Stop Assuming that Black Men Ascending into Prominent Overseas Positions is a Good Thing
As a people, African-Americans just loooove to see a Black man get a prominent job. It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. Our chests poke out, we raise our heads a little higher, and acquire a new bounce in our steps at such news.
We assume that having Black men in prominent positions is a good thing. We assume that more Black men having the ability to travel and live overseas is a good thing.
Sometimes Black men going overseas is not a good thing. In fact, in many cases it's a VERY BAD thing. It's very bad for our international image as Black people. It's also very bad for this country's national security.
DBRBM are busy making enemies overseas for the rest of us as African-Americans. They are busy making enemies for ALL Americans. We don't realize this because, like most Americans, we don't pay attention to international news stories.
But the foreigners that DBRBM harm remember. As well as their families, friends, and entire societies. The same way we remember atrocities committed by foreigners here.
Andrew Warren: Former CIA Station Chief in Algeria, Muslim Convert, Alleged Rapist
Consider the case of a Negro named Andrew Warren. As the Los Angeles Times story notes, until he was removed from his post, this individual served as the CIA's top official in Algeria until late 2008. He had previously held high-level positions in Afghanistan and Egypt. Los Angeles Times, January 29, 2009, "CIA chief in Algeria recalled amid investigation":
"Warren was described as a highly gifted officer, a convert to Islam who demonstrated a rare ability to blend in among Muslim communities across several countries.
'He's exactly the guy we need out in the field,' said a senior U.S. government official who had met with the accused officer in Algiers last summer before the scandal emerged. 'He's African-American. He's Muslim. He speaks the language. He seemed well put together, sharp and experienced.'"
[Yes, exactly the type of Black man that we get very excited about due his surface attributes. He is probably also yet another example of a DBRBM Sunni Muslim.]
The LA Times story notes that "Algeria is considered a top priority in the intelligence community because it has been a haven for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a group that has pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. The North African group was blamed for an August bombing outside Algiers that killed more than 40 people."
It seems that this Negro was allegedly putting date rape drugs in women's drinks, and then sexually assaulting them. [Shades of Dr. William H. Cosby, Ph.D.]
This story has also been covered by Al Jazeera: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/200912922550433383.html [Raised fist salute to our outstanding researcher, Lorraine, for bringing the Andrew Warren news story to my attention!]
This type of mess is at the high end. Pause for a moment to consider what the droves of low level DBRBM in the U.S. military are doing all over the planet. {shudder}
The Sorrows of Okinawa: U.S. Military Base = DBRBM Rapists' Fraternity House
The list of rapes committed by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa is endless, and continues up to this day. I'll focus on one incident that caused U.S. President Bill Clinton to have an emergency meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister.
From Wikipedia:
"The 1995 Okinawan rape incident refers to a rape that took place on September 4, 1995, when three U.S. servicemen, U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Gill and U.S. Marines Rodrico Harp and Kendrick Ledet, all from Camp Hansen on Okinawa, rented a van and kidnapped a 12-year-old 6th-grade Japanese girl.
They beat her, duct-taped her eyes and mouth shut, and bound her hands. Gill and Harp then proceeded to rape her, while Ledet claims he only pretended to do so out of fear of Gill. The incident led to further debate over the continued presence of U.S. forces in Japan. "
Of course, their relatives whined that there was racism involved in their prosecution.
From the November 6, 1995, New York Times story, "Accused Marines' Kin Incredulous": "'It's very disappointing and frustrating,' said Kim Cannon, Private Ledet's sister, who is a deputy sheriff in Fulton County, Ga. 'It's political and it's racial. We're all black and we all come from small towns. I'm looking at three young black men who may face life in prison, and I just don't think this would be happening if they were white.'"
[Again, our familiar mantra: "young Black men." Doesn't your heart just bleed for them?]
Hmmm . . . Let's see what happened after they all served their time in Japanese prisons (foreign prisons usually don't play with inmates, by the way!):
From Wikipedia:
"The three men served prison terms in Japanese prisons and were released in 2003 and then given dishonorable discharges from the military. After release, Rodrico Harp decried prison conditions in Japan and said that the electronics assembly prison labor he was forced to do amounted to slave labor." [Mournful sounds of violins playing in the background.]
