Black Gender

By Nicholas Louis

Ideologically, from my understanding, is a concept that sexuality is not just a biological function; rather it is a system of ideas and social practices.  They are deeply implicated in shaping American social inequalities, concerning the African American diaspora in particular.  These systems are tied deeply within mass media across American networks of communication.  The political facet within this ideology are a set of ideas and social practices that shape gender, race, and sexuality within the framework of Black Men and Black Women’s treatment of one another as well as how African Americans are perceived and treated by others.  There are three (3) main components that facilitate the perpetuation of what it is to be Black in America.

First, the new patterns of corporate organization have made for an increasingly global economy. In particular, the concentration of capital in a few corporations has enabled them to shape many aspects of the global economy (Collins).  Second, local, regional, and national governmental bodies no longer yield the degree of power that they once did in shaping racial policies (Collins).  Third, the new racism relies more heavily on the manipulation of ideas within mass media.  These new techniques present hegemonic ideologies that claim that racism is over (Collins).

Images of what it is to be “Black”

In the past, social practices such as lynching and institutionalized rape that became so deeply embedded in the fabric of American society required powerful ideological justifications. The growth of mass media enabled ideas about Black sexuality to spread more rapidly beyond the reading public (Collins).  With the engine of mass media and slavery being abolished; ways of capitalizing on African Americans became more creative.  The industry of Blaxploitation is a byproduct of the of ideological practices of slavery but regulated according to the constitution.  Meaning that, it would be unconstitutional to round up some blacks, make’em do a little gig in front the camera and get paid to do so.  Each racial formation reflects distinctive links among characteristic forms of economic and political exploitation, gender-specific ideologies developed to justify Black exploitation, and African American’s men and women reactions both to the political economy and to one another (Collins). Blaxploitation or blacksploitation are films that emerged in the United States in the 1970s.  It is considered an ethnic subgenre of the general category of exploitation films.  Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, the genre’s audience appeal soon broadened across racial and ethnic lines.

The original facilitators of this genre were White Americans.  They were obviously in total control from the very beginning.  The industry of the Slave Trade was the blueprint and spawned industries like onto its structure.  Because the vast majority of enslaved African men and women did agricultural labor, these controlling images of the mule, jezebel, breeder woman and the buck justified Black economic exploitation (Collins).  At the end of Slavery, the American population was heavily segregated and education as well as economic access was unevenly balanced.  This allowed for, in my opinion, Black America to be exploited in perpetuation. The term “Blaxploitation”, if taken literally to imply the exploitation of black culture, could refer to any number of examples in America history in which black music, sports, fashion, style, and art have been commoditized or repackaged by white artists to be sold to white audiences (Terry).  Blaxploitation films catered to a new black consciousness.  Loosely defined as black power, this consciousness was associated with black control of black communities and centered on group solidarity.

In order to understand the magnitude of this one must take a look at the concept of “SCWAMP”, which stands for Straight, Christian, White, Able-Bodied, Male, and Property-owner, is an intersectional framework.  Intersectional analysis explains that ideological positions are interconnected and relational.  These relationships are shaped and impacted by the society in which they are embedded (Lind).  This concept is used within this type of media but instead of showing the white side of it all, the components of what it is to be “black” is brought to the forefront.  But of course, the components did not come from a black point of view.  These components come from the white perspective of what it is to be black.

How this translates into today’s genre of African American film one must understand that the educational foundations for film making itself are in most cases taught by White Americans.  A film maker uses the imagination of/from his knowledge to create.  For example, Baby Boy is a 2001 African American coming-of-age urban comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Singleton who is an African American film director, screenwriter, and producer.  The images in his movies are well-known for depicting African Americans in their “environment”.  If you take a look in particular at the movie you find that the dialogue, the way everyone is dressed, the scenarios that delicately illustrate the struggles, highs and lows of living in the hood.  The film follows bicycle mechanic Joseph “Jody” Summers as he lives and learns in his everyday life in the hood of Los Angeles.  All the while struggling to remain faithful to his second baby mother and having to deal with her bouts of anger.

Even though this is an outstanding love story from the hood and is from the mind of a black man, we can still see how it can become a double-edged sword (e.g. the perpetuation of the realities of what it is to be black in America without showing example of other “environments”).  I am sure as a youngster the writer took his inspiration from many Blaxploitation films.  The glamorization of it being on the big screen can blueprint the minds of those watching to validate their “environment” as a sort of, “Look, this is what goes on and this is how it should go on.  This is an intricate situation to decipher.

Collins, P. H. (2004). Black sexual politics african americans, gender, and the new racism.  New York, New York: Routledge.

