AFTER BUSH LEAVES, WILL AMERICA BE LIKED?
By Gigi

I say no…why? For one thing, it’s nonsense to say George Bush caused all the problems that the U.S. is currently facing. Most of the world’s current problems are either already getting better or not our fault. The second thing is this—the U.S. promotes global democratic capitalism and our military might ensures international free commerce in the air, land and sea. And because this is so, it bothers regional dictators and terrorists eager to carve out their own sphere of influence, regardless if it’s Hillary, Barack or Donald Duck sitting in the Oval Office. When the next president takes office in January 2009, he or she will be confronted by a world that either understandably appreciates America or for self-interested reasons will challenge it.

For starters, the next American president will have to deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, which is proud, jealous and angry for reasons that go well beyond the Bush administration. Russia is flush with petro dollars, still pissed over lost empire and sick and tired of American lectures about human rights over impotent European states. Iran, which repeatedly snubbed the efforts of the Clinton administration to normalize relations, still wants its bomb built and continue to intimidate Israel. And now that Pakistan is nuclear, they’ve said “up yours” to the U.S. and is more friendlier to the jihads. China is peeved at us too, because the U.S. is demanding that they clean up their export trade practices and also grant basic human rights to it’s own citizens. If the U.S. isn’t careful, we will see hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese-held US government bonds sold off. And so it goes.

They’ve all envied the U.S. for centuries; ever since the U.S. gained it’s independence from England and as the youngest nation on the planet, have grown to be the world’s sole formidable super power in a matter of a few hundred years. Everything from the U.S is copied by other countries, from: how American business is conducted, our culture and way of life. So much so, that India, Russia, China, Asia and Latin America are demanding the same good life that Americans take for granted. They think that the U.S. is ‘played’ out, short of energy, long on debt and hogging the world’s best resources. They see no reason to stop pushing just because of our past strength and reputation. They think the future is theirs, and the past was ours. So they will challenge the next president, no matter how nice the next president is.

BEYOND RACE: THE CLINTON – OBAMA, BLACK AND HISPANIC SPLIT
By Gigi

This is a battle royal; fierce fighting over African-American and the Hispanic vote has turned out to be the biggest surprise of the 2008 Democratic race. But here’s the kicker: Blacks are gravitating to Sen. Barack Obama and Hispanics to Sen. Hillary Clinton. I don’t know about y’all, but I wasn’t surprised. Not in the least. The same thing occurred over 12 years ago when Rudolph Guiliani, who is White received most of the Hispanic vote in New York over David Dinkins for Mayor, who is Black… The tension between Hispanics and Blacks has many sources: like the immigration issue.

Growing anger over the way Hispanic immigration is changing the Black neighborhoods has prompted many Blacks to re-think the notion of a “rainbow coalition”.

Surveys show that many Hispanics mistrust Blacks and see themselves as more White than like Blacks. And Blacks feel that the only time Hispanics see themselves as minorities, is when they’re being persecuted by White law enforcement and look towards an “Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson” to fight their battles for them. But when everything is okay in their community, they hate us again and think that they’re better than Blacks.

Hispanics have been riding the coattails of Blacks due to Affirmative Action for decades, a movement that was started by Blacks. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that Blacks and poor immigrants could become political allies. Later on, Rev. Jesse Jackson heralded the arrival of the mighty “rainbow coalition” of Blacks and immigrants and touted such liberal policies as amnesty for illegals; which soften anti-immigration attitudes in the African-American community. But since immigration re-ignited as a national issue in 2006, Black anger has clearly grown. Blacks—that is American Blacks, not newly arrived Africans or Blacks from other countries benefiting from my transatlantic slave ancestors, and are in favor of cutting immigration levels.

Behind the anger is the rapid change that Hispanic immigration is working on longtime black locales. Places like South Los Angeles have transformed almost overnight into majority Latino communities, what with all the sneaking across the borders that’s been going on. Hispanic population has exploded…the majority of which are Mexicans and Ecuadorians. The Latino in-pouring has intensified the feeling among Blacks that they’re losing economic ground to Hispanic immigrants, especially in LA. You would be hard-pressed to find a Black face on a construction site or in a fast-food restaurant.

