Dalton and Cleo TRUMBO During The HUAC hearings in Washington D.C.
The HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST
by Daniel Georgakas / Reprinted with Permission by The Author / Excerpted from The Book ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERICAN LEFT Urbana+Chicago: University of Illinois Press
The investigation of Hollywood radicals by the House on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947 and 1951 was a continuation of pressures first exerted in the late 1930s and early 1940s by the Dies Committee and State Senator Jack Tenney's California Joint Fact-finding Committee on Un-American Activities. HUAC charged that Communists had established a significant base in the dominant medium of mass culture. Communists were said to be placing subversive messages into Hollywood films and discriminating against unsympathetic colleagues. A further concern was that Communists were in a position to place negative images of the United States in films that would have wide international distribution.
Totally ignored in the hysteria generated by HUAC were the realities of the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s and 1940s. That system's outstanding characteristic was the hands-on control by studio bosses who ran their business as a strictly entertainment industry and shared Sam Goldwyn's often quoted sentiment that, "If you want to send a message, use Western Union." When films did have a political edge, studio bosses were personally involved in every phase of production, including the vital final cut. This was decidedly the case with the most notoriously pro-Russian film ever made in Hollywood, Mission to Moscow (1943). The film, undertaken by Jack Warner at the request of the Roosevelt administration, combined an all-out assault on American isolationists with a complete acceptance of the Stalinist account of the purges. Warner considered his film to be a patriotic service to the New Deal in the war against fascism. Evidence of leftist images and dialog Hollywood films was extremely slim. HUAC had to resort to citing the smiling children in Song of Russia (1944) and noting that Russian workers shouted "tovarich" (comrade) as American merchant ships that had run the Nazi submarine blockade entered a Soviet port in Action in the North Atlantic (1943). Even committee members struggled to keep a straight face when Ginger Rogers complained that her daughter "had been forced" to speak the subversive line "share alike, that's democracy" in a 1943 film scripted by Dalton Trumbo. Contrary to the HUAC contentions, Communist Party policy in Hollywood had been largely defensive. Film workers were instructed that their primary responsibility was to keep anti-Soviet and anti-Left sentiment out of films, a kind of esthetic Hippocratic Oath to First, Do No Harm.
On the positive side of the ledger, radicals were urged to advance a democratic populist ethos that was totally in accord with the New Deal popular culture. Melvyn Douglas, a leading Hollywood liberal, commented years later that the Communists had been followers of the liberals and not vice versa. Liberalism, not Communism, may, in fact, have been the true target of the HUAC investigators. The Right wished to discourage any Hollywood impulse to make films advocating social change at home or critical of foreign policy. The task of intimidation was focused on the role Communists played as screenwriters. Nearly 60 percent of all individuals called to testify and an equal percent of all those blacklisted were screenwriters. Only 20 percent of those called and 25 percent of those blacklisted were actors. When the first subpoenas were issued the Hollywood impulse was to fight back. Defense committees were formed and efforts to purge various guilds defeated. Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, pledged that he would "never be party to anything as un-American as a blacklist. The will to resist was put to the test when some of the first writers called refused to cooperate and tried to read statements condemning the committee in sessions that often turned into shouting matches.
"Melvyn Douglas, a leading Hollywood liberal, commented years later that the Communists had been followers of the liberals and not vice versa. Liberalism, not Communism, may, in fact, have been the true target of the HUAC investigators."
The result was bad press for Hollywood and a feeling by producers that their radical writers were vying with the committee for sensational headlines at the industry's expense. On November 24, Congress cited ten screenwriters for contempt. Produces meeting at the Waldorf Astoria hotel days later signaled their capitulation to the investigators by announcing that "no Communists or other subversives will be employed by Hollywood." An appeal by the "Hollywood Ten" was turned down and by mid-1950 most of them had begun to serve one-year terms in prison. HUAC returned for a second Hollywood round in 1951 but the proceedings were not true investigations. The political views of already known and those called were already known and the people they were asked to name as comrades were also known. The hearings amounted to a kind of ideological exorcism. Witnesses were expected to state that they had been misled or confused in the past and were now regretful. They could prove their sincerity by naming other who had been with them in Communist organizations or at Communist functions. Response to the hearings took many forms. Many members and sympathizers had never hidden their views but did not accept the right of the HUAC to question their right of political association. Civil libertarians could easily back this view on the basis of the First and Fifth amendments.
Others like actor Zero Mostel said they would gladly discuss their own conduct but were prohibited by religious convictions from naming others. Individuals who had only been involved with antifascist groups or had left the Party for ideological reasons did not wish to martyr themselves for a cause they had never embraced or had renounced, but naming names seemed morally wrong. Other ex-Communists such as Budd Schulberg and Elia Kazan felt there was a Communist conspiracy and that it was proper, if not patriotic, to expose it. Whatever one's convictions, there was little room for maneuvering once called, yet two out of three who testified were unfriendly or uncooperative. A few, like Lucille Ball, were allowed to pass with garbled and meaningless testimony, but most were pinned down. Fame was no protection. A lifelong non-Communist progressive like Sam Jaffe was blacklisted for refusal to cooperate. Jaffe, who had been nominated for an Oscar for The Asphalt Jungle (1950) and was famous for roles in Lost Horizon (1937) and Gunga Din (1939), was reduced to teaching high school math and living with his sisters. He would eventually make a comeback as Dr. Zorba on the successful Ben Casey television series. Lee Grant, nominated for an Oscar for her role in Detective Story (1951), was blacklisted for refusing to testify against her first husband, screenwriter Arnold Manoff.
"Other ex-Communists such as Budd Schulberg and Elia Kazan felt there was a Communist conspiracy and that it was proper, if not patriotic, to expose it. Whatever one's convictions, there was little room for maneuvering once called, yet two out of three who testified were unfriendly or uncooperative."
Grant would eventually return to Hollywood and win two Oscars, one for acting and another for directing a documentary. The most defiant Hollywood actor was gravel-voiced Lionel Stander, who had been in comedies directed by Ben Hecht, Frank Capra, and Preston Sturgis. Active in the Salinas Valley lettuce strike, the Tom Mooney case, the Scottsboro defense, guild campaigns, antifascist work, and other left-wing causes, Stander said he had not joined the CP because he was to the left of it. He said he had been blackballed for his politics for over twenty years and that the only "un-Americans" active in Hollywood that he knew of were members of the committee. Blacklisted anew, Stander became a successful Wall Street broker, later starred in European films, and still later returned to American prominence as the chauffeur in Hart-to-Hart, one of television's top ten programs during the early 1980s. Few of those blacklisted would prove as resilient as Stander, Grant, Jaffee, and Mostel. No more than 10 percent would be able to return to careers in Hollywood. Even the biggest names were vulnerable. Larry Parks, fresh from triumphs in two films about Al Johnson, was banned for his brief membership in the CP and did not appear on-screen again until getting a small role in Freud (1962).
Charles Chaplin, the most famous face in the world, had remained a British citizen and a firm believer in the Popular Front. Although he had never been in the CP, Chaplin was not allowed to reenter the United States following a trip to Europe. He did not return to the United States until 1972, when an apologetic Hollywood honored him with a life achievement award during the Oscar ceremonies. His, "A King in New York," (1957) satirizes HUAC. In like manner, Bertolt Brecht, one of many anti-Nazi refugees working in Hollywood, had such a bad taste from his HUAC appearance that he repatriated to East Berlin to become an in-house critic of socialism. Performers who had already established some kind of name might survive through work on the stage, but those at the beginning of their careers had few options. Technical workers faced an even more difficult time, as there was no alternative industry for them to turn to, and Roy Brewer, head of the Hollywood craft unions, remained fiercely anticommunist. Ronald Reagan, then head of the Screen Actors Guild, kept in touch with the FBI about "disloyal" actors. Dozens of blacklistees lost spouses due to the hearings and even more suffered irreparable financial loss. Mental and physical distress was common. Clifford Odets never again wrote effectively and the deaths of John Garfield, J. Edward Bromberg, Canada Lee, and half a dozen others are linked to their committee appearances. The group that came to exemplify resistance was the Hollywood Ten and their writing colleagues, many of whom had been in the Party.
The Ten consisted of Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Sam Ornitz, Robert Adrian Scott, and Dalton Trumbo. They had scripted or directed hundreds of Hollywood films. Trumbo was one of the highest paid Hollywood writers and Lawson had been the first president of the Screen Writers Guild. Most of the Ten's best films had dealt with antifascist themes. These included Hotel Berlin (1945), The Master Race (1941), Crossfire (1947), Sahara (1943), Pride of the Marines (1945), Destination Tokyo (1944), and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944). Lardner had scripted the Academy Award-winning Woman of the Year (1942), Maltz the well-received This Gun for Hire (1942), and Trumbo the Academy Award nominee Kitty Foyle (1940). The Ten also worked on genre film such as Lester Cole's script for The Invisible Man Returns (1940). Scriptwriters had the most options to continue working during the blacklist period. Performers could not change their faces nor could directors wear masks, but writers could use pseudonyms. This proved a profitable strategy for many. Abraham Polonsky, Walter Bernstein, and Arnold Manoff wrote most of the You Are There segments, a series of historical events re-created for television with a strong focus on cultural martyrs such as Socrates, Galilee, Joan of Arc, and the Salem witches. Ring Lardner, Jr., and Ian McLellan Hunter wrote The Adventures of Robin Hood series. The phenomenon of using phony names and surrogates became the basis of The Front (1976), which starred Woody Allen. The film was written by blacklistee Walter Bernstein, produced and directed by blacklistee Martin Ritt, and featured blacklisted actors Zero Mostel, John Randolph, Lloyd Gough, Joshua Shelley, and Herschel Bernardi.
Other blacklisted writers found work in Mexico and Europe. Notable among these are Hugo Butler, who wrote scripts for Luis Bunuel in Mexico City, and Jules Dassin, who scored box-office hits with his French-made Rififi (1954) and the Greek-made Never on Sunday (1960). A few writers worked behind the scenes in Hollywood in an effort to wear down the blacklist. One of Trumbo's pseudonyms, Robert Rich, won an Academy Award for The Brave One (1956), and as the decade drew to an end Hollywood insiders became aware that Nathan E. Douglas, the Academy Award writer of The Defiant Ones (1958), really blacklisted Nedrick Young. In 1960 Otto Preminger officially broke the blacklist by crediting Trumbo for scripting Exodus. It was then revealed that Michael Wilson had written the blockbuster The Bridge on River Kwai (1957) and had completed a script that would become Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Another consequence of the investigations was a series of anticommunist films: The Red Menace (1949), I Married a Communist (1950), I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951), Walk East on Beacon (1952), My Son John (1952), Big Jim McClain (1952), and Trial (1955). A labor leader modeled on Harry Bridges was the main villain in I Married a Communist, Hawaiian Communists were exposed by a two-fisted John Wayne in Big Jim McClain, and Communist defense efforts for a Mexican American were depicted as insincere political and mercenary opportunism in Trial. All of the films took it as a given that Communists were de facto agents of the USSR.
On the Waterfront (1954) had no Communist characters but its emphasis on the need to testify before federal investigating committees was widely interpreted as a reference to HUAC. Scriptwriter Budd Schulberg has repeatedly denied that connection but director Elia Kazan has stated that for him the parallel was explicit. Kazan also directed Viva Zapata! (1952), in which the visionary revolutionary anarchist Zapata is favorably contrasted with a Communist-style bureaucratic revolutionary. [There were few explicitly anti-anticommunist films in this period; one was Storm Center.] The Hollywood Left began to revive in the late-1960s and, unlike the student New Left, the new Hollywood rebels, although not connected with the CP, felt warmly toward their predecessors and occasionally worked with them on joint projects. Films with radical bite began to appear with some regularity in the 1970s and 1980s. Ring Lardner, Jr., scripted M*A*S*H* (1970), a satire on the Korean War that became the basis for one of the most popular of all television series. Labor themes were addressed in The Molly Maguires (1970), Norma Rae (1979), Silkwood (1983), and Matewan (1987). The Rosenberg case was reviewed in Daniel (1983) and John Reed celebrated in Reds (1982), a film that incorporated interviews with real-life radicals such as Scott Nearing. Nuclear power was attacked in The China Syndrome (1979) and the Vietnam War critiqued in Go Tell the Spartacus (1978), Coming Home (1978), Apocalypse Now (1979), and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Capitalism itself was indicted in Wall Street (1987) and Latin American intervention assailed in Missing (1982), Under Fire (1983), El Salvador (1986), and Latitio (1986). The blacklist itself was the subject of The Way We Were (1973), which starred Barbra Streisand as a totally sympathetic Communist married to a liberal screenwriter. The new Hollywood activists were not immune from career threats. Jane Fonda, famous for her opposition to the Vietnam War, was forced from some shooting locations by irate Vietnam veterans. Ed Asner, president of the Screen Actors Guild and a supporter of medical aid to left-wing rebels in El Salvador, had his Lou Grant television show canceled after an active protest campaign by right-wing groups. Vanessa Redgrave, a member of a Trotskyist group in England and a vocal opponent of Israel, had contracts aborted and projects threatened with boycotts by Zionist groups. Liberals Robert Redford, Jack Lemmon, and Gregory Peck were criticized for participation in film festivals held in Cuba. While such pressures were not nearly as destabilizing as the blacklist-period tensions had been, awareness of the dangers associated with political activism had its effect on how filmmakers addressed political issues, the kind of film projects undertaken for production, and the particular personnel chosen for given projects. What the blacklist entailed and its effect on Hollywood has generated a large body of writing by those directly involved. Lillian Hellman's Scoundrel Time (1976) and Dalton Trumbo's The Time of the Toad (1949) are classics of this genre. Hellman and writers such as Lester Cole and Walter Bernstein have been unforgiving of those who cooperated. In similar fashion, Elia Kazan insists in his autobiography, A Life (1988), that he did no wrong in being a friendly witness even though he writes movingly about the traumatic effect the testimony had on his life and that of others who were called before HUAC. Individuals such as Albert Maltz and Jules Dassin have commented on the terrible cost of broken relationships and upended careers with varying degrees of forgiveness for the "friendlies." Dalton Trumbo has been the most generous in this regard by rendering his final judgment that: "We Were All Victims."
