In her most recent weekly Email message, Rep. Scholten at the following response when she was participating in a panel discussion hosted by the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum:
When asked what I’m doing to help create a circular economy here in West Michigan, I had a robust answer at the ready – walking the walk, not just talking the talk, by funding green energy initiatives through my discretionary appropriations like the GR Biodigestor; and working on legislation like the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act (H.R. 6053), of which I am a cosponsor.
There are numerous point to make in response to the Congresswoman’s comments. First, it is important to point out that the term circular economy is a term that has increasingly been used by the people who are promoting green capitalism, which is essentially means that they want to appear to be more environmentally friendly, while expanding markets and continuing to perpetuate consumption. For those who want to explore the false solutions of green capitalism I would recommend the following books:
- Green Gone Wrong: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Eco-Capitalism, Heather Rogers
- This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate, by Naomi Klein
- What Every Environmentalist Needs to Know About Capitalism, by Fred Magdoff and John Bellamy Foster
Second, the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum is a group that promotes green capitalism, embracing the idea of a circular economy or what used to be fashionable, the Triple Bottom Live.
Third, the response from Rep. Scholten during this panel discussion is instructive, both by what she says and what she failed to say. Rep. Scholten highlights two things, the GR Biodigestor and a piece of legislation she has co-sponsored. The GR biodigestor is designed to use organic waste and turn it into natural gas. According to an MLive article from 2022, the City of Grand Rapids is selling the natural gas to DTE. DTE is a company that profits from the trafficking of fossil fuels and they are notorious for shutting off gas to people who can’t afford to pay it in the current economy.
The legislation that Rep. Scholten referred to is H.R.6053 – Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2023, would provide some good regulation on the production and use of plastics, but it is unlikely to pass since this industry has deep connections to Congress. In addition, it is important to point out that Democrats generally will propose somewhat progressive legislation when they are not in control of Congress, but they can still appear to be progressive on issues.
However, it is what Congresswoman Scholten did not say that we should really be concerned about. Rep. Scholten has been bragging about for months her roll in getting additional federal funds for the Kent County Airport. As the Kent County Airport expands, it means that more people are using air travel as a means of transportation. According to the David Suzuki Foundation:
Carbon emissions from the airline industry grew by 75 per cent from 1990 to 2012. It’s expected they will continue to grow rapidly until 2050. If left unchecked, they could consume a full quarter of the available carbon budget for limiting temperature rise to 1.5 C.
Another thing that Rep. Scholten didn’t say was that she voted to provide federal funds to re-open the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in SE Michigan. Not only does nuclear energy a bad choice when moving towards a fossil fuel free future, it put people at risk to exposure to nuclear radiation and it perpetuates the mining of uranium, which is a polluting industry that disproportionately impacts indigenous communities around the world.
A third item that Rep. Scholten failed to mention is the fact that she has not only voted in favor of increased weapons sales to Israel and the Ukraine, she has voted for the massive US military budget. Not only is militarism one of the most anti-environmental realities in the world, the US Military consumes more fossil fuels than most countries do on an annual basis. It is impossible to vote for increased militarism and claim that the care about the environment. These issues are intertwined, as the recent report No War, No Warming: How Militarism Fuels the Climate Crisis documents so thoroughly.
There are a number of other things that Rep. Schoten did not address, which contribute to environmental destruction, and Climate Change, such as our continued emphasis on pushing cars over an efficient mass transit system, the unsustainable realities of agribusiness – which is subsidized by the US Farm Bill, or how human and non-human species are being impacted by the global heat waves and other forms of extreme weather that is directly related to the current climate crisis.
No matter how much Rep. Scholten likes to say she is “walking the walk, not just talking the talk” on environmental matters, her voting record says otherwise.
Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of August 18th
It has been more than 10 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
State and Local Efforts to Divest From Israel Are Gaining Steam
International Court of Justice Finds That BDS Is Not Just Legal, But Obligatory
Israeli Prisons Are a Giant Torture Machine
Israeli Society Is in a Deepening State of Contradiction
Students Left Out of Discussions About Student Gaza Protests
Israel Has Killed 2,100 Babies Under 2 Years Old in Gaza, Rights Group Says
Analysis & History
New report from the Israeli Human Rights group B’tselem – The Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps
Local Events and Actions
Power to Palestine: Weekly Rally in Grand Rapids
Wednesday, August 21st, 6 – 7pm, Rosa Parks Circle
https://www.facebook.com/events/992936209242057?ref=newsfeed
Foundations are a way for members of the Capitalist Class, which made their wealth by exploiting workers, to hide some of their wealth from taxation, only to then turn around and use foundation funds to undermine social movements and generate positive PR for themselves.
It is that time of the year again, when GRIID posts about the various West Michigan Foundations from families that make up the Grand Rapids Power Structure. I start with the DeVos family, which has just 5 different foundations, since the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation was recently fazed out, which I wrote about in a 2 Part series.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation
GRIID has always begun our Foundation Watch work by looking at the foundations associated with the most powerful family in West Michigan, the DeVos family. The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation has been one of the largest in West Michigan, which was founded in 1989, the same time that Dick DeVos was the CEO of Amway. According to GuideStar, in 2022, the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation contributed $8,657,300.00 leaving them with $57,782,067.00 of funds left in their foundation account.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation made contributions to dozens of entities in 2022, but there are some clear categories of groups they contributed to, such as the Religious Right, Think Tanks, Education-centered groups, and social service entities, to name a few. Below is a listing of each from these categories, with a dollar amount and a brief analysis.
We also include groups that are DeVos owned or created, along with liberal non-profits. With the liberal non-profits, we believe that funding from foundations like the DeVos family foundations is a form of hush money. When we say hush money, we mean that these entities will not publicly challenge the system of Capitalism, the wealth gap, structural racism and other systems of oppression, which the DeVos family benefits from and perpetuates through their own political funding.
Religious Right
- Alpha USA – $100,000
- Global Leadership Network – $400,000
- Help Pregnancy Crisis AID Inc. – $75,000
- Mars Hill Bible Church – $246,000
- Museum of the Bible – $50,000
- Partners Worldwide – $25,000
- Pregnancy Resource Center – $20,000
- Right to Life of Michigan – $25,000
- Embracing the Journey Inc. – $200,000
These religious groups practice varying degrees of conservative politics, which fit into the ideological framework that the DeVos family is committed to. For instance, Right to Life Michigan spent $9,343,500 to defeat Prop 3, which allows people to legally chose to have an abortion.
Far Right Think Tanks
- Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty – $252,500
- American Enterprise Institute – $375,000
- Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies – $650,000
- Foundation for Individual Rights in Education – $25,000
- Great Lakes Education Foundation – $100,000
- Institute for Cultural Evolution – $34,000
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy – $625,000
- Philanthropy Roundtable – $50,000
- The Claremont Institute – $260,000
- Young America’s Foundation – $25,000
These Think Tanks influence public policy in individual states, like the Acton Institute and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy does in Michigan. The American Enterprise Institute and the Philanthropy Roundtable do the same thing, but at the federal level, which is why they are based in DC.
Education-centered groups
- Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy Inc. – $1,000,000
- Grand Rapids Community College Foundation – $50,000
- Holland Christian Schools. – $51,000
- Northwood University – $250,000
- Potters House – $200,000
- Prager University Foundation – $25,000
- Student Freedom Initiative – $500,000
- University of Maryland – $1,450,000
DeVos-owned, created or connected groups
- ArtPrize – $200,000 (this was the last year it was being run the Rick DeVos)
- Chicago Cubs Charities – $10,000
- Corewell Health Foundation – $330,000
- Grand Action Foundation 2.0 – $50,000
- West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation – $450,000
Of course all these entities that were created by DeVos family members, also promote their ideological religious and capitalist values. On top of that, it also means that DeVos family members are funding their own entities and using their foundation to fund their own pet projects, like Grand Action Foundation 2,0 – which promotes development projects in Grand Rapids that use public funds and expands their wealth – or the West Michigan Aviation Academy – because it promotes the privatization of education.
