Belafonte: Bush administration backs Gestapo tactics

[sabra]

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--belafonte-bush0121jan21,0,2415767.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

Belafonte: Bush administration backs Gestapo tactics

NEW YORK -- Entertainer Harry Belafonte, one of the Bush administration's harshest critics, compared the national Homeland Security department to the Gestapo and attacked the president as a liar during a fiery Saturday speech.

"We've come to this dark time in which the Gestapo of Homeland Security lurks here, where citizens are having their rights suspended," Belafonte told thousands of people at the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members Conference.

"You can be arrested and not charged, you can be arrested and have no right to counsel," said Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" during a trip to Venezuela two weeks ago. Belafonte, 78, made that comment after a meeting with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

The Harlem-born Belafonte, who was raised in Jamaica, said his activism was inspired by an impoverished mother "who imbued in me that we should never capitulate to oppression."

[KingFlorez]

1. Somebody has to say it

and I'm glad someone is putting it out there

[boobooday]

23. Exactly

Get it out there.

It isn't any worse than accusing your political opponents of being "Osama lovers."

[cyberpj]

2. They're going to crucify him. But I'm proud of him for saying it. nt

[Jazzgirl]

4. They might try....

But I don't think so. I believe they tried to make him apologize when he made the statement about *shrub being a terrorist when he was in Venezuela. He said "I ain't!" }(

[Tuesday_Morning]

15. I hated what the Daily Show did to him.

Didn't find it funny at all.

[VegasWolf]

3. The serious decline of an empire, both in extreme social conservatism and

in economic vitality and viability historically has never been recognized by the majority until all the walls lay crumbling. The majority in the US are following this historic trend perfectly.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. I'm glad he's not backing down

The attacks on him will only get worse.

[IndyOp]

6. Kick & Rec! Belafonte bankrolled Martin Luther King, Jr...

Belafonte is not fully recognized for the tremendous good he has done for this country.

:kick: :kick:

[saigon68]

7. I like him

[henslee]

8. He has such magnetism, too. I watched him eat dinner at a restaurant

about 3 yrs. ago. Everyone in the place could not stop looking at him.

[goclark]

16. What a thrill that must have been ~

A real Civil Rights Hero all his life...Harry Rocks!

[f-bush]

9. Way to go Harry!

tell it like it is.

[Mnemosyne]

10. Want to bet he's now

on the no fly list and won't be visiting Chavez again anytime soon?

Bravo Mr. Bellafonte!

[sasha031]

11. I love it , a great person who tells it like it is

we need more of him.

[alarcojon]

12. Hurray for him - his spine is intact

unlike most of our Democratic "leaders."

I would stay away from the Nazi language due to political considerations, but we can all see the disturbing trends emerging from this White House.

[HuffleClaw]

13. good for him, BUT

its the democrats who should be saying this.

[bvar22]

14. Dayyyoooo....Harry B....

If you need a place to chill for a while, you are WELCOME in my home!
Mi casa es su casa, my brother who speaks the truth!

[Vidar]

17. Right on, Harry!

[rodeodance]

18. shout it from the rooftops

[wordpix2]

19. Belafonte's experience with poverty: he knows oppression when he sees it

[TankLV]

20. Glad SOMEBODY is finally saying it!

We want MORE!

[MrPrax]

21. Made my day...

"the greatest terrorist in the world" --calling it, for what it is.

I can see people like him increasing the volume out of sheer frustration not with the Repukes, but with liberals.

[Disturbed]

22. He has been on the RW Hit List for many years because..

he speaks Truth to Power. When he said that Colin Powell was a House Nigger in the White House many people were real upset. Can anyone imagine a Caucasion or any other ethnic person saying this? I happen to believe that Mr. Belefante spoke to brutal truth in the regard of Powell and most of his other statements regarding Amerika.

[MrPrax]

28. Thank you...

Thanks for the memory lane...oh yeah...he did call Powell that.

Yes liberals were offended as well by that comment :eyes:

[David__77]

24. I agree completely!

Belafonte is a true humanist.

[zann725]

25. I truly admire Belafonte....but THERE's someone with Homeland Sec. folder

miles deep by now. And wire-tapping's too, no doubt. You don't attack the Admin. that publicly that often, and go unwatched... particularly these days.

[lovuian]

26. Its true... You tell em Harry!!!

:bounce:

[thecai]

27. Can't Argue With The Truth!

Tell it like it IS, Harry!