REVISITING THE DUKE UNIVERSITY LACROSSE CASE: THE REAL DEAL
Privilege, Race, Gender and Class
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
This writer believes in setting the environmental scene, in particular the historical background when evaluating and assessing a topic such as the Duke University Lacrosse Case; it is important to give the outside readers some demographics and social variables to help them to analyze the underlying issues of race and class that permeated this most controversial case. The city of Durham was founded 1853, which it gets its name from one Barlett Durham who was a medical doctor by profession. Durham is passionately called the Bull City and the City of Medicine. It has a sister city of the same name Durham, England.
But prior to medicine, Durham was considered a huge textile and tobacco town and thrived off African slave labor. The first established Tobacco Company was called Green’s Tobacco (which specialized in a tobacco crop that was called brightleaf, a sweet tasting tobacco) and Washington Duke, the patriarch of Duke University which was initially named Trinity College became big in the tobacco industry. Jewish Merchants entered at some point along with the Dukes and took the tobacco industry in Durham to the next level with the establishment of Liggett and Myers and American Tobacco companies.
Their wealth was amassed on the backs of African slave labor—these plantation owners such as the Camerons , Mangums, Seamans, etc., reaped huge amounts of wealth which set a quasi-Dynastic bloodline of inherited wealth that has been passed down from generation to generation amongst these aristocratic white families. Let me say this, right off the back—there is Durham and there is Duke University , a city within a city, which functions as the most powerful entity in Durham and perhaps in all of North Carolina; next to Bank of America which is headquartered in Charlotte, the second largest banking city in America .
Thus, just like under the institution of slavery Duke probably is the second largest employer within the city of Durham. Duke University answers to no one, but themselves; so just imagine for one moment a poor African American woman accusing three of the white aristocrat of a criminal act such as sexual assault—these boys were symbolic representatives of the prominent and prestigious Duke University. Duke University has had a history of handsomely rewarding their allies and friends and severely punishing their enemies and political adversaries.
Many lawyers in Durham will not even represent a plaintiff who has perhaps filed a legitimate legal grievance against a powerful defendant like Duke University because of the fear of political and/or economic reprisals. Durham is a city of approximately 44% percent Caucasian and 43% African American and next to Atlanta, Georgia per capita income Durham has it share of black millionaires and a powerful influential black bourgeoisie class.
Thus, at the turn of the 20th Century prominent black families emerged who were recipients of Duke philanthropy money led to establishing themselves in banking and finance, insurance business, funeral services, etc., black bourgeoisie families such as the Moores, Merricks, Spauldings, Willards, Pearsons, Warrens, Shepards, Kennedys, etc, stood front and center and many of these black entrepreneurs appeared to have been from miscegenation relationships. Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute and the Negro Business League who visited Durham in the early 1900 stated he hadn’t seen nor found a more economic progressive Negro any place in the United States as the one he found in Durham. The Chicago University trained sociologist, E. Franklin Frazier who authored the book titled, “The Black Bourgeoisie” drew the same conclusion. Blacks in Durham at the turn of the century had established their own insurance company in North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual Savings Company. (Reference: Andre D. Vann and Beverly Washington Jones; "Durham's Hayti").
Black Durham was thriving and Parrish Street in Durham was coined “The Black Wall Street” of the south. Also, black Durham had Hayti an economic and social hub where they owned two movie theaters, a printing press, black newspaper, a hospital, grocery stories, clothing shops, beauty schools, barber shops, clubs, etc., Hayti existed and functioned with complete autonym based on Jim Crow laws and segregation (1896-1965). They attracted James Brown, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Charlie Byrd Parker, Bobby Blue Bland, Otis Redding, Billie Holiday and since Durham was the home of Clyde McPhatter, Shirley Caesar and Pigmeat Markham all of them perfomed local acts because during that time of segregation many of these artists had no other choice but to perform on the ‘chitlin' circuit. (Reference: Earlie Thorpe; “The Central Theme of Black History).
Most historians refer to a thriving section in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the early 1900s as “Black Wall Street” in which in 1921 Tulsa Race Riot spearheaded by Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups and an entire black economic metropolis was burned down, which led to the killing of innocent men, women, and children in Tulsa. But Durham historically has been overlooked as the “The Black Wall Street” by some historians because of the infatuation with the sensationalism associated with Tulsa tragedy. (Reference: Jay Jay Wilson and Ron Wallace; "Black Wall Street").
Durham’s black leadership (many entered the black Boule on the ground floor in 1904, a fraternity modeled after the Skull Bones of Yale University that recruited bourgeoisie light skinned blacks —privilege and class) historically has always had a civil relationship with the white power structure, which was partially based on conciliatory and accommodation lines of acquiescence to power, but with a passive militancy under-girded by the White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) principled in bootstrap economic philosophy of pulling yourself up the economic and social latter by being thrifty, hard working and doing for-self. (Reference: Tim Wise; “White Like Me; Reflections on Race From a Privileged Son”
The white power structure did not view their economic passivity as threatening or confrontational within the social dynamics of power relations. The great non-traditional historian Joel Augustus Rogers in his book titled, “World’s Great Men of Color” dedicated a chapter to Durham’s black economic moguls and North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company. The founders of North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company in 1889 were John Merrick, Dr. Aaron M. Moore and Charles C. Spaulding. Merrick who was a barber by trade, served as the personal barber of Washington Duke. (Reference: Joel Augustus Rogers; "World's Great Men of Color").
Merrick had the ear of the Duke Tobacco extraordinaire and strategically used this personal relationship to solicit philanthropy help from one of the wealthiest tobacco plantation owners in south in order to aid in black economic enterprises such as North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company. Also, Washington Duke’s son James Buchanan Duke and other white philanthropist helped Dr. James E. Shepard (a two term North Carolina Grand Master of Prince Hall Masonic Fraternity) establish North Carolina Central University (formerly the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua) in 1909, the first African American state funded Liberal Arts University. White Rock Baptist Church (founded in 1866) which was once led by Dr. Reverend Mark Miles Fisher perhaps the most influential and prominent black church in Durham yesterday and today, along with Saint Joseph African American Methodist Episcopal Church (founded in 1869), which has always housed the black brain trust of Durham. (Reference: Dorothy Phelps Jones; “The End of an Era’)
African Americans intellectuals and the black political bourgeoisie founded the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People in 1935, one of the most effective political action groups in Durham and perhaps in all of North Carolina; they have over a seventy year continued history and have had a huge political voice in the life of Durham politics. The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black people has lobbied to get black and progressive candidates elected to city, county, state and federal offices. The recent November 4, 2008 election, it was Durham Committee that was instrumental in propelling a little known State Senator named Kate Hagan to the United States Senate defeating veteran U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, a senatorial seat that was once held by the racist and controversial Senator Jesse Helms.
This election symbolically ended four (4) decades of Jesse Helms divisive politics and turned North Carolina from a Red State into a Blue State; newly elected Senator Hagan owes her victory partially to the African American electorate, which she received over 90% of the black vote. Also, North Carolina elected its first female Governor Beverly Purdue, but believe me, these high level politicians courted the Durham Committee for the endorsement of their candidacy. No doubt this political action group possesses political power to sway the electoral process in North Carolina.
Thus, in 2006 Dr. Lavonia Allison, Chairwoman of the organization of Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People who had endorsed incumbent Durham District Attorney Michael Nifong for District Attorney Re-election. DA Nifong was running against a formidable and competent former Assistant District Attorney Freda Black. Assistant D.A. Freda Black worked under former District Attorney Jim Hardin who has since been promoted to a judgeship and next to the Duke University Lacrosse Case they presided over perhaps the largest criminal preceding in the history of Durham, North Carolina—the criminal case of Michael Peterson, a former mayoral candidate and prominent novelist who was also employed by the "Herald-Sun" newspaper, the oldest newspaper in Durham.
Peterson was accused and convicted on October 10 2003 of murdering his wife in their over million dollar mansion by beating her to death with what police described as blowtorch and throwing her down a swirling staircase. This legal case attracted national and international attention and became a very high profile case. It attracted a British news outlet that had shot hours of court proceedings footage for a documentary and even "Life Time" television did a movie based on the Peterson story. Michael Peterson hired a formidable and high powered legal team led my Attorney David Rudolf; they even hired forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee who came to the public eye during the famous O.J. Simpson Trial, which Attorney Johnnie Cochran assembled the legal dream team. Simpson was allegedly accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The Los Angles, California Courts rendered a not guilty verdict against Simpson. (Reference: Michael Eric Dyson: Race: Navigating the Color Line).
Moreover, D.A. Hardin and Assistant D.A. Black presented a case, which the jury agreed that based on all the evidence and the legal standard of an unreasonable doubt, a jury found Peterson guilty of first degree murder of his wife Kathleen Peterson. Durham had never had this type of media coverage—CNN, BBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, Court-TV, TBS, etc., and various cable networks along with a host of newspapers—national and international print media and radio outlets surrounded the Durham County Judicial Building. This was unprecedented in the history of Durham until in March 2006 all hell broke loose with the Duke University Lacrosse Case where an African Americans stripper accused three white defendants who were members of Duke Lacrosse team of sexual assault that took place across the street from Duke University East Campus.
Durham is the home of the highly rated and former two time National Colligate Athletic Association (NCAA ) national champions Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team, which is a National Basketball Association (NBA)—unofficial farm team that is coached by future Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski who is considered a goodwill ambassador for the entire NCAA. The allege sexual assault had upended the squeaky clean reputation and character of one of the most well respected and sought-after academic university in the world and is passionately called the "Ivy League School of the South."
Duke possesses one of the most preeminent medical school programs in America ranked with the likes of Stanford University, and John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. It attracts faculty from around the world, as well as enroll students from all seven continents and has a very active alumni. Duke University by far attracts the upper crust of our society; it perhaps cost over fifty (50) thousand dollars a year in tuition to attend this prestigious learning institute. How dare an African American woman accuse three white students of sexual assault?
After-all this was Duke University, a symbol of power, privilege, class and exemplar center of learning. This writer knew the Durham Police Chief Steve Chalmers and some of the investigators handling the Lacrosse case. The allege victim Crystal Mangum who was a student at North Carolina Central University by day and was a stripper by night. Some believed that District Attorney Michael Nifong who was running for re-election as Durham's D.A. recklessly and in an abuse of office and power used the Duke Lacrosse Case as a political maneuver, which to lock up the African American vote by assuring this segment that he so-called wasn't going to allow race and class to interfere with pursuing justices for the allege accused victim. Nifong who is white and the three Duke University defendants were white and the alleged victim was African American. But Nifong re-election campaign weighed in the balance and some pundits maintained that he desperately needed the black vote to secure a victory and out of political expediency, he indicted the three alleged defendants of rape and sexual assault, which some believe he did not have sufficient criminal evidence to pursue this case. (Reference: Stuart Taylor and KC Johnson; “Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case”).
Some legal experts has argued that Nifong's criminal case from its inception lacked evidence of DNA and the physical evidence was not substantial enough to warrant a criminal indictment of these Defendants. Durham for months was the media center of the world;. It even made the Michael Peterson legal case appear as child's play. Perhaps because it had all the social and political ingredients that create sensationalism—really race and class was fueling this media blitz. All cameras were aimed at Duke University and the social tension was beginning to heighten on both sides. (Reference: Don Yaeger and Mike Pressler; “It's Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered”).
The New Black Panther Party for Self Defense in May 2006 and its charismatic leader brother Malik Zulu Shabazz came to Durham (this writer had the opportunity to sit and talk with Malik Zulu Shabazz and his assistant Hashim Nzinga) and led a peaceful march and demonstration on the campus of Duke University for justice. The black community was divided on the presences of the New Black Panther Party coming to Durham, but many loved Shabazz predecessor, the late Dr. Khallid Abdul Muhammad, the former national spokesman of Minister Louis Farrakhan and Nation of Islam; therefore extending themselves to Shabazz and his group. Bruce Bridges of owner of the Know Book Store in Durham was partially responsible for the New Black Panther Party coming to Durham.
Thus, with all the media attention evolving around this case the grassroots of black Durham had never spoken because the talking heads were acquiescing to Duke University, a symbol of power and privilege and this little poor black alleged rape victim and her powerless community had come up against a formidable institution of wealth. The coverage of the Duke Lacrosse Case was sexist, racist and had misogyny written all over the unbalance converge. This writer is taking this opportunity to speak for the voiceless grassroots.
Duke University has the power and wealth to make things go away and many African Americans felt there were some legal mistakes, but they also knew and understood that Duke University had plenty of money and a long political arm. It was perhaps their influence that led to this case unraveling like it did. Thus, even the North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper's decision to drop all formal charges against the three alleged defendants; it has to be assessed within the dynamics of Duke University power and wealth—having the ability to promote any politician with upwardly ambitions and therefore Cooper's legal decision has to be viewed from that context.
This case in one sense, was more about class than race but that is not to suggest that race wasn't lurking in the midst of this legal unraveling. Many believe that the night in question relative to the alleged sexual assault incident—something did happen and we might never know what that something was. Black women and all women have been victims of inequality subjugation, sexism and sexual violation perpetrated by men, which the jurisprudence and the criminal justice system have not fully overcome gender bias and the good ole boy network. African American women historically were raped and assaulted, and were victims of violence for 310 years under the evil system of Chattel Slavery, in which it was against the law for black men to defend their wives and daughters.
The Duke University Lacrosse Case had a lot of historical and social precedence and in their minds the allege victim Crystal Mangum had no rights, duly bound that required a white man to respect. This history lies just beneath the surface and the Duke University Lacrosse Case personified the historical racial and social injustice of white power—the violence and oppression associated with a paternalistic ideology that has been shielded by privilege and wealth. Duke University, no doubt is a racist institution this writer, is writing as an insider who has had a relationship with this institution for many years and my critique is one that is up close and personal. (Reference: Chip Smith; “The Cost of Privilege: Taking On the System of White Supremacy and Racism”).
Duke University in my opinion, for years had been able to hide under the radar, but for a brief moment the Lacrosse Case exposed their pristine hypocrisy while at same time gave the outside world a look into a society that is divided on class and race. The African American Mayor of Durham William "Bill' Bell and all elected and appointed politicians are puppets of Duke University and all of them are fearful of rendering any real critique of Duke because of the potential of economic and political backlash. For example, Duke University used its enormous influence and power to punish District Attorney Michael Nifong and to set an example for other ambitious adversaries who might consider in the future of contesting Duke's power.
Nifong has been character assassinated and has been publicly ridiculed for daring to come up against this historical great tobacco rich and aristocratic dynastic family institution. The North Carolina Bar Association, which is controlled by Duke eventually, disbarred Nifong stripping him of his law license and ability to earn money. There has been more than a few lawsuits that have been settled and even Nifong himself has been sued in Civil Court. The real winners in the Duke University Lacrosse case have been the lawyers.
This writer also believes the victim Crystal Mangum who resides down the street from where I live, and I believe she was also paid off by Duke. Duke in one sense made her to go away. She has recently published her memoirs titled,”The Last Dance for Grace: The Crystal Mangum Story" and willing to bet you she has been very selective at the advisement of her attorneys about how far she was going to go with telling the story because I am quite sure she had signed a clause with Duke University forbidding her of speaking or writing the truth. But everybody else has made money, why not the alleged victim?
