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Racism is still widespread in this country. I see it every day. I know racism. I was raised to be a racist by racist parents who were raised by racist parents. I didn't know there was any other term for a black person besides the N-word until I was 7 and was reading the newspaper and asked my mother "What does negro mean?". She of course said it means the N-word. There are many millions that were raised like me in the '50s & '60s. Many of us have been enlightened and many of us have not been enlightened.
What African-Americans want is what others want, educational and training opportunities, more job opportunities where they can support a family on one paycheck per week and to not be scrutenized by the police or anyone else if they're not doing anything wrong. With American Industry leaving our shores there are fewer of those family supporting jobs. Without those jobs, not much is going to change in the African-American commumity. But those types of jobs are not just what African-Americans need but Americans of all types need.
Racism ruins rampant in our political system today. It used to be in the democratic party but now it has infected the republican party like the plage..
I bet if a network TV newsperson was interviewing one of the republican presidential candidates and ask " What all have you done to help African-Americans to be able to get out and vote?", the question would first be met with a blank stare before the lying started.
I said I know racism but no one knows racism like like an African-American that grew up in th '30s, '40s, '50s, or '60s
The answer is NO. We live in a police state now, so unless and until there is a major change (i.e.: until we eliminate all republicans) police brutality is just a fact of life.
Roland
Chuckle8: Those tax credits were originally signed in by Clinton and about half the dems in the first place. I'm not arguing that the dems killed the middle class... it's obvious that both parties are contributing from regan's war on unions, clinton's nafta, bush's cafta, and now obama's tpp. I'm pointing out the hypocrisy of sending jobs overseas while regulating jobs out of existence here. And if you think the black jesus really cares than he wouldn't be pushing the tpp so hard and he wouldn't have signed the monsanto protection act either.
I do find the climate change agenda to be very anti-human. I grew up in a little hippy liberal paradise town in southern arizona. I know that many of them who believe in this shit think that humans are a germ on mother earth and they rejoice when a large number of people die because they believe that less people equals a healthier planet. This may or may not be what you or other people in your circle believe, but it is more common than you may think.
kilosqrd -- Which Obama policy are you talking about? The infrastructure bill he tried to pass in 2009 that the repugs blocked? The policy to penalize China's currency manipulation that the repugs blocked? The policy to give a tax credit for keeping business in the US which the repugs blocked? The stimulus package without tax breaks for the rich (supply side support when the unemployment rate was > 8% and inflation was hanging around 2%) which the repugs blocked? The employee free choice act which the repugs blocked? ACA with a public option that the repugs blocked (they did need Joe L assistance).?
Blacks say this police killing of totally innocent blacks has been going on forever. With the advent of IPhone like devices, we are verifying what they have been saying. Yet, Kilosqrd you say this is due to statements from an AG.
Not a bad idea except would need to limit criminal prosecution. Liability could also be carried by Police Unions for each officer instead of political donations. Frankly, this is not the problem. The problem is the culture and socialization breakdown in the US. We created this mess by trying to spend money on the wrong things and letting the Feds and States control or steal, the money. Less than 1% of police interactions are violent. There is more black on black murders and crime than the police. The Race Pimps - (Sharpton, Jackson, Left Wing Media) are very culpable as well. Main stream media too - they never cover when a black cop shoots a white guy do they???
Well said, well written. Lets look at the family structure....72% increase of babies born to single mothers....More babies - More welfare $$ - more dysfunctional members of society. White, Black, Brown or Purple. The failure of the traditional or even non traditional familes is why we have the this underclass. Over 3 trillion dollars spent on poverty???? Why not just write a large check to each poor person for 1 million? That would be less than what the Feds and States spend now per person.
We created a welfare state and borrowed from our children and grand children. The end will come. It wont be pretty and frankly I believe it is too late!!!
Sunshine always make the best disenfectant. Bush, Cheney , Rice and others should be prosecuted! No question. Our country is desperately in need of it (in so many ways). As of now, we have already lost the respect of neighboring European countries. War crimes can not be ignored and swept under a rug.
