serious question to Obama by a google+ hangout chat participant

mohandasgandhi:

realfakescientist:

why are we spending so much money on foreign aid when we have people jobless in the middle class???

he said: it’s really not nearly as much as some make it out to be.

he should have said: because people in other countries are humans too. we are not the only human beings worthy of eating, drinking, sleeping and “living” in general. Americans are no better than any other person, no matter what citizenship he or she holds.

real question: why do we only think about ourselves? do we not have a single ounce of humanity left for anyone “not American”? plus, what people fail to realize is we don’t give “aid” to anyone we don’t directly or indirectly benefit from, for the most part (except for natural disaster relief, among other things).

I think it’s also interesting to note that Americans think we spend 25% of our federal budget on foreign aid and would instead like to see us spend about 10%. In actuality, less than 1% of our federal budget goes towards foreign aid.

I only saw the end of the Q&A, but what I caught seemed to be a lot of “but what are you doing to help middle-class Americans (code=WHITE PEOPLE)?”

Today in “I didn’t know they were Black!!”: Ludwig Van Beethoven

theafrosistuh:


SOURCE

The true identity of Ludwig van Beethoven, long considered Europe’s greatest classical music composer.  Said directly, Beethoven was a black man. Specifically, his mother was a Moor, that group of Muslim Northern Africans who conquered parts of Europe—making Spain their capital—for some 800 years.

In order to make such a substantial statement, presentation of verifiable evidence is compulsory. Let’s start with what some of Beethoven’s contemporaries and biographers say about his brown complexion.:

” Frederick Hertz, German anthropologist, used these terms to describe him: “Negroid traits, dark skin, flat, thick nose.”

Emil Ludwig, in his book “Beethoven,” says: “His face reveals no trace of the German. He was so dark that people dubbed him Spagnol [dark-skinned].”

Fanny Giannatasio del Rio, in her book “An Unrequited Love: An Episode in the Life of Beethoven,” wrote “His somewhat flat broad nose and rather wide mouth, his small piercing eyes and swarthy [dark] complexion, pockmarked into the bargain, gave him a strong resemblance to a mulatto.”

C. Czerny stated, “His beard—he had not shaved for several days—made the lower part of his already brown face still darker.”

Following are one word descriptions of Beethoven from various writers: Grillparzer, “dark”; Bettina von Armin, “brown”; Schindler, “red and brown”; Rellstab, “brownish”; Gelinek, “short, dark.”

Newsweek, in its Sept. 23, 1991 issue stated, “Afrocentrism ranges over the whole panorama of human history, coloring in the faces: from Australopithecus to the inventors of mathematics to the great Negro composer Beethoven.”

And yet Western “scholars” want you to believe that Beethoven looked like:

 

If Western scholars knew (or admitted) Beethoven was anything other than European & White, we would have probably never heard of him, much less treat him as one of the greatest composers in history. 

Tags | beethoven | race | music |

SO glad I just googled to see if OSU was doing the Vagina Monologues. Because I found this link. 

And they are bringing a free screening of Miss Representation to the Gateway Film Center on Sunday Feb 26 @ 4pm.  

(And their Vagina Monologes are the weekend of February 17 for $8).

"Despite many an ardent attempt on the part of some to convince the world we are post-feminism, we still live in a society that is overwhelmingly patriarchal and male-favoring. And while men are still in control — only 12 Fortune 500 Companies are currently run by women and women make up only about 17 percent of the United States Congress — it’s clear that we need to do something to counteract this reality and work towards a world of gender equality. This is where women’s colleges come in. Women’s colleges prioritize the education of strong, motivated women and encourage them to be the leaders of tomorrow. While it’s true that successful, powerful women do (obviously) graduate from co-ed universities as well, that goal is not prioritized or promoted in the same way at those institutions. And sometimes, female students have the potential to be leaders, to achieve great things, but need an extra push. The effect of attending a school that constantly holds up this standard for its students should not be underestimated — in fact, its effectiveness is reflected in the statistics of women’s college graduates."

On Attending A Women-Only College - The Frisky (via thefrisky)

Every time I see something extolling the virtues of single-sex education I look for any discussion of the class privilege that most people attending these institutions enjoy. Not because I want to be all “it’s not great!” but because I know there’s a link to someone class & how far they can typically succeed in life (in the traditional sense of the word). 

Indiana Democrat foils attempt to mandate drug testing of welfare recipients with sneaky amendment

shortformblog:

  • the plan: Indiana Republican Jud McMillin (yes, just one “d”) introduced a bill in the Indiana General Assembly that would have required random drug testing of welfare recipients.
  • the sabotage: Democratic legislator Ryan Dvorak added an amendment to also require drug testing for elected officials in the state. McMillin withdrew the bill. source

» The nitty-gritty: ”If we’re going to impose standards on drug testing,” Dvorak said, “then it should apply to everybody who receives government money.” McMillin claimed that he had to withdraw the bill after Dvorak’s amendment was added, due to a 1997 Supreme Court ruling that it’s unconstitutional to drug test candidates for elected office…but that logic is flawed, as the Dvorak Amendment would have only required testing of officials already in office, not candidates. Surprisingly, McMillin said he plans to introduce a new version of the bill….that requires lawmaker testing as well. “Give me the cup right now and I will be happy to take the test,” McMillin said.

Read ShortFormBlogFollow

oh snap..nice move McMillin

columbusdispatch:

King Avenue United Methodist Church in Columbus has had its fair share of controversy since the 1990s, when it became inclusive to gays.
Now, the church’s decision has helped it thrive where other old, Protestant churches in urban areas are still struggling.
Above: Same-sex couples feel free to embrace during services at King Ave. Photo by Dispatch photographer Ty Wright

I often bike past this church. It has a huge banner that reads something like “ALL are Welcome”.  There are actually quite a few churches in Columbus that are openly welcoming to the LGBTQ community, which I think is pretty rad even if I don’t participate in any religion. 

columbusdispatch:

King Avenue United Methodist Church in Columbus has had its fair share of controversy since the 1990s, when it became inclusive to gays.

Now, the church’s decision has helped it thrive where other old, Protestant churches in urban areas are still struggling.

Above: Same-sex couples feel free to embrace during services at King Ave. Photo by Dispatch photographer Ty Wright

I often bike past this church. It has a huge banner that reads something like “ALL are Welcome”.  There are actually quite a few churches in Columbus that are openly welcoming to the LGBTQ community, which I think is pretty rad even if I don’t participate in any religion. 

stfuhypocrisy:

goodreasonnews:

evanfleischer:

The Muppets “respond” to Fox News.

This is the best thing you’ll see today.

This is in response to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl6ekkvWnOE 

"I do care [about the environment]. I care a lot, actually, but not as much as I used to, because I went to America; when I came back, I thought, “What’s the point? Why do I bloody bother?” The consumption levels over there are so much more extreme. I feel stupid, really. I feel like I’ve turned up at an earthquake with a dustpan and brush."
— Sean Lock, on recycling (via cocknbull)
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