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So last week I posted up a video clip of an interview I did with Michael Eric Dyson that has been making ther rounds. In the interview Dyson a former surrogate and early Obama supporter holds his friend’s feet to the fire. He asserts that Obama was not being responsive to the needs of Black people. His remarks set off all sorts of response including two compelling remarks from Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report… Ford a long time critic of Obama even when he was a Senator, debated Dyson last year during the primaries and was said to have bested Dyson in the exchange. There was the promise to hold another debate which never happened.
Ford a former radio newsman is known for coming to the table with indisputable facts opens up his remarks with some troubling statistics and numbers that about the amount of money given to banks on President Obama’s watch. he then launches in on Dyson and doesn’t let up..
The other response comes from Star of the Star and Bucwyld Show. Star accuses Dyson of being an opportunist who has not been on the frontline of the struggle and his now smashing on Obama because he was snubbed. Star’s retort doesn’t have the political depth and insight of Ford but does touch on sopme factors that have stirred up debate.. We figure we’d share both.
-Davey D-
Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner
For those who missed it.. Here’s Dyson’s initial jump off
Here’s the link to Star’s Response followed by Glen Ford’s
Here’s the link to the Glen Ford Video
Since when has Star and Buck-whateva been credible sources of information. I will never get over their cruel and insensitive misogynistic and self-hating commentary about black women. Who are they to say anything and why are people with sense giving them a stage?
Much respect to Glen Ford!
Glen Ford needs to direct his anger at “the bankers”, not at the President. He assumes that just by saying money went to “the bankers”, that will indict Obama. Vague! Tell what “the bankers” did that was bad, suggest what alternative solutions could have been presented, and remember that this economic mess did not start on Obama’s watch, but on Bush’s. PUH-lease…
And them Glen Ford should propose what HE would do to improve the lot of black Americans. Barack is representing black manhood very well, as far as I’m concerned, and these two black “intellectuals” are not.
Glen and Dyson share the narrow thinking that expects Barack to have to prove himself to their satisfaction, by doing things the way THEY want, specifically to bring each of them into his inner circle. Both are insulted that they have not been consulted at this point in the administration, that they have been “marginalized”…Haven’t you noticed? There are many, many black, brown and yellow brothers and sisters taking up key posts in the Obama Administration, more and more every day. (A brother was just made head of NASA, in charge of outer space! there is a black Attorney General, in charge of all the laws! a sister is in charge of the UN, in charge of international agreements!—or were you so busy checking the mailbox for your invitation to the White House that you didn’t notice?)
Wake up! Get real! Don’t you realize that Obama is President of the World now? …Come up with some world-class thinking, some world-class solutions to the Big Issues, and maybe you can be included in the Game. Like Van Jones, Tony West, and other Bay Area brothers who have been called up to the Big Leagues at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There will be more–they are still hiring.
Be part of the solution, don’t sit sit on the sidelines being a “hater”.
Pamela, Pamela, Pamela,
Its not about representation, its not about representation its not about representation its not simply about representation. If that was the case then we should be cheering on Clarence Thomas.
You are obviously extremely unfamiliar with Glen Ford. Glen Ford has been preaching truth for years and has stayed true to his beliefs and ideologies. He has no interest in being a part of any “inner circle”. He attacked this very notion (but of course you probably never picked up on it). Making him out to be some shallow opportunist is much easier for small minded people who attack people and not ideas or facts.
He argues that the issue is that black people are fighting for representation and not confronting real citadels of power. You do not get this because your thinking is a part of the problem.
Glen Ford has no interest in a post in the Obama administration. You are not at all familiar with this man so you come with the same tired and insecure attacks.
In addition, Obama’s relationship with corporate America is much longer than his time as president. Please look up the large sums of money that went to his campaigns (both for president and Senate) as well as his work as a senator.
