The establishment of the Al-Jazeera satellite television station about 15 years ago and its uncensored coverage of the major and daily political, economic and social developments in the Middle East in particular and the rest of the world in general has continued to educate and empower tens of millions of the ordinary Arabs with the political education and global exposure that they lacked for decade. This new political education gave birth to the successful people-led revolution in Tunisia and the revolts in Algeria, Yemen and now in Egypt for the last five days.
The Internet and the social media such as the Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the online journalism also contributed to the current revolts that are going on in many of the Arab nations, particularly in Egypt. The technologies have continue to serve as the medium of interaction all over the Arab World where burning political, economic, social and religions issues are debated, analyzed and discussed daily amongst the millions of ordinary Arabs.
The Telecommunication and Information Technologies of the cellphones, smartphones and ipads are now the powerful tools of political and social mobilization in the hands of the masses of the people of the Arab nations against their sit-tight, corrupt, repressive, dictatorial and oppressive leaders and their governments.
If these protests in Egypt succeeded and resulted in the removal of the President Hosni Mubarak from power, then the aftermath consequences will reverberate so much in the corridors of power of the entire Arab World and the Middle East in particular and the world in general. The outcome could be very grave in its implications for the following reasons:
(i) The Muslim Brotherhood which is the largest Islamic opposition party in Egypt today and a major force behind these protests could end up in power in Egypt. This development may result in the establishment of the largest Islamic government in the Middle East.
(ii) If these protests resulted in a power change in Egypt. The new government may break the peace treaty that Egypt signed with Isreal in the 1970s. This could set the entire Middle East into the biggest crisis in this 21st century.
(iii) Egypt is the America's biggest ally in the Arab World for the last few decades and the second biggest recipient of the United States foreign aid of about $1.5 billion yearly in military assistance. This development could damage the American-Egyptian diplomatic relationship that is a key to the peace in the Middle East for decades now.
(iv) The Suez Canal in Egypt is strategic to the world oil supply. About 2.5 million barrels of oil flow daily through those pipelines under the canal to the international oil market. This could be affected if there is a change of power in Egypt via these ongoing political revolts. This could result in international oil embargo, oil glut and blockage to free movements of the oil tankers in the region.
(iv) These political protests if they ended up in a change of power in Egypt, this could encourage similar uprisings and protests by ordinary people in the entire Arab World against their sit-tight rulers, dictators and monarchies. This may also be the biggest game changer of the 21st century in the Arab World that could changed the entire political landscape of the whole Middle East for many decades to come.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
"THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION IN THE ARAB WORLD"
The Arab world consists of 22 countries in North Africa and in the Middle East. They all speak Arabic language and are united by history and culture. These nations have a combined population of about 358 million people. The Arab world produces 80% of the world oil supplies. About 80% of the world's wealth and industries are in the developed countries. The economies and the industries of the advanced nations of the world rely completely for daily survival on the Middle East oil resources in this 21st century.
Egypt was the center of civilization in the ancient world. The pyramids at Giza, one of the great wonders of the ancient times still challenge today's advancement in the field of superstructural engineering of the 21st century. Egypt is strategically important to the Middle East for a number of reasons enumerated below:
(i) Egypt is the most populous Arab nation in the Middle East with a population of about 80 million people.
(ii) Egypt ancient civilization, surviving monuments and her tourism industry attract millions of tourists yearly to Egypt from all over the world and employ about 12% of the Egyptian workforce.
(iii) According to the online encyclopedia the Wikipedia: "The economy of Egypt is one of the most
developed and diversified in the Middle East, with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and service at almost equal production levels. The Egyptian economy has been developing rapidly during the 2000s, due in part to legislation aimed at luring investments, coupled with trade and market liberalization".
For the past three days, the protests in Egypt that was inspired by the people led revolution in Tunisia is getting bigger and bigger by the day. The police interventions and crackdowns on the protesters have failed. Today's night time curfew imposed on the major cities in Egypt did not work to curb these political crises. The closing down of the Internet services, the social media (Facebook and Twitter), cellphones and blackberry services in the entire country have also failed to work. The public address by the nation's President Hosni Mubarak, and calling for calm and the dissolution of his government entire cabinet also failed to work. The last option left that is being used against these protesters is the military. The military intervention has also failed in addressing these grave and dangerous situations on the ground in Egypt.
If these protests succeeded and resulted in the removal of the President Hosni Mubarak from power, then the aftermath consequences will reverberate so much in the corridors of power of the entire Arab World and the Middle East in particular and the world in general. The outcome could be very grave in its implications for the following reasons:
(i) The Muslim Brotherhood which is the largest Islamic opposition party in Egypt today and a major force behind these protests could end up in power in Egypt. This development may result in the establishment of the largest Islamic government in the Middle East.
(ii) If these protests resulted in a power change in Egypt. The new government may break the peace treaty that Egypt signed with Isreal in the 1970s. This could set the entire Middle East into the biggest crisis in this 21st century.
(iii) Egypt is the America's biggest ally in the Arab World for the last few decades and the second biggest recipient of the United States foreign aid of about $1.5 billion yearly in military assistance. This development could damage the American-Egyptian diplomatic relationship that is a key to the peace in the Middle East for decades now.
(iv) The Suez Canal in Egypt is strategic to the world oil supply. About 2.5 million barrels of oil flow daily through those pipelines under the canal to the international oil market. This could be affected if there is a change of power in Egypt via these ongoing political revolts. This could result in international oil embargo, oil glut and blockage to free movements of the oil tankers in the region.
(iv) These political protests if they ended up in a change of power in Egypt, this could encourage similar uprisings and protests by ordinary people in the entire Arab World against their sit-tight rulers, dictators and monarchies. This may also be the biggest game changer of the 21st century in the Arab World that could changed the entire political landscape of the whole Middle East for many decades to come.
Egypt was the center of civilization in the ancient world. The pyramids at Giza, one of the great wonders of the ancient times still challenge today's advancement in the field of superstructural engineering of the 21st century. Egypt is strategically important to the Middle East for a number of reasons enumerated below:
(i) Egypt is the most populous Arab nation in the Middle East with a population of about 80 million people.
(ii) Egypt ancient civilization, surviving monuments and her tourism industry attract millions of tourists yearly to Egypt from all over the world and employ about 12% of the Egyptian workforce.
(iii) According to the online encyclopedia the Wikipedia: "The economy of Egypt is one of the most
developed and diversified in the Middle East, with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and service at almost equal production levels. The Egyptian economy has been developing rapidly during the 2000s, due in part to legislation aimed at luring investments, coupled with trade and market liberalization".
For the past three days, the protests in Egypt that was inspired by the people led revolution in Tunisia is getting bigger and bigger by the day. The police interventions and crackdowns on the protesters have failed. Today's night time curfew imposed on the major cities in Egypt did not work to curb these political crises. The closing down of the Internet services, the social media (Facebook and Twitter), cellphones and blackberry services in the entire country have also failed to work. The public address by the nation's President Hosni Mubarak, and calling for calm and the dissolution of his government entire cabinet also failed to work. The last option left that is being used against these protesters is the military. The military intervention has also failed in addressing these grave and dangerous situations on the ground in Egypt.
If these protests succeeded and resulted in the removal of the President Hosni Mubarak from power, then the aftermath consequences will reverberate so much in the corridors of power of the entire Arab World and the Middle East in particular and the world in general. The outcome could be very grave in its implications for the following reasons:
(i) The Muslim Brotherhood which is the largest Islamic opposition party in Egypt today and a major force behind these protests could end up in power in Egypt. This development may result in the establishment of the largest Islamic government in the Middle East.
(ii) If these protests resulted in a power change in Egypt. The new government may break the peace treaty that Egypt signed with Isreal in the 1970s. This could set the entire Middle East into the biggest crisis in this 21st century.
(iii) Egypt is the America's biggest ally in the Arab World for the last few decades and the second biggest recipient of the United States foreign aid of about $1.5 billion yearly in military assistance. This development could damage the American-Egyptian diplomatic relationship that is a key to the peace in the Middle East for decades now.
(iv) The Suez Canal in Egypt is strategic to the world oil supply. About 2.5 million barrels of oil flow daily through those pipelines under the canal to the international oil market. This could be affected if there is a change of power in Egypt via these ongoing political revolts. This could result in international oil embargo, oil glut and blockage to free movements of the oil tankers in the region.
(iv) These political protests if they ended up in a change of power in Egypt, this could encourage similar uprisings and protests by ordinary people in the entire Arab World against their sit-tight rulers, dictators and monarchies. This may also be the biggest game changer of the 21st century in the Arab World that could changed the entire political landscape of the whole Middle East for many decades to come.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
"THE ERA OF MONARCHICAL AND DICTATORSHIP GOVERNMENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD IS FALLING APART"
The Tunisian revolution that removed their country's brutal ruler from power is spreading like the unabated wave of change in the Arab world. For the last three days, Egyptian youths from all walks of life have being protesting all over their country and calling on their President Hosni Mubarak that has ruled the nation as a dictator for 30 years to step down. More protests are slated for tomorrow by the leading Islamic opposition party in Egypt. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian Nobel laureate and opposition leader, is returning on Thursday to his agitated and restless homeland, his brother told CNN.
This morning, thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in their country’s capital and other regions on Thursday to demand a change of government, in demonstrations that organizers said were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there according to the reports by the New York Times newspaper.
At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere in the Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local news media reports coming out of this troubled Arab nation. The nation's dictator President Ali Abdallah Saleh has ruled this impoverished nation with iron hands for over 30 years now.
Reports coming in from the media sources and the local journalists on ground in Yemen indicated that the protesters chanted slogans against Mr. Saleh, a strongman who for more than 30 years has ruled a fractured country beset by a rebellion in the north and secessionists in the south. Tunisia and Egypt more stable countries with large middle classes and wide access to the Internet, Yemen is among the poorest countries in the Middle East.
The Arab World is about to be free from the hands of these sit-tight brutal and corrupt dictators that prevented developments in the Middle East for the last 30 or more years. These dictators see governance as a means of livelihood, family ownership and personal enrichment at the expense of the millions in poverty in their nations.
The revolution in the Internet Technology and the recent advances in social networking on the Internet will continue to educate and empowers the Arab peoples with the knowledge, forum and mobilization that they will need to fight against these dictators and for their freedom.
This morning, thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in their country’s capital and other regions on Thursday to demand a change of government, in demonstrations that organizers said were inspired by protests in Tunisia that toppled the president there according to the reports by the New York Times newspaper.
At least 10,000 protesters led by opposition members and youths activists gathered at Sana University and around 6,000 more elsewhere in the Yemeni capital of Sana, according to local news media reports coming out of this troubled Arab nation. The nation's dictator President Ali Abdallah Saleh has ruled this impoverished nation with iron hands for over 30 years now.
Reports coming in from the media sources and the local journalists on ground in Yemen indicated that the protesters chanted slogans against Mr. Saleh, a strongman who for more than 30 years has ruled a fractured country beset by a rebellion in the north and secessionists in the south. Tunisia and Egypt more stable countries with large middle classes and wide access to the Internet, Yemen is among the poorest countries in the Middle East.
The Arab World is about to be free from the hands of these sit-tight brutal and corrupt dictators that prevented developments in the Middle East for the last 30 or more years. These dictators see governance as a means of livelihood, family ownership and personal enrichment at the expense of the millions in poverty in their nations.
The revolution in the Internet Technology and the recent advances in social networking on the Internet will continue to educate and empowers the Arab peoples with the knowledge, forum and mobilization that they will need to fight against these dictators and for their freedom.
The much awaited change in the Arab World may have finally come. The people led revolution was successful in Tunisia. This gave birth to the current and the similar one in Egypt against Hosni Mubarak despite his government crackdown on peaceful protesters and closing down access to the Facebook and the Twitter. Now this fire of change is now in Yemen, the monarchies of the six Gulf Arab nations, Jordan, Morocco and Qatar may be the next targets.
"POPULATION EXPLOSION THREATENS DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA IN THIS 21ST CENTURY"
According to the online encyclopedia the Wikipedia, Africa is the world's second-largest and the second most-populous continent, after Asia. Africa covers about 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20% of the total land area. The population of Africa grew rapidly from 221 million in 1950 to about 1 billion in 2009. Africa accounts for about 14.75% of the world's human population. The United Nations Population Commission estimated that 95% of the world population growth are happening in the urban centers or the megacities of the developing nations.
