Thursday, September 12, and the festival start on September 13, 2012, doors open 7 p.m. For more info visit www.sflatinofilmfestival.org or call 415-826-7057.
Mamacoalt and singer and actress Alejandra Tejeda Rieloff
Tangos con Chile presents, Mamacoatl, a healer, a poetess, and musician in the Mission district, who has for years been melding music and traditions of Mexico and California. She will perform her music in the neighborhood.
Her debut album Border Crossing Diosa is a testimony of migration and womanhood, a historical document of poetry, prayer and protest.
Alejandra Tejeda RieloffMamacoatl will be accompanied by pianist Damian Núñez and singer Claudio Santome, including jazz singer and actress Alexandra Tejeda Rieloff with a danza in a night of cabaret. Carlos Barón will be the narrator. It will be a show you will not want to miss!!
On Saturday, September 21, 7 p.m., at the Red Puppy Art House, 2698 Folsom Street, San Francisco, for more info call 415-826-2402.
Acting classes at Nahual Theater
We continue with acting classes for the youth and adults, every Saturday morning at the hall of National Hispanic University.
Requirements: desire and eagerness to learn a technique of performance, availability of time, look forward to having fun and participating in the next play with us.
Since 2004, Theatre Nahual has been developing a methodology to teach acting classes totally in Spanish to the Hispanic population in the Bay Area. Nahual Theatre has the mission to bring education and entertainment THROUGHOUT the English language plays. In Addition, this community theater organization has supported the arts giving Opportunities to mature and young artists, musicians and writers: such as to Promote Their talents and solidify With The wonderful theatrical experience.
The acting Classes with Theatre Nahual will start this month in a classroom at the National Hispanic 14271 Story Road. San Jose, CA. For more information dial: (650) 793-0783 or send an e-mail to: info@teatronahual.org. Website: www.teatronahual.org.
Since 2004, Teatro Nahual has been developing a methodology to teach acting classes totally in Spanish to the Hispanic population in the Bay Area. Teatro Nahual has the mission to bring education and entertainment throughout the Spanish language plays.
In addition, this community theater organization has supported the arts giving opportunities to mature and young artists, such as musicians and writers to promote and solidify their talents with the wonderful theatrical experience.
The acting classes with Teatro Nahual will start this month in a classroom of the National Hispanic 14271 Story Road. San Jose, California. For more information dial: (650) 793-0783 or send an e-mail to: info@teatronahual.org. Website: www.teatronahual.org.
The Sport of Gentlemen
September 14, 2013 Showtime Ppv Las Vegas, NV
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez 12 rounds, Ring Magazine, Wba/Wbc junior middleweight unification.
Mayweather v Canelo Undercard: Danny Garcia vs. Lucas Matthysse 12 rounds, for Garcia’s Ring Magazine, Wba/Wbc junior welterweight title
Mayweather v Canelo Undercard: Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina 12 rounds, for Smith’s IBF junior middleweight title.
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