Terry, J. R. (n.d.). Towards the gendering of blaxploitation and black power . Informally   published manuscript, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, . Retrieved from  http://www.jmu.edu/history/mhr/wm_library/2012_-_4_John_Robert_Terry.pdf

Lind, R. A. (2013). Race/gender/class/media 3.0 considering diversity across content, audiences and production. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Healthy Living Community Outreach Initiative (HLCOI)

By Nicholas Louis

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In all actuality, the ability to implement quality Healthcare needs human bodies and minds with the education and skills to administer good Healthcare. The labor involved will need an incentive to do so and that is the funding. In the United States, money determines the quality of services and/or goods exchanged. In the public sector of Healthcare the same rule applies. The most important characteristics of a health care system are its quality, access, and cost. For individuals who do not have the means to pay for their own specialists to treat an illness or even a checkup use public health insurance to do so. Insurance companies contracted by the state have procedures and standards. People who want to use these services must qualify under these standards in order to get assistance (i.e., income requirements). The state insured individual(s) have an opportunity to get treatment. If allotments are cut from state health care then public health care facilities have now chose but to refuse care. This could result in the reduction of staffing to offset the cost of care and affect the ability to treat patients. This is also linked to the fact that the public health facilities must meet health code requirements. The ability to meet these requirements is directly tied to allotments from the state. Unfortunately, public healthcare facilities cannot offset the cost of supplies needed for treatment. There will be medicine and other medical provisions that are of standard. What this translates into is basically who gets paid to administer medical care. This is translated as “Red Tape.”

The purpose of this study will be to bring awareness to the community of the devastating issues concerning the healthcare process. This will also be a great opportunity to rally people together for the voluntary participation in “on the spot” screening as well as disseminate information. Those in the community that might need assistance in setting up appointments or even signing up for healthcare are of importance. This study is done with the understanding that this is a nationwide effort to gain awareness of the need for better policies surrounding the Healthcare industry and the processes involved. The limitations of this research are the sample size. In order to gain a full scope of the issue, a larger sample size should be taken.

What is Public Healthcare?

The public health system once was thought of as comprising only official government public health agencies, but now is understood to include both public-sector agencies (such as schools, Medicaid and environmental protection agencies, and land-use agencies) and private-sector organizations whose actions have significant consequences for the health of the public (U.S. Department of Public Health).[1] The public healthcare sector has a variety of academic disciplines. Doctors, nurses, social workers/outreach and even lawyers work in public healthcare. The reduction of staffing within public healthcare facilities can cause a situation where the money shuffle becomes more of precedence than the actual care itself.

Medicare and Medicaid are two different government-run programs that were created in 1965 in response to the inability of older and low-income Americans to buy private health insurance. They were part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” vision of a general social commitment to meeting individual health care needs. Medicare and Medicaid are social insurance programs that allow the financial burdens of illness to be shared among healthy and sick individuals, and affluent and low-income families (Medicare Rights Center).[2]

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, like nursing home care and personal care services. If you qualify for Medicaid in your state, you automatically qualify for additional assistance paying your Medicare prescription drug coverage. The issue that may arise is that a person may not qualify for assistance under this because the separate requirements under Medicare. On the other hand, Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD).

In short, Medicare is a government entitlement program administered by the federal government. Medicaid is a State entitlement program administered by the State. In most cases Medicaid is secondary to Medicare. Medicaid is “earnings based” where Medicare is age based at age 65 or “disabled” for 24 months and drawing social security in order to qualify for Medicare (Smith). Medicare and other health insurance coverage is called a “payer.” When there’s more than one payer, “coordination of benefits” rules decide which one pays first. The “primary payer” pays what it owes on your bills first, and then sends the rest to the “secondary payer” to pay. In some cases, there may also be a third payer. When a patient has an active health insurance plan, the active health insurance plan is the primary payer. When the patient has two active health insurance plans, the health insurance plan that has been active the longest is the primary payer. Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) refers to Medicare benefits when Medicare is not the primary insurance. Medicare requires all healthcare providers to know how to determine when Medicare is the primary or secondary insurance for their Medicare patients (Hicks).[3]

Investigation

Public health professionals work in the public and private sector. This can be at the national, state, and local (city and county), and tribal levels of operations. Traditional employers include local public health departments, universities, and nonprofit organizations.

Public health is interdisciplinary and the workforce represents a wide range of professions, including nurses, social workers, physicians, epidemiologists, researchers, health educators, and laboratory technicians. Nurses make up the largest group of public health employees; an estimated 11,071 public health nurses were employed in 44 state and territorial health departments, according to a 2010 survey by the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) (Orr, The Innovations Exchange Team). Overall, public health professionals are concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country. Public health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or reoccurring through implementing educational programs, developing policies, administering services, regulating health systems and some health professions and conducting research.

A series of interviews was conducted with persons who work in the public healthcare industry. A semi-structured, open-ended interview guide was used to facilitate the interviews. The interviews were to assess the question of whether or not there is a risk of “red tape.” In this context, “red tape” can be defined as the procedures and/or rules that will cause a disqualification status of an individual (e. g., those who are unable to gain treatment because of their current state of health). This also applies to those individuals who do not have the ability to gain knowledge because of funding cuts to outreach in low income areas of the city. These interviews were geared toward the revealing of what the internal issues might be. These findings were used to evaluate the effectiveness of public health and to identify where the “red tape” is originated. All participates were told what the interview would be about. All participates verbally agreed to the interviews.