The present national economies of the nations of Africa are not growing rapidly enough in this 21 century, weak and are unable to meet the urgent demand from this massive population explosion and its related problems across the continent. This unabated growth in population is pushing enormous pressure on the weak and failing economies of so many African countries today. Many nations in Africa in this 21st century are currently experiencing failing national economies, saddled with huge foreign debts, weak national currencies, inadequate social services, high unemployment, outdated and dilapidated infrastructures, falling wages, massive official corruption, brain drain, wars, civil unrests, ethnic violents, religion crises, terrorism and increased in crime rates.
Based on the estimates from the population experts around the world, African population is expected to double in the next 25 years. By 2035, Africa may have a population of about 2 billion people on the continent, with 80% or more living in the megacities of Africa. The United Nations Population Commission issued a tough warning in 2008 that if this rapidly growing population is not controlled and managed, then the megacities of the African nations will become the biggest mega-slums of the 21st century.
The governments over the nations of Africa have an enormous responsibilities to address this massive population growth by creating more jobs, building more schools and housings, expand the social services and create economic opportunities in rural areas to discourage the current massive rural areas to urban areas population migration partner. If this warning is neglected, this population growth will be self destructive to themselves and to others and the cities of Africa will become the biggest footprints of urban poverty in the world in this 21st century.
The present national economies of the nations of Africa are not growing rapidly enough in this 21 century, weak and are unable to meet the urgent demand from this massive population explosion and its related problems across the continent. This unabated growth in population is pushing enormous pressure on the weak and failing economies of so many African countries today. Many nations in Africa in this 21st century are currently experiencing failing national economies, saddled with huge foreign debts, weak national currencies, inadequate social services, high unemployment, outdated and dilapidated infrastructures, falling wages, massive official corruption, brain drain, wars, civil unrests, ethnic violents, religion crises, terrorism and increased in crime rates.
Based on the estimates from the population experts around the world, African population is expected to double in the next 25 years. By 2035, Africa may have a population of about 2 billion people on the continent, with 80% or more living in the megacities of Africa. The United Nations Population Commission issued a tough warning in 2008 that if this rapidly growing population is not controlled and managed, then the megacities of the African nations will become the biggest mega-slums of the 21st century.
The governments over the nations of Africa have an enormous responsibilities to address this massive population growth by creating more jobs, building more schools and housings, expand the social services and create economic opportunities in rural areas to discourage the current massive rural areas to urban areas population migration partner. If this warning is neglected, this population growth will be self destructive to themselves and to others and the cities of Africa will become the biggest footprints of urban poverty in the world in this 21st century.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
"THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE TUNISIAN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA IN THIS 21ST CENTURY"
Most African nations were ruled by these brutal dictators and lifetime rulers in the last century. Some of the remaining and surviving dictators are still in charge over the affairs of some African nations in this 21st century. We have strong men in power instead of strong democratic institutions in place. The hero worshipping of corrupt, brutal and ruthless rulers replaces good, development-oriented, effective and efficient leadership and governance in many of African nations today.
THE PARADE OF THE REMAINING AFRICAN DICTATORS IN THIS 21ST CENTURY
(i) Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, 30 years in power.
(ii) Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, 31 years in power.
(iii) Muamar al-Gaddafi of Libya, 41 years in power.
(iv) Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, 17 years in power.
(v) Paul Biya of Cameroon, 29 years in power.
(vi) Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, 22 years in power.
(vii) Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, 31 years in power.
(vii) King Mswati III, The King of Swaziland, 24 years in power.
(viii) Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, 18 years in power.
(ix) Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, 20 years in power.
VISIBLE SIGNS OF DICTATORSHIP IN THE AFRICAN NATIONS
These maximum rulers exhibit similar traits in power over the nations that they rule. They are ruthless, brutal, heavily corrupt with state funds, lawlessness in power, extra judiciary killings of perceived opponents, oppressive, anti-democracy, anti-free press, power mad, power crazy, power drunk, election riggers, owners of private armies, anti-independence of the judiciary, one-man show or one-man government in power, suppressive in nature to the collective leadership or the people's collective will and aspirations, anti-development, as well as exhibiting very terrible human rights records.
AFRICAN TYPE OF REVOLUTION:TUNISIAN PEOPLE OVERTHREW THEIR OWN DICTATOR
The recent people led protests in Tunisia that resulted in the removal of the nation's corrupt dictator Ben Ali, and forced him to abandon his power and fled to a similarly corrupt and a dictatorship safe haven of Saudi Arabia is the beginning of a wave of change that is sweeping the nations of Africa for betterment.
Ben Ali was forced to step down after 23 years in power as protests over economic crises resulted into rallies against him. This is what the united and the collective will of the people can do effectively against these dictators in Africa.
growing tide of public discontent and anger with his regime. Now the protesters will want to see the fruits
of their demonstrations.
They won't settle for meagre reform, they won't settle for the same elite remaining in power. They're very happy that the president has gone, but they don't like the regime that surrounded him, and they'll want his cronies out as well".
President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address last night said these words about this successful revolution against a dictator in Tunisia:
"And we saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia and supports the democratic aspirations of all people".
THE EGYPTIAN GROWING REVOLUTION AGAINST HOSNI MUBARAK THE DICTATOR
President Mubarak has ruled the nation of Egypt with his iron hands for the last 30 years. The streets of Cairo were filled with protesters yesterday asking President Mubarak to step down from power. The state under his brutal leadership met the protesters with brutal force, by using the anti riot police and also shot down the social networking site the Twitter that the protesters used to organize and to mobilize their support based against this dictator. This uprising was put off for now, but it is not dead at all. It will rise again and it will more powerful. No dictator can successfully suppress the collective will and aspirations of their own people for ever.
The White House in its official response said the "The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to be responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and pursue political, economic and social reforms that can improve their lives and help Egypt prosper,"
On Tuesday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that "many demonstrators said they were publicly denouncing Mubarak's rule for the first time, inspired by the images of young people in Tunisia effecting change in a region where most Arab countries are led by autocratic rulers and freedom of speech is limited".
As we advance gradually into this 21st century, the era of the sit-tight rulership and dictatorship will continue to face massive oppositions from the collective will and aspirations of the oppressed people. The invention of the Internet that led to the developments of social networking websites such as the Facebook and Twitter may be the effective political weapons that these oppressed people will eventually used as the mobilising forum against these dictators and for their freedom.
THE PARADE OF THE REMAINING AFRICAN DICTATORS IN THIS 21ST CENTURY
(i) Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, 30 years in power.
(ii) Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, 31 years in power.
(iii) Muamar al-Gaddafi of Libya, 41 years in power.
(iv) Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, 17 years in power.
(v) Paul Biya of Cameroon, 29 years in power.
(vi) Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, 22 years in power.
(vii) Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, 31 years in power.
(vii) King Mswati III, The King of Swaziland, 24 years in power.
(viii) Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea, 18 years in power.
(ix) Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, 20 years in power.
VISIBLE SIGNS OF DICTATORSHIP IN THE AFRICAN NATIONS
These maximum rulers exhibit similar traits in power over the nations that they rule. They are ruthless, brutal, heavily corrupt with state funds, lawlessness in power, extra judiciary killings of perceived opponents, oppressive, anti-democracy, anti-free press, power mad, power crazy, power drunk, election riggers, owners of private armies, anti-independence of the judiciary, one-man show or one-man government in power, suppressive in nature to the collective leadership or the people's collective will and aspirations, anti-development, as well as exhibiting very terrible human rights records.
AFRICAN TYPE OF REVOLUTION:TUNISIAN PEOPLE OVERTHREW THEIR OWN DICTATOR
The recent people led protests in Tunisia that resulted in the removal of the nation's corrupt dictator Ben Ali, and forced him to abandon his power and fled to a similarly corrupt and a dictatorship safe haven of Saudi Arabia is the beginning of a wave of change that is sweeping the nations of Africa for betterment.
Ben Ali was forced to step down after 23 years in power as protests over economic crises resulted into rallies against him. This is what the united and the collective will of the people can do effectively against these dictators in Africa.
Wyre Davies of the BBC News in Tunis, that nation's capital summed it up this way "The protesters have
put their bodies on the line, and many people have been killed. Tonight, they ignored the curfew to celebrate on the streets. At the end of a dramatic day, President Ben Ali fled, no longer able to hold back thegrowing tide of public discontent and anger with his regime. Now the protesters will want to see the fruits
of their demonstrations.
They won't settle for meagre reform, they won't settle for the same elite remaining in power. They're very happy that the president has gone, but they don't like the regime that surrounded him, and they'll want his cronies out as well".
President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address last night said these words about this successful revolution against a dictator in Tunisia:
"And we saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia and supports the democratic aspirations of all people".
THE EGYPTIAN GROWING REVOLUTION AGAINST HOSNI MUBARAK THE DICTATOR
President Mubarak has ruled the nation of Egypt with his iron hands for the last 30 years. The streets of Cairo were filled with protesters yesterday asking President Mubarak to step down from power. The state under his brutal leadership met the protesters with brutal force, by using the anti riot police and also shot down the social networking site the Twitter that the protesters used to organize and to mobilize their support based against this dictator. This uprising was put off for now, but it is not dead at all. It will rise again and it will more powerful. No dictator can successfully suppress the collective will and aspirations of their own people for ever.
The White House in its official response said the "The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to be responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and pursue political, economic and social reforms that can improve their lives and help Egypt prosper,"
On Tuesday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that "many demonstrators said they were publicly denouncing Mubarak's rule for the first time, inspired by the images of young people in Tunisia effecting change in a region where most Arab countries are led by autocratic rulers and freedom of speech is limited".
As we advance gradually into this 21st century, the era of the sit-tight rulership and dictatorship will continue to face massive oppositions from the collective will and aspirations of the oppressed people. The invention of the Internet that led to the developments of social networking websites such as the Facebook and Twitter may be the effective political weapons that these oppressed people will eventually used as the mobilising forum against these dictators and for their freedom.
"THE 21ST CENTURY IMPLICATIONS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH"
The much awaited and anticipated the "State of the Union" annual address of President Barack Obama to the U.S. Congress has now come and gone. The chamber was full to capacity, all members of the U.S. Congress were present with an exception of the Arizona Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords that is still recovering in a Texas rehabilitation center. She was reported by the cable network MSNBC to have watched the speech with her husband on her side via the television.
What is left today that will follow this speech for many, many years to come are the various political fallouts as well the domestic and international implications of the world's most important speech. The United States of America is the world's only superpower nation, the richest and the most advanced as well as the most prosperous in this 21st century. The reality in the world today is that whenever America sneezes, the rest of the world will catch a cold.
THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS SPEECH
ON PARTY POLITICS AND OUR DEMOCRACY
The members of the U.S.Congress from the opposing political parties and ideologies sat down side by side for the first time in the history of this presidential traditional annual "State of the Union" address to the Congress. This development last night if it is highly cherished by our politicians, may signify a new era of politics of civility and compromise in America. No politician or political party today has the monopoly of wisdom to solve all the major challenges that face America in the world of the 21st century. The President asked our politicians a question: We seat together tonight, but can we work together tomorrow?
ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY IN THE 21ST AMERICA
The world has changed in this 21st century as a result of advancement in science and technology. Those manufacturing jobs of the Midwestern America are gone forever. The creation of the much needed new jobs for today and the future jobs to come will be based on technological advances. The focus now in America should be on biomedical research, information technology research and the clean and renewable energy development. The President proposes a plan to put one million electric cars on the American roads by 2015 and have 80% of our electricity come from the clean energy sources by 2035. The President concluded the only way forward to create the future jobs in America is to invest in scientific research and development "an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people".
ON EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY AMERICA
Our schools are failing, 25% of our high school students do not graduate at all or graduate in time, 10 years from today most of the new jobs will require at least a Bachelor's degree. American students are falling behind in math and science when they are compared with students from other developed nations. 100,000 new teachers in the field of science, technology, engineering and math will be needed in America's schools. The "Race to the Top" a national education policy of President Obama's government will now replace the ineffective policy of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The President concluded on this note "we need to out-innovate, out- educate, and out-build the rest of the world". Investment in our education is the key to keeping America on top of the rest of the world in this 21st century.
