Meet Barack Obama

[UMOJA]

Weekend Edition August 17-19, 2012

Delusions and Disappointments

Meet Barack Obama

by ROB URIE

 

Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential pick, Paul Ryan, as with himself, is an uninformed opportunist who was born into wealth and privilege and whose proposed policies aim to perpetuate that privilege at the expense of the rest of the population with whom he nominally shares a national identity. Barack Obama is a cynical opportunist who serves the interests of wealth and privilege and whose policies more effectively promote those interests than Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan could ever hope to. Those circling the wagons to get Mr. Obama re-elected should spend a bit of time getting to know their guy.

At the highest level Mr. Obama codified, through both continuation of, and failure to prosecute, the worst of the Bush / Cheney administration’s war crimes, domestic crimes, civil intrusions and economic policies. When Mr. Obama entered office he had the opportunity to repudiate these crimes and restore the illusion that America has ever been a civilized nation. America’s global torture prisons have been moved out of sight but not out of fact (link). The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq remain illegal wars of aggression undertaken to boost the fortunes of multi-national oil companies and the slaughter-for-profit military industry. The war in Afghanistan has been expanded under Mr. Obama and the war in Iraq was only ended against his wishes by Bush era treaties. And U.S. foreign policy remains the preeminent force of repression and unjust order overseas.

Mr. Obama’s recently disclosed ‘kill lists’ (link) suggest an unhinged monarch, fully divorced from legal accountability and history, carrying out vendettas against unproven enemies with fevered impunity (if he doesn’t have to show evidence, he doesn’t have to have evidence). With Americans now openly subject to murder at the whim of whoever occupies the Oval Office, the long, inglorious history of domestic power politics carried out through strategic assassination finds a home on our shores. (One need only recall the Bush / Cheney hilarity at putting Ted Kennedy and other prominent Democrats on lists of suspected terrorists used by airlines to imagine where this abuse of power can lead).

Mr. Obama’s signature achievement while in office, his ‘health care reform,’ the ACA (Affordable Care Act), is a Republican plan developed by the right-wing Heritage Foundation and first passed in Massachusetts by Mitt Romney. The plan forces citizens to purchase a defective product from private insurance companies who profit by denying health care to people who need it. The program’s ‘insurance exchanges’ leave individuals to select among inadequate policies to buy protection against future maladies of which they have no foreknowledge. Recourse for health care denied is appeal to under funded, understaffed state insurance commissions that have long histories shielding insurance companies from having to pay legitimate claims.

When Mr. Obama took office the nation was in the throes of an economic meltdown and financial collapse of bi-partisan origins. Mr. Obama rewarded the most culpable of the policy malefactors with top jobs covering up the mess that they had created. Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner set about rendering the right-wing fantasy of corrupt, incompetent government fact by stuffing the housing agencies full of bank detritus. The Federal Reserve set about restoring the fortunes of the sliver of Americans who own financial assets through several trillion dollars of monetary stimulus while adequate fiscal stimulus was deemed ‘unaffordable.’ Corrupt bankers were universally made whole while the rest of the economy was left to rot.

Early on Mr. Obama applied his own unique economic insight to argue that the explosion in unemployment in 2008 – 2009, coincident with the worst economic downturn in modern history, was due to ‘productivity gains,’ (link) and that nothing could be done to help the unemployed. (Even if productivity gains had been behind the decline in employment, which wasn’t the case, Mr. Obama could have revived the nation’s public sphere—teachers, doctors, emergency responders, public works workers, etc. to put people to work, but he chose not to). After passing a tax-cut laden economic stimulus program Mr. Obama appointed the corporate ‘leaders’ responsible for several decades of jobs outsourcing to his ‘jobs’ council. Four years on fully twenty million Americans remain unemployed or underemployed, with no effort to help them in the works.

In his effort to save particular culpable bankers while leaving the banking system corrupt, fragile, predatory and dysfunctional, Mr. Obama spared the victims of banker malfeasance no inconvenience, misdirection, unnecessary effort or cost. As part of the bank ‘bailouts’ Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner developed an entire program (HAMP– Home Affordable Modification Program) (link) to intentionally dupe hundreds of thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure into wasting a year or more of their lives ‘negotiating’ with banks that had no intention of modifying mortgages. The result was to inflict economic, legal and moral harm onto already distressed citizens solely to benefit the banks. That Mr. Geithner could have accomplished the same goal by fiat without torturing the already victimized citizenry illustrates what utter contempt he and Mr. Obama have for the American people.

