The Occupy Wall Street Movement is Right!

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The Occupy Wall Street Movement is right!  The 99 percent must unite and demand more equitable economic, social and political policies.  If the Republicans want to call that rhetoric "class warfare", so be it!

Seven Reasons Not to Vote for Herman Cain

Here are seven reasons why no one, especially African Americans, in their right mind should vote for Herman Cain.

1. He has NO political or foreign policy experience. He was a pizza man for crying out loud. His claim to fame is being the President of Godfather's Pizza. He has never held public office.

2. His 999 plan steals from the poor and working class masses and gives an unprecedented amount to the super rich.



3. He opposes the Occupy Wall Street Movement and supports the plutocrats.



4. He holds extreme anti-immigration views which border on racism. Listen to him talk about creating an electrified fence to keep illegal immigrants out of America.

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5. He holds bigoted views against Muslims. He is on record stating that he would not appoint any Muslims in his administration. If he said the same thing about any other religious group such as Catholics, Jews or Mormons, there would be much public outrage and discussion. View this video.



6. Mr. Cain will appointed judges like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. As we all know, Justice Thomas has an abysmal civil rights record. Listen to Mr. Cain praise Justice Thomas.

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7. Mr. Cain basically rejects his African heritage and refuses to use the term African American. Equally as important, Mr. Cain has made disparaging generalizations about African Americans and fails to acknowledge the continuing impact of the institutionalized racism.





By the way, what did you think about his political ad?

What Does Muammar Gaddafi's Death Mean for Libya and Africa?

CNN reports that Muammar Gaddafi has been killed:

There are reports that deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been either captured or killed. This story is fast developing.

[Update 9:56 a.m. ET] A State Department official familiar with the latest information coming out of Libya said it “looks like he’s been killed," but the department is still awaiting official confirmation. The official would only speak if his name not be used.

If the reports are true, what does Muammar Gaddafi's death mean for Libya and Africa?

Should We Vote for President Obama Because He is Black?

The Washington Post reports that:

Even as Obama and his campaign play down the suggestion that support among African Americans is flagging, a cadre of powerful allies is snapping back at critics in the black community and making explicit appeals for racial loyalty.

“Let’s not even deal with the facts right now. Let’s deal with just our blackness and pride — and loyalty,” Joyner wrote on his BlackAmericaWeb.com blog. “We have the chance to re-elect the first African-American president, and that’s what we ought to be doing. And I’m not afraid or ashamed to say that as black people, we should do it because he’s a black man.”....

But the focus on sticking together has prompted criticism from some who call it an overly simplistic view that shuts off dialogue about Obama’s achievements and his failures.

“It truncates vibrant conversation in the black community,” said Eddie Glaude Jr., a professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University. “What I hear them saying is, ‘Black folk need to get in lock step because we don’t want Republicans to take the White House.’ There is a kind of disciplining of the black polity that doesn’t lend itself to a vibrant and detailed consideration about political issues.”

The calls for racial solidarity have not come from the White House, and Obama has been careful to speak in broad terms, even when talking about how his policies have helped African Americans. At the same time, his campaign has welcomed the support of black media figures. Those “validators” make clear that they back the president’s policies, and a White House aide noted that their support is deeper than the color of Obama’s skin. “You don’t see them supporting Herman Cain or Alan Keyes,” the aide said....

Sharpton said he learned an important lesson about supporting black politicians in the early 1990s, when David Dinkins, who was New York’s first black mayor, was running for reelection. Sharpton criticized Dinkins’s “deliberative” style and thought his policies were not progressive enough. Dinkins was hurt by the diminished enthusiasm and turnout among black voters.

“We beat up on him. He went down and we ended up with eight years of Rudy Giuliani,” said Sharpton, who has been among Obama’s most aggressive supporters. “I said I’ll never make that mistake again.”

This article raises interesting political and philosophical issues. Here are my thoughts.

It is inappropriate for African American radio hosts and commentators to urge their listeners and viewers to vote for President Obama just because he is black. Such appeals tread dangerously close to demagogy and prejudice. If a white person urged their listeners and viewers to vote for a candidate because the candidate is white, the black blogosphere would strongly condemn that person as a racist.

Rather than appealing to the intellect of the listeners, such arguments appeal to the emotions. They reinforce and perpetuate the false and stereotypical notion that African Americans are politically unsophisticated people who vote for candidates based on race, not policy.

Instead of telling listeners and viewers to support the President based upon his skin color, Tom Joyner and other African American public figures should provide substantive reasons as to why African Americans should continue to support President Obama. They should be able explain how President's policies have improved or will improve the lives of African Americans. If they are unable to do that, they need to just be quiet and let more qualified individuals fulfill that role.

Such appeals are problematic for another reason. While surrogates such as Warren Ballentine and Tom Joyner urge voters to support the President because he is black, the President continues to speak in broad, non-racial terms. He continues to propose general policies, without developing targeted policies designed to address the disproportionate unemployment and poverty in the African American community.

Sadly, when people make such arguments, they are quickly dismissed as "haters" and told that Obama "isn't just the President of black Americans."

In sum, we must be interests driven, not personality or pigment driven. Otherwise, our issues will never be addressed.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Herman Cain Appears on Meet the Press

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Yesterday, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain appeared on Meet the Press. How do you think he did? Do you think that he will actually win the nomination?

