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Discussing the flaws of America

Anti-racist activist Tim Wise lectures and opens active discussion with students on the San Jose City College campus Thursday, April 20.

Melissa Maria Martinez

Melissa Maria Martinez

Anti-racist activist Tim Wise lectures and opens active discussion with students on the San Jose City College campus Thursday, April 20.

Leslie Aguilar, Times Staff May 24, 2017 Filed under Campus Life, Showcase

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San Jose City College students had a chance to engage in a conversation about the social and political climate surrounding the current administration. On Thursday, April 20 anti-racist activist and author Tim Wise offered a platform for students and staff to voice their concerns and opinions through a lecture and Q & A.

His topics dealt with racial injustices, a critique of the ideology behind President Trumps agenda, as well as articulating the struggles that have historically affected communities of color.

This thing about racial justice, this thing about equality, this aint charity, this is radical self- help, Wise told the audience. This is about saving ourselves and the country that we claim to love. Not making America great again, but making America great for the first and only time.

Students were generally pleased with the topics covered by Wise, who received claps and cheers when commenting on the Trump administration.

That is what the election of Donald Trump is, it is back to our regularly scheduled programing, Wise said. The scapegoating of black and brown folks, scapegoating them for problems they didnt create, thats not new, thats been going on for 400 years.

Wise urged the audience to seek more knowledge on the topics he covered, as he said learning about them could help combat the resurfacing of the racist and divisive atmosphere of Americas past.

We have to understand the past to understand the present. You cant teach what you dont know, and you cant know what you werent taught Wise said.

SJCC President Byron Breland offered an opening introduction, which included his own past experience with Wise.

The last time I heard Mr. Tim Wise speak, I was a student in graduate school, back in the early 2000s Breland said. Hes a lecturer that Ive had the pleasure of following.

Ethnic Studies professor Jesus Covarrubias, prompted students to ask questions, and stressed the importance of thinking critically.

As faculty member and a representative of your academic senate, we know our faculty at City really encourages our students to engage in courageous conversations Covarrubias said.

The types of responses generated by his lecture were similar among faculty and students alike.

I hope that he was able to stir up some intellectual curiosity, at least to go and read and listen to whats being said, said Breland Where were going in terms of our forward progress here in this country and also within our community, especially our communities of color.

Its very informative, he is an individual who truly understands the realities that people of color are living in the United States, said Fabio Gonzales, a counselor at SJCC.

The demographic of SJCC proved to be especially relevant to the topics Wise discussed. Alyssa Marquez, a political science major, said shes glad this conversation was brought out into the open.

Its important because San Jose City College is built on a campus of diversity, so if we dont actually acknowledge that there is a problem with acknowledging diversity, then theres no way that we can really flourish and do our best, said Marquez.

Some professors were accompanied by their students, many of whom brought along notebooks and pencils to take notes.

Our entire community obviously can benefit from having a sobering conversation about the world we live in, Covarrubias said, who brought along his Ethnic Studies class.

Its important that message be brought to our college, it helps to reaffirm what we see on a daily basis in our working class communities, said psychology and communications major Veronica Garcia.

Garcia said that Wises message came at a crucial time.

It applies because of everything thats going on, definitely with the election a lot of us are hurt by it, she said. It applies to us just because weve lived it, but no one speaks about it, no one comes and says the things that we have deep down inside, that were angry.

Luis Trujillo, a business major, said that regardless of the statistics he heard that depicted the unjust treatment of minorities, he feels that this speech serves as a powerful reminder that this country is a work in progress.

The message he gives to communities of color is important, Trujillo said. It gives the people hope, it makes them feel that theres still a chance to change, not just the system, but ourselves and society.

Link:
Students and faculty welcome anti-racist activist Tim Wise - City College Times

Political firebrand Ann Coulter says she is opposed to President Donald Trumps first foreign trip, and would prefer he put Americas interests first.

For the record, I am totally against this foreign trip. I am really not interested in Saudi Arabia. Im not interested in invading Syria or Libya. I think weve learned enough from that. I want him to come home, build a wall & start concentrating on making Americans lives better.

She went to say the terrorist attack in Manchester reinforces everything the President ran on.

Were not going to save the rest of the world. America is starting these wars, all of our foreign aid, and it always comes & bites us in the butt. American needs a little me time now.

Despite her objections to the trip, Coulter says she cant stay mad at the President.