Groups receiving Hush $
- Baxter Community Center – $5,000
- Exalta Health – $10,000
- Degage Ministries – $5,000
- ICCF Community Homes – $25,000
- Kent County Habitat for Humanity – $5,000
- Kids Food Basket – $5,000
- Safe Haven Ministries – $10,000
- Women’s Resource Center – $10,000
These groups all provide some sort of social service – people fleeing domestic violence, those who are housing insecure, people with disabilities, adoption and immigration. There are root causes to all of these issues, but these groups are not likely to address root causes and larger systems of oppression. When the DeVos family foundations make contributions, this will increase the likelihood that systems of oppression will not be addressed by these groups.
Foundations rarely make contributions without strings attached. The Dick and Betsy DeVos has a long history of funding far right and religious right groups, which GRIID documented 10 years ago when we started this project. Lastly, it is worth noting that the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, like all of the DeVos family foundations, compliments the campaign contributions they make to further impact public policy and promote their religious and capitalist ideologies.
GRIID interview with Grand Rapids Pullover Prevention
GRIID – As a new autonomous group in Grand Rapids what was the motivation or inspiration to form the GRPOP?
GRPOP – Seeing the harm done in the name of “routine” traffic stops was the primary motivation to host a pullover prevention clinic. We have seen this harm in our own personal negative experiences with police, along with the tragic murder of our neighbor Patrick Lyoya – stopped for an expired tag. You can see the extension of these patterns at a national level – the data from Mapping Police Violence for traffic stop related incidents of violence can be seen at this link.
A clinic where we change burnt out brake and tag lights for free seemed like an actionable opportunity to improve the experiences and material conditions of people living in Grand Rapids by limiting the number of interactions with law enforcement. We have seen the success of these clinics in other Michigan cities like Ypsilanti (Ypsi POP), Detroit and Lansing (facilitated by the General Defense Committee) and are inspired and influenced directly by their work and practice.
GRIID – According to the Stanford Open Policing Project, police pull over more than 20 million motorists annually, with significantly skewed patterns of racial bias. Can you talk a bit about the realities and consequences of being pulled over by the police, especially for BIPOC people?
GRPOP – Remember that policing in the US originated with slave patrol – a violently racist institution that prevented and criminalized the free movement of black and brown bodies. The origins of policing can still be seen in the drastic disparities in outcomes of interactions with police between communities of color and their white counterparts.
Police often use an excuse of something minor like a burnt out brake, tag or tail light to initiate an interaction with the intent of finding something more substantial during the stop. Due to the inherent racism in policing, this practice is disproportionately used to target BIPOC drivers. We have seen locally and nationally the way that these targeted traffic stops can result in incredible harm and violence. The murders of Patrick Lyoya, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, and countless others are tragic outcomes of “routine” traffic stops. Even in less lethal circumstances, these interactions can lead to expensive tickets and court dates. If traffic tickets go unpaid, licenses can be suspended or folks can end up in jail. In this way, the financial impacts of unnecessary interactions with the police place an additional burden on all working class people.
All marginalized people are at increased risk of violence at the hands of police. Immigrant communities, visibly queer people and neurodivergent people are also routinely targeted and brutalized. This harm is not nameless or faceless and we recognize the humanity of those who had their lives stolen by this discriminatory state violence right here in Michigan:
• Patrick Lyoya • Riley Doggett • Samuel Sterling • Tony Cox
• Jaquan Kiante Fletcher • Michael Contrell Adams III • Damon Grimes
• Farhad Jabbari • Deven Guilford • Dominique Charon Lewis
• Gabriel Vernon Stevenson • Antonino Thomas Gordon • Andrew Blowers
• Brian Douglas Laxton • Kyle Anthony Goidosik
We call for justice for those on this list and many more that would not fit in this article. Say Their Names!
GRIID – You have an event coming up on August 24th in Grand Rapids. Can you say a bit about what this event is about and how people can support your work?
GRPOP – On August 24th from 10am-2pm at First Community AME Church we will be hosting our first Grand Rapids Pullover Prevention (GR POP) Clinic and Mutual Aid Fair. We were delighted to learn that First Community AME Church specifically has a history of liberatory work here in GR. As noted in The People’s History of Grand Rapids, they hosted Kwame Ture, a dedicated Pan-Africanist and Black freedom fighter during the Civil Rights Movement.