You said this as well,
“Barack is representing black manhood very well, as far as I’m concerned, and these two black “intellectuals” are not. ”
You did not properly grasp the premise of Ford’s argument which is why you are still caught up in the simplistic idea of superficial representation. Please listen to the video again.
Being part of a solution is knowing your facts and spread knowledge.
I believe that much of what Glen Ford said went directly over your head.
P.S. Using terms like “hater” makes you sound small-minded, immature, uneducated and irrational.
One more thing, Pamela and others who will come here and say the same thing,
Glen Ford discusses foreign policy and and domestic policy on grand scales therefore comments like these,
“Wake up! Get real! Don’t you realize that Obama is President of the World now? …Come up with some world-class thinking, some world-class solutions to the Big Issues, and maybe you can be included in the Game.”
DOES NOT FIT.
To be invited to the White House means that you are aligning yourself with the power structure. If you are trying you make real changes or speak certain truths, you cannot be in the White House…its a conflict of interest.
It is why MLK was so quickly and throughly dismissed and denounced by Lyndon B. Johnson, other politicans, civil rights groups such as the NAACP and the media when he began discussing capitalism and the War in Vietnam. He was not invited to the White House after that and this country preceded to quickly get rid of him and other black activists and organizations.
Black people have historically not understood how power works. Its not about a black face in a high place. Glen Ford said it right when he said that we are regressing back to pre-MLK politics.
“President of the World!”
This is the problem with many Americans. We view ourselves through a lens of exceptionalism — how can the president of one nation be the president of the world? President Obama’s represents interests which do not correspond to the world, or even “the nation” — if this even really exists — but of various political wings, who all must pressure his administration as lobbyists, political officials, and social movements to empower their specific interests, agendas and platforms. To even refer to President Obama in such a way — President of the World — reflects a myopia which must be challenged. I attended the event where Mr. Ford made his comments, and although I agree that he and the others on the panel did not reflect a comprehensive agenda and plan, I do feel it is important that people contend with their positions and be made aware of the important information that they are providing. We must stray away from this uncritical exalting of President Obama and ourselves.
Normally I would jump in and rant about Obama being a hoax, but I’m sure that Davey is tired of me using that line. I am incredibly excited to see that there are folks out there that can see past the color of skin to look at substance when speaking of Obama. The words I wanted to say were said, so I’m just expressing my excitement. Wake Up people. Obama is not you! You are not Obama! Treat him like u would any other president.
http://politicswithsoul.ning.com
Obama’s bank and corporate bailout plan was essentially the same plan the GOP proposed. If McCain had won the legislation would have looked the same. Obama followed status quo on solving the corporate meltdowns. This plan did not represent change.
Obama being black has had some postive intangible effects on black America even if we do not get any special favors which we won’t. I think we should get some butter on our bread because our voting bloc got him over. That’s what people vote for, to get looked out after. So far we get a thanks and bragging rights. In my estimation it’s more than McCain but less love than Bill dropping heavy paper on the hood. The black middle class expanded nicely under his two terms. The dollars poured into the Pell grants under Clintons watch were targeted toward us. Tangible love.
No message if its truly intended for the benefit of the masses should go over one’s head..I don’t care how important it is..and how much it could impact us.. It should not go over one’s head. Nor should people be made to feel as if the meesage went over one’s head..
I known Glen for aminute and know him to be very thorough and thoughtful with his break down of things.. So I’m not here to debate whether or not he’s right or wrong.. However, what is a challnge is how the mesage is constructed so it it ultimately gets delivered..And where are our people at so when words are dropped they pick them up
Lastly we have intelligent people for a variety of reasons may draw a different conclusion then what is presented..
