SALUTE TO AMERICA: DELIVERED!

ELIZABETH WARREN: IS SHE THE ONE?

ICHEOKU says the NBC moderators seemed to favor her with more questions, answering time and air time. They even opened the two segments of the two hours debate with first questions directed at her. ICHEOKU says is she the Plan B, just in case Joe Biden gaffes himself out of relevance. She acquitted herself well and might likely secure the nomination, if only the Democratic Party will not rig the process once again. She has a right sounding presidential name, Warren. Anyway, we shall see how everything turns out.

CORI COCO GAUFF: A TENNIS PHENOM.

ICHEOKU says her name is Cori Gauff, aka Coco and she is an exceptionally talented tennis player; simply put, a  tennis prodigy. She is just 15 years old and defeated a consummate tennis great Venus Williams at the Wimbledon. ICHEOKU says they don't make her likes that many and it is important to remember that Venus also, similarly started playing tennis at a very young age as well. 

Young Coco admitted that Venus was her role model, the reason she took to playing tennis and said that she is living her dream by defeating her heroine Venus. In her own words, she said: 

"Honestly I don't really know how to feel. This was the first time I ever cried after a match. While winning, obviously. ... I never thought this would happen. I'm literally living my dream right now. And not many people get to say that. I'm just happy that Wimbledon gave me the opportunity to play. I definitely had to tell myself to stay calm. I had never played on a court that big. But I had to remind myself that the lines on the court are the same size. Everything around it might be bigger, but the lines are the same. After every point, I was just telling myself to stay calm." 

ICHEOKU says what a wisdom filled talented young woman as she not only played very well, but also spoke very well. ICHEOKU says another tennis great is born, hurrah. Congratulations Coco.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, AMERICA!

ICHEOKU says on the occasion of America's independence day from Britain, a day which every American should celebrate with prideful dignity, nobody should trivialize the solemnity of this day. Happy independence anniversary celebration to all patriotic Americans who are joyful that they are Americans. Salute.

NIKE BETSY ROSS SHOES: AN AVOIDABLE CONTROVERSY.

ICHEOKU says when you think that Colin Kaepernick has disappeared with his kneeling down controversy and that chapter of his disruptive activism was finally closed, here he resurfaces with yet another more weightier controversy, impugning American flag and forcing Nike to withdraw a beautiful flag themed shoes, which many people would have bought because it is a thing of beauty. 

The Betsy Ross flag shoes which Nike had planned to release for America's Independence Day commemoration, a well intended honor for the woman who first designed the American flag, has now been hounded down with a needless controversy about slavery, as Nike was forced to beat a retreat and pull them from its stores. 

ICHEOKU says why was Colin Kaepernich not first consulted for his input during the design and approval stages of the shoes; and why did Nike wait until now that the shoes were ready for launch before seeking Colin Kaepernick's opinion, resulting to the current imbroglio. Imagine the amount of money spent on getting the shoes to the market, in design, production, logistics, advertising as well as marketing and all of these will now go to waste simply because Colin Kaepernick gave a thumb down. Speaking of a manufactured crisis and this otherwise avoidable controversy, about a 13 Stars representing  13 States themed flag design, is absolutely really one. 

This is a flag which even black American President Barack Obama did not find offensive and used it during his inauguration ceremony; but suddenly Colin Kaepernick woke up and decided it is henceforth offensive because it was designed during slavery, without regards to the fact that America had thirteen States at the time the flag was designed, which  founded the thirteen stars representing the 13 States in the Union. But acting as devil's advocate to the Colin Kaepernick crowd, ICHEOKU says, should America now destroy everything that was built and founded during the same period of slavery, before it was abolished; and if yes, what will still be left standing in America, knowing fully well that majority of America's vast wealth could be traced to slave labor. 

ICHEOKU says does not support slavery, but it is a historical part of America which cannot be simply easily wished away. Therefore, holding Nike hostage because of a supposed "slave" flag, which was then at the time of its design time appropriate, is not right. Nike should have instead proceeded to sell the shoes and donate all the proceeds of sale to causes which Colin Kaepernick approves and supports. But to just condemn the entire stock of such beautiful shoes and waste all the money spent on bringing it to the market as well as expected profits from sales, is simply incomprehensible and a colossal waste of resources. 

Colin Kaeprnick should have been more reasonable not to suffer Nike such a loss of money; and instead accept a donation of the proceeds to ameliorating causes to blacks and other disadvantaged peoples of America, as well as those foreign slaves in those sweatshops which make those Nike beautiful shoes. Query, should Joseph Biden now be prohibited from running for president in the Democratic Party, simply because, according to him, his Great State of Delaware was a slave State? Enough of all these needless, petty righteous indignation that only further polarizes Americans and create additional fissures among Americans. #BringBackBetsyRossShoes&DonateTheProceedsOfSales.

KOE BIDEN: PASS THE TORCH.

ICHEOKU says please tell Joe Biden to make haste, heed the advise which he once gave and pass the torch to a younger generation leaders as his time in the sun has since past. SAY NO TO JOE BIDEN. #PASSTHETORCH.

JOE BIDEN: A CLOSETED RACIST?

ICHEOKU says despite all the lip service denials, is it possible that former Vice President Joe Biden had and still nurses some racist tendencies, which sometimes bubbles up to the top in some of his unguarded comments and statements. He is afterall a good ole white boy and like Bill Clinton, shared in the same privileges of whites only, this and that; as well as other perks of that era, which somewhat continued till this day. 

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck; so if the former Vice President has made statements which could be associated to racists or interpreted as racism, and has palled around with known racists and segregationists, is it possible that he is one of them? A popular aphorism says, tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are; so, who is Joe Biden? 

JOE BIDEN said that he does not have any racist bone in him, but his action and utterances say otherwise. Take a look at the litany of utterances and action of Joe Biden and ask yourself how a person with such disposition to black folks and other colored Americans, could with a straight face, say that he is not a racist, even if he lacks the courage to in fact, actually match his words with his thinking. 

In an article published in New York Observer of Wednesday February 7, 2007, Joe Biden said of Barack Obama:- "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy", which Obama denounced as historically inaccurate in face of other African Americans who once ran for the office including Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton. 

ICHEOKU says let any defender of Joe Biden's racist antecedents please explain to ICHEOKU how a person that has lived for nearly 80 years in America has never seen any African American that is articulate, bright, clean and nice looking, until Barack Obama happened on the stage. This is dog whistle equivalent of coded subliminal message that black people are dumb, dirty and dull; and in fact ugly looking too; yet Joe Biden has no racist bone in his body, you're right. 

