Brother Adbul: My Pan-Afrikan Mwalimu Kwame Zulu Shabazz, my question has been quite simple. Here it is again: Did Obama tell us that things will be different under his rule? That is all I am asking. I am not interested in speculations about what will happen under Romney when he occupies the White House.
Ghetto replies: No, brother Abdul, this is not speculative--at least not for black radicals. Our analysis has been consistent. We have a systemic problem (Malcolm X sometimes called it the "white power structure"), not a Democrat or Republican problem.
And most politicians, including American presidential candidates, promise "things will be different." Has Romney indicated that he would do foreign policy differently? Has he spoken out against American global belligerence? Has he made a statement on drones or depleted uranium, or Afghanistan, or the prison industrial complex?
The track record of both Republicans and Democrats are clear. The Republicans are blatantly anti-black. The Democrats like to make us feel good about our oppression.
Both parties agree on white power.
Where Obama has hurt African Americans is that we are now more reluctant to criticize governmental policies at home and abroad. We are silent on war. We are silent on the declining quality of life of many African Americans (it was already bad, even before the the recent slide). So, yes, we should be angry with Obama, but it doesn't follow that we should be silent on the Republican wing of the same racist bird.
Both parties agree on white power.
Where Obama has hurt African Americans is that we are now more reluctant to criticize governmental policies at home and abroad. We are silent on war. We are silent on the declining quality of life of many African Americans (it was already bad, even before the the recent slide). So, yes, we should be angry with Obama, but it doesn't follow that we should be silent on the Republican wing of the same racist bird.
Anyone who throws in depleted uranium into the conversation is not particularly intellectual! DU is Uranium-238 and every single person reading this, in fact every single person ever born on Earth in the past, now and in the future for time eternity has or will ingest, breathe in or drink in a fraction of a microgram of U-238 every single day of their life. So, Mr Intellectual, what is the U-238 content of your own backyard (or the vacant lot next door) and why are you still pushing Saddam Hussein's over two decade old propaganda campaign. Want to discuss, write to me at DUStory dash owner at yahoogroups dot com.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Anon. Note that this post is not about the Gulf War. Rather, I highlighted a few issues among many that a progressive President would or should address. DU has been used, or allegedly used, in other conflicts besides the Gulf conflict.
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about depleted uranium. However, I did serve in the United States Marine Corps at the very early stages of the Gulf Conflict. As you note, uranium occurs naturally in the environment. But the question remains as to whether the use of DU in combat theaters can potentially lead to excessive exposure to DU and, consequently, ill-health. Some US military members are convinced that there is a causal link between DU and chronic illness among combat returnees. As I understand it, the scientific community has basically said that the causal link between DU and disease is inconclusive (see link below).
However, as an ex-Marine I know the US government has a long and ignoble history of not safeguarding troop health. In my unit we were basically forced to take immunization shots that had not been fully approved by the FDA. All that to say that if the chronically sick military personel and government officials + scientists have divergent views of the potential hazards of DU, then I will favor the perspective of the troops. I suppose thats why "ghetto" modifies my intellectualism.
Depleted Uranium: Properties, Uses, and Health Consequences
http://books.google.com/books?id=szo2C4yNaiEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=depleted+uranium&source=bl&ots=r3Uy6lBPRA&sig=7YxRu0L3e5RzBLumO10EYRYMmgE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lEgXUN3YDIro9AT1toHoBg&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false
Actually no. Rejecting Obama is not supporting Romney, but it does open the door for Romney to become President...and with Obama in the White House, at least there was someone there who actually cared about black people and used his judicial power to the best of his ability, considering the kickback he got from white people who called him anything and everything but a child of God...and this they do to black people all day every day. We have seen come to light the way we are treated on a daily basis, and the kinds of things we have to endure as black people. A black man can't even get elected President and not have to face what we live with every day. Had he not been President, he may never have really seen this ugly side of white people because he was as privileged a black man as a black man can be in this country. The ability of black people to do more complaining than working when it comes to their own futures has been very obvious, as well. It allowed me to see what white people mean when they say all we do is whine instead of working. Obama is out of office at the end of this year, or the end of 2016 and either way it goes, black folks will find out the hard way they were better off with him IN office than out. If the monolithic "we" had been better prepared, there is a lot of work that "we" could have accomplished while he was in office ... without the blaming, the whining, coercing, or the begging.