I remeber one brother a former dope dealer came to this conclusion when I interviewed him about the lection and whther or not he would consider Cynthia McKinney..
he said most people would think I don’t know who McKinney is.. I know who she is.. she was riding for 2Pac.. and then she got into a fight with the police.. She;’s a down sister.. To me that was telling Cynthia hit his radar cause she fought for an idol of his 2Pac and later had a problem with a shared enemy the police..
he then went on to say.. the sister is nice, but way to honest for a place like DC-She’ll never get nothing done.. They’ll eat her alive..
he said he knew Obama was slick and he liked that. he also said he knows Obama is grimey and so if he was gonna send anyone into the white house he wanted that person to be grimey..someone who’s hands are dirty so he can grease the wheels and make shit work.. he then went on to say that when he was selling he didn’t want church boys on the corner watching his back. he wanted killers cause they knew the get down..
He said you trying to be president its a dirty business and I want someone up there who can rumble..
he also said he knew the president can only do so much..he noted Obama can’t stop these police in oakland from acting crazy, but he give some of these young brothers hope. Everyone can respect Obama’s hustle..
Now some people upon hearing this have tried to pick the brother’s logic apart and talk about why he’s wrong etc etc.. All that may be true, but there are thousands like him and we need to bridge the gap of what they understand to what we understand.. I would never say that brother was stupid.. I would be trying to figure out what it would take to reach him..
I asked him if there was anything McKinney could do to reach him.. he said tear down this bad boy.. Why she wanna be president when she knows how fucked up the game is.?
Hit the nail on the head, calling the man an “opportunist”. Whoever or whatever’s hot – Dyson’s on it. You and I ain’t put Obama where he’s at. “My mother was white, my grand parents that raised me were white, therefore, I’m for everyone, remind you, my grand parents were white”. That’s what got Obama elected, not our 13% of the poplualtion vote. There’s a difference between being considered an actvist and a “credit”.
Robert your grandparents who are white didn’t get him elected.. The actual breakdown of the vote show that the only demographics that voted in the majority for Obama were Young people under 30, African americans who had record turn out and voted almost 97% and Latinos who voted for obama at 70%.. had the record number of African amaericans not showed up in many of the places where Obama won primaries he would not have beaten Hillary Clinton..
yes he won Iowa but lost New hampshire and damn near every other state where your grandmother (older whites lived at )
In the general election that 13% was the margin of difference that put him in the white house …Mccain had 47% of the vote and carried older whites by a a nice margin.. This is coming from the briefings that Obama’s people have given-not me speculating..
Co-signing with Davey D.
Obama got 41% of the white vote while McCain took the rest. If it were not for the turnout of minority voters, McCain would have been our next president. I saw a breakdown that showed (if I could find it, I would share it) thatif the demographics in America was the same in 2008 as it were in 1988, McCain would have won the election.
A great deal of that 41% of the white vote came from whites under 30.
In addition, Davey D is right about the primaries.
I find that our media does a great job at glossy the facts over.
*glossing
Davey D and Love Truth, I love facts, but the brasstacks is there’s a difference betweeen an activist and a “credit”. Meaning, he doesn’t owe the young minority (97 &70%) people jack. “My” grand parents weren’t white, neither was my mother – HIS WAS. What have Obama’s people given you on “activism”? Just asking, Davey D.
Well Rob thats a rhetorical question that makes no sense.. Obama came to various strong holds of activists ranging from left net wordld with daily kos, hiffington post and various others who initially championed his message of HOPE.. He promised a lot of things to those people who gave him that support, much of which he has sadly backpeddled on.. Those promises ranged from closing Gitmo to rescinding torture, prosecuting Bush etc etc..
His people met with all the way up to the transition inauguration young activists groups around the country.. Throughout the campaign there were lots of promises made. Conversations were had just as recently as one monthh ago when I was at the white house briefing THEY CALLED with activist to talk about how to move certain issues foward..
At that meeting THEIR words not mine said this was the not only the voice of the Future , but the voice of now which put him in the white house.. Those are Obama’s words not mine.. Now there have been some things delivered mostly around the Green Jobs and things of that nature inserted in the stimulus package, but thats not enough..more attentions to issues is needed depending on what circles you speak to..
