"While there have been critical appraisals of African American adoption of Christianity within the context of European conquest and racial slavery, few propose atheism as a corrective. Indeed, atheism would seem to fly in the face of a cultural ethos that frames earthly pain and suffering as a crucible for achieving rewards in the afterlife.....When it comes to attitudes about traditional gender roles, gender-based assumptions about black female religiosity are double-edged. While black male non-believers are given more leeway to be heretics, black women who openly profess atheist views are deemed especially traitorous, having eschewed their family role as purveyors of culture and religious tradition. Images of black women faithfully shuttling their children to church and socializing them into Christianity are a prominent part of mainstream black culture. If being black and being Christian are synonymous, then being black, female and religious (whatever the denomination) is practically compulsory. Black women with children who don’t fall in line, who raise their children as atheists, may find their race credentials revoked. On the national level, the contradictions between American secularism and religion have produced a schizoid tension in the U.S., whereby religious fundamentalism and intolerance for secular thought have become the norm. When it’s practiced in the non-Western world, Americans routinely brand this kind of propaganda as backward and extremist. Yet, in this, the most swaggeringly liberal humanist of all nations, 'coming out' as an atheist in a culture that parades religious dogma as a substitute for true morality may be the final frontier." — Sikivu Hutchinson, American radio commentator and liberal atheist
Quote Of The Day
What's On Black Conservatives' Minds?
George Tiller's Murder
Kenneth Durden, a conservative Republican blogger, discusses today's murder of a famous late-term abortion provider in America...in church: "Someone took the ill-advised, illegal and downright foolish step of murdering Dr. George Tiller of Kansas. This murder does nothing to support the cause of those who are opposed to abortion. Certainly Dr. Tiller, HHS Secretary Sebelius and President Barack Obama have been absolutely wrong in their support of late-term, convenience abortions. Violence is not the answer."
La Shawn Barber, a conservative living in California, tweets about the slain Kansas doctor: "Why do Christians feel they have to condemn Tiller's murder? OF COURSE we condemn murder. Calling Tiller a murderer isn't 'hate.' It's true!"
Expertise, a conservative in North Carolina, tweets: "Leftists are going to pin George Tiller's murder on Bill O'Reilly [because of his campaign against Dr. Tiller]. People should oppose the upcoming character assassination"
The Obamas' Controversial "Date Night" In New York
DarkKnight, a conservative Republican, tweets: "Wonder what the reaction would be if @akgovsarahpalin spent $100K of taxpayer money to take Todd to see Cats?"
He adds: "Not believing the estimates for the O-date cost, some as low as $24K. It cost us $329K when O wanted a pic of the Statue of Liberty! [with Air Force One flying over it]"
Kevin Jackson, a conservative Republican, tweets: "I hope people realize that we r being set up for MANY MORE Obama 'date nights.' Conditioned, as it were. Lemonade, not kool-aid folks!"
COMMENTARY: Racial Confusion In The No Excuses Era
The moderate-conservative Republican blogger discusses whether there is an Obama Era, where U.S. President Barack Obama's success translates into positive gains for American blacks by racial affiliation: "There's a black president, so what's your excuse? I have to say it that way because proving Obama inconsistent is trivial. Well there are two points of confusion that you would think might be resolved. The first is whether or not anyone has any business expecting that claims of racial superiority shouldn't be beat down in the American media. But it's clear that what multiculturalism has done, like acid rain on our institutions of higher learning and mass communications, is weakened all of the structures and eroded their clarity over the years. Once upon a time white male bashing was an ironic sport, it has now mutated to an article of multicultural faith at no less a level than Supreme Court nominees. The multicultural mantra has gone beyond simple cultural relativism into pledges of allegiance to un-America. Puerto Rico and now Cuba are elevated because Hispanics are so important. What's so important about Hispanics? Nothing at all if E Pluribus Unum means anything."
He continues: "The second point of confusion manifests itself among the head witch doctors of my original tribe over the proper context of assessment for Princess Tiana [the black princess from an upcoming Disney movie]. Among some of the critics are folks over at Essence magazine, and we already know about them. In case you weren't listening, Essence recently recommended that black women should find mates by frequenting strip clubs. Then there's the redoubtable NAACP, and of course Oprah. Why anyone would take advice about boys & girls from Winfrey is one of those areas where you actually have to shrug and cave to [M]uslim critics of American decline. But the deeper point is that Disney must consult with such entities before peddling their 'soon to be classic' material to a bourgie audience in thrall to Disney's concept of wholesome family life. Aside from the fact that Disney's difficulty with princesses is more than a little twisted, it shouldn't bear so much scrutiny in the first place."
Politik Ditto: "Obama The Hypocrite: Filibustered Samuel Alito, Now Wants No Partisanship On Sotomayor"
Asserts the black conservative Democratic blogger: "The more I read about Sonia Sotomayor, the more I feel that she's qualified to be on the Supreme Court -- her resume reflects both experience and competency. Plus, judging from some of her past rulings, it's really hard to categorize Sotomayor as being an 'activist' judge. But Barry's playing a dangerous game warning the GOP about any filibusters when he himself got with sorry-ass John Kerry in attempting to impede Justice Alito's nomination without any credible reason only 3 years ago. Best bet for Barry now is to lie low and let this thing play out. But it might too be late as the Limbaugh-Right will certainly jump on Obama's hypocrisy soon and often if they're smart enough."
Militant Revival
Adam Ricketson, a libertarian Democratic blogger, writes: "Two news items raise some concern that we're facing a revival among domineering militant movements...but it's probably just a coincidence...First the New (i.e. fake) Black Panther Party was let off the hook for voter intimidation in what is reported to be a bizarre decision by Obama's political appointees at the DoJ. I hope this doesn't make these thugs think that [a] black president and AG will go easy on black criminals. I also hope that this doesn't confirm any paranoid suspicions among the semi-racists. Anti-Obama hacks are already making the absurd accusation that the NBPPSD is getting special favors because it is a political ally of the Obama administration (as if their activities actually convinced anyone to vote for Obama). I expect that the Obama administration had a good reason for this incomprehensible and possibly dangerous decision, and that they will be forthcoming in response to inquiries about how this decision was reached."
He continues his commentary: "The second bit of news, is that an abortion doctor was shot and killed in Wichita Kansas. If I recall correctly, this hasn't happened in a while. Violence against abortion providers has been pretty much absent over the past decade. Why now? Has the 'abortion is murder' crowd gotten desperate due to their loss of influence?"
A Question For T.I.'s Pastor
The Cultural Strategist, a black conservative blogger, writes about the rapper's prison stint: "As TI's pastor sends the convicted felon scriptures everyday - I wonder exactly what direction is given to Clifford Harris in regards to 'departing the game'? If the pastor knows that the member of his flock traffics in potty mouthed lyrics that are quite 'Un-Christian-like' does he turn the other way, looking at the 'community service' that Clifford does while leveraging the fame that he gained among the people by changing the potty mouthed lyrics?"
His commentary continues: "This is the challenge of the century within the Black community. The prevailing culture - too often - accepts those who are corrosive to us and repudiates those who dare observe what is going on and comments about it. In our discombobulated world - those who[se] CRIMINAL RECORDS show that they stand AGAINST the community's interests will have these infractions DISMISSED as 'those are the White man's laws' while those who are critics and who hope to see improvement are most times charged with 'being an agent for the White man and thus must be isolated'. Clearly - Without Vision The People Perish."
Calling North Korea’s Bluff Will Force China To Crack Down
Asserts Collin Spears, visiting fellow at the University of Denver's (USA) Center for New Politics and Policy. The black moderate blogger argues that if the United States of America and its allies want to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, they must call North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il’s bluff by escalating the situation: "As North Korea’s primary benefactor, China is the only nation that can force the North to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and return to 6-Party Talks. However, China will not exert such pressure, until the threat of instability on its border forces it to recalculate the utility of supporting the Kim regime. When the liability of North Korea becomes a greater threat to China’s internal security than the potential presence of American troops at its border, China will cooperate with the American alliance. Contrary to common media depiction, Kim is a rational actor. In fact, when scrutinizing North Korea’s conduct with the supposition that every action it has taken is for the preservation of Kim’s personal power, it is apparent that even the most provocative actions have been deliberate. America must use a realist approach to exploit these aims, if it wants to end the last great impasses of the Cold War."
