Relevance of the Jasmine Revolution and the Arab Spring 2011

Annotated from NPR article linked at the bottom:

The Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia (a French colony, btw) started when a street vendor, and primary breadwinner for his family, was told he could not sell his fruit without a permit. Unable to provide for his large family, he set himself on fire in front of the govt office. I'm not sure how that helped his family, but the video went viral! And it led to a bunch of protests, a President step-down, and regime-change in Tunisia, 2011. Egypt followed same year in revolution, led by youth/secular activists, but after President Mubarak stepped down, the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group, was voted into power.

Self-Immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi

 

While the youth focused on ousting the regime, political groups prepared to seize the impending power vacuum. The MB was popular, well-organized, and ready to win/dominate elections. Arab world, religiously conservative, want Islam in life affairs. Islamist groups want to enforce Sharia Law, oppressive to women. So far, revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain.



This period of revolutions was known as the "Arab Spring." It was followed by a period of wide-scale violence and political instability in the region, known as the "Arab Winter." Destabilized by rebel groups, like Houthis in Yemen, who ousted the new government while it was still fragile.




The Jasmine Revolution and Arab Spring in 2011 were uniquely Arab upheavals, other ethnic groups were not involved. Thus, these political stirrings are invariably connected to ISIS, current Middle Eastern instability, and international terror.


Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/17/143897126/the-arab-spring-a-year-of-revolution

Related post: "The Connection between Middle Eastern occupation and Southeast Asian occupation."

The Connection between Middle Eastern occupation and Southeast Asian occupation:

For some related context, see: "Jasmine Revolutions and the Arab Spring/Winter."

Western hegemony in the Middle East

European imperialism in Southeast Asia

I Realized This Morning:

    -Although their situations are different, and certainly their methods for obtaining what they want are different...
    -What Islamic State wants politically CAN be compared to what the Communist Vietnamese wanted, after hundreds of years of degradation and European/Chinese occupation: National Sovereignty! I never even understood that phrase in AP Euro. But it makes sense now, they want Independence, their own state, they wanted to be sovereign rulers of their own land.

    -Problem is, we don't trust them, and they're not proving themselves to be trustworthy. And their Sharia law is oppressive to women. End of the day, they're being jerks, and people would rather "bomb the shit" out of them than give them what they want, ESPECIALLY when...
    -They seem to have no forward-moving plan, aside from barbaric mass killings and beheadings, and smuggling/selling oil. There is a reason all these Syrians are FLEEING THEIR COUNTRY EN MASSE. Their actions are saying "Fuck THAT shit."


The Positive Side of Islam:

    -On that note, I want to say something about Muslims that I've personally known and interacted with. Many of them are great people, diligent students, wonderful artists/musicians/activists, welcoming shopkeepers, and so forth. We should not hate them. They are subject to bullying and hatespeech in schools. I knew this poor kid when I was teaching, sharp student, but outcasted by his peers. I wish you the best, Ahmed! Unfortunately, that type of thing goes on in adult groups too, so we shouldn't direct anger toward our Muslim brothers and sisters, we should try to understand them, most of them want peace too.
    -I've also found almsgiving(donation of food/money to those less fortunate), one of the 5 pillars of Islam, is a worthwhile and spiritually rewarding charitable practice.
    -Abstaining from pig meat and intoxicants is commendable too, I can't do it, but I try.
    -Many rappers are Muslim or have espoused Muslim-derived ideologies, my favorites including Nas, Guru, Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Akbar, Jay-Z, Jay Electronica, and Wu-Tang Clan. The number of Muslim hip hop artists is not limited to my list.


Nature of Islam: 

    -Because the religion lends itself to syncretization (merging with other people's existing beliefs), there are many types of Islam in different regions, and some are bound to be Extreme...ly obnoxious. Most are not Radical or violent. Many are peaceful, from American factions, like the Nation of Islam and the Nation of Gods and Earths, to Southeast Asian variants in Malaysian, Indonesia, and Thailand. In fact, I think there are more Asian Muslims than Arab Muslims... and I thought right, after a google check, 62% of world's Muslims live in South/Southeast Asia, and the largest Muslim country is Indonesia (ha, but knew that without Google). You don't hear from them as much because they're not as violent, and the Dalai Lama said most people just want peace and happiness, not violence and barbarism. Our intelligent species must know better than that if we are to save ourselves from ourselves.