It is also on record that Joe Biden once fought against school integration in America by opposing busing of school children across schools. An effort which he tagged along with late racist Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina to pursue. Yet, Joe Biden claims that he is not a racist but palled around with such an openly racist Senator. A case which Senator and presidential candidate wanna be Kamala Harris brought to light during the last Democratic Party's presidential debate in Miami, when she told her story of being the little school girl that Joe Biden's anti busing action nearly impacted in California. 

Joe Biden also, once on national television, bragged about how his State of Delaware was a slave State and proudly so. The interviewer was asking Joe Biden how his presidential quest would fare in the South, being a Yankee; and he proudly said that he comes from a slave State and that fact is easily relatable to the South and that he will be easily home in the South. 

ICHEOKU says how could someone who does not have a racist bone in his body be so proud to come from a slave State and then went ahead to mouth it off as his presidential credentials and his bona fides as a strong candidate in the South. If he was ashamed of his past and still not into deep racism, why would he be so comfortable with such a dark past history of Delaware, as to say it on national television and claimed it as a qualifying attribute and the reason he will be easily accepted in the South. But Joe Biden wants black Americans to believe that he got their back. 

Also, Joe Biden was on record edifying his Senatorial working experience back in the 70s with known racists Senators from Mississippi and Georgia, James Eastland and Herman Talmadge. According to him, "I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. He never called me boy, he always called me son. A guy like Herman Talmadge, one of the meanest guys I ever knew, you go down the list of all these guys. Well guess what? At least there was some civility. We got things done. We didn’t agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it finished. But today, you look at the other side and you’re the enemy. Not the opposition, the enemy. We don’t talk to each other anymore.” 

ICHEOKU says while what Joe Biden said overall did not sufficiently rise to racism, but his reference to not being called "BOY" did him in. He is fully aware of the derogatory nature of the word BOY is to African American males and how insulting calling a fully grown black man boy really is; and racist white men often use it to place black men in their place. So, by Joe Biden bringing up the word boy, he  knew exactly what he intended and he successfully communicated it. Yet he is not a racist, but he speaks and uses words of racism. 

Then add his 7Eleven comment about having Indian accent and the fog gets clearer about what he truly thinks about people whose color of the skin is different. Should ICHEOKU add that Joe Biden was twice married and non of his wives was a person of color; and of course he does not live in black neighborhood nor attends black church either. 

Anyway, Joe Biden will not win the primaries and will not be the party's presidential nominee; and if he is rigged in, he will be roundly defeated by President Donald John Trump. The much touted name recognition myth was laid to waste when Queen Crooked Hillary Clinton could not use her globally recognized name to win the White House in November 8th, 2016. Names no longer wins election, touching the hearts and minds of American people does; and without positivity and stronger message on policies, the Democrats are once again running on empty, as anger alone will not do it. This is 2020 election we are talking about and not one in the 1980s. 

Joe Biden is exhausted, tired, washed and looks like a ghost and caricature of his former amiable self, period. He is no longer the original Joe American people once knew. Unlike Obama, Joe Biden has no charisma left going into 2020 election. Unlike Jeb Bush, Joe Biden has no energy at all going into the 2020 election; and of course, unlike Trump, Joe Biden is steeped in the old ways of politicking, including straight jacketed boring campaign style. 

American people have moved on from Obama/Biden; and American people will not trade the vibrancy of a President Donald John Trump's presidency to a dower Joe Biden drab presidency. Unfortunately, his time in the sun has passed and there is no amount of energy drink or other energy boosting ingestible or injectable that can successfully bring back the original, aviator-shades wearing Joe. 

American loved him when he had spring in his steps and was vibrant and cognitive; but that Joe which we once knew is gone forever.  American people will not accept the current effigy for the boy from Scranton who later turned into Amtrak riding Senator from Delaware and rose to become the Vice President. ICHEOKU says Joe Biden should in fact withdraw from the race and avoid having the final chapter of his long running stellar career in politics be bookended with a resounding defeat in 2020. President Donald John Trump will be reelected president come November 3rd, 2020 because none of the 20 Democratic Party's presidential candidates has what it takes to uproot him from the White House. Joe Biden, your time in politics is up, pass the torch. #PassTheTouch.

Democratic Party PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: A DEBATE THAT NEVER DEBATED.

ICHEOKU says at this stage of the selection process, when the Democratic Party is still trying to find the best candidate to take on President Donald John Trump in next year's November 3rd, 2020 presidential election, the focus of the candidates should have been on themselves and not the president. They are respectively seeking the opportunity to be their party's presidential flag bearer and their focus should have been solely on this primary objective, how to become the nominee and then he or she can start debating the president. A candidate can only emerge as the party's nominee by submerging his or her fellow competitors for that singular privilege. 

That is what presidential primaries are about, the kneecapping of opponents; and the surviving candidate, who secured the nomination, will then punt to attacking the man in the White House who he or she wants to replace. The main objective of candidates vying in any party's presidential primaries is to win the nomination of the party, period. Any other thing, including attacking a sitting president is but a needless distraction in which the limited allotted speaking time should not be foolishly wasted on. Therefore, it was disheartening to see the candidates, who are still vying for the privilege of becoming the party's nominee, acting as if they are already the nominee of the party. Instead of focusing on each other and advocating on why they are a better candidate to take on President Donald John Trump and by extension, why they are the best choice for the party's nominee, they acted as if they have already secured the party's nomination and are already debating the president and fretted away valuable minutes doing that. 

ICHEOKU says it is tactically foolish and strategically inept and rather preposterous for them to be gunning for the mat without first securing the ground on which to lay the mat. Attacking the president will not secure them the party's nomination; rather they must demonstrate why they are better than each other, by attacking and destroying the policy objective of each other and letting the primaries voting Democrats know why they are better than each other, the reason they are the best candidate to take on the president in 2020. Without destroying each other, by exposing the weaknesses and flaws of each other, how then can the Democrats make up their mind and decide on who to beat fly their party's flag. By being gun-shy and making tepid responses, they suggest that they are more of the same, simply a generic collection of candidates; in which case any of them would suffice. Thus begging the question, why waste time, energy and money going through the primaries since the Party could have just handpicked any one of the candidates and get it over with. 