Mr. Spears continues his commentary: "Calling Mr. Kim’s bluff and pressuring China is a risky proposition. North Korea could decimate Seoul and the estimated 1.2 million troops on the border will likely overrun U.S. and South Korean resistance. Japan is also a likely target of North Korean missile attacks. These are potential threats, but the reality is, that in the last 15 years North Korea has increased its military capability, and there is no reason to believe that trend will not continue. History instructs that it is better to take decisive action sooner rather than later. In order to force Kim to the bargaining table, the U.S. and its allies must do the following: First, improve and expand the missile defense shield and inform Pyongyang that any further missiles launched outside North Korea airspace will be shot down, as they are a violation of international law. Secondly, any ships leaving or entering North Korean waters will be searched for contraband according to UN resolution 1718. Ships refusing to submit to searches will be sunk. Thirdly, the South Korean Sunshine Policy is officially over. There will be no further economic interaction until North Korea unconditionally returns to 6-Party Talks. Fourthly, there will be a new joint commission established to investigate the Japanese abduction issues. Fifthly, there will be no bilateral talks. Lastly, North Korea can only return to 6-Party Talks after it has shut down its nuclear power plant and allowed unfettered access to UN weapons inspectors."
LA SHAWN BARBER COMMENTARY: Child Killer George Tiller Killed
The conservative blogger argues that it's ironic that the famous Kansan abortion provider - whose clinic was one of the few places in the United States for doing late-term abortions - today winds up getting murdered himself: "Earlier this year I blogged about a man named George Tiller, killer of babies. He’d spoken at a National Education Association conference, and pro-life group Students for Life of America secretly videotaped him talking about babies slipping out of the womb alive during abortions. He called this 'sloppy medicine.' Tiller made the case for infanticide by showing graphic photos of unborn babies with abnormalities. He admits on tape to having aborted babies a day before the mother’s due date. One murdered baby in Tiller’s photo collage was a child with three arms. I asked, 'Why didn’t the mother carry the baby to term and consider corrective surgery after he was born? A baby with an extra arm isn’t worthy of life?' Today, Dr. Infanticide was shot and killed while walking into a church. Is 'ironic' the right word to describe it? Who killed Tiller the child killer, cultivator of death?"
On Twitter: "Why are people assuming a Christian killed George Killer, child killer?" She speculates that it could've been "a distraught father, or disgruntled Tiller relative or associate..."
Center Stage: Middle-Class African Americans
Guess who's coming to the beach barbecue this summer? Middle-class African Americans, that's who. In two new critically esteemed works, Lydia Diamond's play "Stick Fly" and Colson Whitehead's just-published semiautobiographical novel Sag Harbor, the focus is on middle-class blacks summering on, respectively, Martha's Vineyard and rural Long Island. While both works address some of the perennial challenges of African American life, they also depict their characters basking in such fair-weather pleasures as hanging out with family, eating waffle cones, playing board games and schlepping across sand dunes.
The Los Angeles Times writes: "As Americans of all colors reconsider the meanings and milieus of the African American experience in the Obama era, we may be witnessing a gradual sea change in the way that African American artists represent themselves and are perceived by others. In both 'Stick Fly' and 'Sag Harbor,' the characters intermittently analyze their language, relationships and socio-cultural heritage (or baggage) as African Americans. But what's also striking about these works is that they present their well-educated, witty characters as matter-of-factly inhabiting a world of leisure and affluence, a very different way than many white Americans may be used to seeing black people portrayed in popular culture."
Booker Rising response: There's been tons of ink written about America's poor blacks, who are "only" 26% of the U.S. black population. It's about time that the plural majority (47%) of us in the U.S. black middle class get more shine. Including the generation behind me, my father's side is fourth-generation middle class and my mother's side is third (arguably fourth) generation middle class. I can't identify with these "talkin'-'bout-the-ghetto" tales. Maybe I'll crack open a novel for once and read Sag Harbor (regular readers know that I'm a history-and-political-books kind of gal; novels tend to bore me). Good to see diverse stories being done on Black America.
Was "Date Night" A Good Idea?
There's a brewing controversy. Last night U.S. President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama had their "Date Night" in New York City, with dinner and a Broadway show. Before they even left D.C., the trip drew fire from Republicans & conservatives. Critics question the liberal Democratic president’s "indulgent" decision during a recession and just ahead of tomorrow's expected announcement of GM's bankruptcy. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he couldn't provide a cost estimate for the jaunt. President Obama released a statement that he took Mrs. Obama out on the date because "I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished.”
Ed Morrissey, over at consevative blog Hot Air, questions the wiseness and cost of the taxpayer-funded trip: "Sounds like a great night out on the town, Mr. President. Glad we could pick up the tab for it. I guess the FM and I will have to skip a few Date Nights for ourselves to pay for all of that....But the real foolishness was the Gulfstream and helicopters for the media. Are we to believe that the national news media has no reporters in New York City? The B[i]g Apple isn’t exactly the Badlands of the Dakotas, or the remote peaks of the Rockies, in terms of media saturation. It looks like Obama wanted to make this a media event and didn’t mind using three planeloads of taxpayer money to stage it. And can anyone calculate the carbon footprint of three Gulfstream jets, three helicopters, and all the stalled traffic in New York City? I’d say that it reaches Goracle-like levels. As Gail Gitcho of the RNC asked, why not take Michelle out for a night at the Kennedy Center instead, where the President has a reserved seat and only needs to travel across DC? I know he promised her a Broadway play, but I’m pretty sure he’d still have her vote in 2012."
Jazz Shaw, of the moderate-liberal The Moderate Voice blog, argues it was a dim move but calls out the partisanship on both sides: "To be fair here, our first observation should go out to our Republican and conservative friends who were supporters of President Bush for the last eight years. If you didn’t complain - and do so loudly and often - about President Bush shattering all previous records for presidential vacation time in the midst of two wars that he began and various other crises, you should know how you look if you complain now. All those trips to Crawford and other destinations were on the public dime, involving Air Force One, staffers, supporting crew, etc. And they cost a fortune. If you take to the streets in manufactured outrage over this evening out, you are hypocrites, and there’s really no other way to put it. Now, for the rest of our friends, if you were critical of President Bush for his vacationing ways, will you really just shrug your shoulders and say this is 'no big deal' since it’s Obama going out on the town?"
Booker Rising's two cents: Republicans / conservatives are sweating President Obama for taking his wife of 16 years and mother of his two kids to The Big Apple on a date?! Keeping one's marriage strong/family values is a good thang, right? Way bigger fish to fry. If he was jetting off to New York City every weekend, then I could see. Well, at least Barry took the lil’ plane. It’s not like the Secret Service is just gonna let him drive to New York (or go by train). I do agree with Mr. Shaw re: the timing though. Side note: Mrs. Obama does not play with her workout. Geez, her back is seriously ripped. So that's why President Obama acts right LOL.
Britain's Got Talent, But Does It Have Taste?
Asks Clifton B., a black American blogger, about last night's final:
He writes: "Full disclosure time, I was pulling for Susan Boyle! I was sold the second I saw her breakout YouTube video on Workingclass Conservative's blog. Her story was so compelling. She was a virtual unknown and clearly not part of the in crowd. When she took the stage, everyone from the judges to the audience were ready to dismiss her, because she did not meet all the important superficial criteria of today. Within seconds of her first notes, everyone was eating a giant piece of humble pie, because Susan had the chops! Substance triumphed over form!"
More commentary from Mr. B.: "Sadly, form would have its way over substance once again. For the 2009 winner of Britain's Got Talent, Britain chose the group Diversity. Not to take anything away from Diversity, their little Transformers routine is pretty slick. But for anyone who rides the NYC subways regularly, acts like theirs are a dime a dozen and done on crowded platforms during rush hour too! Perhaps it was Susan's failure to sing something new for her final performance, or maybe it was all that nonsense about her f-bomb. Whatever the case maybe, she was head and shoulders above the rest (bare-bellied Greek dancers and crying kids, oh please). The bright side to all of this, is that Susan Boyle will be bigger in defeat than Diversity will be in victory. Much like Clay Aikens, she will be in hot demand long after everyone has forgotten who Diversity was. By the way, has anyone seen Ruben Studdard?"