Are 2014 Midterm Elections... Important?

Election time again, so you know what that means.... Plenty of depressing commercials and smear campaigns about people we don't really know.



These campaign dollars are starting to take over YouTube. Mostly attack ads. It must mean the 2014 Mid-term Elections are coming up!!!

There's one big problem though. First, I consider myself to be pretty engaged in civic matters... I mean... I majored in History, minored in Civic Engagement. Compelled to do my civic duty. I even drive a Civic. That's a cool palindrome, I just realized.

So I figured, for someone like me, who is engaged and interested in local, statewide, national, and international matters, frequently scouring the news, it is still a struggle to be informed. Being a voter is pretty easy, but being an informed voter, and knowledgeable about what/who I'm voting for, that's another challenge.

"But if it's just midterm elections, then it doesn't matter as much," says maybe 85% of people. 

That's not a real statistic, nor is it a real quote, but you get the idea. Most people ignore midterm elections... Why? Idunno, cuz it's democracy and we have freedom to vote, or not. Maybe because there's no charismatic President. But I was just talking to this college guy about his political science class, while tutoring math, and it REALLY IS important, because we're electing SENATORS to hold seats for 6 years???!

Do you know how many U.S. Senators there are?
Not many people do, apparently. What goes on in this "Senate" anyway?
There are 100 Senators, because there are 2 per state, therefore 2x = 100 must be true, and confirms that there are 50 states. 100 Senators making important decisions for the rest of us, for 6 years of their lives at a time. So who ARE these people? How do we vote the shitty ones out, and how do we know which ones to vote in? Even more important, House Representatives who draft bills, propositions, and respond more directly to constituents (us), they are also campaigning, but do I know anyone running? NO. How can I vote for the right one that won't mess us up for 2-6 years (2 for house reps, 6 for senators)? Who knows?

Also, what Propositions are up for a vote in your area? Does anyone know??? It's such a struggle to be informed, but why? I thought we lived in an INFORMATION age? Nah, I guess people would rather play with their flappy bird.


If that's difficult for me, I can't imagine what voting would be like for someone who's not politically engaged.

Anyways, most midterm elections tend to go overlooked. But we are in a pretty critical place right now. I hope this was a little informative.

Independence Day... celebrate being single??

Happy Day of Independence,
I am... watchin the pen dance...
Just getting my write on.
Using my left and my right arm.
Right on.

Just having some pun to start my day.
Goodness, I've been on vacation from this blog! Summer started over a month ago for me, and I've been spending time with the girl, with the family, and back in Cali. Summer Break for teachers is lovely, I don't feel tied down by work; I got no strings!

So Independence Day...usually associated with the Declaration of Independence, 1776, America's separation from the British Crown, and fireworks (cuz they sound like bombs bursting in air?).

Sometimes associated with alien attacks

That's cool, but the day got me thinking about independent people that I know, and how we should celebrate them as well. We should celebrate the free-thinkers, the creatives, the artists, the entrepreneurs, the (r)evolutionaries, those who initiate their own projects and are unafraid to walk alone. And, saving the best for last, the SINGLE people!

Being single is the definition of independence. Untethered, like a slave liberated. Like a dog off its leash. Not having to shoulder other people's burden. I haven't been single in a while, but it was those days when I was single (2008-2009ish) that I made a lot of changes in my life; I got my personal shit together, and I was able to learn more about myself.

This is me when I was single. aka, Tom in his Prime.

Single years are transformative! Whether it transforms a person positively or negatively is up to them.

It wasn't from some class or book (though classes and books certainly guided me in the right direction*), but it was from that self-knowledge, uncovered from being independent and single, that I strengthened my sense of self, my belief in my own gifts. I saw my potential to elevate BEFORE stepping on the elevator. I perceived my ability to climb, from the bottom of the mountain. And I love my life now. Still growing and trying to change up my routine so I don't stagnate. The past year in New Orleans has definitely been a good change and a move up. And even though I was still with my gf, we were 2000+ miles apart and I spent a lot of time alone, which is valuable. I look forward to more of that.

