Miners Protest Magnifies South Africa's Struggles With Apartheid Conditions in Wealth Distribution



South African mners of Lomin Mine protest wages.
They are seen wearing tribal clothes during protest.

When the white South African regime brokered deals with jailed leader Nelson Mandela prior to Mandela's release in the 1990s, there were several agreements that were made regarding wealth distribution in the severely Apartheid torn nation.

It was a deal that Winnie Mandela is still, openly hypercritical towards because it left majority of South Africa, a largely black nation, dependent on whites to dictate wealth, and has played in the continual destabilization of the African National Congress. Resultantly, it were the terms of that complex agreement that are directly tied to the miners protest on August 16, 2012.

Mandela agreed to terms that shifted much of the political power to blacks, yet the economic power stayed in the hands of whites, hence the mines and multinational, long standing corporations are all  white owned in South Africa.

Another aspect of the agreement were that white government workers who did not want to work alongside blacks in federal jobs could retire with a pension for life immediately. As a result, South Africa has to fork over a chunk of its budget to a pension system that pays whites who retired from work as early as 18 years old.

Although South Africa is rich in minerals and natural resources that could balance the budget and create more wealth, the white domination, white privatization and control of the money flow has made it difficult for the upward mobility of a majority black population and increased enhancement of South Africa's infrastructure that is dire need of a better public education and hospitals.


Mark Munroe, left, executive vice president for mining at Lonmin,
speaks alongside chief financial officer Simon Scott.

Whites have privatized much of their existence. Schools, hospitals, neighborhoods and businesses are in the hands of whites who were in staunch support of Apartheid. Unfortunately, when Apartheid was dismantled, their worldview did not switch; yet whites have reaped all of the rewards from the ending of the sanctions, boycotts and embargoes against South African countries during the Apartheid regime.

Today, South Africa has progressed politically, yet the wealth distribution has created bigger gaps in the haves and have-nots. Miners have not received proper increase of pay, health plans or sustainable living benefits for their families.

As well, a large sector of the labor, which is still in mining, receives pittance wages, but these mines have not been regulated for the gross environmental damage they have caused to towns who live close to the mountains of unearthed dirt that blow toxic soil on windy days, along with other issues.

What the miners of Lonmin were protesting were an increase of wages from about US $600 to $1500 a month. The average day for a miner is 15 hours underground with shadey safety conditions. Most miners still work in conditions where they are separated from wives and families who live in the rural area.

Lonmin is the third largest platinum mine in the world, and has been refusing to budge in the wage increase like other local mines who have responded to the national debate regarding the mines being privatized. More importantly, the now suspended ANC Youth League leader  Julius Malema was demanding that South African government nationalize the mines to bring wealth to the people rather than keep it in the hands of few.

SA President Zuma talks to miners.

ANC leaders, such as current president Jacob Zuma saw his actions as divisive and disagreed. Zuma, as well as others like Mandela, opt for a plan that gradually, but with little certainty, shifts wealth.

For example, the resettlement plan of South Africa that gives land and homes to South Africans who once lived in Shanty towns, or were ripped from their homelands, is an iniative of wealth redistribution.

Nonetheless, the gap that has widened between white wealth and black poverty, added by growing costs of living in South Africa are making the average black South African anxious and disappointed. Add to the that, the ANC is weakening from within, which further makes governing and staying in power more diffcult.

Yet the cold truth is emerging amongst black South Africans through their controversial, and ineffective head-of-state, black power without black wealth is only a mere puppet to the highest bidder.

The protest that occured and the cold response by Lonmin executives is a reminder that the past is not far away, and that the past is the current. The racist, color-stratified, white racist regime is alive and kcking.

Women family members of miners eye police at Lonmine Mines.

African Americans gawked at how black police officers were involved in killing their own black countrymen, but those of us who understand oppression know that all to often the oppress perpetuate their oppression better than their oppressors.