"Ledet, who had claimed he did not rape the girl, died in 2006 in an apparent murder-suicide in the United States. He was found in the third-floor apartment of Lauren Cooper, a junior Kennesaw State University student and acquaintance whom he had apparently sexually assaulted and then murdered (by strangulation). It appears that he then took his own life by slashing his wrists."
[Gee, I wonder what Ledet's sister had to say after this final incident. Was this "political and racial" too? Yep. They all sure sound like innocent men who were convicted on trumped up charges. Right.]
We Must Make Ourselves Distinct From DBRBM and The "Acting Black" Crew
All of the above is yet another example of why we must make every effort to establish ourselves as separate and distinct from DBRBM and the negative "Acting Black" Crew. Often, we have no idea of the overall negative impression of Blacks that has already been established by these Black miscreants while they were overseas. You DON'T want to reap what these creatures have sown for ALL of us in foreign countries!
*Addendum* At minimum, we must STOP doing our traditional, knee-jerk "Let's Rally Around Scum" dance. Including scum like the DBRBM (mentioned in the blog cited below) who raped several women while on duty and in uniform as a Los Angeles police officer. http://problemchylde.wordpress.com/2009/01/31/prison-reform-recidivism-and-reintegration/
*Update* For the curious, our intrepid researcher Lorraine has found a link with a picture of Ledet and his final victim. [Yes, she was White.] Here is the link :
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1689815/posts
The comments in the link point to another disturbing aspect of all of this: There might NOT be any mechanism in place to ensure that these creatures are automatically registered as sexual predators once they return to the United States. Lord have mercy.
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29 comments:
These men are disgusting creatures who contribute nothing of value to humanity or society. Rapists are the lowest life form in existence. They don’t even have the privilege of being called animals. Animals don’t even treat their own kind that way. These men must have been possessed by a demon to rape a 12 year old girl. Their prison sentence was light in my opinion. I would have locked them up and sentenced them to a life of slave labor. I pray to God that I never experience rape because I believe in my heart I would have to have to kill that man. I also extend those prayers to any future children I may have. There are no words to describe the type of damage these men inflicted on this innocent child not to mention the possible shame she might have to endure. How does anyone with a conscience defend the actions of these rapists? If my brothers ever violated another human being like that I would disown them and never speak to them again.
DBRBM who rape and violate the rights of others should be thrown in a bottomless pit and forgotten. When the “Black Community” rallied around those delinquents of Jena 6, I shook my head in shame because once again we were supporting criminal behavior. That is why the rest of society won’t take Black people seriously. We are so quick to scream and whine about the injustices in the world yet we don’t even monitor our own communities or hold our people accountable for their degenerate behavior. My favorite argument that comes from the Black peanut gallery is the unfair sentences Black criminals receive. Well what about the victims? In my opinion, once you are found guilty of a violent crime, you relinquish all your rights as an ordinary citizen. If a judge, whether or not he/she is racist, throws the book at a criminal then so be it. I feel much safer when violent criminals receive harsh sentences.
But I digress. Criminals are dangerous and don’t deserve the right to walk in society as free men amongst decent human beings. We all have choices and one’s upbringing isn’t an excuse to act like a heathen.
Salaam Khadija,
This is just a disgrace...
Totally disgusting,and perverted.
: (
I haven't been to Dakar in about 5 years now, but I do remember seeing allot of BA's and BAM's there. I do remember my Sister in law who is actually an english teacher complaining about those salafi BAM's who "made hijra" lol lol there, and treated Senegalese women very, very, very poorly.
In fact, their reaction reminded me of our reaction to immigrant Muslims trying to force us to follow their madness! I also think some of the policemen were shocked at seeing them roaming the streets "calling people to Islam". lol lol
anywho...
Your main point is taken.
: )
Thank you kindly,
SS
Greetings, Muse!
You said, "Their prison sentence was light in my opinion. I would have locked them up and sentenced them to a life of slave labor."
Yes, these prison sentences were extremely light in my opinion. Furthermore, I wouldn't care if these creatures had been flogged morning, noon and night of every single day of their sentences.