ReplyDeleteThe President is not in the Judicial Branch of government its the executive branch. And if Obama cared about black people can you answer a few things for me.
Delete1. Why did his adminstration boycott the Racism Conference, which called Slavery a crime against humanity?
2. Why did Obama continue the sanctions and embargoes on Zimbabwe because Mugabe decided to finally give the land back to landless peassants?
3.Why did Obama Admin force Haiti to lower minimum wage on blacks in Haiti?
he ability of black people to do more complaining than working when it comes to their own futures has been very obvious, as well.
Do you apply to this to Obama? Because it didnt take him long to blame Bush, blame Republican obstructionism.
So its a valid complaint to blame Bush for a mess, but its not a valid complaint to blame the history of Slavery and Jim Crow on the economic, cultural and social issues that make life hard on the MASSEs of blacks?
So Obama who makes 480K year is seeing the ugly side of white people. What do you think black men have faced the last 40 years in the job market with a degree or degree?
So the Tea Party are just racist?
Occupy Wall Street are abused
And black people in your words are blaming, whinging, coercing and begging? hmmm 98% of African Americans work for white companies of the government? And I guess those of us who arent lucky to get the type of help from WHITES that Obama and his wife got are just blaming, whining and coercing and begging because we cant get decent jobs eh.
So really your ideology much like Obamas is no different than a liberal racist white person, who picks and chooses which blacks "make it" and anyone who doesnt hes just an automatic failure.
I notice since Obama took office many more black americas have adopted the same ideology and marginialization techniques of the right wing.
So called family, So called friends and So called brothers and sisters... Negroes have worked against the masses of blacks since West Africas Empire fell, I hope one day all traitors are dealt with in the same manners they dealt with those who tried to liberate us.
We didn't need Obama to see the ugly side of White folks so that is not a very good reason for having a black president. And I disagree that Obama cares about black people. But as I noted in the original post, this is much deeper than Romney or Obama. Whether Obama cares is not very relevant. The point is that all American presidents are sworn to protect wealthy white power. Given this fact, Obama is toxic to black consciousness because he diffuses our natural tendency to critique the government that continues to oppress us. GI
ReplyDelete... ??? One still visible remnant of African culture in Northern New Mexico is the use of the color blue for house trim to ward off evil. ??? ...
ReplyDeleteThe ability of black people to do more complaining than working when it comes to their own futures has been very obvious, as well. It allowed me to see what white people mean when they say all we do is whine instead of working.
ReplyDeleteThis is from a so called black person. LOL As an African man, I mean what is failures? I mean in this society as a black man and not a biracial born of a White mother like Obama, but as a black man born of two black parents it never ceases to amaze me how black people who go through racism are more and more now even being marginialized by blacks, and the same blacks will make excuses for Obamas failures as President as being Republican obstructionism. You can be labeled as a failure simply because you are ambitious and white folks dont want to see you advance. Educated black men catch the most hell in this country and if we arent lucky enough to be given the TOKEN jobs and advantages the Obamas have we are failures? LOL Man I am so tired of these Liberal DEMOCRAT fake Sambos who know good and damn well most of them are "successful" ie government jobs, corporate jobs from WHITE FOLKS not because they are necessarily any brighter or better but do to the DEGREE in which they can ASSIMILATE With POOR, Middle CLASS, and "ELITE" Whites.
The thoughts expressed here are generally the same which I dared to write in my article here: http://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/us-elections-wasp-faces-black-mask/ !
ReplyDeleteIn agreement!
Andreas Schlüter
Sociologist
Berlin, Germany