Duke University has gone back to its isolation as a city with in a city and has once again refused to extend itself and reach out to the broader community. Moreover, right after the Duke University Lacrosse Case they were eager to exit their Ivory Tower and showed genuine willingness to constructively use their wealth and privileged to build outside alliances. And breakdown some of the elitist barriers which has caused divisiveness in the community that has led to the characterization, of there is Durham and there is Duke. This writer thinks that the Duke University Lacrosse Case gave us all a perfect teaching moment and an opportunity to learn how the perception of race, wealth and privilege were at best artificial contradictions that had created two societies in Durham.
But after the case became unraveled people hurried back to their comfort zones and those who refuse to acknowledge and accept the lessons of history are doomed to repeat those same lessons. This case in many ways was much bigger than Crystal Mangum the alleged victim because the issues of race, class and gender within the context of American society transcends what happened in March 2006 between a stripper and the alleged three white perpetrators. But where do we as a society go from here to redress the larger grievances and to uproot sexism, racism and class-ism the three prongs that lead to the propensity for human chaos?
Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The United States Foreign Policy: You Can Not Lay Down With a Dog and Not Get Up With Fleas
The United States Foreign Policy: You Can Not Lay Down With a Dog and Not Get Up With Fleas
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
This writer truly can not get over the American people allowing the Federal Reserve and the Central Banks to overtly stick us up for 750 billion dollars in which they first characterized it as bailout package for literally some of the wealthiest banking institutions and investment firms in the history of humanity. I don’t give a damn what name you call it by—rescue package or bailout; it was a ruthless holdup of the American taxpayers. The Freemasons during the first degree work (Entered Apprentice) of the Masonic ritual stripped the neophyte of all metallic substance, cable tow and hoodwink the candidate and you were told to trust in God and follow your guide (this places the neophyte in a vulnerable position). (Reference: Robert Lomas; Turning The Hiram Key).
The American people have been stripped naked of their money, not that the worthless piece papers had any value—these Robber Barons had stolen the true valued metal (money—gold and silver) back in 1913; now that was some real metallic substance and replaced it with Fiat money—a Federal Reserve note and this will soon be replaced by the new currency known as the Amero that is already prepared to be put into circulation. Yes, ignorance is a form of vulnerability and there is none more ignorant than my fellow Americans; in fact they are arrogant in their ignorance. This theft, we can not even called it a theft by deception or a hoodwinking—this crime (the 750 billion dollar bailout), in particular was committed in broad day light, directly before the American people's eyes and the eyes world. (Reference: William Greider; “Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country”).
This writer definitely characterize those low-level operatives (these are front men and window dressing agents) who led this crime—President George Bush, the United States Congress, United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, etc., as cable towing the American people, but do not be duped nor fool they are not the real forces behind pulling the rope/chain of humanity's enslavement. There is some real power behind these puppets. President George Bush has set everything in motion to continue receiving huge financial rewards for generations to come; not that the Bush Clan wasn't already financially secured—they have been tied to oil and energy for a very long time. (Reference: Eustace Mullins; "The Secrets of the Federal Reserve).
President Bush’s mission in part was to place the United States and world on a direct course of globalization and the one World Government trek; now this writer is fully aware that this agenda had been in placed long before President Bush’s appointment, but his work just about completed the process of humanity's enslavement. You have to ask yourself, why was this so-called economic depression and financial meltdown created? Yes, this writer said created or better yet induced; just as all these type crisis are manufactured in the laboratories of the Invisible Rulers. Some of us have been duped into believing that the Vanderbilts, Stanfords, Carnegies, Dukes, and even Bill Gates or better yet Warren Buffett, etc., are the world shot callers and fail to realize these billionaires are powerless front-men who work in the interest of some powerful hidden criminals. (Reference: William Domhoff; “Who Rules America”).
Secretary Henry Paulson and all the others must dance and answer to one tone—Rockefellers. A couple of weeks ago the United States Government nationalized a huge segment of the banking industry by so-called buying stock in private United States banks, but this decision should not be viewed separate and apart from the Federal Reserve or the Central Banks agendas. Thus, the so-called take over of American Bank industry by the U.S. Government was an illusion in order to further dumb down America into believing that the United States Government was working in the interest of the masses as far as resolving these crises, it was just the opposite—this was a luring of the sheep. (Reference: Penny Lernoux “In Banks We Trust”).
The taking over of these financial institutions was another step toward privacy intrusion and further governmental intrusiveness into the lives of American citizens. This bailout set the United States Government on a political and economic course no different than the post cold war Communist nation of Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The bailout and buying stock in private banks is nationalization and a form of socialism, but in this new economic deal the lumpenproletariat gets nothing and is left holding the bag. (Reference: Karl Marx; “The Communist Manifesto”).
This writer heard Senator Obama's Vice President running mate Joe Biden stated within six months as president, Senator Barack Obama's leadership is going to be tested. This is what Senator Biden actually stated: "Mark my words, the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."
Did Senator Biden know something and/or was he perhaps privy to information as a long term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and a Bilderberger member or had he received some information from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)? These powerful organizations and their Dynastic Family leaders have power and influence to create artificial crisis and no doubt Senator Biden was aware of this. Senator Biden made this comment with such authority and definitiveness; if anybody knows how the above Power Elite organizations operate, it would be Biden. He knows after thirty-five (35) years of involvement with these groups that they do have the ability to induce artificial crisis—to punish and reward humanity at their discretion, as well as, increase their wealth and global control over the affairs of humanity. Their power and influence is real. (Reference: Daniel Estulin: “The True Story of the Bilderberg Group”).
Bush is going to hand this mess over the next president and as bad as the economy appears to be the Invisible Power Brokers have the ability at the snap of a finger to turn this economy back on a positive spin and make their next appointed servant appear as a political genius sent from heaven. If you do not know let me inform you neither Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain had the power to change the United States and the world's economic woes. These type decisions are out of their control and way beyond their pay grades. No, window dressing politician has an economic plan that can resolve this matter unless it is prior approved by the Central Banks, Federal Reserve and most importantly sanctioned by the various Dynastic Families. (Reference: Gary Allen and Larry Abraham; “None Dare Call it Conspiracy”)
This writer was watching ABC talk show "The View" which he seldom watches, but from time to time, he does watch the show with his wife because she enjoys the show. Last week one of the hosts Elizabeth Hasselbeck was criticizing Senator Barack Obama which she often does and not that he should be placed above critique. But Elizabeth Hasselbeck some times says some ignorant and reactionary comments that are very rightwing in nature. Thus, on this particular occasion she was criticizing Senator Obama for his willingness to sit and talk with America's so-called enemies whom she describes them as dictators. Hasselbeck was actually repeating the political sentiments of Senator John McCain by stating his refusal to sit and talk with America's foreign enemies unless there were some established pre-conditions.Thus, even the thought of this, is a compromise of a nation's right to sovereignty and independence and self-determination. This type of foreign policy agenda is imperialistic and designed to stack the deck—which negates a two-way conversation between two sovereign nations. Hasselbeck's comments are tied to the culture of fear that was personified best under the Bush Administration and in her ignorant mind and worldview America has this divine right to impose her will on other nations and people.
This writer thinks that talk diplomacy is a good political strategy and a refreshing start and perhaps a welcoming position in the international community based on two wars—Iraq and Afghanistan that the Bush Administration has waged in the Middle East and Central Asia, which United States Foreign Policy has isolated a large segment of the Middle East due to its reactionary foreign policy.This writer wonders, what would be the preconditions that the United States Government would impose on other sovereign leaders and governments who disagrees with United States Foreign Policy? But this is the type of political arrogance, which has served to isolate the United States under George Bush for the last eight (8) years. No, sovereign head of state or leader should have to sign to a set of preconditions before he/she is allowed an official audience with the Executive Branch of the United States Government.
This writer thinks in that regard, President-Elect Obama should be applauded for viewing the world from a common sense approach and not be totally swayed by the ideology of the past Military Industrial Complex agenda that was inspired by a war monger. The United States Government is spending over ten (10) billion dollars a month on the Iraq war which has weighed heavy on the economy of United States and its people. This war clearly perhaps only had one real agenda which was stealing oil, but President Bush and former British Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair sold the world a false bill of goods—convincing the ignorant masses that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to world security and this alone gave justification for the Invisible Rulers to rip off the nation of Iraq's oil wealth. (Reference: Scott McClellan; “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception”).
Bush was led into these wars at the orders and dictates of The seven OIL SISTERS—Exxon, Mobil, British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, Standard Oil, Texaco, Gulf (As of 2005, the surviving companies are ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, now members of the "supermajors" group) (a corporate conglomerate and oil monopoly that rule the world with complete sovereignty); it was recorded just last month ExxonMobile in one quarter grossed fourteen (14) billion dollars in oil revenues. The Iraq War was never about ridding the Middle Eastern region of an allege dictator in Saddam Hussein whom the Bush Administration depicted as a "made man" and worst yet alleged that Iraq had acquired technology to manufacture Weapons of Mass Destruction in which it was also further alleged that Hussein had political aspirations of imposing his military will on the entire oil rich Middle Eastern Region.
This rhetoric was kind of strange because from 1979-1986 the United States Government via the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United Stated Department of Defense, U.S. State Department and our U.S. Military Apparatus had unconditionally armed Hussein and Iraq against the Ayatollah Rullah Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution. The United States and Israel had armed Saddam Hussein with germ, chemical, and biological warfare arsenals which he used against the Shia Islamic nation of Iran to kill millions of innocent Muslim a crossed his borders in name of United States and Israeli interest. (Reference: Ralph W. McGhee; “Deadly Deceits My Twenty-Five Years in The CIA”).
Hussein was a hired reactionary gun and a ruthless C.I.A agent who sold his soul to the devil and in the early 1990s he had developed amnesia and forgot who had empowered him and made him the dictator that he was. My grandparents had an old dictum that went something like this "boy do not get to big for your Breeches" interpreted to mean do not allow your ego to cause you to lose sight of reality. The ex-C.I.A. director Herbert Walker Bush (President Bush 1) made Hussein and gave him his mission. Hussein began to flex his muscles and had forgotten Bush was his boss and this is what led to Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. (Reference: Ralph W. McGhee; “Deadly Deceits My Twenty-Five Years in The CIA”).
The CIA had ran pipelines from Kuwait with the purpose of tapping into Iraq's Oil unbeknown to Hussein and U.S. had been stealing Iraqi Oil from across border without given him his financial cut; but eventually Hussein discovered that President Herbert Walker Bush had betrayed him. Thus, there is no honor amongst thieves. President Bush's decision to declare war on Iraq was about further securing the Invisible Rulers interest in the short term and long term because they could no longer trust their long time confidante and agent ally in Saddam Hussein who had begun to show ambitions far beyond what the CIA considered allowable.However, Hussein made the Seven Oil Sisters huge amounts of oil profits; after all he controlled the second largest oil reserve in the world the Ramallah oil fields. But at the same time he was selling oil to the Zionist State of Israel, while at the same time giving the appearance that he stood with the oppressed Palestinian people and Yassir Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO); he led on that he was in solidarity with the President Hafiz Assad of Syria and was so-called even sympathetic to Lebanon and Hezbollah.
The United States Foreign Policy for the last four (4) years relative to Iraq has been strictly motivated by the obligation to ensure that the Invisible Rulers continue to reap huge oil returns on the their military investment and agreed pact with the reactionary ruling class of Baghdad. These ruthless vipers do not give damn about the billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers money they are spending per month to further enrich the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, DeBeers, Oppenhemiers, Morgans, etc. The Iraq war and those who set the agenda knew all along that Hussein did not posed an eminent danger to anyone; the CIA and the Israeli Mossad knew his military capability because they had sold him the majority of the weapons he had in his arsenal. (Reference: Andy Stern: “Oil: From Rockefeller to Iraq and Beyond”).
The propaganda machines showed us these gruesome and inhumane images of Kurdish people to the north in Iraq that had been killed by chemical and biological warfare. But no one shed a tear for these same inhumane tactics that Saddam Hussein had implored against Shia Muslims of Iran for over seven (7) years. The silence stood as a justification because Hussein was killing in the interest of the United States and Israel; thus, the Iranian Muslims were viewed as being expendable, but this is the kind of hypocrisy and double standard that exist in Middle East politics even to this day.
The United States was angered by Imam Khomeini in 1979 nationalization of the Iranian oil, which the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919-1980) was so deep in bed with the Seven Oil Sisters neither of these entities could had ever envisioned that in 1979 it all would come tumbling down by Allah's permission. Let’s get real for one moment and stop listening to United States propaganda which keeps humanity deceived and clueless about how this world really functions. You can put all the Islamic Nations together and guest what; they still would not have the military and technological capacities of the Zionist State of Israel. So what this writer is expressing to you, no Arab State poses a danger to Israel this notion is only a media inspired myth. (Reference: James M. Day; “What Every American Should Know About The Mid East Oil”).
This type of propaganda is designed to create fear and uncertainty and it has compromised for over fifty (50) years the possibilities of a true Palestinian and Israeli peace solution that is based on freedom, justice and equality; there can not be any double standards in this discussion, if Jews and Muslims are looking for a solution to the war-conflict that has devastated peoples and land—the only thing left is honesty and to establish what is just in order to end human suffering on both sides. The land belongs to God. The Zionist State of Israel when it comes to military might is the one that walk's with a big stick in the Middle East. Thus, the United States tax dollars has armed this nation with some of the most sophisticated weapons and technology to be found any place in the world. (Reference: Jimmy Carter: “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”).
The United States Government (Democrats and Republicans) has been spewing the same illogical and reactionary propaganda that got us in this mess in Iraq, it is now being aimed at Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; they constantly uses these double standard arguments over and over again. This writer guess, if you have the bigger guns and control all the medium outlets, you ultimately have the ability to shape and mold world policy to your appeal. Who can make war with the Beast other than God Himself?This writer truly misses the pen and thinking of William Cooper, author of "Behold A Pale Horse" who the United States Government agents assassinated (murdered in cold blood) in Arizona just prior to the 9/11 hoax because they could not have a dissident voice like Cooper analyzing and dissecting their lies and tricks.
This brings me to the Presidential election of November 4, 2008 in which the United States citizens after 200 years elected its first African American President and Commander-in-Chief in Barack Obama. This writer was watching CNN news and at some point Wolfe Blitzer said lets cut across the chase, Senator Barack Obama has won the Presidential election of the United States of America. This election meant a lot of things to so many people, in particular to African Americans, a historical oppressed people who just forty-three (43) years ago received full rights to citizenship with the 1964 Civil Rights Bill and 1965 Voting Rights Bill. President-Elect Barack Obama to them represented a symbol of progress and hope after surviving 310 years of Chattel Slavery (with no retribution) and over sixty (60) years being under racist system of Jim Crow. (Reference: Randall Robinson; “The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks”).
