Tavis Smiley, Cornell West no more whining, lets inspire Black Kids…

by Staff January 16, 2013 19 Comments News Opinion Politics Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) I’ve been so aggressively out front in my criticism of Tavis Smiley and Cornel West that I decided that I needed to draft a formal statement explaining why I’ve embraced this issue so passionately – and by the way, I could also add Boyce Watkins to the mix, but he’s so anxious to play with the big dogs that at this point he might consider it a compliment.

The primary problem that I have with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West has nothing to do with their criticism of President Obama, as they would have the world believe is the motivation of anyone who disagrees with them. The problem that I have with them is their selfishness and hypocrisy. They have a single-minded agenda of promoting their own interest at the expense of the Black community.

In addition, I’m sick to death of so-called brothers who engage in and promote Black-on-Black hatred (bligotry). That’s been a blight on the Black community

for over 400 years, so it’s past time for us to bring it to an end once and for all. So it’s both sickening, and embarrassing , that these so-called “brothers,” who profess to be enlightened intellectuals, are so steeped in hatred that they fail to recognize the historical stupidity of their behavior. Yeah, I know – “They’re merely speaking truth to power.” The only problem with that claim is that they seem to have only found their tongues after George W. Bush and Dick Cheney left office.

Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and their supporters are suffering from a serious case of projection. They’re so fixated on the politics of Obama-hating that they’re completely oblivious to the gross stupidity of their behavior, and they insist that anyone who’s critical of them is merely an Obama cheerleader or defender, but that’s simply not the case. When my son and daughter were teenagers they had a phrase that perfectly summed up the allegations of these people – they’re stuck on stupid. Their criticism of Obama has absolutely nothing to do with the Black community’s growing antipathy towards these two. An ever-increasing number of Black people are critical of Tavis and West because we see through them, and we consider their behavior self-serving, counterproductive, and detrimental to the Black community – period.

Young Black people have heard enough whining. They need to be educated regarding who they are and what they represent, and then inspired to develop their full potential. That’s what the community should be focused on – that, and educating the community to be more politically astute in order to more effectively promote our political agenda.

But Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are so fixated on their own self-interest that they’re completely ignoring that fact, and I suspect there are several reasons for that. First, they’re seeking the fame and fortune of being seen as the primary spokesmen for the Black community. Secondly, they have an intense hatred for Obama fueled by jealousy, envy, and the feeling that they’ve been snubbed. And finally, since Barack Obama has completely overshadowed them as president, their egos demand that they try to ride into history on his coattail as the people who “forced” Obama to do right by the people, which, of course, is ridiculous. So their actions have absolutely nothing to do with the poor; it’s all about promoting their own self-interest and soothing the pain of their wounded egos at the expense of the Black community.

Anyone who needs clear evidence that their activities are self-serving, and have absolutely nothing to do with the well-being of the poor, need simply ask Tavis Smiley the following question – “Tavis, since you’re such a big promoter of ‘accountability’ and what’s in the best interest of the poor, were you accountable enough to the Black community to returned any of the millions of dollars that you made from the Wells Fargo “Ghetto Loans” scam to the poor Black people who lost their money and homes?” Personally, I’m not privy to any information suggesting whether Tavis Smiley did or not, but considering his character and greed, I feel completely comfortable saying, I doubt it.

In addition, as deluded as these two characters are, they should both have sense enough to recognize that the most important aspect of a young person’s ability to cope with adversity is their self-image. And one of the big differences between Black kids and others is, Jewish kids are taught that they’re “God’s chosen people,” and White American kids are taught that they’re the greatest thing to ever walk the Earth. But due primarily to people like Tavis and West, Black kids are being taught that they’re helpless victims whose well-being is in the hands of others – and since, we are what we think, that’s what our young people are becoming. So it’s time to stamp out that message, and correct that image.

But, of course, Tavis Smiley and Cornel West would simply glaze over everything that’s been said here and continue to repeat their mantra that they’re fighting for the people. But I don’t accept that for a minute. Again, what they’re actually fighting for is the very lucrative job of spokesmen for the Black community. Tavis Smiley has proven that a thousand times over with not only his involvement in Wells Fargo’s “Ghetto Loans” scam, but also with his association with a number of corporations that were members of ALEC, including Walmart. And as I’ve mentioned before, Cornel West’s mere association with Tavis Smiley gives him the credibility of a man running down the street ranting about fascism after just having lunch with Mussolini.