USA: Get Ready For New Passport Rules
In an effort to enhance security and efficiency at U.S. borders, the U.S. government is now enforcing new passport requirements for all travelers. On Monday, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect requiring anyone entering or returning to the U.S., to have ID proving citizenship, like a passport book. For more information about the new law and how you can get your passport, just log onto travel.state.gov.
Booker Rising response: Gone are the good ol' days, where I could stroll into Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean and return to America with just an ID. Hell, I didn't have to show any ID going into Mexico back in 1997 (just walked across the border, from San Diego). My black face pretty much ushered my return to USA LOL. Same thing for my first trip to Canada (via train, 1992), on my return to the U.S. INo passport until I traveled to South America.
Nyamko Sabuni: "Swedish Girls Have The Right To Sex Ed & Physical Ed Classes. No Exemptions For All Y'all Muslims"
OK, she didn't actually single out Sweden's Muslims, but we all know that's who she's talking about here. Along with her center-right partymate Swedish Education Minister Jan Björklund, Swedish Minister for Integration and Gender Equality Nyamko Sabuni (pictured) proposes a new schools law which eliminates the exemption. "All pupils, including immigrant girls, have the right to swimming lessons and to take part in physical and sexual education classes," Minister Björklund and Minister Sabuni argue in an opinion article today in Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
Minister Sabuni and Minister Björklund underlined that immigration is beneficial to Sweden while they point out that all children in Sweden have the right to the knowledge offered by the schools, "regardless of whether the parents like it or not."
They argue that far too many pupils, especially girls, in Sweden currently have their schooling "curtailed" by families with strong "honour traditions." "The will of the girls is often subordinated to what is considered to be the best interests of the family; the men's, or the group's, 'honour' based on the girl's sexual behaviour", they wrote in their op-ed.
A recent Stockholm University survey showed that 10% of Stockholm pupils regularly avoid participating in the subjects and school outings. The survey shows that among the girls within this group, many replied that they could not participate because it would be contrary to their family's religion or culture. The ministers also referred to a study conducted by Anders Lange and the Living History Forum that indicating that almost 25% of teachers been asked for an exemption from physical education or swimming classes, and 14% from sexual education classes.
The right to seek exemption dates back to 1950 when the Swedish school curriculum still taught Christianity. Catholic and Jewish children were then able to be exempt from the classes and could attend equivalent classes organized by their own faith groups. The new law will limit this possibility to only very exceptional cases but will allow for classes to be organized to avoid "sensitive situations", thus permitting girls and boys to be educated separately.
Booker Rising response: Other than to escape whatever hellhole country they came from, why would a fundamentalist Muslim choose to immigrate to Sweden? Not exactly the most religious place to be. That being said, the "regardless of whether parents like it or not" line is interesting. Why does government trump parents in determining what's best for children?
Quote Of The Day
"You watch the NBA now, and the players are treated as if they’re the problem. The court is a police state, overseen primarily by three middle-aged white men intent on making sure the primarily black and foreign-born players don’t compete with the kind of aggression and emotion commonplace in football, hockey and baseball. With a Cavalier basically strapped to his neck and back, [Dwight] Howard scored a crucial layup late in the third quarter [on Tuesday night] that sliced Cleveland’s lead to three points. It was a huge play that came in the middle of an Orlando rally. Howard spontaneously pumped his arms and growled as he moved to the free-throw line. He did what athletes have been doing for decades after big plays in regular-season and playoff games. Scott Foster whistled Howard for a technical. Then another ref whistled Patrick Ewing, an Orlando assistant, for a second technical when Ewing complained about the call. The Cavaliers hit only one of the two free throws. Had Mo Williams hit both free throws, LeBron James’ two freebies at the end of regulation would have won the game rather than sending it to overtime. Had Scott Foster exercised a modicum of restraint, the Magic would have won the game in regulation despite a bogus foul call on Mickael Pietrus with 0.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter....The refs have gone way too far in disciplining players. The league office seems to be rescinding playoff technical fouls once or twice a week. Howard’s was rescinded Wednesday. However, the Magic didn’t get the point back that nearly cost them game four. Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant, the players with the most postseason technical fouls, are not what’s wrong with the NBA. They actually exemplify what is best about the league. The refs are the freaking enemies. They’re the most-coddled creatures in all of sports. They have the most power, and no one wants to hold them accountable. They don’t have to explain their decisions to the media or the public." — Jason Whitlock, black sports columnist for the Kansas City Star, arguing that the referees are stifling the NBA
Dambisa Moyo: "We're Not Idiots. We're Adults. We Can Run Our Own Society"
The Zambian-born libertarian economist - whose book Dead Aid has become a best-seller - argues that foreign aid is Africa's curse. She explains why to The Globe and Mail (Canada) (hat tip: Dambisa Moyo). Excerpts:
On why government-to-government foreign aid harms Africa: "Aid introduces a whole host of negatives into the economy. Corruption is just one of them. It causes inflation and creates an enormous debt burden, with no increase in living standards. It kills off the export sector. But the most fundamental problem is that it allows African governments to abdicate their role. In most of the world, heath care, education and infrastructure are provided by government. But in Africa it's provided by aid agencies. African governments today depend on foreign aid for 70 per cent of their budgets. So there's no accountability to the people. Even if governments don't do their job, they can stay in power because they are underwritten by the donor community. The big problem with aid is that it disenfranchises Africans."
Why not just hold African leaders to account and stop aid if they don't perform? "The aid system only works as long as the aid donors are handing out money. If they don't hand out the money, they know they'll be cut back. So governments in the West are incentivized to give out the money, and African governments are incentivized to take it. And Western voters demand that aid go to Africa without understanding the political implications."
On her harshest Western critics: "People like me who question the status quo always suffer personal attacks. So they say that I'm trying to kill African babies, or I'm not black enough. Jeffrey Sachs has said, 'This woman has got no children living in rural Africa.' But neither does he. I have significant obligations, taking care of my extended family across the African continent. I am saying not only that they are wrong, but they know they're wrong. Sachs taught me for a year at Harvard. When it comes to Africa, he espouses a completely different solution from anywhere else in the world. They're being intellectually dishonest. They know a lot of money goes to corruption. The[y] know many African leaders have abdicated their responsibilities. But instead of arguing against things like trade barriers, they'd rather spend their time doling out aid and capitalizing on Western guilt. Guilt and sympathy."
On how rank-and-file Westerners can help Africans: "There's lots of things you can do. You can check out kiva.org – for as little as 25 cents, you can support an entrepreneur [via a micro-loan] anywhere in the world, a shoemaker in Ghana, for example."
On good news coming from Africa: "There's lots of good news. We've got a very young, vibrant population who are hungry to be part of the modern age. They want to be on Facebook and Twitter. The continent now has 15 stock markets. The International Monetary Fund is forecasting that Africa will grow by 3 per cent this year, while most of the rest of the world is contracting. We've got an amazing proximity to Europe. We've got natural resources and a relatively sparse population. We speak English, so in terms of business opportunities, it should be a natural place to go. But first, we have to end the pity party. Right."
Update: National Post (Canada) interviewed her as well (hat tip: Mpelembe). More excerpts:
On how Western foundations, aid agencies, and celebrities promote Africa as a wasteland: "In the book I call it the four horsemen of African apocalypse. They want to focus on war, disease, poverty and corruption. I met with an African woman in Kenya who said to me it is hard enough to raise a teenager anywhere in the world, but try to raise a teenager to be an engineer or a doctor or to really contribute to the global society when you are constantly being told you are poor, you're inefficient, you need a handout. This is not a formula for success. It is a great disappointment that, by and large, celebrities use their platforms to basically push a negative story. That is not going to encourage anyone to Africa to invest."
On the exit strategy for foreign aid: "I give a five-year example in my book. Very foolishly, the NGOs have jumped on that and [suggest I] said aid should be stopped immediately or, in the worst case, within five years. I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying is we need to have an exit strategy. Aid can, perhaps, only work when we know the tap will be turned off at some point. We need a phase-out plan to make sure that African governments can wean themselves off of aid. I have also said that countries have very different levels of economic development. My own home country, Zambia, is at a very different level than say, Ghana, or Kenya, or Somalia for that matter. You cannot have one blanket exit strategy for all of these countries."