Many Blacks cried and celebrated and viewed President-Elect Obama election as the greatest indication that their past Civil Rights struggles for justice and equality was not in vain. But as the media cameras scanned the world, people in foreign nations were equally jubilated and excited that the American citizens had spoken and chosen a junior Senator from Illinois that campaigned on change had won the highest office in the world. They too felt a sense of optimism. The world applauded and they too welcomed a change after eight (8) years of President George Bush, an administration that had isolated the international community based on the two unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a foreign policy that was based on arrogance and isolation. The American people did not desire to elect Senator John McCain who could never distinguish himself from President Bush's govern philosophy and ideology.
The American people and global community did not want another war monger as our Commander-in-Chief.President-Elect Obama is in similar position that President George Bush was in on September 12, 2001 (right after to the 9/11 hoax), when the world was at his disposal and the global community was prepared to be led by President Bush and the United States. The world was looking for a moral direction and a level of humanity, perhaps from the greatest modern nation on the planet earth, but President Bush’s ill-informed arrogance and failure to seized the moment led to a squandering of a positive period to his personal history and the world’s perception of the United States became compromised by America’s negative Foreign Policy positions. President-Elect Obama is in a great position to offer America and the world moral direction and a new and refreshing direction toward Foreign Policy initiatives. He literally has the world in his hands and the question is how will he handle this unique timing in the history of the world, which has been placed in his hands. Will he pursue a just course of political action or will he squander this unique opportunity to free America from the perception of tyranny, greed, and imperialism and use this opportunity to build a global consensus and lead by a better moral compass than previous United States Administrations.
This writer was more symbolically concerned about whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama had won the State of North Carolina because this State had not been carried by a Democratic Presidential candidate since President Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976. This was important because the former racist Senator Jesse Helms had influenced a reactionary racist political mood in the State of North Carolina for over forty (40) years and with Obama winning North Carolina brought a closure to the dark political era of the late Senator Jesse Helms. This writer applauded this more so than the selection of President-Elect Barack Obama.
But this writer also became equally bothered by President-Elect Obama choosing Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel as his Chief of Staff and top political advisor; this political appointment automatically warrants suspicion because Congressman Emanuel who is Jewish which for me that is not a problem, but Congressman Emanuel politics and Foreign Policy positions do represent a problem. He is a Zionist with strong pro-Israeli affiliations and has been an unapologetic lobbyist for the State of Israel. The pundits have been secretly critical of President-Elect Obama’s relationship and political ties to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) arguably the most powerful pro-Israel Lobby in the world and some believe that AIPAC financed President-Elect Barack Obama’s political ascension and he owes his presidential victory to AIPAC and the Jews. Some has gone as far as to calling him the first Jewish President of the United State of America. For example, how will Emanuel's Chief of Staff position influence President-Elect Barack Obama's Foreign Policy outlook, in particular in the volatile Middle East?(Reference: Nation of Islam Historical Research Department; “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews”).
Rabbi Michael Lerner in article titled, “Rahm Emanuel is no reason for hope or celebration” dated November 7, 2008 published on-line stated, “This was no mistake on Emanuel’s part. Rahm Emanuel has a long history of militarist ideology behind him. His father was a member of the ultra-right- wing terrorist organization Etzel that killed British civilians as part of their anti-British struggle in Palestine in the 1940s. Emanuel, himself a citizen of Israel as well as the United States, has been one of several Congressional leaders enforcing the Israel Lobby consensus on the Democrats, in the process shutting out the peace voices that believe Israel’s security would be better served by the U.S. putting pressure on Israel to end the Occupation, move the Wall to inside the pre-67 boundaries, and remove the settlers from the West Bank or tell them to live there as Palestinian citizens.”
“It’s not just the pro-peace and reconciliation forces that are unlikely to be given a serious hearing in a White House in which Rahm Emanuel controls who gets to talk to the President. Emanuel will almost certainly be protecting Obama from all of us spiritual progressives and those of us who describe ourselves as the Religious Left-so that our commitment to single-payer universal health care, carbon taxes for environmental protection, a Homeland Security strategy based on generosity and implemented through a Global Marshall Plan, will be unlikely to get a serious hearing in the White House.”
Could and would Emanuel objectively advise President-Elect Obama on the best Foreign Policy approach relative to Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who the Israelis are constantly declaring this powerless Shia Islamic nation is a threat to their national security. Will Emanuel’s Zionist political aspirations lead the United States into another war, this time with Iran all in the name of defending Israel’s so-called right to exist. Emanuel's appointment does not give any room for optimism toward a new U.S. Foreign Policy agenda because often their dual citizenship status and oaths render them more loyal to Israel than the United States. President-Elect Obama does not understand this and will these same reactionary forces once again will be driving the U.S. Foreign Policy. How will Congress Rahm Emanuel advise President-Elect Obama on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as far as advocating equally and impartially for the Arabs and the Israelis? This is a dangerous appointment with far reaching negative political implications, but if you have been made blind, death and dumb to knowledge of self this appointment will go right over your head. (Reference: John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy).
Rabbi Michael Lerner further stated, “When these issues were avoided by Obama during the campaign, most of us spiritual progressives told ourselves, He’s just being political, but once elected he’ll reveal himself committed to the values that he whispered into our ears privately over the course of the past many years. The Rahm Emanuel selection is an early warning that the peace and justice agenda dropped by Obama after he won the Democratic nomination may be permanently on hold, and the progressives themselves may have to settle for access and flowery words at an inauguration address rather than the substance of change. For many of us, just the fact of having a brilliant young black man in the White House will be such a healing experience that we wont care about this newly emerging reality: unless Obama creates some other path to access and to public input into his policies by those of us who helped build his electoral success, or unless we organize to do so outside the framework of his campaign organization, we may be in for lots of disappointments.”
Then these same people will tell our brother that it is not politically expedient for President-Elect Obama to meet and talk with Father Michael Pfleger, Reverend Jeremiah Wright or Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, but is perfectly okay to meet and talk with Zionist. This writer thinks Father Michael Pfleger, Reverend Wright and Minister Farrakhan are bold truth tellers and I just find myself agreeing with their political positions. Black people off the record see this double standard and foolishness and the world sees this hypocrisy. President-Elect Obama is also in consultation with former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker; Central Banker extraordinaire for a possible Cabinet position and so it is getting more and more clearer who will be running the United States Government. Thus, the old faces and names that have always appeared throughout human history or at least since their arrival on the planet are showing up in great numbers in Obama’s cabinet. Do not get angry with the messenger for delivering the message and for pointing out that some damn body has a stranglehold on humanity. (Reference: Tony Martin: “The Jewish Onslaught: Dispatches from the Wellesley Battlefront) Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for
KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
This writer truly can not get over the American people allowing the Federal Reserve and the Central Banks to overtly stick us up for 750 billion dollars in which they first characterized it as bailout package for literally some of the wealthiest banking institutions and investment firms in the history of humanity. I don’t give a damn what name you call it by—rescue package or bailout; it was a ruthless holdup of the American taxpayers. The Freemasons during the first degree work (Entered Apprentice) of the Masonic ritual stripped the neophyte of all metallic substance, cable tow and hoodwink the candidate and you were told to trust in God and follow your guide (this places the neophyte in a vulnerable position). (Reference: Robert Lomas; Turning The Hiram Key).
The American people have been stripped naked of their money, not that the worthless piece papers had any value—these Robber Barons had stolen the true valued metal (money—gold and silver) back in 1913; now that was some real metallic substance and replaced it with Fiat money—a Federal Reserve note and this will soon be replaced by the new currency known as the Amero that is already prepared to be put into circulation. Yes, ignorance is a form of vulnerability and there is none more ignorant than my fellow Americans; in fact they are arrogant in their ignorance. This theft, we can not even called it a theft by deception or a hoodwinking—this crime (the 750 billion dollar bailout), in particular was committed in broad day light, directly before the American people's eyes and the eyes world. (Reference: William Greider; “Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country”).
This writer definitely characterize those low-level operatives (these are front men and window dressing agents) who led this crime—President George Bush, the United States Congress, United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, etc., as cable towing the American people, but do not be duped nor fool they are not the real forces behind pulling the rope/chain of humanity's enslavement. There is some real power behind these puppets. President George Bush has set everything in motion to continue receiving huge financial rewards for generations to come; not that the Bush Clan wasn't already financially secured—they have been tied to oil and energy for a very long time. (Reference: Eustace Mullins; "The Secrets of the Federal Reserve).
President Bush’s mission in part was to place the United States and world on a direct course of globalization and the one World Government trek; now this writer is fully aware that this agenda had been in placed long before President Bush’s appointment, but his work just about completed the process of humanity's enslavement. You have to ask yourself, why was this so-called economic depression and financial meltdown created? Yes, this writer said created or better yet induced; just as all these type crisis are manufactured in the laboratories of the Invisible Rulers. Some of us have been duped into believing that the Vanderbilts, Stanfords, Carnegies, Dukes, and even Bill Gates or better yet Warren Buffett, etc., are the world shot callers and fail to realize these billionaires are powerless front-men who work in the interest of some powerful hidden criminals. (Reference: William Domhoff; “Who Rules America”).
Secretary Henry Paulson and all the others must dance and answer to one tone—Rockefellers. A couple of weeks ago the United States Government nationalized a huge segment of the banking industry by so-called buying stock in private United States banks, but this decision should not be viewed separate and apart from the Federal Reserve or the Central Banks agendas. Thus, the so-called take over of American Bank industry by the U.S. Government was an illusion in order to further dumb down America into believing that the United States Government was working in the interest of the masses as far as resolving these crises, it was just the opposite—this was a luring of the sheep. (Reference: Penny Lernoux “In Banks We Trust”).
The taking over of these financial institutions was another step toward privacy intrusion and further governmental intrusiveness into the lives of American citizens. This bailout set the United States Government on a political and economic course no different than the post cold war Communist nation of Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The bailout and buying stock in private banks is nationalization and a form of socialism, but in this new economic deal the lumpenproletariat gets nothing and is left holding the bag. (Reference: Karl Marx; “The Communist Manifesto”).
This writer heard Senator Obama's Vice President running mate Joe Biden stated within six months as president, Senator Barack Obama's leadership is going to be tested. This is what Senator Biden actually stated: "Mark my words, the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."
Did Senator Biden know something and/or was he perhaps privy to information as a long term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and a Bilderberger member or had he received some information from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)? These powerful organizations and their Dynastic Family leaders have power and influence to create artificial crisis and no doubt Senator Biden was aware of this. Senator Biden made this comment with such authority and definitiveness; if anybody knows how the above Power Elite organizations operate, it would be Biden. He knows after thirty-five (35) years of involvement with these groups that they do have the ability to induce artificial crisis—to punish and reward humanity at their discretion, as well as, increase their wealth and global control over the affairs of humanity. Their power and influence is real. (Reference: Daniel Estulin: “The True Story of the Bilderberg Group”).
Bush is going to hand this mess over the next president and as bad as the economy appears to be the Invisible Power Brokers have the ability at the snap of a finger to turn this economy back on a positive spin and make their next appointed servant appear as a political genius sent from heaven. If you do not know let me inform you neither Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain had the power to change the United States and the world's economic woes. These type decisions are out of their control and way beyond their pay grades. No, window dressing politician has an economic plan that can resolve this matter unless it is prior approved by the Central Banks, Federal Reserve and most importantly sanctioned by the various Dynastic Families. (Reference: Gary Allen and Larry Abraham; “None Dare Call it Conspiracy”)
This writer was watching ABC talk show "The View" which he seldom watches, but from time to time, he does watch the show with his wife because she enjoys the show. Last week one of the hosts Elizabeth Hasselbeck was criticizing Senator Barack Obama which she often does and not that he should be placed above critique. But Elizabeth Hasselbeck some times says some ignorant and reactionary comments that are very rightwing in nature. Thus, on this particular occasion she was criticizing Senator Obama for his willingness to sit and talk with America's so-called enemies whom she describes them as dictators. Hasselbeck was actually repeating the political sentiments of Senator John McCain by stating his refusal to sit and talk with America's foreign enemies unless there were some established pre-conditions.Thus, even the thought of this, is a compromise of a nation's right to sovereignty and independence and self-determination. This type of foreign policy agenda is imperialistic and designed to stack the deck—which negates a two-way conversation between two sovereign nations. Hasselbeck's comments are tied to the culture of fear that was personified best under the Bush Administration and in her ignorant mind and worldview America has this divine right to impose her will on other nations and people.
This writer thinks that talk diplomacy is a good political strategy and a refreshing start and perhaps a welcoming position in the international community based on two wars—Iraq and Afghanistan that the Bush Administration has waged in the Middle East and Central Asia, which United States Foreign Policy has isolated a large segment of the Middle East due to its reactionary foreign policy.This writer wonders, what would be the preconditions that the United States Government would impose on other sovereign leaders and governments who disagrees with United States Foreign Policy? But this is the type of political arrogance, which has served to isolate the United States under George Bush for the last eight (8) years. No, sovereign head of state or leader should have to sign to a set of preconditions before he/she is allowed an official audience with the Executive Branch of the United States Government.
This writer thinks in that regard, President-Elect Obama should be applauded for viewing the world from a common sense approach and not be totally swayed by the ideology of the past Military Industrial Complex agenda that was inspired by a war monger. The United States Government is spending over ten (10) billion dollars a month on the Iraq war which has weighed heavy on the economy of United States and its people. This war clearly perhaps only had one real agenda which was stealing oil, but President Bush and former British Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair sold the world a false bill of goods—convincing the ignorant masses that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to world security and this alone gave justification for the Invisible Rulers to rip off the nation of Iraq's oil wealth. (Reference: Scott McClellan; “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception”).
Bush was led into these wars at the orders and dictates of The seven OIL SISTERS—Exxon, Mobil, British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, Standard Oil, Texaco, Gulf (As of 2005, the surviving companies are ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, now members of the "supermajors" group) (a corporate conglomerate and oil monopoly that rule the world with complete sovereignty); it was recorded just last month ExxonMobile in one quarter grossed fourteen (14) billion dollars in oil revenues. The Iraq War was never about ridding the Middle Eastern region of an allege dictator in Saddam Hussein whom the Bush Administration depicted as a "made man" and worst yet alleged that Iraq had acquired technology to manufacture Weapons of Mass Destruction in which it was also further alleged that Hussein had political aspirations of imposing his military will on the entire oil rich Middle Eastern Region.
This rhetoric was kind of strange because from 1979-1986 the United States Government via the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), United Stated Department of Defense, U.S. State Department and our U.S. Military Apparatus had unconditionally armed Hussein and Iraq against the Ayatollah Rullah Khomeini and the Iranian Revolution. The United States and Israel had armed Saddam Hussein with germ, chemical, and biological warfare arsenals which he used against the Shia Islamic nation of Iran to kill millions of innocent Muslim a crossed his borders in name of United States and Israeli interest. (Reference: Ralph W. McGhee; “Deadly Deceits My Twenty-Five Years in The CIA”).