So the Black community needs to bring this self-serving nonsense to an end – AND NOW! And we should start by boycotting everything, and everybody, associated with Tavis Smiley and Cornel West.

Did you hear that Boyce Watkins? You think you want to run with the big dogs, but sooner rather than later the Black press is going to realize that they’re being unforgivably remiss and on the wrong side of history by not more aggressively covering this gross assault on the Black community. Once they recognize that fact, Dr. Watkins, you may find that you’ve latched on to the Titanic.

Staff Writer; Eric L. Wattree

More thought provoking articles feel free to visit; The Wattree Chronicle.

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jeff says:
January 22, 2013 at 6:45 pm
Our president seems to be more comfortable addressing Hispanic issues then issues concerning black folk…. If you ask me he’s the first Mexican president. we have yet to elect a black one
Reply
jeff says:
January 22, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Obama supporters
I encourage all who have concern, regarding Illegal immigration reform to educate your selves on the effect it has on low income American citizens and teenage workers. Although I disagreed with Obamas stated position on “Illegal immigrants I did in fact vote for him.
Now the reelection honeymoon is over, it is time to explore the real relationship between so called Hispanics and African Americans. Are African Americans willing to face the fact that most Hispanics south of the boarder have a negative view of blacks, in their own country as well as the country they have illegally entered?
( google the famous Mexican cartoon character mimen penguin ).
Are black people willing to accept the fact that they may have to challenge their so called leaders such as Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson and various other so called leaders of the black community who continue to ignore the cons of granting amnesty for illegal’s.? The prospect of building a “Black / hispanic” political coalition seems to be more important than the effect it has on the working poor they say they support.
There are huge differences between various Hispanic groups, and this communication doesn’t apply to all groups. Hispanics from the Caribbean such as Porto Ricans have demonstrated a significant amount of social and political cooperation with African Americans.
Black folk should not remain silent while President Obama cozies up to illegal immigrants granting them legal status, at the expense of legal citizens, particularly African Americans who have patiently waited in line for jobs that what was once our ticket out of poverty.
In 1992 a forklift drivers starting pay was 12-14 dollars per hour with health insurance…in 2012 most companies large and small outsource a significant portion of their labor to third party logistics companies That hire primarily illegal workers are paying 8-9 dollars per hour. ( no insurance).
It is a falsehood to suggest illegal’s perform jobs that Americans don’t want. I have worked in the manufacturing and materials management industry my whole adult life
I watched the demographics change from domestic employees to 80% illegal workers.
Along with the starting pay rate
If we grant amnesty to illegals that have committed federal crimes like illegal border crossing,
Eluding boarder police, obtaining false identification, illegally accessing goods and service
Such as Utilities, mortgages and bank accounts, working under assumed names, legal Hispanics harboring illegal Hispanics, driving with false drivers license
or none at all.
Why not grant amnesty to thousands of non violent Americans that are in prisons for possessing or selling marijuana? Their lives have been destroyed, torn away from families, ( all the excuses we hear about not deporting illegal’s) these Americans are incarcerated for years with a felony denying them the right to vote, for what probably was an act of desperation due to the lack of job opportunities in their own country.
· Why are we shedding more tears for illegal immigrants then the above mentioned American citizens?
· Why won’t we hold Obamas feet to the fire about this issue?
· Are we going to let the Hispanic vote and illegal immigration dominate the agenda to the exclusion of the working poor American.
Reply
blueturnedred says:
January 18, 2013 at 7:15 pm
http://www.btwsociety.org/library/misc/quotes.php
Reply
Ramses says:
January 18, 2013 at 12:34 pm
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/09/the-outing-of-tavis-smiley/
here’s article about tavis smiley faggot ass
Reply
James Davis says:
January 18, 2013 at 11:34 am
Mr. Wattree:
We Will Win Because We Are Right And You And Folks Like You Are Wrong – It’s That Simple!