A short while later Mr. Obama ‘negotiated’ a mortgage settlement that gave the banks blanket retroactive immunity for illegally foreclosing on several million homeowners using fraudulent, forged and backdated documents in foreclosure proceedings. The deal, under which the banks paid a $25 billion ‘fine’ with other bailout funds, removed any pretense that the banks needed a legal right–past, present or future, to illicitly take homes from the citizenry at will. The hyped ‘investigation’ that was to follow into massive mortgage industry malfeasance is a poorly funded smokescreen with the twin goals of providing Mr. Obama with a faux-populist patina in an election year while preventing any real investigation from taking place.

After several decades of the Washington political establishment opportunistically trotting out the ‘budget deficit’ canard in the lull between launching expensive wars for the benefit of their corporate benefactors, creating expensive giveaways to connected industries (Pharma) and enacting exorbitant tax cuts for the ascendant plutocracy, Barack Obama upped the ante by laying Social Security and Medicare on the table to be sacrificed without even the pretense of having been forced to do so. The only likely reason why he didn’t beat Paul Ryan to the punch in trying to privatize Social Security, as Bill Clinton had wanted to do, is that the matter polled poorly following George W. Bush’s bungling of the matter.

To set the public up for his ‘budget crisis’ claptrap Mr. Obama pulled ‘a Clinton’ by appointing a deficit commission stacked with deficit hawks that included none other than Mr. Clinton’s old ‘commission’ standby, right-wing hack and inheritance baby Erskine Bowles, to play the part of ‘Democrat concerned about the deficit.’ Readers may remember Mr. Bowles as Mr. Clinton’s Chief of Staff when he appointed the earlier deficit commission that first recommended privatizing Social Security. Unable to find the consensus needed to put forward a proposal in the name of the commission, Mr. Bowles joined fellow despiser of social spending Alan Simpson to write a faux report to give Mr. Obama cover to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in his second term should he be re-elected.

The environmental catastrophe of the British Petroleum gulf oil spill found Mr. Obama missing in action in the crucial early weeks, claiming that the government of the United States was impotent to contain the damage (or force BP to contain the damage) for several more weeks, and physically preventing reporters from reporting the damage caused by the spill in final weeks. Mr. Obama allowed British Petroleum to exponentially increase the environmental damage of the spill by illegally disposing of 1.84 million gallons of toxic waste (link) under the guise of ‘dispersing’ the spilt oil. As this was taking place Mr. Obama acted as a public relations advocate for British Petroleum and once the spill was ‘contained’ used government resources to cover up evidence of the crime.

Following this abrogation of duty Mr. Obama scammed gullible environmentalists by temporarily halting construction of the environmental end-times northern tar sands pipeline while moving forward with the southern pipeline. There is little rationale for continuing the southern pipeline unless the northern pipeline is to be built following the presidential election. The totality of this project will exponentially increase the greenhouse gases being put into the atmosphere at a time when global warming is unambiguously in evidence.

In every dimension as president Barack Obama has proven himself a loyal servant of the global ruling class—bankers, corporate CEOs and oil and gas industry executives, against the rest of humanity. And through his faux-populist rhetoric and crude-materialist presence (black Democrat) he has been able to promote ruling class interests more effectively than conspicuous aristocrats like Mitt Romney could hope to. More to the point, as a trained technocrat, Mr. Obama can avoid the overreach of crude ideologues like Paul Ryan by knowing exactly who his benefactors are. (Mr. Ryan would hit a brick wall thirty seconds into trying to cut the government programs that the ruling class feeds off of. Mr. Obama will stick to de-funding only those who lack social power).

Finally, my condolences to Mr. Obama’s supporters on the coming disappointments should he be re-elected. Sure Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would be ‘worse.’ But should Mr. Romney win there would be less delusion around whose interests any president will serve. The ruling class declared war on the rest of us forty years ago. Mitt Romney clearly represents the ruling class. Mr. Obama does the same with less evident intent.

Rob Urie is an artist and political economist in New York.

[james wilson]

UMOJA,

This is an excellent  summary analysis of what many competent, honest, political observers have long known and expressed in various venues. Unfortunately, Urie's observations about both candidates will be critically analyzed only by those not zealously predisposed to one candidate (personality) or the other.  Nothing is sadder than watching people make fools of themselves, running from, and refusing to accept the truth.

At some point, the truth has a way of forcing its way into the consciousness of people. I, like the author, am confident the truths that he explained will eventually do the same. I see much disappoint and sufffering ahead for those who refuse to wake up.