On rock stars: "They have become the de facto faces of Africa. The fact that they globally are viewed as the people defining the policy agenda, attending the G8 and the G20, is completely absurd. It is particularly ridiculous because I believe that the aid system has made many African governments so lazy they have created a vacuum where anyone -- in this case celebrities -- feel it is OK to jump in and start propounding policy on Africa. We, as Africans and as a global society, should want to hear from the African governments -- what their plan is, what their strategy is. I don't want to hear from the celebrity about what they think Africans should be doing any more than a Canadian would want to hear from Michael Jackson about the credit crisis."
Brooks: "Obama's Mishandling Of Qatar And The Rise Of Emir Al-Thani's Diplomacy Of 'Balanced Pragmatism'"
Webster Brooks is a black moderate who is a Senior Fellow at the University of Denver's (USA) Center for New Politics and Policy:
In May 2009, the Obama administration sent a back channel intelligence communication to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani warning that the U.S. might close its military bases should Qatar’s support for Iran, Syria and HAMAS continue. When Defense Secretary Gates and Special Advisor to the Gulf States, Dennis Ross toured the Middle East later in May, they conspicuously bypassed Qatar — home of U.S. Central Command headquarters, America’s largest air base (al Odeid) and storage facility for munitions in the Middle East. The chain of events underscores a dangerous and growing problem between the Obama administration and Qatar, one of its most important allies in the Middle East; how to grapple with Iran’s expanding influence from the Persian Gulf to the Levant. At a time when American interests and power are under strong challenge in the Middle East, the Obama administration’s mishandling of Qatar could result in a devastating setback.
There was a time when American threats against an Arab emirate the size of Lichtenstein would have been heeded with dispatch. But Qatar is not a typical Arab state and Emir Al-Thani, the founder of Al Jazeera News is not a typical Arab monarch. Leading a nation of 1.4 million people with the fastest growing economy and the second highest GDP in the world, Emir Al-Thani has refused to allow Qatar to be held hostage to the strategic imperatives of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Nor will he defer Qatar’s growing capacity to lead on matters of war and peace to the “traditional powers” of the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council. Quite the opposite, Al-Thani is the architect of a new "Balanced Pragmatism” diplomacy that seeks to bridge the divide between Sunni and Shiia, moderate and radical Islamic movements and relations between authoritarian and more democratic Arab countries. To that end, Emir Al-Thani has mobilized Qatar’s considerable assets behind a risky but bold strategy he believes will insure its survival as a prosperous nation, and prevent Middle East conflicts from escalating into a destructive regional conflagration.
On the surface, the Obama administration’s bullying tactics and arrogant threats against Qatar are mind boggling. After all, Qatar embodies virtually every attribute that America could hope for in an emerging Arab country; a dynamic modernizing economy, access to education and the electoral process for men and women, an active press, mediation of regional disputes and host country to a $1 billion U.S. military installation. But the crux of the dispute is this; President Obama’s aggressive agenda to diminish Tehran’s influence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Gaza Strip is critical to pressure Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment program by the end of 2009. Qatar’s support of HAMAS and Hezbollah, and their mediation efforts in Lebanon have had the net effect of expanding rather than isolating Iranian influence. The Obama administration and their chief Middle Eastern client state, Saudi Arabia, want to put and end to Qatar’s growing diplomatic role that is shaking things up in the region.
Qatar’s diplomatic initiatives over the past three years in Yemen, Palestine and the Sudan achieved limited but important successes. However, in June 2008 Qatar’s brokering of the Doha Agreement that ended the Lebanese governments’ shutdown and averted a civil war between Hezbollah and the March 14 Cedar movement was a “game changing” event. The agreement led to Michel Suleiman’s consensus election as Lebanon’s president, a redistribution of National Assembly seats between Lebanon’s confessional parties and Hezbollah’s opposition forces obtaining a “blocking third” legislative veto over any actions taken by the Lebanese government to diminish its power. Combined with Hezbollah’s military superiority on the ground, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were furious that the Doha agreement tipped the balance of power in Lebanon to Hezbollah and enhanced its legitimacy in the international community. After the United States backed the Cedar forces and funded Lebanon’s National Army, and the Saudis bankrolled Sunni salafist militias as a counterweight to Hezbollah’s forces, the strategic setback resulting in the extension of Iranian influence in the Levant was enormous. Should Hezbollah’s electoral coalition with AMAL win Lebanon’s June 7 parliamentary elections, many will look back at the Doha Agreement as the turning point that allowed Iran to solidify a proxy state on Israel’s northern border.
Following its landmark mediation in Lebanon, Qatar’s rift with the United States, the Saudis and Egypt deepened when Emir Al-Thani called for a January 16, 2009 emergency summit of Arab League members to respond to the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. President Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah immediately criticized Qatar's call for the meeting and announced a boycott of the Doha Summit along with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The Egyptians and Saudis insisted that holding high-level talks on the Gaza War two days before the planned Arab economic summit in Kuwait on January 19 and 20 was not necessary. But the timing of the meeting was not the issue. When Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani defended the emergency summit by stating that the "war crimes" Israel committed against the Palestinians in Gaza required an Arab summit to take collective action to pressure Israel to stop the war, it was clear that the growing chasm between the pro-American Saudi-Egyptian camp and the resistance front led by Iran and Syria was fully in play.
The Egyptian plan Cairo negotiated with Hamas and Israel, was widely criticized on the Arab street as a Palestinian surrender to Israel. Egypt was also under fire for closing its Sinai border to Gaza, thereby denying critical aid to the Palestinians. The Egyptians and the Saudis supported Israel’s invasion of Gaza, and the Abbas-led Palestinian Authority joined the chorus by blaming HAMAS for the outbreak of the war. The Palestinian Authority’s accusation that Qatar’s emergency summit sought to “exploit the blood of the Palestinians to score political gains” was the font of hypocrisy as Qatar has been financially supporting HAMAS since it won the 2005 elections. Despite the Saudis' and Egyptians' efforts to sabotage the Doha Emergency Summit, the leaders of Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Syria and Sudan were in attendance. Leading representatives of Iran and HAMAS addressed the meeting. The summit concluded with a call to suspend the Arab League Peace Initiative (API) — the Saudi foreign policy framework adopted by the Arab League. In addition, Qatar and Mauritania suspended their ties with Israel. In response to the Doha emergency summit, Arab League president Amr Moussa, minimized its importance by saying the meeting failed to achieve a quorum of the 22 member Arab League, and therefore its actions were of no significance.
Emir Al-Thani’s willingness to take issue with the United States, challenge Saudi Arabia’s political hegemony in the Arab world, and fight for a new orientation of the Arab League and GCC, are not the acts of a reckless or even militant Arab leader. Most national leaders around the world regard HAMAS and Hezbollah as legitimate “resistance movements” rather than terrorist organizations. Thus, Emir Al-Thani’s support of the two groups can hardly be considered as support for extremism and more importantly should not be characterized as explicit acts of anti-Americanism. On the contrary, Qatar's housing of America’s largest military complex in the Middle East is an act of self-preservation, insulating Qatar against possible attacks and subversion from its neighbors — Iran and Saudi Arabia. While Qatar’s hosting the U.S. military increases their vulnerability to attacks by salafists and al Queda forces, Emir Al-Thani's insurance policy has been to open Qatar as a sanctuary for radical Arab leaders across the Middle East and occasionally allowing extremists to transit Qatar in-route to their destination points.
Equally as complex is Qatar’s relationship with its neighbor Iran. Regardless of the United States' desire to see Qatar “tie off” friendly relations with Tehran, the reality on the ground is that Iran is the dominant military power in the Gulf. Its potential to go nuclear means that Qatar’s national interests won’t be well served by a hostile relationship with Tehran, purely for the benefit of the United States. Qatar and Iran are separated by the Persian Gulf, and have a long history of lucrative trade relations. Of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states, Iran and Qatar maintain the closest ties. Unlike the other Gulf States that have sizable Shiia populations, Qatar is overwhelmingly Sunni, and therefore does not worry about Iran’s manipulation of a fifth column inside its borders. Both countries are major oil and gas producers, and share the North Field and South Pars gas platforms. While Qatari and Iranian claims to the energy platforms have never been fully resolved and tension has flared in the past over Qatar’s aggressive exploration of both sites, Qatar and Iran have managed their affairs well. Notwithstanding their support of Iran’s regional allies and giving Tehran a fair hearing in the region’s affairs, Qatar as a United Nations Security Council member voted for Resolution 1747 imposing tougher sanctions against Iran. At the same time Qatar has defended Iran’s right to peacefully develop nuclear power under the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
If Qatar’s independence has rattled the United States, it has infuriated Saudi Arabia. Since Al Jazeera News stormed on the scene 10 years ago battering down the walls of silence and news censorship that served the old Sunni monarch’s well, Saudi Arabia has been the subject of unflattering press coverage by the Qatari based station. Relations between the two nations have been strained since then. In addition to the Saudis refusing to allow more than 1,250 Al-Jazeera employees to travel to Mecca for the Hajj, the Saudis blocked a proposed $2 billion 600 kilometer natural gas pipeline running from Qatar’s North Field to Mina Al Ahmadi in Kuwait. The Saudis also rejected the building of a causeway between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But it is Qatar’s growing role as a mediating and political force that has undermined Saudi Arabia’s prestige and power and deepened the quarrel between the two nations.
