What's on my mind?

The difference between a boycott and a strike is that a boycott is a form of protest by consumers who refuse to buy or use a product or service until their demands are met. In comparison, a strike is a form of protest by workers who refuse to work until their demands are met.

Boycotts and strikes are potent tools that organizations can use to demand change. They target the economic foundations of entities or sectors that engage in unjust or harmful practices or exploit their workers. The critical factor for a successful boycott or strike is solidarity. If the boycotters or strikers lose their unity or commitment, their chances of achieving their goals diminish.

In this capitalist economic system, the outcome of a boycott or a strike depends on which side can endure the financial loss longer. The boycotters or strikers may seem disadvantaged, but if they remain united and determined, they can inflict significant damage on the target's finances. 

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We live in a world where propaganda is pervasive and influential. Many of us are vulnerable and succumb to its influence. A common misconception is that wealthy people have all the power, which is a lie. The power belongs to the people, but they are tricked into thinking that they do not have power. The wealthy use various strategies to manipulate us and maintain their dominance, such as creating inflation, discouraging labor unions, and creating division among the lower and middle classes by forcing them to compete for resources that the wealthy control. The main instrument they employ to achieve this is capitalism. Capitalism is a zero-sum game, where someone has to lose for someone else to win.

Many of us, the majority of us, are drawn into the capitalist system because we have been taught that we can succeed with hard work. However, the capitalist system as a whole is rigged against us. Moreover, we are taught that other economic systems are doomed to fail because they are prone to corruption when the truth is that all economic systems have the potential for corruption, especially capitalism. We are immersed in a sea of corruption that people and corporations have caused in the capitalist system. And even though the corruption is evident, they tell us that other economic systems would be worse. We are fed with the positive aspects of capitalism and blinded to or given excuses for the inequalities that exist in the capitalist structure. They are quick to blame people with low incomes for being poor. When Ronald Reagan wanted to turn us against people with low incomes, he presented us with the image of the “welfare queen.” It was not a coincidence that the person was black and a woman. It was a deliberate choice. And most of us fell for it hook, line, and sinker. While not informing most of us that the vast majority of people on welfare are white. The federal government in the Jim Crow era could not explicitly exclude black people from welfare programs. They had to devise clever ways to keep the welfare program out of as many black hands as possible.

They accomplished this in many ways, such as:

• The Social Security Act of 1935 excluded agricultural workers and domestic servants, who were predominantly Black, from old-age insurance and unemployment insurance benefits.
• The Aid to Dependent Children (later renamed Aid to Families with Dependent Children) program gave states broad discretion in determining eligibility and benefit levels, which allowed Southern states to exclude or limit assistance to Black families.
• The Federal Emergency Relief Administration, which provided relief funds to states during the Great Depression, allocated more money per capita to white families than Black families and often denied relief to Black families altogether.
• The Works Progress Administration, which created jobs for unemployed workers, segregated its projects by race and paid Black workers lower wages than white workers.
• The Public Works Administration and the Federal Housing Administration, which subsidized housing construction and mortgages, enforced racial segregation and redlining policies that prevented Black families from accessing affordable and quality housing.

These structural systems were built into the government to make it seem like they were playing fair, but they were not. They had developed a system in which they would try to hide their racism. Many of these same structures still exist or have created new ones to replace older ways of systemic racism.

Ronald Reagan and other Republicans since have used these racist cloaks to fit their narrative and reinforce the stereotype that black people are lazy and always take advantage of a system meant to help people. Meanwhile, we ignore or justify the expl

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We are constantly exposed to propaganda. Many of us are vulnerable and succumb to its influence. There is a widespread belief that the wealthy people have the power. The wealthy use various strategies to manipulate us and maintain their dominance, such as creating inflation, discouraging labor unions, and dividing the lower and middle classes. The main instrument they employ to achieve this is capitalism. Capitalism requires that someone has to lose for someone else to win. The words of Mr. Ransom, “Nothing is free,” are very accurate and have a double-edged effect. They can limit some of us, but they can also liberate us. As children, we do not fully understand their implications because we rely on others, but as we mature, we face the reality that our life has undergone a radical transformation. 

Inequality in society is the lesson that the wealthy have failed to learn. The wealthy may not say, “Let them eat cake,” but their actions speak louder than words. 

Many of us, the majority of us, are drawn into the capitalist system because we have been taught and shown that it works. We are taught that other economic systems cannot work because of corruption. We are told this while living in a sea of corruption that people and companies caused in capitalism. Even though we see the corruption, they tell us other systems would be worse. They use their history of why it would be worse. We are forced fed capitalism’s positive aspects and simultaneously blinded or given reasons why inequalities exist. They are quick to blame people with low incomes for being poor. 

When Ronald Reagan wanted to turn us against people with low incomes, he presented us with the image of the “welfare queen.” It was not a coincidence that the person was black and a woman. It was a deliberate choice. We were not informed that most people on welfare are white. That was omitted, and we were led to believe that if a black person exploits the system for their benefit. But this fits the narrative and reinforces the stereotype that black people are lazy and always take advantage of the system meant to help people. At the same time, we are given false information about who really exploits the system: corporations, wealthy individuals, and others.

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You have to do the work to earn proper credit.

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The video of Ta’Kiya Young’s death was disturbing, but as I analyzed it, I noticed several actions by the officer that seemed irrational. It was clear that the first officer did not perceive Ms. Young as a lethal threat. He was shouting at her and ordering her to get out of the car, but he was also standing safely at the side of the vehicle. The second officer, however, placed himself in danger by standing in front of the car. He did this voluntarily. Was this an official protocol to stand in front of a vehicle with the possibility of moving?

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I asked a question today and looked up the answer. The Democratic governor of Kentucky cannot replace Mitch McConnell with a Democrat if he steps down. According to a law passed in 2021, the governor has to choose from a list of three candidates submitted by the Republican Party of Kentucky. The temporary replacement would serve until a special election is held to fill the vacancy. This law was supported by McConnell and opposed by Governor Andy Beshear, who tried to veto it but was overridden by the Republican-controlled legislature. Therefore, McConnell’s Senate seat would remain in Republican hands even if he resigns or dies before his term ends in 2027.

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In my opinion, the U.S. political system and how it affects Black people has kept them in an ongoing state of victimhood. I think the system was designed by old white men who wanted to stay in power at any cost. I believe that they have made Black people suffer from oppression and injustice for a long time. I believe that Mitch McConnell's second medical event, at least it appears that way to me, that happened on a live recording, has shown us how evil, selfish, greedy, and hateful most of them can be.

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Stochastic terrorism is a term used to describe the use of language or communication to incite violence. The term "stochastic" refers to a process that involves random probability or chance. Stochastic terrorism is the public demonization of a person or group that results in the incitement of a violent act. These acts are statistically probable but cannot be predicted.

Stochastic terrorism can involve:

• Dehumanizing and vilifying a person or group of people
• Hate speech
• Public dehumanization
• Public figures

Stochastic terrorism is a type of extremist violence that is borne of increasing polarization. Extremism and terrorism experts have been warning of the growing threat of stochastic terrorism. These acts are much harder to predict by law enforcement.

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A well-known saying warns us to be cautious of those who claim to be our allies because they may also have ulterior motives or hidden agendas. This metaphor compares such deceptive people to wolves who disguise themselves as sheep to prey on the flock.

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Rarely in life are two or more issues sitting on equal footing. Bothsideism tries to tell us that one side carries as much weight as the other. Common sense tells us this is not true. Don't be fooled ask questions.

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