Now with all that being said we elected him based upon what he presented and promised to do.. Now that he’s in the white house he can go back on theose promises. he can write us off and yes I guess he don’t owe us jack until the next election comes around..
My prediction is this.. If he doesn’t start paying back those activists he will find himself in a weakned state with the senate and congress going back to the GOP.. I don’t care how many white grandmothers you know or have they won’t be able to stem that tide if the young people who voted sit out in the mid-term elections..
Obama coming in without a Democratic congress and senate to back him will not be good.
So the only thing Obama owes folks is what we demand of him.. and if he doesn’t deliver you give a political payback..
Novelty has a short shelf life, especially in politics. Marketing won Obama the election. The next will be on his track record and the appeal of the opposition, which may go for a novelty vote like a woman or if they feel he has messed up enough they will present a “traditional candidate”. The swing would be young white woman voters. Blacks would give Obama the vote regardless.
Davey D, I think Bill Maher seeing the same thing I’m seeing. I back Obama, but how he became president is not as “deep” as some would like to believe. Let his parents been black and he was raised by, well put it like this – let him have been Michelle Obama – see how far he would have got. Ain’t no secret why he got elected, it ain’t that deep. What flavorblade call it “marketing”? That’s a darn shame. I was for Hillary, until she was ousted. I think Obama’s stuck on that inferiority complex – know you’re not qualified to have the job so do as little as possible to do the job. “Maybe I can get by on my looks and charm”.
it’s been a minute since i visited in the “new and improved” davey d…
Though never a fan of star and bucwild, I agree wholeheartedly with their somewhat simplistic analysis of MED’s “career”, while at the same time empathetic to the crux of Ford and Dyson’s argument with Obama, namely that he is decidedly race-neutral in his approach to addressing domestic issues.
But I think the solution is not the typical “you and your agenda is not black enough” name-calling that goes nowadays as brilliant black intellectual commentary. We’ve been hearing the same type of infighting for generations now and it still hasn’t gotten us anywhere as a people. Although moves to mobilize a substantive black progressive movement were stalled from the King era on, I still believe we are in the best position now to enact the type of progressive changes that will benefit not only black people but all people adversely affected by this society.
I think the problem though points to what davey was talking about with respect to McKinney: exposure, marketing if one wants to be crass. Say what you will about Obama, but he has been very consistent in articulating his goals in this administration: healthcare reform, educational improvement, energy independence, governmental transparency, and economic reform (even if does mean bailing out the banks) .
The White House has numerous websites where you can track his progress on all fronts, and he keeps the lines of communications open for his supporters, both to self-organize and for organization of his plans. So my question becomes: Why is the progressive left, however defined, not doing the same?
To the extent that Obama used many of the tools learned from working with progressive organizations to mobilize his “movement”, why aren’t black progressives/progressive left 1) able to simply and clearly articulate the goals we desire, and 2) communicate, not to the people in power, but to the people affected, why it’s in one’s best interest to work towards these goals?
I am well aware too of the political parties (Green, WFP, etc.) that are advocating for these goals, and maybe black progressives are a little ahead of the curve in terms of this, but i feel the larger progressive left is still “15,000 people with 15,000 agendas”, and until issues of class, race, and gender are addressed within the movement, little progress will result.
Though there’s much to dislike about him, I will always give Tavis Smiley credit for his “Covenant with Black America” work, because it at least gives his critique with Obama credibility based on not addressing concrete ideas established by black people.
If it’s this hard for the black progressive left to agree on what needs to be done, it’s exponentially harder for the progressive left as a whole, but this is the hard work that will need to be done to get Obama to listen, not a fresh cup of haterade sipped warm by the usual suspects.
peace
PS does the old political palace still exist somewhere in the new davey d ether?
This some Rush Limbaugh crap I’m reading here about the “Progressive left, neo-cons, ect..”, negroe or white wigga – PLEASE!