Wednesday, August 18th, 2004

Marching On

If you missed this, the F.B.I. is questioning protesters about violence. (Today’s update here.) Part of the Code Orange strategy–linking the protesters with Al-Qaeda, creating a global-terror-to-domestic-terror continuum. Get us all asking: why wouldn’t anarchists and Al-Qaeda both want to target Citibank and the IMF?

Stop me if I sound conspiracist here. Then come check me next spring when protest season reopens, even if Kerry wins…

Meanwhile, the latest press release regarding what demonstrators are beginning to call “the battle for Central Park”. (Bonus reading fun: idiotic sectarian flaming!)

posted by @ 7:28 pm | 0 Comments

Wednesday, August 18th, 2004

Even More Signs The Reeps Are In Trouble…

This statement from outgoing Republican Representative Doug Bereuter (Nebraska). Bet he won’t be speaking in NYC or getting a news show on Fox.

posted by @ 7:04 pm | 2 Comments

Wednesday, August 18th, 2004

Welcome Peaceful Protesters

Imagine if they had these in Seattle at the WTO or even Chicago or Miami ’68? No truth to the rumor that bootleg DVDs in Chinatown are being discounted to $3 for demonstrators.

posted by @ 7:23 am | 0 Comments

Tuesday, August 17th, 2004

Republicans and the Black Vote

Here’s some cross-posting with Funkdigital, who weighs in on Republicans and the Black Vote.

Funkdigi got me thinking:

The Republican strategy is based on alienating the Black vote. It’s how they realigned the Democrats in the south under Nixon and it’s how they continue to keep Southern and interior states literally in the red. There’s a lot more to be said about this, and I’ll try to do it here over the coming months.

(By the way, Thomas Frank’s new book goes part of the way toward describing how this gets done. But, I’m afraid due to Frank’s blindspot on race he doesn’t get the whole story. Chain Reaction by the Edsalls does a much better job but it’s outdated now by over a decade–more in future posts…)

That said, I was stunned in 2000 at how diverse the Republican convention tried to be. Not just because Chaka Khan and Brian McKnight were featured performers (hope they got PAID), but sending Colin Powell out to defend affirmative action in front of a hostile hall was pretty bold. No doubt we’ll see the same rainbow effect from the dais in Madison Square Garden in two weeks.

But all THAT said, the Reeps did nothing to actively court the Black vote in 2000, and on the ground, they did a lot to disenfranchise it. They still are, esp. in the South. But aside from Florida, we mostly won’t hear about it because the “battleground states” are mainly in the Rust Belt or the Sun Belt…more on this too in future posts…

posted by @ 5:22 pm | 1 Comment

Sunday, August 15th, 2004

Elvis, Beer, and Rolling Stone

So there will be no black musicians featured in Miller Beer’s canned commemorations to rock heroism.

Yes, Miller, I’ve known beer. And you are no St. Ides.

Who was Miller’s corporate partner in this? None other than Rolling Stone magazine. Unapologetic hippie white rockist central!

Here’s the best section of the article:

“The brewer and the magazine issued the cans this summer, depicting Elvis Presley, Blondie, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Willie Nelson, as well as two guitars.

Gary Armstrong, chief marketing officer for Rolling Stone publisher Wenner Media, said race wasn’t a consideration when choosing the artists.

‘We didn’t even consciously think pro or con, the same way that the only woman on there is Blondie. We just went with the people that we thought were appropriate,’ he said. ‘We went through (the covers) and said these people we don’t think are appropriate, or wouldn’t appeal to Miller drinkers.'”

As of blogpost time, there is still no confirmation to the rumor that planned hip-hop commemoration cans will only feature the Beastie Boys.

posted by @ 8:16 pm | 0 Comments

Sunday, August 15th, 2004

Puerto Rico Ho-oooooooooooo!

Puerto Rico 92, United States 73. Underdog love, cause this one’s for Vieques!

posted by @ 8:08 pm | 0 Comments

Sunday, August 15th, 2004

The Blues Roots In Islam

Great article on the Muslim roots of the blues.

posted by @ 7:41 am | 0 Comments

Thursday, August 12th, 2004

This Is Bananas And Whatever At The Same Time

Staying in New Jersey for a moment: Democratic Governor Jim McGreevey steps down. Here’s why. A gay adulterer? Watch the Republicans take this one to the cultural bank while the Dems cower in silence.

Meanwhile, memo to T.O.: get off Jeff Garcia’s dick!

posted by @ 6:02 pm | 0 Comments

Thursday, August 12th, 2004

Culture Freedom Come Back With Me Apple Pie!

Bring some extra-size fries, too.

Sorry. I’m having another hip-hop nostalgia moment.

The word from Cocaine Blunts & Hip-Hop: Tony D is back.

posted by @ 1:37 pm | 2 Comments

Thursday, August 12th, 2004

Mental Viagra

The brilliant Tony Green on Rick James. Spotted at Pop Life where my-API-brethren-who-is-not-me also has a great piece on hip-hop nostalgia, something I know a little bit about. Because I Am Hip-Hop Nostalgia.

posted by @ 8:20 am | 0 Comments



Previous Posts

Feed Me!

Revolutions

Word

Fiyahlinks


twitter_logo

@zentronix

Come follow me now...

Archives

We work with the Creative Commons license and exercise a "Some Rights Reserved" policy. Feel free to link, distribute, and share written material from cantstopwontstop.com for non-commercial uses.

Requests for commercial uses of any content here are welcome: come correct.

Creative Commons License