South Africa is much like the US in its racial politics and issues. Just because Obama is president and South Africa has black presidents and Mandela has been free for over 20 years, does not make any two of the countries post-racial.

Just like an ordinary day in New York, Chicago, New Orleans or Los Angeles. As Zora Neale Hurston prophetically said, 'Your skin folk ain't [always] your kinfolk.'

Those black officers probably really believe they were doing what was right along with white officers who are paid a little more than the miners.

Both are still perpetuating the residuls of a white South African regime that suppresses black enfranchisement, and protect white wealth.

Paul Ryan's Black Ex-Girlfriend Does Matter

Funny  thing, I could not find a picture with Ryan and one black person.

Paul Ryan's recent disclosure of having a serious relationship with a black woman does matter. Though it is an embryonic tactic to create a racelessness Republican identity, it is still heavily embedded in race politics; or rather, keeping race in national political discourse

But let's face it, who we openly date is some very old shit. In mainstream dialogue, it is being erased with the relevance of the NAACP, the prescription pill addict known as Limbaugh, and me favorite little chicken nuggets.

Of course in moral, politically-correct discussions, an interracial relationship is far from damning. In fact, saying you have had an intimate relationship with a black person elevates your post-racial status on white people's liberal scales.

And since the movie, 'Something New', starring Sanaa Lathan, it seems that forward-thinking, assertive, career-oriented black women, have chosen white dime pieces as the accessory of choice. Of course that comes after every black radical male has fathered at least two biracial children since Civil Rights.

Today, it is okay to be gay, ask any black woman's best friend on a reality show. And certainly, it is cool to taste the rainbow, much like wearing a vibrant, chic little DKNY suit on Wall Street, it is the change we have become.

But this ain't moral politics, this is new world order. In order to play, you have to appear, well, "we-are-the-world-ish" with accents of suppression and highlights of sexism. But racism, oh noooo, not fashionable and not a good sell, just a whole bunch of videos going viral on Youtube.


We not post-racial. That ploy didn't work. We are more post-racecard.

For instance, when the Gabby Douglass hair incident came out, I heard so many white people in particular point out that they did not "see" Gabby's race nor her hair as she captured to gold medals in the London Olympics. And frankly, they were offended by the discussion of her blackness and nappyiness; especially when Negroes talked about it, we were framed as perpetuating the race problem.

But this new trend of being non-racial is the re-emergence of the colorblind scheme to cover up outright racism that has been popping up like opiate leaves in Afghanistan since the Obama election.

For decades, bedding a black woman was the rights of passage for white males, hence the interesting story of celebrated politician Strom Thurmond, the biggest racist who fathered a biracial child. If Ryan's girlfriend's color or that of his sister-in-law did not matter, he would have left that out of any discussion.

According to some reports, Ryan's admittance is said to have caused a hail storm in the Right Wing camp. I disagree. Those who have responded negatively are the ignorant minority that the Republican Party is weeding out and re-educating and re-politicizing with the notion that you gotta give a little something to get the power back.

A little chocolate wetting Ryan's tank is a good thing. It makes Ryan look more attractive, and creates a more progressive head of state for a future America that is currently being heavily criticized by the world for its backwardass politics.

Paul Ryan for President in 2016.

The Republican strategy is something like the known secret amongst blacks who warned other blacks to not be too radical, or too hard on Obama during the 2008 campaign. He had to appear non-threatening to white voters. Certainly, we were banned from pointing out that he really didn't have a traditional "black" experience because of his biracial heritage and middle-class, upbringing is what made him most appealing to voters.

Now Republicans are cultivating someone who defies the traditional right-wing image in pursuit of a 2016 president and a Republican dominance after the Obama reign for at least fie to six terms.

Ryan is just going through the motions as a (pseudo) Vice-President in the already failed, and cartoon feature that is called the Romney campaign. They are grooming him for president, and scouting out Chris Christie as the Veep, and maybe even the other way around. God help us all.