You said, "There are no words to describe the type of damage these men inflicted on this innocent child not to mention the possible shame she might have to endure."
Whenever she comes to mind, I say a prayer for this (now) woman. I recall this case from when it first happened. Past a certain point, I mentally tuned out news stories of the ongoing rapes committed by US servicemen in Okinawa because they are endless. {sigh}
Also, because there are legions of DBRBM rapists much closer to (my former) home in my childhood neighborhood. {very long sigh} Once, I did a computerized search of the law enforcement data base of convicted sexual predators in my parents' neighborhood. THEY...ARE...LEGION.
You said, "If my brothers ever violated another human being like that I would disown them and never speak to them again."
If my brother did something like this I would actively help the police find him. As far as I'm concerned, these types of monsters are in the Unabomber category of Too Dangerous to Run Loose.
You said, "When the “Black Community” rallied around those delinquents of Jena 6, I shook my head in shame because once again we were supporting criminal behavior. That is why the rest of society won’t take Black people seriously. We are so quick to scream and whine about the injustices in the world yet we don’t even monitor our own communities or hold our people accountable for their degenerate behavior. My favorite argument that comes from the Black peanut gallery is the unfair sentences Black criminals receive."
EXACTLY! My response to the "double standards" whiners is that when people CHOOSE to break the law, they assume the risk of whatever happens to them as a result!
Furthermore, my response to arguments like the ones presented in the blog I linked to is the following: Grow up! In the real world, the consequences of some choices are FOREVER and FOR KEEPS. The sooner more Black folks figure out this basic rule of reality, the sooner they will learn to make better choices.
Real life does NOT have a "do over" button. Especially not for the victims of these predators. Who are the only people in the predator/prey equation that I care anything about.
_______________________
Wa Alaikum As Salaam, Sister Seeking/Miriam!
What?!! Wait a minute . . . You mean to say that some Negro-American Sunni Muslim males . . . who cannot form stable families here in the US, and cannot form decent communities here in the US . . . are actually going to a Muslim country like Senegal, and "roaming the streets 'calling people to Islam.'"
WHAT?!?! {stunned silence}
They need to be deported. With a quickness.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Anonymous:
Hmmm. You could be a DBRBM pretending to write in as a WM. {No...your anonymous note doesn't have quite the "right" tone for that}
Or your primary issue could be that you're an anti-Muslim bigot of any ethnicity. {No...that doesn't sound quite right either}
Or, you could be one of the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) racists who is still smarting from this blog's, and other blogs', call for justice at PTS . . . DING! DING! DING! By George, I think that's it! Funny how you're still stalking activist Black blogs.
Whatever. {yawn} It really doesn't matter.
Ayatullah Murtaza Mutahhari gave a concise summary of the Islamic position in his book Social and Historical Change: An Islamic Perspective:
"Islam is oriented toward justice and equality. Plainly, those who benefit from this orientation are the deprived and oppressed, and those who lose are the plunderers, monopolists, and exploiters. Even where Islam works to secure the rights and interests of a class, its primary aim is to realize a value, to found a humane principle." pg. 119.
Muslims have a problem with whoever it is that's doing something wrong. Remember that, Anonymous.
With justice in mind.
Salaams, Sister Seeking/Miriam!
You said, "These split off groups from that Troid brand of Wahabism actually went to several African nations but namely:
*Ghana
*Senegal
*Tanzania
*South Africa
*Sudan ( I know it sounds crazy)
* Morocco
*Somalia ( I know it sounds crazy)"
You also said, "Khadija, remember during one discussion I shared with you that the children of converts some deliberately born in those countries but many American children who died as a result of catching diseases we receive routine immunizations for?
I remember several BAMs from the DC, and MD area making hijra.
All I can say is now I see why our relationships with other Muslims are so strained… so complex… so many issues…"
{more stunned silence}
Astagfirullah! [I ask God for forgiveness!]
Ya Allah, please deliver these innocent children from their parents' insanity!
Ya Allah, please guide these BAM lunatics back to some small semblance of sanity.
Ya Allah, please cleanse the planet of those hateful lunatics who will not be guided back to sanity.