At this event we will have trained volunteers checking vehicle brake, tail and tag lights and replacing burnt out/broken bulbs for FREE! The goal is to mitigate interactions with GRPD – put simply, if all your lights are working, cops will not have an easy excuse to pull you over. The GR POP event will also include a mutual aid fair – where community members and groups will get together to offer a wide array of services and resources to everyone who stops by. The mutual aid fair is open to anyone who wants to participate. We only have 4 rules:
1.) No Money 2.) No Cops 3.) No Electoralism 4.) No Bulls***
Ultimately, the best way to support this work is to ground yourself in community. You can give someone a ride, help someone bring in their groceries, host a clothing swap, meet your neighbors. Showing up for eachother even when it might be inconvenient is how we start to build the future we imagine and we all have an integral part to play. We are interested in creating a fun and engaging event to show that, as Movimiento Cosecha says, “everything we need we can find in the community”.
If you would like to support GR POP specifically, you can volunteer for the event, organize with us or join the offerings at the mutual aid fair. You can email us at grpop616@gmail.com or message us on instagram @grpop616.
GRIID – Will people have to bring their own brake lights or other items to be replaced for this event, or will they have to pay for them?
GRPOP – Nope! This is a completely free event. We will have general inventory on hand and volunteers arranged for day-of bulb purchasing. To avoid any waits, you can complete this form to be sure that we will have your bulb on hand. It is important to us that this event is completely free due to our commitment to a mutual aid model of community care:
GRIID – Besides hosting pullover prevention actions like what you are doing on August 24th, what other actions or events are you hoping to plan, and how critical is the educational component of events like what will happen on the 24th of August?
GRPOP – The big dream is to build these clinics into the social fabric of the city and let this be a consistent, reliable space for people to get together and see how we can meet our own needs. To start, our plan is to host pullover prevention clinics every other month in different neighborhoods around Grand Rapids and proceed in ways informed by the communities expressed needs and responses.
Beyond this, we answer to the community. We will do whatever we can in our capacity to connect people with the resources necessary for healthy, happy and successful futures free from policing. We aren’t interested in becoming an organization that sets out to execute all mutual aid efforts ourselves but we want to be a source of connection, for community building.
While we are working to share and build skill proficiencies in our community – the unique educational aspect of this event comes down to the empowerment we can provide in spaces like this. We already have phenomenal organizers in this city working to educate on abolition and the harm of policing specifically in BIPOC communities – groups like ACAbolition, Defund the GRPD, Comrades Collective, etc. We are here to create a space for exploring, in practice, what we can do without institutions like policing and to build confidence in our city that we can take care of each other.
GRIID – Is there anything else you want to share with our readers about what GRPOP, and how can people get involved who want to support this kind of work?
GRPOP – We are just a group of everyday people, some of us are experienced organizers and for some this is our first time flexing these muscles. We come with all different and nuanced experiences and skills and want to show those who maybe want to “do” something – you can just do it. You don’t need to be a member of an organization or work in the nonprofit world to connect with people working toward a shared vision or to bring that vision to life.
We really want to encourage people to get involved in mutual aid and community building. To support this work you can start with some very simple things like meeting your neighbors, taking someone to the doctors, helping someone with housework or car maintenance, organizing your own clinic or event to engage and serve the community. The options are really endless! If you want to get involved with GR POP specifically you can reach out to us on socials or at grpop616@gmail.com – even if you’re not sure what you have to offer in an organizing space we are happy to help you plug in and find your place – we all have one!
Betsy DeVos is now saying she would be willing to be part of a second Trump administration
Just two days after the failed January 6th, 2021 insurrection in Washington, Betsy DeVos submitted a letter of resignation from the Trump Administration.
I wrote a response to the resignation letter from the former Secretary of Education, pointing out numerous aspects of the letter that were disingenuous and cowardly.
Despite Betsy DeVos’s attempt at distancing herself from Donald Trump, she is now saying that she would be willing to be part of a second Trump Administration if asked.