Every time I want to be mad at him, the media bring me back with their completely unfair, hysterical I mean, they really have gone mad. I was noticing my liberal friends cant even read the New York Times anymore. Theyve gone from the Gold standard of journalism to the double-standard.

Ann Coulter was a guest on McIntyre In The Morning.

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Ann Coulter Totally Against This Foreign Trip - KABC

Trump arrives for his first ever talks with EU Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker, who will argue for the benefits of open trade and the Paris climate agreement. IMAGES Video provided by AFP Newslook

President Trump and European Council President Donald Tusk(Photo: OLIVIER HOSLET, EPA)

BRUSSELS As President Trump met with European leaders on Thursday, he couldn't escape the Russia controversy dogging him at home and now abroad.

The White House is grapplingwith multipleinvestigations into Russia's interference in last year's presidential election, including an FBI probe into possiblecollusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow. Still, Trump has openly sought warmer relations with Russia and just this month welcomed top diplomats to a controversialOval Office meeting in which he reportedly disclosed highly classified information in an apparent attempt to get Moscow to step up its fight against the Islamic State.

Yet in Brussels, home of the NATO and European Union headquarters, EUleaders publicly broke with Trump's more positive diplomatic approach to President Vladimir Putin's government.

"I am not 100%sure that we can say today ... that we have a common position, common opinion, about Russia," said European Council President Donald Tusk after meeting with Trump. Tusk added that both parties remain critical ofRussia's military incursions into neighboring Ukraine.

Tusk also said "some issues remain open" with Trump, including climate change and trade policy.

Trump's meeting withTusk, who presides over the European Council, and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, preceded talks with leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The Brussels stop came in the middle of Trump's first foreign trip as president, one that began with visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Rome. Trump is spending nine days away from Washington, which is still reeling from a spate of recent revelations related to Trump's links to Russia.

Trump's first foreign trip as president came a week after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to look into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russians who sought to influencethe 2016 presidential campaign. The U.S. intelligence community has accused Moscow of orchestrating a high-level campaign of cyberattacks, propagandaand fake news to try and influence the 2016 election, though the president and his aides have denied any collusion.

Still, EU members have long questionedTrump's warm comments toward Putin, who has backed many anti-EU candidates in elections throughout the continent. And countries such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have expressed concerns about similar Russian hacking and disinformation campaignsto undermine elections in their countries.

Trump's lean towards Russia was on full displayone day after firing his FBI director, when Trump took an Oval Office meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and SergeyKisylak,the Russian ambassador to the U.S. on May 10.The Washington Post subsequentlyrevealed Trump divulgedhighly classified intelligence in that meeting about aterror plot, in a way the Russians could have deduced secret sources and methods.

This is notable not just because it potentially compromised a source of intelligence on the Islamic State believed to be Israel but because Russia has also backed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, whomthe U.S. and European countries accuseofwidespread killing civilians and opponents in the name of fighting terrorism.

Trump also unnerved European Union leaders by supporting last year's "Brexit" vote in which the United Kingdom opted to exit the EU. Trump, who met with new president of France, Emmanuel Macronalso had kind words for defeated French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, another EU opponent.

While Trump said better American relations with Russia would benefit all nations, he has also opposed Putin on occasion. The Trump administration supported Montenegro's admission to NATO, an addition Russia opposed. The president has made no move to lift sanctions on Russia over its activities in Ukraine.

Trump ends his journey this weekend at a Group of Seven industrial nations summit on the Italian island of Sicily. Trump is expected to air his concerns about what he calls unfair trade policies by other nations and the Paris climate change pact that obligates the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions two other issues on which the president and European Union leaders disagree.

The Trump-EU meeting did have its lighter moments, including the fact that complex European Union rules require the naming of two presidents: Tusk, who presides over the European Council, and Juncker, president of the European Commission.

Do you know, Mr President, we have two presidents in the EU, Tusk told Trump, who responded: I know that."

Juncker chimed in by by joking, "there is one too much."

Later, when asked his impressions of Trump, Juncker simply said, "I hope he hasn't sent a tweet about me yet."