Lana Upshaw, a CNA at Carl Vogel Center[4] has been employed there for five (5) years. Mrs. Upshaw has always been interested in the medical field. Her life goal is to become a Registered Nurse. Starting out as a Paramedic, which was just an occupation that allowed her venture away from home, she was persuaded to change courses and head in the direction of nursing. Her inspiration is a Registered Nurse named Barbara. Her intrinsic insight and dedication to service rather than the money is what made her continue to work within the medical field. Because of the influence of Ms. Barbara, she is starting school to become a Registered Nurse. Growing up in a strict military and religious family also strengthens her ability to empathize with the clients that she works with.

Her job at Carl Vogel Center is different from any other agency that she has worked for. She stated because of the demographics of Washington, DC, there is, in her opinion a crisis among the African American gay men. Over half of her clients are African American gay men. There seems to be an issue with promiscuity and reckless behavior from her observations while working at Carl Vogel Center. This insight to this particular group of individuals has caused her to have concern with the state of affairs African American gay men. She stated that dealing with this issue comes with much “red tape” and because of this she finds herself being a sort of mother figure to most of her clients. She ended be saying that she hated the politics and money issue within the healthcare industry but if it was not for the clients she would have changed careers. I was directed to Mrs. Latrina Quarterman, Medical Case Manager for further insight to this “red tape” issue.

Mrs. Latrina Quarterman, a Medical Case Manager at Carl Vogel Center has been in working there for four (4) years. She always wanted to work in the medical field not necessarily in medicine but in some capacity. Regardless of her distain for the politics surrounding medical case management, clients make her stay. She stated the reach is different than any other profession. This main difference is the fact that her job deals with actual lives.

In regards to the politics within medicine, her problem is with displays of prejudice. Problems with other agency’s damage make it difficult to streamline treatment plans. The majority of her case load is from dealing with clients who come from other agencies. The lackadaisical attitude of people in her profession is where the damage control comes into play. She stated that money driven ambition instead of and intrinsic case by case treatment is where the “red tape” comes into play.

The demographics of her clients she states are majority white women who are gay and identify themselves as straight, African American gay men, and Transgender male to female. This is where the reach of Carl Vogel Center is. Because of the fact that most of her clients migrate to Washington, DC from other areas honesty is of great importance. She stated that people move to Washington, DC because of the atmosphere of tolerance. She also stated that she had to tailor her approach due to these demographics. She stressed that honesty with her clients is what makes the difference. She ended with the, “Red Tape” in the medical field comes from the problem of stigma when dealing with certain illness.

Ms. Angela Brown, Counseling, Testing and Referral Intake Coordinator at Carl Vogel Center and has been working there since 2004. She started with her love for helping people. She entered this field of work out of frustration. This frustration is stemmed from her observations of people who cannot afford proper care. She stated that people are being pushed to the side and people needed some type of direction and/or support system to sustain a healthy living. Working at Carl Vogal Center has allowed her to be that support system.

Ms. Brown pointed out that since she has been working for this nonprofit organization there has been a decline in support from Washington, DC. With this reduction in economic support, the ability to build a team of individuals who share her passion is hindered greatly. This also hinders the actual reach within the community as well. Government directly affects the public healthcare sector. She stated that within public healthcare certain programs have been whipped out and free health seminars have been cut. Centers for free drug rehabilitation opportunities have been closed due to these cuts. She showed major concern because of this. She stated that something needs to be done because of the state in which our community will be in down the line. With funding cuts, the ‘red tape” is directly tied to the insurance companies. The insurance companies gain the last say so in the end because they have to flip the bill. She stated that this is because the insurance companies are money driven.

Within the parameters of this research it is clear that healthcare professionals stay within the profession. It is apparent they stay because they love what they do. It is also apparent that it is increasingly difficult for people to get treatment due to cuts in state allotments. A decrease in flexibility for patients to freely choose from among treatment options, and surgical procedures offered today by higher-priced doctors and hospitals is also apparent. Not only will there be a decline in the standard of services but with less potential doctors may opt to enter the medical profession due to decreased opportunities for highly compensated positions. Fewer doctors coupled with cut in allotments could lead to a shortage of medical professionals, and longer waiting periods for appointments. Community outreach is also compromised.

Strategy: Community Event

Healthy Living Community Outreach Initiative (HLCOI): Neighborhood Roller Skate Talent Showcase.

This model is intended to appeal to American citizens. I have coined it named Neighborhood Roller Skate Talent Showcase. There are many areas in the city that can accommodate large groups of people. An area in particular would be the Oxon Run Park that is located in the Shipley Terrace neighborhood in Southeast, Washington, D.C. This location is ideal because it is located near the United Medical Center[5] which would be the headquarters for Healthy Living Community Outreach Initiative (HLCOI). Oxon Run is a large stream valley park located along Mississippi Avenue, Southeast in Ward 8. The Oxon Run Pool is located at Mississippi Avenue and 6th Street in Southeast, Washington, D.C. The existing playground is adjacent to the pool. This is one site where DC Parks and Recreation can team up with the Trust for Public Land to provide a creative engagement process with the community.

