obama guantanamo escape

Obama Guantanamo Escape is a silly point-and-click game which is part of a series (available in both English and Spanish) by Inka Games. Apparently, Bush the Second dons an Obama-mask an is running the country while the real Obama has been thrown into Guantanamo and has to figure out how to get out.

obama: yes we can

This reminds me of how Bob Marley took Haile Selassie's speech to the UN and turned it into the song "War" (see until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes). Apparently will.i.am took a recent OBama speech and quickly transformed it into the song "Yes we can" (complete with a video directed by Bob Dylan's son, Jesse Dylan, and starring John Legend, Kate Walsh, Aisha Tyler, Amber Valletta, Taryn Manning, Nicole Scherzinger, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tatyana Ali, Herbie Hancock, Nick Cannon and many others.



Lyrics:
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can. Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics. They will only grow louder and more dissonant.
We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea...
Yes. We. Can.


And here's the longer clip which inspired the song, Obama's speech on the evening of the New Hampshire primary:



For hundreds of other Obama-related clip's check out BarackObamadotcom on YouTube.

obama's islamic past

Examiner: Can a past of Islam change the path to president for Obama? raises the question of whether Obama's connections to the Muslim community (through his father, stepfather and brother) will turn out to be political liabilities.

obama muslim myth on the rise

NPR: Obama A Muslim? Rumors Gain Steam, Defying Facts
Huffington Post: Obama Muslim Myth on the Rise

the empire strikes back

As we approach one of the most important elections (symbolically and otherwise) in US history. it is heartening to see signs of a growing consensus around Barack Obama (see Republican and conservative support for Barack Obama in 2008 and also Republicans and Conservatives Endorsing Barack) which has the potential to unify the country and redraw the political map. On the other hand it is a source of concern that the McCain campaign in its death-throes (inshaAllah) along with other elements of the far right are getting more vicious as election day approaches. (Feds disrupt skinhead plot to assassinate Obama)

our enemy is not terrorism

"Our enemy is not terrorism, because terrorism is but a tactic. Our enemy is not terror, because terror is a state of mind, and as Americans we refuse to live in fear. Nor do we describe our enemy as jihadists or Islamists, because jihad is a holy struggle, a legitimate tenet of Islam," -John Brennan

I heard this on NPR a few hours ago before going to work and I was so surprised I could not wait to come home and post a link. By law, each White House administration is supposed to issue statement regarding its National Security Strategy. The Obama administration is set to officially issue theirs tomorrow. But today, John Brenan gave a speech at the Center for International and Strategic Studies which is presumably a sneak preview.

Highlights: As suggested above, there is greater clarification that the enemy is Al-Qaedah rather than "Islamism" or Islam. There is also an increased focus on domestic terrorism.

Politics News: Transcript of Brenan's remarks
NPR: Obama's New Security Strategy To Stress Cooperation
AP: Obama's new security strategy breaks with Bush

barak obama on the middle east

Common Dreams: Barack Obama on the Middle East by Stephen Zunes

See also: Planet Grenada on Obama (and other related subjects)

obama: the death of white supremacy?

In Barack Obama: The Death of White Supremacy?, Amiri Baraka, Chinweizu, Floyd Hayes. Lloyd McCarthy, Jonathan Scott, and others discuss what would and wouldn't change in the wake of an Obama presidency.

obama and black latinos

I just "discovered" the blog Multiplicative Identity through the entry Obama and the Latino Vote in the NY Times by Cuban blogger Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. The article rightfully rips the NY Times a new one for the clumsy way in which they describe the demographic issues around Obama's efforts to campaign among Latinos in New York.

She also turned me on to the Blacktino e-News Network (BNN)

magic negro / que sera lo que quiere obama

It is almost "funny" how much of the criticism against Obama has gotten so racialized. This racialization isn't terribly surprising, it just seems like part of a larger pattern.

Mami Que Sera Lo Que Quiere Obama?


Barack the Magic Negro



I almost wish that Chip Saltsman wins his bid to chair the Republican National Committee because judging by his Christmas album (which in addition to Barack the Magic Negro also includes such "hits" as the Star Spanglish Banner and Ivory and Ebony) because he would lead the Republican Party towards being totally irrelevant to an increasingly diverse United States.

See also:
mami el negro esta rabioso (el africano)
the magical negro
"jose can you see..."

jeremiah wright and the black church

Martin Luther King Jr. famously said that 11 o'clock Sunday morning was the most segregated hour in the United States. And I think that the continuation of this state of affairs is at the heart of the current controversy over comments made by Jeremiah Wright, Sr., the former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ (where Barack Obama is a member). The issue isn't really about Jeremiah Wright, Sr. as an individual as much as it is a basic discomfort with (at best) or rejection of the progressive/prophetic voice of the Black Church.

