So
that’s my first Angry Black Man question, and I know it’s a lot
of ground to cover, but how do you feel things have worked out since
then, both with the economy and with this President? That was a huge
turning point, that moment in 2008, and my own feeling is that we
didn’t turn. Hum? No, the thing is he posed as a progressive and
turned out to be a counterfeit brother. We ended up with a Wall
Street President, a drone President, a national security President.
The torturers go free. The Wall Street executives go free. The war
crimes in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, the war criminals go
free.
And
yet, you know, he acted as if he was both a progressive and as if he
was concerned about the issues of serious injustice and inequality
and it turned out that he’s just another neoliberal centrist with a
slick smile, a tan suit, and nice rhetorical flair. Damn!!
And
that’s a very sad moment in the history of the country because we
are—we’re an empire in decline. Our Black culture is in
increasing decay. Our inner-city school systems are in deep trouble.
Our political system is dysfunctional. Our leaders are more and more
bought off with legalized bribery and normalized corruption in
Congress and too much of our personal life. You would think that we
needed somebody……. A transformational President who could revive
some democratic spirit and democratic possibility…That’s exactly
what everyone was saying at the time, especially us Black folk.
That’s right. That’s true. It was like, “We finally got
somebody who can help us poor folk.” And he posed as if he was a
kind of an Abe Lincoln. Hum? Yeah. That’s what everyone was saying,
especially us Black folk.
And
we ended up with a motherfuckin brown-faced Bill Clinton. Another
opportunist…. Another neoliberal opportunist! It’s like, “Oh,
no, don’t tell me that!” I tell you this, because I got hit hard
years ago, but everywhere I go now, it’s “Brother Norton, I see
what you were saying. Brother Norton, you were right. Angry Black
Man, your language was harsh and it was difficult to take, but you
turned out to be absolutely right.” And, of course with Ferguson,
you get it reconfirmed even among the people within his own circle
now, you see. It’s a sad thing. It’s like you’re looking for
John Coltrane and you get Kenny G in brown skin.
My
persistent, consistent, constant and piercing criticism of President
Obama is, for the most part, painfully true. Even Obama’s most
loyal and devoted supporters know that my analysis is factual and
true.
I
was really wrong about one thing. Obama never campaigned as a true
progressive. Ending poverty was not a top priority during his
campaigns. He never campaigned as a Black activist. He never promised
to be a strong advocate for us Black folk. In fact, his rise to
national prominence was based on his out-of-touch post-racial
rhetoric about one America during the 2004 Democratic National
Convention.
No
one should be surprised when the Obama Administration and its silly
parrots constantly repeat the silly motto that “he is not just the
President of Black America.” You will never ever hear any other
group of people embracing and repeating such a self-defeating and
pathetic slogan. Imagine the Jews saying Obama is not just the
President of Jewish America. Imagine the LGBT community saying that
Obama is not just the President of gay America. Imagine the Hispanic
community saying that Obama is not just the President of immigrant
America. Imagine white feminists saying Obama is not just the
President of women. Those groups would never spout such bullshit.
Unlike
our Black community, those groups do not surrender. They do not
accept symbols over silly ass substance. They vigorously push their
agenda. Unfortunately, we Black folks are pacified by symbols and
gestures. We are so drunk with Obama-aide and infatuated with the
concept of a Black President that many of us have lost our complete
motherfuckin minds and our principles. Besides, no one should be
surprised by Obama’s stance on the recent crisis in Israel and
Gaza. Obama never campaigned as a friend of the Palestinian people.
Like all of the clowns before him, Obama bowed down before the altars
of AIPAC and Israel. During his first and second campaigns, Obama
laced up his shoes and tap danced for em like Bojangles. Damn!!
A
majority of Black folks avoid that truth by contrasting Obama and his
past election opponents Mitt Romney and John McCain. Clearly, I think
Obama was the better choice in those elections. That is why I voted
for him. Unfortunately, both parties are owned by Wall Street and
AIPAC. In this two party corporate dictatorship we call America, true
progressive candidates and parties are not viable alternatives. Too
often, they just can't get elected. They don’t have the money and
resources to compete with the Democrats and the Republicans on a
national level. They don’t receive the same level of media
attention as the corporate parties. Until those changes, we are
forced to settle for people like Barack Obama. Do not be mad at me,
its just a painful truth, and to tell you the truth..........shit
ain’t getting any better!!!!!!!
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