Eric Clapton and Racism

"Vote for Enoch Powell. Enoch's our man. I think Enoch's right, I think we should send them all back. Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out. Get the wogs out. Get the coons out. Keep Britain white. I used to be into dope, now I'm into racism. It's much heavier, man. Fucking wogs, man. Fucking Saudis taking over London. Bastard wogs. Vote for Enoch, he's our man, he's on our side, he'll look after us. I want all of you here to vote for Enoch, support him, he's on our side. Enoch for Prime Minister! Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!" - Eric Clapton in 1976

Legendary rock guitarist Eric Clapton has always acknowledged his indebtedness to black musicians. His biggest hit single was a cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Black blues guitarists were his main sources of inspiration.

It came as a shock in 1976 when Clapton gave an on stage shout out to avowedly racist British politician Enoch Powell. At first Clapton claimed to be drunk when he made the comments. Since that time he has called Powell "outrageously brave... he spoke from the heart."

Now that Clapton has published an autobiography, his support for keeping Britain white should not be forgotten. Salon seems to have forgotten. In a review of the book they don't bring up the issue at all. Shame on them.

Obama and McClurkin

"His choice of the raving anti-gay (but himself formerly closeted) gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin to headline a campaign fundraising tour reveals Obama as a not just a panderer, but inept as well. The fact that McClurkin was a Bush supporter just three years ago makes Obama appear to be totally unprincipled."

As always, Black Agenda Report has the definitive analysis.

"God delivered me from homosexuality" - Donnie McClurkin

Yeah, whatever. I will have more to say about the Obama/McClurkin fiasco in Black Agenda Report this Wednesday. In the meantime, check out this October 25, 2007 interview with one of McClurkin's male lovers.

"Q. How long were you guys being sexual?

A. Off and on for three years, 2001 to 2004.

Q. During this time to 2001 to 2004 is really the height of his anti-gay rants. The book came out, he made comments, he told the New York Times in 2002 he’s counseling adolescent boys to convert them from homosexuality. Would you hear about these rants?"

Oy vey! So when McClurkin was on the 700 Club claiming that gay people were "killing America's children" he was still having sex with men. Puhleeze! The late Steve Gilliard hit the nail squarely on the head.

"I mean, this guy is lying about where his dick is going and people tolerate this crap. He's a reformed bisexual my ass. Well, I don't think I'd let him get near my ass, honestly. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm an active heterosexual and I really don't have to struggle with that. Any time you have to struggle, you still wanna do it."

Amen.

Wish I'd Said That

"Pelosi, Harry Reid and the rest of what passes for Congressional leadership have perfected their criminal enterprise. Every act of treachery is followed by lame excuses for inaction. The truly spineless ones, progressives wallowing in denial, foolishly whine, asking each other what is wrong when the answer stares them in the face. The Democratic party is complicit in killing democracy. "

Oh wait, I did say that in today's issue of Black Agenda Report. Nancy Pelosi is public enemy number one. I don't want to hear any more moaning, groaning or whining about why Democrats don't grow a spine. They don't want one. They don't believe in democracy for anyone outside of the ruling elite group. Period. End of story. It is time for progressives to grow thier own spine and start telling the truth, ugly though it is.

I have to thank Arthur Silber for being such an inspiration to me. His latest essay, A Nation on the Edge of the Final Descent (II) is simply superb and deserves to be read thoroughly.

"For this is where we are in the United States, nearing the end of the Year of Our Lord 2007: the truth is not merely unpleasant, an uninvited guest who makes conversation difficult and awkward. Truth is the enemy; truth is to be destroyed. To attempt to speak the truth on any subject of importance requires a deep reserve of determination, for to speak the truth requires that one first sweep away an infinite number of rationalizations, false alternatives, and numerous other failures of logic and the most rudimentary forms of thought -- as well as the endless lies. On that single occasion in a thousand or a million when a person overcomes these barriers and speaks the truth, he or she discovers an additional, terrible truth: almost no one wants to hear it. This is how we live today: lies are the staple of our diet. Without them, we would die, certainly in psychological terms."

Keep telling the truth Arthur. I hope to follow in your foot steps.

Worst Corruption Ever

Who is Joseph Nacchio? He was CEO of Qwest communications, convicted earlier this year of 23 counts of insider trading. He is free while he appeals his conviction, and thank goodness. Nacchio claims that the National Security Agency asked Qwest to violate regulations on warrantless surveillance in February 2001, seven months before September 11th.

Nacchio was advised that the request was illegal and he refused to go along with the Bushite scheme. His good deed did not go unpunished. Qwest was immediately cut out of government contracts and Nacchio was successfully prosecuted by the federal government.

"Nacchio discovered that the NSA was engaged in a project to gather warrantless surveillance data on millions of Americans. He took advice of counsel. His lawyers told him, correctly, that this was illegal. They probably also warned him that if Qwest participated in the program, it would be committing a felony. So Nacchio said, no, sorry, I can’t work with you on this. But I can help if you want to change the law. And the reaction of the NSA? It was, apparently, to cut Qwest out of a series of contract awards by way of retaliation. (If that charge sticks, it would probably be yet another felony.) And the second reaction? To try to build a criminal case against Nacchio as a means of retaliation against him. (And if that charge sticks, it would probably be yet a third felony–on the part of the Government officials who did it). We are seeing the Government engaging in a sweeping pattern of criminal dealings, and ultimately, one of the biggest crimes of all, abusing the criminal justice process to strike out at an individual who refused to play their crooked game."