In other posts we've mentioned how even apart from labels like "Muslim" or "Christian" one can talk about the American phenomena of Black Religion as a God-centered holy protest against anti-black racism. We've also touched on Cornel West's idea of prophetic Christianity and have repeatedly discussed the radical side of Martin Luther King Jr. [1][2] [3]

In the article, Dallas-area black clergy defend Rev. Jeremiah Wright's message, Gromer Jeffers Jr. and Jeffrey Weiss do a good job of providing some context for Wright's comments within the Bible and the tradition of the Black Church. Similarly, in Is Obama Wrong About Wright? Michael C. Dawson (who is the John D. MacArthur professor of political science at the University of Chicago) locates Jeremiah Wright in the mainstream of the Black community, particularly in the Black Theology tradition of James Cone.

see also Abu Noor Al-Irlandee: Michael C. Dawson: Is Obama Wrong About Wright?

mccain: no you can't

It looks like the success of Obama's "Yes We Can" video has inspired two similar creative efforts "from" the McCain camp. Both of them mimic the style and sound of the Obama video.

The first, titled "No You Can't" touches on McCain's views with regard to a range of issues both foreign and domestic, and extensively uses visuals and captions to get its point across.



The second clip (produced by someone calling himself John.he.is) claims to be the original inspiration for the Obama video. It seems to have higher production values than the above McCain video and does a better job of incorporating McCain's words from various speeches. And as you can see for yourself, this video focuses almost exclusively on McCain's stance regarding the Iraq War.

In the (not unlikely) scenario that McCain gets the Republican nomination, I'm so tempted to get a bumper sticker which says

McCain: Like Hope But Different.

Will.i.am totally stole this idea from us, we've been thinking for a long time that earnest people reacting to a candidate is the future of music video.

By Election08 On Youtube
Andy Cobb, Josh Funk, Nyima Funk, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Kienlen, David Pompeii, Marc Warzecha with Special guests: Beth Farmer, Matt Craig, Rebecca Allen, Kai Pompeii, Kevin Douglas and Victor Lopez

The work that we face in our time is great
in a time of war
and the terrible sacrifices it entails
the promise of a better future is not always clear
there's gonna be other wars
I'm sorry to tell you there's gonna be other wars
there's gonna be a lot of combat wounds
and my friends it's gonna be tough
and we're gonna have a lot to do
That old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran?
Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb...
I'm still convinced that withdrawal means chaos
and if you think that things are bad now
if we withdraw--you ain't seen nothing yet
was the war a good idea, worth the price in blood and treasure?
It was a good idea
President Bush talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years
Maybe a hundred, that's fine with me
I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for a hundred years, or a thousand years, or ten thousand years.

white people mourning romney

First came the binders full of women... now there are the white people mourning romney. 

And of course there are the more extreme responses:

Jezebel: Twitter Racists React to ‘That Nigger’ Getting Reelected
Floating Sheep: Mapping Racist Tweets in Response to President Obama's Re-election

Loonwatch: For the Radical Right, Obama Victory Brings Fury and Fear 

The Grio: Man allegedly kills himself, family, over paranoia about Obama re-election 

And from four years ago:

obama coffee?

Mondoweiss: ‘Obama coffee’ is black and weak — racist tweet from wife of Israel’s vice premier

Informed Comment: Wife of Israeli Cabinet member tweets Racist Obama Joke, had called for Innocent Palestinians to be Punished 

assorted bits

I feel like quickly sharing a couple of quick items which have been on my mind rather than doing extended blogging on any one of them.

1. I don't think any reasonable person believes for a second that Obama believes that the U.S. government invented HIV/AIDS in a laboratory so why would it even matter if his ex-pastor believes it?

2. Similarly, Obama clearly doesn't believe that bombing government buildings is an acceptable way to change government policy and the Weatherman were from over 40 years ago so why is Ayers an issue today?

3. Maybe its just me, but on my planet Hillary Clinton's comment that "Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again" is orders of magnitude more offensive than the "bitter" comment and may even be the biggest gaffe made by a candidate in the election so far.

4. I recently bought the Pitch Black trilogy on DVD (see islamo-futurism?) Other than the Dune books, it is the only non-trivial portrayal of Muslims in the future of which I'm aware. Also Vin Diesel is kind of badass. InshaAllah, I'll start watching the first one this Sunday afternoon.