http://www.crocker.com/~blklis
Images : BUREAU Guest Artist Erik OLSON Courtesy of Bravin Lee Gallery NYC
THE U. S. SUPREME COURT :
A CHALLENGE TO EQUALITY FOR ALL AMERICANS
By David H. Gans / Reprinted By Permission of The Author and The New Republic
How A legal mastermind seeks to gut affirmative action and voting rights by rewriting the Fourteenth Amendment through the U.S. Supreme Court.Ed Blum is not a lawyer. Instead, he recruits plaintiffs, hires counsel, and helps to finance litigation designed to move the law sharply to the right on issues of race and voting. Two years ago, Blum helped to bring two cases to the Supreme Court, Shelby County v. Holder, which sought to gut the Voting Rights Act, and Fisher v. University of Texas, which was designed to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. Now, with two cases from Texas, including a second trip to the Supreme Court for the Fisher case, he is hoping to rewrite the Fourteenth Amendment’s broad guarantee of equality, seeking to sharply limit affirmative action on college campuses and deny unnaturalized immigrants, children, and others equal representation in state legislatures. Blum’s campaign seeks to turn the Fourteenth Amendment into an obstacle to efforts to ensure real equality, denying the government the power to redress our nation’s long history of racial discrimination.
In December of 2015, the Court heard Evenwel v. Abbott, Blum’s effort to change the rules for state legislative redistricting. Our Constitution promises equal representation for all persons, and across the nation, states draw districts that contain a substantially equal number of persons, ensuring that all persons are represented. That’s what Texas did in 2013 when it enacted its current redistricting plan. In Evenwel, Blum’s team insists that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires states to draw districts on the basis of the state’s voter population, not its total population. In other words, only a subset of the population is entitled to representation in state legislatures. Blum’s argument is that unnaturalized immigrants, children, and other who lack access to the ballot should not be counted for purposes of legislative representation, which would unquestionably result in a major shift in political power away from urban population centers toward the whiter, more rural areas of the state. No court in history has ever accepted Blum’s radical claim—which would wreak havoc with the redistricting process and require a new kind of U.S. census—but Blum hopes to make history in the Evenwel case.
Making such far-reaching claims is Blum’s stock in trade. Two years ago, in Shelby County, Blum spearheaded the legal challenge that struck down one of the most important and successful parts of the Voting Rights Act, which had helped countless Americans exercise their constitutional right to vote. However, Blum’s attack on affirmative action that same year proved less successful. Abigail Fisher’s initial challenge to the race-conscious admissions policy of the University of Texas at Austin, which uses race in an extremely modest way to help ensure a diverse student body and provide pathways to leadership for all persons regardless of race, resulted in a 7-1 opinion sending Fisher’s case back to the lower courts for a second look. The conservative-dominated Fifth Circuit upheld UT’s admissions policy again, and now Fisher will be back before the Supreme Court.
This time around, Blum is hoping that Chief Justice John Roberts and his conservative colleagues join in a sweeping ruling striking down UT’s race-conscious admissions policy as a form of discrimination against white students. Blum wants universities across the nation to abandon admissions policies that, for decades, have helped our nation realize the promise of equal opportunity for all regardless of race. The Fourteenth Amendment—which turns 150 next year—is at the heart of both Evenwel and Fisher. In both cases, Blum’s argument depends on turning a blind eye to the basic facts of Fourteenth Amendment history. Blum’s claim that representation should be based on the number of voters was explicitly rejected in the debates over the Fourteenth Amendment. Following the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment debated whether to base representation in Congress on total population or on the number of eligible voters, with many members of Congress introducing proposals to amend the Constitution to change the basis of representation from total population to voter population. After seven months of heated debates, the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment decreed that the “whole population is represented; that although all do not vote, yet all are heard. That is the idea of the Constitution.” Evenwel is urging the Court to impose on the states a system of representation rejected during the Fourteenth Amendment’s great debate over the nature of representation. No wonder no court has ever accepted this argument.
"The Fourteenth Amendment—which turns 150 next year—is at the heart of both Evenwel and Fisher. In both cases, Blum’s argument depends on turning a blind eye to the basic facts of Fourteenth Amendment history."
Blum’s attack on the use of race to foster equality ignores that the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment were the originators of affirmative action. The 39thCongress that wrote the amendment in 1866 recognized that forward-looking, race-conscious measures would help fulfill the Constitution’s promise of equality, “break down discrimination between whites and blacks,” and “ameliorat[e] . . . the condition of the colored people.” In writing the Fourteenth Amendment, the framers time and again rejected proposed constitutional language that would have prohibited race-conscious measures designed to foster equality of opportunity. Faced with the task of fulfilling President Abraham Lincoln’s promise of a “new birth of freedom” and integrating African Americans into the civic and economic life of the nation, the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment recognized that the Constitution could not be simplistically colorblind. Not only does the Fourteenth Amendment’s text permit government to enact race-conscious measures to fulfill the Constitution’s promise of equality, the framers enacted many such measures. Contemporaneous with the Fourteenth Amendment, the Reconstruction Congress repeatedly approved race-conscious assistance to African Americans, passing laws that provided educational assistance to newly free slaves as well as African American soldiers, helped to ensure that African American soldiers received bounties for their service in the Union army, and provided benefits to poor, destitute African Americans. The most prominent of these federal race-conscious measures was the Freedmen’s Bureau Act, which established a federal bureaucracy whose explicit mission was to provide assistance to African Americans, including food, clothing, health care, and employment.
Opposition to the nation’s first affirmative action programs, like Blum’s opposition to the use of race in college admissions, was phrased in terms of colorblindness. Opponents denounced the Freedman’s Bureau for making “a distinction on account of color between the two races” that made African Americans “superior” rather than “equal before the law.” The law, they insisted, was “in opposition to the plain spirit” of the Constitution. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment consistently rejected these arguments. In their view, efforts to ensure equality of opportunity and assist African Americans in securing the full measure of freedom promised in the Fourteenth Amendment were consistent with, not contrary to, the new constitutional guarantee of equality. Will the justices accept Blum’s far-reaching arguments to rewrite the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equality for all? We won’t know for sure for many months, but we’ll undoubtedly get a window into the justices’ thinking by the end of the two days of argument. Blum’s attack on the basic principle of equal representation for equal numbers of people should face an uphill battle. Evenwel’s case rests on the Fourteenth Amendment, but that amendment specifically requires “counting the whole number of persons in each State” in order to ensure that everyone has a voice in government and guarantees the equal protection of the laws to “any person,” not merely voters. No court in history has ever accepted the claim made by Evenwel, and the justices—both those on the right and those on the left—should recognize that Evenwel’s claim simply has no basis in the Constitution.
Fisher will likely be closer, and will almost certainly turn on Justice Anthony Kennedy’s vote. Chief Justice John Roberts and a number of his conservative colleagues have repeatedly voted to strike down race-conscious educational policies as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. In Roberts’s myopic view—announced in the 2007 case Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District that limited the authority of school districts to combat racial isolation—“the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race,” but he has yet to find a fifth vote to strike down governmental efforts to use race to foster equality. In Parents Involved, Kennedy sharply disagreed, explaining that Roberts’s opinion was “too dismissive of the legitimate interest government has in ensuring all people have equal opportunity regardless of their race.” Two years ago, in Fisher, Kennedy recognized that the sensitive use of race in admissions “serves values beyond race alone, including enhanced classroom dialogue and the lessening of racial isolation and stereotypes.” Last term, in Texas Department of Housing v. Inclusive Communities Project, Kennedy split with Roberts and the Court’s other conservative justices, authoring a 5-4 ruling affirming that federal civil rights laws have to be broadly interpreted to promote integration and redress our nation’s long history of racial discrimination and oppression. That ruling explained that “[m]uch progress remains to be made in our Nation’s continuing struggle against racial isolation,” emphasizing the ways that “unconscious prejudices and disguised animus” that result from “covert and illicit stereotyping” stand in the way of ensuring equal opportunity to all. The question now, heading into the oral argument in Fisher, is whether Kennedy will break from Roberts once again, and honor the judgment of the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment that government may use race to help realize the equal protection of the laws.
David H. GANS is The Director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights & Citizenship Program at
The Constitutional Accountability Center 200 18th Street NW, Suite 501 Washington, DC 20036
www.theusconstitution.org
But his voting records is absurdly in the exact opposite of this statement. In a link provided below from American Bridge 21st Century explains that RUBIO Consistently Voted to leave Poor Families, in the cold and without support, time and time again.
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If You Enjoyed This Article, You may also Enjoy:
image: Sugar Cane Workers in CUBA By Guggenheim Fellow and Bureau Contributing Photographer Andrew Moore
Visit Andrew Moore www.andrewlmoore.com or listen to the live, in Gallery Audio Interview at The Bureau Magazine
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" IS MARCO RUBIO'S RHETORIC GOING TOO FAR or Is HE Just A LIAR ?"
Dateline February 20th 2016
In This Clip, He Claims to be Helping Single Women and Working Class People :
But his voting records is absurdly in the exact opposite of this statement. In a link provided below from American Bridge 21st Century explains that RUBIO Consistently Voted to leave Poor Families, in the cold and without support, time and time again.
Mr Rubio even Voted against his Own Conservative Parties Extension of Unemployment benefits that would indeed have effected, 'The Single Mothers,' he claims to help.
He also said, according to the Washington Post, that, “I Don’t Think A Minimum Wage Law Works.” This will hurt almost everyone he is claiming to want to support as president. Rubio also voted to cut 4.6 Trillion Dollars over the next decade or so, but The Amendment was rejected.
Rubio went along with a Sequester, even though he knew in his heart of hearts that, "“This is not the best way to do it but it’s better than raising taxes as an alternative and it’s better than doing nothing." Well, if you talk to the 300,000 poor families who went without heat or cooling, they would probably say, next time, Mr Rubio, please, do nothing. [ NEADA.org, 11/14/13]
The same sequester effected 57,000 children's head-start program according to USA Today. But here he stands on a stage with his children, who no doubt went to head start without issue. [ USA Today, 8/20/13 ] This Sequester also effected 40% of the meals on Wheels programs for the Elderly in The United States.
Tap to View the Record:
https://americanbridgepac.org/rubio-to-speechify-about-his-non-existent-support-for-working-families
This publication recently compared Rubio to Ronald Reagan, meaning, was he just a puppet for The Big Republican machine ? Let me clarify that earlier statement: This man, not only, does not have the charisma, of a U. S. President such as Ronald Reagan, he does not contain the true Cuban ethnic flavor that we all love so much in people such as all the great Cuban Writers, Musicians, and Activists who have, what we commonly call : Sabrosa'. He won't even open the doors to his own country!
As a reporter I simply present his record. As a man who personally worked hand in hand with Cuban blue collar workers, for over ten years, I cannot accept that he would help those workers or their families or their children or their children's children. No way pal, sorry.
I Live, I work, I walk and I talk with Latino Americans of a very, very, wide variety, and after doing so for almost 45 of my fifty years on this planet, I cannot even look in your direction without wincing. You are Not Our President, Sir. I don't know who is, but I know who is not, and that is YOU.
Many of you originally came aboard to read about Art, Film, Music, Literature, Surfing, Photography and Culture. I implore my younger readers, my Latino readers to check out this Political Situation that YOU are embroiled in, you all have phones, you have computers, you know how to play the game. This is now the time to get Involved with that, 'playful,' energy and BE AN AMERICAN on The Political Front. I do not want you to agree with me. I do not want you to follow me. I want you to read the facts from your Representatives and Play Them, If indeed they Are PLAYING YOU.
Here are LINKS To The HIGH RESOLUTION SPRING 2016 MAGAZINE Edition 200 Pages of Interviews and Articles...