Like a thorn embedded deep in one's foot. If not treated, will become infected, get worse and become a serious health threat. Bush/Cheney war crimes, unchecked, represent big health problems for the U.S.
Excellent, right to the point analysis as usual, Thom!! Wanted to make a suggestion. It's not fair for taxpayers to pay the price for rogue cops. One possible solution: require every police officer to pay for, and carry an "excessive force" personal liability poilcy. First incident, premium goes up but not excessively. Second, third, fourth, fifth--it's a different story. This makes the police officer put skin into the game and gives him/her an incentive to avoid excessive force to the fullest extent possible.
This is a joke right? Ferguson? We've known for a long time now that "hands up, don't shoot" was a lie. A Cleveland child was shot by police in a public park as he was pointing a pellet gun (kinda looked like a Colt 1911) at passers by. I still don't know what caused the Mckinney, Tx. episode. I only saw what happened after the cops showed up.
A real discussion is what you are looking for, Thom? Why don't we begin with our ex-AG who said we are "a nation of cowards" when it comes to discussing race. I don't see it that way at all. Many of us on the conservative side of the fence have been talking about it for decades. It is those on the left that don't want to talk about it in order to avoid all the liberal policies that have damaged/destroyed the black family structure. Let's talk about how people were saying that the election of a black man was proof that the U.S. was finally beyond race. Let's talk about one radio show host said that the election of Obama would only make matters worse when it came to race relations. And he has been proven correct as any critisism of Obama's policies are only seen through race. Let's talk about Travon Martin, who the POTUS said, if he had a son, he would look like Travon, who was killed while assaulting GZ. Let's talk about Pres. BO saying "the cops acted stupidly" before even knowing the facts surrounding the Skip Gates episode. Let's talk about people like Condi Rice, Clarence Thomas, Ben Carson, Walter Williams, Shelby Steele et. al. who are impugned and berated by the left for having a different viewpoint.
As regards to Keith Ellison, well he is an idiot. 30 years of Republican policies? That is the reason for black unemployment? Do you really stand behind such drivel, Thom?
7 years of Obama's economic policies and the black unemployment stands at what? Black teen unemployment is what? And Rep. Ellison has nothing but "blame the Republicans."
"Black Lives matter" movement? How many black children never make it out of the womb due to abortion? Black Lives matter is an oxymoron, Thom.
So, before Rep. Ellison, you, or any other liberal points the finger at Republicans. I say clean up your own house first.
I recently found, at a garage sale, the book The I Hate Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft, Donald Rumsfeld, Condi Rice... Reader, which should be renamed the The Truth About Dick Cheney...Reader.
In this book there is an article (among many other worthy articles) , "Dick Cheney's Song of America," by David Armstrong, published by Harper's Magazine in October of 2002 (you may be able to find it online). In the article, Cheney's "Plan," has been around for a while, published in early 1993 in unclassified form as the Defense Planning Guidance draft of 1992. The Plan is for the United States to rule the world and to get there unilaterally. Well worth the seek and find and read and too detailed to write about with justice here.
I don't understand why people don't see that this Plan and the actions of Cheney, et al., cooked up years before 9/11, and 9/11 aren't related. 9/11 was the perfect--horrible--action needed to put their Plan in place. All logic points to 9/11 being either an inside job or allowed to happen. The bigger the lie, the more people believe it.
How these dastardly people get away with the crimes they have is the United States' shame and a subversion to ALL that in humane and human.
Thom, I respectfully disagree on one point: that the Obama administration “can’t be expected” to prosecute our former (unelected) president as a war criminal because of a precedent of pardoning set by Gerald Ford, that gutless wonder. It is not a precedent worth preserving. Obama and his administration simply lack the courage and conviction to do so, just as Clinton did in the case of Reagan’s crimes. When I heard Obama’s platitudes about “looking forward, not backwards” I wanted to puke. I said it then as I repeat it now: This is not the kind of leadership we need.