Game of the Throne readily comes to mind that if there is only one nomination slot, how else does any of the candidates get to be the nominee by sparing other who are also coveting the same position.  Power game is ruthless. It is not for the squeamish and faint hearted; only the brave, courageous and fearless makes a cutthroat dash for it. ICHEOKU expected some of the candidates to be mortally wounded during the debate, but regrettably, none of them suffered more than a bruise. This makes it harder to choose the candidate for the general election within the motley of candidates still standing and that is practically all of the 20 of them. 

ICHEOKU says if these candidates are so timid and circumspect to pull the trigger at each other, how then can whoever eventually emerges stand President Trump in a debate and general election campaign? But playing the devil's advocate, assuming he or she miraculous wins the November 3rd, 2020 election, how is she or he going to take on Russia's Vladimir Putin, Chinese Xi Jingpin, North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Iranian Ayatollah and Venezuela's Innocent Maduro. These candidates are showing lack of steely resolve and lacking in backbone and American people will not have any of them in place of President Donald John Trump, the acclaimed unabashed defender in chief of America and its people and values. 

The primaries should be a demolition derby of each other, to help clear their competitors out of the way in an otherwise overcrowded field. They are fighting for the presidential nomination of their party and must strictly keep their eyes on the ball; and stop being distracted by what is ahead of the eventual winner of the nomination process; first things first. The worst offender of this queasiness is Bernie Sanders, who despite the raw hand dealt him by Queen Crooked Hillary and the Democratic Party's honchos in 2016, is once again very reluctant to make a serious play for the party's nomination, by demolishing his arch rival Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren. He is too hesitant and such is not a quality of a leader. 

ICHEOKU says except if Bernie Sanders is just an unserious agitator without a real intent on becoming president, his strategy of playing it safe with his fellow contestants is not a game changing winning plan. He should have imbibed the lesson of fool me once shame on you, but fool me twice shame on me. Why is he even running if he is this gun-shy? It is for this reason that ICHEOKU commends the Congressman and Senator from California, Eric Swalwell and Kamala Harris, for going where others refused to go, the issue of Joe Biden's inevitability. While Swalwell shone the light on Joe Biden's long stay in Washington DC since 1972; Harris pointed the searchlight on Joe Biden's somewhat racist past. These two pointers are necessary as it gave Americans reason to look more deeply at Joe Biden and question if he indeed has the right qualifying resume to go forward. 

The change in government which is being clamored for, cannot be obtained by allowing the same people who crashed the things, back into governing or to fix what they intentionally broke. They purposely broke them and have no intention to right their wrong, so why border asking them to, knowing fully well that they will not do so because they created the mess in the first place and for a reason, and will want it to remain as is. The most laughable of them all is Joe Biden who is complaining that the government is broken and ICHEOKU asks Joe Biden to explain to the American people who broke the government, if not a guy who has been in government for 47 long years. Such a longevity leaves many people wondering what exactly does Joe Biden wants to suddenly do now, which 47 years was not enough time for him to have mission accomplished. Then throw in Bernie Sanders who complained that the Supreme Court could use new blood and you wonder why he does not think same of the Senate as well as the party's nominee? 

ICHEOKU says the Democratic Party should just forget all the pretenses of a primary and just coronate their favorite candidate Joe Biden and get it over with. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party is democratic in name only and have institutionalized cronyism and a hierarchical order in the party, where one can only rise through the ranks by obeying party honchos and elders, who own the party and handpicks who gets what and who rises to which office within the party. They did it with Queen Crooked Hillary Clinton and are once again doing it with Joe Biden, trying to stifle the people and deny them their real choice. But if they succeed in foisting a NO ENERGY Joe Biden on the party, it will spell four more years for President Donald John Trump; because without enthusiasm and excitement among Democratic Party's voters, they will not turn out in the election because there is nothing in it for them. It will remain just the same old song, a veneer of paint on an old structure. 

Overall, Elizabeth Warren proved herself most worthy of consideration in the debate, admitted that her excessive radicalism will not play well in the general election. After the hair-raising experiences with Barack Obama, Americans are not ready to take another chances with another radical in their White House. But if she wins the primaries, who will she pick as her vice presidential candidate running mate. A female and female ticket will not win the general election nor would a radical and radical ticket win either. A female minority ticket like Kamala Harris will not win also, because it will leave white males wondering what their faith would be under such a hostile takeover by wild eyed, crazed out, feminist female. It would have been much easier for a black female candidate and a white male running mate to run; but again, Kamara Harris is too radical for comfort and will not win the nomination of the Democratic Party and if she does, she will be roundly rejected by the American people. 

ICHEOKU says candidate Marianne Williamson in fact captured the correct mood of Americans and the reason President Donald John Trump will win a reelection, he has captured American peoples' spirit with his Americanism brand of politics. A matter made worse because of the extreme far left which the Democratic Party has veered to, where it would appear that the candidates were campaigning in a different foreign country and not for America's presidency. Some candidates were speaking foreign language to American audience, advocating for socialism, canvasing for open borders, free medical care to illegal immigrants and banishing every institution of law enforcement in America; and you wonder the level which the Democratic Party will not go with their pandering. The good news however is that Americans are still in the majority, compared to all the illegal immigrants put together, so come November 3rd, 2020, they will troupe out to vote to secure their country and keep it safe from foreign invaders and protect its capitalism and general way of life. Translation, President Donald John Trump WINS. #PassTheTorch.

UFC: FAST FADING AND NO LONGER LIVES UP TO ITS BILLING?

ICHEOKU says used to be an avid fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, but that was in those days when it was indeed a bloody bone crushing sport, but not any more. ICHEOKU says does not know if there were new regulations in place to curtail the beastliness of the sport, which in fact gave it the preeminence place in martial arts sport. Is it possible too that it fell victim to the feminizing of America, as many other manly things that are under constant attack by the crazed out, wild eyed leftist feminists of America. 

As everyone knows, the UFC growth was fueled by men and women alike who flocked in to watch in great admiration as men and women with real guts go at each other without mercy, squeamish or queasiness. As is always the case, people admire what they wish they were and/or had which that explains the meteoric rise of the UFC. But unfortunately, the UFC is fast losing its appeal because it no longer produces real bloody brawls and the referees seem now to be in too much hurry to intervene to save a cornered fighter. Without blood, there is no UFC; otherwise it becomes generic like any other Mixed Martial Arts or even boxing and wrestling. No fan wants this and no fan is a fan just because of a generic format.