Ryan is establishing a vanguard political identity that will be the "new" face of a Republican Party that has been split between blatant racists and those who have been indifferent, and to some degree ambivalent. He becomes the unifying factor of being progressive, but still conservative enough to maintain, and perhaps grow the voting base of the party; especially young Republicans.

If Republicans want to crawl out of this self-dug hole, they have to dig deeper and edit its public representation in creative ways that keeps the crazies, but regulates them so they can continue to get the vote, yet present a more progressive public image.

Bill Maher naively said that rednecks and old racist foggies will simply die off. And though they do, there are certainly many more who are happy to replace cogs in a wheel.

But this is where politics gets very interesting. Many people like to point out the individual and not look at the system that produced this person, and provided an environment for them to thrive.

It is so easy to crucify the individual, so the Republican thinkers are using this perspective in developing Paul Ryan as the individual who is transcending current and past stereotypes of the Republican boogeyman.   A more progressive, handsome malverick who is "color blind" and comes from an inclusive, yet conservative family.

Yes, bring him home to Jesus. Ryan has made it to the promise land of . . . dare I say it, a post-racial Republican.

Lupe Fiasco Pushes Against the Machine with Lyrics, Sweat and Tears

Of course people would argue that Lupe Fiasco's tearful interview explaining the continual violence, gross disenfranchisement and hopelessness in his hometown of West Side Chicago should be the very reason why he should vote.

On the contrary, it has provided the impetus for him to be vocal about not voting and seeing it useless for the average person whose interests are never served.

Lupe's perspective, in truth, is the reason why black and brown youth are ever so turned off about the voting process 4 years since they largely participated in the 2008 presidential elections.

Though they say politics are local, the youth were reined into the national election, thus staying mis-educated about the issues on the local level. There is a difference between casting a ballot and being politically active; however, most "activists" were not interested in that part of the equation. You see, mentoring youth and their activists so that they can understand the importance of localized political engagement would only mess up Sharpton's time at the salon to get his edges retouched.

As a result, local politics remained the same---completely failing and disregarding the same population that was mobilized to vote for them.

Nonetheless, this reality also pushes Lupe to be politically engaged in his music and beyond.

Lupe who  is currently providing, free, healthy food during Ramadan, articulates the contradictions and ironies he sees in US policies and social order. Lupe's latest single, "Freedom Ain't Free" provides insight into the conundrum, corporate exploitation and chaos that the average young person navigates in the midst of profiling, unemployment, and streamlined resources to be a productive citizen.

I agree with Lupe when he states in his latest single, "America’s a big motherfuckin’ garbageman." And as he says in the interview, this system has eaten and thrown away many of his peers. The brilliant and provocative emcee who also attended and supported Occupy Wall Street pointed out in this interview that some of cats on his block are either imprisoned or dead, haunting him today as harsh testaments that black and brown Chicago communities and blighted and burning.

The MTV interview showed a previous Lupe interview when he first came out six years prior. He was a hood kid who used skating as a way to balance his life. When he went to the other side of town, the place he called home, he described is displeasure with the high levels of disenfranchisement that his community endures.

The two frames are juxtaposed realities that the average inner city youth lives. On one hand, we are entrenched with visuals and realities of social-political-cultural implosion from Brooklyn to Oakland , but on the other hand, we live a parallel to an alternative life of the hipster movement, a commercialized, and fresh-faced Justin Bieber-esk campaign that borrows heavily from our culture, minus the poverty and prison records.

And that is how a lot of us youth live, even if we have made it, we must all go home. Even if we are second and third generation "middle and upper class" black people, we all have family members who are struggling. And while Lupe enjoys the lightness he feels in his career choice, his travels, and his evolution as a human, he wears the weight of his people on his shoulders.

Though Pete Rock is pissed that Lupe took his legendary beat that was used in "They Reminisce Over You (TROY)," a song that memorializes friend Trouble T, he is simply the pot calling the kettle black since he stole it from Tom Scott and the California's Dreamer's song "Today".

Love the lyrics in Lupe's shit. Rip it brother on both ends.