ON THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN AMERICA
As we advance into the 21st century, the United States will remain a nation of immigrants as well as a nation of laws. American government will continue to promote legal immigration into America. The issue of what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here will continue to be a national issue that will polarize and divide this nation more and more. The present immigration policies of today must be revisited by the United States Congress to adequately address the various loopholes in our broken national immigration policies. The President concluded on this note "And I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws, and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.
ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD
America plans to double its export to the world by the year 2014. This will create additional hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs domestically. America must ensure that they sign a fair trade dealings with the other trading partners. China is a major trading partner with the United States, but she does not practice a fair trading agreement with America. She manipulates her stock market and undervalues her national currency by about 20% of its actual value to make her exports cheaper. She engages America in cyber war and steals intellectual property rights. This unbalanced trading agreement must be addressed diplomatically.
ON HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR ALL AMERICANS
The President said that his health care law known as the Obamacare has come to stay in America. Obamacare will give health insurance to additional 32 million uninsured Americans, allows students to be on their parents' health care insurance till the age of 26 years old, makes prescription drugs cheaper for our seniors, and prevents insurance companies from turning down patients with preexisting health conditions or raising their premiums. The President maintained a firm position on his health care law "What I'm not
willing to do -- what I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
ON OUR NATIONAL DEBT OF $14 TRILLION
These mountains of financial debt started about 10 years ago. Our government continues to spend more than what it generates as revenue, our spending exceeds our income as a nation, we spend what we do not have. The President proposes an annual freezing on the domestic spending for the next five years, that will reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next one decade. The government has also frozen the salaries of federal employees for the next two years. The secretary of defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that our military can do without.
ON THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
The President announced that the war in Iraq is coming to an end, there is a government in power in Iraq, elected by the Iraqis themselves and the war is Afghanistan is achieving its purposes, insurgency is down, Afghans now have an elected government in power, and the war against international terrorism is yielding results by preventing threats and new attacks from the terrorists.
ON SOUTHERN SUDAN AND TUNISIA
The President maintained that the government of America fully supports the aspirations of the people of Southern Sudan and Tunisia to be free from the corrupt and oppressive regimes. Southern Sudanese voted recently in a referendum for independence nation and the Tunisians protested and removed the corrupt dictator in power in Tunisia. The President concluded on this note "The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia and supports the democratic aspirations of all people".
THE FINAL CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER
The President concluded his annual speech by saying that "We do big things. The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong".
What is left today that will follow this speech for many, many years to come are the various political fallouts as well the domestic and international implications of the world's most important speech. The United States of America is the world's only superpower nation, the richest and the most advanced as well as the most prosperous in this 21st century. The reality in the world today is that whenever America sneezes, the rest of the world will catch a cold.
THE DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS SPEECH
ON PARTY POLITICS AND OUR DEMOCRACY
The members of the U.S.Congress from the opposing political parties and ideologies sat down side by side for the first time in the history of this presidential traditional annual "State of the Union" address to the Congress. This development last night if it is highly cherished by our politicians, may signify a new era of politics of civility and compromise in America. No politician or political party today has the monopoly of wisdom to solve all the major challenges that face America in the world of the 21st century. The President asked our politicians a question: We seat together tonight, but can we work together tomorrow?
ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY IN THE 21ST AMERICA
The world has changed in this 21st century as a result of advancement in science and technology. Those manufacturing jobs of the Midwestern America are gone forever. The creation of the much needed new jobs for today and the future jobs to come will be based on technological advances. The focus now in America should be on biomedical research, information technology research and the clean and renewable energy development. The President proposes a plan to put one million electric cars on the American roads by 2015 and have 80% of our electricity come from the clean energy sources by 2035. The President concluded the only way forward to create the future jobs in America is to invest in scientific research and development "an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people".
ON EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY AMERICA
Our schools are failing, 25% of our high school students do not graduate at all or graduate in time, 10 years from today most of the new jobs will require at least a Bachelor's degree. American students are falling behind in math and science when they are compared with students from other developed nations. 100,000 new teachers in the field of science, technology, engineering and math will be needed in America's schools. The "Race to the Top" a national education policy of President Obama's government will now replace the ineffective policy of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The President concluded on this note "we need to out-innovate, out- educate, and out-build the rest of the world". Investment in our education is the key to keeping America on top of the rest of the world in this 21st century.
ON THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LIVING IN AMERICA
As we advance into the 21st century, the United States will remain a nation of immigrants as well as a nation of laws. American government will continue to promote legal immigration into America. The issue of what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here will continue to be a national issue that will polarize and divide this nation more and more. The present immigration policies of today must be revisited by the United States Congress to adequately address the various loopholes in our broken national immigration policies. The President concluded on this note "And I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws, and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.
ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD
America plans to double its export to the world by the year 2014. This will create additional hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs domestically. America must ensure that they sign a fair trade dealings with the other trading partners. China is a major trading partner with the United States, but she does not practice a fair trading agreement with America. She manipulates her stock market and undervalues her national currency by about 20% of its actual value to make her exports cheaper. She engages America in cyber war and steals intellectual property rights. This unbalanced trading agreement must be addressed diplomatically.
ON HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL INSURANCE FOR ALL AMERICANS
The President said that his health care law known as the Obamacare has come to stay in America. Obamacare will give health insurance to additional 32 million uninsured Americans, allows students to be on their parents' health care insurance till the age of 26 years old, makes prescription drugs cheaper for our seniors, and prevents insurance companies from turning down patients with preexisting health conditions or raising their premiums. The President maintained a firm position on his health care law "What I'm not
willing to do -- what I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
ON OUR NATIONAL DEBT OF $14 TRILLION
These mountains of financial debt started about 10 years ago. Our government continues to spend more than what it generates as revenue, our spending exceeds our income as a nation, we spend what we do not have. The President proposes an annual freezing on the domestic spending for the next five years, that will reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next one decade. The government has also frozen the salaries of federal employees for the next two years. The secretary of defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that our military can do without.
ON THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
The President announced that the war in Iraq is coming to an end, there is a government in power in Iraq, elected by the Iraqis themselves and the war is Afghanistan is achieving its purposes, insurgency is down, Afghans now have an elected government in power, and the war against international terrorism is yielding results by preventing threats and new attacks from the terrorists.
ON SOUTHERN SUDAN AND TUNISIA
The President maintained that the government of America fully supports the aspirations of the people of Southern Sudan and Tunisia to be free from the corrupt and oppressive regimes. Southern Sudanese voted recently in a referendum for independence nation and the Tunisians protested and removed the corrupt dictator in power in Tunisia. The President concluded on this note "The United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia and supports the democratic aspirations of all people".
THE FINAL CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER
The President concluded his annual speech by saying that "We do big things. The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong".
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
"PREVIEWING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS SLATED FOR TODAY"
Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution reads: "The President shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient...." . Based on the age long tradition that began with the America's first President George Washington, every American President makes this report annually to the Congress, even though the clause in the Constitution says "from time to time", this leaves the matter open to varied interpretations.
The online encyclopedia the Wikipedia defines the State of the Union Address as the "annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda (the office of the President does not have Constitutional power to enact legislation, only Congress can do this legally) and national priorities to Congress.
Today's address to the United States Congress is very important for a number of reasons and because of the many recent events that happened in America. President Obama promises to focus his speech on two key national issues that affect most Americans, which are Jobs and the Economy. At the moment 15 million Americans are out of jobs, the unemployment rate is 9.8%, the highest since the years of national economic depression of the 1930s. Millions of Americans are also facing foreclosures and out national debt reaches the highest level ever standing now at about $14 trillion.
Our national politics has gone out of the norms, it is no longer civil, it is now a politics of do or die, our politicians are so heavily divided, polarized and volatile to their opponents and their opposing views in the way our politics is played today. We are no longer practicing the politics of civility, compromise and understanding, loyalty to party's ideology is put above the nation and her welfare. The President has called us to a new era in our body polity, to promote the politics of civility in our rhetorics.
Today at the State of the Union address, the Republican and the Democratic members of the United States Congress will be seating together for the first time to show and to promote this new national order of politics of civility. The President will also focus most of his speech on his plans and the recent progress he has made on the economy and job creation. The job situation and the national economy are both improving now, we are now totally out of the economic recession, corporate profits are going up, Wall Street is booming and more jobs are now created.
The Republicans have called for a reduction in our government spending, our national deficit and for a smaller government. These issues are opened for national debate in the months to come at the U.S. Congress. The President has now got his priorities right and he is now focusing his energy on the two most important issues to all Americans which are jobs and the economy. He has two more years of handwork ahead of him. His approval rating is now very high amongst the Democrats, Republicans and the Independents.
The online encyclopedia the Wikipedia defines the State of the Union Address as the "annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda (the office of the President does not have Constitutional power to enact legislation, only Congress can do this legally) and national priorities to Congress.
Today's address to the United States Congress is very important for a number of reasons and because of the many recent events that happened in America. President Obama promises to focus his speech on two key national issues that affect most Americans, which are Jobs and the Economy. At the moment 15 million Americans are out of jobs, the unemployment rate is 9.8%, the highest since the years of national economic depression of the 1930s. Millions of Americans are also facing foreclosures and out national debt reaches the highest level ever standing now at about $14 trillion.
Our national politics has gone out of the norms, it is no longer civil, it is now a politics of do or die, our politicians are so heavily divided, polarized and volatile to their opponents and their opposing views in the way our politics is played today. We are no longer practicing the politics of civility, compromise and understanding, loyalty to party's ideology is put above the nation and her welfare. The President has called us to a new era in our body polity, to promote the politics of civility in our rhetorics.
Today at the State of the Union address, the Republican and the Democratic members of the United States Congress will be seating together for the first time to show and to promote this new national order of politics of civility. The President will also focus most of his speech on his plans and the recent progress he has made on the economy and job creation. The job situation and the national economy are both improving now, we are now totally out of the economic recession, corporate profits are going up, Wall Street is booming and more jobs are now created.
The Republicans have called for a reduction in our government spending, our national deficit and for a smaller government. These issues are opened for national debate in the months to come at the U.S. Congress. The President has now got his priorities right and he is now focusing his energy on the two most important issues to all Americans which are jobs and the economy. He has two more years of handwork ahead of him. His approval rating is now very high amongst the Democrats, Republicans and the Independents.
Monday, January 24, 2011
"CRIMES IN AMERICA IN THE 21ST CENTURY"
No single society is without crimes and criminals. America is not an exemption to this global rule despite her enormous wealth and vast opportunities for career advancement and money making. Crimes occur every moment in one part of America or another. Our courts are full of cases of various types of crimes. The branch of law that specializes in crimes is growing daily in leaps and bounds. Criminal attorneys are popular, famous and have made a lot of fortunes practicing criminal law.
According to the yearly publication from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over 3.8 million arrests were made for violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and assault), property crimes (burglary, theft and arson) and non-violent crimes alone in 2009. The already overburdened American taxpayers are still shadowed with the huge responsibilities carrying these hefty financial costs of keeping convicted criminals behind bars.
As of today in America, data that are available showed that the crime rate is increasing from coast to coast, teenagers are now the major players in most crimes committed around this nation, the median age of criminals is dropping and majority of crimes are committed by habitual criminals. The goodnews is that most of the criminals are caught and convicted for their crimes by our effective and already overloaded criminal justice system.
Kerby Anderson the president of the Probe Ministries International on his website has this to say about crime
in America: "the crime clock continues to click: one murder every 22 minutes, one rape every 5 minutes, one robbery every 49 seconds, and one burglary every 10 seconds. And the cost of crime continues to mount: $78 billion for the criminal justice system, $64 billion for private protection, $202 billion in loss of life and work, $120 billion in crimes against business, $60 billion in stolen goods and fraud, $40 billion from drug abuse, and $110 billion from drunk driving. When you add up all the costs, crime costs Americans a stunning $675 billion each year".
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD IN SOLVING THIS ENORMOUS NATIONAL PROBLEM
(i) The most effective antidote to crimes is by putting more police officers on our streets.
(ii) Keep dangerous, habitual and violent criminals behind the bars perpetually or for a long period of time.
(iii) Put an effective gun control bill in place that will prevent guns from getting into the hands of these criminals.
(iv) Building strong community and police relationship that will allow members of the various communities to work hand-in-hand with their police departments in curbing this high crime rate.