UFC 238 in Minneapolis was a disaster to say the least as nothing remarkable came out of the fighters. No blood was shed and nobody was punched out or bloodied, but were all easily submitted or knocked out. ICHEOKU says Mr Dan White must bring back the savagery which UFC has been known for or watch his prize baby fade away. Not even the much hyped Francis Nganou and Junior da Santos main event, lived up to the billing. What a shameful loss of its past glorious days. Hopefully, UFC 239 with Jon Jones will help bring back some real fighting, otherwise ICHEOKU might be signing off permanently. #BringBackOurUFC.

AMERICANS LOVE THEIR COUNTRY AND THEY SHOW IT.

ICHEOKU says Americans are never found wanting or lacking in passionately loving their country and unabashedly showing it.

PASS THE TORCH: JOE BIDEN AND BERNIE SANDERS SHOULD DO THE NEEDFUL NOW.

ICHEOKU says definitely agrees with Congressman from California Eric Swalwell that it is about time the two great grandfathers in the midst, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, make way and yield the stage for a younger generation of leaders to take over the mantle of leadership in the Democratic Party. Enough of the two elderly and frail septuagenarians, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, permanently playing the dog in the manger in the party's presidential nomination process. It is also very instructive that both men do not stand a  chance at taking on President Donald John Trump in a long drawn out election campaign, debate, talkless of winning the election against him. 

While Joe Biden has no energy left in his sinews, Bernie Sanders on the other hand, is just too angry to make his point and warm himself into the hearts and minds of sensible Americans. His only supporters are the freebies-looking pot smoking knuckleheads who are so delusional with unrealistic expectation, to have bought into his promised land of a Sugar Candy mountain where everything will be free. This two silver haired great grandfathers' stranglehold on the party's nomination process must be checkmated right now, otherwise how can any sane person expect the same people who midwifed the problems and dysfunction in the country to remedy it. 

So the Congressman from California was right that the Democratic Party cannot be a forward looking party if it continues to look to the past for leadership of the party, including in choosing its presidential nominees. He was also emphatic that it is about time the party turned the corner and embrace the next generation of emerging leaders which are abundant in the party  In his own words, the Congressman said:- 

"I was 6 years old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic Party's Convention in 1987 and said it is time to PASS THE TORCH to a new generation of Americans. That candidate was then Senator Joe Biden. Joe Biden was right then when he said it was time to pass the torch 32 years ago and that statement of Joe Biden is still right today. If we are going to solve the problem of automation, pass the torch; if we are going to solve the problem of climate change chaos, pass the torch; if we are going to solve the problem of students loan, pass the torch and if we are going to solve the problem of gun violence, pass the torch." 

ICHEOKU says it does not make sense that the same set of people, who technically midwifed and chaperoned all these problems and allowed them to fester and exacerbate for all these many several decades of their being in government, are now presenting themselves as the solution to the same problems which they helped create, because they are not. If they had solutions to these problems, these problems would have since disappeared; problems solved and these problems will not still be in existence today. But they created these problems and they are so embedded into the corruption that is Washington DC and are full bona fides of the swamp establishment and have no plans nor the fortitude and moral conviction to go up against themselves and their fully vested interest, which sustains these problems, by solving them. 

So, the Democratic Party must elect a new generation of leaders with a different mindset, who can put a new set of eyeballs on the problems, with a view towards once and for all solving them. But to expect Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders to be the solution the Democrats are looking for is akin to asking a bank robber to prosecute and preside over his case. It does not make sense; it never made sense and it will not make sense continuing on this leadership by old, tired and feeble elders who belong in Old Peoples Homes and Senior Citizens Homes, regardless of the protestations of ageism by Bernie Sanders. Both men's time in the sun have since passed and they must realize this and end their overtly optimistic but untenable run for the presidency of the United States of America. 

The Democratic Party must therefore wean itself off the entrenched mentality of leadership by institutionalized elders of the party and innovate to elevate by casting its lot with the upwardly mobile new generation of leaders, who are very abundant in the party. Such next generation leaders of the Democratic Party seeking to be embraced by the party include Kamara Harris, who was in primary school when Joe Biden was already a United States Senator in Washington DC; Pete Buttgieg, who was not even born when Joe Biden was first elected and sent to Washington DC in 1972; Eric Swalwell was also not born then either, but was a post Senator Joe Biden born child of 1980. So, speaking about emerging leaders of the party who were not even alive when Joe Biden was first elected as a Senator and Congresswoman from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who was born in 1989 screams that she was still a mere dream then. 

ICHEOKU says totally and completely supports Congressman Eric Swalwell that Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders must pass the torch by withdrawing and ending their bid for the presidential nomination of the party. The two great grandfathers have nothing new to contribute to the party's growth and by extension, America except for their grey hair and whatever wisdom that might still be intact and not impacted by early stages of old age induced memory loss. Their glorious years have since past and with a setting sun, they are not the right fit for the party's nominee. ICHEOKU says heretofore calls on Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to yield the leadership of the Democratic Party to the next generation of emerging leaders as leadership is not necessarily a Council of Elders-ONLY affairs. 

IRAN MUST NOW TAKE THE OFF RAMP AND NEGOTIATE: A SMART THING TO DO.

ICHEOKU says you can call it the last exit from possible conflict, but the leadership in Tehran must not allow an unmerited ego and a needless bluster to destroy itself and their country. They are not a match to the only remaining superpower in the entire planet earth and regardless of whatever assistance which Russia might provide them, their country will be the theater of the conflict and their people will be the ones bearing the blunt of whatever hostility that ensues. They have proved their point and must now climb down from their white horse, swallow their pride and accept the offer for talks; because if they don't, they will be sorry. 

In a worst case scenario and at their best, if a conflict results, they might using the element of first strike, kill all the United States of American service men and women stationed in the Middle East. But they must know that America does not turn tail or back down nor feel squeamish in the face of terror or such massive blood letting, and will definitely avenge such a massacre, tenfold. For every America killed in such a surprised first strike attack, 10 to 100 Iranians will pay the price respectively. Therefore, they must make a conscious effort to ask themselves, what is the wisdom in making such a deal of the devil, since they will ultimately suffer such a disproportionately catastrophic consequences and far beyond what they bargained for with a first strike, that they would have wished they had been wiser and smarter enough to understand what President Donald John Trump meant by obliteration. 