This event will be a spin off from an event in 2008 presented by Council member Marion Barry, Oxon Run Community Alliance (2008), District Department of the Environment, Ward 8 Environmental Council, Pearl Coalition, DC Parks and Recreation, Training Grounds, East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership, Behavioral Environment Action Program (BEAP), William C. Smith and Co., DC Green Corps, Washington Parks & People.

The focus of this event will be an opportunity to:

• Gather information of those in the surrounding area who do not have health coverage.
• Disseminate information about where to get help regarding health issues according to need.
• HIV testing and Prevention Literature.
• Promotion of physical activity for adults and children.
• Opportunity for any surveys regarding Healthcare to aid in Reform.
• Speakers from influential organizations and/or any local candidates running for an office will have the opportunity to speak regarding their view on Healthcare.
• Literature on lifestyle related health risks of smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, eating too much salt, and consuming too little omega-3 fatty acids.

The roller skating portion of this event is a physical activity that children as well as adults can participate and enjoy. This is a Healthcare community activity and the advocacy of physical activity should be of precedence. There will be contests and prizes awarded for:

• Speed Skater: First, second and third prizes (adult and children)
• Limbo Skater: Two (2) prizes (adult and child)
• Oldest Skater: One (1) prize
• Youngest Skater: One (1) prize
• Best Moves on Wheels: Two (2) prizes (adult and child)

Understanding that budget is a major issue, there would have to be an organization of the best and brightest talent in creating and implementing. There should also be dynamic interns involved to facilitate the dissemination of information of the event to the community.

Action Plan:

• The Community Outreach Coordinator develops and organizes a team of Interns from local high schools (seniors) and local colleges and universities for the purpose of working the Initiative as well as canvassing the surrounding area prior Initiative.
• Contract the assistance of other Not-for-Profit Hospitals and Clinics. Because of the scale of this project would have to be a collaboration of the surrounding Not-for-Profit hospitals and clinics.
• Develop pamphlets, fliers and other brochures that describe the specifics of an upcoming community program or event, the outreach coordinator will stir up more interest.
• Develop a list of speakers to be voted on by the committee prior to event.

Even in the absence of a meaningful healthcare reform, there are many things you can do for yourself to decrease your risk of early disease and premature death. This event is that opportunity to enlighten the community on the benefits of good health. The battle continues against who is in control of the money and where it goes. Understanding cuts have placed a heavy burden on the shoulders of the doctors, nurses and administration has become visible. This will be an attempt to streamline the process of intake as well as give the quality of care to those who need it.

 

 

 

References

Hicks, Joy. “Who Pays Primary? Who Pays Secondary?.” Medical Office. n. page. Web. 1 May.     2014. <http://medicaloffice.about.com/od/medicalbilling/tp/Who-Pays-Primary-Who-      Pays-Secondary.htm>.

Medicare Rights Center, . “What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?.” Medicare Interactive. Section I.a. . (2014): n. page. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.             <http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor&gt;.

Orr, The Innovations Exchange Team, Shirley. “Public Health Workforce Faces New Challenges and Opportunities .” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2013): n. page. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. <http://www.innovations.ahrq.gov/content.aspx?id=3712&gt;.

Smith, Samuel . “How Does Medicare And Medicaid Work?.” Insurance Library. (2013): n. page. Web. 1 May. 2014. <http://www.insurancelibrary.com/medicare-insurance/how-does-medicare-and-medicaid-work&gt;.

U.S. Department of Public Health, . “What Is the Public Health System?.” (2014): n. page. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. <http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/quality/system/&gt;.

[1] The public health system includes the following four main components:, see U.S. Department of Public Health http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/quality/system/

[2] Medicare Interactive helps answer questions about Medicare benefits, rights, and options, see Medicare Rights Center http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor

[3] Understanding Coordination of Benefits, see Hicks http://medicaloffice.about.com/od/medicalbilling/tp/Who-Pays-Primary-Who-Pays-Secondary.htm

[4] Carl Vogel Center (CVC) is a nonprofit community-based organization that provides multidisciplinary and integrated medical healthcare that embodies all aspects of a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being CVC helps medically underserved individuals to become full partners and informed advocates in managing their health, see “Carl Vogel Center ” http://www.carlvogelcenter.org/about.htm

[5] The Not-for-Profit Hospital Corporation, commonly known as United Medical Center or UMC, is a District of Columbia government hospital (not a private 501(c)(3) entity) serving Southeast DC and surrounding Maryland communities, see  http://www.united-medicalcenter.com/about-us.html

Proposal to the United States Diplomat

By Nicholas Louis

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A Diplomat is a government representative abroad; cross-cultural diplomacy in application. This also includes intercultural competency when acting as a member or employee of a government who represents his or her country in dealings with other nations. This is done by working in an embassy or consulate abroad. They are appointed by a national government to conduct official negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with another country or countries.