According to the yearly publication from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over 3.8 million arrests were made for violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and assault), property crimes (burglary, theft and arson) and non-violent crimes alone in 2009. The already overburdened American taxpayers are still shadowed with the huge responsibilities carrying these hefty financial costs of keeping convicted criminals behind bars.
As of today in America, data that are available showed that the crime rate is increasing from coast to coast, teenagers are now the major players in most crimes committed around this nation, the median age of criminals is dropping and majority of crimes are committed by habitual criminals. The goodnews is that most of the criminals are caught and convicted for their crimes by our effective and already overloaded criminal justice system.
Kerby Anderson the president of the Probe Ministries International on his website has this to say about crime
in America: "the crime clock continues to click: one murder every 22 minutes, one rape every 5 minutes, one robbery every 49 seconds, and one burglary every 10 seconds. And the cost of crime continues to mount: $78 billion for the criminal justice system, $64 billion for private protection, $202 billion in loss of life and work, $120 billion in crimes against business, $60 billion in stolen goods and fraud, $40 billion from drug abuse, and $110 billion from drunk driving. When you add up all the costs, crime costs Americans a stunning $675 billion each year".
WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD IN SOLVING THIS ENORMOUS NATIONAL PROBLEM
(i) The most effective antidote to crimes is by putting more police officers on our streets.
(ii) Keep dangerous, habitual and violent criminals behind the bars perpetually or for a long period of time.
(iii) Put an effective gun control bill in place that will prevent guns from getting into the hands of these criminals.
(iv) Building strong community and police relationship that will allow members of the various communities to work hand-in-hand with their police departments in curbing this high crime rate.
"THE CHANGING FACE OF THE 21ST CENTURY WORKPLACE IN AMERICA"
The United States of America is a nation of immigrants since it was first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. People from all over the world representing many different races, nationalities, ethnic origins, cultures, religion groups and languages have being moving into America for the last 500 years till the present day. The official policy of the United States government in their federal statutes support legal immigration into America, thereby making the United States of America the most ethnically diverse nation in this 21st century.
The general face of the workplace in America of today is changing so fast as a result of technological innovations, diversity and the need for teamwork in most occupations and workplaces. The advancement made in the last few decades in the field of technology is affecting the workplace of today by promoting outsourcing of jobs and telecommuting by workers. Most workers in today's workplace works in teams, collaborates together on common goals, share their skills and ideas with one another, and use effective communication skills at work.
The 21st century workforce in America is becoming more diverse in nature. Most workplaces have employees from different countries, cultures, backgrounds and generations. Diversity is now a key issue in many types of jobs in America in the 21st century. Diversity is now respected and celebrated by valuing the contribution of every individual in the workforce. The opportunities for employment and advancement on the jobs are now opened to all races, cultures, religions and ethnic groups or nationalities.
The Spanish language continues to grow in leaps and bounds in America's workplace. The Spanish speaking people are now the largest minority group in America. Their population according to the United States Department of Labor is expected to reach 25% of the United States national population by the year 2050. The Spanish language ranks third in the world in number of speakers, after Chinese and English. Most workplaces now have Spanish translators on the ground, as well as the direct translations of their official business information and documents in Spanish Language.
As we advance gradually into the 21st century America, the diverse nature of the American society that is reflected in her many races, ethnic nationalities, language groups and cultural identities together with the technological innovations and advancements will all continue to change the face of the America's workplace year in and year out.
The general face of the workplace in America of today is changing so fast as a result of technological innovations, diversity and the need for teamwork in most occupations and workplaces. The advancement made in the last few decades in the field of technology is affecting the workplace of today by promoting outsourcing of jobs and telecommuting by workers. Most workers in today's workplace works in teams, collaborates together on common goals, share their skills and ideas with one another, and use effective communication skills at work.
The 21st century workforce in America is becoming more diverse in nature. Most workplaces have employees from different countries, cultures, backgrounds and generations. Diversity is now a key issue in many types of jobs in America in the 21st century. Diversity is now respected and celebrated by valuing the contribution of every individual in the workforce. The opportunities for employment and advancement on the jobs are now opened to all races, cultures, religions and ethnic groups or nationalities.
The Spanish language continues to grow in leaps and bounds in America's workplace. The Spanish speaking people are now the largest minority group in America. Their population according to the United States Department of Labor is expected to reach 25% of the United States national population by the year 2050. The Spanish language ranks third in the world in number of speakers, after Chinese and English. Most workplaces now have Spanish translators on the ground, as well as the direct translations of their official business information and documents in Spanish Language.
As we advance gradually into the 21st century America, the diverse nature of the American society that is reflected in her many races, ethnic nationalities, language groups and cultural identities together with the technological innovations and advancements will all continue to change the face of the America's workplace year in and year out.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
"WIKILEAKS PREDICTED THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE AFRICA'S LARGEST PSEUDO-DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA"
Nigeria is the largest African nation in terms of her population of about 150 million persons. One out of every six Africans is a Nigerian. This country because of her enormous oil and human resources is tagged as the "Giant of Africa". Nigeria for the last 50 years of her existence as a sovereign nation practices a form of democracy known as "Pseudo-Democracy". All national elections conducted to date never reflected the majority will of the voters.
"Pseudo" comes from the Greek word which literally means lying, false, unreal, untrue, fake, fraudulent in nature, deceptive in appearance and pretending to be what it is not in all reality. Nigeria as a nation practices this type of democracy that reflects the exact and the complete meanings of this Greek word known as "pseudo".
The term "democracy" comes from the Greek word "dēmokratía" which means the "rule of the people" or "the political power that is derived from or it is coming directly from the people (the voters) in an election. It implies that the true, the total and the collective will of the majority of the voters will determine who is elected or not in an election.
In Nigeria, all our national elections conducted to date from 1960 never reflected the true will of the Nigerian voters except the annulled presidential elections of June 12, 1993 in which the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won an election for the first time in the political history of elections in Nigeria that truly reflected the supreme will of Nigerians.
"Our political parties in Nigeria primarily practice the selection of aspirants for elective offices instead of the true elections of the aspiring candidates by the actual voters". The same patterns are repeated in the local, the state and the federal elections. Elections are also hijacked to favour the highest bidders, and our elected officials use their power of incumbency and the state machinery to influence elections to their own advantage.
Money is always used as bribes in Nigeria to influence the process and the outcome of elections to the advantage of the "money-bags politicians" from the party politics level to the state organized elections. The state apparatus remains a weapon of war in the hands of public elected officials against their political opponents in elections.
Political parties and politicians in Nigeria have used and continued to use the following methods to perpetuate electoral fraud in Nigeria. They are: Electorate Fraud, Manipulation of Demography, Vote Buying, Intimidation, Disenfranchisement of Voters, Ballot Stuffing, Misrecording of Votes, Misleading or Confusing Ballot Papers and the Destruction or the Invalidation of Ballot.
Pseudo-Democracy in Nigeria will only continue to benefit the election riggers only at the expense of the Nigerian voters. These types of elections do not reflect the true will, the expectations and the aspirations of the Nigerian electorates. Politicians elected in this manner into public offices are never people-minded, development-oriented and transparent in the daily discharge of the required responsibilities of such offices. Politician elected under this type of political atmosphere are lawless, corrupt and live above the supreme law of the land.
Wikileaks the website that is also known as the international whistle blower in its cable report of yesterday had already predicted the final outcomes of the presidential elections in Nigeria slated for the month of April, 2011. Wikileaks report reads "Jonathan now faces minor party candidates from across the north in the April 9 presidential election. However, only the ruling People's Democratic Party has the muscle and money necessary to manipulate Nigeria's unruly electoral system".
As we approach the presidential elections slated for April 2011. Money, power of incumbency, bribery, vote buying, intimidation of voters and political opponents as well as the political survival of sycophant politicians and elected officials will play a major role in the outcome of these elections in Nigeria. The ruling party in power since 1999 has all the state machinery needed to manipulate the electoral systems to its full advantage.
"Pseudo" comes from the Greek word which literally means lying, false, unreal, untrue, fake, fraudulent in nature, deceptive in appearance and pretending to be what it is not in all reality. Nigeria as a nation practices this type of democracy that reflects the exact and the complete meanings of this Greek word known as "pseudo".
The term "democracy" comes from the Greek word "dēmokratía" which means the "rule of the people" or "the political power that is derived from or it is coming directly from the people (the voters) in an election. It implies that the true, the total and the collective will of the majority of the voters will determine who is elected or not in an election.
In Nigeria, all our national elections conducted to date from 1960 never reflected the true will of the Nigerian voters except the annulled presidential elections of June 12, 1993 in which the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola won an election for the first time in the political history of elections in Nigeria that truly reflected the supreme will of Nigerians.
"Our political parties in Nigeria primarily practice the selection of aspirants for elective offices instead of the true elections of the aspiring candidates by the actual voters". The same patterns are repeated in the local, the state and the federal elections. Elections are also hijacked to favour the highest bidders, and our elected officials use their power of incumbency and the state machinery to influence elections to their own advantage.
Money is always used as bribes in Nigeria to influence the process and the outcome of elections to the advantage of the "money-bags politicians" from the party politics level to the state organized elections. The state apparatus remains a weapon of war in the hands of public elected officials against their political opponents in elections.
Political parties and politicians in Nigeria have used and continued to use the following methods to perpetuate electoral fraud in Nigeria. They are: Electorate Fraud, Manipulation of Demography, Vote Buying, Intimidation, Disenfranchisement of Voters, Ballot Stuffing, Misrecording of Votes, Misleading or Confusing Ballot Papers and the Destruction or the Invalidation of Ballot.
Pseudo-Democracy in Nigeria will only continue to benefit the election riggers only at the expense of the Nigerian voters. These types of elections do not reflect the true will, the expectations and the aspirations of the Nigerian electorates. Politicians elected in this manner into public offices are never people-minded, development-oriented and transparent in the daily discharge of the required responsibilities of such offices. Politician elected under this type of political atmosphere are lawless, corrupt and live above the supreme law of the land.
Wikileaks the website that is also known as the international whistle blower in its cable report of yesterday had already predicted the final outcomes of the presidential elections in Nigeria slated for the month of April, 2011. Wikileaks report reads "Jonathan now faces minor party candidates from across the north in the April 9 presidential election. However, only the ruling People's Democratic Party has the muscle and money necessary to manipulate Nigeria's unruly electoral system".
As we approach the presidential elections slated for April 2011. Money, power of incumbency, bribery, vote buying, intimidation of voters and political opponents as well as the political survival of sycophant politicians and elected officials will play a major role in the outcome of these elections in Nigeria. The ruling party in power since 1999 has all the state machinery needed to manipulate the electoral systems to its full advantage.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
"THE AMERICAN LIBERAL NEWS MEDIA HAS JUST LOST A POWERFUL VOICE"
The sudden departure of Keith Olbermann, one of our nation's most liberal anchors from the MSNBC's most popular program "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" that drew me and over one million viewers all over America every night for one hour surprised me and other viewers. Keith Olbermann announced last Friday night at the close of his program that the show would be his last.
At the time of his departure from the cable television, MSNBC announced that the program would continue with a replacement. The main questions left unanswered are: Why the sudden departure? Was there any unresolved issues between MSNBC and Keith Olbermann? Is his sudden departure due to the intending business plan to takeover the MSNBC's parent company, NBC Universal, by Comcast, the cable and Internet giant? Is it as a result of the approval for the final takeover this week by federal regulators?
No matter what led to his sudden departure at this point it does not matter to me. His departure is a big blow to the liberal voices and opinions on our nation and on our national television. Keith Olbermann is an epitome of the liberal political ideologies on our national life as a country that is politically volatile and heavily divided, along conservative, independent and liberal lines. He stands for liberalism, he represents liberalism, he defends liberalism, he left us suddenly fighting for liberalism and he will continue to be our powerful liberal voice in his next line of professional work.
Millions of Americans who are liberals like my humble self will continue to miss the unique impacts that Keith Olbermann has made on this great union and on our national politics. His several signature segments on his television program "Countdown with Keith Olbermann", such as the "Special Comment" and a daily "Worst Person in the World." will be greatly missed by millions of his faithful viewers.