In the New Middle East, increasingly divided between the pro-American coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the “resistance” alliance led by Iran and Syria, every Arab country is being forced to choose sides or maneuver in open space between the two camps. It is the failure of the traditional Sunni powers, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, to solve the region’s trenchant conflicts and staunch Iranian expansion that has created a leadership void. Qatar’s and Emir Al-Thani’s bold move to fill the leadership void in the Middle East with its “Balanced Pragmatism” approach to problem solving in Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon and the Sudan should be welcomed by USA.
Qatar has and will make mistakes in attempting to chart a new course for Middle East diplomacy and engagement. All their efforts will not result in outcomes favorable to the United States—that goes with the territory. However, labeling Qatar as a pro-Iranian proxy state or supporter of terrorism simply cannot be supported by the facts. For an Obama administration that came to office trumpeting a new day of diplomacy and outreach in the Middle East, the veiled threats against Qatar were not only counterproductive; they were an embarrassment. For those looking for change in the Middle East, look no further than Qatar.
Quote Of The Day
"So just what is a black hipster — a 'blipster' or 'alt-black'? Like many recent cultural trends, this one straddles race, politics, fashion and art.....Simply put: The racial archetypes that had defined the last 15 years of masculine street style have given way to a radically new aesthetic. Gone are the extra-long T-shirts, saggy jeans and Timbs long favored by young black men. They haven’t swapped them for the mopey, emo tees once favored by young whites. Rather, urban youth of all colors now rock snug pants, bright, oversized graphic tees, spotless vanity sneakers and hats with brims flatter than Kansas. It's a hard line to negotiate — especially when it comes to black men. Take some recent controversy regarding entertainer Kanye West [pictured in blue shirt, with briefcase], who often pushes the envelope on both sound and fashion, sporting bright green trousers and nerd goggles or pairing with Louis Vuitton to design a white sneaker which one writer panned as 'a deck shoe combined with an Air Force One.' Does Kanye West Dress Too Gay? ran a breathless headline on the Daily Beast.....Say what you will about the blipsters and their crazy tastes — but we should have seen it coming. Black folks have had plenty of role models when it comes to edgy style. Dwayne Wayne, a character on A Different World and one of the earliest templates for today’s blipsters, wore flip-up sunglasses without irony. Black rockers like Prince laid the track for musicians such as Brooklyn-based TV [O]n [T]he Radio, singer Kelis, who famously 'screamed on a track' or even hip-hopper Jim Jones, who’s partnered with fairy-funk act MGMT and once declared himself 'too fat to fit into those skinny pants.' And don’t forget the sheets, diapers and hot pants worn by Parliament Funkadelic and Earth, Wind and Fire. In short, blipsters are proof that everything old is new again." — Dayo Olopade, Washington, D.C. reporter for black liberal website TheRoot.com
Racist Undertones In The Aid Debate?
AfricanLiberty.org, a libertarian website based in Ghana, believes so, as Africans step up their critiques of the foreign aid industry and increasingly promote trade over aid: "Aid activists such as Jeffrey Sachs [pictured right] patronise us in Africa when he assumes that the competitive mindset is demonstrably lacking on the continent. To wit, Africans are so dumb they can't compette [sic] in the global marketplace."
Marian Tupy over at the libertarian Cato Institute (USA) wonders why many (white) Western liberals like Professor Sachs have so little to no confidence in Africans to react to market incentives like everyone else: "Dambisa Moyo’s book Dead Aid has reignited the simmering war of words about the effects of foreign aid on Africa. Her contribution is welcome, for scant evidence in favour of increasing aid notwithstanding, [W]estern governments seem determined to outdo one another in the extravagance of their promises to Africa. Moyo’s growing popularity has even compelled the usually taciturn Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University to join the fray. Writing on The Huffington Post, he threw ad hominem attacks against both Moyo [pictured below left] and his long-time critic Bill Easterly of New York University. Both responded, pointing out some of the problems associated with aid. But one argument needs further discussion: the aid debate has a racist undertone."
Mr. Tupy continues his commentary: "A political consensus in favour of economic liberalisation emerged soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Common people were transfixed by [W]estern cars and fresh oranges that they saw on German television. Though they disagreed about the speed and the extent of economic reforms - [W]estern European and American economic models were both popular - there was little opposition to the general direction of policy changes. One of the most vehement promoters of rapid rather than gradual change, incidentally, was a Harvard University economist - Jeffrey Sachs."
More: "In a nutshell, there appears to be a peculiar lack of confidence in Africans to react to market incentives like everyone else does and to benefit from globalisation. Africans, the consensus of aid advocates and protectionists appears to be saying, should be shielded rather than exposed to market forces. But, what does that say about the underlying assumption with regard to the ability of Africans to succeed just as the people of CEB [in Eastern Europe] had succeeded?....While the world debates whether Africa should adopt market reforms, other regions power ahead. The concept of 'global poverty' is losing its meaning everyday. Soon, poverty will be solely an 'African problem.' To prevent that from happening, Africans must be treated not as hopeless recipients of charity but people equal to everyone else in ability."
JAVIER DAVID OP-ED: Gambling And The Law Of Unintended Consequences
The conservative Republican discusses U.S. President Barack Obama's debt-reliant economic agenda:
on Essence, Black Dating, And Social Conservatism
The moderate-conservative Republican blogger, on controversy surrounding the June edition of a U.S. black women's magazine: "The Essence Magazine, that bastion of black thought, lists the top 100 places [Booker Rising note: the article actually focused on Top 10 places] to find black men. Place #5 is Strip Clubs. Of course they are technically correct. And so a number of single black women with some shred of dignity have gotten all in Essen[c]e's grill. They naturally have the company of people with sense and sophistication, and of course the Old School. It would be curious to find out how many of the outraged people actually recognize that they are being social conservatives. I just have to shake my head, suck my teeth and sigh. Nevertheless, I think that all women should go to a strip club at least once, just in case they haven't been acquainted with their competition. In fact, they should go enough times to understand the entire dynamic, but definitely not to pick up dudes. I have said that black culture is transparent, but I'm beginning to wonder if I should distinguish black culture at all. Or rather I should say that, giving it an arbitrary name, in the Obama Era there is no such thing as black culture. It's not as if blackfolks own the t__y bar industry. So perhaps this will be my last 'anti-black' gesture."
Booker Rising response: Hmmm....as a libertarian feminist, I say to each her own. You could probably find plenty of black men at a strip club. However, what if you're looking for something long-term? Will you find husband material at a strip club? Will he view you as wife material, having met you in a place that centers around the objectification of women?
News & Commentary Tidbits
Leap In U.S. Debt Hits Taxpayers With 12% More Red Ink: From USA Today (hat tip: Instapundit) : “The latest increase raises federal obligations to a record $546,668 per household in 2008....That’s quadruple what the average U.S. household owes for all mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other debt combined....Bottom line: The government took on $6.8 trillion in new obligations in 2008, pushing the total owed to a record $63.8 trillion.”
Sergio Garcia, Prom Queen: The openly gay senior (pictured) won the crown last weekend at Fairfax High School in L.A. The school's defense is that there were no gender specifications for the title?! If I was on that Homecoming Court (or the parent of someone on that Court), I'd cry foul. No problem with him being gay, but he should've run for prom king.
Gallup: Obama Approval Compares Favorably To Prior U.S. Presidents: So far in May, President Obama has averaged 65% job approval. Since World War II, only three presidents -- Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan -- have had a higher average approval rating in May of their first year (hat tip: Drudge Report).