WELCOME to Spring 2016 Edition of BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE MAGAZINE. 200 Pages of FREE Arts + Culture. This New Edition Contains The BUREAU ICON Essay: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN . The BUREAU GUEST Artist from CANADA Painter and Sculptor Mr. Erik OLSON . NEW Interviews + Photographic Essays with Three from The United Kingdom: Street Photographers Craig REILLY, Steve COLEMAN and Walter ROTHWELL. BUREAU Dance: Martha GRAHAM, Plus Mathilde GRAFSTROM : CENSORED German Muralist: Hendrik BEIKIRCH, The CLASSICAL Genius: Daniil TRIFONOV. BUREAU NEWS: David GANS on SUPREME COURT, Plus Mexico's DR. LAKRA Daniel GEORGAKAS on HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST, The OSCARS WHITEOUT, PHOTO ESSAYS: Stephen SOMERSTEIN at The FREEDOM MARCH of 1965, Alex HARRIS showcasing The Afro AMERICANS in North Carolina in The 1970s Artist Tristan EATON + The Post Modern Paintings . BUREAU Film: TRUMBO Plus Film Reviews & New Online Articles All Year Round at The New BUREAU CITY SITES Across America and The World Through The Internet . BUREAU is an Official MEDIA Partner for The ITALIAN Film Festival Plus Our Own BUREAU PHOTOGRAPHIC Essays …
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Contributing Guest Artists: Irby Pace, Jon Swihart, F. Scott Hess, Ho Ryon Lee, Andy Moses, Kahn & Selesnick, Jules Engel, Patrick Lee, David Palumbo, Tom Gregg, Tony Fitzpatrick, Gary Lang, Fabrizio Casetta, DJ Hall, David FeBland, Eric Zener, Seeroon Yeretzian, Dawn Jackson, Charles Dickson, Ernesto DeLaLoza, Diana Wong, Gustavo Godoy, John Weston, Kris Kuksi, Bomonster, Hiroshi Ariyama, Linda Stark, Kota Ezawa, Russell Nachman, Katsushika Hokusai and Xuan Chen
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BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS THIS WEEK
For Our readers, check out exemplary work by many on The Committee, a few highlighted below:
Yes, we must stand up to prejudice, to hatred, to people who have been categorically taught to dislike a particular person, be that person Jewish or any other race. What concerns me is the vast amount of Jewish intellectuals who have found it impossible to support the policies of Israel because of it's leadership. What of the people of Israel who no longer want the war to continue ? I hear from my sources, on the ground, that living in their basement's / bunker's for days on end, is not what they wish for their children or themselves. A Call for peace will take years to implement. Or is the war machine so ingrained in society, that this goal is impossible ?
The Geopolitical situation is advancing forward on a daily basis. The leader of Iran is currently visiting Paris and countries around the world, unprecedented change, wether it be on the surface or in policy, is now happening. Who will make peace in the Middle East ? War is a money maker. We not only need to create a plan to peace, we need to rethink an economy where peace can prevail and both sides can profit from a resolution. It's not just up to Israel and Palestine, ultimately, the United States and what President Eisenhower called the, "The Military Industrial Complex," has some rethinking to do.
The hype of war, the adrenaline of reactionary violence, the deeply ingrained ideology of opposition and the actual objects, the machinery of hatred, are what truly lies in our path. Leaders who cannot find peaceful ways to lead, must reconsider the consequences of creating a military state. All of this has already been spoken by better, more educated more experienced writers than I. Call me naive. While you do so, be alerted that I grew up in Southern California during a tumultuous time in our history. I know what crossing a boundary, etched by invisible territorial lines, that do indeed exist, is like.
I found life easier by attempting to reach out, to understand, to accept and to befriend opposing parties, opposing members, opposing factions of all sorts. Not the easy route, the difficult one. When people in my area were forced to affiliate, I did not. When people decided to take sides, I did not. And all these years later, those inclusive actions, those small, but significant steps, even though often manipulated by others, made a difference in my life. To this day, I do not live in fear of, 'The Other," whatever that other is. I still believe in a UNITED States. I still believe in the support of the People of Israel. I also believe that peace can be attained.
How much of this situation is channeled by self professed prophecy ? Religion, the great belief that something higher than one's self exist's and yet, we see only division. If you are only praying for your place in this world, your success in this world, your domination in this world, or in the next, I'm pretty sure that, if indeed, the higher being you communicate with, is hearing your part of the conversation, that maybe your singing, maybe your chanting, maybe your gunfire, maybe your thoughts of morality have gotten so out of balance : That you can not hear what that higher being is saying back to you. When we hear someone exclaim the tired old phrase, "Lets have a moment of silence." It often lasts a moment. I suggest we take more than a moment.
This WEEK in The NEWS : January 29, 2016
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By Joshua A. TRILIEGI for BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE
Film lovers, film critics, film goers, film makers and film aficionados all seem to be giving their opinions, dissertations and criticisms on the lack of diversity at this years Academy Awards. Anyone who is familiar with this publication knows how much we have been influenced by African American Artists, Filmmakers, Musicians and everyday people. From John Coltrane to Spike Lee, from Ice-T to Malcolm X, from Interviews and Essays on Compton Sculptor Charles Dickson, Oakland's JAHI, Leimert Park's Barbara Morrison, Poet Sabreen Shabazz or Baltimore photographer Kanayo Adibe, who is actually from Africa, we at this publication are more diverse than anyone in this publishing game. If you really want to talk about diversity, at least from us, one need only look at my personal commitment to Los Angeles and it's incredible array of nationalities represented in the three year Fiction project entitled, "They Call It They City of ANGELS." I have been watching this controversy unfold and as it unravels, find it is time to join in the conversation.
This is a tough one. For starters, I am from Los Angeles, so I don't have that chip on the shoulder towards the Hollywood elite that taints so much of the National and International dialogue. Nor am I overly impressed with celebrity, we see it everyday, grew up with it, even work with it on occasion. The East Coast film critic's, like A.O. Scott, whom I have always admired and many others, have found it easy to slam, dismiss and criticize the Academy. A simple assessment is any easy way out of actually thinking about and truly wondering what all this is really about. I think this issue deserves more than that. Let's see if we can take this further. Spike Lee has taught many of us, who are not of African dissent what it is like to be, 'Of Color.' Spike has given us some of the best moments ever. To me personally, these are not black moments, these are simply human experiences, but to many, Spike Lee explained what was up. The humor, the sadness, the beauty, the irony, the struggle, the defiance, the pride and the poverty, all personified, in his many films. I should explain that Spike, for many of us looking to make films in the early Eighties, us without money, was very important. How important ? Well, he was so significant to me, that on my first trip to New York City, the first thing I did, was take a cab from the airport directly to his newly opened store and purchased the Forty Acres and a Mule, his production companies name, sweatshirt, which I still own to this day. We studied his books and we knew that, maybe, we too could make films, without much money. Okay, my personal biases have been exposed, you know how long I've been in this, we got that out of the way.
Spike Lee's catalogue is a glossary of life as he knows it with many great moments. I even remember the day, the very day that I saw the film trailer for his first movie, "She's Gotta have IT." Spike is standing on the corner selling, "Three tube socks for five dollars, three tube socks for five dollars, If you don't come and see my movie, I will still be here selling three tube socks for five dollars." I knew then and there, that this dude was someone I wanted to check out. Same feeling when I saw Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise, I thought, this cat is going to do something interesting and I am going to be there when he does, and, he did. When you are part of a community, wether it is film or art or music or design or photography or surfing or architecture or literature, something happens to you, you are drawn to a particular medium and you either, A. Go to School or B. Seek Knowledge, there are other options, I did a little of both. The point is, if you really, really love the medium, as Quentin Tarantino will tell you, "Than, you can become a filmmaker." Same rule applies for other arts, to a certain extent. Most writers of note agree that good writing can't be taught, it can be honed, but you have to have something, to begin with: experience. When I was first drawn to the Art World, I was very naive, in my mind, I pictured a world of artists and galleries and writers and thought they would all be waiting to welcome me, like a long lost family. I had no idea how treacherous, lecherous and venomous the experience could be. We all go through this experience. Spike Lee talks about waiting for the calls to come in after his first film, an after school special, anything, but the phone did not ring. I went through that with my art, with my films, with this magazine, and I'm what is commonly known as, "A white dude." So, we persevere and the work gets better and we continue to offer it to this thing we call a community, but, after all, it's a business and so, we straddle the monster and somehow squeeze moments, images, ideas into something coherently transformative, entertaining, sometimes educational and other times simply something that feels correct, it has a flow, an authenticity and a lasting result of some sort. It could be a film, it could be a book, it could be an image. Filmmaking in particular is an odd mixture of literature, theatre and science. There are levels of excellence and levels of experience and every now and then, even a newcomer can totally blow away those who have been in the game for decades, like Paul Thomas Anderson did with his epic entry into the big leagues with, "Boogie Nights." Speaking of discovering new levels of performing, I will never forget how brave Mark Whalberg's performance was in that film. We knew we were witnessing something very rare.
As far as Spike's journey goes, it has been harrowing actually, and right from the get go, controversy has been a part of his work, on and off the screen. He was a man of color entering what was considered a white mans medium. John Ford, Howard Hawks, Frank Capra, Cecil B. DeMille, George Stevens, John Huston, to name a few, all great filmmakers, telling great stories about what they knew, and what they knew, was mostly what they experienced, which was mostly from an Anglo viewpoint. Now, you should also know that Italian filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese also faced extremely harsh experiences when dealing with, not only the Academy and West Coast film studios, but the public's reaction to the films that he had made. Many people forget that his life was actually threatened when the nomination for a young Jody Foster in his epic film Taxi Driver, came to the fore. Eventually, the studios realized that, the public wanted to see these films and the Academy honored their originality and their craft: breakthroughs were made. Francis Ford Coppola, Brian DePalma and John Cassavettes, took what DeSica, Fellini and Visconti had going back in Italy and rejuvenated the tradition. If you were a Swedish American, you had Ingmar Bergman. If you were a German American, you had Fritz Lang. If you were a French American, you had Truffaut. If you were an African American, you did not have a reference point per se, in Africa. You had Melvin Van Peebles, when it came to directing, but most of the time, you had, a white director, a white producer, a white writer, telling a black story.
The black director working with the black actor, and a black writer was rare, actually, it still is rare. I am sure, through the years, from the personification of the maids in Gone With The Wind, to the criminals in The French Connection, to the entire black-xploitation films of the Nineteen Seventies that African Americans got sick and tired of seeing shit on the screen that did not, could not and would not properly represent who they were, who they are and what they were really experiencing. Imagine a young Spike Lee watching, for the first time, "Birth of a Nation," with it's blatant viewpoints. That's some motivation to tell it like it is. The so-called, 'black man,' which is a label that irks the hell out of me every time I hear it. Why do I have to use this label to discuss another human being ? Check out the speeches of Malcolm X on this subject. The very fact that young people today have to REMIND America and Universities and Politicians that BLACK LIVES MATTER is a real sign of where we are at today. The fact that the Supreme Court is swaying so far as to deny the rights of African Americans is simply absurd. Black people are being shot down all across America and here we are with one of the smartest, most patient, charismatic and open minded Presidents in the history of this great land, and, oh yeah, he just happens to Not Be WHITE. So, is all of this a backlash ? Maybe it is. Are we still in denial of our history ? Maybe we are. Is boycotting the Academy Awards going to make a difference ? Maybe it will. But most likely, it will simply start a dialogue and, I imagine, that is what Spike Lee is doing. What many don't know is that Spike Lee was actually given an honorary Oscar Award at the Governor's Ball earlier this year and so, his defiance has a particularly stinging effect. Already the Academy is exclaiming to now expand it's membership in some new and diverse way. Okay, that's a beginning.
Here is where things get tricky. Will Smith, who is really a progeny of the Hollywood entertainment industry, having started on television with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, forays into pop music and eventually taking on controversial and brave film roles such as, "Six Degrees of Separation," which was a particularly dangerous career choice that payed off well and led to his stellar performance as the Greatest Boxer, Poet and Anti War activist ever in, "ALI," has made a film this year, "Concussion," with a phenomenal performance, as an African doctor, who takes on, of all powerful entities, the National Football League, also known as the NFL. It just so happens that the SuperBowl, presented by the NFL and The Oscar Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, are the two largest advertising events of the entire year. The money to be made selling automobiles, beverages and entertainment products is unfathomable to the average person. The politics of which films gets nominated is much deeper, and complicated than any one of us can imagine. Both media events happen in February. Will Smith, who has done very well with big Hollywood, big entertainment and big advertising was not nominated for an award this year. Will Smith's lovely and articulate wife, Jada, was one of the first West Coast personalities, to come out for the boycott. Unfortunately, it appeared to many, and even to me, that Mr. Smith, having been snubbed, possibly sulking around the house wondering what more he had to do to get some recognition for outstanding work in his chosen business, complained privately and in confidence to his life mate, who then came out against the lack of diversity at this years awards. People in the industry began to dismiss her objection. Reactions came quick and harsh, from former cast members to just about anyone. Lets face it, people are jealous of those who get the big bucks, those who get the accolades, those at the top of the pyramid. What I would like to remind both Will and Jada is that, first, you made a great film, secondly, and most importantly, the real reason you did not get nominated was not at all that you are a person with some color. Most likely, the reason you did not get nominated is clearly because you took on the National Football League in your film. It's the equivalent of my magazine writing an in depth article about how bad for your health drinking Coca Cola and eating at McDonalds is and then calling them for advertising. You made a brave film about the NFL and the entertainment industry sacked you. That is to be expected. These people play hard ball, this is big business in America folks. But, it was a brave move, so, like ALI, you gotta float like a butterfly 'cause you already stung like a bee.