No wonder Rove and Gonzales resigned. They may be going to jail themselves. Oh wait, that would mean the Democrats were actually willing to send them to jail. Sorry. I forgot how things really work. Back to reality.

The first effort to allow warrantless spying on Americans began in 2000, when Bill Clinton was still president. Will the second president Clinton investigate that ought-to-be-scandal? Take a wild guess.

Now the telecoms (ATT, Verizon) are using their cash to buy off Congress and get immunity from their law breaking. Democrats like Sen. Jay Rockefeller have already expressed a willingness to throw democracy under the bus. Because citizens have successfully used the courts to bring some of the dirt to light, the telecoms are scared and must now turn to bribery.

The hat tip goes to Chris Floyd of the Empire Burlesque blog for once again exposing the bipartisan corruption in Washington.

Cosby Under the Influence

"I think, I think just looking, I’ve, I’ve—if, if they’re putting out and it’s public. But I also think that the, the white male and the black male putting—the black male putting this on record, and then, of course, you have white rappers. You have to look at what they share—my belief—what do these two men or boys share, the white boy and the black boy, 70 percent of whatever? And not all black males agree with the rap music. " - Bill Cosby

Can Bill Cosby just shut up? Better yet, can he go to Hazelden or Betty Ford and leave the rest of us alone? Like the bad penny that keeps showing up, Cosby won't go away, keeps drinking, getting high, or popping too many paxils and percocets. Now he is writing books too.

Today he and Dr. Alvin Poussaint appeared on Meet the Press to promote their new book, “Come On, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors.” Poussaint is a psychiatrist, and ought to know when someone is under the influence. He needs to do an intervention and then get his friend of the next plane to rehab.

Many years ago I stopped watching Bill Cosby interviews because he never answered the questions put to him. He said whatever he wanted and often made little sense. At the time I chalked it up indulged celebrity assholiness. In 2004 he began his hateful tirades against black people and wore dark glasses even when indoors. That is a sure sign of being high and or drunk. Enough already. Go away and get help.

Hat tip to Digby.

Tutu's Speech

Here is a transcript of Tutu's 2002 speech that put pro-Israeli pants in a collective twist. The University of St. Thomas cited it as the reason for giving Tutu the bum's rush. They claim that he "compared the state of Israel to Hitler." I don't think he said that at all. Judge for yourself.

Thanks to Alternet for the text and Jewish Voice for Peace for the context.

Desmond Tutu Labeled Anti-Semite, Banned from Speaking

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He is respected by people all over the world, but not in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tutu was invited to speak by the University of St. Thomas' Justice and Peace Studies program. When the local Jewish Community Relations Council objected, he was disinvited.

Tutu has quite rightly equated Israel's occupation of Palestine with South African apartheid. Now he is being punished. The Zionist Organization of America has pressured colleges to make Tutu persona non grata on their campuses.

Please write to the university president, Fr. Dennis Dease, DJDEASE@stthomas.edu and the Executive Director of the local JCRC, Steve Hunegs, Steve@MinnDakJCRC.org and tell them how you feel about censorship of critics of Israel.

Hat tip to Norman Finkelstein for this news.

Wish I'd Said That

"As a Jew who experienced real anti-Semitism as a child, I'm deeply disturbed that a man like Tutu could be labeled anti-Semitic and silenced like this. I deeply resent the Israeli lobby trying to silence any criticism of its policy. It does a great disservice to Israel and to all Jews."
Marv Davidov, University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Returns to Capitol Hill

"Congresswoman Maxine Waters showed up at 1:30 and saw me standing there. She demanded that I be let into the hearing. Cops were swarming the door, and the honorable Congresswoman from California escorted me into the hearing. Once I got in, three cops stood near me, so I would not forget that I was in their territory. "

Charges against Lennox Yearwood were dropped, thank God. Unbowed, he returned to attend hearings on the Blackwater mercenaries and once again he was refused admission, that is until Congresswoman Maxine Waters demanded that he be allowed into the public hearing.

Does anyone in Congress supervise the Capitol Hill police? Will the Congressional Black Caucus make a statement? Apparently the answers are no and no.

News:Palmdale California Security Guard Breaks A Girls Wrist

Pleajhai Mervin

"Hold still nappy head."

Pleajhai Mervin is a 16 year old from Palmdale, California. A security guard broke her wrist in an effort to subdue the dangerous cake criminal. He also felt compelled to say, "Hold still nappy head," when assaulting the young girl. It is all on video. But wait, there is more. A student who video taped the incident was arrested along with Mervin and his sister. Now Palmdale is safe from teenagers who drop cake, and tape police brutality.

Mervin's mother, Latricia Majors, was arrested and spent the night in jail when she demanded the guard be arrested. She was also suspended without pay from her job with the school district. The guard was suspended with pay.



he dropped a piece of birthday cake in the school cafeteria and ended

Sign Petition Against Attack on Iran

"Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran would be illegal. Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran would be criminal."

Go to After Downing Street to sign the petition. Follow the instructions. If you don't register and log in your "signature" won't register.

Remember Jena

If the images moved you as much as they did me, you can watch them here.