Hussein was a hired reactionary gun and a ruthless C.I.A agent who sold his soul to the devil and in the early 1990s he had developed amnesia and forgot who had empowered him and made him the dictator that he was. My grandparents had an old dictum that went something like this "boy do not get to big for your Breeches" interpreted to mean do not allow your ego to cause you to lose sight of reality. The ex-C.I.A. director Herbert Walker Bush (President Bush 1) made Hussein and gave him his mission. Hussein began to flex his muscles and had forgotten Bush was his boss and this is what led to Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. (Reference: Ralph W. McGhee; “Deadly Deceits My Twenty-Five Years in The CIA”).
The CIA had ran pipelines from Kuwait with the purpose of tapping into Iraq's Oil unbeknown to Hussein and U.S. had been stealing Iraqi Oil from across border without given him his financial cut; but eventually Hussein discovered that President Herbert Walker Bush had betrayed him. Thus, there is no honor amongst thieves. President Bush's decision to declare war on Iraq was about further securing the Invisible Rulers interest in the short term and long term because they could no longer trust their long time confidante and agent ally in Saddam Hussein who had begun to show ambitions far beyond what the CIA considered allowable.However, Hussein made the Seven Oil Sisters huge amounts of oil profits; after all he controlled the second largest oil reserve in the world the Ramallah oil fields. But at the same time he was selling oil to the Zionist State of Israel, while at the same time giving the appearance that he stood with the oppressed Palestinian people and Yassir Arafat and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO); he led on that he was in solidarity with the President Hafiz Assad of Syria and was so-called even sympathetic to Lebanon and Hezbollah.
The United States Foreign Policy for the last four (4) years relative to Iraq has been strictly motivated by the obligation to ensure that the Invisible Rulers continue to reap huge oil returns on the their military investment and agreed pact with the reactionary ruling class of Baghdad. These ruthless vipers do not give damn about the billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers money they are spending per month to further enrich the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, DeBeers, Oppenhemiers, Morgans, etc. The Iraq war and those who set the agenda knew all along that Hussein did not posed an eminent danger to anyone; the CIA and the Israeli Mossad knew his military capability because they had sold him the majority of the weapons he had in his arsenal. (Reference: Andy Stern: “Oil: From Rockefeller to Iraq and Beyond”).
The propaganda machines showed us these gruesome and inhumane images of Kurdish people to the north in Iraq that had been killed by chemical and biological warfare. But no one shed a tear for these same inhumane tactics that Saddam Hussein had implored against Shia Muslims of Iran for over seven (7) years. The silence stood as a justification because Hussein was killing in the interest of the United States and Israel; thus, the Iranian Muslims were viewed as being expendable, but this is the kind of hypocrisy and double standard that exist in Middle East politics even to this day.
The United States was angered by Imam Khomeini in 1979 nationalization of the Iranian oil, which the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (1919-1980) was so deep in bed with the Seven Oil Sisters neither of these entities could had ever envisioned that in 1979 it all would come tumbling down by Allah's permission. Let’s get real for one moment and stop listening to United States propaganda which keeps humanity deceived and clueless about how this world really functions. You can put all the Islamic Nations together and guest what; they still would not have the military and technological capacities of the Zionist State of Israel. So what this writer is expressing to you, no Arab State poses a danger to Israel this notion is only a media inspired myth. (Reference: James M. Day; “What Every American Should Know About The Mid East Oil”).
This type of propaganda is designed to create fear and uncertainty and it has compromised for over fifty (50) years the possibilities of a true Palestinian and Israeli peace solution that is based on freedom, justice and equality; there can not be any double standards in this discussion, if Jews and Muslims are looking for a solution to the war-conflict that has devastated peoples and land—the only thing left is honesty and to establish what is just in order to end human suffering on both sides. The land belongs to God. The Zionist State of Israel when it comes to military might is the one that walk's with a big stick in the Middle East. Thus, the United States tax dollars has armed this nation with some of the most sophisticated weapons and technology to be found any place in the world. (Reference: Jimmy Carter: “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”).
The United States Government (Democrats and Republicans) has been spewing the same illogical and reactionary propaganda that got us in this mess in Iraq, it is now being aimed at Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; they constantly uses these double standard arguments over and over again. This writer guess, if you have the bigger guns and control all the medium outlets, you ultimately have the ability to shape and mold world policy to your appeal. Who can make war with the Beast other than God Himself?This writer truly misses the pen and thinking of William Cooper, author of "Behold A Pale Horse" who the United States Government agents assassinated (murdered in cold blood) in Arizona just prior to the 9/11 hoax because they could not have a dissident voice like Cooper analyzing and dissecting their lies and tricks.
This brings me to the Presidential election of November 4, 2008 in which the United States citizens after 200 years elected its first African American President and Commander-in-Chief in Barack Obama. This writer was watching CNN news and at some point Wolfe Blitzer said lets cut across the chase, Senator Barack Obama has won the Presidential election of the United States of America. This election meant a lot of things to so many people, in particular to African Americans, a historical oppressed people who just forty-three (43) years ago received full rights to citizenship with the 1964 Civil Rights Bill and 1965 Voting Rights Bill. President-Elect Barack Obama to them represented a symbol of progress and hope after surviving 310 years of Chattel Slavery (with no retribution) and over sixty (60) years being under racist system of Jim Crow. (Reference: Randall Robinson; “The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks”).
Many Blacks cried and celebrated and viewed President-Elect Obama election as the greatest indication that their past Civil Rights struggles for justice and equality was not in vain. But as the media cameras scanned the world, people in foreign nations were equally jubilated and excited that the American citizens had spoken and chosen a junior Senator from Illinois that campaigned on change had won the highest office in the world. They too felt a sense of optimism. The world applauded and they too welcomed a change after eight (8) years of President George Bush, an administration that had isolated the international community based on the two unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a foreign policy that was based on arrogance and isolation. The American people did not desire to elect Senator John McCain who could never distinguish himself from President Bush's govern philosophy and ideology.
The American people and global community did not want another war monger as our Commander-in-Chief.President-Elect Obama is in similar position that President George Bush was in on September 12, 2001 (right after to the 9/11 hoax), when the world was at his disposal and the global community was prepared to be led by President Bush and the United States. The world was looking for a moral direction and a level of humanity, perhaps from the greatest modern nation on the planet earth, but President Bush’s ill-informed arrogance and failure to seized the moment led to a squandering of a positive period to his personal history and the world’s perception of the United States became compromised by America’s negative Foreign Policy positions. President-Elect Obama is in a great position to offer America and the world moral direction and a new and refreshing direction toward Foreign Policy initiatives. He literally has the world in his hands and the question is how will he handle this unique timing in the history of the world, which has been placed in his hands. Will he pursue a just course of political action or will he squander this unique opportunity to free America from the perception of tyranny, greed, and imperialism and use this opportunity to build a global consensus and lead by a better moral compass than previous United States Administrations.
This writer was more symbolically concerned about whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama had won the State of North Carolina because this State had not been carried by a Democratic Presidential candidate since President Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976. This was important because the former racist Senator Jesse Helms had influenced a reactionary racist political mood in the State of North Carolina for over forty (40) years and with Obama winning North Carolina brought a closure to the dark political era of the late Senator Jesse Helms. This writer applauded this more so than the selection of President-Elect Barack Obama.
But this writer also became equally bothered by President-Elect Obama choosing Congressman Rahm Israel Emanuel as his Chief of Staff and top political advisor; this political appointment automatically warrants suspicion because Congressman Emanuel who is Jewish which for me that is not a problem, but Congressman Emanuel politics and Foreign Policy positions do represent a problem. He is a Zionist with strong pro-Israeli affiliations and has been an unapologetic lobbyist for the State of Israel. The pundits have been secretly critical of President-Elect Obama’s relationship and political ties to American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) arguably the most powerful pro-Israel Lobby in the world and some believe that AIPAC financed President-Elect Barack Obama’s political ascension and he owes his presidential victory to AIPAC and the Jews. Some has gone as far as to calling him the first Jewish President of the United State of America. For example, how will Emanuel's Chief of Staff position influence President-Elect Barack Obama's Foreign Policy outlook, in particular in the volatile Middle East?(Reference: Nation of Islam Historical Research Department; “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews”).
Rabbi Michael Lerner in article titled, “Rahm Emanuel is no reason for hope or celebration” dated November 7, 2008 published on-line stated, “This was no mistake on Emanuel’s part. Rahm Emanuel has a long history of militarist ideology behind him. His father was a member of the ultra-right- wing terrorist organization Etzel that killed British civilians as part of their anti-British struggle in Palestine in the 1940s. Emanuel, himself a citizen of Israel as well as the United States, has been one of several Congressional leaders enforcing the Israel Lobby consensus on the Democrats, in the process shutting out the peace voices that believe Israel’s security would be better served by the U.S. putting pressure on Israel to end the Occupation, move the Wall to inside the pre-67 boundaries, and remove the settlers from the West Bank or tell them to live there as Palestinian citizens.”
“It’s not just the pro-peace and reconciliation forces that are unlikely to be given a serious hearing in a White House in which Rahm Emanuel controls who gets to talk to the President. Emanuel will almost certainly be protecting Obama from all of us spiritual progressives and those of us who describe ourselves as the Religious Left-so that our commitment to single-payer universal health care, carbon taxes for environmental protection, a Homeland Security strategy based on generosity and implemented through a Global Marshall Plan, will be unlikely to get a serious hearing in the White House.”
Could and would Emanuel objectively advise President-Elect Obama on the best Foreign Policy approach relative to Iran and its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who the Israelis are constantly declaring this powerless Shia Islamic nation is a threat to their national security. Will Emanuel’s Zionist political aspirations lead the United States into another war, this time with Iran all in the name of defending Israel’s so-called right to exist. Emanuel's appointment does not give any room for optimism toward a new U.S. Foreign Policy agenda because often their dual citizenship status and oaths render them more loyal to Israel than the United States. President-Elect Obama does not understand this and will these same reactionary forces once again will be driving the U.S. Foreign Policy. How will Congress Rahm Emanuel advise President-Elect Obama on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as far as advocating equally and impartially for the Arabs and the Israelis? This is a dangerous appointment with far reaching negative political implications, but if you have been made blind, death and dumb to knowledge of self this appointment will go right over your head. (Reference: John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy).
Rabbi Michael Lerner further stated, “When these issues were avoided by Obama during the campaign, most of us spiritual progressives told ourselves, He’s just being political, but once elected he’ll reveal himself committed to the values that he whispered into our ears privately over the course of the past many years. The Rahm Emanuel selection is an early warning that the peace and justice agenda dropped by Obama after he won the Democratic nomination may be permanently on hold, and the progressives themselves may have to settle for access and flowery words at an inauguration address rather than the substance of change. For many of us, just the fact of having a brilliant young black man in the White House will be such a healing experience that we wont care about this newly emerging reality: unless Obama creates some other path to access and to public input into his policies by those of us who helped build his electoral success, or unless we organize to do so outside the framework of his campaign organization, we may be in for lots of disappointments.”
Then these same people will tell our brother that it is not politically expedient for President-Elect Obama to meet and talk with Father Michael Pfleger, Reverend Jeremiah Wright or Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, but is perfectly okay to meet and talk with Zionist. This writer thinks Father Michael Pfleger, Reverend Wright and Minister Farrakhan are bold truth tellers and I just find myself agreeing with their political positions. Black people off the record see this double standard and foolishness and the world sees this hypocrisy. President-Elect Obama is also in consultation with former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker; Central Banker extraordinaire for a possible Cabinet position and so it is getting more and more clearer who will be running the United States Government. Thus, the old faces and names that have always appeared throughout human history or at least since their arrival on the planet are showing up in great numbers in Obama’s cabinet. Do not get angry with the messenger for delivering the message and for pointing out that some damn body has a stranglehold on humanity. (Reference: Tony Martin: “The Jewish Onslaught: Dispatches from the Wellesley Battlefront) Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for
KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Culture and Humanity: Learned Behavior the Basis of Human Conflict
Culture and Humanity: Learned Behavior the Basis of Human Conflict
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
What is culture? And does culture ultimately fuels divisiveness, as opposed to cohesiveness and unity, which is transmitted via a systematic structure—involving folklore, mores, values, customs, rituals, traditions, etc., and from this, society adopts learned behavior. Most sociologists simply define culture as being learned behavior. This means for the most part that predetermined genetic coding is being cast aside and our environment perhaps is being taunted and viewed as having the greatest influence on human development, as far as determining psychological and sociological orientation. Sociologist defines culture as, “consisting of all the shared products of human society. These products are of two basic kinds, material and non-material. Material culture consists of all the artifacts or physical objects, human beings create and give meaning to—wheels, clothing, schools, factories, cities, books, spacecraft, totem poles. Nonmaterial culture consists of more abstract creations—language, ideas, beliefs, rules, customs, myths, skills, family patterns, political systems. (Reference: Ian Robertson; “Sociology” pg. 53).
However, prejudices originate from learned behavior, which is the basic definition of culture, coming from Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, C. Wright Mills, etc., and even before these modern sociologist Ibn Khaldun of Northwest Africa, the father of sociology in 14th Century had devised many of the social theories that the above theoreticians would later use. Learned behavior is the foundation of culture in which if correlated with our socialization process, ordinarily this is how our worldview is shaped (good, bad and/or indifferent).
The word "prejudice" comes from the root word to prejudge which means: "to judge a person, issue, or case before sufficient evidence is available" I do think this word is often used a lot out of context. For example, the two words Racism and Prejudice are used interchangeably, but there are some distinct differences between the two. For one to be prejudice toward something or someone, as far as making a determination without factual proof is reckless and outright wrong. Racism, by its simplest definition, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race and it denigrates one belonging to a certain racial, ethnic, nationality, etc., as being inferior. People with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their racial groups. Now! If someone commits a racist act towards me and I view it as racism, then I am not prejudging that person, but I am probably calling a spade, a spade.
Does culture unconsciously and unintentionally create bias and we as human beings rely on and adopt predisposed attitudes and prejudices which have been passed on; this train of thought eventually affects, shapes and alters our worldview and ability to accept others unconditionally without referencing what we have learned about individuals, groups, society, cultures, etc? Our stored mental stimuli seems to always be the driving force relative to our ability to recall what we have been taught—good, bad or indifferent are forever guiding our assessment and evaluation of others. May be our social programming is the root cause of man’s inhumanity to man—our ability to commit all types of atrocities against humanity ranging from acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, violence, institutionalize racism, hate crimes, and our capability to carryout all forms of oppression and repression against other human beings is rooted in this phenomenon; moreover, only because people may differ from us in racial and/or ethnic make up, having different religious beliefs, different sexual orientation and express life from a different cultural persuasion at times drives us to be intolerant. Also, in some instances intra-culture conflicts is the order of the day and we will be remissed to overlook this reality and it is no less genuine. (Reference: James Redfield; “The Celestine Prophecy”).
Tolerance is often applied in a subjective manner based on our own cultural bias. Culture is necessary, but its not sufficient and do we truly possess the ability to unlearn negative mental stimuli that has darken our lens and clouded our judgment to appreciate unlike civilizations and recognize the value of other cultures from their vanish point—in the areas of refinement, cultivation, and valor free of judgmental and dominant cultural bias? We all are guilty at times of unfair generalizations and cultural bias and these sentiments serves as artificial barriers which keeps human beings divided.