President Obama's Remarks at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication

As stated on the White House Blog, yesterday,

"President Obama, joined by the First Family, toured the memorial and then spoke at the dedication ceremony in honor of Dr. King's work to make his dream a reality for all. During his speech, President Obama reminded us that the progress towards Dr. King's vision has not come easily and there is still more to do to expand opportunity and make our nation more just."

Obama Sends US Troops to Central Africa

CNN reports that:

President Barack Obama is sending about 100 U.S. troops to Africa to help hunt down the leaders of the notoriously violent Lord's Resistance Army in and around Uganda.

"I have authorized a small number of combat-equipped U.S. forces to deploy to central Africa to provide assistance to regional forces that are working toward the removal of Joseph Kony from the battlefield," Obama said in letter sent Friday to House Speaker John Boehner and Daniel Inouye, the president pro tempore of the Senate. Kony is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army.

During the 2008 Democratic Primary, President Obama distinguished himself from the other leading candidates by essential running as the peace candidate. He emphasized his early opposition to the Iraq war. Ironically, in addition to managing the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Obama has deployed troops to Libya and Central Africa.

Like his predecessor, President George W. Bush, President Obama is a war president. Similar to the Iraq situation, Muammar Gaddafi and the Lord's Resistance Army do not pose a direct or indirect threat to U.S. national security.

Is such militarism and interventionism change you can believe in?

The Truth About Uncle Herman Cain and His 999 Plan

"If the master's house caught on fire, the house negro would fight harder to put the blaze out than the master would. If the master got sick, the house negro would say "What's the matter, boss, we sick?" We sick! He identified himself with his master, more than the master identified with himself." Malcolm X

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In sum, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain's 999 plan would require the working poor to pay higher taxes. Oddly, the rich would pay much lower taxes under his plan. Even worst, the 999 plan would abolish Social Security and Medicare.

Clearly, Herman Cain's plan will have a devastating impact on black people. A disproportionate percentage of the working poor are African American. Most African Americans, like the vast majority of other Americans, depend on Social Security and Medicare during their retirement years.

In addition, Mr. Cain has made many disparaging racial comments about President Obama and the black community. Dr. Boyce Watkins was right when he said this:



In his book, The Destruction of Black Civilization, Chancellor Williams states that:

"[M]any Africans became enmeshed in the horrors of the [slave] trade, knew what they were doing and, in the pursuit of guns and riches, became as brutal as the whites in dealing with their own kind."

Similarly, Herman Cain, in pursuit of wealth and political power, has adopted policy positions and made racist remarks that are brutal to the interests of his own people.

This is not surprising given Mr. Cain's history. He remained silent and passive during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. While brave brothers and sisters were arrested, jailed, beaten and killed fighting for freedom and equality, Mr. Cain was a good Negro. He stayed in his place at the back of the bus.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

What Do You Think About the Occupy Wall Street Movement?

What do you think about the Occupy Wall Street Movement? What impact will it have on the 2012 Presidential Election?

Are Black People Brainwashed Slaves on the Democratic Party's Plantation?

Recently, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain described African American voters as being brainwashed to oppose conservative candidates. Please watch this video.


Supporting Herman Cain's assertions, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan described the Democratic Party as a plantation. Please watch Pat Buchanan's MSNBC video.



African Americans are not brainwashed. The majority of black people support the Democratic Party because it is their interest to do so, at this point in time. Democratic administrations enacted major civil rights legislation ending Jim Crow. Democrats supported and continue to support affirmative action. Democratic presidents have appointed judges and Attorney Generals who have defended civil rights. The opposite is true for Republican administrations.

The Democrats were the first major political party to nominate an African American for President. The Democrats were the first party to appoint an African American as a Supreme Court justice. Most black elected officials are Democrats. Many African Americans hold key positions and wield substantial influence in the Democratic Party. That is not true with respect to the Republican Party.

In response to the enactment of civil rights legislation, Dixiecrats left the Democratic Party and fled to the Republican Party. To win over Southern segregationists, the Republican Party adopted the Southern strategy and became hostile to civil rights, workers rights and welfare. Instead of being the Party of Lincoln, the Republican Party became the party of Strom Thurman and Jesse Helms. In effect, the Republican Party became the new White Citizens' Council. It is no coincidence that Republicans are at the front line defending symbols of the racist Confederate past.

The recent Rick Perry controversy is a prime of the Republicans' callous disregard for the concerns of black people. For years, Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry used to hunt in an area called Niggertown. Except for Herman Cain, none of the Republican candidates have condemned Perry for doing so. Their silence speaks volumes. Some of the candidates have actually defended Perry. Under pressure, even Mr. Cain was forced to tap dance to tone down his response.

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Although the Democratic Party is the better choice, our unconditional loyalty to the Democratic Party has weakened our ability to
negotiate and further our interests. Despite our unparalleled support for the Democratic Party, our interests are made secondary to the interests of white moderates, time and time again. President Obama's approach to addressing unemployment and poverty in the black community is one example. The Bill Clinton/Sista Souljah controversy is another example.

Whether we realize it or not, the Democrat Party is not the solution to the problems facing our communities. Decades of Democratic rule in our inner cities has not eliminated poverty, high employment, inferior education, drugs and violence. Certainly, Republicans will not address those problems either. Although the Democratic Party is not a plantation, we need to create a viable third party alternative.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.