I also disagree with CT (post #2) that we’ve “more pressing problems” to deal with. War crimes are a very serious matter. They cause more death and destruction than any other crime I can think of. Failure to prosecute such criminals sends the message to future such criminals that they can expect to repeat these horrific offenses with impunity, which guarantees more of the same. At least Solzehnitsyn (post #1) gets it right!
I am generally opposed to the death penalty. But nothing would please me more than to see Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz (sp?), Rove & Rice face a firing squad for their murderous rampage, which was all for nothing.
By the way delster, I agree with most of your points, but I accept no personal responsibility whatsoever for my dependence on fossil fuel. In today’s world, driving is a necessity not a choice. We never chose to be dependent on fossil fuel; it has been forced down our throats. It’s pointless to guilt-trip ourselves for something over which we’ve no control… especially living under this fascist oligarchy. Where are the alternatives, and the infrastructure to support them?! Until these exist, and are available to more of us than just the very rich, I reject any suggestion that we are “responsible” for a status quo that existed before we were even born. The only thing we can do is vote for candidates who support alternative energy sources, for utilities as well as transportation.
Bernie Sanders for president!!!!! Or just more of the same. It’s really that simple.
Delster makes the point that few if any religious organizations have openly discouraged their young members to participate in these ridiculous wars. I’m proud to say that the Unitarian Church I grew up with was a robust exception. Not only did our minister speak out openly (and powerfully!) against these wars on a regular basis; our church had a subgroup whose function was to counsel and support those young men choosing to opt out of serving in Vietnam, the so-called “draft dodgers” of that time. Prior to that, during the McCarthy era of the 1950s, our minister refused to sign a declaration of loyalty to maintain the church’s tax-exempt status; he fought it all the way to the Supreme Court and WON.
Chuckles, it's a good thing there is a Democrat president. He can veto TPP. The Republicans don't have enough votes to override Obamas veto:).
stopgap -- I wasn't trying to be a word police. I was just trying to emphasize that W was lying every step of the way.
Damn right we shouldn't look the other way! In addition to all the senseless death, these illegal wars will ultimately end up costing trillions that instead could have been spent on education, healthcare, infrastructure, and all manner of social safety net programs.
Of course that would also rank us up there with the happiest countries in the world, places like Denmark and Norway. Instead, despite being the richest country on the planet, we rank only 15th, and "trickling" further downward every year.
Shit! I reply and it turns out as a comment!
How does this thing work here???
chuckle8 - In retrospect, I guess "ironic" was a poor choice of word to use in this instance. I didn't know the English-word-definition police were on duty today.
Sorry! I can not get to a concept of ethnic or religious stuff that ought to make a difference to humanity
We are all the same!!!
We are killing each other over this BS... don't you realise?
jason13 -- in #3 he is blaming Obama.
The repugs in the 110th (?) congress filibustered (cloture) tax credits for keeping jobs in USA, for penalizing China for currency manipulation and card check. Card check is highly relevant because every labor union is against the TPP; even the longshoremen who in the short term would benefit. That congress required every republican in order to filibuster a bill. It seems to me, we can blame the republicans solely for our demise.
Sorry! What makes you think these criminals self impose house arrest in America?
You are not wrong!
You could ask the same of any rich person.
G W Bush said multible times that he was bringing Democracy to the middle east. But all of his allies in the middle east were non Democracies. Also we are not a democracy. The Republican Party is a Fascist Party.
Reply to #3: Both Bush Sr. and Clinton campaigned supporting NAFTA. Perot was the only one out of the 3 that was against it. TPP has had overwhelming support by Obama ( and Republicans too). These are facts, you can't shift blame to the other side on this one. You make excuse after excuse for your guy like a battered wife does for her husband. Both rebs and dems piss on the constitution in their own ways. This "climate change" agenda is scarier because it's logical conclusion leads to depopulation of the human "germ".
stopgap -- There is no irony. They do not want democracy here or there. It is all just propaganda.
DHBranski --- Once again, the metric they use to measure economic inequality has nothing to do with the middle class. They just compare the top 20% to the bottom 20%.
I am using Richard Wilkerson's TED talk as my reference.