It's not easy being single/independent, but it's not good being stagnant. In fact, stagnant water stinks.

On the topic of independence, is also the topic of dependence. What are you dependent on? Whether it is a person, an object, an organization, or a substance... Can you free yourself from that dependence?

Sometimes, I think spending too much time with OTHER PEOPLE can hinder my productivity and inclination to create and write. I've been out so much, on this summer vacation, that I totally neglected my blog, my website, and other projects that I have to do. I've still be journalizing though, and writing when the inspiration hits.

But still, this is a day to celebrate INDEPENDENCE! Freedom!

Don't feel held back by your shackles, whatever those may be.

I'm reminded of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who wrote in her essay, "The Solitude of Self," about the solitude and uniqueness of each person. You are special and should not allow yourself to be held down by invisible chains or glass ceilings.


Independence Day: A great day to break up with your domineering boyfriend/girlfriend.


*Classes that helped me from 2008-2009:
History of Southeast Asia
History of Vietnam
History of Hip Hop Dances
American Intellectual History
History of Science
History of Religions
America in the 1960s
History of Social Change

Books that helped me from 2008-2009:
Chang, Jeff. Can't Stop Won't Stop.
Asante, MK. It's Bigger Than Hip Hop.
RZA. The Wu-Tang Manual.
Miyakawa, Felicia. Five Percenter Rap.

What did Kenneth Bae do to be imprisoned?

1/8 - Kim Jong Un's birthday - Rodman blows up on CNN, defends basketball game in North Korea

See video here:
http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/dennis-rodman-cnn-north-korea/2014/01/07/id/545638

Rodman, in this interview, is not a coherent speaker, sounds like he's on one, but Charles Smith is delightfully articulate. Too bad the CNN host kept interrupting him.

Interesting part to me:
The host kept bringing the topic back to Kenneth Bae. Rodman, sounding offended, replied:  "Kenneth Bae did one thing ... If you understand what Kenneth Bae did. Do you understand what he did in this country? No, no, no, you tell me, you tell me. Why is he held captive here in this country, why? ... I would love to speak on this." But he didn't speak on it. And no, no one really knows why Bae is held captive, that's why people are mad that Kenneth Bae an American imprisoned in a PRK labor camp. So what did Kenneth Bae do?? That's what I wanna know.

In a quick search, I found that Bae, an American, gave tours of North Korea, from a business he ran, based in China. From CNN: "[In 2006] [Bae] established "Nations Tour," a China-based tour company that specialized in tours of North Korea."[1]

So I guess Bae would drive into North Korea and give tours???


"He created a tourism company called "Nations Tour" for North Korean special economic zone visits that were secretly Christian missionary trips"[2]. Gotta mention, it's illegal and punishable by death to practice Christianity or to own a bible in North Korea[3]. And if he gave tours of outskirt areas? What do you think his tours would have been like? Not a good depiction. And that's why the Kim Jongs would be mad. Plus they, Bae and his tour groups, were trespassing. He invaded North Korea with his tours. That's why he was imprisoned. Now we know, right?



From Wiki, North Korea claims these are the reasons Kenneth Bae was prosecuted:

• Working with evangelical organization Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Bae is accused of preaching against the North Korean government in American and South Korean churches.^[33]
• Planning an anti-North Korean religious coup d'état called "the Operation Jericho", a reference to the biblical city whose walls were toppled by the sound of the Israelites'trumpets. Which began in the US, South Korea and China long before Bae traveled to North Korea.^[33]
• Admitting to setting up bases in China for the purpose of toppling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• Encouraging North Korean citizens to bring down the government.
• Conducting a "malignant" smear campaign.[2]

What's messed up in NK is the executions.[3]

But screw it, they're there to play basketball! I'd like to see the game, America vs N. Korea!


Sources:
[1]http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/07/us/who-is-kenneth-bae/
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Bae
[3]http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/11/north-korea-executions_n_4254893.html

Black Youths Beat Hispanic Man shouting "This is for Trayvon"

Headline: Witness claims youths yelled 'this is for Trayvon' in beating

Police still investigating claim in beating of Hispanic man

Source: Baltimore Sun - July 15, 2013

There's a lot of negative fallout from the Zimmerman verdict.
Trayvoning is one such example.