Ya Allah, please lessen the enmity for African-Americans that these lunatics are creating by their foul deeds.
Ya Allah, please keep all of humanity safe from (at least the worst of) their mischief.
Ameen. [Amen.]
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I assume your silence on my comment on white men is one of agreement. Who is really scarier?
Anonymous,
You can't draw any conclusions. I didn't bother to address your statement about White men because your argument is pure sophistry. I'm not going to invest my time into deconstructing specious arguments.
If you want an answer to your question of "who is really scarier," I would refer you to the Japanese woman who was gang-raped, duct-taped and beaten when she was 12 years old.
For you to presume to sift and weigh the evil that has been done to others is offensive. It is particularly outrageous given that you not only fail to resist the evil that is done on your own campus, but you AID and ABET its perpetrators.
ALL evil must be rejected and fought. Across the board. Instead of picking and choosing which evils to reject based upon favoritism (of whatever type, be it ethnic, religious, or otherwise). The pity is that you haven't quite figured this out.
It's shocking that somebody like you is actually in training to be a Christian minister. I was under the mistaken belief that they interview and vet potential seminary students regarding their character. May God have mercy on those unsuspecting souls that you minister to.
Don't bother submitting any more comments in this thread. I'm not going to invest any more time in responding to you.
With justice in mind.
Ameen.
: )
So sad, so scary, but so true.
I'd heard about the Algiers situation but I didn't know the perp was Black. And I know many females serving in the military barely make it out without being assaulted but the gov't tries to cover it up. I also remember that Japanese case. I also imagine there are just as many white men doing the same thing - but yes if they're Black it'll always come across worse for us. Between the booty/bling/bullets and the psycho rapists working for the gov't our image is in the toilet. The only caveat I'd say is for some of us women who go abroad and seek out a wide variety of peers and potential romance. When I lived in London I was not lacking potential partners from the white men w/o all the pesky slavery/colonization baggage. Often you feel like and are treated (by the right people of course) like a prize and it's such a difference from being here in the US.
I didn't read the comments b4 I posted about white men being deviants like black men - so take it with that in mind and a grain of salt pls!
*Warning: A Long Response-LOL!*
Greetings, Faith!
Here's my point of concern:
You said, "I also imagine there are just as many white men doing the same thing - but yes if they're Black it'll always come across worse for us."
Why are we always linking & measuring OUR evil deeds with those of Whites? What's that about? As far as I'm concerned, there is NO connection. As much as we like to scream about how we're being victimized, many of us feel perfectly comfortable victimizing others.
The "White people are doing it too" or "White people did it worse" or "White people are doing it more" arguments are totally irrelevant. Not to mention: (1) ethically repugnant; and even worse, (2) a dangerous strategic liability in terms of AAs' long-term interests.
Let me use a similar example from another context to explain what I mean:
In some ways AAs have become like the Israelis in Palestine/Israel. They are so focused on their past victimization, that many of them appear to believe:
(1)That they can do no wrong. No matter what; and/or
(2)That any wrong they do is justified by what they suffered in the past; and/or
(3) That whatever harm they do is somehow less than that done by others.
And when the evidence of their wrongdoing is incontrovertible, they fall back on the "Arabs are doing 'it' worse" or the "Arabs did 'it' first" arguments.
I've heard [many Northern, ethnic] Christian White folks grumble about how the Jewish Holocaust was "a long time ago." Even though they are skilled at marketing themselves as victims, the main images of their victimization are grainy, WWII footage from 60+ years ago.
That image is fading, and being replaced with another, more current image in Western Europe and Canada [places that aren't always fed a constant news diet of pro-Israeli government propaganda]. The new image is that of a brutal, militarized society of messianic settlers. The Holocaust sympathy card is becoming worn and ragged around the edges.
Over the years, I've read a number of essays by White, not-particularly-friendly-to-Muslims military/intelligence analysts predicting an unhappy end to that particular state.
For a variety of reasons, many of which are related to Israeli leaders' preconceptions about their true long-term situation. These views have hampered their strategic thinking. And have led to a series of long-term, irreversible errors in judgment.