The Latino influx into formerly Black-majority urban neighborhoods has sparked deadlier kinds of conflict. While most violent crime in these areas is still Black on Black or Latino on Latino, inter-ethnic violence is mounting. In LA, Blacks were the victims of most of the racially motivated attacks in 2006 by Hispanics. Black anger is also rising because they realize that many Latinos hold intensely negative, and in fact racists stereotypes about them. Latinos don’t think that Blacks are hard working or cannot be trusted. Perhaps someone should school them on Slavery in this damn country, and how my ancestors built this country for FREE!!!! Latino political gains are coming at the expense of Blacks. Hillary Clinton knows this, which is why she’s courting for their votes in heavily populated Latino states...and she’s getting them.

The Republicans with positions on immigration that would resonate in the Black community haven’t tried to take advantage of black anger on immigration…they’re missing an opportunity. American Blacks and non-American Blacks did not participate in the Latino marches and protests in favor of amnesty last spring. I know I didn’t!! I couldn’t even cross the street, because there was so many of them. I was hoping for Immigration to back up 50 or 60 large vans to pile in all the illegals demanding things from us Americans. Because I feel, if they didn’t like our policies and you’re illegal in this country, then they should return to their own countries.

Many of the Hispanic women have as many babies as they can to be American born in order to remain here. And many get on the public welfare rolls the minute they hit our shores, because they’re largely un-educated and un-skilled. And if our political leaders felt threatened enough, they could actively pursue tougher immigration policies. STAY TUNED……..

CLINTON VS. OBAMA
By Gigi

I need to vent; I voted this morning; I voted for someone that I stated on FRONT STREET just a year ago, that I wouldn’t vote for. That’s right…Barack Obama. Why? Because just 2 weeks ago, Hillary Clinton’s husband, “Slick Willy” also known as Ex-President, Bill Clinton, was in South Carolina using divisive and racial language, scaring White people of the thought of having a Black President and coercing them to vote for his wife. You don’t see Obama’s wife, Michelle sticking her foot in her mouth, raising the ire of White people. Bill needs to let Hillary convey her platform without his help. Because it looks like she can’t fight for herself; like the typical woman who need the help of a man. This shows that she needs a man to defend her. Another example, when things weren’t going well in New Hampshire two weeks ago, she “cried”. And she teared up again in New Haven, Connecticut last night, Feb 4, 2008. Whenever Obama picks up steam, she seems to open up the waterworks, which to me is starting to look contrived.

I’ve heard Black people in the past say that Bill Clinton is our “first Black President”. This was first heard over 10 years ago in jest and still being said today. And because of Slick Willy’s popularity with Black people, he has enjoyed our divine love and protection from fault because Black people truly felt that he “understood” us. So of course, Hillary is hoping to ride that wagon until the wheels fall off; after all, by extension she’s Mrs. Slick Willy.

People didn’t know that Hillary had a plan 10 years ago, which is why she stuck it out with Bill through the many and countless infidelities, lying, conniving and embarrassments. Yes, her plan all along was to be president herself; but first, she had to test the waters by running for Senator…she of course won by default. Because Guiliani dropped out due to being diagnosed with prostate cancer; not that New Yorkers would’ve voted for him anyway—since most of us hate him; especially Black people, whom he treated with such dismissive distain. But Hillary used the Senatorial post as a stepping-stone for bigger and better things. She knew all along that she wouldn’t remain in that job. In South Carolina, Bill Clinton threw everything at Obama, including the kitchen sink and garbage can and still, that didn’t help Hillary. When things don’t go the Clinton’s way, they collectively will attack with negative comments and try to dig up dirt to smear you. Over the years, I’ve watched how the Clintons operate to get what they want. And now, today, as of this moment, I don’t like either one of them very much.

Anyway, people please, go out to vote; it is your duty. This means YOU especially Black people. Because your ancestors died for you to exercise this right.