We to often get involved, when discussing Mr. Obama’s actions relative to black people and the high black unemployment rate, in an argument about his role as an African American President. This discussion has nothing to with his blackness or even his achievement as the first African American President of the United States. Let’s take him out of the equation and simply argue the merits of his policies. One of the prerogatives of any President is that of setting his agenda for his upcoming term. The public in reviewing his agenda for his upcoming term gets an opportunity to see the areas he thinks the federal government should involve itself. With black unemployment being historically high, there is no indication “in terms of policy” this President thinks the federal government has a role to play. You, by supporting his agenda which excludes any formal role of the federal government involvement in formulating a national job creation plan, agree with him. And that’s okay. However, this is not in keeping with Democratic Administrations of the past and even with some Republican Administrations. Government was created by the founders of this country because they realized there are some things we can do better collectively, like fight wars when there is a common enemy, share in the cost of building infrastructure, enhancing wealth through trade, and most important providing an environment that is conductive to healthy growth, by leveraging the resources of the whole nation to resolve complex problems, like this economic downturn. What this President is saying to us through his agenda and actions that he is of the opinion the high rate of black unemployment is not a priority.( And he does not discuss it!!) I simply disagree with him and disagree with you. Five years of double digit black unemployment is decimating our communities and affecting the tranquility of our lives. You and people like you who stand with this President and his ridiculous policies of ignoring black suffering can look for more protests in the future if this problem worsens. This is a confrontation, neither he as President or his supporters can win. Why? There is something about real pain which makes people stand and fight until there is real change. I can affirm to you here today the black community is in real pain and has been for sometime! To each his own. http://www.sslumpsum.com
Reply
for real says:
January 18, 2013 at 11:30 am
@Janet, please share Obama’s accomplishments to his constituency as a community organizer on Chicago’s southside.
Reply
Eric L. Wattree says:
January 18, 2013 at 10:51 am
Janet, you said,
“I would like to know if it is true or not that Smiley had no idea about the real agenda of Wells Fargo towards the Black community regarding the home crisis issue!”
.
It seems to me that anyone who professes to have the wisdom to advise the entire Black community would, at the very least, take the time to investigate whether or not he’s hearding Black people into a scam. So if Tavis didn’t know that the people were being scammed, that means he’s too dumb to be trying to advise Black people in the first.
But here’s the important question that needs to be asked – did he return the millions of dollars that he reportedly made off the scam to the Black victims who lost their money and homes?
In a statement by Wells Fargo put out after they agreed to asettlement of $175 Million, they said that while they’re not admitting to being guilty of doing anything wrong, they’re agreeing to the settlement because they feel that it’s the right thing to do. So if Wells Fargo feels that way, certainly, Tavis – “Mr. Accountability” – should feel abliged to returned the millions that he made. After all, I’m sure that he doesn’t want to profit off of the misery of the poor Black people who he claims to love so passionately.
Reply
Terrance Amen says:
January 18, 2013 at 4:39 am
I think both sides are write on this issue. I know the President is constrained in how much he can do for our people, he is the President of the US. But on the other hand he has surrounded himself with former republicans and I think is getting bad advice. But I do think he could do more for our people. Having said that, I also agree that these so called leaders have their own agendas, and we aren’t part of them. The proof is in what Brother Wattree said, and what I’ve said and will continue to say. If they aren’t talking about Black people doing for themselves instead of relying on the government, then they really don’t want things to change.
The President nor the government is our problem now. We are the problem. How can you spend a trillion dollars in every community but your own and complain about financial, educational, health, and any other problems in our community. This is why I will say until someone proves me wrong, we have mental problems when it comes to working together, that I believe stems from slavery. Until we deal with this and start to pool our resources together, we will continue to have discussions like this one. Click on my name for the solution.
Black Unity means financial independence and happiness
Reply
Ramses says:
January 18, 2013 at 2:06 am
@Eric love this response
I’m not here to defend President Obama, because I don’t agree with everything he does, or fails to do, myself. But there are those in the Black community who need to come to terms with the fact that there are some things that even the president can’t do – and signing a bill abolishing ignorance is at the very top of that list. That’s what it would take to accomplish some of the objectives that they’re trying to force upon him. That’s also what lets me know that much of the ranting and raving of some of these so-called Black intellectuals are disingenuous at best, and blatant intraracial bigotry at worst.
.
The president can’t just wave a magic wand and instantly make everyone upwardly mobile. It doesn’t work that way. There’s an educational process that goes along with upward mobility, and that goes for whether the person is Black, or White. While there are many in the Black community who have the skills to hit the ground running, there are others who need to be trained, motivated, and refocused in order to simply maintain a job that pays wages high enough to lift them out of poverty, even if it was given to them.