Keith Olbermann is not the liberal political ideology as a way of life, this ideology existed before Keith Olbermann and is bigger than Keith Olbermann as a person, but his voice on television daily was a defence and a safe haven for this political school of thought that I and tens of millions of other Americans have come to embrace as one of the best answers to our nation's challenging issues in this 21st century to continue to thrive unabated.
At the time of his departure from the cable television, MSNBC announced that the program would continue with a replacement. The main questions left unanswered are: Why the sudden departure? Was there any unresolved issues between MSNBC and Keith Olbermann? Is his sudden departure due to the intending business plan to takeover the MSNBC's parent company, NBC Universal, by Comcast, the cable and Internet giant? Is it as a result of the approval for the final takeover this week by federal regulators?
No matter what led to his sudden departure at this point it does not matter to me. His departure is a big blow to the liberal voices and opinions on our nation and on our national television. Keith Olbermann is an epitome of the liberal political ideologies on our national life as a country that is politically volatile and heavily divided, along conservative, independent and liberal lines. He stands for liberalism, he represents liberalism, he defends liberalism, he left us suddenly fighting for liberalism and he will continue to be our powerful liberal voice in his next line of professional work.
Millions of Americans who are liberals like my humble self will continue to miss the unique impacts that Keith Olbermann has made on this great union and on our national politics. His several signature segments on his television program "Countdown with Keith Olbermann", such as the "Special Comment" and a daily "Worst Person in the World." will be greatly missed by millions of his faithful viewers.
Keith Olbermann is not the liberal political ideology as a way of life, this ideology existed before Keith Olbermann and is bigger than Keith Olbermann as a person, but his voice on television daily was a defence and a safe haven for this political school of thought that I and tens of millions of other Americans have come to embrace as one of the best answers to our nation's challenging issues in this 21st century to continue to thrive unabated.
"AMERICA HAS THE HIGHEST PRISON POPULATION IN THE WHOLE WORLD"
The United States of America is the cradle of democracy, human rights, freedom, justice and equality. The oldest democracy in the world. On the other hand, it is also a country of law and order and the most policed nation under the sun in this 21st century. America's police organisation is very localized, extensive in its operations and coverage networks. The police organizations are formed at all levels and they cover varied jurisdiction areas, such as the city police, the campus police, the county police, the state troopers and the Federal Police unit known as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Today, America has 310 million persons which makes it the fourth largest country in the world in terms of population and a prison population close to 2.3 million inmates, the largest in the whole world. According to the online encyclopedia the Wikipedia "American prisons and jails held 2,297,400 inmates in 2009. Approximately one in every 18 men in the United States is behind bars or being monitored. A significantly greater percentage of the American population is in some form of correctional control even though crime rates have declined by about 25 percent from 1988-2008. 70% of prisoners in the United States are non-whites".
The prisons' networks and facilities are so extensive, and are under the different jurisdictions and authorities. Inmates are kept in juvenile facilities if they are teenagers, jail in Indian country serving the Indian reservations, military facilities for the members of the United States Armed Forces, Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE facilities for immigrants that violate the United States immigration laws, local jails for local criminals, territorial jails that cover certain territories, state prisons for state offenders and federal prisons for federal crimes.
WHAT CAUSES THE BOOM IN THE UNITED STATES PRISONS' POPULATION?
A number of factors are primarily responsible for the high incarceration rate in America's prisons and jails:
(i) High imprisonment of persons that commit non-violent crimes in our society.
(ii) Poor rehabilitation facilities in our prisons. The freed prisoners after serving their jail time are unable to integrate fully into our society, and many of them may then repeat their previous crimes and be back to the prison systems again, periodically or on a lifetime basis.
(iii) "Once a felon, you are a felon for life mentality" does not encourage released prisoners to feel that they have a second chance in life, or are full members of the society. They are deny certain rights and privileges, such as employment, voting rights, gun ownership and residential restrictions for sex offenders. This negative mentality encourages freed prisoners to go back to their former crimes and be back to the prison system again.
(iv) Many high school dropouts and teenage mothers due to lack of opportunities for money making in life, employment or career advancement may consider a life of crime as the alternative way of living.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AMERICAN TAX PAYERS TO MAINTAIN THESE PRISONERS?
According to the federal agency in charge of the collection of all the federal taxes from the American tax payers, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), over 144 million Americans pay federal taxes in the tax year that ended in 2009. They paid a combine taxes of about $1.18 trillion. These tax payers are financially responsible for the daily maintenance of our over 2.2 million persons in American prisons and jails. According to the website http://www.trutv.com/. It costs taxpayers about $23,000 a year to house and feed each prisoner, about three times of what it cost to go to a university or a community college for one academic year of study.
AMERICAN PRISONERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
It is not likely that the prison population in the United States will ever go down in the nearest future. According to the yearly publication from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over 3.8 million arrests were made for violent crimes (murder, man slaughter, rape, robbery and assault), property crimes (burglary, theft and arson) and non-violent crimes alone in 2009. The already overburdened American taxpayers will continue to carry these huge financial responsibilities for a long time to come.
Today, America has 310 million persons which makes it the fourth largest country in the world in terms of population and a prison population close to 2.3 million inmates, the largest in the whole world. According to the online encyclopedia the Wikipedia "American prisons and jails held 2,297,400 inmates in 2009. Approximately one in every 18 men in the United States is behind bars or being monitored. A significantly greater percentage of the American population is in some form of correctional control even though crime rates have declined by about 25 percent from 1988-2008. 70% of prisoners in the United States are non-whites".
The prisons' networks and facilities are so extensive, and are under the different jurisdictions and authorities. Inmates are kept in juvenile facilities if they are teenagers, jail in Indian country serving the Indian reservations, military facilities for the members of the United States Armed Forces, Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE facilities for immigrants that violate the United States immigration laws, local jails for local criminals, territorial jails that cover certain territories, state prisons for state offenders and federal prisons for federal crimes.
WHAT CAUSES THE BOOM IN THE UNITED STATES PRISONS' POPULATION?
A number of factors are primarily responsible for the high incarceration rate in America's prisons and jails:
(i) High imprisonment of persons that commit non-violent crimes in our society.
(ii) Poor rehabilitation facilities in our prisons. The freed prisoners after serving their jail time are unable to integrate fully into our society, and many of them may then repeat their previous crimes and be back to the prison systems again, periodically or on a lifetime basis.
(iii) "Once a felon, you are a felon for life mentality" does not encourage released prisoners to feel that they have a second chance in life, or are full members of the society. They are deny certain rights and privileges, such as employment, voting rights, gun ownership and residential restrictions for sex offenders. This negative mentality encourages freed prisoners to go back to their former crimes and be back to the prison system again.
(iv) Many high school dropouts and teenage mothers due to lack of opportunities for money making in life, employment or career advancement may consider a life of crime as the alternative way of living.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST AMERICAN TAX PAYERS TO MAINTAIN THESE PRISONERS?
According to the federal agency in charge of the collection of all the federal taxes from the American tax payers, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), over 144 million Americans pay federal taxes in the tax year that ended in 2009. They paid a combine taxes of about $1.18 trillion. These tax payers are financially responsible for the daily maintenance of our over 2.2 million persons in American prisons and jails. According to the website http://www.trutv.com/. It costs taxpayers about $23,000 a year to house and feed each prisoner, about three times of what it cost to go to a university or a community college for one academic year of study.
AMERICAN PRISONERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
It is not likely that the prison population in the United States will ever go down in the nearest future. According to the yearly publication from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), over 3.8 million arrests were made for violent crimes (murder, man slaughter, rape, robbery and assault), property crimes (burglary, theft and arson) and non-violent crimes alone in 2009. The already overburdened American taxpayers will continue to carry these huge financial responsibilities for a long time to come.
Friday, January 21, 2011
"LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO AMERICA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD"
The United States of America is a nation of laws and immigrants, a true melting pot for the whole world and the most ethnically diversed nation in the 21st century. America is the only country in the world where her immigrants have made major national impacts and full inroads into every aspect of the nation's life and national development. Legal immigration is part of the national policy of the government of the United States and this can be found in many of the federal statutes passed by the United States Congress.
According to the online encyclopedia, the Wikipedia: "the American immigration history can be viewed in four epochs: the colonial period, the mid-nineteenth century, the turn of the twentieth, and post-1965. Each epoch brought distinct national groups, races, and ethnicity to the United States. During the seventeenth century, approximately 175,000 Englishmen migrated to Colonial America. Over half of all European immigrants to Colonial America during the 17th and 18th centuries arrived as indentured servants. The mid-nineteenth century saw mainly an influx from northern Europe; the early twentieth-century mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe; post-1965 mostly from Latin America and Asia.
THE BEGINNING OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES
Official documentation of all arriving new immigrants into the United States did not start until 1882. All immigrants that came into the United States before the year 1882 were undocumented by the American government. Legal documentation of the new arriving immigrants started officially in 1882, but today the documentation of all arriving legal immigrants are more detailed and extensively done by the United States Citizen and Immigration Services, an agency of the United States government.
TWO TYPES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES
(i) The first category of illegal immigrants are the immigrants that entered the United States illegally by air, land and sea. These immigrants were never seen or documented by the border patrol agents and the immigration officials at their various points of entry into America. They have broken the United States immigration laws and they are here illegally. There are no official reliable records of the number of these illegal immigrants in America today, but reliable estimates put the numbers to be between 11-20 million persons.
(ii) The second category of illegal immigrants are those that obtained an official visas from the United States embassies and consulates abroad. These immigrants were seen, documented and interviewed by the United States Consular officials at their countries of birth or residences abroad. They were given temporary visa status into the United States for a short stay or visit. These immigrants were inspected and documented by the American immigration officials at their points of entry into America. They decided to overstay the durations of their visas' status. Now they have broken the United States immigration laws and are now considered illegal immigrants in America.
WHY ARE IMMIGRANTS COMING TO AMERICA?
Immigrants from all over the world immigrate to America for different reasons since the discovery of the new land by Christopher Columbus in 1492:
(i) The first immigrants that came to America and some of today's newest arriving immigrants came here to escape the political and religion persecutions in their homelands.
(ii) Some immigrants are here on political asylum and from the war-torn nations as war refugees
(iii) Political instability, the rule of lawlessness or brutality, human rights abuses and civil wars in many nations promote brain drain in those affected countries to the United States.
(iv) A serious and a rapid decline in the national economies of most developing nations, leading to weak and worthless national currencies encourage brain drain of their professionals to the United States.
(v) The decades of the failure of most governments and leaders around the world in providing adequate social services for their citizens encourage emigration of their citizens to United States.
(vi) The low wages and salaries in their original countries and the lack of opportunities for career advancement on their jobs.
(vii) Personal interest or preference of many people around the world to live in America.
(viii) Attraction to the political stability, democracy, freedom, justice, the rule of law, enormous opportunities for money making and career advancement, as well as the better living conditions in America
As we advance into the 21st century, the United States will remain a nation of immigrants as well as a nation of laws. American government will continue to promote legal immigration into America. The issue of what to do with the millions of the illegal immigrants who are here will continue to be a national issue that will polarize and divide this nation more and more. The present immigration policies of today must be revisited by the United States Congress to adequately address the various loopholes in our broken national immigration policies.
According to the online encyclopedia, the Wikipedia: "the American immigration history can be viewed in four epochs: the colonial period, the mid-nineteenth century, the turn of the twentieth, and post-1965. Each epoch brought distinct national groups, races, and ethnicity to the United States. During the seventeenth century, approximately 175,000 Englishmen migrated to Colonial America. Over half of all European immigrants to Colonial America during the 17th and 18th centuries arrived as indentured servants. The mid-nineteenth century saw mainly an influx from northern Europe; the early twentieth-century mainly from Southern and Eastern Europe; post-1965 mostly from Latin America and Asia.
THE BEGINNING OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES
Official documentation of all arriving new immigrants into the United States did not start until 1882. All immigrants that came into the United States before the year 1882 were undocumented by the American government. Legal documentation of the new arriving immigrants started officially in 1882, but today the documentation of all arriving legal immigrants are more detailed and extensively done by the United States Citizen and Immigration Services, an agency of the United States government.
TWO TYPES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES
(i) The first category of illegal immigrants are the immigrants that entered the United States illegally by air, land and sea. These immigrants were never seen or documented by the border patrol agents and the immigration officials at their various points of entry into America. They have broken the United States immigration laws and they are here illegally. There are no official reliable records of the number of these illegal immigrants in America today, but reliable estimates put the numbers to be between 11-20 million persons.