Dang...Venus Williams Crashes Out Of French Open: After a humiliating defeat by Hungary's Agnes Szavay today in the third round. It was the first time in almost two years that Ms. Williams suffered that kind of an embarrassment. Serena Williams plays tomorrow.
Would Sotomayor Qualify As A Juror? No, argues Andy McCarthy over at National Review, about U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor: "Let's say she forthrightly explained to the court during the voir dire (the jury-selection phase of a case) that she believed a wise Latina makes better judgments than a white male; that she doubts it is actually possible to 'transcend [one's] personal sympathies and prejudices and aspire to achieve a greater degree of fairness and integrity based on the reason of law'; and that there are 'basic differences' in the way people 'of color' exercise 'logic and reasoning.' If, upon hearing that, would it not be reasonable for a lawyer for one (or both) of the parties to ask the court to excuse her for cause? Would it not be incumbent on the court to grant that request? Should we have on the Supreme Court, where jury verdicts are reviewed, a justice who would have difficulty qualifying for jury service?"
Duane Brayboy: "Spike Lee Recreates Scene From His Movie 'School Daze'"
In his criticism that Tyler Perry's work represent "coonery and buffoonery", argues the black conservative blogger: "But this time, hair is not the central theme. It’s artistic expression. And boy, are people fired up about it.....On one side you have the 'Jigaboos'. They are the people who enjoy Tyler Perry’s work and are responsible for his enormous success on the big screen, small screen and on stage. To them, if its funny, its funny. What other people think is not their concern. On the other side we have the 'Wannabes'. They are the people who despise any depiction of Black folks that falls short of a doctor, lawyer or any other high paying/high profile profession. The idea of Whites watching shows where we make fun of ourselves is just too much handle. Why? Because they believe that the perception and fate of the entire Black race hinges on each role. To them, one 'Soul Plane' can set us back hundreds of years. This is the group that think[s] twice about grabbing that piece of watermelon at the company picnic."
He adds: "Bottom line, if you are just not into Tyler Perry’s brand of comedy, that’s one thing. But if you feel the need to go further with your criticism by using the same language racist Whites used against us back in the day, then you are just as bound up as ol’ Chicken George."
TARA WALL COMMENTARY: In Defense Of The Indefensible
The Washington Times editor and conservative Republican argues that the U.S. Justice Department politicos give the Black Panthers a pass for their Election Day intimidation tactics that likely would have put most Americans behind bars: "As reported exclusively by The Washington Times on Friday, the Justice Department's dismissal of three members of the Black Panther Party for intimidating white voters (and members of the press), should not only come as a shock but is absolutely appalling considering that President Barack Obama's political appointees overruled career lawyers who were prepared to issue sanctions against the militants. Their actions were no less caught on VIDEOTAPE outside an election polling place in Philadelphia as the uniform-clad men, carrying large batons bullied whites, blocked entrances and hurled racial slurs to ensure their guy got elected unimpeded (even by law abiding registered voters who may have tried vote against him.) What the government then considered a violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and filed suit, Obama's new Justice Department lawyers unceremoniously declared otherwise and undermined the electoral (and Constitutional) process in one fell swoop."
Ms. Wall continues her commentary: "With today's Times' revelation, now could be an opportune time for partisans on both sides of the aisle but particularly on the right, to speak out about voter intimidation. It doesn't matter that these men happen to be black. Suppression and intimidation is just that – no matter who its coming from – it's not legal or supposed to be tolerated by anyone. Where's my good friend Donna Brazile? Arbiter of ensuring equality for disenfranchised voters? Surely the administration's decision, at the least, warrants a march by the good reverend Jesse Jackson. Or, how about Al Sharpton, who recently teamed up with Newt Gingrich to promote educational excellence and parity for students. This could be their next bipartisan cause toward racial parity. I won't hold my breath."
More: "So what about the RNC? Will it rise to the challenge? Demand an independent investigation? Elected GOP officials should be screaming from the rooftops instead of waiting for an election to defend themselves against DNC claims of voter suppression. Already unsure of how to challenge the president's Latino Supreme Court pick, it is unlikely Republicans will exhibit the boldness to take this one on. Despite some great reporting by the Times' Jerry Seper, this is probably where it ends. Simply mark it under the category of a kind of reverse discrimination that is not only allowable but defendable for minority liberal elites not mainstream Americans."
The Battle Of Words
Ambra Nykol, on last night's Scripps National Spelling Bee (USA), won by 13-year-old Kavya Shivashankar of Olathe, Kansas. The black conservative blogger writes: "I continue to be fascinated by the English language, but particularly, I'm intrigued by these pre-pubescent, somewhat nerdy type-competitors who are walking dictionaries of etymology and lexicon. Winning a spelling competition seems a bit of a waste of all the knowledge if you ask me. Then again, I can't spell 'definitely' correctly without my trusty spellcheck (also known as the biggest ignorance enabler of the 20th century). This year, however, the Scripps Spelling Bee threw me for a loop when the final, winning word was, brace yourselves, 'Laodicean.' Did I hear that correctly? Laodicean? Do you know how incredibly easy that word is and should be? Here I usually sit in a complete stupor for most of the spelling bee because I can't even pronounce let alone spell the words these 11-year-olds are decimating in the first round alone and yet I can spell the final, winning, championship word in my sleep?"
She adds: "So what is my beef with 'Laodicean?' Quite simply, it's a very easy word for anyone who has ever cracked open a stinkin' Bible. Please note: I do not think the Bible stinks...it was merely an idiomatic expression. See how cool words can be? Moving on. 'Laodicea' is a pretty standard, run-of-the-mill Biblical word. 'Laodicea' was an ancient city and the 'Laodicean church' was often referenced in the Bible. And why do I know this? Because as early as I could be scolded for telling my classmate to 'shut up,' I had the Bible drilled into every crevice of my cerebral cortex. There was a time when people of many different religions, ethnicities, and walks of life actually had read or studied the Bible at some point in their lives. Not for indoctrination, but for educational purposes. Fancy that! If you go back a few generations, you'll fine few among them who can't quote at least one scripture from the Bible. Today, there's a whole segment of young Americans who can't even name the first book of the Bible."
More: "So it is quite interesting to me that in 2009, and among the most challenging of challenging words and supposed best and brightest subjects 'Laodicean' is even intended to present a real challenge. My how far we've fallen away from being a learned society. I wonder if anyone has drawn a correlation between the incredible generational success of people of the Jewish faith in America and the fact that many (though not all) young, Jewish teenagers in America actually have a rite-of-passage where they have to learn and memorize the Torah, the Talmud or at least part of its contents? It's something to ponder."
Kenneth Durden: "Czar Obama Increases Government With Another Czar"
Asserts the black conservative Republican blogger, about the U.S. president's initiative to make cyber security a priority: "There he goes again. Czar Barack Obama has decided to create another government office, cyber czar. Mr. Obama has an obsession with creating czars, perfectly fit for someone with his designs on taking over more of our lives. Nevermind the fact that the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, etc, all have cyber divisions. This is really about an effort to control the Internet. It's about expanding government. Now he's talking about making sure he 'invests' in children's 'access' to the Internet."
Barbara Howard: "Democrats Don’t Make Rules On Racism - Estrada, Thomas Vs. Sotomayor"
Asserts the Florida state chair of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and conservative Republican, on the U.S. Supreme Court nomination battle: "The double standard didn’t just stop with [Clarence] Thomas, but continued when Hispanic Miguel Estrada was nominated by President George W. Bush (POTUS 43) in 2003. Estrada would have been the first Hispanic on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals had it not been for the harsh, all-out ugly war against him by Democrats. Liberal organization, People for the American Way, tried to insult him by calling him the 'Latino Clarence Thomas', according to Tim Graham in NewsBusters.org. Graham also writes that Estrada was 'Dismissed as Bush ‘Affirmative Action Candidate’. It got so nasty that Estrada finally just withdrew his name in frustration. His compelling story was that, in a country dominated by Mexican and Cuban Americans, he came from the Honduras before going to Columbia and Harvard. So when I hear Obama and his Democrats tout that Sotomayor has a 'compelling story', I want to say yeah, yeah, yeah. Newsflash! Almost all successful minorities in this country have a 'compelling story'. Even some Anglo Americans have 'compelling stories' too. But the worst part is that Democrats want the world to believe that only 'their' minorities have a 'compelling story' and only they get to decide which minorities get what. I have another newsflash for you. Democrats don’t get to write the rules on who is racist and who is not. They don’t get to write the rules on which minorities get elevated to a higher calling and who does not. And they really don’t get to write the rules on who is 'black enough' or 'Hispanic enough' to get to play in their back yard. And we, as blacks and Hispanics, need to stop allowing them to act as if they do."