.
So if these educators, intellectuals, and pundits were serious about their concern for the poor, instead of holding televised seminars and book signings, they’d be in the community with their sleeves up, helping to upgrade the skill sets of those who need it. That’s what Barack Obama did. As the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review, when Obama graduated from law school he could have gone to work as a law clerk for the Supreme Court, or pursued wealth by going into any one of the top law firms in the country. He could have also tried to make a name for himself by running all over the country selling books, doing lectures, and trying to sound profound. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he quietly went back into the community and went to work helping people to get their heaters fixed. That’s the way to show that you care. Words are meaningless. It’s deeds that count.
.
So for that reason – and yes, because he’s a lone Black man struggling to carve out a new chapter in our history – I’ll always give him the benefit of the doubt over lesser men who criticize him. No, he’s not perfect, but neither am I – and neither was Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln – but why does a Black man have to be perfect to be accepted as a man worthy of respect?
.
Many of the very same Black “intellectuals” who can barely contain themselves today, just sat back and allowed Ronald Reagan, both Bushs, and the GOP in general, to cut our throats for the past 30 years with nothing more than a whimper in most cases, and a profound silence in others.
.
So why do they now try to hold Barack Obama to a different standard than they hold other men? The sad truth is, America has conditioned them to view this Black man with a jaundiced eye. Their attitudes and motivations are exactly the same as with White racists – whenever a Black man demonstrates exceptional excellence, they see it as diminishing their own accomplishments. So the fact is, the very existence of Barack Obama represents an assault on their self-esteem, and it’s killing them. He represents a pie in the face of their delusions of grandeur. I suspect President Obama knows this, but he’s precluded from saying it, so I am. .
These critics didn’t lift a finger in the 2000 election when the Black community, and others, were literally disenfranchised to elect George W. Bush, and they were all but mute in the last election while, once again, the GOP passed laws all over the country in an attempt to obstruct the Black vote. Yet, after enduring all of that, just like their White racist counterparts, the mere idea of having a Black man living in the White House seems to be just more than they can stomach. From the way some of these people are screaming, you’d think someone appointed the Grand Dragon of the Klan to head the NAACP. No other group of people in the world suffers from that kind of stupidity, and that’s a much more serious problem in the Black community than anything that President Obama can possibly address.
.
Surely these “intellectuals” have enough education to know that the United States Constitution states that the House of Representatives controls ALL spending, and they also know that the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republican Party. So exactly what do they expect President Obama to do other than what he is – trying to hold together a fragile coalition of Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, women, the young, the old, etc., and design policies that are broad enough to help ALL of these groups in order to put enough pressure on congress to loosen the purse strings? These “public intellectuals” know that. Nevertheless, they continue to rant, rave, and insist that Obama attempt to play poker at a blackjack table.
.
They should also know enough about history to remember what brought down the Civil Rights Movement. Many people don’t realize it, but Republican, Richard Nixon, helped to promote and signed important parts of Affirmation Action into effect – but he had his tongue firmly implanted in cheek as he was signing the memorandum. You see, he knew that many of the White folks who supported the civil rights movement and marched with Martin Luther King would have a change of heart once Black people started taking their jobs and replacing their children in college admissions across the country – and that’s exactly what happened.
.
We made a huge mistake while formulating affirmative action legislation. We should have insisted that it be based on need rather than race. That way, Black people would have still been at the head of the line, but we wouldn’t have given the GOP the leverage to convince poor and middle-class White people that it was an assault on their rights.
.
So shortly after it went into effect, White people started to protest, and hordes of formerly moderate White people raced over to the Republican Party. That ushered in the Ronald Reagan era, with his “trickle-down economics,” the assault on Fair Labor Standards Act, and the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine. That , in turn, led directly to the rise of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, the policies that led to the Wall Street collapse, and directly to the dire straits that we find ourselves in today.
.