Errors such as:
(1) Supporting Palestinian religious groups and leaders who were hostile to the secular PLO. They thought they were being clever with a "divide and conquer" strategy. Well, the people the Israeli government supported against the PLO eventually morphed into Hamas.
(2) Instead of leaving after driving the PLO out of Lebanon during their invasion, the Israelis decided to occupy Lebanon. [In a self-proclaimed "security zone" in Southern Lebanon.] This occupation of Lebanese territory helped lead to the creation of Hezbollah.
To sum it all up: The Israelis in Palestine/Israel should have made more of an effort to cut a deal with the Palestinians and Arab states during the decades while these people still had SECULAR leadership. Now that the conflict has turned explicitly religious, the odds of a viable compromise are drastically reduced.
The Holocaust sympathy cards are coming close to being played out.
In some ways, AAs are in a similar strategic position. Our slavery/Jim Crow sympathy cards are close to being played out. The grainy, black & white footage of Dr. King is from 40+ years ago.
We're no longer officially disenfranchised people. We are perceived as free people now. Especially with a Black US president in place. We WILL be held accountable for our group members' misdeeds.
This means that we can't afford to keep clinging to our traditional "White people are doing it too," or "White people did it worse," or "White people are doing it more" framing of issues related to our people's wrongdoing.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Hello there, Faith!
Oh yes, I understand.
The only reason I responded at length about my concern is that Black folks regularly voice the "White folks are doing 'it' too," etc. statements when the issue of our own wrongdoing comes up. I think that we collectively need to rethink that particular way of framing the issue.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
*We interrupt this post for an important announcement*
I posted earlier in the "black people/kansas" comments, that Diane Rehm would have an author of a book on, about the traits of those who survive tragic incidents/trying times.
He said that 10% of people, when they see hard times coming, start mentally preparing their plan of action and their backup plan. They face reality. 80% of people become bewildered, trying to figure out what to do. 10% of people freeze completely or do the exact WRONG thing (such as pretending that the situation is not happening because they can't cope).
Let's commit to being in that then percent that faces reality and plans/acts accordingly.
Hello there, ForeverLoyal!
Thanks for mentioning this extremely important information! You said, "Let's commit to being in that ten percent that faces reality and plans/acts accordingly."
YES!! Let's commit to being among those who not only SURVIVE, but actually THRIVE in this economy.
We often forget that a tiny percentage of people still made money during the 1st Great Depression. I intend to be among that select group during this 2nd Great Depression. [That's why I'm on the computer so often---I'm working on my side business.] I hope y'all join me!
[Of course, I forgot to listen to the interview. I'll have to see if I can listen to it on-line.]
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Khadija, thank you for raising these points, we do get pleased to see black men in position and we should be pleased for them, but we also should remember that these men are not doing anything for the 'black community' at the end of the day, they are just individuals who are making a name for themselves.
However those black men involved in raping women overseas are demons in human form and the black community should not protect them and cry racism. It is the same mentality, 'you can't put a good black man in jail'. Look at R Kelly that is why he was able to get away with what he was doing.
Can you please post a link to the Diane Rehm video.
Greetings, Felicity!
You're welcome! Some of our traditional, knee-jerk responses (that we formed during an earlier era) have become OBSOLETE and DANGEROUS to our interests.
______________________
Greetings, Beverly!
I've been too busy to even look for the interview online. If I do get around to finding it, I'll post the link.
Maybe ForeverLoyal will stop by with the information about the link.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/09/02/01.php#24875
10:00Ben Sherwood "The Survivors Club" (Grand Central) (Rebroadcast)
Every second of the day, someone in America faces a crisis, whether an accident, crime, illness, or financial trouble. Some bounce back, others just give up. A journalist reveals the science and secrets of survivors and how to thrive in the face of adversity.
Guests
Ben Sherwood, former executive producer of ABC’s Good Morning America and the author of two novels, “The Man Who Ate The 747” and “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud."
@ForeverLoyal! THANKS!
Greetings, Anonymiss!
Almost all of us have been "taken," and bamboozled by the traditional Civil Rights Industrial Complex.
I count myself among those who were deceived in the past. Although in my case it was moreso by a subsection of this group: the loud talking, do-nothing, nationalist conspiracy theorists! LOL!
