Pundit See Pundit Do

I am writing this in response to the commentary published in the July, 9, 2011 issue of your newspaper written by George Curry, “Ostracizing Black Leaders Who Criticize Obama.” Specifically, I am nonplussed and take issue with the author’s garrulity in the suggestion that Cornell West reference to Obama as “a black mascot of Wall Street Oligarchs” was “over the edge.”

West Statement is accurate. Even if the adjective “black” is removed from the statement, Obama would still remain a “mascot of Wall Street Oligarchs” just as all of the senators and congressional representatives within the beltway, as well all Presidents before him.

Telecom executive Donald H. Gips a vice president of Colorado-based Level 3 Communications LLC, delivered more than $500,000 in contributions for the Obama campaign. After being in charge of hiring in the Obama White House, in 2009, Obama named him ambassador to South Africa. In addition Level 3 Communications, received millions of dollars of government stimulus contracts for broadband projects in six states.

—though Obama vowed to end “special interests” from his administration, nearly 200 of his biggest donors have landed plum government jobs and advisory posts, and/or won federal contracts worth millions of dollars for their business interests. Just for raising $50,000 to $500,000 for his campaign. In total, 184 of 556, or about one-third, of Obama bundlers or their spouses joined the administration in some role. In fact, 80 percent of those who collected more than $500,000 for Obama took key administration posts. Also, President Obama's appointment of William Daley as his chief of staff is another example. Daley was an executive at JPMorgan Chase, the investment bank that received a $12 billion bailout during the financial crisis.

Former director of the Office of Management and Budget Peter Orzsag, for instance, resigned from his post and took a job at Citigroup. Incoming National Economic Council Chair Gene Sperling earned nearly $1 million from Goldman Sachs in 2008. Former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, for instance, in a short stint out of politics, earned reported $16.2 million working in investment banking for Wasserstein Perella, now part of Dresdner Kleinwort.

Moreover, I perceive this essay to be a dirigible attempt to misdirect attention from what is important for people to objectively evaluate political actions and policy, as well as advance the supposition that these people are ordained “leaders” by some amorphous corpus of out of touch people, as if we black folk are a monolithic group whom cannot think for ourselves.

In summary, Mr. Curry’s purview reflects the myopia and tolerance for tedium that makes most African Americans vote for democrats without question, or even a Presidential candidate because of his race, yet won’t even read the policies they proffer.

Yes the President is a mascot for the interest of a government in which a small group of people exercises control for selfish purposes. Yes, these people mainly thrive due to their involvement on Wall Street. I do not know of anyone who benefited from stimulus money. The members of his inner circle benefited from stimulus money, troubled asset relief programs and even comprise his core staff.

Unlike Mr. Curry, I can see this and still believe that the Preamble of this nation reads We the People, not we the corporation; something Obama seems have to intentionally forgotten albeit an expert in constitutional law.

red rum

So it is finally over, or is it? True, I was wrong about whom I thought would win based on a history of 43 prior white men, but as for my reasoning I was not. This past 22 months has reinforced all of the positions I have laid out in text from my dissertations regarding the economy to why we as human being must obviate race from our lexicon if we can, for although this past week was historic, and the world now see America in a different light, we still see ourselves in the same fashion, well at least many of us do.

First, it is obvious that many folk prefer to emote in contrast to think. I was hard on McCain (but this was ok). Unfortunately I was just as hard on Obama (but for many this was not). I have never approached any subject matter with respect to feeling with the exception of family, my children and how I would treat my woman. Oh, and food. But with respect to politics, I have never based any decision on feeling. This has lead me to understand than many folks make selections based on feeling when I make my as a function on thinking. For I know that if there was no TV or Radio, and folks were forced to read the history and positions of the Republican and Democratic selections for this past election – you would have seen that there were basically no difference between the two and that they were more similar than dissimilar. I also learned that many folks tend to vote for the individual whereas I vote for the policy positions.

True Obama won, and I’m pleased with that, but American may be in the same position historically it has always been. Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Georgia, Lousiania, Utah, Montana and Idaho among others still remain GOP and in strong support of the divisive politics that have historically been a function of race (many in the South). And I know folks don’t like to use history to project future speculation and to form opinion – but I do. These states have been red for the longest and no end seems to be coming soon.

I feel that yes this is historic, but also may reflect a change - a regression for many back to the time before the civil rights movement. Yes, 40 years ago a great man was killed for bringing change. I just don’t know what will be, given what i feel will be major conundrums quick fast and in a hurry for the new president jones:

• Russia: This may be the first head bump for Jones. Russia (Putin) is making a fat cat move to buy allegiance from Latin American states that are right in our own backyard. Plus they mad because of our decision to deploy elements of a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. So as a result, they have decided to place some similar equipment in Cuba – or so they say.
• Economy: Many would like to infer that Obama’s victory brought back extreme volatility to the market, with the Dow Jones industrials falling 480 points and the major indexes tumbling more than 5 percent. After Tuesday night. True some may be pulling loot out as a form of fear, but truth as I have written before, this will continue for a couple of few administrations, irregardless of who had won. He will have to tackle this and his tax cuts, during a recession don’t make much micro or macro economic sense, but it sounds good to the voter. So he will need to foster the gumption to show how smart folk really think he is, for short term tactics as taking loot from the rich wont pay for nothing, nor do jack, when the deficit is approaching a trillion dollars; oh and did I say he wont be able to end the war as quickly as he proposed?
• Middle East: It will be difficult for Obama to end the war as he said. Especially since his chief of staff was one of the folks that assisted and motioned that we start a war with Iraq and has a desire to start one with Iran - Israeli Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel, the fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives as the Democratic Caucus chairman, will be returning to the White House, where he served as a political and policy adviser to Clinton.

Which brings me back to thinking over feeling. I as many feel that America has changed. But looking the states that McCain carried, what I call the redrum states to honor one of my favorite movies of all time, the Shining, it won’t be easy. These folks will fight tooth and nail against him, even when it may benefit the commonwealth. For unfortunately, his victory has also brought back the zealots, the folks if they don’t like the color of your skin, will post up outside your crib and chase you with an ax and string you up from a tree. Yes this is historic, but the history he has fostered via victory, has only begun. Let’s just hope it does not assist in bring back the attitudes many thought were no more, and that some as myself – feel are merely dormant.

Had a ball talking politics with 12kyle at shop yesterday.