But wait, that's not all, ye old plot thickens. Conscientious white actors, such as the extremely socially active and aware Mark Ruffalo has now decided that he may not attend. Amazing since he is actually a Nominated Actor in what people call, a "Main Category." First of all people, ALL CATEGORIES at The Academy Awards are MAIN CATEGORIES. The first thing you learn as an actor or a technician in the world of Theatre and Film is the tired, but true maxim that, "There are no small parts, only small actors," The same is true for categories and awards. The fact that Mr. Ruffalo announced his concerns, prior to the Academy actually voting on a final winner is amazing. So then, Spike Lee has made a difference. But here's the problem, do we really want to have this award or that award go to someone of color because there was a boycott ? What will that do to the process over a long period of time ? Will the Academy then be forced to give a person of color a slot because we made them do it ? The token award, like the token cast member who brings in a demographic ? That could get very convoluted. And then we have to ask ourselves, where are the Latino Actors ? Where are the Asian Actors ? The fact of the matter is, many of the actors in nominated and winning slots have been from England and Australia ? Some media personalities have joked that American White Actors should be up in arms about the Academy's policies and choices. I would like to see powerful celebrities like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett stand up to the Supreme Court who are currently about to gut the rights of African Americans and women across the nation. Who cares about the gold at the top, when the people who watch your films are so damn poor, they have to watch bootlegged versions of your films on the internet ?
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This Week: Read in Elder BUSH's BIO by Jon Meacham Exactly Why America needs leadership with a 20/20 foresight and not clarified hindsight in The New York Times Article of Nov 4th 2015 entitled, "Elder Bush Says His Son Was Served Badly by Aides." By Peter Baker.
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This Week: Why Donald Trump just may be the best Weapon Democrats have at Winning The Next Election: READ The US World + News Reports Recent Article Entitled, "Marco Rubio Becomes the Latest Trump Target: Trump knocks the Florida senator for his Senate attendance and financial troubles."
This Week : BUREAU NEWS Commends Ralph NADER for Asking The Question, " Why are None of These Presidential Candidates being Asked : "What is Your Position on Corporate Crime ?" on Fri Sept 18th 2015 at Democracy Now Morning Show. Heres The LINK: http://www.democracynow.org/shows
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This Week: BUREAU NEWS Commends The Baltimore SUN for Showcasing The Fine Photographic Essay By KANAYO ADIBE
By Joshua A. TRILIEGI Archived and Originally Published June 2015 Summer Edition
What has happened to today's organizations ? There was a time when being 'organized' meant doing something that improved life for the group of people you were associating with. Is today's society embroiled in a power struggle that allows Members Only to be favored exponentially ? Are organizations and associations wielding their power in a manner that could be abusive ? Have you noticed that individuals and heads of particular departments, including the mouthpieces in media outlets and those in the public eye are using their platforms in a disingenuous manner ? If you have answered, 'Yes' to any of these questions, you are not alone. From Churches to Non - Profits, from Television networks to Newspaper publishers, from Markets to Corporations, from Neighborhood to Region, from States to Cities & Counties: we are now experiencing a shift in the ideology of a Group vs The Individual.
BUREAU NEWS is An Affiliate of BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE Magazine
February 5, 2016
Julian Assange, The Editor of Wiki-Leaks has been exonerated of all charges By The United Nations. The U.K. said it will formally contest the panel's decision. "This changes nothing. We completely reject any claim that Julian Assange is a victim of arbitrary detention," the British government said in a statement. The United Nations ruled Friday that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been "arbitrarily detained" by the United Kingdom and Sweden since he was arrested in 2010 and that he should be allowed to leave Ecuador's Embassy in London without facing arrest. Philip Hammond, Britain's top diplomat indicated Friday that nothing has changed for the Australian national. "Assange is a fugitive from justice, voluntarily hiding in the Ecuadorian Embassy," UK Foreign Minister Philip Hammond tweeted. "I reject the report from #UNWGAD." According to The Guardian, The panel’s findings were disclosed to the Swedish and British governments on 22 January, and will be published on Friday morning. Their judgment is not legally binding but can be used to apply pressure on states in human rights cases.
Anna Ekberg, spokesperson for the Swedish foreign ministry, said: “The UN working group on arbitrary detention has concluded that Mr Assange is arbitrarily detained. The working group’s view differs from that of the Swedish authorities. We will forward a reply to the working group tomorrow. It will be more clear tomorrow why we reject the working group’s conclusions.”
Assange’s Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, said earlier that if the working group found in his favor, “there is only one solution for Marianne Ny [the Swedish prosecutor seeking Assange’s extradition], and that is to immediately release him and drop the case”. Samuelson added: “If he is regarded as detained, that means he has served his time, so I see no other option for Sweden but to close the case.”
According to The Guardian: Assange and WikiLeaks have been the subject of a secret grand jury investigation in Virginia that has been looking into whether to prosecute them over the US cable disclosures, and the Australian fears that he could become immediately subject to a second extradition process even if Sweden drops its inquiry.
“If one of the orders is that he should be released and his liberty should be assured, we would obviously look to the UK to make sure that it is effective and not illusory, that it’s not just liberty for five seconds, but liberty that is meaningful,” Taylor said.
The FULL Guardian Article: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/04/julian-assange-wikileaks-arrest-friday-un-investigation
BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS THIS WEEK
The Committee for Oversight in WASHINGTON D.C. is Currently grilling The Pharmaceutical Industry for price gouging, but when we follow the MONEY, It appears to be going directly into The Pockets of The Congresspersons via CONTRIBUTIONS. The Vilification of Individuals is all too easy. The real problem is, these are the same companies that put them into office. OpenSecrest . org , link below, describes the situation like this,
"The industry's political generosity increased in the years leading up to Congress' passage in 2003 of a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Since then, industry spending levels have fluctuated, though they have usually hovered around the $30 million range, including during the 2014 cycle when that number was nearly $32 million. 2012 was the cycle when the industry contributed the most -- over $50.7 million. The pharmaceutical industry has traditionally supported Republican candidates, with the 2008 and 2010 cycles serving as the only exceptions. During the 2014 cycle, Republicans received 58 percent of industry contributions whereas Democrats received only 42 percent... "
At TRUTH-OUT we find that :
"The committee's chair, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), had not responded to a letter from the Democrats requesting that Valeant be subpoenaed to provide Congress with documents related to the drastic price hikes. The pharmaceutical industry has contributed $198,000 to Chaffetz's campaign war chest during the course of his career, more than any other special interest group, although none of the contributions came directly from Valeant, which has focused its political resources on lobbying instead of direct contributions. Industry giant Pfizer was the top spender among drug companies during the 2014 elections with $1.5 million in federal campaign contributions, followed closely by Amgen with $1.3 million and McKesson Corp with $1.1 million. All three companies spent more on Republicans than Democrats that year.
One million dollars plus is a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to the annual salaries of the CEOs at some of these companies. Pfizer CEO Ian Read, for example, raked in more than $23 million in 2014, and Amgen CEO Robert Bradway made a cool $14 million, according to the industry publication FiercePharma." It turns out that the pharmaceutical industry did not become one for the most powerful interests on Capitol Hill with campaign contributions alone. For every $1 the industry spent on contributions during the last election cycle, $7 were spent on lobbying in 2014."
Here is The Truth - OUT Link :
Is this just another posturing hypocrisy ? Can they really make change when they accept this kind of Lobbyism and Contribution?
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From The Archives:
The FLINT WATER CRISIS
REPRESENTATIVES in WASHINGTON D.C. Are Currently Discussing The FLINT Water CRISIS.
Is Partisan Politics going to stop AMERICA from improving it's infrastructure, protecting it's citizen's and making life livable in The United States of America ? We want Democrats and Republicans, who have been at each others heals to Understand that We The People are not at all happy with the way things are being handled on The Hill. Finger pointing, and name blaming are ruining our Country. You folks need to get over the cold civil war which you have gotten us into and improve your own ability to stay UNITED.
Is Partisan Politics going to stop AMERICA from improving it's infrastructure, protecting it's citizen's and making life livable in The United States of America ? We want Democrats and Republicans, who have been at each others heals to Understand that We The People are not at all happy with the way things are being handled on The Hill. Finger pointing, and name blaming are ruining our Country. You folks need to get over the cold civil war which you have gotten us into and improve your own ability to stay UNITED.
For Our readers, check out exemplary work by many on The Committee, a few highlighted below:
Be Sure to view: U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district, Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland, Tap The LINK:
Be Sure to view: U.S. Representative Serving Georgia's 10th District, Republican Jody Hice. Tap The LINK:
Here is The New York Times Article on the developments Reported By By JENNIFER STEINHAUER and ABBY GOODNOUGH
From The ARCHIVE:
The BUREAU OPINION : The WAR Machine
By Joshua A. TRILIEGI for BUREAU of ARTS and CULTURE
Images by Peter VanAgtmael Courtesy of MAGNUM Photo
It would be unfair for me, an American, who has never visited Israel or Palestine, to speak with authority on the subject of Prime Minister Netanyahu's opinion's directly. What I can speak to is, first, an understanding that his generation has experienced tragedy, secondly, that those events, shaped his world view and that thirdly, those views may be out of step with both Palestinian's and Israeli's : When it comes to violent resolution.
Yes, we will always remember The Holocaust. My African American friends will always remember Slavery. My Japanese American friends will always remember the Internment Camps of World War II. My Korean American friends will always remember what happened to their country, when two ways of thinking, were so polarized, their entire country was split into two. The list of historical events is endless. Maybe, nothing quite compares to the atrocious acts experienced in the Holocaust.
Yes, we must stand up to prejudice, to hatred, to people who have been categorically taught to dislike a particular person, be that person Jewish or any other race. What concerns me is the vast amount of Jewish intellectuals who have found it impossible to support the policies of Israel because of it's leadership. What of the people of Israel who no longer want the war to continue ? I hear from my sources, on the ground, that living in their basement's / bunker's for days on end, is not what they wish for their children or themselves. A Call for peace will take years to implement. Or is the war machine so ingrained in society, that this goal is impossible ?
The Geopolitical situation is advancing forward on a daily basis. The leader of Iran is currently visiting Paris and countries around the world, unprecedented change, wether it be on the surface or in policy, is now happening. Who will make peace in the Middle East ? War is a money maker. We not only need to create a plan to peace, we need to rethink an economy where peace can prevail and both sides can profit from a resolution. It's not just up to Israel and Palestine, ultimately, the United States and what President Eisenhower called the, "The Military Industrial Complex," has some rethinking to do.
Is there a peacetime economy in existence ? If not, we could all use some new views, concerning a better future. We hear so much about the current refugee crisis in Europe and few explanations as to why these people have no home. Economic, political and other forces at work. The Jewish people, wether Israeli or otherwise, live in locations all around the world, in France, in Cuba, in America. There is indeed something very special enveloped in this particular faith and lineage. A tradition which has been unbroken for thousands and thousands of years. Who can argue with that ? What concerns most people, Jewish and otherwise is living a life of peace.
The hype of war, the adrenaline of reactionary violence, the deeply ingrained ideology of opposition and the actual objects, the machinery of hatred, are what truly lies in our path. Leaders who cannot find peaceful ways to lead, must reconsider the consequences of creating a military state. All of this has already been spoken by better, more educated more experienced writers than I. Call me naive. While you do so, be alerted that I grew up in Southern California during a tumultuous time in our history. I know what crossing a boundary, etched by invisible territorial lines, that do indeed exist, is like.
I found life easier by attempting to reach out, to understand, to accept and to befriend opposing parties, opposing members, opposing factions of all sorts. Not the easy route, the difficult one. When people in my area were forced to affiliate, I did not. When people decided to take sides, I did not. And all these years later, those inclusive actions, those small, but significant steps, even though often manipulated by others, made a difference in my life. To this day, I do not live in fear of, 'The Other," whatever that other is. I still believe in a UNITED States. I still believe in the support of the People of Israel. I also believe that peace can be attained.
How much of this situation is channeled by self professed prophecy ? Religion, the great belief that something higher than one's self exist's and yet, we see only division. If you are only praying for your place in this world, your success in this world, your domination in this world, or in the next, I'm pretty sure that, if indeed, the higher being you communicate with, is hearing your part of the conversation, that maybe your singing, maybe your chanting, maybe your gunfire, maybe your thoughts of morality have gotten so out of balance : That you can not hear what that higher being is saying back to you. When we hear someone exclaim the tired old phrase, "Lets have a moment of silence." It often lasts a moment. I suggest we take more than a moment.
This WEEK in The NEWS : January 29, 2016
Talkin Bout' Their Generation, Why The Kids are More Than All Right. The New York Times story by Sewell Chan explains How Student Activism all around the World is Changing views on Our History, Our Symbolic Representation and Our PAST.
Article Entitled: "Historical Figures, Campus Controversies"
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HATE CRIMES PART TWO : When Symbols of Good are used for Bad and the Militarization of Race and Belief
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| THE ACADEMY AWARDS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR By Joshua A. TRILIEGI for BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS SITE |
Wednesday January 27 2016 / A version of This Article was Published on Jan 23 2016 at BUREAU Sites across The United States : LA / NY / S.F. / MIDWEST
THE ACADEMY AWARDS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
By Joshua A. TRILIEGI for BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE
Film lovers, film critics, film goers, film makers and film aficionados all seem to be giving their opinions, dissertations and criticisms on the lack of diversity at this years Academy Awards. Anyone who is familiar with this publication knows how much we have been influenced by African American Artists, Filmmakers, Musicians and everyday people. From John Coltrane to Spike Lee, from Ice-T to Malcolm X, from Interviews and Essays on Compton Sculptor Charles Dickson, Oakland's JAHI, Leimert Park's Barbara Morrison, Poet Sabreen Shabazz or Baltimore photographer Kanayo Adibe, who is actually from Africa, we at this publication are more diverse than anyone in this publishing game. If you really want to talk about diversity, at least from us, one need only look at my personal commitment to Los Angeles and it's incredible array of nationalities represented in the three year Fiction project entitled, "They Call It They City of ANGELS." I have been watching this controversy unfold and as it unravels, find it is time to join in the conversation.