 

 

[UMOJA]

I agree, Brother Wilson. Too many comfortable and/or scared house negroes(  black,red, yellow, brown, and white folks) getting in the way of  field negroes(black,red, yellow, brown, and white folks) from achieving lasting freedom for everyone. These apologists and status quo men and women have an aversion to facts if it does not coincide with what they believe, or disrupts their way of life,. Their timid analysis obliges them to choose between the lesser of evils, rather than forging a new path that requires consistent participation and effort. The price of freedom is constant vigilance. The days where we can expect and count on government and private industry, made up of either parties that are both beholden to their corporate masters, are over. We must do for us. But before that we must learn to love us. All of us, especially and including the least of us.

'Tis no coincidence that Black History and Valentines' Day falls in the same month. The message is clear: Love Black! All of you. Love Black!This is the way to achieve world peace, harmony, justice, non-material prosperity, and sustainability.

Quite frankly, as much as I absolutely disagree with his policies, I much prefer that Romney becomes president so that we are all absolutely clear that we have an enemy of the commons and the common people in office, a situation which will facilitate the mobilization of americans and the world to challenge Imperial America's agenda, both at home and abroad. Intelligent people, faced with a plethora of bona fide evidence, do change their minds. But I'm not waiting until they do. Revolutionaries never do. We must carry on the torch of freedom that has been passed on to this generation. This is a time for us to collectively roll up our sleeves,  view sacrifice as an investment in our long term well being, and come closer together despite a culture that worships the cult of the individual, and together learn the new skills we need to navigate in the present and upcoming storms. We must reach out to those who have been marginalized, for the numbers and ethnic makeup of the marginalized is swelling. The new poor are the former middle class. The new marginalized are the former in-group. We're all in this together. You can either cling on to a fading hope that someone else, another institution we elect or pay, will take care of us, or we can come back to each other, learn and create self sustaining systems that is made for people, not profits. 

Let's start with the truth, and build our new world from there.....

[james wilson]

UMOJA,

I have to slightly disagree with your assessment that a Romney victory will make issues absolutely clear. First, let me preface my comment by making it absolutely clear that while I want justice for everyone, my primary concern is the plight of Black people. Indeed, at the end of the day, everyone else seems to do just fine. Although you and I know that everyone is being ripped off, no group is exploited more than Blacks. The problem is Blacks have, for the first time in known history, been mentally conditioned to support (often vehemently) their own abuse and exploitation. Many even view the abuse as "progress."

Since there is virtually no policy (social, economic, or otherwise) difference between the president and Romney, I'm not convinced that a Romney win will benefit the mind-set of Blacks. The psychological health of our people is fundamental to any analysis. With slightly over 50% of them afflicted with zealotry delirium, the future does not portend good.

Given this, a Romney victory, rather than refocusing Black's aim, might very well  result in a massive civil war amongst Blacks. Paid / rich con artists, like Al Sharpton, and zealous / rich fools, like Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey, are already busy setting up the Black community for such internal strife. Whether intentionally, or not, they, in their uninformed (in Sharpton's case -- permed pimping) zeal, will accuse sane Blacks of being responsible for the president's defeat.

While neither of the above individuals command the juice to cause such a reaction on their own volition, there will be mass hurt and pain experienced by millions of our people with the lost of no longer vicariously "living in massah's house." This will be exploited by the above individuals. Moreover, they have been placed in charge of mass communications in our community, and have thusly grown rich, being paid by corporations to promote antisocial "player"; "Pimping," and "Dog" culture in our community for decades. As a result of their efforts, there is very little authentic Black culture left. Even at the supposed leadership level, the gangbanging slogan "keep it real," is the theme.

Since millions of Blacks have come back to their senses over the past four years, after having realized that there would be no "hope and change," but more of the same, indeed, worse -- there exist a critical mass on both sides (zealots and sane) for a civil war in the community that would complete the job the racists have dreamed of and plotted for centuries.

Imagine hordes of spellbound zealots, ignorant of the facts from the start, roaming the streets, foaming at the mouth --one eye pointing west and the other one east -- demanding to see proof that each Black they encounter has voted.