Iran cannot win any shooting war with America and they have no economic impetus to support a long drawn out battle with America and no nation else can, including Russia and China. Another consequential fact which must not be lost on those mullahs of Tehran is that any resulting hostility, can and will only end on America's terms, no matter how long it takes and whatever it costs; Japan and Germany are two examples to wit and of course Iraq as well. Serbia is still convulsing from America's aerial bombardments nearly two decades ago. Also, in any American retaliation for an provoked attack by Iran, will seek to decapitate the entire leadership structure of Iran, including the Ayatollah, the president, the foreign minister and of course the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. 

An Iranian leadership which is so out of touch with reality that it still celebrates the exploits of Darius and Persia's Xerxes the Great, possibly still stuck in their ancient history of horse-backs mounted Calvary and their adroitness and dexterity with bows and arrows, which once made Persia invincible. But ICHEOKU strongly doubts if those mullahs of Tehran will be foolish enough to think that such war fighting prowess will be effective in today's conflict or that such feat will be wrought today over an overwhelming force of the United States of America. Such their glorious days are since gone, left in the dustbin of ancient history and they must wake up to the reality of the now, adjust their calculation and also curb their obtuse enthusiasm. 

President Donald John Trump, at a great risk to his political fortune and personal pride, called off an already planned bombing runs on Iranian targets to avenge the shot down $120 million drone. But instead of Iran taking the offered exit ramp from the president, who tried to explain away the drone shot down as a likely mistake and agreed to talk, their prideful arrogance got the better hold of them. They went on a mission of chest beating and thumbing of their nose at America, bragging about it and boasting that they will readily do it again. Now, they have walked themselves into a boxed in corner and have forced the president to draw a red line. ICHEOKU says may God help Iran if they dare miscalculate once again and make a wrong assumption that Americans will not stand behind any action which the president deems fit and necessary to checkmate such Iranian additional provocation. 

That America has not yet avenged the 1979 embassy hostage taking as well as other provocative actions of Iran should simmer in Iranian leadership's minds as they continue to touch the tail of the tiger. This time around, if hostilities break out, all the rain checks of their many decades running provocations, might be forcible cashed and Iran will be the one left quaking. One other thing which is eluding Iranian leadership's intelligence is that insulting an American president by any foreign government and their officials is definitely a no, no; a gross miscalculation of the worse kind. Americans do not forgive nor forget such an insult on their collective identity, admitted they freely attacks and insults their president themselves. Iran must therefore show some self censure if they want to come out of the present face off still standing on their two feet vertically and still breathing. 

Overall, what Iran is trying to achieve by producing nuclear weapons which they will never be allowed to use nor can ever use, is simply beyond the factored in opportunity cost analysis. Such a misdirected priority will not add anything of value to Iranian standing in the world, afterall Pakistan has the weapon but it has not increased its footing on the world's stage. A wise Iran must therefore listen carefully to President Donald John Trump's last warning that any further attack by Iran on ANYTHING AMERICAN will be met with great and overwhelming force. The president also did not mince words when he clearly spelt out how the Iranian conflict will end, once it begins. According to the president last and final warning, attacking anything American, including another drone, is the red line for him and he did not mince words nor used to making empty boasts. 

According to the president, Iranian leadership does not understand the words nice and compassion; they never have. Sadly the thing they do understand is strength and power and the United States of America is by far the most powerful military on earth. Iran's very ignorant and insulting statements which they put out today shows that they do not understand reality. In some cases, overwhelming will mean complete obliteration. They must understand that John Kerry and Barack Obama are no more running things. ICHEOKU says definitely some words to ponder by Tehran, fully aware that President Donald John Trump has had it and will not grant Iran another pass, no matter how little the next provocation might be. So, like the president said, whenever Iran is ready and whatever Iran wants to do, that is now their prerogative; as America stands ready to meet them however they want it. Hopefully Iran will recover their senses quickly and abort their belligerence before it spells disaster for them.

OUTRAGE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IS REAL. - MITCH MCCONNELL

“It’s finally over; it is bad news for the outrage industrial complex, but good news for the rest of the country. There's an outrage industrial complex that spans from the steps of the National Congress press conferences to Cable News. They told everyone that there was collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign; but were disappointed when the MUELLER’S report found no Collusion. 

They are grieving that the national crisis which they spent two years wishing for did not materialize. Two years of exhaustive investigation, and nothing to establish the fanciful conspiracy theory that Democratic politicians and TV talking heads had treated like a foregone conclusion. They told everyone there’d been a conspiracy between Russia and the Trump Campaign. Yet on this central question, the Special Counsel’s finding is clear: Case closed. Case closed. 

The last stage of grief is acceptance and for the country’s sake, I hope that the Democrats can get there soon, through this last stage, so that the country can finally move on from the last election. They held up hope that the legal system will undo their loss in 2016 and they refuse to make peace with the Americans’ people’s choice.” - Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader.

EMEFIELE'S N500 BILLION SCANDAL: A SAHARA REPORTERS' HIT JOB.

ICHEOKU says thankfully the President and the Senate saw it for what it is, a hatchet job by a band of creeps to abort the renomination and reconfirmation of Godwin Emefiele to a second term, as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. An allegation, so outrageously ridiculous and outlandishly ludicrous that even an unfertilized, illogical mind, can easily discern the falsehood parlayed by the yellow journalism tabloid, Sahara Reporters. 

The conclusion drawn by Sahara Reporters failed to and did not collaborate what was actually said on the recorded telephone call between the governor and his deputy governor, as well as the finance director; leaving ICHEOKU to wonder, what motivates Omole Sowore? There was no basis in fact and discernible logical conjecture for any person to so conclude, except the person was out on a mission to disparage the governor and thereby derail his confirmation. But a confident President Muhammadu Buhari and a Senate which refused to be distracted, looked through the charade and barreled through to confirm the governor. ICHEOKU says absolutely well done fellas. 

Like other fake news purveyors, Sahara Reporters has increasingly morphed into a hit job tabloid which conducts reputation and character assassination on marked people, either as a hired gun or people Omole Sowore does not like. ICHEOKU says used to contribute articles on a nearly regular basis to Sahara Reporters until it carried out a hit job on then Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo. In the hit piece, SR reported that the then IGP disobeyed then President Jonathan's lawful orders. When ICHEOKU confronted Omole Sowore on the subject matter piece, seeking to know how factually possible it is that an Inspector General of Police, who held office at the prerogative of the president, could disobey a president's orders, aware that such insubordination could result in the president wielding the big stick of dismissal, he became overtly defensive. 

