(Crossposted at Future Majority, www.futuremajority.org)

In a previous posting (http://www.youngpeoplefor.org/blog/posts/3663), I included a letter from Black Panther member, Assata Shakur (who some may know as the aunt of hip hop legend, Tupac Shakur), who is living in exile in Cuba. I am still processing the content of her letter, as I am reading it from the race/gender lenses.

"Business Not As Usual"

Foreign aid; development assistance; foreign investment; these terms are now gaining another synonym: rouge aid. In an excerpt from the Foreign Policy Blog, rogue aiders are defined as such, "Because their goal is not to help other countries develop. Rather, they are motivated by a desire to further their own national interests, advance an ideological agenda, or sometimes line their own pockets. Rogue aid providers couldn't care less about the long-term well-being of the population of the countries they 'aid'."

This is the official thread for rants on the conflict in the Middle East, particularly regarding Israel, Lebanon, and other key players in the current imbroglio. What policy should Israel pursue? What policy should Lebanon pursue? What should the US pursue? UN? Syria? France? Pepper us with your musings, and try to be civil. This is an emotional issue for a lot of people, but objective dialogue is the only way to move forward.