[Looking back, I can't believe that I actually took the time to watch Steve Cokely on local cable access tv when he was in Chicago. Lord have mercy. And I went to lots of events where Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's theories were bandied about. What in the world was the practical point of any of that?]
Our (mis)leadership class is playing on knee-jerk responses from Black folks that were functional DECADES ago. These habitual, knee-jerk responses have become obsolete. And dangerous to our very survival.
I'm just thankful that I snapped out of it, and woke up.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Sometimes think the reason these so called 'leaders' and 'activists' support these clearly criminal and damaged people is because they are used to the spotlight of how they see themselves and lack any real vision for education, advancement, or community development. An 'activist' and 'leader' SHOULD be titles that you earn from others when your knowledge has been passed on and PROVEN to benefit your family and community in a larger way. Can most of today's leaders claim that to be true about themselves? Black people in America have very, very little community left and our families are a mess. To many of these modern day activists just call themselves 'activists' and look for any cause to leech on. How can you be a 'leader' when you can't even lead your own family?
Khadija, responding to Anonymiss:
Almost all of us have been "taken," and bamboozled by the traditional Civil Rights Industrial Complex.
I count myself among those who were deceived in the past. Although in my case it was moreso by a subsection of this group: the loud talking, do-nothing, nationalist conspiracy theorists! LOL!
My reply:
I wish more and more women would wake up and realize the message they are telling the world, the black community, and especially other black women and girls.
They are saying that their interests as black women and girls don't matter, especially in the face of black men's interests, and especially in the name of racial unity.
In the name of this unity, they have to take a lot (ie., abuse), and remain silent (and strong). This is the price they must pay in order to be a good black woman.
This is too troubling, scary and evil for words!
Greetings, TheDiva!
Well, it's quite obvious that faux activism really IS a hustle for certain members of the Civil Rights Industrial Complex (CRIC). I mean, have many of them ever worked real jobs? Do they have any other viable skills, or potential source of income? [Especially a source that will keep them in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed?]
Furthermore, even legitimate activism does NOT provide a retirement plan for sincere activists. And the so-called Black community has NEVER seriously financially supported its true champions.
We only give SERIOUS, SUSTAINED financial support to apolitical cult/religious leaders.
When looking at the current CRIC, I often think about how Malcolm X's and Dr. King's families were left more or less penniless after they were assassinated. Both leaders' children would have starved to death if they depended on support from the so-called Black community!
Collectively, Black folks left our martyrs' children to fend for themselves after their fathers were murdered.
Let's be real about that. In many ways, we have the "leadership" that we deserve.
_______________________
Hello there, Pioneer Valley Woman!
You said, "This is too troubling, scary and evil for words!"
Yes, it is all that. The good thing is that I see signs that more and more of us are waking up!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Khadija,
I've been lurking for the last couple of days. I wanted to add my comments to this dicussion. In response to your comment about Stokely Carmicheal and Frances Cress Welsing's theories. Do you think that their theories and beliefs are invalid or just impractical for our present-day realities? I happen to believe that white supremacy is very real There is a system in place that contributes to the destruction of black people and other non-white people. BUT from my standpoint does she or anyone in this conspiracy theory clique ever offer any solutions. I see the new activists on the internet all of the time. I call them "internet revolutionaries." Meaning they are only big and bad while hiding behind the computer screen. I don't know how familiar you are with the new crop of conspiracy theorists that have taken over some new media sites such as youtube, blogtalkradio, and ning, but they are here with a vengence. I think alot of people are confused about what activism is. To me activism requires that you DO something. Come up with some practical solutions to problems that people face. Alot of people I think want the perks of leadership and activism, but not the responsibility.
What do you think?
Peace and solidarity,
Tasha
Greetings, Tasha212!
I'm happy you joined the conversation!
I think that Steve Cokely and Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's theories are both absurd and impractical. A friend and I talked about this a while ago. We both realized that these theories served as a form of entertainment and nothing more.
As you noted, neither Dr. Welsing nor the rest of the theorists offer any answers whatsoever. Let's say that somebody believes in their theories. Well, what exactly would they have people DO in response to what they're saying? Apparently, nothing but generate more empty talk.