The con artists and other opportunists, of course, know these things. They know that millions of Blacks are apathetic, and are therefore unlikely to vote. That's why they have been unsuccessfully trying to recreate the "Civil Rights Movement" via reenactment to no avail. Come to think of it, those pimps and their zealous followers have reenacted every historic event except the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955. The reason they have not reenacted that movement is because it was not a photo opt, it lasted over a year and required Black unity. There can be no unity when nearly half of the people have caught on to the hustle --"we've been played and he ain't no civil rights figure. He a right wing Wall Street sellout. He ain't no use to us. My daughter graduated from college two years ago and can't find a job. How come the other two graduated seven and nine years ago and they found jobs and kept them until he got in there. I ain't stutten him." A Black woman said angrily to a pathetic reelection campaign worker yesterday at the market. He was trying to convince her that the election was about "civil rights."

And look at the campaign itself. Where's the discussion of real issues? What about poverty? And other moral issues where absolute power has been aquired that disolves even fundalmental civil rights and liberties. While the civil rights leaders remain silent. Some even claim to be "grooming future leaders." For what? To be NDAA victims? That's called "fattening frogs for snakes."

While most folks are not concerned about high level issues such as those (many don't even know about them --being led by con artists who keep them occupied chasing Tea Party ghosts), economically speaking, even many in what's left of the Black middleclass have grown tired of hearing about the "middleclass" this and that. "what about the poor?" A Black professional asked me the other day. "These people need help. They are killing each other like flies in the streets. And all these fools have to offer in response is they are going to stand on the corner and 'stop the violence.' That's sick. These people need jobs. They don't need no more Negroes on the corner lecturing to them."

My response: "That's how the con artists and opportunists avoid discussing public policy, for which they are rewarded not to discuss."

Psychologically speaking, so pathological have some become in their zealotry delirium, that not only do they excuse the president no matter what he does against Blacks, but some Black "analysts" have stooped so low that they excuse all associated with him for blatant insults, not only against us, but our ancestors also.

For example, can you imagine what would have been the response if Vice President Biden had said what he did in jest about a historical tragedy that happened any other group? He would be submitting his resignation right about now. What if he had talked about putting folk in gas chambers? I bet he would be resigning at a press conference already. And rightfully so. You don't disrespect people like that. Unless, of course, they don't respect themselves!!!

Let's examine for a moment the truth behind the boogeyman strategy, i.e., the scare tactic that should Romney win, Blacks will be put back into economic slavery ("shackles"). The present adminstration has cost Blacks the greatest economic losses in history, except chattel slavery itself. I have discussed it many times on this site, wealth gaps and loss, home foreclosures, joblessness, increased imprisonment, on and on. In fact, many of the home foreclosures were caused by the change in bankruptacy laws that the vice preisdent himself pushed into law circa 2005-06. (I don't have the exact reference handy --but look it up.) The change in this law took away judges' power to rewrite mortgage terms, thus resulting in many of the foreclosures. Whose economic policies can he criticize?  Really!!

If there was a real difference between Romney and the president, I would say yes. But there is none. Perhaps style, but not substance. For those who think that there is, read : Credit for cutting: What Paul Ryan has that Obama Wants, by David Swanson (Counterpunch, 8/9/12). The sad truth is no matter which Republican wins, there will be austerity beginning in 2013. 

The real tragedy is the Black masses remain uninformed, and this state of affairs is led by opportunists, pimping and playing. For example, how many times have you heard this discussed for agreement with, or disgreement with, in the Black public sphere: http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/17/how-obama-created-paul-ryan/. Never.

Instead, they, even some who I am certain know better, continue to try and put a "civil rights" face on a situation that is fundamentally antithetical to civil rights.

The choice of cutting all safety nets from the FDR and LBJ adiminstrations was made by this president. He complains about not being giving credit for it. He can blame his sycophants for that. They have been making excuses, hallucinating, and making fools of themselves on his behalf for over four years --covering up his economic attacks on social safety nets (far worst than Reagan). When the harder than current hard times hit Black America, I don't want them to maintain zealotry delirium by Blaming anyone else. I can just hear the hustlers now: "See, if ya'll had gone out and voted this wouldn't be happening." Even though the cuts have already been put into law and scheduled to take place January 1, 2013.

No. I want them to be able to explain to the people why they are suffering, with no one else to blame. I want "credit" to be given where it is due, and, we've recently learned, wanted.  I want the likes of Joyner, Harvey, and the pimp Sharpton to explain who is the "Uncle Tom" then. While nearly 50% of Blacks are already returning, or have returned, to their right minds because of the economic suffering they are experiencing, a little more than half are still asleep. When the projected 75% poverty rate hits (as a result of this president's economic policies), and they too are forced to wake up due to suffering, I want to see what kind of glossolalia (tongues) the misleaders speak in then. But most importantly, I want to see our people return to a sanity where day is day and night is night.