5. Finally, check out Third Resurrection. I updated it yesterday. Recently I've only been able to add entries in spurts. It was gratifying to see that Blackamerican Muslim bloggers are talking about issues related to "Third Resurrection" (in the loose sense of the blog). But I do kind of wish that members would add posts on their own (hint, hint) Still, I'm glad that the bloggers out there are dealing with serious , meaningful topics.

it's a new day - will.i.am

Obviously the election of Barack Obama is an incredibly profound historical milestone for the United States and so in some sense it is a "New Day. At the same time, it still remains to be seen to what extent Obama will try to re-create the Clinton administration, rule as a centrist or chart a bolder leftward-leaning course. I'm cautiously optimistic but I'm not sure if we can really expect a "revolution" which will suddenly make everything better (especially given the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff). However, I do think that we will start to make some baby-steps in the right direction over time.

Secondly, all these political will.i.am tracks (involving dozens of other musicians and actors) are making me wonder if in the Obama era, hip-hop will go from being protest music to pro-establishment patriotic music? Just a thought.

thoughts on obama's resignation from trinity united church of christ

So Obama finally resigned his membership at Trinity United Church of Christ. The whole situation is weird and sad on all kinds of levels.

One of the weird aspects is that the straw that broke the camel's back on this issue was a recent sermon last Sunday by the Catholic priest, Rev. Dr. Michael Pfleger but obviously Obama isn't even Catholic.



Also weird is the way that Pfleger's comments are being characterized. As "hateful"? As a rant? As "racist"? Admittedly, he was a bit harsh on Hillary but I would say that occasionally that being harsh on politicians in certainly part of the role of being a "prophetic" preacher. Pfleger's sermon also wasn't a "rant". It was definitely a rhetorically effective performance intended to satirize Hillary Clinton. But it certainly wasn't wild and irrational. By implication, Pfleger was simply making the point that some of the actions and reactions of Hillary Clinton and some of her supporters are motivated by a sense of racial entitlement. That's a perfectly reasonable and coherent claim and it is worth being discussed. It is either true or not true. Especially bizarre is the claim that the sermon was racist?!?!

The sad part of all this is the extent to which liberation theology is being demonized by the media and is being excluded from the political discourse. More generally, it is sad that the media and the political process can have as much influence as they on a person's religious declarations.

project censored: top 25 censored stories for 2010

I recently saw the newest Project Censored book, Censored 2010, over at Barnes and Noble today and was sorely tempted to buy it until I realized that the stories were probably also available online. "Enjoy"

Top Censored Stories of 2009/2010

• 1. US Congress Sells Out to Wall Street
• 2. US Schools are More Segregated Today than in the 1950s
• 3. Toxic Waste Behind Somali Pirates
• 4. Nuclear Waste Pools in North Carolina
• 5. Europe Blocks US Toxic Products
• 6. Lobbyists Buy Congress
• 7. Obama’s Military Appointments Have Corrupt Past
• 8. Bailed out Banks and America’s Wealthiest Cheat IRS Out of Billions
• 9. US Arms Used for War Crimes in Gaza
• 10. Ecuador Declares Foreign Debt Illegitimate
• 11. Private Corporations Profit from the Occupation of Palestine
• 12. Mysterious Death of Mike Connell—Karl Rove’s Election Thief
• 13. Katrina’s Hidden Race War
• 14. Congress Invested in Defense Contracts
• 15. World Bank’s Carbon Trade Fiasco
• 16. US Repression of Haiti Continues
• 17. The ICC Facilitates US Covert War in Sudan
• 18. Ecuador’s Constitutional Rights of Nature
• 19. Bank Bailout Recipients Spent to Defeat Labor
• 20. Secret Control of the Presidential Debates
• 21. Recession Causes States to Cut Welfare
• 22. Obama’s Trilateral Commission Team
• 23. Activists Slam World Water Forum as a Corporate-Driven Fraud
• 24. Dollar Glut Finances US Military Expansion
• 25. Fast Track Oil Exploitation in Western Amazon

See also:
project censored
censored stories

chicago mayor richard daley on obama - ayers

There are a lot of reasons that Americans are angry about Washington politics. And one more example is the way Senator Obama's opponents are playing guilt-by-association, tarring him because he happens to know Bill Ayers.

I also know Bill Ayers. He worked with me in shaping our now nationally-renowned school reform program. He is a nationally-recognized distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois/Chicago and a valued member of the Chicago community.

I don't condone what he did 40 years ago but I remember that period well. It was a difficult time, but those days are long over. I believe we have too many challenges in Chicago and our country to keep re-fighting 40 year old battles.

preserving inequality: analyzing obama's boycott of the durban review conference

Assata Shakur Forums: Preserving Inequality: Analyzing Obama's Boycott of the Durban Review Conference by Kali Akuno