Yet, once again, many of these Black “intellectuals” are criticizing President Obama for having the good sense not to repeat history by refusing to throw his fist in the air. While they say it’s all about advocating against poverty, just like with White demagogues, they’re conflating the term “poverty” with race, in spite of the fact that they know full well that even the scent of racial politics is grist for the Republican mill. That’s exactly why Obama has to avoid the issue, because the Republicans can use it to drum up support to block anything he tries to do for the people at all.
.
So if these “intellectuals” were actually concerned about the best interest of the Black community, while President Obama is trying to navigate the Republican minefield they’d be in the community organizing, educating, and discussing what we can do to improve our own condition in the meantime. But of course, that’s too much like real work.
.
These people should be educating Black people to understand that more money passes through the Black community than through most countries, so we could create our own jobs. But we don’t, and I’ll tell you why – because Black people are the product of the very same racist environment as White people, so we’re just as reluctant to patronize Black businesses as any Hillbilly. Unlike any other community in the world, we’d rather take our money and patronize other people – ANY other people – as long as they aren’t Black. That’s a hard pill to swallow, but it is, what it is.
.
So our bigoted attitude towards other Black people is the primary reason why we’re lingering at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder – and it’s that very same bigotry that’s being reflected in the attitudes of Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and others of their ilk, towards President Obama. Essentially, all they’re saying is, “Obama ain’t nobody – he’s just another nigga, just like you.”
.
Think about it. Think about the kind of respect that these people afforded Bush and Cheney, and those two were trying to cut our throats – in fact, they did! But in spite of that, many of these Black critics limited their criticism to mumbling under their breath. But now, with Obama, they’ve pulled out their bullhorns. And Cornel West, in his typically attention-seeking fashion, has even resorted to playing the dozens – with THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!! That’s not only highly disrespectful of the president, but in my opinion, speaks volumes regarding his lack of respect, and his arrogant disdain, for the Black community as a whole. But doesn’t West love his people? Sure he does, just like a pimp loves his whoes.
.
So it’s time for Black people to come to terms with our racist attitudes toward one another. If we’re going to hold a seminar on poverty, the major topic of discussion shouldn’t be Barack Obama, but why we’re so willing to pass by hundreds of Black businesses in the community to take our money to Walmart. Now, I’d be a hypocrite to say never shop at Walmart. I realize that sometimes our finances force us to deal with the Devil, but we should, at the very least, balance our spending. Because, until we come to terms with what is essentially a boycott of Black businesses, whining about high unemployment is silly.
.
So, again, one of the many things that President Obama can’t do, is to sign a bill bestowing common sense upon the people. Learning to love and respect other Black people, and acting with common sense, are two things that no one else can give us.
.”
after you put that up people should reflect on those words for quite sometime….black people really believe the notion that all white people are devils and they are angels…that Nation of Islam mentality makes blacks think they are superior to whites, even though their economic circumstances suggest otherwise….when you have shows on Oxygen depicting baby mamas as entertainment, it is clear that no ogvernment policy could change that. Cllinton signed welfare reform in 94 yet things have gotten worse. Instead of having less kids, black women decided to keep having more by different men and taking child support from them…so men decided to have 5 kids or more, making it difficult to get any money out of the men who do this….it’s your choice when it comes to having a welfare mind….shame used to go a long way in curbing socially morally repugnant behavior…now blacks are so at the low end of the spectrum morally, shame is not even used anymore. When you have females on youtube making videos called “crank that child support” (making a parody off of the soulja boy song “superman” song) it’s clear that there is no hope for many in this generation. Many will wipe themselves out due to their low level of thinking. What makes it even more sad is th fact people died for these people thinking they could help them. How wrong they were indeed.
Reply
Eric L. Wattree says:
January 18, 2013 at 1:22 am
Thank you, Janet,
If there’s anything that I can do to support your business, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We’re all in this together, and our community will never achieve the independence and respect that we tend to beg for until we become self-sufficient, and we’ll never become self-sufficient until we learn to support one another.
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I live in Los Angeles, and I’m embarrassed to report that while we’re whining, we’re the only obstacle in the way of brand new immigrants, as they’re stumbling over us to move past.