Profound line
Crucifixes, racism and the land grab/Katrina, Fema trailers, human body sand bags

Another dope line
Say that we should protest/Just to arrested/That goes against all my hustling ethics/A bunch jail niggas say its highly ineffective

Speaking truth line

Down at the Lakota Sioux casino/A whole culture boiled down to given you Pokeno

Get More: Lupe Fiasco, Music News

Whose Dick is This? Uhh, Yours Anthony

by Eco.Soul.Intellectual

The age of the social media highway is quite intriguing. A dick here, a dick there, and a dick on Twitter. Thanks to Congressman Anthony Weiner who just admitted he has an obsessive proclivity for showing his man parts to random women, has also defied the rule of thumb to step down.

In an unconvincing apology, Weiner declared that he will continue operating in his Congressional position in a raw-dog riding stallion sort-a-way. Pun intended.

Is Weiner attempting to stop the trend of outted public officials (and pastors) who can't deny their embedded stank-freakiness due to photographic evidence and silently leave (or settle a lawsuit) in disgrace?

I bet is favorite position is Doggystyle, that little porn star.

Twitter/Facebook is this addictive. A quick fix for attention whores to skeet erotic chauvinism. A portal where arrogant pricks who should represent the moral measure of this country, can now violate that code of conduct and then refuse to give up the leadership they have rebuffed.

Why do dickheads such as Weiner get all the fun? There go those effing Democrats always messing up when it comes to some poontang, or trying to get it.

I mean for real, if you look at the history of Democrats, sex scandals are their Trojan Horse. And lets get it straight, its usually the white men. They need to holler at one of the brothers and learn how to keep side pieces and freak-a-lique behavior on the L.

However, according to political experts, Weiner's political career had come to a halt anyway. His attempt to become the Mayor of Gotham already was plagued with two strikes and an NYC political scene where local Dems didn't give to shits and an erection about Weiner in the first place.

Nonetheless, do you think that he is not fully taking responsibility for showing his Hebrew National almost busting out of his poon-poon drawers?

Uncle Luke for Mayor

If a gun-slinging action cowboy in Western movies can be president of the US, a steroid-toting killing machine in Sci-Fi flicks can be governor of California, a wrestler can be Governor of Minnesota then I think Uncle Luke, the grand-daddy of pussy-poppin', booty-poppin', free speech music should be the mayor of Miami.

White men can't have all the power and fun.

If anyone can wake a sleeping giant in Miami, I do believe Uncle Luke will at the very least stir something up.



Let's hope his candidacy is more than a one might stand and a $1 lap dance.

And since Luke has been immersed in some of the raunchiest environments that has come out of rap music, he doesn't have much to hide.

We've seen so many sex scandals that make Luke appear, well, somewhat normal, at this point, let's allow him to direct his energy to another avenue of productive citizenship.



But what would Miami look like if he'd win:

1. Inauguration night will be an all-white, bass music, booty shaking, Reggaeton carnival in Dade County.
2. Real Housewives of Miami would cast more than Cuban chicks who have too much plastic surgery and look like they've been around the Florida peninsula too many times.
3. Strip clubs would be tax exempt and churches would be taxed as "for-profits".
4. Fidel Castro would be in the front row of the inauguration, waiting for Latina video vixens ready for la revolucion!
5. Every one of Luke's baby-mama's and dancers would go straight to child support.

All I gotta say is, don't stop get it, get it!

I had to go back to my high school days when I was in shape and could pop, lock it drop it.

VOTE for Isehuh Griffin, Not the White Man's Bitch

Every now and again, someone has the courage to say, "Fuck Uncle Sam" with an intensity that cannot be ignored. Recently, that has manifested in Ieshuh Griffin, an Independent candidate for a State Assembly seat in Milwaukee.

Her slogan is very simple, "Not the White Man's Bitch." I wish she would've added, "Or an Uncle Tom's Ho." Now that would've summed up the state of affairs in the political realm.

