dagblog - Comments for "Cornel Wests Talks Black Prophetic Fire In Seattle"

Elizabeth Warren stated that

rmrd0000 — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 16:07:35 +0000

Elizabeth Warren stated that the Consumer Protection Bureau would not exist if Barack Obama was not President. The media hones in on her criticism of bankers not going to jail. Let's compare bankers going to jail under FDR and Obama. Virtually no bankers went to jail for the failings that led to the Great Depression. If Obama sucks, then so does FDR. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHAT THE BANKERS DID WAS LEGAL. There have been some bankers who did go to jail under Obama.

http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2014/10/13/leftist-poutrage-artists-a...

One of the more remarkable

rmrd0000 — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:28:30 +0000

In reply to Regarding Cornel West and

One of the more remarkable things is that some critics on the Left are praising Rand Paul as a possible Presidential choice. In s condescending manner they note that Paul would loosen restrictions on use of drugs. Some point to the bill proposed by Rand Paul and Corey Booker as evidence of his progressive stance on drugs. When you realize that the DOJ under Holder has done more to decrease penalties for drug use and you see the inaction of Congress you realize that Paul has actually done nothing to convince members of his own party to take any action. In addition, Paul would block women's rights and do nothing to halt his party's program of gerrymandéring and voter suppression.

BTW, those who harped on the Black unemployment rate should realize that the rate has from from a peak of 16.8 in 2010 to about 10.8 now. Those who note that the White unemployment rate is 5.3 should remember that Black unemployment has been twice as high as Whites since unemployment data has been collected.

http://aprildryan.com/2014/07/10/black-employment-numbers-on-the-decline/

You bring up an interesting

artappraiser — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 08:24:05 +0000

In reply to You like Cornel West. You do

You bring up an interesting comparison of West vs. Sharpton, it made me think about certain things.

For me, I see them as both purposely choosing and continue to choose to play the role of celebu-activist. (Is what it is, not meant as good or bad.) There are plenty of preacher activists and Afro-American intellectual professor activists that don't seek to be celebs.

With that in the equation, I don't judge them alone on their activism, I also judge them on how much I like the celebrity character they choose to play for the public and the ego factor involved in that. In a way I wouldn't judge,say, Ghandi or MLK.

So here's how they compare for me in that vein: Back in the 80's/90's, Sharpton used to have a large quotient of pomposity. I didn't like him much then. I feel he's toned himself down a great deal in the last decade, and comes across as a much more humble, normal human being and a caring preacher man. And I find myself liking him a lot and wanting to listen to what he has to say. Even if I know he is pushing Obama admin talking points, which I feel is often, I like to hear how he says them! I can visualize him really connecting one on one with people he is advocating for.

West, on the other hand, with admittedly greater intellect and elite book learnin', just continues to continually grow his pomposity. In the utmost irony, he sounds the most elitist and pompous while advocating socialist solutions. He strikes me as a disagreeable man who doesn't really want to mix with regular folks, but seeks to curry favor with people of power who rub off some of that power to him. Most points he make sound almost personal, about him, about some ego hurt he experienced. And the socialism thing is the supposedly brilliant workings of his mind that we should admire.It's all very self-centered,;he doesn't strike me as a caring person, not a "people person," therefore not a good leader.

Personality and people skills do matter if you want to be a celebu-activist or even political leader. It really doesn't have to do with whether I agree with the political causes they are advocating. That's not what turns me off. I might agree or disagree with a political cause or p.o.v., but first I have to not dislike them even to care! Just mho.

In the end, the comparison also made me think of this Barack v. Bill comparison by Frank Bruni that I read a couple days ago. How one can do passion without pomposity, arrogance.or self-righteousness (put emphasis on the "self" for the latter.)

(No subject)

Wattree — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:42:48 +0000

In reply to Yes - I may have overread the

(No subject)

Wattree — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:27:16 +0000

In reply to Yes - I may have overread the

Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman:

Wattree — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:20:03 +0000

In reply to Yes - I may have overread the

Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman: Obama among the most ‘successful presidents in American history’

Initially an Obama critic, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman now says,

"For much of the country, consequential presidencies are defined by a handful of landmark events. Years from now, when someone utters the name "Barack Obama," the thumb-nail sketch may very well be a president who rescued the nation from the Great Recession, overhauled a broken health care system and brought coverage to tens of millions of people, brought some accountability to Wall Street, and started the country on a path towards climate sanity, among other accomplishments.