Diplomats collect and report information that could affect national interests, often with advice about how the home country government should respond. Once any policy response has been decided in the home country’s capital; diplomats bear major responsibility for implementing it. Diplomats have the job of conveying [in the most persuasive way possible] the views of the home government to other sovereign states to which they are accredited and, in doing so, to try to convince those governments to act in ways that suit home country interests. In this way, diplomats are part of the beginning and the end of each loop in the continuous process through which foreign policy is made.

The home country will usually send instructions to a diplomatic post on what foreign policy goals to pursue. The decisions on tactics, who needs to be influenced, what will best persuade them, who are potential allies and adversaries, and what possible actions to take are for the diplomats overseas to make. In this operation, the intelligence, integrity, cultural competency and energy of individual diplomats are critical. If they are any good at their jobs, they will have developed relationships grounded in trust and mutual understanding with influential members of the country in which they are accredited. They will have worked hard to understand the motives, thought patterns and culture of the other side.

Issue:

Are there misconduct issues among The United States Diplomats? Has this misconduct placed compromise on the State and/or safety of any officer of the State?

Project:

This will be a quantitative collection of data. This inquiry, will exam the outcomes of misconduct.

Proposal Implications:

There should be stricter Oversight of United States Diplomats. This Oversight placed under greater scrutiny in regions of high levels of civil unrest. This scrutiny should apply to regions with high clerical misconduct.

Policy Proposal:

To portray an intrinsic voice when dealing in negotiations. Congressional Oversights Committee should assume the ability to form an intelligence committee.

• Gather accurate and current information of the affairs of state in cooperation with current staff of Diplomat.
• In regards to the conduct abroad: as it reflect on state.

United States and Venezuelan Conflict

Venezuela has announced it is expelling three (3) United States diplomats, whom it accuses of plotting to sabotage the economy. President Nicolas Maduro allegedly has evidence that the trio took part in power-grid sabotage in September and had bribed Venezuelan companies to cut down production (BBC).[1] Mr. Maduro accused the group of diplomats of meeting with right-wing political opponents of his government, financing their activities and encouraging them to sabotage the country’s electrical system and its economy (Shoichet).

Union of South American Nations Response on Venezuela Protests

In Venezuela where this is apparent and the restrictions are made clear; the Latin American diplomats are facing visa restrictions. A division of the opposition has the upper hand with now more attention in the media. There is a clear way to compare and contrast what other countries in the region are doing in regards to the protests. Among the countries in the region within a body called Union of South American Nations (USAN) [Spanish: Unión de Naciones Suramericanas: UNASUR]. The UNASUR Constitutive Treaty was signed on 23 May 2008, at the Third Summit of Heads of State, held in Brasília, Brazil. This organization consists of all the countries of South America and the islands surrounding the continent. Within this organization there is a mixture of government. This is vital in discovering solutions while working on integrated projects. UNASUR reacted quickly after the violence started in Venezuela. The formal dialogue, which lasted six hours, was held in the evening of the 10th and early morning of April 11, 2014, in the Ayacucho Hall of the Palace of Miraflores, the Union of South American Nations, UNASUR, searched for understanding mechanisms allow the converging approach aimed at ending weeks of violent demonstrations in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (UNASUR PRESS).[2] Warning the opposition to engage in contacting democratic institutions can be exploited to avoid falling into an abyss of intolerance and confrontation.  If there are political differences that need to be resolved, parties should adhere to it constitutionally.

United States Response to Venezuelan Protests

The United States has an interest in nurturing regional cooperation particularly under the auspices of the Organization of American States (OAS), of which it is a core member. While often disappointing to both the United States and Latin America, the OAS provides the only regional forum in which all of the countries with democratically elected governments participate.

From the very beginning there has been a very different message coming out of the United States. President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and other U. S. Government Officials referred to the protests systematically as “peaceful protests.” U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he is working with Colombia and other countries to form a mediation strategy for Venezuela’s political crisis. Mr. Kerry said it would be “very difficult” for the two sides to come to an agreement without assistance (BBC).[3] This assistance is viewed as aggression.

The clear message was sent to the United States from Venezuelan President Maduro when he expelled three United States diplomats from Venezuela; accusing them of plotting with anti-government protesters. Maduro says that the U.S. government invests at least $5 million USD annually to back opposition movements in his country (Prensa Latina News Agency).[4] As a result, this is viewed as a maneuver by the United States to legitimize attempts to destabilize the Venezuelan democracy. Maduro also distinguished that in the United States, the protesters have been described as ‘peaceful,’ while the Venezuelan government is said to be violently repressing them. According to this narrative, the American government is siding with the people of Venezuela; in reality, it is on the side of the 1 percent who wishes to drag our country back to when the 99 percent were shut out of political life and only the few, including American companies benefited from Venezuela’s oil (Prensa Latina News Agency). [5]

Neo-Liberalist Agenda

Between the 1980’s – 1990’s the Neo-Liberal push was very successful. The desire for democratization across Latin America became apparent. Coming out of the Cold War, the United States had not the need for the military support against the communist treat in Latin America or against Dictatorship Regimes. As the democratization occurred, there were governments that emerged that were generally pro United States. One thing that can be noted in this period was that the Latin American left (opposite of the current government) was in disarray. Taking advantage of the disorganization, the Neo-Liberal push became easy to implement. The end of the 1990’s is where it all began to change. Social movements began to organize themselves against the Neo-Liberalist agenda. That is when the understanding of the Neo-Liberalist agenda to broaden the economic profit playing ground for United States corporations that operates in Latin America. Neo-Liberals highlight two key historical developments in 20th century that have made realism increasingly inaccurate as a description of world politics: 1) increasing interdependence between actors, 2) hegemonic stability provided by the United States (Dunne).