Instead of addressing the obvious discrepant report, he went on a tirade, attacking ICHEOKU of also being am Igbo tribal champion who nobody reads. This is despite the fact that some of ICHEOKU's contributed articles to SR drew series of high ups attention including three governors, IBB as well as a reputable Yoruba Senior Advocate of Nigeria. But this geneological excursion is not the primary reason for this opinion piece, but to emphasis categorically that Omole Sowore is suffering the little man complex and everything that would keep him relevant and in the limelight is game for him and he has no scruples disparaging anyone, including this his latest attempt to vilify the Central Bank Governor Emefiele. 

An alleged audiophile of a supposedly intervention to fix a discovered bad investment gone wrong and it was not as if it was the governor alone that was involved, neither was the decision to make the investment instigated by the governor. It is also pertinent that in the first article, SR included that the problem was later solved but it subsequently went back to edit that out of what it currently parades as a stolen N500 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria which he got a scoop about. 

But Omole Sowore refused and failed to mention Dayo Arowosegbe who was the principal architect who advised the investments as it was obvious from the conversation, from the statements made by both the governor and the deputy governor on whose persuasion the alleged investment gone wrong was made. But as far as Omole Sowore was concerned, Godwin Emefiele is Igbo, the usual punching bag in Nigeria and therefore a fair game to be used as the piñata. It is sad and it is pitiful what hatred makes people to do; the length someone can go to malign another simply because he hates the fact that he is occupying a certain coveted office.

Every country invests in Middle Eastern Sovereign Wealth funds, so what Is a country the size of Nigeria investing less than $2 billion therein, and as with such a high profit high return quick turnaround investments, it comes with high risk of loss as well. Just listen to that tape and you will hear an exasperated governor worry himself sick that a trusted advisor and high bank official led the bank into such investment which did not turn around as anticipated; yet Omole Sowore wants to beguile Nigerians that Emefiele STOLE N500 billion of Nigeria's money in the Central Bank. When Sanusi was actually doing the real stealing, money laundering it through donations to his Islamist causes, including doling out N500 million to his Kano State, where was Omole Sowore holding him accountable?

This is a guy who never sees anything good in an Igbo person nor ever sees anything wrong his preferred Nigerians and you wonder how much he has covered Osibanjo, Lai Mohammed, Bola Tinubu, Fulani herdsmen, or even Atiku Abubakar. An audiophile in which the Deputy Governor Edward Adamu was heard saying that he was not happy that Arowosegbe led then like that, advising on the investment and the Dayo Arowosegbe is the director of Finance in the Central Bank. Continuing he added, 'I kept on  disturbing this guy in December and January but  he kept telling me no problem. God, this guy just..' 

Then add the governor lamenting that the same Dayo Arowosegbe did not give the Central Bank full information about the investment. Yet Omole Sowore left him out of the entire narrative and zeroed on his marked for demolition, the governor. Unfortunately most headline only readers as is the case with so many impatient Nigerians would have glance the headlines and ran with it, concluded that yes, Emefiele STOLE N500 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

That Sahara Reporters Omole Sowore has chosen this perfidious path to infamy, disparaging innocent and hardworking Nigerians doing their best under the circumstances is to say the least parochial and a hallmark of a bigoted creep, who is either seeking to remain relevant or have the spotlight focused on him. ICHEOKU has no problem of any reporter writing whatever story they feel comfortable about; but when such story borders on somebody's propensity for honesty, candor and diligence, expected the story to be true and not a needless attempt just to disparage and damage and somehow botch a reconfirmation process of the governor. 

But thankfully, they failed to stop an honest, hardworking man as the Senate has risen to the occasion to give their nod to the president, who want the governor to continue doing the good work which he is engaged in at the Central Bank of Nigeria. So for the first time since 1999, a Central Bank of Nigeria governor got a mandate for a second term and Sahara Reporters and other detractors hatchet men and women who wanted to sabotage his renomination will now have their crows to eat and will be in anguish for the next five years as Godwin Emefiele runs through his second term as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

ICHEOKU says congratulations to the governor and his management team for the good job which they are doing, holding a stabilized Naira and an economy which is showing some real growth, despite the distractions and somewhat sabotages of their effort. Hopefully, the now empowered governor will conduct an internal investigation to find out who leaked the tape of calumny and take appropriate measures to ensure that such a snitch never had assess to such important high level management brainstorming over the financial issues of the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

JOE BIDEN: A HILLARY CLINTON 2016 MISTAKE, LOADING.

ICHEOKU says former Vice President Joe Biden is tired and needs to retire from politics, period. He is not the best choice for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee for 2020 because he will not win the election and if he will not win, what is then the use of forcing his candidacy on the party, why the gamble? Why not give the country a real choice and rather lose with such a choice, than fronting the same guy who was rejected alongside Obama and Hillary Clinton in the November 8th, 2016 election. 

Joe Biden is increasingly looking and sounding like a sullen, melancholic undertaker, rather than an inspiring president wanna be and leader of the free world. His glorious days are way long gone and behind him; since gone with the wind of time. Joe belongs in the past and is not a candidate of now as America is a forward looking and forward moving nation, which does not dwell in the past. Therefore Americans will vote to reject such a relation back candidate because Joe Biden is not what Americans need right now. He is simply too old and so dated and so analog to be competitive in the 21st century American presidency. A man who was first elected into office and sent to Washington DC in 1972 is indeed TOO OLD to remain in Washington DC, period.

ICHEOKU makes bold to state that the once affable, aviator-sunglasses wearing, spring-stepping Joe is no more. What now passes for the then Amtrak riding Senator from Delaware, the Joey from Scranton, is but a shadow of his former ebullient self. You can blame it on degradation of cells by aging and so many family tragedies, both of which has a way of taking a drastic toll on their victims and Joe is unfortunately in their bull's eyes. The former Vice President has so much aged since leaving office that the "SHE" in Sir Richard Ryder Haggard's novel of the same title 'SHE'; the she who must be obeyed, could find solace in Joe Biden over what happened to her when she went back to the cave for a second bath in the youth assuring lake of fire. 

Joe Biden has lost coherency of thought that he now labors through speeches that even ordinary pronunciations are now becoming difficult for him. His smile is wry; there is no more spring in his steps; there is no more twinkle in his eyes and his stage presence is greatly diminished. Unlike Low Energy Jeb Bush, Joe Biden has no energy at all to say the least. Joe Biden is also no longer inspiring, thus begging the question what utility is it about him that is driving the Democratic Party's push for him to emerge as the party's presidential candidate nominee. Joe Biden is also too big to be humble and will not apologize to women who he invaded their space as well as to black people. 

