West criticized President Obama when Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, saying that it would be difficult for Obama to be "a war president with a peace prize".
West recanted his support for Obama in an April 2011 interview, in which he said Obama is merely a "black mascot" for America's elites and also "a black muppet of corporate plutocrats."
West has called the U.S. a "racist patriarchal" nation where "white supremacy" continues to define everyday life. "White America," he writes, "has been historically weak-willed in ensuring racial justice and has continued to resist fully accepting the humanity of blacks." This has resulted, he claims, in the creation of many "degraded and oppressed people hungry for identity, meaning, and self-worth." Professor West attributes most of the black community's problems to "existential angst derive[d] from the lived experience of ontological wounds and emotional scars inflicted by white supremacist beliefs and images permeating U.S. society and culture."
In West's view, the September 11, 2001 attacks gave white Americans a glimpse of what it means to be a black person in the United States—feeling "unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence, and hatred" for who they are. "The ugly terrorist attacks on innocent civilians on 9/11," he said, "plunged the whole country into the blues."
West has described himself as a "non-Marxist socialist" (partly due to Marx's opposition to religion) and serves as honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, which he has described as "the first multiracial, socialist organization close enough to my politics that I could join". He also described himself as a "radical democrat, suspicious of all forms of authority" on the "Matrix"-themed documentary "The Burly Man Chronicles" (Found in "The Ultimate Matrix Collection").
West believes that "the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's ugly totalitarian regime was desirable," but that the war in Iraq was the result of "dishonest manipulation" on the part of the Bush administration. He asserts that Bush Administration hawks "are not simply conservative elites and right-wing ideologues", but rather are "evangelical nihilists — drunk with power and driven by grand delusions of American domination of the world". He adds, "We are experiencing the sad gangsterization of America, an unbridled grasp at power, wealth, and status." Viewing capitalism as the root cause of these alleged American lusts, West warns, "Free-market fundamentalism trivializes the concern for public interest. It puts fear and insecurity in the hearts of anxiety-ridden workers. It also makes money-driven, poll-obsessed elected officials deferential to corporate goals of profit — often at the cost of the common good."
West has been involved with such projects as the Million Man March and Russell Simmons's Hip-Hop Summit, and worked with such public figures as Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton, whose 2004 presidential campaign West advised.
In 2000, West worked as a senior advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley. When Bradley lost in the primaries, West became a prominent endorser of Ralph Nader, even speaking at some Nader rallies. Some Greens sought to draft West to run as a presidential candidate in 2004. West declined, citing his active participation in the Al Sharpton campaign. West, along with other prominent Nader 2000 supporters, signed the "Vote to Stop Bush" statement urging progressive voters in swing states to vote for John Kerry, despite strong disagreements with many of Kerry's policies.
In April 2002 West and Rabbi Michael Lerner performed an act of civil disobedience at the U.S. State Department "in solidarity with suffering Palestinian and Israeli brothers and sisters". West said, "We must keep in touch with the humanity of both sides." In May 2007 West joined a demonstration against "injustices faced by the Palestinian people resulting from the Israeli occupation" and "to bring attention to this 40 year travesty of justice". In 2011, West called on the University of Arizona to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.
West also serves as co-chair of the Tikkun Community. He co-chaired the National Parenting Organization's Task Force on Parent Empowerment and participated in President Clinton's National Conversation on Race. He has publicly endorsed "In These Times" magazine by calling it: "The most creative and challenging news magazine of the American left". He is also a contributing editor for "Sojourners Magazine".
West supports of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA.) in its Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, aimed at eliminating what PETA describes as KFC's inhumane treatment of chickens. West is quoted on PETA flyers: "Although most people don't know chickens as well as they know cats and dogs, chickens are interesting individuals with personalities and interests every bit as developed as the dogs and cats with whom many of us share our lives."
In 2008, West contributed his insights on the current global issue of modernized slavery and human trafficking in the rockumentary Call+Response.
West is a member of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy.
During the 2016 United States presidential election, West was a strong supporter and campaigned for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. After Sanders lost the Democratic nomination, West supported Jill Stein of the Green Party.
Juno (spacecraft)
Juno is an unmanned NASA New Frontiers spacecraft. It studies the planet Jupiter from orbit. It is the first mission to an outer planet to use solar panels for power instead of a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The spacecraft was launched on August 5, 2011 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and entered a polar orbit of Jupiter on July 5, 2016. Scott Bolton is leading the mission.
Juno's main goal is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. Juno will also study the planet's atmospheric composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere.
Mark Holton
Mark Holton is an American actor. His movies include "Hoboken Hollow" (2007), "Gacy", "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" (2000) and "Little Giants" (1994).
Holton went to school at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
William Forsythe
William Forsythe (born June 7, 1955) is an American actor. Forsythe played Al Capone in the television series "The Untouchables". Forsythe has also played Sammy Gravano in the HBO movie "Gotti" and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy in "Dear Mr. Gacy".
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a hybrid automobile from the Japanese automobile producer Toyota. It is called 'hybrid' because it has two different engines: a gasoline engine (combustion engine) and an electric motor. Because of the electric motor, it uses less fuel than a normal gasoline automobile when driving at low speeds (for example in the city). The electric motor uses batteries for its power, and these batteries are charged by a dynamo when the gasoline engine is used at higher speeds. The first generation launched in Japan in December 1997, then it reached the rest of the world in 2000. It entered its second generation in 2003 and it began to become more popular with buyers. The third generation arrived in 2009 and grew larger in size. The current fourth generation appeared in December 2015.
Upper Palaeolithic
The Upper Palaeolithic (Upper Paleolithic or Late Stone Age) is the third and last part of the Palaeolithic period. It lasted from about 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. Humans used tools for hunting and fishing. They also developed cave paintings. In this period, the Neanderthal man completely disappeared, leaving Homo sapiens as the only surviving species in the human genus.
In Europe, Asia and Africa, this time is known as the last part of the Old Stone Age.