There are three major challenges to the design of institutions that Neo-Liberals recognize: 1) bargaining (how it is facilitated), 2) defection (how it is mitigated), and 3) autonomy (do institutions have autonomy from states).

Economic Interests

A significant number of U.S. companies have operations in Venezuela; it remains an important market for U.S. goods and some services, especially oil services. Many of these companies could be at risk if violent internal conflict broke out. Venezuela is consistently among the five largest foreign suppliers of oil to the United States. The United States is Venezuela’s largest market, buying up to nine hundred thousand barrels of oil daily, up to 45 percent of Venezuela’s total oil exports. Around six hundred thousand barrels of Venezuelan crude per day are refined at CITGO facilities in the United States. Although a cut off of Venezuelan oil to the United States is theoretically possible, it is unlikely given Venezuela’s dependence on the U.S. market (Duddy).[6]

The United States is now less vulnerable to a cut off of supply from Venezuela as U.S. domestic production has risen and imports from elsewhere could relatively quickly replace Venezuelan oil. Venezuela’s economy, on the other hand, has become more dependent on petroleum. Although production has stagnated since 2003, oil accounts for over 95 percent of Venezuela’s export earnings, and export revenue pays for nearly 50 percent of the government’s budget. Thus, although Venezuela is vulnerable to pressure via its dependence on its oil exports generally and the U.S. market and refineries specifically, global markets would likely react negatively to either an interruption of Venezuelan production or a crisis in U.S.-Venezuelan relations that threatens the bilateral trade in oil (Duddy).

Recommendations

When U.S. diplomats negotiate a treaty, attend a state dinner, or arrange a visa for a traveler to the United States, they all have the same mission to represent the interests and policies of the United States. On multilateral issues, diplomats need to understand how their counterparts think and express their unique and differing beliefs, needs, fears, and intentions. The actions of diplomats can directly influence the actions of a sovereign state. When taking into consideration the misconduct of US diplomats during their post, evaluation and detailed guidelines of procedural practices should be employed. This proposal will stress stricter Oversight of United States Diplomats. This Oversight placed under greater scrutiny in regions of high levels of civil unrest. This scrutiny should apply to regions with high clerical and social misconduct. The definition of misconduct shall be defined as any action that leads to a negative response from the host country while in post.

References

BBC, “John Kerry urges mediation in Venezuela crisis.” BBC new Latin America & Caribbean    28 feb 2014, n. pag. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26392262&gt;.

BBC, “Venezuela expels three US diplomats over ‘sabotage’.” 30 Sep 013, Latin America & Caribbean n. pag. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-24342804&gt;.

“diplomat.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 03 Mar. 2014. <Dictionary.com  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diplomat&gt;.

Duddy, Patrick. “Political Unrest in Venezuela .” Council on Foreign Relations. (2012): Web. 21 Apr. 2014. <http://www.cfr.org/venezuela/political-unrest-venezuela/p28936&gt;.

Dunne, Kurki & Smith. “Neoliberalism.” Trans. Array International Relations Theories. . 3 rd. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.            <http://global.oup.com/uk/orc/politics/ir_theory/dunne3e/01student/guide/ch06/&gt;.

Prensa Latina News Agency, “US Supports Opposition in Venezuela, Says Maduro.”  Escambray [Sancti Spíritus] 02 apr 2014, n. pag. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.     <http://en.escambray.cu/2014/us-supports-opposition-in-venezuela-says-maduro/&gt;.

Shoichet, Catherine E. “Venezuela expels top U.S. diplomat, two other embassy officials.” 30                  Sep 2013, US. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.           <http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/world/americas/venezuela-us-diplomats-       expelled/index.html>.

UNASUR PRESS, “UNASUR is committed to bring to fruition the beginning of dialogue in       Venezuela.” UNASUR Center News. (2011): n. page. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.         <http://unasursg.org/inicio/centro-de-noticias/archivo-de-noticias/unasur-se-compromete-  por-llevar-a-feliz-término-el-inicio-del-diálogo-en-venezuela>.

“What are the Roles of a Diplomat?” Discover Diplomacy.             <http://diplomacy.state.gov/discoverdiplomacy/diplomacy101/people/170341.htm&gt;.

[1] The diplomats expelled have been named as Kelly Keiderling – the charge d’affaires and the most senior US diplomat in Caracas – David Moo and Elizabeth Hoffman, see BBC, “Venezuela expels three US diplomats over ‘sabotage’.” 30 Sep 013, Latin America & Caribbean n. pag. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-24342804&gt;.