A whole bunch of side-swiping, knee jerking, semen swallowing and finger-pointing non-sense has been going on, on the Hill and little is getting done.

On a historical note, black women have been known to just put it all on the table when our backs are up against the wall, and this country is about to make folk drop the soap in a hot steamy prison shower and fuck us all.

You've got police tasering the sense out of elderly, upstanding women, police shooting black men like its duck season, and these damn tea baggers and conservatives jaw-jacking has the President shaking in his boots and making stupid hasty decisions.

But thank you for fucking with a real classy gangster, Shirley Sherrod. She has them all bowing down to her pinky toe for forgiveness. Don't you know not to mess with an accomplished, Southern black woman. And I'm not talking about Tyler Perry's "MaDeia."

Since Obama's nuts are tucked somewhere up his arse as of late in the case of race relations, I got to give two thumbs up to Ieshuh Griffin, who has put it on the line in the very white state of Minnesota. Now all she needs is a platform.

Her slogan is the most honest shit I've seen in politics in a minute.

But I must admit, Obama getting the financial reform clause passed and extending the benefits for long-term unemployed is cool . . . for now. But as we have all seen, rules have been changing to suit the power brokers.

Now Bami, go and have a talk with Ieshuh and let her give you some effective tips on how to shut them down.

(In haste, I had to make some corrections to a crazy blog. Excuse last night's errors)

Arizona, Black Folks and Bananas in the Tailpipe

Oh yes, I am back!Right after LeBron "Punk Ass" James failed to deliver again.

Now, now, he's not overrated, he's just spoiled. Send his ass to the Clippers and let him understand hard times.

That's right, I forgot, he's trying to slither his way to the NJ Nets under the influence of Jay Z who has secretly snatched the only source of entertainment for black folks in Jersey and send the b-ball team to Brooklyn.

Let's hope the recession puts that on an indefinite hold. I live right down the street from the Prudential Center and I'm getting some tickets. They've got great funnel cakes and beer.

But if James does come to the Nets (and damn do they need a savior) and chokes like he did for the Cavaliers, he needs to be prepared to face Brick City. There will be some goons ready for that ass.

Okay, so let's talk about ass and the assholes in Arizona. Wait a minute, let me back up a bit. I will start with some of the messages on my Facebook page from African-Americans who are praising the racial profiling and racist policies in Arizona.

Hooray, some cheer, as they think that the good old U.S of A, specifically anti-King Holiday Arizona is opening a door to hire their black ass. Uh-no.

As a matter of fact, I get into heated debates with folk in my family who have valid reasons for their angst against folk who willingly come to the US for a better life. They just put it in the wrong context.

In the end, the overarching issue is exploitation from both sides. Undocumented workers are paid slave labor and unskilled black workers are cut out of jobs that were historically given to them, so they don't get any slave labor.

It is interesting how the blame always goes to the one with the least power. And the ones who push the laws are the ones who will gain the least from them. In fact, they will experience adverse affects from it.

AZ makes it very easy for white supremacist and classist policies to be passed all in the slogan of protecting the US Citizens of all colors.

But I always tell my black folk, be careful what you cheer for because your citizenship is on permanent probation too.

And of course, like predictable history, the white man speaks with forked tongue. And I am not saying this as the literal "white man," but the history of the US goverment promising one thing, but delivering another monster. I call it the classic "banana in the tailpipe."

So now a bill is up for consideration in Arizona to cut ethnic studies from schools. Bye-Bye Black, Asian and Chicano Studies, your existence is irrelevant. Get the banana out of your ass and think before you support.

Behind the Scenes of 2009: Things You Need to Know but Weren't Told

Between Lions, Tigers and Madoff, there were some important issues that somehow, got away from most of the press this year.

Here are some things that were not reported, or barely covered, but play an important part of understanding some of the craziness that will be going on in 2010. Hopefully, I will have more.