Sade: "I Haven't Put Out A CD In 9 Years & I'm Twice Their Age, But I'ma Still Make It Rain On These Wannabe Divas"
Sade's new album, her first since 2000, drops on November 24 (hat tip: BlackElectorate.com). The CD's title has not yet been released. The upcoming CD will be the British soul/jazz chanteuse's sixth solo CD.
Booker Rising response: This CD will go multi-platinum, like every other CD that she's put out. Sade has a very strong & loyal fan base, She's one of the few artists who can take a years-long hiatus, return to school these young uns (she's 50 now) about talent and how not to look like a skank, and still get paid via big CD sales and sold-out shows LOL. Too bad we don't see more of Ms. Adu. Then again, that just adds to her mystique. Beyonce and you other overexposed, wannabe living legends....y'all could take some lessons from Sade. For example, let us miss your behinds for once!
BRANDON BRICE OP-ED: What's A Republican In 2009?
The moderate Republican blogger discusses what it should mean to be a Republican: "In recent weeks on the subway’s 6 line [in New York City], I have had the pleasure of meeting a few ex-felons and victims of imprisonment who have discussed the need to feel like Americans again. Perhaps the GOP in 2009 should suggest the need for second chances by offering to felons who have served their time, paid restitution for their crime the chance to receive a crime free record, based on the severity of the offense committed, after five years. Republicans should take a look at promoting alternative sentences for non-violent crimes and offering these individual wom[e]n and men employment opportunities such as street crews, construction and landscaping. Republicans stress the need for a strong defense system, lets re-build one. In the midst of a possible conflict with Afghanistan the United States needs troops, so perhaps we can look to promote military service as an alternative to jail and imprisonment for non-violent offenders. An Ex-United States Senator from Missouri proposed an idea for felons to have a chance to work, which lowered the need to create prisons. Ex-felons need to be educated and re-introduced back into society. The solution is the BJ Barnes model from Guilford County which allows non-violent offenders without at GED to complete these programs and eliminate the record of their respective crimes."
He continues his commentary: "The disconnecting of property taxes from educational cost by county is a absolute necessity. The parents should have the ability to remove a child from a failing public school if the child is not performing at the grade level. The parent should have the right to send that child to any certified school that accepts the student, making the concern about the achievement gap non-existent. This option can work and keeps the state out of education, getting parents more involved in their children’s learning and achievement. The need for educational competition grants our children a chance, failing schools will coerce schools to find a method to teach children or risk losing the student to a better program and the money involved. We must give parents back the responsibility of raising their own kids, not the federal government that takes 25% of child care cost when this can be re-directed to the child’s family which gets government out of this business."
More commentary from Mr. Brice: "Last, the Republican party in 2009 needs to address the issue of women’s rights, as we know that Obama stole the female vote by 49%. We need to ask the question that if we are going to be the party to promote women to being 'pro-choice' then we better have an option for these unborn children. Adoption has declined in urban communities and more black youth are simply not being adopted. In urban America we see the rise of crime and single mothers working two and three jobs to support their children, living in low income and crime infested neighborhoods, resulting in more people living off the federal government and tax payers. Living off the government is not America and we must adapt to an ever changing America. I thought the Republican Party was the party of choice, it’s time we started acting like it. 2009 is about control and choice which will be the message in the upcoming elections to come. Republican[s] accomplish this by advocating to restore America and giving people back it’s right to be free from the federal government once again."
Thomas Sowell on Burke And Obama
The conservative economist compares Edmund Burke, the 18th century Irish political philosopher, with U.S. President Barack Obama: "When Burke wrote of his apprehension about 'new power in new persons,' I could not help think of the new powers that have been created by which a new President of the United States -- a man with zero experience in business -- can fire the head of General Motors and tell banks how to run their businesses. Not only is Barack Obama new to the presidency, he is new to running any organization. One of Burke's fears was that 'we may place our confidence in the virtue of those who have never been tried.'"
He continues his commentary: "The current drive to take from 'the rich' for the benefit of others came to mind when reading Burke's warning against creating a situation where 'any one description of citizens should be brought to regard any of the others as their proper prey.' He also warned that 'those who attempt to level, never equalise.' What they end up doing is concentrating power in their own hands -- and Burke saw such new powers as dangerous, even if they were used only sparingly at first. He said, 'the true danger is, when liberty is nibbled away, for expedients and by parts.' He also said: 'It is by lying dormant a long time, or being at first very rarely exercised, that arbitrary power steals upon a people.' People who don't like "the rich" or 'big business' or the banks may be happy that President Obama is sticking it to them. But such arbitrary powers can be turned on anybody. As Robert Burns said: 'Send not to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.' There was a lot of wisdom in the 18th century."
Peter Kirsanow on Sotomayor's Demeanor
The member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and conservative Republican writes: "The NY Times attributes Sotomayor's purportedly 'nasty' and 'combative' style to having an 'outgoing demeanor.' Interestingly, John Bolton's 'outgoing demeanor' is precisely what caused many Democrats to vote against his confirmation for U.N. Ambassador. That, and his lack of 'rich experiences' — apparently a common affliction among white males."
Black Farmer Is A Country Boy At Heart
Wilfred Emmanuel Jones went from rural Jamaica to inner city Birmingham, UK to a spell in the British Army to a TV career to owning his own farm. The creator of The Black Farmer food brand - especially known for its sausages and meats - and Conservative Party candidate for the British Parliament discusses his life (hat tip: BlackElectorate.com). Excerpts:
On getting the experience and capital to start his own farm, after deciding to enter the television industry: "I wrote to producers. None wrote back. I called them. None returned my calls. I did everything I could to get a break. It did in the end because someone was brave enough to give me a job. I started as a runner, then as a researcher, then became a producer. The programme I was known for was the Food and Drink programme. I worked with celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Brian Turner, Ainsley Harriott and Anthony Worrall-Thompson. I travelled the world making films. But after about 12 years, I decided that I needed to earn more money if I wanted to buy a farm. So I started a food and drink marketing agency - specialising in brands like Loyd Grossman sauces, Cobra Beer and Kettle Chips. That gave me the money to buy my farm - it's about 12 years ago now.”
On strengthening the farmer-consumer relationship: “We've got a generation in this country who have no connection to how food is produced. There are generations of children who have never seen a farm, never been to the countryside. They have no understanding of this other world. The rise of the supermarkets has brought cheap food, but at the price of the destruction of some of our rural communities that have been around for hundreds of years. It's atrocious that towns and villages with a heritage that goes back centuries are being destroyed in a short period because of the dominance of supermarkets. Supermarkets are here to stay, but what we as a society need to do is look at what relationship supermarkets should have with the community.”
JANET FLEISCHMAN COMMENTARY: How Michelle Obama Can Help Africa
The senior associate at the Global Health Policy Center of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in D.C. argues that when U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama visits Ghana with U.S. President Barack Obama in July, she can use her high profile to empower African women and girls (hat tip: Michelle Obama Watch): "With the renewed focus now being devoted to the domestic epidemic, Mrs. Obama could help push the White House Office on Aids Policy for a revitalized strategy that addresses the pressing issues faced by women. With the advent of the Obama administration, the issues faced by women and girls have gained new prominence, thanks in large part to Mrs. Obama's own commitment and the power of her example. There is much early evidence of a building momentum: the creation of the post of ambassador-at-large for global women's issues; the new White House Council on Women and Girls; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's strong recent statements endorsing women's rights and empowerment as key to the administration's foreign policy. Mrs. Obama could make her mark on the response to the global Aids crisis by focusing on three essential strategies:
- Addressing the social and economic barriers that women and girls face in accessing Aids prevention and treatment services;
- Sensibly integrating HIV/Aids with family planning programs; and
- Ensuring the involvement of women and girls, including women living with HIV, in the design and implementation of Aids programs.
These measures would all prove the point: strengthening women in their communities to respond to the Aids crisis is vital to effective and sustainable outcomes. Mrs. Obama has urged girls to believe in their dreams and to control their destinies. In taking on global Aids, she has the chance to help ensure that women and girls use those messages to save their lives. In the words of an HIV-positive mother in Kenya, 'helping women is helping the whole family.'"