This is a tough one. For starters, I am from Los Angeles, so I don't have that chip on the shoulder towards the Hollywood elite that taints so much of the National and International dialogue. Nor am I overly impressed with celebrity, we see it everyday, grew up with it, even work with it on occasion. The East Coast film critic's, like A.O. Scott, whom I have always admired and many others, have found it easy to slam, dismiss and criticize the Academy. A simple assessment is any easy way out of actually thinking about and truly wondering what all this is really about. I think this issue deserves more than that. Let's see if we can take this further. Spike Lee has taught many of us, who are not of African dissent what it is like to be, 'Of Color.' Spike has given us some of the best moments ever. To me personally, these are not black moments, these are simply human experiences, but to many, Spike Lee explained what was up. The humor, the sadness, the beauty, the irony, the struggle, the defiance, the pride and the poverty, all personified, in his many films. I should explain that Spike, for many of us looking to make films in the early Eighties, us without money, was very important. How important ? Well, he was so significant to me, that on my first trip to New York City, the first thing I did, was take a cab from the airport directly to his newly opened store and purchased the Forty Acres and a Mule, his production companies name, sweatshirt, which I still own to this day. We studied his books and we knew that, maybe, we too could make films, without much money. Okay, my personal biases have been exposed, you know how long I've been in this, we got that out of the way.
Spike Lee's catalogue is a glossary of life as he knows it with many great moments. I even remember the day, the very day that I saw the film trailer for his first movie, "She's Gotta have IT." Spike is standing on the corner selling, "Three tube socks for five dollars, three tube socks for five dollars, If you don't come and see my movie, I will still be here selling three tube socks for five dollars." I knew then and there, that this dude was someone I wanted to check out. Same feeling when I saw Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise, I thought, this cat is going to do something interesting and I am going to be there when he does, and, he did. When you are part of a community, wether it is film or art or music or design or photography or surfing or architecture or literature, something happens to you, you are drawn to a particular medium and you either, A. Go to School or B. Seek Knowledge, there are other options, I did a little of both. The point is, if you really, really love the medium, as Quentin Tarantino will tell you, "Than, you can become a filmmaker." Same rule applies for other arts, to a certain extent. Most writers of note agree that good writing can't be taught, it can be honed, but you have to have something, to begin with: experience. When I was first drawn to the Art World, I was very naive, in my mind, I pictured a world of artists and galleries and writers and thought they would all be waiting to welcome me, like a long lost family. I had no idea how treacherous, lecherous and venomous the experience could be. We all go through this experience. Spike Lee talks about waiting for the calls to come in after his first film, an after school special, anything, but the phone did not ring. I went through that with my art, with my films, with this magazine, and I'm what is commonly known as, "A white dude." So, we persevere and the work gets better and we continue to offer it to this thing we call a community, but, after all, it's a business and so, we straddle the monster and somehow squeeze moments, images, ideas into something coherently transformative, entertaining, sometimes educational and other times simply something that feels correct, it has a flow, an authenticity and a lasting result of some sort. It could be a film, it could be a book, it could be an image. Filmmaking in particular is an odd mixture of literature, theatre and science. There are levels of excellence and levels of experience and every now and then, even a newcomer can totally blow away those who have been in the game for decades, like Paul Thomas Anderson did with his epic entry into the big leagues with, "Boogie Nights." Speaking of discovering new levels of performing, I will never forget how brave Mark Whalberg's performance was in that film. We knew we were witnessing something very rare.
As far as Spike's journey goes, it has been harrowing actually, and right from the get go, controversy has been a part of his work, on and off the screen. He was a man of color entering what was considered a white mans medium. John Ford, Howard Hawks, Frank Capra, Cecil B. DeMille, George Stevens, John Huston, to name a few, all great filmmakers, telling great stories about what they knew, and what they knew, was mostly what they experienced, which was mostly from an Anglo viewpoint. Now, you should also know that Italian filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese also faced extremely harsh experiences when dealing with, not only the Academy and West Coast film studios, but the public's reaction to the films that he had made. Many people forget that his life was actually threatened when the nomination for a young Jody Foster in his epic film Taxi Driver, came to the fore. Eventually, the studios realized that, the public wanted to see these films and the Academy honored their originality and their craft: breakthroughs were made. Francis Ford Coppola, Brian DePalma and John Cassavettes, took what DeSica, Fellini and Visconti had going back in Italy and rejuvenated the tradition. If you were a Swedish American, you had Ingmar Bergman. If you were a German American, you had Fritz Lang. If you were a French American, you had Truffaut. If you were an African American, you did not have a reference point per se, in Africa. You had Melvin Van Peebles, when it came to directing, but most of the time, you had, a white director, a white producer, a white writer, telling a black story.
The black director working with the black actor, and a black writer was rare, actually, it still is rare. I am sure, through the years, from the personification of the maids in Gone With The Wind, to the criminals in The French Connection, to the entire black-xploitation films of the Nineteen Seventies that African Americans got sick and tired of seeing shit on the screen that did not, could not and would not properly represent who they were, who they are and what they were really experiencing. Imagine a young Spike Lee watching, for the first time, "Birth of a Nation," with it's blatant viewpoints. That's some motivation to tell it like it is. The so-called, 'black man,' which is a label that irks the hell out of me every time I hear it. Why do I have to use this label to discuss another human being ? Check out the speeches of Malcolm X on this subject. The very fact that young people today have to REMIND America and Universities and Politicians that BLACK LIVES MATTER is a real sign of where we are at today. The fact that the Supreme Court is swaying so far as to deny the rights of African Americans is simply absurd. Black people are being shot down all across America and here we are with one of the smartest, most patient, charismatic and open minded Presidents in the history of this great land, and, oh yeah, he just happens to Not Be WHITE. So, is all of this a backlash ? Maybe it is. Are we still in denial of our history ? Maybe we are. Is boycotting the Academy Awards going to make a difference ? Maybe it will. But most likely, it will simply start a dialogue and, I imagine, that is what Spike Lee is doing. What many don't know is that Spike Lee was actually given an honorary Oscar Award at the Governor's Ball earlier this year and so, his defiance has a particularly stinging effect. Already the Academy is exclaiming to now expand it's membership in some new and diverse way. Okay, that's a beginning.
Here is where things get tricky. Will Smith, who is really a progeny of the Hollywood entertainment industry, having started on television with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, forays into pop music and eventually taking on controversial and brave film roles such as, "Six Degrees of Separation," which was a particularly dangerous career choice that payed off well and led to his stellar performance as the Greatest Boxer, Poet and Anti War activist ever in, "ALI," has made a film this year, "Concussion," with a phenomenal performance, as an African doctor, who takes on, of all powerful entities, the National Football League, also known as the NFL. It just so happens that the SuperBowl, presented by the NFL and The Oscar Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, are the two largest advertising events of the entire year. The money to be made selling automobiles, beverages and entertainment products is unfathomable to the average person. The politics of which films gets nominated is much deeper, and complicated than any one of us can imagine. Both media events happen in February. Will Smith, who has done very well with big Hollywood, big entertainment and big advertising was not nominated for an award this year. Will Smith's lovely and articulate wife, Jada, was one of the first West Coast personalities, to come out for the boycott. Unfortunately, it appeared to many, and even to me, that Mr. Smith, having been snubbed, possibly sulking around the house wondering what more he had to do to get some recognition for outstanding work in his chosen business, complained privately and in confidence to his life mate, who then came out against the lack of diversity at this years awards. People in the industry began to dismiss her objection. Reactions came quick and harsh, from former cast members to just about anyone. Lets face it, people are jealous of those who get the big bucks, those who get the accolades, those at the top of the pyramid. What I would like to remind both Will and Jada is that, first, you made a great film, secondly, and most importantly, the real reason you did not get nominated was not at all that you are a person with some color. Most likely, the reason you did not get nominated is clearly because you took on the National Football League in your film. It's the equivalent of my magazine writing an in depth article about how bad for your health drinking Coca Cola and eating at McDonalds is and then calling them for advertising. You made a brave film about the NFL and the entertainment industry sacked you. That is to be expected. These people play hard ball, this is big business in America folks. But, it was a brave move, so, like ALI, you gotta float like a butterfly 'cause you already stung like a bee.
But wait, that's not all, ye old plot thickens. Conscientious white actors, such as the extremely socially active and aware Mark Ruffalo has now decided that he may not attend. Amazing since he is actually a Nominated Actor in what people call, a "Main Category." First of all people, ALL CATEGORIES at The Academy Awards are MAIN CATEGORIES. The first thing you learn as an actor or a technician in the world of Theatre and Film is the tired, but true maxim that, "There are no small parts, only small actors," The same is true for categories and awards. The fact that Mr. Ruffalo announced his concerns, prior to the Academy actually voting on a final winner is amazing. So then, Spike Lee has made a difference. But here's the problem, do we really want to have this award or that award go to someone of color because there was a boycott ? What will that do to the process over a long period of time ? Will the Academy then be forced to give a person of color a slot because we made them do it ? The token award, like the token cast member who brings in a demographic ? That could get very convoluted. And then we have to ask ourselves, where are the Latino Actors ? Where are the Asian Actors ? The fact of the matter is, many of the actors in nominated and winning slots have been from England and Australia ? Some media personalities have joked that American White Actors should be up in arms about the Academy's policies and choices. I would like to see powerful celebrities like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett stand up to the Supreme Court who are currently about to gut the rights of African Americans and women across the nation. Who cares about the gold at the top, when the people who watch your films are so damn poor, they have to watch bootlegged versions of your films on the internet ?
The Songwriter, Actor and Producer, IceCube, who has done very well with his film franchise, starting with the breakthrough, "Friday," which my, 'white,' nephew turned me onto years ago, has received a nomination via his screenwriters in this years film, "Straight Outta Compton." When asked recently on BBC Television, what he thought of the recent upheaval, he simply replied, in that no nonsense style, that we have come to love and respect, that he doesn't make films for awards, he makes them for the fans, he makes them for the curious, he makes them to tell a story, and if they don't get awards, maybe it's time to walk away. Then he added, "How can you boycott something that you never attended to begin with ? " Which does put a lot of this in perspective. My office is not far from South Central. I see the real problems facing my African American friends and neighbors. My work takes me into areas of Downtown where thousands of African American people live on the streets. I watch whats happening across the country. I read newspapers in almost every state of the union. The real problems of unity, diversity and justice won't necessarily happen through the entertainment industry. We as Americans need to deal with our past. We need a return to manufacturing and jobs. We need to deal with the Corporate takeover that happened years ago. We need to embrace our differences and unify through those variations. If they don't give us awards, and if Coca-Cola and McDonalds doesn't advertise in our magazine, then, we have simply got to do, what we have always done and always will do, in the words of the late great Curtis Mayfield, we've got to, "Keep on Pushin."
Dateline Tuesday January 19th, 2016
This WEEK CNN Reporters Share with Readers and Viewers The Persons Who Changed Their Lives. Link provided below ... BUREAU Editor Joshua TRILIEGI Chimes In.
THE PERSON WHO CHANGED MY LIFE
By BUREAU Editor Joshua A. TRILIEGI
CNN Reporters are currently sharing 'feel good' stories about how their lives were changed by a person of import. Do We Really need to know who changed the lives of privileged reporters ? If so, here's a little story that changed my life.
From the time I was 6 months old, till the day he left the planet, my father, Richard Joseph Flynn, was always there for me. He raised me, my sister, my brother. We bought a modest home and, like most Americans, we enjoyed a middle-ish class lifestyle. My parents worked hard to keep us together, to get us through school and they sent me to college. Both my parents were, culturally speaking, ahead of their time. Sometimes, that was a challenge and other times, it was a very beautiful experience. We were introduced to an extremely wide range of cultures, diverse lifestyles and cutting edge art, music, fashion and the like. My dad had the heart of a lion, the charm of any movie star, the diligence of any father and he had the luck of the Irish. He was born in 1945, exactly twenty years before me. He experienced an incredible time in America, the invention of Rock & Roll, the rise of a powerful youth culture and the tragedies of politics, with the killing of John F. Kennedy. An event that, to this day, neither he, nor I, nor anyone, has truly understood, recovered from or accepted. But, we went on, because, we had to. Something was indeed stolen from America that day, and yet, we learned something too, about loss, about power, about politics and about reporting the truth. I wish I could say that the person who changed my life was my father. Unfortunately, it was his brothers Dennis and David Flynn who did that, the day they stoled our family home from us.