That, in my view, is the only way to cure the mass zealotry delirium that is proving to be so maladaptive to the political, social, and economic interests of African Americans. Then and only then, will sanity return, and a movement, other than internal strife, be possible.

A Romney win will not do it. It will only deepen the crisis of sanity in much of today's Black America.

[UMOJA]

I agree that there' s not much policy difference between the two. But I think a deepening of the crisis with a Romney win is exactly what we blacks folks and other progressives need. There is no real difference between the two candidates. The problem is that we view them differently, and are somehow unable to challenge a black President gone mad. But if Romney gets in, to the detriment of blacks/aboriginals/gays/progressives, I think we would have no choice but to fight the conditions that come with a Romney win, while with Obama, we still foolishly and erroneously cling to hope and that things will get better. No such illusions with a Romney victory. It's time to fight, at many levels, not hope.

[james wilson]

I get your point clearly. But I think you're missing mine. I'm talking about a crisis of sanity. I don't see how a deepening of that crisis is a good thing.

I'm arguing that a Romney victory will result in an underdesirable civil war-like internal strife amongst African Americans, spurred by the exhortations of zealots, con artists (opportunists -seeking to sub host the "Ed Show," and plain fools (angrily running amok after having been vicariously evicted from "Massah's house, such as Professor Sanders, et. al.). I'm arguing further that since there's no policy difference between Romney and Obama (except that which is imagined by uninformed zealots), then conditions would be no harsher under Romney than Obama. Moreover, to the extent that things do become harsher under Romney, it will be because of foundations already laid by Obama. These include dissolution of civil liberties and social safety nets via trillions of dollars in cuts to the middle and poor economic strata. While, at the same time, funneling $ trillions into the coffers of the already super rich.

You're arguing that Romney could not get away with these things without being noticed, while Omama does. You are correct. But I'm arguing that Obama will not be able to get away with these things either if reelected because the conditions his policies (many already set to take effect Jan. 1, 2013 and he has promised even more cuts) will bring so much suffering to Blacks that they will wake up. I hypothesize that based on the fact that all those I know who have come back to their right mind have done so as a result of economic hardships. And those who remain stuck in zealotry delirium have not yet experienced the hardships, which is why they're still running psychologically amok and talking cute, loathing facts, and attacking sane Blacks with abusive ad hominems.

I'm arguing that many of these zealots have already signaled their intention to make war against sane Blacks should the president lose, blaming sane Blacks for the lost. And what is the sane Blacks' offense for which the zealots deem worthy of punishment? It's trying to advise them to think critically. That's all. I'm arguing that the cost of such an outcome (far reaching disruption of our community, perhaps for generations) will far outweigh any benefits derived from your notion of a multidemographic coalition against Romney (who I would never vote for) should he win.

You're arguing that a Romney administration will bring disenfrancised groups to action such as "gays" and "progressives," etc.  My position is these groups have different interests and it's not that simple. For example, there is a group of organized gays in the Republican party (a gay caucus). And the recent gay marriage law in New York was financed by Republicans (I do not have the reference handy, but look it up). As far as progressives go, most of those in leadership are functionaries of the Democratic party. Except for a cadre of progressive scholars, whose work I read, and often cite, what passes for progressives is not worth a four dollar bill. There are some serious ones, but they are often targeted, and never allowed to assume leadership positions. What passes for progressive leadership is as pathetic as what passes for Black leadership.

As far as Black leadership goes, they could never criticize Romney with any legitimacy. Not after having aided and abetted the social/political/ economic assaults agianst Blacks the past four years. Imagine them trying to criticize Romney. How easy it will be to remind them of their hypocrisy: "Oh, it's the president now, huh? I thought you said it was the congress, and that the president has no power." And if Romney should move against affirmative action (as he would be urged to do by right-wing zealots). As the media appointed Black leaders start mumbling protest in tongues, all the Repubs have to do is say: "You didn't say one word when President Obama issued an executive order that ended affirmative action in the Defense Department contracts for Blacks in September 2011, which cost thousands [some say millions] of African American jobs. Get out of here, and stop playing the race card."

Indeed, Black leaders have delegitimized themselves in their pimping and playing on the zealous emotions of credulous Blacks the last four years for money, basement party invites, invitation to charter (Wall Street privatation) school bill signing disguised as a "Black education task force," or some such reelection campaign nonsense, and hosting TV shows. I believe the latter is a deliberate attempt to embarrass Blacks. If so, it's working. Lordy, Lordy, it's working.