[2] The formal dialogue at Palace of Miraflores, see UNASUR PRESS http://unasursg.org/inicio/centro-de-noticias/archivo-de-noticias/unasur-se-compromete-por-llevar-a-feliz-término-el-inicio-del-diálogo-en-venezuela

[3] Anti-government protests have quickly become a feature of daily life in some parts of Caracas, see BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26392262

[4] US Supports Opposition in Venezuela, Says Maduro, see Prensa Latina News Agency http://en.escambray.cu/2014/us-supports-opposition-in-venezuela-says-maduro/

[5] US Supports Opposition in Venezuela, Says Maduro, see Prensa Latina News Agency http://en.escambray.cu/2014/us-supports-opposition-in-venezuela-says-maduro/

[6] Contingency Planning Memorandum No 16, see Duddy http://www.cfr.org/venezuela/political-unrest-venezuela/p28936

Connection Between Culture/Norms and Sexuality part 2

By Nicholas Louis

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…Continuing the discussion on sexual exploration I came across some interesting readings.  The book Feminist Porn is a collection of writings by many authors.  One essay in particular struck my interest deeply.  I wanted to explore the realm of sexuality from the Feminist point of view.  The essay that struck my interest,  Every time we f*ck, we win: The Public sphere of Queer, Feminist, and Lesbian Porn as a (safe) space for sexual Empowerment. by Ingrid Ryberg.  This book investigates not only how feminists understand pornography, but also how feminists do porn—that is, direct, act in, produce, and consume one of the world’s most lucrative and growing industries.

After reading this essay one question came to mind.  How does sexual practice become sexual identity?  I ask this question because I personally feel that in order to fully understand one must have an understanding of all facets within the realm of sexuality.  In the essay she describes her disdain of the shift from a more sensual visualization of  women in production to a more distasteful portrayal.  This quote lead me to this speculation.

 “Importantly, empowerment is not an issue of individual agency.”

Agency is the capacity of an agent to act in a world.  The capacity to act does not at first imply a specific moral dimension to the ability to make the choice to act.

I chose this quote because of the way it translates into the boundaries of sexuality.  Meaning that, from my understanding, empowerment is not just embodied by the amount of sexual partners a woman can attract.  When the discussion of empowerment evolves into the dominance of sexual prowess then it is nothing but a sexual encounter and lacks dimension.  All women poses the power of the sexy but the collective power of what a woman [female]is biologically is where the empowerment materializes.  The foundation is just, in my opinion, the women [female] thought ability.  Less glorification of the sexual or sexy.

Connection Between Culture/Norms and Sexuality

By Nicholas Louis

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The connection of sexuality and culture, and norms is quite difficult to actually dissect. Sexuality is so personal to me that defining exactly what it is can only come from a personal viewpoint. Also, with explaining my view, I must be able to take criticism or scrutiny of what I deem to be pleasurable to me. This can cause a person to withdraw into one’s self which can make it difficult to connect to others. On the other hand, a person may react in a reckless manner and behave in a way that is unpleasurable [if I cannot enjoy what feels good to me then no one will feel good]. In an effort to explain my view on sexuality without the risk of disclosing any of my dirty little secrets, I will start with a quote from some books I came across while doing some research on broadening my perspective.
Sexuality and Cultural Norms:
“Beyond Bisexuality” an essay by Marco Vassi in “Pomosexuals” (Metasexuality) This concept stroked me as what has been going on all along.  It is simply, “Sex is that activity which takes place between one man and one woman who are having sex to make a baby. Metasex is everything else.” The assumption that man and woman only allows for the most perfect erotic union is a misconception rooted in primitive bisexual consciousness. The concept begins with the one, the single point, metasex of no dimension. This is the realm of masturbation. To masturbate to full orgasm is a sublime and solitary act, requiring capacity for fear and awe. To bring about one’s own orgasm, without the company of others, with fantasies requires great inner imagination. This concept goes into greater depth with four, the most sophisticated and will lead to the end of a particular tunnel vision. This essay gave a new understanding that when a person understands that sexuality is not a one-way street. That even in the conventional relationship, the dimensions of achieving sexual gratification are boundless.

Exploration into this subject matter is not a religious trek.

‘SCWAMP’ Dissection of an American Legend…Possible perpetuation…?

By Nicholas Louis

The summer of 2014 has brought to my attention [while furthering my education] the situation of ‘SCWAMP’ in mass media production.  This is quit interesting and has changed the scope of my perspective.  I was given the task of identifying the presence of ‘SCWAMP’ in a film.  The film I chose to investigate is “The Lone Ranger.”  The version (i.e. reinforcement of) that I viewed was the 2013 Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films production.  This character has been deemed an enduring icon of American culture.

The WXYZ radio series, which made its debut in Detroit, Michigan in 1933.  The inspiration for the radio series came from a book inspired by a Texas Ranger Captain John R. Hughes to whom the book “The Lone Star Ranger” by Zane Grey was dedicated in 1915.  As one can see from the dates of its inception this will not be of major difficulty to break down.  I felt that this would be an excellent representation of  ‘SCWAMP’ Straight, Christen, White, Able-bodied, Male, Property Owner. 