As stated earlier, my father, lived the life of his generation, no holds barred. That lifestyle, took it's toll and like many, the years on this planet were decidedly about quality, not quantity. The day he died, I received a phone call from his brother Dave, who informed me that my father had died, that he had asked for me late into the night, that he had been dropped off at the hospital and without accompaniment, without notification of me, my mother or my siblings, he had died, alone. "I think I made a mistake by dropping him off at the hospital," I was told by what sounded like a guilt ridden brother, asking for forgiveness, asking for support, asking for a partner, in me. Then I was told that my father had expressed that I was to be an heir to his property. This was no surprise. My father, whom had worked so hard to own a piece of America, had, like many fathers, stated the now cliche' phrase, "Someday, this will all be yours," and my consistent and steadfast response, " I don't want to think about that right now." Who wants to ever imagine the loss of a father? I couldn't fathom living on a planet without my dad and I sure as hell didn't want to think about or visualize the day when his property would become my property. In the months to follow, the lawyers and liars changed my life forever. They gutted the house, they threw away the valuables, the photos, the artworks, the books, the memories of MY life. A home we purchased as a family, for some 40,000 dollars was sold to total strangers for some 500,000 dollars. Talk about an American success story, looking at the numbers, clearly my father had made decisions that were spot on: I had to admire him as I looked back on his investment. When word got out that David Flynn and Dennis Flynn had stolen the home and neglected my father's dying request, our neighbors, our childhood friends, our witnesses were aghast. People came forward, volunteering to make official statements, on the record on our behalf. I was devastated, blindsided, and down for the count. Unprepared for this type of loss, I called some old friends in the real estate business, to no avail. The houses were sold, the brothers disappeared and the city of Los Angeles accepted half of the 500,000 dollars as my fathers casual will and last dying testament was ignored.
Don't bust out the violins too soon here, the story gets even worse. Around this same time, I delivered by registered mail, a work of Art, that was my most valuable creation to date: A 100 foot long Artwork which was a tribute to Jack Kerouac's Novel, "On The Road," to one of the world's most powerful and influential Art Gallery owners in the world. Within a few days, I received a letter, stating that the gallery was not currently accepting submissions. There was no mention of the artwork. When I called the gallery with shipping and billing instructions to return the work, I was given the run around. When I called the Art Publications and Newspapers of record explaining the incident, I was met with total silence. Why would the worlds most powerful art media advertiser's side with an unknown artist and lose millions of dollars of advertising from the worlds most powerful art dealer, to support me ? The answer is, they wouldn't, and, they didn't. I don't need to name name's here, I'm not the type of guy. The fact of the matter is, this happened. This was long before I officially stepped into the publishing game and it's one of the reason why I did establish the current Arts publication that has millions of readers around the world reading interviews and viewing photographic essays, reviews and a fresh dissertation on the arts in America and the world. I learned that if I wanted a voice in my community, I would have to create my own platform and that is what I did. It should be noted the publication did not seek revenge on those who stole, those who oppressed, those who lied, those who ignored, those who watched, as an individual artist rose from the ashes and somehow, with the help of family, friends and philanthropist's, helped to transform a silly little blog into a free, glossy, paper edition magazine, that I personally hand delivered to thousands and thousands of residents throughout California and eventually, an electronic edition that is currently being read by millions of people around the entire world. This might be a good time to thank those who helped and those who opposed, those who participated and those who watched from the sidelines, as far as I am concerned, everything and everyone has had an effect and I thank you all.
Again, hold off on the violins, theres more. Also around this same time, I was given a film grant by the Actor Ben Stiller for five thousand dollars to create a film program at a local Los Angeles Film Festival, where I was the director of Development, having worked my way up over a seven year period, from a volunteer at the festivals premiere, to the creative producer of a film series based on the letters of artists of note. The film became a creative hit for the community and a group of New Directors, each with a bold and original style. That year, I personally raised fifty - thousand dollars worth of in-kind trades, created the feature film with the help of fifteen tenacious and talented directors and producers and generated an immense interest in the project via local radio, newspapers and my prior supporters through the years. Paramount Pictures presented the film to a packed house and double screening, MTV, David Geffen and Dreamworks were taking my calls and, I would like to thank them for being so open to the rough diamond that I was. Loss is a powerful entity. It makes for good drama, it is the kernel of all great comedy, it is the only guarantee in life and if you can survive, it makes for some very interesting and empathetic energy that no amount of money or success or worldly accolades can provide. I regret nothing of this journey. Unfortunately, due to conditions beyond my control, the film festival did not survive. But I did.
No violins just yet, this gets even more absurd when my grandfather leaves the planet. Now I'm totally gone. The powerful and mythological shadow that I had spent years studying and documenting, visiting and researching, speculating and honoring, was now gone, and so was I. The party was over. My dad, our home, the artwork, the festival, my grandfather, no longer existed. I missed a day of work the day my father died, at a new job with a film company, during my first thirty days, and was let go. Now you can bust out the violins. Since then, things have changed. With donations, I completely reproduced the 100 foot artwork. I accepted the losses, I forgave those in power, who abused it, I became, according to my peers and the public at large, a writer, with an original voice. I accept that compliment and again, I thank our readers and those who contributed to the end result. So who is the person who changed my life ? My dad ? His brother ? My Grandfather ? Ben Stiller ? The Gallery Owner ? The Festival Founder ? Or the only person who stood by me, every single step of the way back up ? I will leave that for you to decide, or guess. The point is this, if there is a point at all. When you lose like I did, life becomes too important to play games, too valuable to depreciate, too beautiful to make ugly, too incredible to belittle and too damn important to bother with the millions and millions of people, who have not figured this out yet. So, if I didn't notice the game you played, or the ugly thing you said, or the belittling thing you did, or the fact that you still own a house, have a dad, a job, and or are currently abusing your power: at least you now know Why.
Dateline Sunday January 10, 2016
This Week: SEAN PENN and Rolling Stone Magazine scoop The Rest of The Entire World's NEWS SOURCES by bring us an Inside Interview and a clandestine journalist's journey into the private world of one the continent's most wanted men : EL CHAPO.
Tap The Link to ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE :
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/el-chapo-speaks-20160109
Dateline Friday January 8, 2016
This Week : Warren Olney and his Producers : Sarah Sweeney, Christine Detz and Evan George have presented through interview and debate a very concise and interesting take on What is really happening in The Current Oregon federal standoff, regarding ranchers, grazing and property issues. Possibly the best coverage on this issue to date.
Visit The KCRW Radio Coverage of this Current and Important development :
http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/to-the-point/federal-mistrust-in-the-american-west
Dateline Wednesday January 6, 2016
WHO OWNS AMERICA ?
Native American tribal members step into the federal stand off in Oregon to remind All AMERICANS that if anyone has a right to Property in America: It is The Native Americans. In a story this week by JONATHAN ALLEN at REUTERS entitled, " Oregon Native Tribe uneasy with armed standoff over land rights " Tribal members explain that History is a book with many back pages, especially in AMERICA.
View the Article at REUTERS:
View The FULL Video presentation on YOUTUBE:
MORE BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS THIS WEEK
Are Politicians Today Abusing their power by dividing this country into little States with big Issues with one another, VOTERS might start taking a good look at these ploys...
How The Republicans and The Democrats disagree on Climate Issues that are still being considered, "A Debate." Check out the New York Times Article By JOHN SCHWARTZ Dated December 4, 2015. Entitled : Chief of House Science Panel Picks Battle Over Climate Paper. Representative Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas, who is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology is going toe to toe with Kathryn D. Sullivan, the administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, making The US Government look like anyone wearing a light blue shirt can claim scientific authority. The only thing less interesting is the debate between Mr Snow and The Heat MISER in the Famous 1970s X-mas animation film [ links provided below].
LINK TO THE ARTICLE in NEW YORK TIMES:
LINK TO THE CLASSIC 1970S CARTOON: CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS with CHARACTERS SUCH AS The HEAT MISER & Mr SNOW ... DON'T WE AMERICANS DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS ?
MORE FROM BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS THIS WEEK ARCHIVES
The Democratic Presidential Debate
By J. A. Triliegi
Dateline Saturday November 14, 2015
In comparison to the most recent Republican Presidential debate, the Democrats had a love fest, set an agenda, clarified their differences and, it seems to me, are starting to create a cabinet ideology for the American people, before they even win the election, which, if they continue as such, may very well do so.
O.K. So, no one onstage has the charisma, the excitement and energy that President Barack Obama brought to the elections seven years ago. What many do have is an intelligence, a concern and clearly a compassion for working class people that could entirely mobilize a young, ethnic and elderly crowd who care about the future of America. That is not to say that Republicans do not care about the future, obviously, they do, in their own ' special way.'
The Democrats have, to their credit, a program of inclusivity for the New America, the young America, the first and second generation America and Americans. It's way to soon to say, who, will get the nominations on either side. Obviously, their are front runners, it's a horse race, but the conditions of the track, have not been identified: I would not lay bets just yet. Looking at how Mr. Obama stacked his cabinet and appointments after his victory some years ago, gives us an idea of how the Democratic National team, does their thing. It appears that they will most likely do the same and, if they do, this could be good news for working class, the middle class, students and a wave of much needed compassion in America. Hey, lets not get carried away, it's politics we are talking about here, not rocket science or brain surgery, this is a Nation. One thing for sure, it would be beautiful if America realized that UNITED is a big part of our name and UNITED is how we make life better for real Americans, All Americans, in the New America, the America of tomorrow : Today.
Bernie SANDERS : Who would have thought this little dude with the very Big Spirit could overcome all the obvious concerns and send a strong message to people who sold us out long ago. If America can hear his message, if he can convince middle America that he can actually do what he will set out to do, he will make a great Vice President. Yeah, I know, it's still to soon to say and yet…
Hillary CLINTON : Obviously, she's got it going on. Can she clarify how her White House will work ? With Bill, it was daily running, trips to McDonalds and one incredible economy boosting machine, that put America back to work. What will a second CLINTON go round be ? We are wondering and she has wanted it for a very long time. I hope we don't have to turn this into the first woman thing all year long. She would do well to shy away from that type of storyline and deal with some of the things Sanders is dealing with: Minimum Wage, Banks and Campaign Finance Reform.
Martin O'MALLEY : Yes, he's young, he's straight as an arrow and squeaky clean behind the ears, but hey: he's very honest. Who knew how great the State of Maryland is ? Makes we want to move there tomorrow. He's what we can be proud of in America, and that's always a good thing and he's representing that state and his record with the utmost of straight forwardness, although, lets face it: Baltimore is in trouble and we all know it.
Which brings up an interesting issue, no matter how great any President is, America, Authority, Government and Technology are at an all time LOW, when it comes to Respecting, Serving and Honoring The People. That said, Bernie SANDERS' call for a Political Revolution will probably be the most energizing aspect of this election cycle for issues that concern America today, and to counter that argument, you will always have The Republicans, who are going to turn this horse race into a World Wrestling Federation match, all the way down the line.
SCROLL FOR ARTICLES, ESSAYS, REVIEWS AND THE BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE ARCHIVE with NEWS UPDATES, FILM REVIEWS and OVER THIRTY IN DEPTH ARTICLES ON ROBERT FRANK, GEORGIA O'KEEFFE, SPIKE LEE, ROBERT REDFORD, JOHN COLTRANE, OSCAR HIJUELOS, KRIS KUKSI, GARY LANG, DAVID BOWIE, MARLON BRANDO, LUIS VALDEZ, ERIC ZENER, AKIRA KUROSAWA, HO RYON LEE, MILES DAVIS, KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI, PAUL MC CARTHY, JACK KEROUAC, ORSON WELLES, T.C. BOYLE, ELMER BERNSTEIN, PARIS TEXAS, OJO, ARTHUR MILLER + MORE...
BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS THIS WEEK
The Republican Presidential Debate NOV 10 2015
By Bureau Editor J. A. Triliegi
Dateline Tuesday November 10, 2015
A Quick look at the Republican Debate has this writer and sometime director of films wondering: Whose coaching these candidates ? As a complete outsider of politics with a few distant family ties to strong and influential politicians in my lineage: Here is my advice. And, this comes from neither a Rep or a Dem viewpoint, just a viewer of the Circus we now call politics in America.
First of all, its time to admit the your party is in trouble. You went so far to the right that many Americans find it hard to relate to the artifice. You were the party that had at its center: Abraham Lincoln. Your last president conserved nothing at all. Even your hero Ronald Reagan, de-unionized America and made it very difficult for young people to enter Junior Colleges across America. O.K. You gave us Yosemite, that was amazing. But now you are denying global warming, come on folks, your better than that. Stop polarizing and demonizing to get what you want.
America is hurting because your party and the democrats can't work together to get things done and We The PEOPLE are hurting and we are hurting bad. Maybe its time for a new approach, on both sides, to simply Serve The People ? Besides the fact that your party just lost a speaker, who publicly admitted that he left because his party demanded too much of him in an unrealistic fashion. Get real and get real quick. Here are a few notes as this reporter sees your performance.
Ben Carson : Find more energy pal. Try a double espresso or maybe some gingko biloba, more oxygen to the brain. Also the mic in the ear thing after a debate, makes us wonder who is feeding you answers ?
Carly Fiorina : Probably, the smartest person on stage. Strong articulation of ideas. I would suggest to talk about your family more. It's O.k. to be a woman up there.
Jeb Bush : The family legacy is dragging you down a bit. Find your center, believe in yourself more. We don't want to know about cute names, we want a leader. Dude, your a Bush, might as well act like one. Toughen up.