This writer is of the opinion, after many years of practical work experience in the field of education and studying the intellectual, social and psychological development of infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and children in general; that children’s educational development takes place in stages (influenced by both social and psychological stimuli). The educational theorist Jean Piaget characterizes this developmental stage as sensorimotor stage (0-2 years of age) during which children learn through the senses and motor activities. This theory is based in innate learning which means that children perhaps are already genetically and DNA coded to make certain social and psychological adjustment upon exiting the womb, specifically in this stage to their environment without coaching. (Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
The author Joseph Campbell in his book titled, “Myths to Live By” stated, “And so, it seems to me, there is a critical problem indicated here, which parents and families have to face squarely: that, namely, of insuring that the signals which they are imprinting on their young are such as will attune them to, and not alienate them from, the world in which they are going to have to live; unless, of course, one is dead set on bequeathing to one's heirs one's own paranoia. More normally, rational parents will wish to have produced socially as well as physically healthy offspring, well enough attuned to the system of sentiments of the culture into which they are growing to be able to appraise its values rationally and align themselves constructively with its progressive, decent, life-fostering, and fructifying elements.” (Reference: Joseph Campbell; “Myths to Live By” pg. 220).
However, at this stage of children’s development like other mammals it is instinctive learning that drives development and is the cement that joins us together with other species, but later on it is our Homo Sapiens-Sapiens (thinking individuals) status that separates us from other species. This writer agrees with much of Piaget theories about physical environment and cognitive development and its correlation to children's educational learning.
Lev Vygotsky educational theories differed from Piaget in that Vygotsky maintains that “Learning is not developmental; however, properly organized learning is a results in mental development and sets in motion a variety of developmental processes that would be impossible apart from learning. Thus, learning is a necessary part and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human, psychological functions.” This simply translates to mean that a quality learning environment impacts and can increase development. Vygotsky refers to this concept as the zone of proximal development.(Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
The theorist Abraham Maslow advocated the self-actualization theory, it was based on what Maslow defines as the hierarchy of needs in which he essentially maintain that unless human beings satisfy certain basic needs their full potential can not be actualized. For example, 1). Food and water. 2). Safety and security. 3). Belonging and love. 4). Achievement and prestige. 5). Aesthetic needs. Then in Western culture; it later evolved along side Charles Darwin theories and the philosophy of “survival of the fittest” (Reference: Charles Darwin; "On the Origin of Species").
I am somewhat in agreement with the theoretician Maslow that advocated his theory of hierarchy needs relative to the essentials of food and water, safety and security, belonging and love, achievement and prestige, and aesthetic needs must met in order to foster the potential of self-actualization. Thus, once the hierarchical needs are met as a primary necessity, it is easy for learning to evolve as secondary in the scheme of what is considered important. Children learn better when hunger and safety are not an issue and there exist a positive social structure that addresses those essential hierarchy needs. But, what are they learning? and are these social-culture imprints preparing us with culture bias and do our cultural socialization predisposition coding triggers whatever lessons we have acquired from the experiences of our various cultures—good or bad and we then often seek to impose our cultural relevance on others, either directly or indirectly. (Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
Can we trace our cultural decadence back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus left Europe under the flag of Spain and was on a sailing expedition to travel to India and the far East (history tells us he got lost) in lieu of exploiting the spice trade market and in search of gold and silver in order to expand the financial coffers of Ferdinand and Isabella, the King and Queen of Spain, but got lost and mistakenly landed on the island of Hispaniola (which is modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean (he eventually landed in what he called the "New World" although these people had lived there for centuries). An island of social harmony and tranquility—occupied by the Arawak and Carib people (misnomer named the “Indians”); these were the Native Americans who lived in this region sixteen thousand years before the Europeans. (Reference: Michael Bradley: “The Columbus Conspiracy: An Investigation into the Secret History of Christopher Columbus”).
Wa Thiong'o stated, "But its most important area of domination was the mental universe of the colonized, the control, through culture, of how people perceived themselves and their relationship to the world. Economic and political control can never be complete or effective without mental control. To control a people's culture is to control their tools of self-definition in relationship to others. "For colonialism this involved two aspects of the same process: the destruction or the deliberate undervaluing of a people's culture, their art, dances, religions, history, geography, education, orature and literature, and the conscious elevation of the language of the colonizer. The domination of a people's language by the languages of the colonizing nations was crucial to the domination of the mental universe of the colonized." (Reference: Asa G. Hilliard; “The Reawakening of the African Mind” pg 159; quoting from source wa Thiong'o, N. (1986). “Decolonization the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature”. Portsmouth N.H.: Heinemann pg. 16.).
These so-called "Native Americans" had a very sophisticated and complex culture, in which the European Conquistadors immediately demoted and deemed it as a heathen civilization and viewed the indigenous people as being sub-human and inferior because they differed (by race, skin color, ethnicity, dress, customs, dietary practices, worship practices, etc.) within the context of cultural dynamics. Perhaps even in 2008 we are only paying lip service to the concept of multiculturalism and the chants of us living in a pluralistic society in reality it is only a political correct illusion. The United States, in particular and the global society in general, promotes itself as being diverse and tolerable of different cultures and people; but in reality do our society in particular and societies in general, functions off this premises or has our learned behaviors imprisoned and rendered us forever confined to prejudices and stereotypes due to ignorance and a lack of exposure that do not extends beyond the superficial. (Reference: John Henrik Clarke: “Christopher Columbus & the African Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism).
Wa Thiong'o continues, “But the biggest weapon wielded and actually daily unleashed by imperialism against that collective defiance is the cultural bomb. The effect of a cultural bomb is to annihilate a people's belief in their names, in their languages, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves. It makes them see their past as one wasteland of non-achievement and it makes them want to distance themselves from that wasteland. It makes them want to identify with that which is furthest removed from themselves; for instance, with other peoples' languages rather than their own. It makes them identify with that which is decadent and reactionary, all those forces which would stop their own springs of life. It even plants serious doubts about the moral rightness of struggle. Possibilities of triumph or victory are seen as remote, ridiculous dreams. The intended results are despair, despondency and a collective death-wish. Amidst this wasteland which it has created, imperialism presents itself as the cure and demands the dependant sing hymns of praise with the constant refrain: 'Theft is holy'.” (Reference: Asa G. Hilliard; “The Reawakening of the African Mind” pg 159-160; quoting from a source authored by wa Thiong'o, N. (1986). “Decolonization the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature”. Portsmouth N.H.: Heinemann pg. 16.).
This is the root cause of human division and has caused historical and present day massive collateral damage and human suffering; or is it something innately in us that drives the human psyche to view anything different as being not equally worthy of consideration and more prone to be ridiculed and subjugated by the dominant culture? For example, directly after September 11, 2001 hoax and bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City and it was declared by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Department of Defense that Osama bin Laden and his Jihadist inspired movement of Al-Qaeda committed one of worst military tragedies and alleged criminal acts on the continental United States—he was considered to be Muslim and Arab; it did not help that the Bush administration had espoused propaganda which they intentionally induced and created a climate of fear within the United States that reverberated around the world. (Reference: Noam Chomsky; “Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance”).
The United States media depicted Arab Muslims as having a political and religious philosophy bent on destroying the West and had declared America their number one enemy. The Powers-that-be understood that in order to maximize their manipulation and deceitful ploys; they first had to create a culture of fear by blaming 9/11 on Arabs and Muslims in their scheme this was a perfect diversionary tactic—they picked a people who were different from the American dominant cultural with a minority representation inside the country and was essentially powerless. The American people pre 9/11 knew very little about the religion of Al-Islam and the diversity of these ancient people, the religious politics, the various Islamic cultures, the various Islamic sects and schisms, etc.
Although, Muslims from West Africa had arrived to the Americas as captives and hostages of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage, as early as the 1500s and some historians maintained that the Moors during the 8th Century had voyages to the Americas long before Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce De Leon, Vaso Da Gama, Hernando de Soto, Ferdinand Magellan, etc., and had established diplomatic treaties with the Native Americans in the Western Hemisphere before the coming of the European explorers. But in the late 1800s Muslims and early 1900s Islam formalized itself and took root as a sub-culture and counter culture in the United States; with the exception of the Nation of Islam, Islam up until September 11, 2001 had remained in obscurity, but 9/11 for better or worst changed that dynamic. (Reference: Ivan Van Sertima; “They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America”).
Thus, Islam, Arabs and Muslims appeared front and center, as the number one topic of discussion within a nation that had become so ethnocentric and so culturally arrogant—no one outside of our sovereign boarders mattered. However, 9/11 it created a hostile, insensitive and intolerable environment mainly aimed at Arabs, in particular but all Muslims in general, they were being viewed with suspicion and Muslim discrimination was going unabated. The American people perhaps already had some preconceived prejudices against foreign Muslims; perhaps for no other reason than they were not Christians and some had followed the lopsided reporting of the Middle East conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians—and had accepted the propaganda that the Arab Muslims were bad people because they practiced a “strange” culture and prayed to a God other than Jesus Christ or Yahweh. (Reference: Obadiah Shoher; “Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict”).
These prejudices after 9/11 led to Muslim Masjids and Mosques being attacked and desecrated because there were so many cultural misunderstandings that existed between Muslim societies in East and Christian societies in the West; these misconceptions were shrouded in ignorance and fear based, which was enough ammunition to incite the uninformed and dominant culture zealots who were motivated by racial and religious hatred to inflict vigilante style justice on Muslims and made unfair generalizations against all Arabs and Muslims. Thus, blaming an entire Muslim religious world community for committing a crime that killed over 3,000 Americans—constituting a loss of human life and property.
These vigilante groups immediately began to show their ignorance by attacking and even killing Sikhs and Hindus in the United States ignorantly assuming because these people had brown skin, dressed Eastern in attire appearance, spoke with an accent and wore turbans they had to be Middle Eastern Arab Muslims and better yet terrorist. So Sikhs and Hindus were mistakenly being classified as Muslims and after 9/11 became targets of religious and racial discrimination that were being fueled by the dominant culture. Many of the attackers were not even aware of the historical and religious antagonism that existed between the Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, but their racism and cultural ignorance led to indiscriminately acts of violence against innocent people who became the victims of bigotry and culture insensitivity.
The dominant culture was fully aware that cultural ignorance would incite and infuriate a segment of our society that would be willing and capable of inflicting violence and creating social discord against a people that looked different and worshipped dissimilar than themselves. Many of these people already had negative convictions of Islam and Muslims, but perhaps had never personally met a Muslim, which to make an intelligent and rational decision about their religious culture, race and ethnicity which could have assisted them in debunking generalizations and unfair stereotypes that were being spewed by politically inspired entities. Many Americans had formulated their negative opinions of Muslims from Western media sources and made the ignorant assumption that all Muslims were “terrorist” and had a political vendetta against the West.
Our lack of spiritual development toward accepting and embracing the whole of humanity in all of its cultures expressions; renders us inheritably flawed in the spirit of human compassion and tolerance for all. The failure and unwillingness to make an attempt to comprehend and appreciate the beauty and the differences in people—language, race, religious belief systems, nationality, etc., have placed humanity on a reckless, as well as dangerous social path.
The majority of Americans had formulated a negative perception of Islam based on sensationalizing of Salman Rushdie 1988 book titled, “Satanic Verses” in which the majority of the Islamic world viewed this book as heresy and blasphemous of Islam, Muslims and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ayatollah Rullah Khomeini, the former president and religious leader of Iran declared Rushdie’s book “Satanic Verses” and Rushdie as enemies of Islam in which he placed a one million dollar bounty on the head of Rushdie, which sent Rushdie in permanent exile until the death of Imam Khomeini. Imam Khomeini also called America the “Great Satan” and it was these antagonistic media stratagem that America came to identify with Islam.
If culture is based on learned behavior, then American propaganda machines have become the biggest influence and the determining factor on how people around the world, as well as those domestically are being perceived; in particular those deemed as America’s enemies, and are their differences being exploited to accomplish a political end. These tactics were implemented to foster distrust and suspicion and to simultaneously falsely create a need and urgency for American patriotism and nationalism based on these perceived prejudices that were concocted within the culture of fear. The ultimate political objective was the old divide and conquer scheme—the wickedly wise could always play on the sensitive charged emotions that go along with culture ignorance and manipulate these misunderstandings to their advantages. This was the case in America with the Muslim community right after 9/11. These types of political fallacies have an even far more ranging implications—these cultural bias eventually would help shape America’s foreign and public policy.
Thus, in the modern context of culture; is our learned behavior predisposing us early on to bigotry, racism, violence and anti-social behavior—can we blame pop culture, music, irresponsible mediums or has our society reached a level of internal and external decadence that is beyond reconciliation and revamping; can we blame societal transitions of moving from an agrarian based economy to a knowledge based economy as contributing? Perhaps theses various political, economic and social transitions have made us more sterile and on the other hand static culture is a form of isolation and true culture is forever evolving based on societal interactions, which creates motion and allows adaptation, but may still be the breeding ground for anti-social behavior, which lead to a culture of divisiveness and disharmony. Some may argue that this analysis is more applicable toward Western Culture and does not take fully into or account how Eastern Culture differentiate and distinguishes itself in application and in scope.
Claud Anderson in “PowerNomics” stated, “Since human rely on culture for survival, culture is an essential empowerment tool. . .Culture usually refers to the norms or systems of behavior and shared values that are passed on from one generation to another. Essentially, culture is a script that is never neutral in its purposes. It either empowers or de-empowers a group. What it does to a group depends in large measure upon the position the group holds in the societal pecking order of acceptability and whether they are in an in-group or an out-group. Culture’s most important function is to promote cohesiveness and trust that bind members together through values such as group loyalty, pride and respect. It is through culture that members of a group know who and what they are, and how to behave.” (Reference: Claud Anderson; “PowerNomics” pg 35).
The institution of family used to be a place where moral and ethical values were taught which reinforced the rules and practices that we had established in the greater society. This writer grew up with his formative years taking place in an urban environment, unlike my parents and grandparents who were products of a southern culture and life (their socialization process differed from my own). But prior to my parents migrating north, I could remember how personable and friendly everyone were in our little southern town in Georgia; strangers spoke to strangers and there was a sense of community, although, it was segregated and there was assigned places based on the politics of race. But people genuinely cared about each other as neighbors and would extend themselves to any length to be of helpful service to another human being.
My family migrated from rural Georgia to urban northern New Jersey in which this culture was a lot more aggressive, less sociable and people were a lot more territorial. Neighborhoods and communities evolved around race and ethnicity—the Jewish community, Italian community, Puerto Rican community, Asian community, the African American community, Portuguese community, etc. All these ethnic groups in New Jersey had distinct cultures—it was evident by the cuisines served at their restaurants and food markets, their centers of worship, music and festive celebrations, etc., were different from my African American culture.