The New Republic reported – as did many other news outlets – that DeVos said she would return to the post of Secretary of Education, but with one condition, she would like to serve with the “goal of phasing out the Department of Education as we tried to do through the budgetary process in the first administration.”
The New Republic article went on to say:
DeVos also said that she would like to pass “a major education freedom bill in the form of a tax credit mechanism,” alluding to school choice vouchers at the federal tax level, part of conservatives’ grand plans to eventually get rid of public education in America.
I have no doubt that Betsy DeVos would do the things she said she would do if Donald Trump asked her to head up the Department of Education again. During her stint as Secretary of Education from 2017 – through her resignation, GRIID wrote dozens of articles providing analysis of her actions during those years, which you read at the GRIID Betsy DeVos Watch section.
Betsy DeVos was in Detroit recently at a GOP fundraiser when she made these comments about her willingness to be part of another Trump Administration. And while she has not personally endorsed Trump as the GOP presidential candidate for the 2024 Election, DeVos did say she will, “definitely be supporting the Republican ticket.” Just more evidence of the ruthlessness of Betsy DeVos and the DeVos family.
The Hotel Tax is not a done deal: Funding community needs over entertainment venues in Kent County
On August 6th, voters in Kent County marginally decided to support the hotel tax increase that was on the ballot and being promoted by the group Destination Kent Committee.
I say marginally, since the vote was 65,909 in favor and 56,976 against. This is a small difference, especially when you consider that the Destination Kent Committee raised $468,450.00, nearly half a million dollars in just a few months, without any real organized opposition. The Destination Kent Committee spent most of their money on Public Relations and Advertising, with a large chunk being used for mailers and radio spots in the Grand Rapids market.
However, even with the slim margin of votes in favor of the hotel tax increase, the money that the ballot initiative stated would be used for the outdoor amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium and the Aquarium is not completely a done deal.
According to an MLive article from August 9th:
Tuesday’s vote gave Kent County the ability to levy the additional tax. Now, for it to go into effect starting in 2025, the county board must approve levying it. County Administrator Al Vanderberg said the board could consider doing so as soon as its Aug. 22 meeting.
The MLive article also states that Grand Action 2.0, which contributed $300,000 to the campaign to pass the hotel tax increase, will be asking Grand Rapids City Commissioners to provide $27 Million in public tax money to cover the rest of the cost of the outdoor amphitheater, and likely an additional $100 Million at a future date for the Soccer Stadium.
Seeing that there is still a window for the public to weigh in on this matter, there are some options for action. First, there is a petition created by Kent County Commissioner Ivan Diaz, which states the following:
At the August 22nd, 2024 meeting of the Kent County Board of Commissioners, the Board will be asked to appropriate funds from the County Hotel/Motel tax to fund projects that are being built or have been proposed in the downtown area, including the Acrisure Amphitheater, the Soccer Stadium and an Aquarium.
Investments should and need to be made in other parts of the County, not just the Downtown Area.
If Public Dollars are being demanded for these projects, the Public should benefit.
Sign our petition to demand that a percentage of the revenue from the Hotel/Motel Tax is used outside of the downtown area so that our entire County can benefit from these initiatives! After signing, reach out to your County Commissioner to demand that they fight for their communities!
Second, people could show up at the August 22nd Kent County Commission, a meeting which begins at 8:30am in Room 310 of the County Administration Building, to push the County Commissioners to make the same kind of investments in other parts of Kent County and/or for people in the county that are struggling to survive in this economy.
According to the Destination Kent Committee, once the Hotel Tax increase goes into effect, it would result in an estimated $24 Million in tax dollars generated. What if instead of redirecting that money to pay for entertainment venues, the $24 million annual would go to provide social housing for families, rental assistance for tenants, addressing food insecurity, improved health care and more environmental justice outcomes for the people who already live in this city and are struggling to survive.
Rep. Scholten meets with West Michigan businesses that have US military contracts and claims their function is to promote peace
In Rep. Scholten’s weekly Email newsletter for the week of August 10, the Congresswoman wrote:
Here in West Michigan, we do our part to provide for the common defense! This morning I joined The National Defense Industrial Association for a Congressional Delegation at ADAC Automotive. We were joined by dozens of area businesses that work on supporting our U.S. military, as they work to protect US.