But this Baltimore story is another terrible example... This is real bad news after the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman verdict.

WHY?

Because now colored people are angry at other colored people! They're tearing us apart! To quote George Costanza: "A house divided cannot stand!"


We got the Divided States of America here...

Simply, if people are mad about a court case, they should not continue the violence.

Stop the Violence! See: Davey D

See also: The Stop the Violence Movement (lyrics)

SOMEBODY KNOWS that the best way to PREVENT PEOPLE FROM RISING UP against a broken system is to keep them divided against each other. The sensationalization of the Zimmerman case is divisive in multiple ways, I will enumerate just a few:

1. Friends against Friends - Disagreement on the Verdict - Everyone's gonna have a different opinion on whether the verdict was right or wrong. This has caused more than a few arguments on social media networks. This "touchy topic" has even turned some friends against each other. No. Bad. Stop it.

2. Color against a Different Color - As evidenced in Baltimore, the Zimmerman verdict has turned minority groups against each other. Black vs. Brown, White vs. Black, Color vs Non-color... ain't no good. Can't we just get along and dance?

3. Community against itself - What does it mean to be colored and stigmatized in America? What does that do to one's self-worth? We got people criticizing their own people and reinforcing their own negative stereotypes.

For people who want justice and real change, we have to UNIFY against a common enemy, which is a broken system with corrupted parts—corrupted cops, along with incompetent political and business leaders. Instead of thinking in terms of "I" or "you," think in terms of "we" and "us."

Not all of them are corrupted, in fact, probably just a minority are. That's why it's no time for generalization, it's time for specificity.

Together we rise.
Divided we'll die.


Let's end the racism and start the embrace-ism. Let's give free hugs, literally or figuratively, and embrace our true relationship to each other, as Earth Citizens, of the Human Family, on Planet Rock aka Earth!

Rock, rock... Planet Rock.

A lot of us have experienced racism. It's real as shit.
Middle school, high school, even now it still exists.

This court case, and the subsequent fallout over its verdict, makes me question the justice system, the education system, the media/news media landscape, AND democracy as a whole.... more on that in a later post...

or maybe I'll make a song about it on my mixtape.

NBC omits "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance

Examiner: NBC omits 'under God': Christians angry - freethinkers celebrate

What's funny is... Most schoolchildren don't even know why they say the pledge of allegiance! It's just a formality to begin their day.
I didn't understand its significance until I was older, had more pride in my country, and started working in a school. That's when I started saying the pledge again.

YO.... The pledge of Allegiance is a beautiful piece of writing, peep this:

I pledge Allegiance 
to the flag
of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA,
and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands.

ONE NATION,
UNDER GOD,
With LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all!

First of all, just the name the UNITED STATES of AMERICA... is a beautiful thing. Divided we fall, United we're tall.

Secondly, most people don't know what a republic is. It's our form of government, it's not supposed to be an authoritarian rule, it means the people have power in the workings of the state. None of that 16th-century European monarch bullshit. And no, it's not exactly a democracy.

"ONE NATION," no more, no less.
"UNDER GOD," cuz he's the best! No matter what God you believe in, even if you don't believe in a god, go make one up! For real. Name him/her after yourself. I think this is the best part of the pledge, cuz when you say "under god," you include all people. I'll admit, my conception of God is as complicated as Mary's conception of Jesus. It wouldn't make sense until you understand it. I'll explain in the future.

I used to backlash against God, even just the idea of God. Why? Cuz I was a kid, I was rebelling, I was pissed that God took my father away, and I was like fuck that, I'm not gonna say "under god."
Then, somewhere down the line, I realized that whether God exists or not, how you live your life is up to you. So don't fuck it up! And don't be an ignorant lil bitch! Lots of people find more meaning in their lives after establishing a relationship with God. Why hate on that?

Plus, aliens exist anyway, so what makes you think earth-religions are the only religions?

Let's say "god" DOESN'T exist. Can't you still live your life as if he did? Yes! Just don't be convinced that your way is the only right way, don't push your beliefs on others, and keep an open mind to those who think differently. And don't be a total fucking idiot.

...with LIBERTY... and JUSTICE.... for ALL!!!!