People have this instinctive tribal motivation, which means I can only associate with you, if we belong to the same race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, same country club, same geographical location, speak the same language, etc., this was more overtly evident in Northern New Jersey than in Georgia. Thus, these "natural" instincts that unites and draws us to one another as a culture; are often some of the artificial barriers that serves to divide us—sub-cultures evolved out of the dominant culture lack of ability to meet the inclusive and pluralistic aspirations of a so-called subordinate group. Yet, humanity is entrapped by our self-serving instincts—TRIBALISM.
This was new for me as a young southern boy first coming in contact with so many divergent cultures and ethnic people. But this writer immediately notice that the majority of these ethnic cultures were suspicious and distrusting of each other and there appeared to be a sense of hostility and often time for no other reason than cultural ignorance and widely held stereotypes. This bred divisiveness, which often led to community conflicts. The enculturation and culture infusion process developed slowly—my three sons who are part of the Hip-Hop culture generation and they seem less concerned about cultural, racial and ethnic differences than the generation that proceeded them.
Perhaps their socialization orientation and upbringing have made them more human by being less concerned about how people differ and more concerned about finding a common denominator in which for the most part, none of the old variables that played so heavily in my culture would be insignificant to them. There is a lot as a father that I admire in my three sons and sometimes I think they are too damn free willing; listening to that Rap music—their culture evolves around, a culture of technology X-Box, Ipod, Blackberry phones, text messaging, FaceBook, MySpace and global social networking. Some of this is bothersome to me and my wife, but perhaps these young people could be teachings us something relative of overcoming cultural differences—are we willing to learn?
Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
What is culture? And does culture ultimately fuels divisiveness, as opposed to cohesiveness and unity, which is transmitted via a systematic structure—involving folklore, mores, values, customs, rituals, traditions, etc., and from this, society adopts learned behavior. Most sociologists simply define culture as being learned behavior. This means for the most part that predetermined genetic coding is being cast aside and our environment perhaps is being taunted and viewed as having the greatest influence on human development, as far as determining psychological and sociological orientation. Sociologist defines culture as, “consisting of all the shared products of human society. These products are of two basic kinds, material and non-material. Material culture consists of all the artifacts or physical objects, human beings create and give meaning to—wheels, clothing, schools, factories, cities, books, spacecraft, totem poles. Nonmaterial culture consists of more abstract creations—language, ideas, beliefs, rules, customs, myths, skills, family patterns, political systems. (Reference: Ian Robertson; “Sociology” pg. 53).
However, prejudices originate from learned behavior, which is the basic definition of culture, coming from Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, C. Wright Mills, etc., and even before these modern sociologist Ibn Khaldun of Northwest Africa, the father of sociology in 14th Century had devised many of the social theories that the above theoreticians would later use. Learned behavior is the foundation of culture in which if correlated with our socialization process, ordinarily this is how our worldview is shaped (good, bad and/or indifferent).
The word "prejudice" comes from the root word to prejudge which means: "to judge a person, issue, or case before sufficient evidence is available" I do think this word is often used a lot out of context. For example, the two words Racism and Prejudice are used interchangeably, but there are some distinct differences between the two. For one to be prejudice toward something or someone, as far as making a determination without factual proof is reckless and outright wrong. Racism, by its simplest definition, is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race and it denigrates one belonging to a certain racial, ethnic, nationality, etc., as being inferior. People with racist beliefs might hate certain groups of people according to their racial groups. Now! If someone commits a racist act towards me and I view it as racism, then I am not prejudging that person, but I am probably calling a spade, a spade.
Does culture unconsciously and unintentionally create bias and we as human beings rely on and adopt predisposed attitudes and prejudices which have been passed on; this train of thought eventually affects, shapes and alters our worldview and ability to accept others unconditionally without referencing what we have learned about individuals, groups, society, cultures, etc? Our stored mental stimuli seems to always be the driving force relative to our ability to recall what we have been taught—good, bad or indifferent are forever guiding our assessment and evaluation of others. May be our social programming is the root cause of man’s inhumanity to man—our ability to commit all types of atrocities against humanity ranging from acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, violence, institutionalize racism, hate crimes, and our capability to carryout all forms of oppression and repression against other human beings is rooted in this phenomenon; moreover, only because people may differ from us in racial and/or ethnic make up, having different religious beliefs, different sexual orientation and express life from a different cultural persuasion at times drives us to be intolerant. Also, in some instances intra-culture conflicts is the order of the day and we will be remissed to overlook this reality and it is no less genuine. (Reference: James Redfield; “The Celestine Prophecy”).
Tolerance is often applied in a subjective manner based on our own cultural bias. Culture is necessary, but its not sufficient and do we truly possess the ability to unlearn negative mental stimuli that has darken our lens and clouded our judgment to appreciate unlike civilizations and recognize the value of other cultures from their vanish point—in the areas of refinement, cultivation, and valor free of judgmental and dominant cultural bias? We all are guilty at times of unfair generalizations and cultural bias and these sentiments serves as artificial barriers which keeps human beings divided.
This writer is of the opinion, after many years of practical work experience in the field of education and studying the intellectual, social and psychological development of infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers and children in general; that children’s educational development takes place in stages (influenced by both social and psychological stimuli). The educational theorist Jean Piaget characterizes this developmental stage as sensorimotor stage (0-2 years of age) during which children learn through the senses and motor activities. This theory is based in innate learning which means that children perhaps are already genetically and DNA coded to make certain social and psychological adjustment upon exiting the womb, specifically in this stage to their environment without coaching. (Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
The author Joseph Campbell in his book titled, “Myths to Live By” stated, “And so, it seems to me, there is a critical problem indicated here, which parents and families have to face squarely: that, namely, of insuring that the signals which they are imprinting on their young are such as will attune them to, and not alienate them from, the world in which they are going to have to live; unless, of course, one is dead set on bequeathing to one's heirs one's own paranoia. More normally, rational parents will wish to have produced socially as well as physically healthy offspring, well enough attuned to the system of sentiments of the culture into which they are growing to be able to appraise its values rationally and align themselves constructively with its progressive, decent, life-fostering, and fructifying elements.” (Reference: Joseph Campbell; “Myths to Live By” pg. 220).
However, at this stage of children’s development like other mammals it is instinctive learning that drives development and is the cement that joins us together with other species, but later on it is our Homo Sapiens-Sapiens (thinking individuals) status that separates us from other species. This writer agrees with much of Piaget theories about physical environment and cognitive development and its correlation to children's educational learning.
Lev Vygotsky educational theories differed from Piaget in that Vygotsky maintains that “Learning is not developmental; however, properly organized learning is a results in mental development and sets in motion a variety of developmental processes that would be impossible apart from learning. Thus, learning is a necessary part and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human, psychological functions.” This simply translates to mean that a quality learning environment impacts and can increase development. Vygotsky refers to this concept as the zone of proximal development.(Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
The theorist Abraham Maslow advocated the self-actualization theory, it was based on what Maslow defines as the hierarchy of needs in which he essentially maintain that unless human beings satisfy certain basic needs their full potential can not be actualized. For example, 1). Food and water. 2). Safety and security. 3). Belonging and love. 4). Achievement and prestige. 5). Aesthetic needs. Then in Western culture; it later evolved along side Charles Darwin theories and the philosophy of “survival of the fittest” (Reference: Charles Darwin; "On the Origin of Species").
I am somewhat in agreement with the theoretician Maslow that advocated his theory of hierarchy needs relative to the essentials of food and water, safety and security, belonging and love, achievement and prestige, and aesthetic needs must met in order to foster the potential of self-actualization. Thus, once the hierarchical needs are met as a primary necessity, it is easy for learning to evolve as secondary in the scheme of what is considered important. Children learn better when hunger and safety are not an issue and there exist a positive social structure that addresses those essential hierarchy needs. But, what are they learning? and are these social-culture imprints preparing us with culture bias and do our cultural socialization predisposition coding triggers whatever lessons we have acquired from the experiences of our various cultures—good or bad and we then often seek to impose our cultural relevance on others, either directly or indirectly. (Reference: George S. Morrison; "Early Childhood Education Today").
Can we trace our cultural decadence back to 1492, when Christopher Columbus left Europe under the flag of Spain and was on a sailing expedition to travel to India and the far East (history tells us he got lost) in lieu of exploiting the spice trade market and in search of gold and silver in order to expand the financial coffers of Ferdinand and Isabella, the King and Queen of Spain, but got lost and mistakenly landed on the island of Hispaniola (which is modern day Haiti and Dominican Republic) in the Caribbean (he eventually landed in what he called the "New World" although these people had lived there for centuries). An island of social harmony and tranquility—occupied by the Arawak and Carib people (misnomer named the “Indians”); these were the Native Americans who lived in this region sixteen thousand years before the Europeans. (Reference: Michael Bradley: “The Columbus Conspiracy: An Investigation into the Secret History of Christopher Columbus”).
Wa Thiong'o stated, "But its most important area of domination was the mental universe of the colonized, the control, through culture, of how people perceived themselves and their relationship to the world. Economic and political control can never be complete or effective without mental control. To control a people's culture is to control their tools of self-definition in relationship to others. "For colonialism this involved two aspects of the same process: the destruction or the deliberate undervaluing of a people's culture, their art, dances, religions, history, geography, education, orature and literature, and the conscious elevation of the language of the colonizer. The domination of a people's language by the languages of the colonizing nations was crucial to the domination of the mental universe of the colonized." (Reference: Asa G. Hilliard; “The Reawakening of the African Mind” pg 159; quoting from source wa Thiong'o, N. (1986). “Decolonization the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature”. Portsmouth N.H.: Heinemann pg. 16.).
These so-called "Native Americans" had a very sophisticated and complex culture, in which the European Conquistadors immediately demoted and deemed it as a heathen civilization and viewed the indigenous people as being sub-human and inferior because they differed (by race, skin color, ethnicity, dress, customs, dietary practices, worship practices, etc.) within the context of cultural dynamics. Perhaps even in 2008 we are only paying lip service to the concept of multiculturalism and the chants of us living in a pluralistic society in reality it is only a political correct illusion. The United States, in particular and the global society in general, promotes itself as being diverse and tolerable of different cultures and people; but in reality do our society in particular and societies in general, functions off this premises or has our learned behaviors imprisoned and rendered us forever confined to prejudices and stereotypes due to ignorance and a lack of exposure that do not extends beyond the superficial. (Reference: John Henrik Clarke: “Christopher Columbus & the African Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism).
Wa Thiong'o continues, “But the biggest weapon wielded and actually daily unleashed by imperialism against that collective defiance is the cultural bomb. The effect of a cultural bomb is to annihilate a people's belief in their names, in their languages, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves. It makes them see their past as one wasteland of non-achievement and it makes them want to distance themselves from that wasteland. It makes them want to identify with that which is furthest removed from themselves; for instance, with other peoples' languages rather than their own. It makes them identify with that which is decadent and reactionary, all those forces which would stop their own springs of life. It even plants serious doubts about the moral rightness of struggle. Possibilities of triumph or victory are seen as remote, ridiculous dreams. The intended results are despair, despondency and a collective death-wish. Amidst this wasteland which it has created, imperialism presents itself as the cure and demands the dependant sing hymns of praise with the constant refrain: 'Theft is holy'.” (Reference: Asa G. Hilliard; “The Reawakening of the African Mind” pg 159-160; quoting from a source authored by wa Thiong'o, N. (1986). “Decolonization the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature”. Portsmouth N.H.: Heinemann pg. 16.).
This is the root cause of human division and has caused historical and present day massive collateral damage and human suffering; or is it something innately in us that drives the human psyche to view anything different as being not equally worthy of consideration and more prone to be ridiculed and subjugated by the dominant culture? For example, directly after September 11, 2001 hoax and bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City and it was declared by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Department of Defense that Osama bin Laden and his Jihadist inspired movement of Al-Qaeda committed one of worst military tragedies and alleged criminal acts on the continental United States—he was considered to be Muslim and Arab; it did not help that the Bush administration had espoused propaganda which they intentionally induced and created a climate of fear within the United States that reverberated around the world. (Reference: Noam Chomsky; “Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance”).
The United States media depicted Arab Muslims as having a political and religious philosophy bent on destroying the West and had declared America their number one enemy. The Powers-that-be understood that in order to maximize their manipulation and deceitful ploys; they first had to create a culture of fear by blaming 9/11 on Arabs and Muslims in their scheme this was a perfect diversionary tactic—they picked a people who were different from the American dominant cultural with a minority representation inside the country and was essentially powerless. The American people pre 9/11 knew very little about the religion of Al-Islam and the diversity of these ancient people, the religious politics, the various Islamic cultures, the various Islamic sects and schisms, etc.
Although, Muslims from West Africa had arrived to the Americas as captives and hostages of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage, as early as the 1500s and some historians maintained that the Moors during the 8th Century had voyages to the Americas long before Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Ponce De Leon, Vaso Da Gama, Hernando de Soto, Ferdinand Magellan, etc., and had established diplomatic treaties with the Native Americans in the Western Hemisphere before the coming of the European explorers. But in the late 1800s Muslims and early 1900s Islam formalized itself and took root as a sub-culture and counter culture in the United States; with the exception of the Nation of Islam, Islam up until September 11, 2001 had remained in obscurity, but 9/11 for better or worst changed that dynamic. (Reference: Ivan Van Sertima; “They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America”).
Thus, Islam, Arabs and Muslims appeared front and center, as the number one topic of discussion within a nation that had become so ethnocentric and so culturally arrogant—no one outside of our sovereign boarders mattered. However, 9/11 it created a hostile, insensitive and intolerable environment mainly aimed at Arabs, in particular but all Muslims in general, they were being viewed with suspicion and Muslim discrimination was going unabated. The American people perhaps already had some preconceived prejudices against foreign Muslims; perhaps for no other reason than they were not Christians and some had followed the lopsided reporting of the Middle East conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians—and had accepted the propaganda that the Arab Muslims were bad people because they practiced a “strange” culture and prayed to a God other than Jesus Christ or Yahweh. (Reference: Obadiah Shoher; “Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict”).
These prejudices after 9/11 led to Muslim Masjids and Mosques being attacked and desecrated because there were so many cultural misunderstandings that existed between Muslim societies in East and Christian societies in the West; these misconceptions were shrouded in ignorance and fear based, which was enough ammunition to incite the uninformed and dominant culture zealots who were motivated by racial and religious hatred to inflict vigilante style justice on Muslims and made unfair generalizations against all Arabs and Muslims. Thus, blaming an entire Muslim religious world community for committing a crime that killed over 3,000 Americans—constituting a loss of human life and property.
These vigilante groups immediately began to show their ignorance by attacking and even killing Sikhs and Hindus in the United States ignorantly assuming because these people had brown skin, dressed Eastern in attire appearance, spoke with an accent and wore turbans they had to be Middle Eastern Arab Muslims and better yet terrorist. So Sikhs and Hindus were mistakenly being classified as Muslims and after 9/11 became targets of religious and racial discrimination that were being fueled by the dominant culture. Many of the attackers were not even aware of the historical and religious antagonism that existed between the Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus, but their racism and cultural ignorance led to indiscriminately acts of violence against innocent people who became the victims of bigotry and culture insensitivity.