It may seem odd to think about Obama now as a historical giant, but Krugman probably won’t be the last to see him as among the most "successful presidents in American history."

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/krugman-obama-among-the-most-suc...

Forbes Magazine

Wattree — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 07:17:59 +0000

In reply to Yes - I may have overread the

Forbes Magazine

It’s Official: President Obama Is The Best Economic President In Modern Times

[AND THIS IS IN SPITE OF A RACIST AND OBSTRUCTIONIST CONGRESS!!!]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/09/06/its-official-president-obama-is-...

Regarding Cornel West and

Wattree — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 06:11:42 +0000

In reply to We can hate on him for

Regarding Cornel West and Drones

When Tavis Smiley and Cornel West began to lose the confidence of the Black community, they tried to broaden their constituency by refocusing their criticism of President Obama from poverty to the war in Afghanistan. Time.com reported West as saying in 2012 that he didn’t vote. "I couldn’t vote for a war criminal," he said, calling Obama’s administration a "drone presidency."
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While I don't like killing machines either, I've had to take into account the fact that Obama is charged with the responsibility of seeing to it that Al Qaeda, or any other terrorist group, don’t manage to get their hands on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. And let us not forget that they located Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan living comfortably, and casually, within the shadow of that arsenal. So while West would have us believe that Obama is in Afghanistan just killing people for the hell of it, or for the oil companies, that’s a myth. He’s trying to make sure that YOUR family is not blown up by angry religious fanatics who think that God will bless them if they blow up the United States.
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So while war, and killing, is an ugly business, it is very much a reality in the world we live in. So as I see it, if we have to lob missiles into an area filled with innocent people - since hiding behind human shields seems to be the terrorists' preferred mode of defense - the drone is a far better alternative than simply firing missiles and such blindly.

Consider this. If you were an Afghan and lived next door to a terrorist, would want to have someone blindly firing missiles in your direction, possibly taking out your home and family, or maybe even the entire town just to get one man, or would you rather they sent in drones with television cameras where they can specifically target the person they’re after? One drone pilot said that they even wait for the target’s family to leave the house before they fire a missile to take out the target. So the fact is, if you have to go to war, drones often SAVE lives.
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So what is West jumping up and down about? This is one of the reasons that I often question the popular belief that West has such a powerful intellect. It’s one thing to have the ability to remember and regurgitate the words of dead White men, and yet another to be able to think for yourself and connect the dots. So on this issue, West is either grossly uninformed, has an inability to connect the dots, or he’s purposely trying to mislead the people (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/us/drone-pilots-waiting-for-a-kill-shot-7000-miles-away.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&).

West may have stumbled but

rmrd0000 — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:54:00 +0000

In reply to Whatever the merits or

West may have stumbled but King saw a direct connection between the Gospel and the need to be an activist. King interpreted the message as saying we are all brothers. The core message was gat we are our brothers keeper. King took guidance from women like Ella Baker and Dorothy Height. King could have a homosexual,Bayard in his inner circle. King could understand Malcolm X

http://blackandchristian.com/articles/academy/trussell-01-02.shtml

King and others have provided a clear path for Christians to follow. Theology is a direct link to activism. There are many churches following this path today. Churches have history and hierarchy that makes organizing marches like those in Ferguson easier. At a certain level, you can guilt some Christians to take action. Churches get out the vote and provide participants for marches. Even, the Nation of Islam was able to get Christian churches to participate in the Million Man March. Churches can provide a small, but active critical mass of activists.

How do you get a critical mass of others to participate? An interesting article appeared in the Daily Banter arguing that atheists don't owe social justice movements anything. The author probably represents a small subset of atheists. Atheists have been seeking social justice for others. The question is will there be organizations to replace the work that churches are doing with the poor in their local communities as the country becomes more secular. It seems that the organization task is easier in religious communities.

Whatever the merits or

moat — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:17:27 +0000

In reply to Cornel Wests Talks Black Prophetic Fire In Seattle

Whatever the merits or demerits of West as a political animal, the central point of the talk in the video didn't concern condemning Obama. I am well aware of the ways he does just that in many proclamations. I have no interest in deflecting the conversation that looks at everything he says in that context. But he does insist upon something in this talk that is bigger than all that:

How does a society that places so much emphasis upon the good of the individual find ways to work toward ends beyond the individual? The last question of the Q&A brought this point up squarely to West to justify the "theological" element of his message. I thought West did a graceful job of saying he didn't have a complete answer to the question but then asked in return how do we get beyond the ego if we don't struggle against the place complacency would place us?

It is a damn good question.