Rand Paul : You've come a long way. Command the stage a bit more. Find your inner - President. Send flowers to someone at Fox. O.K. Your fiscally responsible, now what ?
Ted Cruz : Forget the sweeping arm movements, it's not working. Forget about the boat and the salt air, get on with it. Stick to the short, exacting statements. Loosen up just a little bit. Take three steps toward the center. Your not Joe McCarthy or are you ?
The Trump : Always a pleasure. You cooled down the crazy antics, way to go. Yes, you don't need to mention a website, but you do need to find some compassion. You hosted Saturday Night Live, is it all downhill from here ?
Marco Rubio : Get Large and get large quick. Watch Tom Cruise movies all this week, the guy is small, but you wouldn't know it on the screen. O.k. your a family man, we got it.
The other guy : Forget about it. Hey, you had your fun. Your daughters will be fine no matter who is President. Who are you kidding ?
Tune in here for more casual insights throughout the 2016 election and, Yes, we will, in the name of fairness in reporting, also be, 'Sending Up,' the Democrats at BUREAU NEWS.
This article is dedicated to the spirit and memory of Hunter S. Thompson.
ART PICK THIS WEEK : TRISTAN EATON at SUBLIMINAL PROJECTS L.A.
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UNACCOMPANIED MONORS FLEEING TO THE UNITED STATES
Hari Sreenivason and Yvette Feliciano Report from PBS News on Nov 8th 2015
The Argument: Un Accompanied Children of Dangerous Countries who flee that country to enter America are and should be given Refugee status, instead, many are being represented in court without a lawyer and without proper translation. The ACLU is currently attempting to take Government Policy and departments to task in Court.
Statistics: 62% of just under 20,000 Children from other countries, many who have fled due to dangerous or precarious situations at home, are currently not represented by lawyers. Although, they are currently being prosecuted by lawyers payed by the U. S. Government.
The ACLU: Ahilan Arulanantham, a fifteen year veteran of Immigration law Policy is representing The American Civil Liberties Union and calls the Immigration laws in place a labyrinth or a maze. He argues that if the U.S. Government is willing to prosecute, they should also be willing to pay US lawyers to represent the children and or refugees properly.
Center for Immigration Studies: Mark Krikorian calls the lawsuit frivolous.
US Senate Sub Committee : Richard Shelby ( R ) from Alabama explains, "We Can't Take everyone in the World." and "If We don't protect our borders… were going to have a nation of Chaos." He adds, "The sooner we process them and send them back home, the better off we are." What Mr. Krikorian is unaware of or simply not willing to admit, is that he is actually sending many of these children into situations that include prostitution, gang related opportunities and sometimes, because of family histories and or their relatives previous experience: Death.
View the Entire PBS NEWS Video Report at :
In a related Story Michael D. Shear on Nov 5th noted in an article in the New York Times that not a single child in the past 365 days has been admitted by Obama's new immigration entry program. heres The link :
ALSO: Take a Look at The Apparatus Called Homeland Security which George Bush Jr. allowed to be installed by men that George Bush Senior, [ Cheney + Rumsfeld ] now calls out, way after the fact.
Recent Washington Hearing: A Review of Progress by the Department of Homeland Security
Live Stream Oct 27th 2015 https://youtu.be/M5_deH-8esI?t=1h24m49s
Mr. Lahood : "… On The inspector generals report that found the failure of TSA to find the mock explosives and the band weapons over 95% of the time, So since that occurred and the analysis that was generated from that, if another, say, mock test was done, today, what would be different ?
Dr. Brothers : " I believe the results would be different, but, I think this type, It would be good to get back to the classified discussion of some of the changes if you like, that have been made. "
Mr Lahood : " Are you confident there would be a different outcome if that were done today. "
Dr. Brothers : " I believe there would be a different outcome. Yes."
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Also Reported earlier this year on CNN, ABC + at Techdirt:
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BUREAU EDITORIAL: DIS-organization[s]
By Joshua A. TRILIEGI Archived and Originally Published June 2015 Summer Edition
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| BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE MAGAZINE / BUREAU EDITORIAL: DIS-Organization[s] By Joshua Triliegi |
What has happened to today's organizations ? There was a time when being 'organized' meant doing something that improved life for the group of people you were associating with. Is today's society embroiled in a power struggle that allows Members Only to be favored exponentially ? Are organizations and associations wielding their power in a manner that could be abusive ? Have you noticed that individuals and heads of particular departments, including the mouthpieces in media outlets and those in the public eye are using their platforms in a disingenuous manner ? If you have answered, 'Yes' to any of these questions, you are not alone. From Churches to Non - Profits, from Television networks to Newspaper publishers, from Markets to Corporations, from Neighborhood to Region, from States to Cities & Counties: we are now experiencing a shift in the ideology of a Group vs The Individual.
Of course there are the exceptions, sometimes within an organization, one will find a partial, fair and exemplary individual & even the occasional entire organization as a whole. Though, we should always remember that many clubs, schools, religions and membership style affiliations are exactly created for the sake of empowering that particular group and sometimes rewarding it's members for their behavior within the group. A membership radio station will reward it's listeners with occasional gifts, a membership film festival will rewards its members with discounts to events, a membership museum will allow priority access to its members and a membership religion will go as far as offering jobs, counseling, a social activity and sometimes even life after death. The membership markets offer admission and discounts to products, all sounds fair, yes ? Well, maybe. What happens when non members wish to participate in a related event ? What happens when non members wish to promote or interview or even celebrate something related to this group, be it, radio or museum or marketplace or film festival or even religious ? There is room for abuses of power here and often times exclusive privileges depend on the very rejection of outsiders, non members and 'interlopers.' There are times when actually making an example of an individual is all part of the membership and organization game. Either on the grand scale, for instance, when someone like Edward Snowden is admonished for sharing secrets, he is made to no longer freely live in America as an American, he is forced to make choices which drive him away from his country of origin.
On a smaller scale, due to the many facets of groups and group thinking that have slowly but steadily spread into industries such as entertainment and publishing, being a member, is now being offered as entry into an industry, acceptance as an artist and eventually: success. Thats a very dangerous game. I recall visiting a small community on a tropical island, where the original group of natives had been, for many, many 100s of years affiliated with a particular religion. Because I was a visiting person with business contacts in the West, many of the people I met exclaimed how they had converted to a religion which is very popular in the West. I saw how there was a connection between business opportunities for converts and it startled me. Since that time, I have become more and more aware of this dilemma and must confess that I would personally prefer failure to success due to affiliation through a group of members of some sort. There are entire Arts Publications whose only contributors are members, graduates and teachers and or students of that school of thinking. There are entire theaters that exist solely to exhibit the talents and works by graduates of a certain school where people have studied art or film or music.
So then, the financial aspects of this debate now creep into the room. If your parents can pay for your entry into a school or a University, then, talent allowing, you may have a chance. The problem with this dilemma is that, eventually, it sets up a much larger paradigm wherein a whole other group is conversely created, one in which non whites or non asians or non mexicans or non _________ [ Fill - in - the - blank ] are excluded. Thus creating a world of clubs, cliques and collectives without respect, regard or reward for non members. Unfortunately, I believe we have now arrived at this particular destination and within the very borders of each city, state and country, the infantile philosophies surrounding this way of thinking are handicapping our ability to progress as a society, a country a planet: we are in trouble people. Had I not been raised in Los Angeles or travelled throughout the world or even been respectful, curious and a learned student of International films, art and music, maybe I would not even be fully aware of this dilemma. Editing and creating a magazine that seeks to speak with the best artists, actors, filmmakers, culturally aware individuals has indeed been an education in this regard.
"Every now and then, I meet an incredible individual
who seeks only to offer the beautiful thing that
their institute is actually there to offer…"
As was mentioned, every now and then, I meet an incredible individual who seeks only to offer the beautiful thing that their institute is actually there to offer. An example of that would be every image you see in this edition of the magazine from a gallery or museum. Though, unfortunately, more often than not, we receive a cold reception or worse a manipulated, contrived and down right embarrassingly false set of circumstances that include denial of full access, a series of bureaucratic levels which hinder the goal or simply being lied to or delayed or ignored, resulting in a particular due date having since than expired, thus creating the inability to sponsor, participate or include a contribution of some sort. Sometimes, non members are offered some form of limited access, which is than manipulated to show the 'non-member,' how great life could be, if only they joined the club of conformists, believers, non-believers, etc… Playing the game to get what you want.
These social traps are set on a daily basis. More often than not, walking away is the best bet, though, as a publication, with a goal oriented schedule to promote, affiliate and sponsor social events that surround art, music, film, science, culture and eventually receive advertising dollars to provide a service to the institutes, organizations and companies or non profits, my concerns sometime lead me down the path to investigative journalism: where I am often aghast at the quote un-quote 'members' of some of these organizations. Sometimes this includes a local market or a non profit or an art gallery or even a member of my own government. How far will all of this member versus non member go before it blows up in our faces ? Or is that the point ? Look around at your world. Look around at your organizations. Look around at your own religion, your own so - called group. If you like what you see. Cool. But, if you notice that your superiority is based on the fact that you are a so-called 'member' of a group, that is either based on belief, income, non-belief or lack of income, race, color, age, sex, education, admission fee, a particular lifestyle or some other in-crowd superficial aspect, it may be that you are not superior at all. Quite possibly the exact opposite may be true.
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The HATE CRIMES Essays
The First in a Series By Joshua A. TRILIEGI Archived and Originally Published 2012 / 2013
How they happen, where they happen, how often they happen. Motivation. Locations. Statistics. Why hate crimes happen is a more educating question to delve into. How does hate start ?
Usually there is a form of history involved. A person or a group of people have a history. Everybody has a history. An event or a series of events is interpreted by a person or a group of people and a reaction is created or a response is activated either without thinking about it or by planning that reaction accordingly. Being true to a certain code, to a certain religion or to a certain value is every single persons choice. We do have a variety of belief systems on this planet, in this country, this state, this city, this neighborhood, this house, this room, this wall, this etc ...
"Forgiveness Is An Island We Rarely Visit In Todays Society. Even The Most Religious Of People Have Yet To Learn How To Truly Forgive. How To Forgive When So Much Pain, Loss, Suffering And Injustice Inflames Our Daily World ? "
The world has gotten so small that forgiving one another for our histories as a people may be the first step in moving towards a resolution beyond these limitations. Hate is understandable when we look closer at those whom hate and those whom are hated. Any group of people or any individual who has endured oppression, slavery, ridicule is going to have some serious and justified feelings about the things that have happened either to them or their ancestors. There is a cliche' which goes something to the effect that, 'The oppressed become the oppressors.' There is some truth in this human condition & yet breaking through a cliche' such as this one is the answer to healing. Forgiveness is an island we rarely visit in todays society.
Even the most religious of people have yet to learn how to truly forgive. How to forgive when so much pain, loss, suffering and injustice inflames our daily world ? And what of the forgiveness' s of the past ? Forgive a holocaust ? Forgive years of slavery ? Forgive genocide ? Once a person or a people have experienced tragedy, how indeed do they move forward ? The events of the past tend to shape our current beliefs. Our experience, our parents and grandparents as well as our various countries and continents all carry a history that educates us all. The individual person has to begin to step up for what is correct in today's new society. To do that, to see things with a new eye, will mean that first we must digest our history and re look at what has happened to us through this experience. How did it change our way of seeing the world and each other and how will we transform this experience into a better world for ourselves as well as our oppressors or those whom have enslaved or ridiculed either us or our ancestors.
" The States All Have Different Values. Different Ways Of Living. We Have Different Challenges. Different Everything And Yet, We Are All United. "
In some case both. It starts with knowing our history as group of human beings with a multitude of colors, faiths & origins. Clearly we have a diversity of individuals & groups whom share some of the most basic concerns. In America, there is the most basic right as a human to life liberty & the pursuit of happiness. We have a special arrangement which is built into the Bill of Rights, The Constitution and a whole variety of laws which were set in place by a group of very oppressed individuals whom got on ships to create a colony that they decided needed independence. The Declaration of Independence is an awesome document to behold. Many of the founders of the United States of America were being told which religion to believe in by their former country. Many of the early settlers and colonizers were from other countries. France, Russia, Spain & England all had a hand in creating this country.One of the secrets of our founding is the contribution made by Native Americans. Many of the most interesting and American structures of our government were taken from the belief systems of the Tribes, Chiefs and people whom had governed and lived on this continent for thousand of years prior to the forming of this incredible, young and interesting experiment we call The United States of America. United is a key word. We have got to stay united.
The States all have different values. Different ways of living. We have different challenges. Different everything and yet we are all United. Hate has no place in our society. Hate crimes are happening because some individuals and groups would want others to live by their rules, by their religion, by their belief system. Its downright wrong to carry hate. Any person could find a reason to do so. That same person could also choose to live life in whatever way they see fit to do so. Americans have often been the leaders in progressive ways of thinking, living & working. Los Angeles is a special city. It represents the entire world in many ways. So too is New York City and more and more, the world.