Idaho House Race A Case Study For Conservative Democrats
Hard to find another Democrat who better fits Idaho’s 1st District than the fiscally conservative, pro-gun, forest industry veteran Walt Minnick — exactly why Democrats recruited him in 2008. But after winning in a district that gave Republican presidential nominee John McCain 62% of the vote, Rep. Minnick finds himself like many other conservative Democrats trying to strike a balance between governing and defending gains in Republican leaning-districts in 2010. Rep. Minnick, a former executive and Harvard business school graduate, is concerned that the Obama administration’s current spending could prompt China and other large investors to liquidate U.S. Treasury bonds, sparking higher interest rates and a “dramatic reduction in our living standards and higher rates of inflation.” “That’s the price we’re going to pay for not being fiscally responsible,” he warns — a line that could have been cribbed from Republican talking points. Rep. Minnick has backed up that talk since coming to Washington, D.C., voting against President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package and the fiscal 2010 budget resolution In fact, Rep. Minnick, a one-time Republican, is equally apt to side with Republicans. As of March 2, he was the least likely Democrat from a swing district to vote in the 111th Congress with his party’s position on party unity votes. Still, Rep. Minnick has joined Democrats on some politically controversial issues, including voting for a bill expanding federal hate crimes laws to include crimes based on sexual orientation. He also supported the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a move that drew criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee, the party’s House campaign arm. Further, he voted in favor of blocking an investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s recent allegations that the CIA misled her on its interrogation techniques. Rep. Minnick’s voting record so far in 2009 falls short for his one declared Republican challenger, Vaughn Ward, a retired Marine Corps major who has worked for the CIA and Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign. He pointed to Rep. Minnick’s first House vote, for Rep. Pelosi (D-Calif.) as Speaker. “He endorsed Nancy Pelosi and her agenda and everything that goes with it,” he said, a critique that is sure to be echoed in the general election. But Ward is unknown and untested as a candidate — and the GOP primary will be a big first test. The question is whether a competitive primary will open up old wounds between conservatives and moderates. The NRCC hasn’t ruled out intervening since any divisions give Rep. Minnick an opening to win over moderate Republicans and independents, as he did in 2008. Republicans are also keenly aware that they need to step up their fundraising after Rep. Minnick outspent his opponent in 2008, $2.6 million to $1.2 million. The GOP is prepared to make sure that doesn’t happen again and contends more campaign money could make a difference in the outcome.
OP-ED: America Is Broke
The libertarian Republican commentator argues that U.S. President Obama resembles a man who strolls into a bar, sees that his wallet is empty, then slaps a round of drinks for everyone onto his wheezing credit card. However, he can change this image: "Rather than use America’s rapidly deteriorating public finances to restore fiscal discipline after G. W. Bush’s deplorable spend-o-rama, Obama is digging America into a deeper hole — not with a shovel, but with a backhoe. If he continues, the ensuing canyon walls will collapse and crush us."
Mr. Murdock continues his commentary: "Obama now faces a domestic 'Nixon goes to China' moment that could transform him into one of America’s finest presidents or convert him into Jimmy Carter II. Just as Richard Nixon’s anti-Communist record gave him the latitude to re-engage Mao’s China, Obama’s solid-Left credentials grant him the leeway to padlock dozens of government agencies, terminate hundreds of federal programs, and finally slay the entitlement monsters that will devour this republic. Obama can do this without becoming paralyzed by liberal catcalls about feeding Granny to crocodiles."
Daniel Hannan: "North Korea Is China's Problem"
Asserts the conservative British member of the European Parliament, as the Asian country today test-fired another missile: "It's a funny old world. We invaded Iraq (which denied having a nuclear weapons programme), but humour North Korea (which boasts of having one). Indeed, by attacking Iraq - which, everyone now accepts, was a pretty paltry foe - we made it harder to act against states which genuinely do menace our interests and our allies. Don't get me wrong: I opposed the conquest of Iraq, and I certainly don't see any British interest in biffing North Korea which is not, by any definition, within our sphere of influence. It is, however, in China's. Why, I wonder, does Peking tolerate on its frontier a state every bit as dangerous and unstable as the enriched uranium and plutonium with which it is arming itself? The Chinese are forever extolling the virtues of non-intervention. They justify their support for the Sudanese, Zimbabwean and Burmese dictatorships on grounds that it is not for them to tell another sovereign nation how to order its affairs. But this non-interventionism stuff is flexibly applied closer to home. Over the years, almost every contiguous state has felt Chinese pressure - sometimes of a direct and military nature: Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Mongolia and, yes, Korea. This time, China has the opportunity to earn its place within the comity of nations while at the same time advancing its own interests. That, surely, is worth more than Communist solidarity."
Conservative Activist Calls For Special Counsel To Investigate Possible Voting Rights Corruption At Justice Department
In light of a Washington Times report today that political appointees at the U.S. Department of Justice forced career prosecutors to drop and/or reduce charges against Black Panther Party members observed intimidating Philadelphia voters last November's election, Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie (pictured) is calling for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate alleged obstruction of the Voting Rights Act by the Obama Administration.
"From all accounts, this was a clear-cut violation of peoples' right to vote without fear and intimidation, but the Obama Administration appears to be trying to sweep it under the rug," said the conservative Republican, in a news release emailed to Booker Rising. "After all of the allegations about the Bush Administration politicizing the Justice Department, this smacks of either extreme ignorance or extreme hubris on the part of their successors. Whatever the case, an independent investigation is needed to get to the bottom of what's going on over there."
According to media reports, on November 4, 2008, Malik Zulu Shabazz, King Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense were seen on national television standing outside a Philadelphia polling place in military-style uniforms. Mr. Jackson was an official poll watcher that day, representing the 14th Ward Democratic Committee.
Bartle Bull, a long-time civil rights activist who was working as a poll watcher in the area, said in a government affidavit that he saw the men using a nightstick to intimidate voters. Mr. Bull said their "clear purpose" was to "intimidate voters with whom they did not agree." He also said he heard them tell a white poll watcher, "you are about to be ruled by a black man, cracker."
A civil suit filed by the Justice Department in January alleged the men violated the Voting Rights Act "by continuing to direct intimidation, threats and coercion at voters and potential voters." After none of the men appeared in court to face the charges, the government sought a default judgment against them. However, lawyers were allegedly later ordered to reverse themselves and ask for the cases against Malik Zulu Shabazz and Jerry Jackson to be dismissed. A default judgment was pursued against King Samir Shabazz to simply prohibit him from displaying a weapon within 100 feet of an open polling place until November 15, 2012.
BREAKING NEWS: Obama Flushed Toilet At 3:04AM (Political Satire)
Pool Report No. 38
May 29, 2009
Details of presidential bathroom habits
News: POTUS flushes own toilet
Your pool held in the presidential suite at the White House, receiving occasional updates from the Secret Service on progress.
After having walked puppy Bo, POTUS entered the Master Bedroom at about 10:30 p.m. ET last night. FLOTUS was already in the room. Before retiring for the night, the president ordered pistachios - one of his favorite snacks - from the White House kitchen and watched highlights on ESPN. At 10:50 p.m., POTUS got into bed, along with FLOTUS.
POTUS was wearing a yellow "Lefties Do It Right" T-shirt and black boxers, along with a black wave cap. FLOTUS was wearing a knee-length blue silk nightgown with matching headscarf.
By around 11:00 p.m., the president and first lady were asleep.
12:00 a.m.: Still asleep.
1:00 a.m.: Still asleep.
2:00 a.m.: Still asleep.
At 3:00 a.m., POTUS went to the Master Bathroom for a 5-minute session. He did his business at 3:01 a.m., wiped his behind at 3:03 a.m., flushed and put the toilet seat back down so FLOTUS wouldn't nag him as a courtesy to FLOTUS at 3:04 a.m., washed his hands and came out of the Master Bathroom by 3:05 a.m.
"President Obama uses Charmin toilet paper because he like its softness", a source who didn't wish to be identified told this pool reporter. "He also likes to read Jet magazine while in the bathroom, especially a quick peek at Jet's Beauty Of The Week since the First Lady isn't around to watch him ogle the pictures", added the source.
Tyesha Singletary
White House correspondent
Chocolate City News Service