This framework is from the book Race/Gender/Class/Media 3.0 Considering Diversity Across Content, Audiences and Production by Rebecca Ann Lind of The University of Illinois at Chicago  to help access the dominate ideology positions at work in popular media culture texts.  In doing so we can become a more media literate society.  The components of are an invisible set of ideals visible to the onlooker and reinforces the United States dominate cultural ideology.

The components can be easily tested by

1)  Investigating the protege and benefits connected to them.

2)  The ways they constitute societal norms.

3) The consequences associated with deviance from those norms.

I will start with the first letter of the acronym to explain the instances in which they occur.  The components of this concept are prevalent throughout the entire film.

Straight: Scene 4 “Rebecca”  the main character displays his unforgiving forbidden love for his brother’s wife.

Scene 4 “Rebecca”

 

Christen: Scene 2 “The Train”  establishes the divine entrance into the wilderness in which he will discover his destiny.  This is done so while the preacher preaches about the God and the whole train car is singing hymns.  He his also reading over some law books which his divine right to govern the land.

Scene 2 “The Train”

White: Scene 1 “Tonto’s Story”  this visually establishes the power of what it is to be white. Consider the positioning. He is standing on a platform towering over all as he speaks of the civilized man’s achievements.  He is also speaking on capturing the outlaw savages who have broken the treaty of Peace that has been laid out before them (i.e. Native Americans)

Scene 1 “Tonto’s Story”

Able-Bodied: Scene 7 “Trading with the Dead” we can see hear that even in death he is still destined to return and save the day.  This also reinforces the divine right to uphold the Law of the land of the free from the savages.

Scene 7 “Trading With the Dead”

Male: Scene 15 “All this could be yours” as they sit around the table, as grace before meals is proper of civilized men.  The male component is displayed as he grabs the only female in the room and warns her to stay out of the urgent matter as she is better protected in the back out of the way.

Scene 15 “All This Could Be Yours”

Property Owner: Scene 1 “Tonto’s Story”  as we can see here that those who are in charge of the the vast production of the railroad.  The positioning establishes ownership to the highest degree.

Scene 1 “Tonto’s Story”

Even though I enjoyed this movie very much I was able to see the components that were at play in this film.  The story-line of this film can be seen many American films.  I do not feel that racism is at play and I would not speak dogmatic regarding the prevalence of the hidden reinforcements of dominate culture.  For in my opinion, this is just a situation of the screen in which those in control are viewing through.

 

I’m wondering if they have mastered the “Art of the Unspoken Authority”, through religious epistle? Has this become the way of the world? This also is coupled with the culture in which the authority is stemmed from. Remembering that there are many cultures with their own masters of the “Art of the Unspoken Authority”, through religious epistle. When the culture clash, that is, as the separation of who holds the authority of the use of the “Art of the Unspoken”, with words to back it up. As the “Unspoken” seemingly sits and observes this “Art” manifest itself.(?) Sparks the great debate to its beginnings of these passing thoughts…

Anger is like an addiction. No matter how a person knowingly could and should act differently in a situation they still find some reason to be angry. If they can’t find a reason to be mad at someone else, they’ll be mad at themselves for what ever reason. These people are just like every other addict out here. They need that hit and will get it no matter who they rob of happiness. Anger steals happiness away from everyone around. Anger addicts are on the same level as the next junkie. Anger junkies will do anything to get that high. How to recognize them is a skill that comes with experiance. Best remedy is to smile and walk away when they think you should be mad. But then they’ll get mad at you and say “You are never serious about anything.” All because you smile. Then the cycle starts all over again. SMH.

Nomadic Son Speak

I just wanted to thank you
A son of a son of a nomadic child
Going through life never faded on out unspoken Father’s voice
Somehow never letting me give in
Learning how to grab hold of the vision
Never knowing how to but only from the visual of my environment
Because I am a product of my environment
Or at least that’s what they say
A nomadic child has its own nature
A nomadic child recognizes that of our brothers and sisters
Mothers and Fathers are all alike
A nomad in the land of the Free
No country
Free to roam
From the sea to the land; unyoked to survive in the land of the plenty
With bare minimum – rationings
The Tatted, the Hooded, the Jordan wearing, the Hustler reincarnate with the soul of our nomadic Father
We have no name, is my real name
Taught by the criminal mind
Then punished because of what has now become product of a universal environment
With no boundaries forreal if you can understand what I mean
Where we all look alike because our forefathers have not put on us more then we can bare.
Now give me mines
If not for generations before me
With profiling in all its complexity
The profiler
I pause because what shall I call who or what the profiler is profiling
Complexity at its best when you don’t know the rules to the game
Best kept unspoken secret never told
But can be seen and felt without verbal explanations
And I pause again
As in times like this
I sit and let the voice of those that have come before me speak and say,
“Beware of the best kept secret untold”
Because before we had a common language to speak
The yoked spoke with an unspoken language that master could not never understand
From that son of a son of a nomadic Father.
Just look around and read the story of our ink.

To Be Continued…