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2rYeB19

Link:
Trump, European Union leaders remain at odds over Russia - USA TODAY

EUobserver

Trump tells EU officials Germany is 'very very bad' on trade New York Post President Trump told European Union officials in Brussels that Germany was very very bad on trade and vowed to do something about the situation. See the millions of cars they are selling in the US? Terrible, Trump said, according to Germany's Der ... Trump calls Germans 'bad' but agrees EU trade planEUobserver Trump reportedly calls Germans 'very bad,' threatens to end German car salesCNBC Trump reportedly told EU officials Germany is 'very evil' - The WeekThe Week Magazine USA TODAY -POLITICO.eu -Express.co.uk -SPIEGEL ONLINE all 165 news articles »

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Trump tells EU officials Germany is 'very very bad' on trade - New York Post

He wants the Russians insteadthey dont ask questions.

President Vladimir Putin had Russia roll out the red carpet for Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes arrival on Monday. A five-day tour of Russia was planned, and hints of military alliances and weapons sales have already made headlines.

I dont want anything to do with the U.S., and I want them to stop telling me what to do. Ive never been to their country, and when they invited me to [President] Trumps inauguration I declined, because I was planning to visit Russia, Duterte told Russian news outlets before the visit.

America, since the end of the 1960s, has been interfering in other states. They offer a country help but demand in exchange that the country adopt certain laws, for example legalize gay marriages, he added.

Its this type of moral interventionism which has Duterte sick of his countrys alliance with the U.S. Constantly criticized for his (extrajudicial and brutal) war on the sickening drug problem in the Philippines, as well as being refused the sale of thousands of rifles to Philippine police, Duterte would love another stable option.

I remember what the Russian diplomat said: Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need, Duterte told cnn Philippines in November 2016.

Duterte is currently diverting resources to the fight against Muslim terrorists in the southern Philippine islands. Hes already threatened to invade the island holding the prominent Abu Sayyaf terrorists, told citizens to arm themselves and to kill terrorists, and said he can be 50 times as brutal as the militant animals.

Duterte told a crowd of laughing Filipinos in April that if he was in a foul mood and was presented with a terrorist, hed say, Give me salt and vinegar, and Ill eat his liver.

In fact, only a day into Dutertes Russia trip, he flew back to the Philippines and declared martial law in the south amidst shootouts between police and terrorists.

No matter how much the Philippines has absorbed American culture, everyday realities put a wide gulf between the two countries. The problems of the Philippines are not the problems of the United States. Rodrigo Duterte knows this and wants a partner willing to go along with his plansthe fewer questions asked, the better.

In looking east to China and Russia, Duterte sees the partners he wants.

Russia sells weapons, no conditions. With the U.S., its a different story. They make conditions. But Im not gonna stand on bended knees, Duterte told Russian media before he left. If my country collapses, who will bring it back? The U.S? We need weapons.

Even with President Trumps more positive stance toward Dutertes war on drugs (Duterte previously told President Barack Obama to go to hell after his criticisms), he still wants to shift away from America. I have nothing against America, Trump is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted. I want to deal with China and Russia. Because in Western world, its double talk, he told Russia Today, Russias government-controlled media conglomerate.

America is double-talk. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. So there will always be a problem; there will always be misconceptions and probably a dislike, if not hatred, for one another, Duterte said according to Sputnik, another Russian government-controlled news organization.

This shift in alliances matters to the Trumpet because we watch for the prophesied rise of a powerful eastern bloc to challenge the supremacy of the U.S. These eastern kings, or authoritarian leaders, of Russia and China will be joined by a number of other nations. The Trumpet has indicated previously that the Philippines may be part of this group. (Read our booklet Russia and China in Prophecy for more information.) President Dutertes actions should teach the West that a powerful leader can easily change the preferences of a nation that has historically looked to the U.S. for assistance. This in spite of most Filipinos maintaining a favorable view of America.

When it comes to the military sphere, the current situation in the world is reaching a critical state, and I cant rule out military alliances, Duterte told Russian media, adding that China and Russia were the only two countries he believed to be reliable.

The other reason we watch Dutertes moves to wrench the Philippines away from America is further proof of the fulfillment of Americas decline. Allies who refuse to cooperate, losing ground in the South China Sea, destruction of international credibility, and internal divisions are only the beginning. (Even Duterte said the United States would one day collapse because of conflicting values and agenda originating in its multi-racial character.)

When Duterte runs his mouth and the Western world scoffs at his stupidity or dictator worship, he is actually revealing a powerful truth that everyone else is beginning to realize: On the scales of world power, the United States is descending while the counterbalance of the Russia-China alliance rises.

See the article here:
Finalizing the European Union Military Headquarters - theTrumpet.com