" In the real world, we all lose when hate crimes take over where common sense and respect for one another take a back seat to regions, ideas or differences among us. It may be time to rethink how our political statements, our religious beliefs and our perceptions of one another as human beings effect us. "
We have a responsibility to show the world how to work together without divisive ideas such as how different we all are. In the sports world, there are winners and losers, there are teams and players. In the real world, we all lose when hate crimes take over where common sense and respect for one another take a back seat to regions, ideas or differences among us. It may be time to rethink how our political statements, our religious beliefs and our perceptions of one another as human beings effect us. How do they effect others ? Are you hurting someone else ? Are you creating an atmosphere where only you or your group are correct in your actions ? If so, it may be time to open your mind, your heart and maybe even your pocketbook. At least ponder the questions which are raised here.
TODAY'S RADIO PERSONALITIES :
Emasculation of The American Male Today
What has happened to today's Male Voices in Radio ? This does not include your local pop station, or favorite AM/FM Talk reporter. We're talking about National Radio, which includes shows with hosts such as This American Life's Ira Glass, Adam Felber and television reviewer David Bianculli. Vocally speaking, these guys are eunuch's. Now you ask, "What's a eunuch ?" According to Webster's dictionary : eunuch / ˈyo͞onək / noun / a man who has been castrated, esp. (in the past) one employed to guard the women's living areas at an oriental court. / an ineffectual person: a nation of political eunuchs. ORIGIN Old English, via Latin from Greek eunoukhos, literally ‘bedroom guard,’ from eunē ‘bed’ + a second element related to ekhein ‘to hold.’ and there you have it. So, why did I have to explain to you, my dear reader, what a eunuch is, and not to Glass, Felber or Bianculli ? For one, all these guys were forced to go to college, they all know very well the meaning of words. But can they walk home, in the dark, from one city to another, without calling a cab, finding a bus or hitching a ride in the back of a truck, train or eighteen wheeler ? Robert Mitchum, the late great actor, whose voice was indeed in touch with what writer Robert Bly might call his, 'Inner - Man,' certainly knew how. He struggled from the time he was just a boy, went hungry, was arrested for vagrancy and eventually landed in Los Angeles and became the man we now know, love and respect. Just because your voice is deep doesn't mean you have a pair. Take a look at Prairie Home Companion, which is cute and harmless, like a good husband should be. It's a midwest celebration of life in simpler times hosted and created by Garrison Keilor. Nothing bad ever happens in Lake Wobegon, where the show takes place, "Where, the women are strong and the men are handsome …" something to that effect. Keilor's private detective routine deflates the Humphrey Bogart model and myth into one in which even Keilor could seem tough. One would be hard pressed to imagine him holding his own with the likes of John Huston, Lauren Bacall or even Sydney Greenstreet for that matter. Let alone marching on Washington for the rights of fellow writers being blacklisted. Even if Bogie recanted his testimony, he had the guts to at least attempt to 'do something' for fellow writers during a time of struggle in America.
Today's radio personalities are funded by the very powers that they should be able to criticize constructively and accurately or some semblance thereof. Ira Glass's, This American Life is a brilliant show, but if anybody in America actually believes that the FBI would ever allow a story on this show to 'reveal' anything pertinent to the American public, you are dreaming. The Federal Government actually regulates, at almost every level, what is being said on national radio. Not only that, but the public may be unaware that everything that is stated on radio is a matter of public record, the same as a statement made in a court of law. Recently, Ira Glass sent me, as well as millions of Americans a request to send in their most interesting, 'DRUG' stories. Now here is a real entrapment opportunity. Some people, no doubt, sent in stories about taking drugs that would indeed be alerted by the authorities, every transmission of communication in this country is indeed suspect from one department to another. Ever since the attack of September 11th, a new system of tracking & documenting individuals was put into place. If the government and sometimes anyone else, wants to know what you ate, what you watched, what you said, where you went and certainly what you wrote to an individual connected with being overseen by the federal communications commission, its a no brainer. Cameras now cover America, almost every store, every street, every eatery, every highway, taxi, bus, has the eye in the sky. Many of these cameras are live and being transmitted to other locations for the sake of publicity or in the name of promoting your business via companies such as google. On the one hand, its for security, on the other its simply 'Un- American'. Question: So, What does all this have to do with the American Male Voice in radio today ?
Answer: Quite a bit. The war on drugs, which was a total failed approach has creeped into new and creative ways of finding out what Americans are doing for recreation, clearly Ira Glass has a pretty big file on folks who once, inhaled, dropped, snorted and puffed. Everyday for decades, people of color, who are often portrayed on radio as uneducated, overly accented and foolish, were arrested daily for having miniscule amounts of substances, while college students and executives were simply slapped on the back of the hand for posessing major amounts of similar substances. People of color have been abused by the press, the authorities, the media and the general white populist so much that even when a white writer, reporter, magazine editor such as myself attempts to explain, write about or befriend a community other than my own, I am held suspect. As a novelist, my job is to portray life with an authenticity and a, 'No holds Barred' attitude. As an essayist, in this case, the idea is to ponder a question and see where it leads. So then, what happened to the American male Voice in America ? The answer is, I don't know. What happened to America itself ?
Well, we became scared of our own government after September 11th, then we became scared for our jobs, our future and in the mix, we were willing to give up our freedoms, our privacy and for some, willing to give up manhood. Of course were also talking about a generation of men whom many were raised by a single parent, often times a mother. Orson Welles was raised by his mother and he was no eunuch, lets look at what they did to him. When he made what is commonly called one of the best films ever made in America, CITIZEN KANE, he was blackballed from the industry, demonized by the right wing press, made a personal enemy of one of the most powerful media moguls in America. Before that, he took the great white hope, Shakespeare, and had the audacity to reset the play Macbeth in Haiti with an all black cast. The show was an out & out hit and it travelled throughout the country to great fanfare & review. Of course his biggest mistake was being so convincing on the page as well as on the air that during his famous War of The WORLDS presentation, naive Americans having been hyped by an already sensationalized news wave of information, regarding a possible war, were fooled into thinking that martians from another planet were actually invading America, first in New Jersey and later throughout the country. Some people, it was reported, jumped out of windows. Someone in the government was surely paying attention to that fiasco and asking, "How could we repeat that ?" A scared America, is an easily controlled America.
So then, the question is not really about the over proliferation of emasculated male radio voices as much as the out - wind - ing of everyday Americans. Have we all been turned into eunuchs ? There is actually a word in the dictionary that is spelled, 'Eunochoid', it means, resembling or 'having been reduced to indeterminate sexual characteristics.' Which I should qualify, my argument has nothing whatsoever to do with sexual orientation. I have known many a tough gay person in my time and indeed witnessed physical feats of bravery on both sides of the great divide, male and female. What we are talking about here is empowering a nation of sheep to beware the wolf, by becoming the wolf again, in one way or another, lest ye be eaten by one. The term, "They've got us by the cross hairs," has always opened my imagination in this regard, it implies a certain back alley fist fight, no holds barred attitude in which we as a society must grapple with. If men are allowed to be men, Orson Welles, Robert Mitchum, Humphrey Bogart, for instance and women are allowed to be women, Agnes Moorhead, Roselyn Russel, Lauren Bacall for example, and Americans are allowed to be free to do what they will, at their will, without having to write an early will, than all will be well in America. But until that time, I listen, very dubiously, to the voices on the radio and pay much more attention to those very sane and original voices circulating and commiserating inside my very own beautiful mind.
BUREAU OF ARTS AND CULTURE EDITORIAL PAGE: The HATE CRIMES
The Second in a Series By Joshua A. TRILIEGI Originally Published between 2012 - 2013
HATE CRIMES PART TWO : When Symbols of Good are used for Bad and the Militarization of Race and Belief
by Joshua A. TRILIEGI
To understand how hate starts, is perpetuated and fueled for purposes of control and an attempt to influence, let's think about Immigrant Issues. America in its entirety is an immigrant Country. We were originally created by a mass exodus of people, some working class, some noblemen, some royalty, others simply looking for gold or a safe place to believe in their own idea of a god, others for a place to raise their families or to create a business which might flourish. Some were bent on creating a new country where a person could have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Native Americans inhabited this continent for thousands of years prior to the founding of this great land. Early on, settlers were taught how to grow food, where to place one's home, safe places to hunt, etc...
" Many significant contributions were made by Native Americans in the forming of our government structure. A mix of parliamentary and tribal structures make up the systems that we hold dear to this day. "
Many significant contributions were made by Native Americans in the forming of our government structure. A mix of parliamentary and tribal structures make up the systems that we hold dear to this day. Ben Franklin, one of the founders who was born in this country, was indeed a secretary early on, taking notes at original meetings between the tribal Chiefs and those forming the U S of A. Together, a fusion of systems was adopted to create what is still one of the most interesting government structures that exists on the planet today. Its a gift, a special and on going idea of freedom for all involved. Freedom to believe what one wishes, to express freely, to allow for differences within the community, to live.
Immigrant issues have always been controversial, transformative, generational and indeed affected property values, job opportunities and the general landscape of America, it's people and their beliefs. For instance, in the midwest, German immigrants settled early on, they set up shop, brought new traditions of food, technology and craftsmanship and they flourished. Later, the Irish followed suit, after that Italians were given an opportunity. Each group was given a chance to contribute to this new land of opportunity. Enhancing our idea of what it is to be an American. They brought their economic ideas, their recipes, their medicine, their craft, their workmanship and yes, they brought their belief systems. Italian, Chinese and African Americans worked hard in building the railroads, earning places along the way, and settling foundations where and when those Railways ended.
" Every person has the right to believe what they wish to believe, that is the American way. The real problems occur when a group of people begin to enforce their beliefs onto any individual or onto another group or onto our society as a whole. "
Chinatown in both Los Angeles and San Francisco are a symbol of those periods of hard work. Of course the issue of slavery is something that still effects the changes and progress that are a part of our daily life in America. We fought that battle long ago, but on some levels, we still have yet to overcome the scars, the ideas, the troublesome patterns of color divisions which some would wish to perpetuate to this day. Flashing forward several hundred years, the xenophobia, the struggle to accept others, the fear of what is different is a two fold situation. A persons belief system is a persons belief system. Every person has the right to believe what they wish to believe, that is the American way. The real problems occur when a group of people begin to enforce their beliefs onto any individual or onto another group or onto our society as a whole. The use of symbols, be it a cross ( burning or otherwise ) , be it a color, be it a fetus, be it a flag ( burning or otherwise ) , be it a word, be it a letter or color ( Scarlet for instance ), be it a T-Shirt, be it a Poster, or in the case of current events in Egypt, be it a Film. Re-watch Birth of a Nation to understand how far back this goes. Any image which is used to hurt, coerce, exploit another human being only ends in sorrow, sadness and tragedy for both parties.
Those whom use a symbol for hate are often treated with a natural backlash that often sets their entire group back. Impeding progress. In understanding hate, delving into these delicate societal issues that are indeed being employed in todays modern world is one way to reveal ways in which we may overcome such hatred. Young African Americans have taken a word that was meant to hurt their ancestors and flipped the script. Using it as a form of friendship, a form of greeting and even of affection. Thats one way to deal. There are other ways that have yet to be invented. The word WOP was meant as a slur to those With - Out - Papers . Even though my grandfather was born in this country, he was called ' Johnny the Wop ' and because of his charm , hard work and veracity, gained the respect of many people within his community and beyond.
"Young African Americans and public personalities such as Richard Pryor have taken a word that was meant to hurt their ancestors and flipped the script. Using it as a form of friendship, a form of greeting and even of affection. Thats one way to deal . "
Every single immigrant group through the centuries has been blasphamized [ that is a new word ] There are negative names for every one and everything you can think of. Usually, hate it is taught by a rather small minded, inexperienced or uneducated person or group of people. What we don't need is a negative stereotyping of folks whom come from a place that American as a government may be at war with. During World War II , both Japanese and German Americans and immigrants were often unjustly treated. At the same time, the last thing America needs is a group of people importing aspects of a belief system which hinders the progress, growth and freedoms which America holds near and dear at its very core: The basic human right to believe what you want to believe, to love whom you want to love , how you want to love, when and where you want to love.
A real family value is not one enforced on a neighbor, or cat called by harassment, or spray painted on a sidewalk. A real family value is for you and your family alone. Anything else is a platform, a platitude or just a performance that generally is meant to hurt someone else, but ultimately only hurts the person or group employing such a ploy. The militarization of religions, politics, ideas and other aspects of economy as well as opportunity are tearing apart the fabric of our society. Technology is a gift which is being misused to hurt, surveil and coerce. Enforcing a belief system onto another human being who is happy, contented and independent or different than ones own is a wrong headed approach. Celebrating ones religion, ones political ideas, ones freedoms does not mean that a person or group needs to bully, prove wrong or simply denigrate others.
"In the new America, there is no room, no time, no place for the kind of small and large messages which are being sent through commentary, through dialogue, through coercion or simply through hateful ideas of color, race, religion, sex or any other way of living."
In the new America, there is no room, no time, no place for the kind of small and large messages which are being sent through commentary, through dialogue, through coercion or simply through hateful ideas of color, race, religion, sex or any other way of living. America is a land which offers safety, opportunity and a place to believe whatever one wishes to believe. Believers, non - believers, married, single, catholic, jewish, buddhist, scientist, muslim, christian, gay, straight, carnivore, vegetarian, and any country of origin one can imagine. No one group, religion, people or place owns America. The individual person in America owns America. Those who wish to abuse their power because of their population, their goals, their ideas, their religion, their political causes are only going to set us back again. It is time for everyone to prove to their fellow Americans that , " We The people ... " is not just a phrase, but a living document.
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