In case you slept through the entire week, here’s a summary of what happened around the world. The Democratic National Convention had a carnival of sorts and a coronation most unexpected as Biden passed the torch all be it, a little bit reluctantly. Events have come to prove that he made the right decision for Party and for country. It’s been a little bit over one month since that great news and Kamala has raised $500m. The excitement is thick. People are throwing money at Kamala. Run baby, run.
On Thursday night, the Democratic National Convention wrapped up its convention with Kamala Harris accepting her Party’s nomination. The 4-day convention was by itself a course in organizing and pageantry. The music was Hollywoodish.
The Speakers might as well be stars because indeed they were the crème de la crème of the American political intelligentsia.
Hillary, Michelle, Barack, Bill, Bernie, and the inimitable Oprah, the billionaire Queen of the art of the talk, a woman without peer were there to be wind beneath the wings of Kamala.
At 70, there were signs that Oprah had slowed down a little bit, but as we all know, no one delivers a speech quite as professionally as the O.
When the Bench is Deep.
The heavy hitters made the argument for the future represented by Harris, versus the past—embodied by Trump.
The convention felt like a carnival every day. Now that Kamala and Wulz have accepted their Party’s nomination, the real work to get to the White House begins.
To use a basketball analogy, the Democratic bench is deep. There should be no reason not to make the basket.
Two Sides of a Coin.
Here’s a quick lesson about American politics. Even though America operates a multi-party system, there are two major Parties—the Republican Party usually referred to as the Grand Ol’ Party, or the GOP, and the Democratic Party. Historically, the Democratic Party was the Party of racists. It was a Republican Party President, Abraham Lincoln, who made the Emancipation declaration that set slaves free.
Over the years, both Parties had become unrecognizable from their roots and history. For the most part, they were united for many years in keeping the vote from women and in denying basic rights to Blacks.
America at a Crossroads.
However, in 1964, America came to a crossroads. The country had to make a decision in the face of an existential crisis. It faced a moral dilemma. How could a country which committed so much in human and material resources to set Europe free from German aggression turn around to deny rights to its own ethnic population of Black people? In the past, it was easy for every President to kick the can down the road for the sake of winning elections, but not Lyndon B. Johnson, LBJ.
LBJ— A man of few words, but Much Action.
A consummate Southerner from the incomparable State of Texas, LBJ who was known to use the derogatory term, ‘nigger’ to describe Black people was confronted with an immovable moral force in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
LBJ did not only admire Dr. King, he also respected him.
If Martin Luther King were a nigger, then, the whole world had to be niggers—Black, White and Brown and Yellow. Until Dr. King, a special creation came along, no one had been able to make the argument of equal rights couched in dignity, and so forcefully articulated that “all men are equal” as the Constitution had explicitly stated.
It was clear from the moment Dr. King committed to the cause, that he was also willing to lay down his life.
Besides, as only God in heaven could have done, He brought some great minds together in a time frame to solve a problem.
Imagine the forces that came together in that era: Thurgood Marshall was fighting in the courts in Brown versus Board of Education, Topeka.
A young Muhammad Ali was fighting in the ring and lighting up the nation with his poetry and sheer brilliance.
Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus.
Now, combine all that with the moral force and energy that Dr. King brought to the table—and Johnson a very wise man, one, much underrated, yet was Superman in sheer size and composure—-he had no option but to seize the moment.
When his aides advised him against signing the Civil Rights Law urging him to do like others before him had done because they might lose elections for the next 40 years, he replied — “What then is the presidency for?”
He signed Civil Rights in 1964, and Voting Rights in 1965, quickly followed by a set of legislations which helped to address housing deficit for the poor and also to wage a war against poverty.
That was how the Democratic Party became the Party of Black people.
The Role of Independents in US Elections.
Yellow Dog Democrats versus Blue Dog Republicans.
One more lesson. Elections in America are usually close. This is because in every election, at least 40 percent of voters will vote for Republicans. They are called Blue dog Republicans. Also, at least another 40 percent will vote for Democrats. They are called Yellow dog Democrats. What this term means essentially is that even if either Party fielded a dog, 40 percent of voters will vote for that dog. This is why it is important for a candidate to appeal to Independents. They are the Swing voters in every election cycle. Whoever gets their attention, wins.
In this group usually, are first time voters. 40 million of them will be eligible to vote in November.
Two Stuck in Space.
Two Astronauts who traveled on the Starliner to Space will need to remain in Space until some of their friends from Space X are able to swing by in February, 2025 to give them a ride back to Earth. They have enough supplies to last till then. Interestingly, the Starliner from Boeing cost twice as much to build than Elon Musk’s Space X.
Indian diplomacy in Eastern Europe.
Ukraine is advancing deep into Russian territory. They are intent on giving Putin a taste of his own medicine by taking the war into the heart of Russia. India is conflicted. Presently, India is a conduit to help Russia circumvent sanctions. Their reasoning is simple. They are more neighbors to Russia than they are to the United States. Why should the Yankees always be the ones to dictate the terms of engagement?
Modi has not voted against Russia at the UN, neither has India condemned Russian invasion of Ukraine. After all, even America engages in duplicity in foreign policy. Why not India?
Last week, Modi made the rounds to Poland and Ukraine. Observers can only hope he will be able to help Putin save face and let Ukraine be.
Hezbollah fires rockets into Israel.
Meanwhile, there was some breaking news overnight as Hezbollah launched over 300 rockets across Israel. In brutal retaliation, Israel sent out 100 planes to show them a sample of what to expect in the short run.
Usually, and Hezbollah ought to know this already from experience, Israel never responds proportionately.
Their stated policy is disproportionality of response as deterrence.
Israel may soon decide to march into Lebanon and carve up the country into two parts to create a buffer zone.
The Kidnapping Profession.
Kidnapping in Nigeria has become a sprawling industry. No part of the country has been spared the ravages of the scourge. The State lies prostrate in the face of the onslaught. How much longer will it be before communities across the country start to take matters of security into their own hands?
Your guess is as good as mine.
If and when that happens, it will be a slippery slope to Somalia. A stitch in time says: It’s time for State Police. This is a minimum imperative.
Michael O. Ovienmhada.
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Egogonewshub.com