1. Black farmers of the US finally won their lawsuit and got a $650 million dollar settlement. The catch was that was a fraction of the $2.3 billion needed to save all of the 100,000 farmers who filed racial discrimination against the US government. Out of that number almost 64,000 farmers’ claims were rejected.


2. Gold prices jumped exponentially, as well as the purchase of guns. In some cities guns and ammunition has not been able to be kept in stores. Although the dollar is not backed by gold, it is a metal that is up for grabs. Look at all the commercials buying your gold. That is because jewelry is considered private gold and will not be confiscated by the nation if they decide to seize gold. There is public gold, connected to the Federal Reserve, but remember this is not owned by the US, it is a private company determining US money.

3. Amero, is the new North American Currency that was initiated by Bush and will be instituted within the next several years after the American dollar tanks. The Amero is a unified currency of the Canada, US and Mexico. Hmm, how will that change rap songs, and classical rap that talks about the “dollar” like God. In fact, the US has put in billion of dollars to develop the Amero.

4. Verichip, the company that developed the hand microchip, you know the one that was supposed to be implanted in our hands by the year 2000. It had a plan to embed prisoners and immigrant workers, but the plan was thrown out due to the lightening-fast evolution of technology; however, the company has changed its name to PositiveID, and says that it is a credit reporting agency and identity-theft agency.

5. People are arguing over climate change, but the Genetically Modified foods have seeped into every agricultural and food industry, even organic foods that scientists have found out, contains some percentage of GMF.

6. Universal Healthcare debate, on any side, does not address the disparity of healthy, fresh and non-GMF foods in urban and areas of color.

7. Universal Healthcare debate, on any side, does not address the disparities in the quality of life in all communities. In places like Compton, Philadelphia and Newark, it costs more to live due to high car/house/life insurance, abusive housing costs where many people rent, and food costs than upper-class areas.

8. In spite of promises that the real estate market will get better it is getting worse and will decline more next year. Plus, the tax credit to buy a house will extend to 2010 and those who rushed to get a house are kicking themselves for not being patient.

9. Real estate corporations and investment groups are buying foreclosed homes by the acre, thus dwindling individual home ownership.

10. Computer hackers were on a roll this year, breaking into the most sensitive data around the world, but they never go to jail. Why? They start working for the government.

11. For years, conspiracy theorists have been rebuked as lunatics, but never in the history of mainstream press has some very interesting things been covered by these so-called crazy people such as:
a. The existence of an elite group has been controling the world's switches.
b. The dollar is on a rapid death.
c. Much more war in 2010.
d. A shift to military focusing on monitoring US populations due to the so-called
threat of domestic terrorism and civil unrest with the fucked up conditions.
e. Presidents really are puppets, but who is the puppet master?
f. Unpredictability of the people is one of the best weapons of revolution

12. People are arguing over climate change when communities across the world are dying of toxic and nuclear wastes by governments; however, to focus on climate change like carbon emissions takes the onus away from water and soil that is absolutely deadly for all.

13. As much as Obama rides for Israel, the state treats black people, such as like the Ethiopian Jews and Sudanese refugees, who live there like shit. And, there have been reports of young Israelis, and even those who have dual citizenship between Israel and USA, referring to Obama as a nigger.

14. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict gets news when areas in the region that live peaceful coexistences, such as pockets in Haifa, are disregarded.

Married Priest in the Catholic Church? MAKING the rules then BREAKING the rules

Raise your hand if you were traumatized by going to Catholic school. Do you see my hand? It is reaching about a mile high. Not only did I go to Catholic school, most of my formative years, but I was reared in the Catholic Church.

I bore witness to the Catholic Church’s hypocrisies firsthand. One of the “religious principles” that I always did not understand was the rule in which priests and nuns could not get married. It magnified as I got older and would look at these shriveled up white nuns, and agitated priests attempt to tell me about the Lord, with orgasms backed up from three decades ago.

I am sorry, that shit is not normal. It is not the oath of celibacy that is abnormal, but an order that imposes a law on a group of people that have notoriously defied it since the formation of Popes and Bishops who have historically been known to have lovers and children.