The dominant culture was fully aware that cultural ignorance would incite and infuriate a segment of our society that would be willing and capable of inflicting violence and creating social discord against a people that looked different and worshipped dissimilar than themselves. Many of these people already had negative convictions of Islam and Muslims, but perhaps had never personally met a Muslim, which to make an intelligent and rational decision about their religious culture, race and ethnicity which could have assisted them in debunking generalizations and unfair stereotypes that were being spewed by politically inspired entities. Many Americans had formulated their negative opinions of Muslims from Western media sources and made the ignorant assumption that all Muslims were “terrorist” and had a political vendetta against the West.
Our lack of spiritual development toward accepting and embracing the whole of humanity in all of its cultures expressions; renders us inheritably flawed in the spirit of human compassion and tolerance for all. The failure and unwillingness to make an attempt to comprehend and appreciate the beauty and the differences in people—language, race, religious belief systems, nationality, etc., have placed humanity on a reckless, as well as dangerous social path.
The majority of Americans had formulated a negative perception of Islam based on sensationalizing of Salman Rushdie 1988 book titled, “Satanic Verses” in which the majority of the Islamic world viewed this book as heresy and blasphemous of Islam, Muslims and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Ayatollah Rullah Khomeini, the former president and religious leader of Iran declared Rushdie’s book “Satanic Verses” and Rushdie as enemies of Islam in which he placed a one million dollar bounty on the head of Rushdie, which sent Rushdie in permanent exile until the death of Imam Khomeini. Imam Khomeini also called America the “Great Satan” and it was these antagonistic media stratagem that America came to identify with Islam.
If culture is based on learned behavior, then American propaganda machines have become the biggest influence and the determining factor on how people around the world, as well as those domestically are being perceived; in particular those deemed as America’s enemies, and are their differences being exploited to accomplish a political end. These tactics were implemented to foster distrust and suspicion and to simultaneously falsely create a need and urgency for American patriotism and nationalism based on these perceived prejudices that were concocted within the culture of fear. The ultimate political objective was the old divide and conquer scheme—the wickedly wise could always play on the sensitive charged emotions that go along with culture ignorance and manipulate these misunderstandings to their advantages. This was the case in America with the Muslim community right after 9/11. These types of political fallacies have an even far more ranging implications—these cultural bias eventually would help shape America’s foreign and public policy.
Thus, in the modern context of culture; is our learned behavior predisposing us early on to bigotry, racism, violence and anti-social behavior—can we blame pop culture, music, irresponsible mediums or has our society reached a level of internal and external decadence that is beyond reconciliation and revamping; can we blame societal transitions of moving from an agrarian based economy to a knowledge based economy as contributing? Perhaps theses various political, economic and social transitions have made us more sterile and on the other hand static culture is a form of isolation and true culture is forever evolving based on societal interactions, which creates motion and allows adaptation, but may still be the breeding ground for anti-social behavior, which lead to a culture of divisiveness and disharmony. Some may argue that this analysis is more applicable toward Western Culture and does not take fully into or account how Eastern Culture differentiate and distinguishes itself in application and in scope.
Claud Anderson in “PowerNomics” stated, “Since human rely on culture for survival, culture is an essential empowerment tool. . .Culture usually refers to the norms or systems of behavior and shared values that are passed on from one generation to another. Essentially, culture is a script that is never neutral in its purposes. It either empowers or de-empowers a group. What it does to a group depends in large measure upon the position the group holds in the societal pecking order of acceptability and whether they are in an in-group or an out-group. Culture’s most important function is to promote cohesiveness and trust that bind members together through values such as group loyalty, pride and respect. It is through culture that members of a group know who and what they are, and how to behave.” (Reference: Claud Anderson; “PowerNomics” pg 35).
The institution of family used to be a place where moral and ethical values were taught which reinforced the rules and practices that we had established in the greater society. This writer grew up with his formative years taking place in an urban environment, unlike my parents and grandparents who were products of a southern culture and life (their socialization process differed from my own). But prior to my parents migrating north, I could remember how personable and friendly everyone were in our little southern town in Georgia; strangers spoke to strangers and there was a sense of community, although, it was segregated and there was assigned places based on the politics of race. But people genuinely cared about each other as neighbors and would extend themselves to any length to be of helpful service to another human being.
My family migrated from rural Georgia to urban northern New Jersey in which this culture was a lot more aggressive, less sociable and people were a lot more territorial. Neighborhoods and communities evolved around race and ethnicity—the Jewish community, Italian community, Puerto Rican community, Asian community, the African American community, Portuguese community, etc. All these ethnic groups in New Jersey had distinct cultures—it was evident by the cuisines served at their restaurants and food markets, their centers of worship, music and festive celebrations, etc., were different from my African American culture.
People have this instinctive tribal motivation, which means I can only associate with you, if we belong to the same race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, same country club, same geographical location, speak the same language, etc., this was more overtly evident in Northern New Jersey than in Georgia. Thus, these "natural" instincts that unites and draws us to one another as a culture; are often some of the artificial barriers that serves to divide us—sub-cultures evolved out of the dominant culture lack of ability to meet the inclusive and pluralistic aspirations of a so-called subordinate group. Yet, humanity is entrapped by our self-serving instincts—TRIBALISM.
This was new for me as a young southern boy first coming in contact with so many divergent cultures and ethnic people. But this writer immediately notice that the majority of these ethnic cultures were suspicious and distrusting of each other and there appeared to be a sense of hostility and often time for no other reason than cultural ignorance and widely held stereotypes. This bred divisiveness, which often led to community conflicts. The enculturation and culture infusion process developed slowly—my three sons who are part of the Hip-Hop culture generation and they seem less concerned about cultural, racial and ethnic differences than the generation that proceeded them.
Perhaps their socialization orientation and upbringing have made them more human by being less concerned about how people differ and more concerned about finding a common denominator in which for the most part, none of the old variables that played so heavily in my culture would be insignificant to them. There is a lot as a father that I admire in my three sons and sometimes I think they are too damn free willing; listening to that Rap music—their culture evolves around, a culture of technology X-Box, Ipod, Blackberry phones, text messaging, FaceBook, MySpace and global social networking. Some of this is bothersome to me and my wife, but perhaps these young people could be teachings us something relative of overcoming cultural differences—are we willing to learn?
Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal; how do We Overcome this?
Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal; how do We Overcome this?
Will Race Determine the 2008 Presidential Election?
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
This writer of late has been intensely watching the American presidential election between Senator John McCain, the white Republican candidate versus Senator Barack Obama, the black Democratic candidate. This writer and others had witness Senator Obama early on winning the Iowa Caucus and this writer must admit initially he was not optimistic about Senator Obama’s candidacy and was really a bit shocked that he had won a white state like Iowa in the democratic primaries. He won because the predominately white electorate had overlooked race and even turned back a popular former president’s wife in Senator Hillary Clinton who was heavily politically tied to the shakers and movers, as well as being connected within the Beltline and outside the Beltline.
But no one should be fooled by Senator Obama’s political ascension; it has been carefully crafted and shrewdly orchestrated by Henry Kissinger, Rockefellers and heavily financed by the Rothschilds. Many black Americans have no idea that there are some unseen and hidden powerful entities that are guiding the success of their candidate, Senator Barack Obama and in reality, the majority of the American whites have also been duped by these same entities leading them to believe that their race—white skin gives them a sense of entitlement and privilege; this is one of the slickest ploys ever devised, the divide and conquer scheme—we fight each other and the true enemy is laughing all the way to the bank. (Reference: Gary Allen and Larry Abraham: “None Dare Call it Conspiracy”).
Andrew Hacker in his monumental book titled, “Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal” stated, “RACE HAS BEEN an American obsession since the first Europeans sighted "savages" on these shores. In time, those original inhabitants would be subdued or slaughtered, and finally sequestered out of view. But race in America took on a deeper and more disturbing meaning with the importation of Africans as slaves. Bondage would later be condemned as an awful injustice and the nation's shame, even as we have come to acknowledge the stamina and skill it took to survive in a system where humans could be bought and sold and punished like animals. Nor are these antecedents buried away in the past. That Americans of African origin once wore the chains of chattels remains alive in the memory of both races and continues to separate them”.
Hacker continues, “Black Americans are Americans, yet they still subsist as aliens in the only land they know. Other groups may remain outside the mainstream-some religious sects, for example-but they do so voluntarily. In contrast, blacks must endure a segregation that is far from freely chosen. So America may be seen as two separate nations. Of course, there are places where the races mingle. Yet in most significant respects, the separation is pervasive and penetrating. As a social and human division, it surpasses all others-even gender-in intensity and subordination.” (Reference: Andrew Hacker; “Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal” pg. 3).
Senator Hillary Clinton’s husband former President Bill Clinton has always enjoyed a high level of respectability amongst African Americans in which was almost equated to him having celebrity status within the black community. Although, this writer could never understand the infatuation blacks had toward President Clinton. He after all, along with Senator Newt Gengrich (R-Georgia) former Speaker of the House and the Republican reactionary Congress in the 1990s went on a vicious campaign against the poor of America. These vicious entities inevitable blamed and scapegoat the collapse of America on the poor (women and families) people who were receiving Aid For Dependent Children, which led to a rancorous political assault against Human Services and social programs that benefited the needy and the poor of America. President Clinton justified these governmental programs revisions in the name of siding with the Republicans to better manage so-called big government and the poor became expendable and vulnerable under the eight (8) year reign of the Clinton Administration.
These budget cuts would trickle down to hurt poor blacks, poor Latinos and poor whites; this is the same President Bill Clinton that gave greater way to United States Prison Industrial Complex in which more black men became incarcerated under the Democrat Clinton than under the Republican President George Herbert Walker Bush. Thus, not only that, it was President Bill Clinton that established and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that eventually led to American companies heading south of the border to exploit Developing Nations like Mexico in which devastated the domestic employment market inside the country and America has since turned our corporate lifeblood over to Wal-Mart and covertly deemed this as the new 21st Century industry of America. What a pity; does anyone else see these scams?
I do not accept the premises that Democrats are the friends of the poor and/or the Republicans are the enemies of the poor; no both parties are agents of the rich and neither has giving anything to poor and oppressed people. Here is the contradiction, we the taxpayers of America just took on some of the biggest welfare recipients in the history of American politics, as welfare clients of the taxpayers—some of the largest Banking and Financial institutions in the world; we gifted wrapped these den of thieves $750 billion dollars popular known as the bailout or the new language rescue package, which will eventually cost the American taxpayers over three trillion dollars in the long term.
Now! That’s some real welfare that is being orchestrated by Federal Reserve and the Central Bankers and its puppet the United States Treasury Department low-level operatives Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. How about this one; the billions of dollars the U.S, taxpayers are mandated to pay for Israel in support of reactionary Middle Eastern Foreign Policy is another big welfare ticket? How about this one; the billions of dollars the taxpayers are being burden with in our imperialistic and oppressive military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, which amounts to stealing heroin and oil for the Bush Family. You see welfare is a relative term and it doesn’t always apply to the poor. No, the poor people are ones who can not find viable employment because our government has outsourced American economic business to Twain, China, Vietnam, Mexico, India, and other poor developing nations because they can work these people for slave wages and reap huge profits. Yes, NAFTA commenced under President Bill Clinton and this Democrat was responsible for this Chess Board move. (Reference: Eustace Mullins; “The Secrets of the Federal Reserve”).
Why do not we demand that our leadership rearrange their political priorities and invest in American education, which has been so neglected? Our most precious and valuable economy and commodity is the future of our children. This is a real NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. Here is a homework assignment for my readers; thus, unless you understand who rules the world, it will be difficult for you to assess and evaluate the political, economic, and social issues that truly concern all of humanity. Please research these three groups the Bilderbergers, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission; these are the real culprits not the poor and oppressed. (Reference: John Coleman; “Conspirators Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300”).
This writer wants to go on record to say, he doesn’t necessary support Senator Barack Obama or his political views (but in this case he might be the lesser of two evils) because he has been co-opted and is a puppet for some of the most powerful political interest groups in America and the world; just as his so-called political nemesis and counterpart Senator John McCain. This writer recently attended a local committee action forum in his community and this middle aged Caucasian woman stood-up and stated African Americans were supporting Senator Obama just because he was black. This writer felt insulted and intellectually denigrated by such a naïve and stereotypical assertion. This writer deemed the statement to be racist in scope and intent; although the remark in itself was not laced with overt venom or possessing a sense of hatred bigotry. But it was the subliminal decoded language that spoke to the four hundred fifty (450) years of unresolved racism in America. (Reference: C. Eric Lincoln; “Surviving Race and Place in America”).
Perhaps my feelings were being led and motivated more by a historical stimuli (and may be even an overreaction) as opposed to a well thought out cognizant assessment of this woman’s words. This woman’s allege racial inference had put me in an emotional state of being both angered and disarrayed—into mental frenzy. It took everything this writer had to gather and collect himself; this writer then asked himself was this woman attempting to inject race into the political discussion and was it an appeal to the dominant culture which has been shaped and structured on race and did she understand that when everything else fails and the dust settles in American politics; there is always old reliable—RACE? Thus, was her comments rooted in a perhaps much more deeply seated psychology of tradition; having its origins steeped in the racial dynamics that we had come to associate with old racial attitudes of yesterday and was this a mere play on the fears of the white electorate? (Reference: “Naim Akbar; “Breaking The Chains of Psychological Slavery).
Although, she did not have the bully-pulpit of a Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity—she was local, but was her statement and sentiment representative of the views of the dominant white community at-large? But this writer also wondered was this an example, of someone playing the race card in reverse in which blacks and other ethnic minorities have been accused of playing throughout the history of America. However, there would be no race card to play if a system and a culture were not built on Racism and racist precepts that created a culture of inequality and injustice in which often the dominant society set the rules in American culture—skin color and ethnicity have always determined how resources would be distributed and allocated. (Reference: Earl Ofari Hutchinson; “The Assassination of The Black Male Image”).
The problem this writer is having with this election is how quick we develop political amnesia; from 1865 the majority of African Americans were affiliated with the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, the so-called great emancipator. African American from 1932 beginning with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the present day 2008 have overwhelmingly voted for white democratic candidates on the national, state, and local levels. This writer has ascertained that ninety-two (92) percent of African Americans are registered democrats. This writer personally thinks this political predicament and strategy to be insane, this writer doesn’t know if you can call it a strategy—this is more of a faulty political strategy; in particular in a two party system. It is political suicide because, it allows the Democratic party to take the black vote for granted—they understand the political numbers being just an eight (8) percent differential and this does not create the type of pendulum swing to generate enough external political leverage which to keep the Democratic Party honest. (Reference: Claud Anderson; “PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America”).