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They’re starting up new businesses in the community that they’re all coming to support. One guy, who can bearly speak English, told me that he bought one of those lawnmowers that he can ride, and he’s was cutting 37 lawns a week for $50 a month – part time. The rest of the time he and his wife are running a taco stand.
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That’s what others are doing while we’re whining because White folks won’t take care of us. In three or four years, we’re going to have to go to the guy and ask for a job – he’ll probably have green card and other businesses by then. And why can’t our churches be used during the week to hire unemployed mothers to provide low-cost childcare for working mothers? That would go a long way towards alleviating poverty.
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And why don’t we lobby to have these deadbeat daddy’s babies attached to their social security numbers, so when they do go to work, the kids will get theirs off the top. And we can curb crime in the community by holding irresponsible for the crimes that their kids commit.
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If a brother just drop a baby and leave, if when that child becomes a teenager and kills somebody, the daddy should get a knock at his door, with the police saying, “You’re under arrest. That kid that you refused raise just killed another person’s child, so we’re holding you responsible for it. Thereafter, the only way that he could beat the case is to show that he tried to be a responsible parent.
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So there are a lot of things we can do to help ourselves – and those are the things that these so-called intellectuals should be thinking about instead of blaming Obama for everything.
Reply
Janet says:
January 17, 2013 at 11:17 pm
I also know that Obama before he became a senator, sent a letter to the main Black leaders in the nation to see how they could work together and none answered! I have no problems to believe that because I am building my own business and I have few support from our community!!!
Reply
Janet says:
January 17, 2013 at 11:04 pm
Wattree,
I love what you wrote. You are so right. I am a jurist and I know that over 600 American firms were after Obama for a job but he decided to work in the community in Chicago!
Reply
Eric L. Wattree says:
January 17, 2013 at 9:41 pm
@Marcus Vessey, @James Davis:
I’m not here to defend President Obama, because I don’t agree with everything he does, or fails to do, myself. But there are those in the Black community who need to come to terms with the fact that there are some things that even the president can’t do – and signing a bill abolishing ignorance is at the very top of that list. That’s what it would take to accomplish some of the objectives that they’re trying to force upon him. That’s also what lets me know that much of the ranting and raving of some of these so-called Black intellectuals are disingenuous at best, and blatant intraracial bigotry at worst.
.
The president can’t just wave a magic wand and instantly make everyone upwardly mobile. It doesn’t work that way. There’s an educational process that goes along with upward mobility, and that goes for whether the person is Black, or White. While there are many in the Black community who have the skills to hit the ground running, there are others who need to be trained, motivated, and refocused in order to simply maintain a job that pays wages high enough to lift them out of poverty, even if it was given to them.
.
So if these educators, intellectuals, and pundits were serious about their concern for the poor, instead of holding televised seminars and book signings, they’d be in the community with their sleeves up, helping to upgrade the skill sets of those who need it. That’s what Barack Obama did. As the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review, when Obama graduated from law school he could have gone to work as a law clerk for the Supreme Court, or pursued wealth by going into any one of the top law firms in the country. He could have also tried to make a name for himself by running all over the country selling books, doing lectures, and trying to sound profound. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he quietly went back into the community and went to work helping people to get their heaters fixed. That’s the way to show that you care. Words are meaningless. It’s deeds that count.
.
So for that reason – and yes, because he’s a lone Black man struggling to carve out a new chapter in our history – I’ll always give him the benefit of the doubt over lesser men who criticize him. No, he’s not perfect, but neither am I – and neither was Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln – but why does a Black man have to be perfect to be accepted as a man worthy of respect?
.
Many of the very same Black “intellectuals” who can barely contain themselves today, just sat back and allowed Ronald Reagan, both Bushs, and the GOP in general, to cut our throats for the past 30 years with nothing more than a whimper in most cases, and a profound silence in others.
.
So why do they now try to hold Barack Obama to a different standard than they hold other men? The sad truth is, America has conditioned them to view this Black man with a jaundiced eye. Their attitudes and motivations are exactly the same as with White racists – whenever a Black man demonstrates exceptional excellence, they see it as diminishing their own accomplishments. So the fact is, the very existence of Barack Obama represents an assault on their self-esteem, and it’s killing them. He represents a pie in the face of their delusions of grandeur. I suspect President Obama knows this, but he’s precluded from saying it, so I am. .