(ii) The second category of illegal immigrants are those that obtained an official visas from the United States embassies and consulates abroad. These immigrants were seen, documented and interviewed by the United States Consular officials at their countries of birth or residences abroad. They were given temporary visa status into the United States for a short stay or visit. These immigrants were inspected and documented by the American immigration officials at their points of entry into America. They decided to overstay the durations of their visas' status. Now they have broken the United States immigration laws and are now considered illegal immigrants in America.
WHY ARE IMMIGRANTS COMING TO AMERICA?
Immigrants from all over the world immigrate to America for different reasons since the discovery of the new land by Christopher Columbus in 1492:
(i) The first immigrants that came to America and some of today's newest arriving immigrants came here to escape the political and religion persecutions in their homelands.
(ii) Some immigrants are here on political asylum and from the war-torn nations as war refugees
(iii) Political instability, the rule of lawlessness or brutality, human rights abuses and civil wars in many nations promote brain drain in those affected countries to the United States.
(iv) A serious and a rapid decline in the national economies of most developing nations, leading to weak and worthless national currencies encourage brain drain of their professionals to the United States.
(v) The decades of the failure of most governments and leaders around the world in providing adequate social services for their citizens encourage emigration of their citizens to United States.
(vi) The low wages and salaries in their original countries and the lack of opportunities for career advancement on their jobs.
(vii) Personal interest or preference of many people around the world to live in America.
(viii) Attraction to the political stability, democracy, freedom, justice, the rule of law, enormous opportunities for money making and career advancement, as well as the better living conditions in America
As we advance into the 21st century, the United States will remain a nation of immigrants as well as a nation of laws. American government will continue to promote legal immigration into America. The issue of what to do with the millions of the illegal immigrants who are here will continue to be a national issue that will polarize and divide this nation more and more. The present immigration policies of today must be revisited by the United States Congress to adequately address the various loopholes in our broken national immigration policies.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
CHINA IS RACING WITH AMERICA FOR GLOBAL DOMINANCE IN THIS 21ST CENTURY"
The United States of America remains the world's leader in all respect. America is the richest country in the whole world with the world's largest national economy, and an estimated GDP of $14.4 trillion which is about 24% of the entire world's GDP, and a national population of over 310 million people. The United States is the third largest country in terms of the land mass in the entire universe, and is the only surviving and the remaining superpower nation left on earth today after the end of the cold war and the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. GDP of $14.4 trillion constitutes 24% of the gross world product at market exchange rates and almost 21% of the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP).
According to the popular online encyclopedia website, the Wikipedia, the People's Republic of China is the world's second largest economy after the United States. It is also the world's fastest-growing major economy, with average growth rates of 10% for the past 30 years unabated.
China has emerged as the world's rising power in the last 20 years or more. China remains the only country with the largest population in the world, her population stands at 1.3 billion people, about one-sixth of the entire world's population. She is also the world's second largest economy overtaking Japan recently. Analysts are all predicting that by 2030, China's economy will be bigger than that of the United States, and China will become the world's largest economy at that time. Today, China has the fastest and the largest growing middle class population of about 150 million people.
THE MAJOR RECENT ADVANCES BY CHINA
China in the last 10 years had made great technological and economy advances in many areas, such as:
(i) The renewable energy technology. Today, China is the world's largest manufacturer of solar cells or panels.
(ii) China recently built the world's fastest supercomputer and the world's fastest electric train.
(ii) China has a big plan to send a man to the moon by 2020.
(iv) Chinese now buy more automobiles than the Americans.
(v) Recently advances by China's military in cyber and anti-satellite warfare technology are remarkable indeed.
(vi) China is the world's fastest growing economy at an annual rate of 10% for the last 30 years unabated by other nations.
(vii) China is the world's second biggest economy at $5.5 trillion.
(viii) China is the world's largest manufacturer of finished, household and consumable products today in the whole world
THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN-CHINESE RELATIONSHIP
Today, China and America have so many areas of cooperation where they need each other. The future of the relationship between these two great powers of the 21st century would depend on the following steps:
(i) China needs to improve of its human rights records, press and religion freedom.
(ii) China must also stop manipulating its national currency and increase its value in order to promote a fair playing field between both countries in all their trade agreements.
(iii) China must also stop the recent cyber attacks against American sensitive interests, and stop the manipulation of its stock markets and the espionage activities against United States international interests around the world.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the U.S. GDP of $14.4 trillion constitutes 24% of the gross world product at market exchange rates and almost 21% of the gross world product at purchasing power parity (PPP).
According to the popular online encyclopedia website, the Wikipedia, the People's Republic of China is the world's second largest economy after the United States. It is also the world's fastest-growing major economy, with average growth rates of 10% for the past 30 years unabated.
China has emerged as the world's rising power in the last 20 years or more. China remains the only country with the largest population in the world, her population stands at 1.3 billion people, about one-sixth of the entire world's population. She is also the world's second largest economy overtaking Japan recently. Analysts are all predicting that by 2030, China's economy will be bigger than that of the United States, and China will become the world's largest economy at that time. Today, China has the fastest and the largest growing middle class population of about 150 million people.
THE MAJOR RECENT ADVANCES BY CHINA
China in the last 10 years had made great technological and economy advances in many areas, such as:
(i) The renewable energy technology. Today, China is the world's largest manufacturer of solar cells or panels.
(ii) China recently built the world's fastest supercomputer and the world's fastest electric train.
(ii) China has a big plan to send a man to the moon by 2020.
(iv) Chinese now buy more automobiles than the Americans.
(v) Recently advances by China's military in cyber and anti-satellite warfare technology are remarkable indeed.
(vi) China is the world's fastest growing economy at an annual rate of 10% for the last 30 years unabated by other nations.
(vii) China is the world's second biggest economy at $5.5 trillion.
(viii) China is the world's largest manufacturer of finished, household and consumable products today in the whole world
THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN-CHINESE RELATIONSHIP
Today, China and America have so many areas of cooperation where they need each other. The future of the relationship between these two great powers of the 21st century would depend on the following steps:
(i) China needs to improve of its human rights records, press and religion freedom.
(ii) China must also stop manipulating its national currency and increase its value in order to promote a fair playing field between both countries in all their trade agreements.
(iii) China must also stop the recent cyber attacks against American sensitive interests, and stop the manipulation of its stock markets and the espionage activities against United States international interests around the world.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
"AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM"
American public education remains one of the most litigated areas in the American courts. According to Dr. Martin West in his book titled "The Judicialization of American Education" He gave a detailed picture of the numbers of education related cases in the America's court systems below:
"The average number of education cases decided each year in state and federal courts grew rapidly in the middle of the 20th century but has remained fairly stable since the 1970s".
"The Supreme Court, between 1969 and 1975, issued a series of decisions expanding students' rights to free expression and due process in discipline cases, arguably leading to school districts abandoning disciplinary practices that relied on educator judgment". A 2004 survey found that 82 percent of public school teachers and 77 percent of principals practiced "defensive teaching" in order "to avoid legal challenges."
THE AMERICAN LEGAL SYSTEM
THE SOURCES OF LAW IN AMERICA: There are four sources of law in the American Legal System: constitutional law, statutory law, regulatory law, and case law. These sources exist on both the federal and state levels.
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: The United States of America is made up of union of states that operate a federal system of government that derives its powers and limitations as a governing agent from the Constitution. Powers not granted in the constitution are in the hands of the states.
Education is a very important entity, but it is not in the US constitution directly, but the 14th Amendment of the U.S Constitution grants the firm control of education to the federal government through federal statutes. States can accept or reject federal financial asistance, if accepted by the states, then they must abide by the federal guidelines for the use of the funds. The IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a typical example of federal categorical grant to the states.
THE CONSTITUTIONS OF THE 50 STATES IN THE UNION: The state constitutional law originates from that particular state and does not go against the principles and the basic tenets of the US Constitution.
STATUTES: These are legislations or laws passed at the federal, state, or local levels. The laws promulgated by the US Congress (both houses), and signed by the U.S. President are known as federal statutes, bill vetoes by the President does not become a federal statutes, if the Congress overrides the veto, then the bill becomes a law. Laws made by the state legislatures and are signed by the state governors are state statutes. States have delegated lawmaking powers to thousands of agencies, townships, counties, cities and special districts known as local laws. All American citizens are subject to the rules and regulations of several different agencies at federal, state and local levels.
COURTS/CASES/COMMON LAWS: Judiciary power emanates from two sources, first the horizontal power, when court acts as the interpreter of the US Constitution, they are virtually supreme, and when the courts interpret the laws created by the legislative branch, the legislature may change or alter the law or write another law if the legislators disagree with the court’s interpretation of the laws. The vertical power of the courts lies in the hierarchical nature of the system. The hierarchy in most jurisdictions consists of a trial court, an intermediate appellate court, and a court of last resort.
In the federal system, the trial courts are called district courts, their roles are primarily fact-finding, litigants may appeal the decision of the trial court to the next highest level of court, the intermediate appellate court (United States Courts of Appeals), the decision of the appellate court is binding on all lower courts in its jurisdiction. The losing party in the appellate court may appeal the lower court’s decision to the court of last resort. In most jurisdictions, the court of last resort (the highest level of court) is the Supreme Court. The decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all lower courts, trial and appellate.
There are 51 separate jurisdictions in the United States: the federal courts and 50 state courts. A line of authority exists within the system, such that the inferior courts are expected to follow the decisions of courts that are superior to them. The line of of authority is within a jurisdiction but does not cross jurisdictional lines. A trial court in a certain jurisdiction is not obligated to follow the ruling of an appellate court in another jurisdiction. For example, a trial court in Minnesota is not obligated to adhere to an appellate court’s ruling that is outside its jurisdiction in South Carolina. Court’s decisions are limited to jurisdictions where they were made.
The American system of law follows the doctrine of stare decisis or precedence, which means courts are expected to follow the decisions of courts in similar cases. This doctrine helps to ensure uniformity, predictability, and fairness in court decisions. The decisions of a higher court controls the decisions of the lower courts in the same jurisdictions. This is referred to as controlling authority. A lower court in a different jurisdiction may follow a decision of a higher court outside its jurisdiction, because the lower court may find the higher court’s decision to be persuasive, and use the same similar reasons to arrive at its decisions, this type of authority is called persuasive authority.
Published cases from courts can be used for precedence, less than 10% of cases decided by the U.S. District Courts are published. Approximately 40% of the decisions of the U.S.Courts of Appeals are published, all decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court are published.
One of the judges of the appellate court or court of last resort writes an opinion showing the reasons and decision made on a particular case by majority of the judges. A concurring opinion is written when a judge, or judges agree with the majority of the court on the ruling, but does not agree with the reasoning used to reach the ruling. A dissent is a statement of a judge or judges who do not agree with the results reached by the majority. Case Law or Common Law referred to the published opinions of judges that arise from court cases where they interpret statutes, regulations, and constitutional provisions.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Amendments can be proposed by a two-thirds votes of the U.S. Congress (both houses), or by a National Constitutional Convection called Congress on Petition by two-thirds of the 50 states and then ratified by three-fourths of the states or their legislatures. The U.S.Constitution has been amended 27 times since its inception; the first ten amendments are called The Bill of Rights. The amendments of the Constitution also promotes Checks and Balances called Separation of Powers between the three arms of the government. A complete or absolute powers are not given to one arm of the government.
The Judiciary arm interpret the law in the form of Case Law or Common Law, the Executive arm enforces the law called regulatory law, and the legislature arm makes the law known as statutes.
UNITED STATE LEGAL SYSTEM and THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
All public school administrators in the United States must be well educated and grounded in the working knowledge of the US Legal System, in relation to public education. They must uphold the supremacy of the US Constitution, federal and state statutes, and case law in all their administrative decisions, in dealing with all issues related to staff, students, parents, guardians, and the entire community.
A clear understanding of the legal system will prevent public schools against expensive law suits or litigations. Amendments 1, 4, 5, and 14 are very important to the school systems and their leaders as state agents. All American public schools in their Administrative Procedures have policies to protect students’ rights and responsibilities, parent and guardian rights, administrators, staff and teachers rights and responsibilities, procedures for implementing disciplinary measures (suspension and expulsion of students), search of students, restitution, non-school originating criminal charges, discrimination and harassment and students’ safety .