A matter made worse because those who are engineering his nomination, have repackaged and pigeonholed him into only a lips-moving robot, who only recites whatever they placed in front of him, without allowing him any original thoughts or input into what he is made to rehash. It is so sad watching Joey be so straightjacketed and conscripted that he is not even allowed to ad-lib his attacks on President Donald John Trump. Everything Joe says of thinks must first be written for him, vetted and approved before he is carefully managed through its reading. It is so disheartening watching Joe Biden labor through his remarks, seeing his furrowed forehead and askance expression on his face, as he pauses many times on some lines, in what appears to be his asking himself, "should I read this, should I read that aloud?" 

A matter made worse because Joe Biden is only rehashing and re-litigating a personality flaws-attacks of the president, which an all American jury sat on, last November 8th, 2016 and returned a verdict of acquittal by his election. Thus begging the question what is the utility of a denovo trial of the same president based on his personal attributes, which American people had already ruled on as irrelevant. ICHEOKU would think that the Democratic Party having lost that argument previously with Hillary Clinton, would punt to some more winnable argument this time around with Joe Biden, such as enumerating the things which they would rather do differently to help the American people with their basic dinner table concerns. 

A progressively, proactive partisan would be taking to the shredders President Trump policies and explaining to the American people why they are bad for them and how he will improve and make them better and in some cases reverse course. The Democratic Party and their Joe Biden are not even talking about the healthcare which helped them win back the House of Representatives in the 2018's Mid Term election. They are not addressing the issues of concern to the American people such as the Southern border crisis, immigration reform, foreign policy issues of Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Russia and China, especially China's trade imbalance. Rather, it is how President Donald John Trump is a racist and Joe Biden isn't; notwithstanding his many antecedents which suggests otherwise, including that Obama was the only clean and articulate black man ever and that he is proud that his Delaware State is a slave State. 

Anyway, although some critics might say that such issues-based campaign is premature at this stage of party's nomination, but how else will a front runner truly and convincingly emerge without explaining to the electorates what he will do differently better than the president, for which reason, he seeks the nomination of the party. But the Democratic Party does not want to go there, to truly vet their nominee fairly and freely since they have decided to make Joe Biden their nominee, hence the micro-managed nomination process which is going on. None of the other contestants is even allowed a free hand to attack Joe Biden or call him out to defend his records; and you wonder, why such a nomination-coronation charade, instead of just declaring him opposed and save everybody the trouble of going through the rituals of campaigns and debates. Like Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden is yet another mistake of not allowing a true choice of the people to emerge, which will again eventually cost the Democratic Party the White House come November 3rd, 2020. 

ICHEOKU says sadly, if a Joe Biden without a message is all that the Democratic Party have going into 2020, thinking to defeat President Donald John Trump, they are indeed mistaken. They will be running on empty and on a mission impossible going forward and racing into 2020. American voters are discernible voters and they would like to know how the tax cut is bad for the economy, how millions of created jobs hurts Americans, how the many businesses which are moving back to America is bad for the country, how not bombing Iran is bad for America, how low unemployment rate hurts America, how finally moving American embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing it as Israel's eternal capital is bad foreign policy. American people want to know what the Democrats would do if Kim Jong Un restarts firing of his rockets or Iran does a number on American interests in the Middle East. 

These issues and not whether President Donald John Trump is an "existential threat" to the United States is what matters to the American people. Therefore it is an arrant fallacy of nonsense for Joe Biden to raise this issue because no body is and Joe Biden fully knows this; but he chose to smear just to satisfy his possessed fanatical audience, in accordance  to the talking point of the Democratic Party. Therefore absent things which would help improve the lives and living standards of the American people, the Democratic Party will suffer the same fatality of a Hillary Clinton 2016 lost presidency with Joe Biden come 2023. Like Queen Crooked Hillary Clinton of 2016, Joe Biden will be end up being just another Democratic Party's presidential candidate, without any rallying winning message, but a hatred of the president. 

Such is not a winning formula and he will not go anywhere close to unseating the president on November 3rd, 2020. Like Hillary Clinton proved in 2016 that name recognition and hatred for the president alone, without any convincing message, does not win presidential election; so will the Democratic Party also find out and be similarly disappointed with Joe Biden, come November 3rd, 2020. ICHEOKU says Joe Biden is not the answer to the Trump question and the earlier the Democratic Party allow the nomination process to produce a real peoples choice, the better it will be for them in their desperate desire to unseat President Donald John Trump; otherwise their foisting Joe Biden on the party's ticket will spell doom for them as they will only help to reelect President Donald John Trump. #SAYNOTOBIDEN. Biden, NOT THE PEOPLES CHOICE.

JOE BIDEN: TOO BIG TO APOLOGIZE?

ICHEOKU says he refused to apologize to women who he invaded their space and once again has refused to apologize to black people for palling around with segregationists and using the derogatory word "BOY" in subliminally referring to black men. Joe Biden is tone deaf and does not care about folks. The good ole boy is simply too big and too good to be humble. What an arrogant fella.

REPARATION: A JUST DEMAND.

ICHEOKU says have closely followed the calls for reparation, as well as listened to the voices against it, and have come to the conclusion that the effort at reparation is a morally justifiable cause to redress a wrong which is long overdue. You cannot extract another's 200 years of forced free labor and with a straight face try to explain it away as circumstantial, without making necessary recompense for it. 

Slavery is callous, it is wicked and it is very mean spirited. The only way for America to be indeed truly sorry for it is to unequivocally apologize for it and take necessary measures to atone for it, such as unconditional payment of reparation to the descendants of slaves. 

A matter made more poignant because America was built on the backs of slaves, including the White House. Therefore, white Americans cannot still be benefiting from the forced free labors of slaves and in good conscience still refuse to make restitution for it. So, in order for white Americans to finally close that horrendous chapter of American historical past, the compensation for this forcibly obtained free labor should be made immediately and without any further ado or needless delay, or the futile attempt to wave it off as a bygone gimmickry, because it is not. As long as this is not done, Americans will never be fully united as the feeling of hate, repulsion and being mistreated, wrongly deprived and disadvantaged, will continue to resonate among the descendants of these slaves.