These critics didn’t lift a finger in the 2000 election when the Black community, and others, were literally disenfranchised to elect George W. Bush, and they were all but mute in the last election while, once again, the GOP passed laws all over the country in an attempt to obstruct the Black vote. Yet, after enduring all of that, just like their White racist counterparts, the mere idea of having a Black man living in the White House seems to be just more than they can stomach. From the way some of these people are screaming, you’d think someone appointed the Grand Dragon of the Klan to head the NAACP. No other group of people in the world suffers from that kind of stupidity, and that’s a much more serious problem in the Black community than anything that President Obama can possibly address.
.
Surely these “intellectuals” have enough education to know that the United States Constitution states that the House of Representatives controls ALL spending, and they also know that the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republican Party. So exactly what do they expect President Obama to do other than what he is – trying to hold together a fragile coalition of Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, women, the young, the old, etc., and design policies that are broad enough to help ALL of these groups in order to put enough pressure on congress to loosen the purse strings? These “public intellectuals” know that. Nevertheless, they continue to rant, rave, and insist that Obama attempt to play poker at a blackjack table.
.
They should also know enough about history to remember what brought down the Civil Rights Movement. Many people don’t realize it, but Republican, Richard Nixon, helped to promote and signed important parts of Affirmation Action into effect – but he had his tongue firmly implanted in cheek as he was signing the memorandum. You see, he knew that many of the White folks who supported the civil rights movement and marched with Martin Luther King would have a change of heart once Black people started taking their jobs and replacing their children in college admissions across the country – and that’s exactly what happened.
.
We made a huge mistake while formulating affirmative action legislation. We should have insisted that it be based on need rather than race. That way, Black people would have still been at the head of the line, but we wouldn’t have given the GOP the leverage to convince poor and middle-class White people that it was an assault on their rights.
.
So shortly after it went into effect, White people started to protest, and hordes of formerly moderate White people raced over to the Republican Party. That ushered in the Ronald Reagan era, with his “trickle-down economics,” the assault on Fair Labor Standards Act, and the abolishment of the Fairness Doctrine. That , in turn, led directly to the rise of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, the policies that led to the Wall Street collapse, and directly to the dire straits that we find ourselves in today.
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Yet, once again, many of these Black “intellectuals” are criticizing President Obama for having the good sense not to repeat history by refusing to throw his fist in the air. While they say it’s all about advocating against poverty, just like with White demagogues, they’re conflating the term “poverty” with race, in spite of the fact that they know full well that even the scent of racial politics is grist for the Republican mill. That’s exactly why Obama has to avoid the issue, because the Republicans can use it to drum up support to block anything he tries to do for the people at all.
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So if these “intellectuals” were actually concerned about the best interest of the Black community, while President Obama is trying to navigate the Republican minefield they’d be in the community organizing, educating, and discussing what we can do to improve our own condition in the meantime. But of course, that’s too much like real work.
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These people should be educating Black people to understand that more money passes through the Black community than through most countries, so we could create our own jobs. But we don’t, and I’ll tell you why – because Black people are the product of the very same racist environment as White people, so we’re just as reluctant to patronize Black businesses as any Hillbilly. Unlike any other community in the world, we’d rather take our money and patronize other people – ANY other people – as long as they aren’t Black. That’s a hard pill to swallow, but it is, what it is.
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So our bigoted attitude towards other Black people is the primary reason why we’re lingering at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder – and it’s that very same bigotry that’s being reflected in the attitudes of Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and others of their ilk, towards President Obama. Essentially, all they’re saying is, “Obama ain’t nobody – he’s just another nigga, just like you.”