Of course such claims are not supported or verified, since we are all supposed to accept on blind faith that the US military is protecting us. However, there is very little evidence that the US military actually protects people, whether they be US residents or other people around the world.
The fact is that Rep. Scholten met with members of what former US President Dwight Eisenhower referred to as the US Military Industrial Complex. Not only did Eisenhower name the US Military Industrial Complex, he warned us of the dangers that the weapons industry.
The reality is that Rep. Scholten was meeting with West Michigan military contractors, companies that are subsidized by taxpayers to manufacture or provide other services to the US military. More accurately, these businesses that have contracts with the US Military are receiving Corporate Welfare.
Now, the only company that Rep. Scholten mentions in her weekly newsletter is ADAC Automotive. Therefore, we don’t know who the other people pictured in the photo or which companies they represent. It is possible that there was someone from GE Aviation Systems, which has US military contracts, one of which is for KC-46A Pegasus aircraft that are being sold to the Israeli government. Perhaps there was someone from Plasan North American, which has a factory in Walker, Michigan, and makes military vehicles that are being used in Israel’s genocidal assault on the Palestinians.
Regardless of who was at this meeting with Rep. Scholten, the point is that she has consistently voted for the annual massive US Military budget, which results in US taxpayers subsidizing these military contractors and those weapons being used to murder people around the world.
Rep. Scholten does mention that the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) was present at this meeting with local military contractors. The Michigan Chapter of the NDIA is an extension of the Pentagon, where US military leaders work with the private sector to develop and manufacture weaponry and other technology that the US Military wants to develop. In March of 2024, The Right Place Inc., hosted the NDIA in Grand Rapids for an Army Contracting Command Day.
Of course, those pictured with Rep. Scholten represent just a small fraction of the local businesses that have contracts with the US Military. Here is a fairly updated list of Grand Rapids companies that have had a contract with the US Military between 2000 and 2020. Again, we all pay for this shit.
Lastly, it is worth noting that Rep. Scholten likes to brag about getting federal dollars for local charitable projects, but she fails to mention that the amount of federal dollars that goes to local military contractors is always more than what small amounts she brags about in her weekly newsletter. Rep. Scholten is doing the very thing that Dr. King warned us all about in 1967, when he said, “ A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of August 11th
It has been 10 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
Children traumatized by 10 months of genocide
Rape & Genocide: the Israeli War Machine We Support
“Uncommitted” Co-Chair Layla Elabed on Meeting Kamala Harris, Pressing VP for Arms Embargo on Israel
Investigation Exposes How Etsy Profits From Israeli Apartheid
Zionism on the Brink: The Gaza War Beyond Netanyahu
VIDEO OF SEXUAL ABUSE AT ISRAELI PRISON IS JUST LATEST EVIDENCE SDE TEIMAN IS A TORTURE SITE
Analysis & History
Decades of US Arms Deals With Israel Paved the Way to Genocide in Gaza
Jeremy Scahill on New Head of Hamas, Questions About Haniyeh Assassination & Iran Retaliation
Local Events and Actions
Power to Palestine: Weekly Rally in Grand Rapids
Wednesday, August 14th, 12 – 1pm, Rosa Parks Circle
Image used is from https://visualizingpalestine.org/visual/treating-trauma-under-israeli-fire-july-update/
50 years ago today Gerald Ford was sworn in as President: The unsanitized version of Ford’s Presidency
(This post is one of the 40 chapters in my new book, Radical Grand Rapids, which will be available in September.)
Probably the biggest reference being made about former President Ford when he died in December of 2006, was that he “healed the nation.” Not surprising, this is the title of his memoirs, but what exactly does that mean when pundits and politicians say he healed the nation? It means that Ford pardoned Nixon, which is to say that he did not seek an indictment of Nixon for illegal activities during what is now known as the Watergate scandal.
