Saturday, September 05, 2009

Van Jones - Proof That "Green" Is The New "Red"?

There has been much discussion as to whether Van Jones is a "9/11 Truther"; he's denied it and claimed that he did't know what he was signing. In the interest of fairness, I'll take him at his word.

No, I could really care less about hanging this unsupported "9/11 Truther" albatross around his neck because his own words are quite sufficient to disqualify him for any government post.

His own words clearly indicate he's a racialist and a hard-core radical:

-- "Gray Capitalism"
Uprising Radio, April 2008
Van Jones;
"Right after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat if the civil rights leaders had jumped out and said, 'OK now we want reparations for slavery, we want redistribution of all the wealth, and we want to legalize mixed marriages.' If we'd come out with a maximum program the very next day, they'd been laughed at. Instead they came out with a very minimum. 'We just want to integrate these buses.'

"But, inside that minimum demand was a very radical kernel that eventually meant that from 1964 to 1968 complete revolution was on the table for this country. And, I think that this green movement has to pursue those same steps and stages. Right now we say we want to move from suicidal gray capitalism to something eco-capitalism where at least we're not fast-tracking the destruction of the whole planet. Will that be enough? No, it won't be enough. We want to go beyond the systems ofexploitation and oppression altogether. But, that's a process and I think that's what's great about the movement that is beginning to emerge is that the crisis is so severe in terms of joblessness, violence and now ecological threats that people are willing to be both pragmatic and visionary. So the green economy will start off as a small subset and we are going to push it and push it and push it until it becomes the engine for transforming the whole society."
See the video here.
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"White Polluters"
January2008
Van Jones: "The environmental justice community that said, 'Hey, wait a minute, you know, you're regulating, but you're not regulating equally.' And the white polluters and the white environmentalists are essentially steering poison into the people-of color communities, because they don't have a racial justice frame."
See the video here.
_______________
Sept. 11, 2001
Press release
for vigil
"We express our disgust at the present attempts by the U.S. security and surveillance establishment to turn this tragedy into a cash-cow bonanza - or to use it to mask a cynical power grab."
Read the press release here.
______________________
STORM Press Release,
Sept. 4, 2009
STORM Manual:
"...as well as the victims of U.S. imperialism around the world."
Read the press release here.
______________________
Powershift Conference, March 2009
Van Jones:
"What about our immigrant sisters and brothers? What about people who've come here from all around the world who we're willing to have out in the field with poison being sprayed on them because we have the wrong agricultural system, and then we're willing to poison them and poison the earth to put food on our table but wedon't want to give them rights and we don't want to give them dignity and we don't want to give them respect. We need to get down on our knees and thank these Native American communities but also the Latino community, Asian community and every other community that's willing to come here and help is out because we obviously need some help. We need some wisdom from some place else because what we've come up with where don't make no sense at all. ...

"This movement is deeper than a solar panel! Deeper than a solar panel! Don't stop there! Don't stop there! We're gonna change the whole system! We're gonna change the whole thing! [...] And our Native American sisters and brothers who were pushed and bullied and mistreated and shoved into all the land we didn't want, where it was all hot and windy. Well, guess what? Renewable energy? Guess what, solar industry? Guess what wind industry? They now own and control 80 percent of the renewable energy resources. No more broken treaties. No more broken treaties. Give them the wealth! Give them the wealth! Give them the dignity. Give them the respect that they deserve. No justice on stolen land. We owe them a debt.
See
the video here.

"Sorry."
Statement, Sept. 2, 2009
Van Jones:
"These comments, made before I joined the administration, were clearly nappropriate and I apologize for the offensive words I chose to use during that speech."
Read the statement here.


Are we to believe that President Obama had no idea of this man's clearly radical statements and beliefs? That is simply not credible; Van Jones' entire life has been that of a bitter radical who approaches every subject in terms of race and ethnicity. The fact that this man could even get a security clearance gives me pause.

Many on the Right have argued that the environmental movement is, at it's roots, the Socialist movement with a more palatable name; "Green" is the new "Red", so to speak. In reviewing Jones' statements, above, I see nothing but substantiation for that theory - he practically admits it.

The fact that he was selected as President Obama's "Green Jobs Czar" seems more by design than by mistake.

Is Van Jones an avowed Communist? Well, I would asume that "Communist" doesn't appear on his Voter Registration Card, but his statements are subject to interpretation by the reader.

Now, of course, he's "sorry" and pleads that "These comments, made before I joined the administration, were clearly inappropriate and I apologize for the offensive words I chose to use during that speech." Let's be clear about his apology, though; it wasn't for any of the statements listed above, his apology was for calling Republicans "assholes" in March, 2009.

So, who's next on the list for Obama appointments, Angela Davis?

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