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Think about it. Think about the kind of respect that these people afforded Bush and Cheney, and those two were trying to cut our throats – in fact, they did! But in spite of that, many of these Black critics limited their criticism to mumbling under their breath. But now, with Obama, they’ve pulled out their bullhorns. And Cornel West, in his typically attention-seeking fashion, has even resorted to playing the dozens – with THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!! That’s not only highly disrespectful of the president, but in my opinion, speaks volumes regarding his lack of respect, and his arrogant disdain, for the Black community as a whole. But doesn’t West love his people? Sure he does, just like a pimp loves his whoes.
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So it’s time for Black people to come to terms with our racist attitudes toward one another. If we’re going to hold a seminar on poverty, the major topic of discussion shouldn’t be Barack Obama, but why we’re so willing to pass by hundreds of Black businesses in the community to take our money to Walmart. Now, I’d be a hypocrite to say never shop at Walmart. I realize that sometimes our finances force us to deal with the Devil, but we should, at the very least, balance our spending. Because, until we come to terms with what is essentially a boycott of Black businesses, whining about high unemployment is silly.
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So, again, one of the many things that President Obama can’t do, is to sign a bill bestowing common sense upon the people. Learning to love and respect other Black people, and acting with common sense, are two things that no one else can give us.
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An Open Letter to Cornel West
http://wattree.blogspot.com/2012/12/beneath-spin-eric-l_8.html
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ulo media says:
January 17, 2013 at 9:19 pm
O the infighting = continued decline of black America to irrelevancy. My people perish for lack of knowledge.
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Janet says:
January 17, 2013 at 7:34 pm
I would like to know if it is true or not that Smiley had no idea about the real agenda of Wells Fargo towards the Black communitymregarding the home crisis issue!
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Marcus Vessey says:
January 17, 2013 at 4:05 pm
This is not a fact – Eric “But Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are so fixated on their own self-interest that they’re completely ignoring that fact, and I suspect there are several reasons for that. First, they’re seeking the fame and fortune of being seen as the primary spokesmen for the Black community.”
That is speculation and ad hominem attacks.
You can do better.
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James Davis says:
January 17, 2013 at 3:21 pm
Brother,Brother, Brother
How can you be so misinformed and so badly state the facts of the economic situation of “Black America.” We stand as a people at 14% unemployment and have been in double digits for the whole of the last four years this man had been in the White House. We are now going into year five. The Obama Adiminstration right now is competing with the Ronald Reagan Administration to see who can keep the most black people unemployed for the longest time. Reagan topped out @ 11.9 black unemployment. That was lowest we got as a people after 8 years of Reagan. I don’t recall seeing you at Reagan’s funeral along with millions of other black people who didnot attend because Mr. Reagan was no friend of black folk. We don’t need guys like you telling the the few people who are bold enough to stand up and say as often as it needs to be said, “Mr. President where is your national job creation plan, which will bring some relief to the black community which has suffered miserly under these high unemployment rates!” We need help and we need it now! Therefore, say it loud Mr. Smiley, Dr. West and Dr. Watkins. We ain’t all suffering from “Obama stroke” like this writer. We need somebody to speak up! Don’t listen to this guy! http://www.sslumpsum.com
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Eric L. Wattree says:
January 17, 2013 at 11:53 am
Leslie,
I leave facts, and those facts speak for themselves. My primary reasons for writing is to inform the community, and to say those things that many in the community would like to say themselves. And by the way, everybody is self-promoting. If they say they’re not, they’re either a liar or a fool.
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Leslie Karen Oser says:
January 17, 2013 at 9:23 am
Everyone knows you write to promote yourself, and when you mention Cornel West, people will read what you have to say because they are interesrted in him. You know why. But I will inform your readers: Because Dr. West is passionate about helping the poor, helping young black men in the prison-industrial-complex, he has gone to jail for Stop-and-Frisk, he has a Jesus-like concern for the marginalised,the poor, voiceless… Anyone that criticises should first look to himself . You should write about how and what you can do to make a positive difference. Lift yourself out of the gutter of criticism because you look SMALL. You actually are on his coattails of wonderful, but he leaves a little bit of heaven wherever he goes, ask anyone. You leave vitriol.
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