Now, after all these years of children being raped by priests and nuns; and scandalous love affairs that went on the rectory (or should I say rectal-ry) and convents, the Washington Post reports that Pope Benedict XVI makes an official announcement that they will allow Anglican priests to join the church as liturgical leaders, even if they are married.

Now come on people! This should be an outrage to Catholics who have banged their children over the head for many years out the piety of celibacy among priests and nuns. But like Marx says, “Religion is opium for the masses.”

If I was a priest or nun, I would run naked down the aisle on Sunday masturbating to a porn magazine asking, “After all these years I had to suppress my sexuality, these Anglicans can get their fuck on!?”

Overall, this shows just how political religion and religious organizations really are. At the drop of the dime, a centuries old ordinance can be changed to increase the numbers of Catholic membership due to the huge economic loss and political sway the Catholic Church has.

This loss of membership has also made the Vatican re-strategize converts and recruitment to the Dark Continent of Africa. There, Catholicism has not only become a religious order, but one that denotes a certain class.

Consequently, the savages have become the biggest promoters of a religion that once upon time held a liturgical edict known as the Papal that gave the Pope the authority to tell European explorers it was a divine right to enslave Africans and dissemble the present-day Americas for the purpose of “religious expansion.”

This critique does not excuse Christianity period, because it has been integral in backing many historical brutalities in the name of Jesus, God and the Trinity (and we are talking about the Matrix).

Not only past Christians, but current ones turn the other cheek as pastors, deacons, and ministers turn pulpits into pimp houses. And let me not forget the witch hunts in the “Name of God” that go on in Africa killing elder women and men for traditional practices.

Anyway, here is another case that proves rules are carved out with the idea of control and a social order where someone will always be on the bottom, thus relegating the rule makers as the top.

What the Vatican really needs to do is allow same sex marriages in the church, starting with the priests and nuns themselves.

Falsifactions of Corey "Bugah" Booker

Cory Booker is on Broadway. Cory Booker is on "Meet the Press." Cory is being interviewed by Bill Maher. Cory Booker is at the Tyler Perry movie studio opening. Cory Booker is at Sundance promoting his documentary. Cory is chilling in his real residence that is a county over from Essex. Cory Booker is everywhere except where is ass needs to be, in Newark.

It is very interesting how our Caucasian folk and uppity Negroes are drooling over this manmade machine known as Cory Booker. A man who seems to represent a city that he really does not reside has become this sensation, but by whom? Not the residents.

I've seen Caucasian ladies and a couple of Negress' squeal in delight when they mention his name and comment that he is "sooooo cute." Uhhh, sorry, fish is not his palette of choice.

Funny thing about politics and the entertainment industry, you are forced to be something you are not for an image that everyone accepts. But behind the false identity, especially in politics, it is you who stands by, or takes a position in making decisions, even when it can be to the detriment of your real person.

But folk will squeal and kill over Bugah, who is just some misunderstood, chunky kid with a lawyer's mentality of compromise.

(Cory and a "Guest" aka Beard is at Tyler Perry's studio openings in Atlanta, GA. It's okay Cory. We know she is just for show.)

People who have never or will ever set foot into Newark celebrate this fabricated superhero as if he just died on the cross for black folks' sins. Ironically, if they do visit Newark, it will never be after dark, or only on hockey night with half of the Newark Police Department hasseling locals.

All Hail Cory, aka Bozo, aka Bugah, aka Buffalo Butt! People cheer this man on as he ushers in "developers" while throwing out Brick City residents who have held Newark down when white flight and white rage chased companies out.

Maybe, I don't have a complete Newark state of mind, but my mind does not play tricks on me when it comes to the plastic leadership of Cory Booker.