I agree with you when you said, "I think alot of people are confused about what activism is. To me activism requires that you DO something. Come up with some practical solutions to problems that people face. Alot of people I think want the perks of leadership and activism, but not the responsibility."
It seems to me that this trend of "loud talk, NO action" has gotten 1,000x worse in the internet era.
In previous eras, loud talkers had to actually go OUT of their homes, gather an audience, and FACE hecklers and dissenting voices from within that audience. This by itself enforced a smidgen of accountability for what they were saying. Now, people can hide at home behind their computer screens and say the most outlandish, hateful things.
To answer to your other question: I believe in the effects of what we call White supremacy. I don't believe in the theories of White supremacy. You will see the same behavior among ANY recognizable group of people that has been dominant for a long period of time.
You see the same attitudes of superiority from the writings of ancient China (the "Middle Kingdom" that perceived the rest of the world as "barbarians"). Chinese supremacy.
You see the same attitude in medieval Arab empires. Arab/Islamic supremacy. You see the same attitude in the Ottoman Empire. Turkish/Islamic supremacy.
You see the same attitude in medieval and modern Japan. Japanese supremacy.
Any and all groups of people will get "the big head" if they are dominant for any extended period of time. Any semblance of humility only comes with prolonged defeat.
I stopped believing in the fantasies advocated by Dr. Welsing (and others) a long time ago. I believe a more accurate explanation of Western European dominance was given by Jared Diamond's book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.
From a review of the book [emphasis added]:
"In this 'artful, informative, and delightful' (William H. McNeill, New York Review of Books) book, Jared Diamond convincingly argues that geographical and environmental factors shaped the modern world. Societies that had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed writing, technology, government, and organized religion—as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war—and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures.
A major advance in our understanding of human societies, Guns, Germs, and Steel chronicles the way that the modern world came to be and stunningly dismantles racially based theories of human history."
Basically, Mr. Diamond argues that Western dominance was the result of a series of accidental "headstarts" produced by geographical and environmental factors in Western Asia (the so-called "Middle East") and Mediterranean Europe.
Geographical factors such as the numbers and variety of animals indigenous to these areas that could be easily domesticated. Factors such as the types of food crops that could readily be grown with a minimum of agricultural skills, etc.
Mediterranean Europe laying along more easily travelled crossroads between civilizations was another happy accident. Europeans were therefore in a position to more easily acquire other people's technology through trade and other contacts. So, they got to benefit from other people's scientific achievements instead of only their own. That made a HUGE difference.
Meanwhile, so-called sub-Saharan Africa was mostly cut off from the flow of these exchanges by an "ocean" of sand (except for coastal areas). Other places, such as Australia, the Pacific Islands, etc. were also cut off from reaping the benefits of other civilizations' technology.
Factor in things like the time it takes for a culture to independently, by itself develop the technology for ocean-worthy vessels, and one can easily see how these initial, ACCIDENTAL "headstarts" multiplied over time.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I think one might include in this discussion, Leonard Jeffries...
Hello there, Pioneer Valley Woman!
Oh yes, Prof. Leonard Jeffries is among the clique of scholarly Black cultural fantasists.
Although, it just occurred to me that all of these people are elderly. There don't seem to be any replacements for them coming from my age group or younger. Hmmm. That's interesting.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
In one of bell hooks' books, (we've recently moved and my books are still in storage, so I don't recall which one) she talks about behaviors we learned during Jim Crow and slavery that were vital to survival at that time, but are detrimental to us now.
I definitely think this reflexive 'circling of the wagons' is one of those behaviors. I worked in various aspects of the criminal justice/social service system for a long time and quiet as its kept: Most of the folk 'caught up' in the system ARE CRIMINALS. I worked in the prison system for two years, and I can tell you, I don't think there's any human being who can survive there and come out with any humanity left. It's that brutal.
We seem to have bought into the notion that because of racism it's impossible for any black man to avoid the criminal justice system. That notion is specious on it's face. People wind up in prison because of their own behaviors. I know plenty of black men who've never had an encounter with law enforcement, and no, they didn't grow up in middle class neighborhoods either. Don't believe the hype.
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