So where will this movement of which you speak come from? And will it be worth more than the return of sanity of our people?

Moreover, why should Romney listen to such a movement? Afterall, he would have dictatorial powers provided to him and all future presidents by President Obama.

I see your point. But my assessment is that the current president's policies, which he has pursued relentlessly, will result in times for Blacks even harder than now. And he should be given "credit" for them, as he said he wanted. (See above reference.)

Had Black journalists, who are now complaining that the president will not meet them for a photo opt, been doing their jobs he would already have the credit. And most of the zealotry delirium would be over by now. Instead, they have lied and covered up for him. Even now, they lie and enable the massive suffering of Blacks. Some are delirious as hell. Remiss in their duties, they refuse to tell their patrons that the president (more so than Repubs)is trying to cut all social programs, including Social Security, that will benefit Blacks. Instead, they mostly complain about how Fox News treats him. But guest what--he's met with Fox News, and even promoted Fox to the front row White House press corp seat (look it up).

The only way to cure the crisis of sanity in much of today's Black America is for him to get the credit he wants. He'll get it next term. If he's treated Blacks the way he has, knowing he needed  their votes to get reellected, guest how he will treat them in a second term knowing he doesn't need their votes because he can't run again.  Don't worry, the hope and change con game and fantasy of which you have grown tired, will be over come his next term, if reelected.

Otherwise, the zealots will still cling to that fantasy, and blame sane Blacks for "causing the presidernt to lose." What they will really mean is: "Ya'll got us kicked out of Massah's house." Where they have vicariously lived for the past four years.

Since hard times will come regardless which Republican wins (although I will never vote for either of them), given the double-bind (between a rock and hard place) choice, I must choose the option that will avoid civil war among Blacks and at the same time end zealotry delirium. Ironically, that is the best option to achieve the results you want as well. Think about it.

[james wilson]

UMOJA,

I hope you are well. You are a good, intelligent, and valuable brother.

Unlike one charlatan who has posted a nonsensical blog post and prevents other members from commenting on it. In it, he rambles endlessly about nonsense. I knew he was out of touch and delirious when he compared African Americans (in relation to their seeking presidential reciprocity) to people stranded in the desert and complaining about their water not being "cold" enough, and asking for "ice."

That's how he views matters in his parallel world. However, in the real world, people stranded in a desert don't complain about their water not being "cold" enough or ask for "ice." They suffer from not having any water at all.

These zealots never stop amazing me in their deluded exhortations.

[UMOJA]

Good to hear from you Brother Wilson,

 I had some family issues I needed to attend to. Please don't waste your time on those charlatans who post on this site, who profess to be professors and what not. There are a lot of confused people here and elsewhere, as a result of being constantly inundated with propaganda, not to mention the countless spinsters on this site who, I would not be surprised, are either free market fundamentalists, misinformed, or being paid to disseminate disinformation. As you know, I posted over 300 videos on this site to inform and encourage dialogue and activism. Although I am very much in line with the positions taken by Dr West and Tavis, the administrators on this site, the technocrats,have declined to post a lot of my videos on this site, many legitimate and informative videos and docs I put in for approval. Consequently, I've lost faith in their motivations for refusing to post my videos and, most importantly, I'm beginning to believe that they(the admin) no longer welcome the posting of diversity of relevant opinions and information from their members. Am I the only Brother with this issue? My many queries asking why such and such videos were denied over the last few months, went unanswered. I've been a member of Tavis & Smiley in good standing, and therefore do not understand their methodology. What a pity to deny other members who may not have as much free research time as me, the option to be exposed to very informative and empowering documentaries....

That being said, I think we're very fortunate to have you as a member, Brother Wilson. Looking forward to your future posts.

Yours in the struggle against ignorance and hatred and  for Black people and all oppressed people in the world

UMOJA

[UMOJA]

Moving on:

On the matter of videos, below are some of the videos I would have liked to have had approval for. I don't see any reason why they should be denied(they have been pending approval for weeks now). You be the judge

Owned & Operated

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSV5LtVmR4

"The Invention of the White Race" by Theodore W. Allen Part 1.mov

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EtS7yUyCsvU

GRITtv with Laure Flanders: Jeffrey B. Perry on Hubert Harrison, Harlem's Radical Voice

http://vimeo.com/10123941

Khalil Muhammad on Facing Our Racial Past

http://vimeo.com/44918795

Vandana Shiva: "People should see that corporations have abandoned them long ago."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL6A1A9B51DEA4F4E0&feature=pl...