He, and his arrogant and rude staffers (I've bumped into a couple of them on the street) have systematically made Newark a haven for Gentrification. While the old Newark is dying a rapid death, the New Newark is being celebrated. But what is the New Newark? Ohhh its about five city blocks all located in the downtown area on the northern side of Broad Street facing away from the rest of the city to create an exclusionary environment.

So when I see how he hoots and hollers with that annoying voice that is too much spittal and not enough substance, I am not impressed.

A man whose backers have little interest in a truely cohesive and inclusive development, Booker is only being primed to run for NJ Governor or something higher, using Newark as his $2 whore to pimp and say, "Look what I done did white and rich folk, I done cleaned up the hood and removed the black and brown folk away from here. Come and rape Newark some more, please!"

And as I walk past the Prudential Center that now has this huge, ugly, aluminum edifice of a hockey player, yes a hockey player out of all the things in Newark, I roll my eyes. Gentrification has done it again.

In this clip, a senior citizen group gives Cory a book of jokes to update his humor repertoire. Little does he know, people are not laughing with him; especially since he is backing the tearing down of housing developments throughout Newark, including senior citizen homes.

“Roses Really Smell Like Boo-Boo” in the Garden State

Something is reeking in New Jersey and it is not country flowers. If you did not know, yesterday, FBI and IRS agents arrested over 40 people for allegedly being involved in a money laundering and bribery network that ran from Israel to New Jersey.

Some of the arrestees consisted of three mayors (Hoboken, Seacaucus, Ridge), a deputy mayor (Jersey City), two state legislatures, and a handful of rabbis who allegedly funneled money through yeshivas and non-profit organizations, and were involved in other illegal activities.

As well, New Jersey’s Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, unexpectedly resigned on the same day the arrests took place and right after the FBI ran up into his home to search his residence for possible evidence related to the case.

On the surface, this looks like a dismal blow to the Democrats who have been enjoying a consistent flow of Republican politicians screwing up in the media. With the shoe on the other foot, it might be the Democrats once again, not knowing how to handle blow jobs, funny money and ruthless red elephants shitting in the blue donkey’s stall.

But my conspiracy theory nose is twitching in this “age of transparency” because these busts, just so happened to occur, right as the gubernatorial race for New Jersey is beginning to heat up and get very interesting.

Democrat, John Corzine who is the current governor is also seeking re-election. According to news reports, he is said to not be doing well in the polls. Corzine is up against political bulldog and self-proclaimed corruption ball-buster, Christopher Christie, the former U.S. Attorney for District of New Jersey who left his job for the election sometime last year.

(photo caption: Christie doing the Durty Jersey jig when he convicted former Newark mayor. Are you supposed to celebrate like that?)

Christie is an unforgettable face because the Star Ledger paper took a photo of him celebrating the conviction of former Newark mayor, Sharp James, in 2008. While Christie served in his former position as a big-wig attorney, his stance against those in public office who “betray [ed] public trust” was that they all should go to prison. Oh really, all of them, or your political foes?

So why is it that a 2-year sting operation comes out right before elections?

In this recent sting operation, reports have confirmed that this investigation started while Christie was still serving as a U.S. District Attorney. He knew what the deal was then and he knows that this is a one-up to help him now.

What nice timing to expose these bribes, or alleged bribes! I tell you something is foul in the air.

As a new resident of Jersey, I am still trying to understand the deep layers of corruption that are thoroughly and in most cases, openly, intertwined into every facet of every institution in the state. To me, this is just a fight over who will control the honey pots, and if it is the conservatives I think I might have to move to Philly.

If you would’ve seen some of these Conservatives and Republicans when Obama won last Fall, you would’ve thought you had just witnessed the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in Confederate country along a dusty Georgia road. And it wasn’t just the old heads, but younguns’ vying to seek revenge for the “stupid” Americans who voted for the Moslem.

Now do I think that bribery was involved? Uhh, yeah, most likely somebody’s palms were being rubbed very well. Maybe I’m pissed that they were not mine. Could help pay some of these $80,000 loans. On second thought, I'll pass, maybe I can win something free on Oprah today.