ICHEOKU appreciates the arguments on both sides of the debate, for and against reparation; especially those white people who are claiming that since the generation of those who participated in slaves have since past on, that the present day people should not be held liable for the moral sins of their forebears. ICHEOKU says what an argument in denial, a futility, which should be flushed down the sewer because the present generation were bequeathed with the wealth which slave labor created. So, rather than pursue this argument of passage of time, reparation should be treated as a debt which which white ancestors owe to black Americans, which repayment is not statutory barred for lapse of time. What is imperative here is whether the conscience of the white people have been pricked enough to decide to take this immediate remedial step to atone for a past wrong. 

Even in wrongful death cases, compensations are paid for the life of loved one to their survivors and there is no requirement that the decedent must be alive in order to be compensated. The debate should have since moved on from the need to pay reparation to how or in what form reparation should be. It should no longer be a WHY issue, but a HOW issue, not why reparation should be paid but how reparation should be disbursed. In fact, reparation should no longer be just a matter for only America, but the entire Western civilization which slave labor developed, including Britain, France, Portugal, Spain etc. Without slave labor, the economic revolution period preceding the industrial revolution, would not have happened.  Therefore it is outright immoral to reap a people off for over 200 years of free force labor, without compensation. It is more than the original sin for which Adam was indicted, convicted and evicted from the Garden of Eden by God. 

How could a people so demean and maltreat fellow human beings as commodities and freely trade them, rape their wives and daughters, force them in chains to do manual labor, farm and domestic work; and sometimes just summarily hang them by the neck with a noose just for merely asking to be treated with decency. It is such a shame that America and the rest of the world are not doing everything they could to make such past history go away, including paying reparation, if it is the quick silver magical bullet that will speedily and forever eviscerate that ugly chapter of American historical past. Just look at the White House and other American cities and infrastructures which slave labor built and somebody could sit and live in them and in good conscience not worry that fellow human beings were compelled without pay to build them.

So, please don't tell ICHEOKU that such stain on humanity 's conscience, particularly those of the descendants of the victims, had gone away or should rather be forgotten without a fair compensation to purchase such forgiveness and atonement of sin. America should just pay restitution for what they took from black people, 200 years of forced free labor. 

The gist of the reparation question or its meritoriousness is not the ending of slavery or passing the Civil Rights Act or even electing Barack Obama president. No, the issue of reparation is for arrears of the unpaid free forced labor which were extracted from black people during slavery and long before the Civil War, Civil Rights Act and Obama's presidency. The demand for reparation is for back payments for the period beginning from the arrival of the first slave in America to the abolition of slavery; and which continued until the Civil Rights Act was enacted. This unpaid labor is what America is being called out to make right, by paying for the labor which it extracted from black people for free. So, the real question should be what form and manner should reparation take place and how should America go about getting it done; and no longer whether it should be done or whether it is the right thing to do. 

Although it will be difficult to quantify the amount of money in dollars and cents of such centuries old forced labor and indignity to humanity; but a reasonable rational estimation and.or compensation will suffice. Good enough the areas of West Africa from which these slaves were poached is easily identifiable and the descendants of these slaves, black Americans, are too. So, ICHEOKU is speaking of two tranches of compensations, one for black Americans and the other for the West Africa sub Saharan region which lost millions of its best stock to slavery. The West wanted high quality slaves to till their lands and pick their cottons as well as hew their timbers and do other manual hard labor without compensation and they only took the best out of Africa. 

Americans should search their conscience, convinced that what their forebears did was wrong, be contrite about it and then make recompense for it; just like Germans did with holocaust. If slavery was so wrong that Americans went to war against fellow Americans to end it, then America should make up for that wrong, fully and completely, and have the issue permanently put behind them. The Congress should pass a formal Bill of "Sorry for Slavery", signed by the president; then with compensation paid, rest slavery permanently and for good. America should treat the issue of reparation as a debt owed to black people which should be amortized and consider it as a restitution for the forced labor which America extracted from black Americans for centuries. 

ICHEOKU says since people are frequently paid for wrongful deaths of their beloved ones, the argument in some quarters that the generation which suffered slavery is since long gone and the matter should be forgotten, is therefore moot. Their descendants and anyone traceable to them are the beneficiaries of such reparation and should be duly entitled to receive such benefits. The descendants of those slave owners and plantations masters, as well as those other white people who benefited from the forced unpaid labor of slavery, are enjoying the fruits of their ancestors' man's inhumanity to fellow man; so it should not be an aberration for the descendants of those black people who were enslaved by white people to enjoy the inheritance and bequeath of reparation which ordinarily should have been their forebears to enjoy. 

It is inarguable that but for the free unpaid labor of slaves that America would not be built into the country which it has become today. It is also true that majority of Americans who are rich and wealthy, particularly those who are enjoying generational wealth, benefited from free slave labor which their ancestors used to build their lasting wealth. Even the White House was built with forced slave labor, so it behooves of any occupier therein to understand the solemnity and seriousness of the reparation debate due to the slave hands which built the building, alongside so many others. These white Americans cannot be enjoying the benefits which are traceable to slavery, while at the same time questioning who the beneficiaries of reparation should be.  

First of all, we have to admit and accept that reparation is a worthy effort at atoning for the sins of slavery and then take necessary steps towards making it a reality by deciding how much it should be and the best way to effectively conduct the pay out. Whether it is going to be one trillion dollars or five billion dollars, is not necessarily the issue as the exact amount can always be negotiated; but such proceeds must be channeled into some lasting bequeath such as education, with free education scholarships at all levels awarded to all persons of color in America for at least twenty years running, all expenses paid. 

Then the six West African countries of Nigeria, Benin Republic, Ghana, Gambia, Ivory Coast and Senegal which bore the brunt of slavery and from which majority of the slaves were poached, should have one substantial project built for each of them from the reparation payout. Infrastructural projects such as power stations, electricity grids, airport/seaport, roads, retraining and reequipping of their security personnel are areas where such reparation amount going to these countries could be channeled into. But under no circumstances shall the money be given in cash to these countries because of the endemic corruption which will only divert such monies into private bank accounts in various banking safe heavens in the world, including Cayman Island, Zurich etc. 

ICHEOKU says therefore supports the demand for reparation for slavery, which is being championed by some members of Congress as well as other activists and interest groups. It is the right thing to do and it will help America to indeed truly heal and finally move on from its sordid, despicable and horrendous past. If Germany paid for Holocaust and other liable defendants in lawsuits pay for wrongful death of loved ones, then it necessarily follows that reparation has apparent beneficiaries and therefore the argument as to who is entitled thereto becomes moot. God's speed to the champions of reparation and may their effort be soon fruitfully rewarded IJN.