Reference
Retrieved August 29, 2008 from
Retrieved August 29, 2008 from
Retrieved August 28, 2008 from
Retrieved August 27, 2008 from
Retrieved August 29, 2008 from
Yell, M.L.(2006). The Law and Special Education. Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Encyclopedia Americana, Vol 7 (2004), Scholastic Library Publishing, Inc.
"ONLINE JOURNALISM IS CHANGING OUR WORLD IN THIS AGE OF THE INTERNET"
The development of the Internet technology was the biggest thing that has ever happened to the world in the 20th century. The positive effects of the Internet technology on the world in this 21st century is too enormous to comprehend. Our world keeps changing year in and year out because of the information technology. This technology has given everyone an unresisted access to information and as well as being kept updated or abreast with the daily global events around the world.
The tradition journalism dominated the world of news reporting and events for the last 2-3 centuries following the invention of the printing press technology in Europe. But today, a wave of global change and competition continue to sweep away whatever is left of the traditional journalism by the rapidly developing and expanding online journalism. In America in particular, and in the nations around the world, people now get most of their daily news online. The daily circulation numbers of the major newspapers and magazines around the world have fallen drastically in the last ten years. Their revenues have also gone done.
The leading source of news today around the world is via the tens of thousands online news sites. The rapid development and the big expansion of the online journalism today has broken the censorship of the traditional journalism on news reporting, as well as the monopoly of information, and the ways news are gathered about the daily occurring events, reported and presented to the news audiences or readers. The online news reporting has also broken the age long editorial opinions of the major traditional newspapers around the world. Online news readers can now have their own personal opinions about any news item heard in an unresisted manner on any major stories of the day on the online comment boxes.
The accelerated development of the online journalism has given birth to an era of junk journalism. The Internet today has provided everyone who is a news junkie an avenue, as well as an unresisted access to host an online news website cheaply, contribute their personal opinions to news, without all the legal requirements and the financial cost needed when you set up a traditional newspaper.
As we move further and further into this 21st century, the traditional journalism will continue to fade away, and the online journalism will continue to dominate the news landscape like a colossus. The era of news monopoly and the censorship by traditional journalism may be over. Ordinary people of the world may now become our reliable army of junk journalists that will constantly provide the news-hungry world with daily events of our 21st century world.
The tradition journalism dominated the world of news reporting and events for the last 2-3 centuries following the invention of the printing press technology in Europe. But today, a wave of global change and competition continue to sweep away whatever is left of the traditional journalism by the rapidly developing and expanding online journalism. In America in particular, and in the nations around the world, people now get most of their daily news online. The daily circulation numbers of the major newspapers and magazines around the world have fallen drastically in the last ten years. Their revenues have also gone done.
The leading source of news today around the world is via the tens of thousands online news sites. The rapid development and the big expansion of the online journalism today has broken the censorship of the traditional journalism on news reporting, as well as the monopoly of information, and the ways news are gathered about the daily occurring events, reported and presented to the news audiences or readers. The online news reporting has also broken the age long editorial opinions of the major traditional newspapers around the world. Online news readers can now have their own personal opinions about any news item heard in an unresisted manner on any major stories of the day on the online comment boxes.
The accelerated development of the online journalism has given birth to an era of junk journalism. The Internet today has provided everyone who is a news junkie an avenue, as well as an unresisted access to host an online news website cheaply, contribute their personal opinions to news, without all the legal requirements and the financial cost needed when you set up a traditional newspaper.
As we move further and further into this 21st century, the traditional journalism will continue to fade away, and the online journalism will continue to dominate the news landscape like a colossus. The era of news monopoly and the censorship by traditional journalism may be over. Ordinary people of the world may now become our reliable army of junk journalists that will constantly provide the news-hungry world with daily events of our 21st century world.
"AFRICA PAYS AN ENORMOUS PRICE FOR HER BRAIN DRAIN TO THE WEST"
Wikipedia defines the term brain drain as "the large-scale emigration of individuals with technical skills or knowledge". African nations have suffered enormously in the last century and she will still continue to suffer in this 21 century as a result of the huge brain drain out of Africa to the developed nations of the world, especially to the western hemisphere. The best, the brightest, the sharpest and the most educated Africans that were trained in the universities and research centers across the African countries are now using their education, academic and professional knowledge as well as their skills and varied experiences they have acquired in Africa elsewhere. Africa remains the prime loser, while the developed nations gain from the mass exodus of these highly trained and very educated professionals in all the fields of human knowledge under the sun.
THE EFFECTS OF BRAIN DRAIN ON THE AFRICA'S QUEST FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Economic Commission of Africa estimates that between 1960 and 1989, some 127,000 highly qualified African professionals left the continent. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Africa has been losing 20,000 professionals each year since 1990. This trend has sparked claims that the continent is dying a slow death from brain drain and belated recognition by the United Nations that “emigration of African professionals to the West is one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development.”
WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE BRAIN DRAIN OUT OF AFRICA?
A number of factors can be identified to be primarily responsible for the mass exodus of the African highly trained professionals to the developed world:
(i) Political instability, the rule of lawlessness or brutality, human rights abuses and civil wars in many African nations promote brain drain in those affected countries to the democratic nations of the western world.
(ii) A serious and a rapid decline in the national economies of most of the African nations, leading to weak and worthless national currencies.
(iii) Decades of failure by the African governments and her leaders in providing adequate social services for their citizens.
(iv) Low wages and salaries for these professionals, and the lack of opportunities for career advancement on their jobs.
(v) Personal interests or preferences to live in another country or to explore other nations, opportunities and cultures.
(vi) Attraction to the political stability, democracy, freedom, justice, the rule of law, enormous opportunities for money making and career advancement, as well as the better living conditions in the western nations.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS MAJOR BARRIER TO AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT
African nations and government must address all these factors that are enumerated above that are primarily responsible for the mass exodus of their brightest brains and minds out of Africa as a matter of urgency. Wages, living conditions and opportunities for career growth and advancement must be put in place in order to retain these highly educated professionals to stay and help in the development of Africa. Having a good government in place that follows the rule of law and have respect for human rights in many war-torn and politically unstable nations of Africa could go a long way in stabilizing these situations. This may encourage these highly trained professionals to stay, work and help in the national development of the African continent.
THE URGENCY OF THIS MATTER IN THIS 21ST CENTURY
The United Nations have already warning about the grave consequences of the brain drain out of Africa to the West which this global organization considered to be one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development. I conclude this write-up with a dire warning and a word from Dr Lalla Ben Barka of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). “In 25 years, Africa will be empty of brains.” Only time will tell.
THE EFFECTS OF BRAIN DRAIN ON THE AFRICA'S QUEST FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Economic Commission of Africa estimates that between 1960 and 1989, some 127,000 highly qualified African professionals left the continent. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Africa has been losing 20,000 professionals each year since 1990. This trend has sparked claims that the continent is dying a slow death from brain drain and belated recognition by the United Nations that “emigration of African professionals to the West is one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development.”
WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE BRAIN DRAIN OUT OF AFRICA?
A number of factors can be identified to be primarily responsible for the mass exodus of the African highly trained professionals to the developed world:
(i) Political instability, the rule of lawlessness or brutality, human rights abuses and civil wars in many African nations promote brain drain in those affected countries to the democratic nations of the western world.
(ii) A serious and a rapid decline in the national economies of most of the African nations, leading to weak and worthless national currencies.
(iii) Decades of failure by the African governments and her leaders in providing adequate social services for their citizens.
(iv) Low wages and salaries for these professionals, and the lack of opportunities for career advancement on their jobs.
(v) Personal interests or preferences to live in another country or to explore other nations, opportunities and cultures.
(vi) Attraction to the political stability, democracy, freedom, justice, the rule of law, enormous opportunities for money making and career advancement, as well as the better living conditions in the western nations.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS MAJOR BARRIER TO AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT
African nations and government must address all these factors that are enumerated above that are primarily responsible for the mass exodus of their brightest brains and minds out of Africa as a matter of urgency. Wages, living conditions and opportunities for career growth and advancement must be put in place in order to retain these highly educated professionals to stay and help in the development of Africa. Having a good government in place that follows the rule of law and have respect for human rights in many war-torn and politically unstable nations of Africa could go a long way in stabilizing these situations. This may encourage these highly trained professionals to stay, work and help in the national development of the African continent.
THE URGENCY OF THIS MATTER IN THIS 21ST CENTURY
The United Nations have already warning about the grave consequences of the brain drain out of Africa to the West which this global organization considered to be one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development. I conclude this write-up with a dire warning and a word from Dr Lalla Ben Barka of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). “In 25 years, Africa will be empty of brains.” Only time will tell.
"INCREASED CYBER BULLYING AMONGST TEENAGERS IN AMERICA'S SCHOOLS"
Our teenagers in America of today are now using the technology of the Internet and the other telecommunication gadgets for the purpose of resolving their personal conflicts and differences with each other by cyber bullying their perceived enemies or foes with these technologies. These evil practices or the antisocial behavior is common between students in our elementary, middle and high schools.
In recent years, the rate of cyber bullying has increased rapidly, and it is now a major issue in all the America's schools and a national matter in the public forum and in the mass media across this nation. Many schools now have different measures in place against students that engage in this antisocial behaviour. A number of personal suicides have been reported yearly across this nation from teens that were bullied by other teens.
A popular website known as Stop Cyberbullying defines cyber bullying as " when a child, preteen or teen is
tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying".
According to Canadian educator Bill Belsey, cyber bullying:
"involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others".
WHY DO TEENAGERS BULLY EACH OTHER?
Teens bully each other for a number of reasons highlighted below:
(i)To resolve conflicts with another teen, or use cyber bullying as a form of revenge weapon.
(ii) Many power-hungry teens use bullying as an instrument of torment and ego against their perceived enemies.
(iii) Some teens use bully as a form of entertainment, fun or to kill boredom at their homes or in the schools.
(iv) Teens bully other teens because of anger and frustration they have in their personal life.
(v) Teens may also bully other teens because they are idle, done accidentally or by mistake.
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS OF CYBER BULLYING
The needed answers to the problems of bullying amongst our teens can only come when all the stakeholders involved put their heads together and addressed this national problem. The following steps can help in addressing this important matter effectively:
(i) Educating our teens on the moral, social and legal consequences of bullying by school officials and parents.
(ii) Teaching our teens to respect each other, accept their unique differences that they have with one another, and learn how to use conflict resolution principles such as the problem-solving skills in life to resolve issues with one another instead of resulting to bullying.
(iii) School districts across this nation must put in place strong anti-bullying measures and policies in their school systems.
(iv) Parental involvement that go with close monitoring of children can lead to the early detection of signs of bullying in their children, and the use of the early intervention approach can go a long way in addressing this antisocial behaviour.
(iv)Mass media has a role to play by educating our teens on the dangers of cyber bullying of other teens.
(v)The legal enforcement agencies can also help by prosecution of cases related to cyber bullying in a timely manner.
In recent years, the rate of cyber bullying has increased rapidly, and it is now a major issue in all the America's schools and a national matter in the public forum and in the mass media across this nation. Many schools now have different measures in place against students that engage in this antisocial behaviour. A number of personal suicides have been reported yearly across this nation from teens that were bullied by other teens.
A popular website known as Stop Cyberbullying defines cyber bullying as " when a child, preteen or teen is
tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides, or at least have been instigated by a minor against another minor. Once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyberstalking. Adult cyber-harassment or cyberstalking is NEVER called cyberbullying".
According to Canadian educator Bill Belsey, cyber bullying:
"involves the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging, defamatory personal Web sites, blogs, online games and defamatory online personal polling Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others".
WHY DO TEENAGERS BULLY EACH OTHER?
Teens bully each other for a number of reasons highlighted below:
(i)To resolve conflicts with another teen, or use cyber bullying as a form of revenge weapon.
(ii) Many power-hungry teens use bullying as an instrument of torment and ego against their perceived enemies.
(iii) Some teens use bully as a form of entertainment, fun or to kill boredom at their homes or in the schools.
(iv) Teens bully other teens because of anger and frustration they have in their personal life.
(v) Teens may also bully other teens because they are idle, done accidentally or by mistake.
ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS OF CYBER BULLYING
The needed answers to the problems of bullying amongst our teens can only come when all the stakeholders involved put their heads together and addressed this national problem. The following steps can help in addressing this important matter effectively:
(i) Educating our teens on the moral, social and legal consequences of bullying by school officials and parents.
(ii) Teaching our teens to respect each other, accept their unique differences that they have with one another, and learn how to use conflict resolution principles such as the problem-solving skills in life to resolve issues with one another instead of resulting to bullying.
(iii) School districts across this nation must put in place strong anti-bullying measures and policies in their school systems.
(iv) Parental involvement that go with close monitoring of children can lead to the early detection of signs of bullying in their children, and the use of the early intervention approach can go a long way in addressing this antisocial behaviour.
(iv)Mass media has a role to play by educating our teens on the dangers of cyber bullying of other teens.
(v)The legal enforcement agencies can also help by prosecution of cases related to cyber bullying in a timely manner.
Monday, January 17, 2011
BABIES HAVING BABIES:A NATIONAL CRISIS IN AMERICA OF TODAY"
Teenagers are biologically not fully developed to carry pregnancies comfortably without the possibility of physical and medical complications in most cases. The United States constitution does not consider teenagers to be adults, who should be mentally, physically, emotionally ready with the basic, moral and the legal responsibilities that go with the life of an adult. But today in America, teenage pregnancy has become a national crisis that cannot be swept under the carpet, but must be addressed in a timely manner in order to avoid a national crisis.
According to the report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. About 4 out of 10 girls in the United States will get pregnant by age 20, about one million of them each year. Most will say they did not use protection because they weren't planning to have sex. This report further said that the explosion of out-of-wedlock teen births is a crisis that threatens to undermine our nation's family systems and values. Each year, 175,000 give birth to their first child. As a result, the United States now has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western World.
The serious consequences of teenage pregnancy if unabated can be very devastating on the teen mothers, the babies that are born by these young mother, the American taxpayers in particular and the entire society in general. Teenage pregnancy does not allow teens to fully enjoy their childhood and to be ready for a productive adulthood later in life. Teenage mothers are less likely to complete their high schools, less likely to be married in the future, and most likely to depend on the welfare system, or live a life of poverty or likely end up in the prison systems periodically or on a lifetime basis.
The price that we pay as American taxpayers is enormous because of teen pregnancy. The data from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy revealed the dollar amount that tax payers pay yearly. The report says that "the teen pregnancy crisis costs taxpayers an estimated $6.9 billion in lost tax revenues and increased spending on public assistance, health care, foster care and the criminal justice system. As a nation, we can no longer afford the consequences of teen pregnancy".
Based on the report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, some 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all U.S. births are to teenage women.
Babies born to young teen mothers have a higher risk of serious health problems.
Physical and mental birth defects affect many babies born to very young women. The high rate of teenagers having babies is a national health and social problem that demands attention.
This impending national crisis cannot be overlooked in this 21st if we want to avoid a major national catastrophe in America. All hands must be on deck to solve this national problem in a timely manner. Our teenagers are our hope and our future as a nation. We need them to become successful adults, parents and leaders in the new decade and not as teenage mothers.
According to the report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. About 4 out of 10 girls in the United States will get pregnant by age 20, about one million of them each year. Most will say they did not use protection because they weren't planning to have sex. This report further said that the explosion of out-of-wedlock teen births is a crisis that threatens to undermine our nation's family systems and values. Each year, 175,000 give birth to their first child. As a result, the United States now has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western World.
The serious consequences of teenage pregnancy if unabated can be very devastating on the teen mothers, the babies that are born by these young mother, the American taxpayers in particular and the entire society in general. Teenage pregnancy does not allow teens to fully enjoy their childhood and to be ready for a productive adulthood later in life. Teenage mothers are less likely to complete their high schools, less likely to be married in the future, and most likely to depend on the welfare system, or live a life of poverty or likely end up in the prison systems periodically or on a lifetime basis.
The price that we pay as American taxpayers is enormous because of teen pregnancy. The data from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy revealed the dollar amount that tax payers pay yearly. The report says that "the teen pregnancy crisis costs taxpayers an estimated $6.9 billion in lost tax revenues and increased spending on public assistance, health care, foster care and the criminal justice system. As a nation, we can no longer afford the consequences of teen pregnancy".
Based on the report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, some 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all U.S. births are to teenage women.
Babies born to young teen mothers have a higher risk of serious health problems.
Physical and mental birth defects affect many babies born to very young women. The high rate of teenagers having babies is a national health and social problem that demands attention.
This impending national crisis cannot be overlooked in this 21st if we want to avoid a major national catastrophe in America. All hands must be on deck to solve this national problem in a timely manner. Our teenagers are our hope and our future as a nation. We need them to become successful adults, parents and leaders in the new decade and not as teenage mothers.
"THIS IS ONE THE UNFULFILLED DREAMS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR TODAY"
The Supreme Court decision on Brown vs. Board of Education legal tussle took place in 1955. Today, the public school system in America is still segregated along socioeconomic and racial lines. The current method that is used to generate revenue for the public school systems promote the principle of "separate, but not equal". Wealthy neigborhoods have more money in their school districts than poor communities, and wealthy schools are doing better on standardized tests and graduation rates, with fewer cases of disciplinary issues reported yearly, in comparison to public schools in poor neighborhoods. Most of the high schools designated as failing schools in America, and with a high rate of high school dropouts are in the inner cities of America.
According to the a recent report from the Alliance For Excellent Education, 1.2 million students fail to graduate from our high schools, and more than half of these dropouts are from minority groups. 2,000 of our nation's high schools are responsible for the production of these dropouts. Also, 80% of those high schools with these dropouts are found in the 15 states out of our 50 states and territories of the United States. Majority of these failing high schools are located in the big cities of the northern and western parts of America and in the southern states.
According to Ezra Klein, a blogger for the "Washington Post" newspaper:
Did Martin Luther King, Jr die in vain? Share your personal opinions on this important issue on my blog.
According to the a recent report from the Alliance For Excellent Education, 1.2 million students fail to graduate from our high schools, and more than half of these dropouts are from minority groups. 2,000 of our nation's high schools are responsible for the production of these dropouts. Also, 80% of those high schools with these dropouts are found in the 15 states out of our 50 states and territories of the United States. Majority of these failing high schools are located in the big cities of the northern and western parts of America and in the southern states.
According to Ezra Klein, a blogger for the "Washington Post" newspaper:
American schools are more segregated by race and class today than they were on the day Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, 43 years ago. The average white child in America attends a school that is 77 percent white, and where just 32 percent of the student body lives in poverty. The average black child attends a school that is 59 percent poor but only 29 percent white. The typical Latino kid is similarly segregated; his school is 57 percent poor and 27 percent white.For America to remain great, just and competative with the remaining industrialized nations in the 21st century, these educational anomalies must be timely addressed and corrected adequately. Majority of these high school dropouts do not go back to finish their high school diploma through the alternative avenues provided by the state governments, such as the GED Program. These dropouts are likely to live below the poverty line throughout their life, may have to fully depend of the government welfare system for life that is funded by the taxpayers, or may likely end up in the prison systems periodically or for a lifetime.
Overall, a third of all black and Latino children sit every day in classrooms that are 90 to 100 percent black and Latino.
Did Martin Luther King, Jr die in vain? Share your personal opinions on this important issue on my blog.
THE REVEALER: "THE TRUE RADICAL FIGURE: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR (...
THE REVEALER: THE TRUE RADICAL FIGURE: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR (...: "Today is a national public holiday in the United States. This national holiday marks the official birthday of one of the greatest leaders an..."
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR:A NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR HIS POLITICAL LEGACY
Today in Washington DC, history will be made, a national memorial will be unveiled and dedicated to the legacy of the American civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr by President Barack Obama before about 50,000 audience and tens of millions of people who will be watching it live via the cable television channels around the world. This is the first memorial for a blackman in the 235 years of America's history as a nation.
WHO TRULY WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR?
The biggest questions that should agitate every mind today are the following questions: Who was Martin Luther King, Jr? What did he stand for? What motivated him into the struggles for racial equality and justice in America? What was his political philosophy? What was his political ideology? Who were his mentors? Was he a true radical? Why did he die? What did he did for? What were the legacies he left behind? How relevant are his struggles and the things he fought for in America of today in the 21st century?
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR:THE TRUE RADICAL
Martin Luther King, Jr was a true radical in all ramifications. He stood aganist the establishment, established order and the agelong status quo in the American society. He fought against racial inequality, segregation, discrimination, injustice and poverty in America of his time and died in the struggles fighting for a change and a better America. He desired to see America becomes a nation of racial equality and equal justice before the law of the land for all her citizens and residents. He wanted America to be the true melting point for all her peoples.
THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGY FOR HIS MISSION:
His political ideology and philosophy of a "Nonviolent Resistance Struggle" aganist racism, injustice, discrimination, poverty and for equality of all races were shaped by the American Declaration of Independence that reads:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".
He was also motivated by the words and the teachings of Jesus Christ and the political philosophy and methods that the late Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi used successful in India aganist the British colonial power that got the nation of India a political independence from Great Britain.
REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AND HIS LEGACIES:
Firstly, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes the American nation for the first time since it was founded in 1776 to be a global example of a nation of many union of races, nationalities, cultures, religion beliefs, political ideologies, economic theories and social affliations that is still striving on daily basis to become a more perfect union that will accomodate all these human diversities in life.
Secondly, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 now opens the American nation to legal immigration from all over the nations of the whole world. These new immigrants and the new Americans are direct beneficiaries from the gains of these civil rights struggles and the legacies of Rev. King. They now live, work and raise their families in a nation of laws where they are given equal treatment under the supreme law of the land.
Thirdly, tens of thousands of individuals from different minority groups since 1964 have taken the full advantage of the Civil Rights Act and had moved into positions of leadership in the different sectors of the American life, both in the private and in the public sectors of the our economy. American 21st century workplace, neighborhoods and educational systems are a direct reflection of the diversities of races as a result of this Civil Rights Act that is at work on behalf of all Americans and equally for all Americans and her residents.
WHO TRULY WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR?
The biggest questions that should agitate every mind today are the following questions: Who was Martin Luther King, Jr? What did he stand for? What motivated him into the struggles for racial equality and justice in America? What was his political philosophy? What was his political ideology? Who were his mentors? Was he a true radical? Why did he die? What did he did for? What were the legacies he left behind? How relevant are his struggles and the things he fought for in America of today in the 21st century?
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR:THE TRUE RADICAL
Martin Luther King, Jr was a true radical in all ramifications. He stood aganist the establishment, established order and the agelong status quo in the American society. He fought against racial inequality, segregation, discrimination, injustice and poverty in America of his time and died in the struggles fighting for a change and a better America. He desired to see America becomes a nation of racial equality and equal justice before the law of the land for all her citizens and residents. He wanted America to be the true melting point for all her peoples.
THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND IDEOLOGY FOR HIS MISSION:
His political ideology and philosophy of a "Nonviolent Resistance Struggle" aganist racism, injustice, discrimination, poverty and for equality of all races were shaped by the American Declaration of Independence that reads:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".
He was also motivated by the words and the teachings of Jesus Christ and the political philosophy and methods that the late Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi used successful in India aganist the British colonial power that got the nation of India a political independence from Great Britain.
REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR AND HIS LEGACIES:
Firstly, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes the American nation for the first time since it was founded in 1776 to be a global example of a nation of many union of races, nationalities, cultures, religion beliefs, political ideologies, economic theories and social affliations that is still striving on daily basis to become a more perfect union that will accomodate all these human diversities in life.
Secondly, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 now opens the American nation to legal immigration from all over the nations of the whole world. These new immigrants and the new Americans are direct beneficiaries from the gains of these civil rights struggles and the legacies of Rev. King. They now live, work and raise their families in a nation of laws where they are given equal treatment under the supreme law of the land.
Thirdly, tens of thousands of individuals from different minority groups since 1964 have taken the full advantage of the Civil Rights Act and had moved into positions of leadership in the different sectors of the American life, both in the private and in the public sectors of the our economy. American 21st century workplace, neighborhoods and educational systems are a direct reflection of the diversities of races as a result of this Civil Rights Act that is at work on behalf of all Americans and equally for all Americans and her residents.
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