The Ford museum literature says that by pardoning Nixon, Ford helped restore confidence in the office of the presidency that negatively under the Nixon administration. Is this the reality or was it a way to sidestep any serious investigation of the illegal practices of the Nixon administration, which ultimately would lead people to see the very nature of the US Imperial Project? When Nixon’s crimes are mentioned what most people think of was the wiretapping of the Democrats before the election. What is usually omitted from the official record are Nixon’s war crimes in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. This is what “official historians” mean when they say Ford healed the nation, that the American public was protected from the ugly realities of US foreign policy. Well, what are we being protected from? Looking at the brief history of the Ford administration might help us to answer that question.
Ford became Nixon’s Vice President in October of 1973 and was sworn in as President in August of 1974. He served as President until Carter took the oval office in January of 1977. Ford supported the repressive government in the Philippines in its counterinsurgency war against rebels. During the coup in Argentina in 1976, Ford supported the generals who took power and slaughtered thousands of dissidents. Under Ford the US provided millions of dollars in military aid to the right-wing movement in Angola known as UNITA. He negotiated military bases in Spain with the fascist dictator Franco. Ford maintained the illegal terror war and embargo against Cuba and was president during the final days of the US occupation of South Vietnam. But probably the foreign policy that best defines Ford was his support of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.
Much has been written about what took place in the meeting between Ford, Henry Kissinger, and Indonesian President Suharto on December 5th and 6th in 1975, but it wasn’t until December of 2001 when the National Security Archives finally obtained declassified documentation of what took place. What we now know is that Ford and Kissinger not only knew of the Indonesian plans to invade East Timor, but that they offered diplomatic and military support for the invasion, which became a multi-year and bloody genocidal campaign. In fact, the US role in the murderous campaign by the Indonesia military against the East Timorese people was one of the proportionately worst genocides of the 20th Century.
For additional information on this topic:
The National Security Archives FOIA documents on Ford & Kissinger’s visit with Indonesian President Suharto, just prior to their invasion of East Timor. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB62/
895 Days That Changed the World: The presidency of Gerald R. Ford, by Graeme Mount.
Don’t be fooled by the same old bullshit that the group Thrive and Prosper is promoting in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is synonymous with the phrase West Michigan Nice. West Michigan Nice is an ironic reference to the fact that while people and institutions might appear to be polite, in reality they look down on people with contempt or paternalism, especially those people made vulnerable by systems of power and oppression.
Therefore, the label of West Michigan Nice could aptly be given to the recently created group known as Thrive and Prosper. Yes, Thrive and Prosper. Sounds like a get rich quick scheme or a cult or just simply the logical outcome of how Grand Rapids deals with everything. The group’s mission statement is a clear indication of what they are really about:
We’re a collective of local businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, community organizations, faith organizations and residents with
a shared vision.
Change cannot be achieved in a vacuum. It needs collaboration, and for those involved to plan intentionally for actions that actually make a difference to people in our communities.
We must find the answers by working together, because if we’re going to build a city where everyone can thrive and prosper, we need everyone involved in finding solutions.
We believe that opportunity is a result of access to a certain set of circumstances. And by removing barriers, we can improve access and spur economic vitality for all. But change is hard.
Great. We all just need to remove barriers – conveniently not named – and then opportunities will just open up for people to prosper and thrive. Sweet Jesus! First, the group is made up of the usual suspects, as is reflected in their Partners in the Work list, shown above. You have groups that are members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, government entities that collaborate with them, and members of the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, which helps to deliver people who might benefit from the limited amount of wealth creation. The only outside entity is Stand Together, which is a creation of the Koch Brothers.
Thrive and Prosper is just the latest iteration of the talent development and entrepreneurial pipeline that will allow a small sector of the local population to make money and be successful. The problem with this tired old approach is that it is just another manifestation of Capitalism 101, where given the right opportunity, you too can be financially successful.
Of course, the problem is that only a small percentage of Grand Rapids will Thrive and Prosper, since wealth creation under this model always requires profit making from cheap labor and the extraction of natural resources.
Thrive and Prosper will only benefit a few people, who will ultimately have to play the game created by members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure. However, the few that will Thrive and Prosper will also have to abandon their communities, since you can’t thrive and prosper without causing others hardship, poverty and despair. Welcome to West Michigan Nice!
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 