Politicians only respect an electorate that can impose political consequences, but those above numerical variables based on registered party affiliation do not pose an equitable number balance, which could alter or derail a candidate potential to being elected, hypothetically if forty (40) percent of blacks were registered Republicans and the other sixty (60) percent were Democrats this would automatically create a political leverage. They then could definitely command more political respect from this two party system, in particular from the Democratic Party who for seventy-five (75) years has taking the black vote for granted and would definitely build unimaginable credibility with the Republican Party. If African Americans are going to effectively play American style politics, this will require and mandate them to devise a new political strategy and tactic that moves beyond being a majority one bloc political party, which has had its benefits at times and simultaneously can be politically detrimental. (Reference: Claud Anderson; “Black Labor White Wealth”).
This reliable Democratic electorate bloc has put many past presidential candidates over the top and now this same black electorate is being accused of practicing racial politics because blacks are supporting a Democratic candidate for president who just happens to be an African American. The status quo is creating this double standard and as diversionary tactic to possible racially incite whites to the determent of derailing Senator Obama’s candidacy by appealing to old racial stereotypes that perhaps lie just beneath the surface. Senator John McCain and company, fully understands the numbers which Senator Obama can not win the office of U.S. President with the black vote alone; it is going to take a broad base racial coalition for him to pull this thing off. (Reference: Tim Wise; “White Like Me: Reflections on Race From a Privileged Son”).
Lets fast forward to 2008 blacks have been very consistent in their tradition of backing Democratic candidates, how quickly do we forget that there were two black candidates that ran as presidential candidates in 2004—Al Sharpton, a democrat and Alan Keys, a Republican. Sharpton, a former New York activist who ran for Senator and Mayor of New York and was unsuccessful in those bids, but had established credibility as a Civil Rights leader and founder of the National Action Network, which champions black grassroots causes. Sharpton ascended and evolved to become the new face and voice of Black leadership; replacing Reverend Jesse Jackson, as the so-called appointed public leader of black America.
This writer has always taking issue when the dominant culture elevates a black leader to so-called chosen status and as a single spokesperson for an entire race, as though we are a monolithic people. But nevertheless, during the 2004 Presidential elections Al Sharpton ran against the Massachusetts Senator John Kerry during the Democratic primaries and for those who do not know Sharpton is African American. Sharpton perhaps did not garnish five (5) percent of the black vote, but this is what made that woman I spoke about early in this writing statement of blacks are backing and supporting Senator Obama just because he is black as being more asinine, unfair and insulting. This writer believes that the black electorate is a lot more political astute than to be voting for Senator Obama just because he is an African American.
This writer personally likes the message and platform of former Democratic Congressional woman Cynthia McKinney who is running for the office of United States President as an Independent Green Party candidate and as a Third Party Candidate. She was uncompromising as a two term Congresswoman out of Georgia and she is very clear on the issues and is not and bought and paid for as the two corporate candidates. Congresswoman McKinney is black, but most blacks will not be casting votes for her because in their political astuteness they have reasoned that to vote for her is a throwaway vote. This writer may not agree nor share in their political disposition, but perhaps they see Senator Obama as having the best chance to upend Senator John McCain and for them it is a sign of political intelligence and it has nothing to do with race. (Reference: Ian Inaba; “American Blackout” a documentary film).
Moreover, the pundits fail to take into account that just four years ago blacks demonstrated that they were politically savvy and just do not vote a long racial lines and this was no more proof positive than when the black electorate turned back Al Sharpton, one of the most well known and prominent black Civil Rights leaders in recent American history and chose to eventually put their huge bloc numbers behind presidential nominee Senator John Kerry. This is what the political pundits in 2008 do not understand; this was a perfect example, how race and nationality played absolutely no factor and did not influence their endorsement strategy, but it is not to suggest that these variables haven’t inspired the black electorate unlike any other presidential campaign in the history of America.
Yes, Senator Obama’s candidacy has created excitement and enthusiasm amongst African American which is undeniable—most whites could never understand this euphoria because it is rooted in the history and culture of an oppressed people who were disenfranchised, denied Civil Rights, and human rights from 1555-1964 until the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Acts, but before the passing of these two pieces of monumental legislation, Jim Crow reigned high in America. So this writer must say he can reckon with their enthusiasm and excitement, for them it is a very passionate historical moment. For example, this writer has an elderly African American neighbor who is about eighty (80) years of age and he experienced the era of Jim Crow where race determined the political, economic and social reality of African American people in the United States. (Reference: Juan Williams; “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954-1965).
The Jim Crow culture and segregation were very painful for blacks to endure—there were racial violence in the form of lynching and outright racial motivated murders, separate but equal policies was the law of the land—white only public accommodations, whites and blacks could not share the same bathrooms or attend the same schools. My neighbor as he recalled this history became teary-eyed (these were tears of both pain and joy) and viewed the possibility of Senator Obama becoming the first black president in the history of the United States as being monumental in his psyche; this same view probably resonates with millions of others just like him. This presidential election in 2008 makes it all worth the hell they caught fighting to achieve freedom, justice and equality for the African American race in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, etc. (C. Vann; “The Strange Career of Jim Crow”).
This writer to a larger extent do not expect the dominant culture to fully understand my elderly neighbor sentiments and the overall collective excitement that African Americans are experiencing. He understood how far our nation had come in the last forty-three (43) years and the road still yet to travel. Senator Obama’s achievements would not have been possible today if it were not for the untold sacrifices that were made by African American freedom fighters of yesterday. Racism would have been the barrier that would have curtailed Senator Obama’s high political aspirations. Lastly, my neighbor told me, he never thought in his life time that he would live to see a black man become president of the United States. This writer truly understood what this presidential race meant to this gentleman and millions like him all over America. This represent breaking through a racial glass ceiling that has stood for over 250 yeers in which this exclusive club has been open to white male elite only. (Reference: Derrick Bell; “Faces At The Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism”).
Perhaps African Americans and all America have something to celebrate, which is we are getting closer to the beautiful word of the Declaration of Independence that is so eloquently stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Dr. Martin Luther King preached that a man should not be judge by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.
This past week Senator Obama received a huge endorsement from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Secretary State Powell’s endorsements lend further credibility to Senator Obama’s bid to become the United States Commander-in-Chief. Secretary of State Colin Powell crossed party lines and gave his endorsement to Senator Obama, a Democrat and may be this endorsement is telling us something about the vulnerability of Senator McCain’s campaign. Thus, some of Senator Obama’s critics have tried to deduce Powell’s endorsement of Senator Obama to the lowest common dominator—race both men happens to be African Americans. This again is insulting and condescending and to say the least racist.
I believe Powell is above voting strictly on racial lines and he has legitimate political history to back him up. Secretary of State Powell served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Bush 1 and would later serve as Secretary of State under George W. Bush II and none of these pundits injected race as a variable during these prior assignments; it was not even a thought Powell was considered a good American (a well decorated professional soldier) and as a conservative Republican. However, this writer thinks Powell’s endorsement of Senator Obama was out of sheer political motivation and nothing else; Powell is a very intelligent man and I believe he is his own man and believe me, his endorsement of Senator Obama was not based on the race indicator. This writer thinks Powell’s endorsement was strictly out of political expediency.
Powell recognizes and fully understands that the Bush Administration has lost a lot of credibility domestically and internationally due their reactionary domestic and foreign policy. This writer believes that when Powell decided not to return for a second four (4) year tenure as Secretary of the State under the Bush Administration; it was evident to me that he left with some differences with the Bush Administration and his departure attest that they parted ways based on those differences. Powell endorsing Senator Obama represented a clear attempt to break away from his past relationship with the good ole boys— under George Bush and the Republican Party and the politics as usual syndrome, which have created a political mess in the last eight (8) years and has even blemished his own name and career.
This new beginning of sought would allow Secretary Powell to perhaps regain some personal and political credibility amongst the American electorate; after-all in 2003, it was Powell speaking from the United Nations and publicly made the case of why the United States needed to invade Iraq and whether or not he received faulty intelligence relative to Iraq having Weapons of Mass Destruction is debatable. This writer does not trust him, he is only interested in legitimizing himself to once again recapture the image as a man of integrity and veracity, but Senator Obama and Secretary Powell are two political animals and they could use each other toward furthering each others political aspirations. (Reference: Richard A. Clarke: “Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror”).
No, this relationship and endorsement has nothing to do with race, it was strictly based on politics. Powell isn’t bit more a Democrat than the man on the moon (and is not a bit more concerned about black issues than the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan) and one should not read more into than what it is worth; Secretary Powell did not say, he was switching political parties. It was only an endorsement and perhaps African Americans can learn a lesson or two from Powell’s decision, which is, it’s best to vote issues and not parties and allow the race to get the best deal they can get from either party—Democrat, Republican, and/or Independent. This was a courageous political move by Powell and it is steeped in valuable political lessons. (Reference: Michael Eric Dyson: “Race Rules: Navigating The Color Line).
Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
Will Race Determine the 2008 Presidential Election?
By Fahim A. Knight-EL
This writer of late has been intensely watching the American presidential election between Senator John McCain, the white Republican candidate versus Senator Barack Obama, the black Democratic candidate. This writer and others had witness Senator Obama early on winning the Iowa Caucus and this writer must admit initially he was not optimistic about Senator Obama’s candidacy and was really a bit shocked that he had won a white state like Iowa in the democratic primaries. He won because the predominately white electorate had overlooked race and even turned back a popular former president’s wife in Senator Hillary Clinton who was heavily politically tied to the shakers and movers, as well as being connected within the Beltline and outside the Beltline.
But no one should be fooled by Senator Obama’s political ascension; it has been carefully crafted and shrewdly orchestrated by Henry Kissinger, Rockefellers and heavily financed by the Rothschilds. Many black Americans have no idea that there are some unseen and hidden powerful entities that are guiding the success of their candidate, Senator Barack Obama and in reality, the majority of the American whites have also been duped by these same entities leading them to believe that their race—white skin gives them a sense of entitlement and privilege; this is one of the slickest ploys ever devised, the divide and conquer scheme—we fight each other and the true enemy is laughing all the way to the bank. (Reference: Gary Allen and Larry Abraham: “None Dare Call it Conspiracy”).
Andrew Hacker in his monumental book titled, “Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal” stated, “RACE HAS BEEN an American obsession since the first Europeans sighted "savages" on these shores. In time, those original inhabitants would be subdued or slaughtered, and finally sequestered out of view. But race in America took on a deeper and more disturbing meaning with the importation of Africans as slaves. Bondage would later be condemned as an awful injustice and the nation's shame, even as we have come to acknowledge the stamina and skill it took to survive in a system where humans could be bought and sold and punished like animals. Nor are these antecedents buried away in the past. That Americans of African origin once wore the chains of chattels remains alive in the memory of both races and continues to separate them”.
Hacker continues, “Black Americans are Americans, yet they still subsist as aliens in the only land they know. Other groups may remain outside the mainstream-some religious sects, for example-but they do so voluntarily. In contrast, blacks must endure a segregation that is far from freely chosen. So America may be seen as two separate nations. Of course, there are places where the races mingle. Yet in most significant respects, the separation is pervasive and penetrating. As a social and human division, it surpasses all others-even gender-in intensity and subordination.” (Reference: Andrew Hacker; “Two Nations: Black and White Separate, Hostile, Unequal” pg. 3).
Senator Hillary Clinton’s husband former President Bill Clinton has always enjoyed a high level of respectability amongst African Americans in which was almost equated to him having celebrity status within the black community. Although, this writer could never understand the infatuation blacks had toward President Clinton. He after all, along with Senator Newt Gengrich (R-Georgia) former Speaker of the House and the Republican reactionary Congress in the 1990s went on a vicious campaign against the poor of America. These vicious entities inevitable blamed and scapegoat the collapse of America on the poor (women and families) people who were receiving Aid For Dependent Children, which led to a rancorous political assault against Human Services and social programs that benefited the needy and the poor of America. President Clinton justified these governmental programs revisions in the name of siding with the Republicans to better manage so-called big government and the poor became expendable and vulnerable under the eight (8) year reign of the Clinton Administration.
These budget cuts would trickle down to hurt poor blacks, poor Latinos and poor whites; this is the same President Bill Clinton that gave greater way to United States Prison Industrial Complex in which more black men became incarcerated under the Democrat Clinton than under the Republican President George Herbert Walker Bush. Thus, not only that, it was President Bill Clinton that established and signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that eventually led to American companies heading south of the border to exploit Developing Nations like Mexico in which devastated the domestic employment market inside the country and America has since turned our corporate lifeblood over to Wal-Mart and covertly deemed this as the new 21st Century industry of America. What a pity; does anyone else see these scams?
I do not accept the premises that Democrats are the friends of the poor and/or the Republicans are the enemies of the poor; no both parties are agents of the rich and neither has giving anything to poor and oppressed people. Here is the contradiction, we the taxpayers of America just took on some of the biggest welfare recipients in the history of American politics, as welfare clients of the taxpayers—some of the largest Banking and Financial institutions in the world; we gifted wrapped these den of thieves $750 billion dollars popular known as the bailout or the new language rescue package, which will eventually cost the American taxpayers over three trillion dollars in the long term.
Now! That’s some real welfare that is being orchestrated by Federal Reserve and the Central Bankers and its puppet the United States Treasury Department low-level operatives Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. How about this one; the billions of dollars the U.S, taxpayers are mandated to pay for Israel in support of reactionary Middle Eastern Foreign Policy is another big welfare ticket? How about this one; the billions of dollars the taxpayers are being burden with in our imperialistic and oppressive military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, which amounts to stealing heroin and oil for the Bush Family. You see welfare is a relative term and it doesn’t always apply to the poor. No, the poor people are ones who can not find viable employment because our government has outsourced American economic business to Twain, China, Vietnam, Mexico, India, and other poor developing nations because they can work these people for slave wages and reap huge profits. Yes, NAFTA commenced under President Bill Clinton and this Democrat was responsible for this Chess Board move. (Reference: Eustace Mullins; “The Secrets of the Federal Reserve”).
Why do not we demand that our leadership rearrange their political priorities and invest in American education, which has been so neglected? Our most precious and valuable economy and commodity is the future of our children. This is a real NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. Here is a homework assignment for my readers; thus, unless you understand who rules the world, it will be difficult for you to assess and evaluate the political, economic, and social issues that truly concern all of humanity. Please research these three groups the Bilderbergers, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission; these are the real culprits not the poor and oppressed. (Reference: John Coleman; “Conspirators Hierarchy: The Story of the Committee of 300”).
This writer wants to go on record to say, he doesn’t necessary support Senator Barack Obama or his political views (but in this case he might be the lesser of two evils) because he has been co-opted and is a puppet for some of the most powerful political interest groups in America and the world; just as his so-called political nemesis and counterpart Senator John McCain. This writer recently attended a local committee action forum in his community and this middle aged Caucasian woman stood-up and stated African Americans were supporting Senator Obama just because he was black. This writer felt insulted and intellectually denigrated by such a naïve and stereotypical assertion. This writer deemed the statement to be racist in scope and intent; although the remark in itself was not laced with overt venom or possessing a sense of hatred bigotry. But it was the subliminal decoded language that spoke to the four hundred fifty (450) years of unresolved racism in America. (Reference: C. Eric Lincoln; “Surviving Race and Place in America”).
Perhaps my feelings were being led and motivated more by a historical stimuli (and may be even an overreaction) as opposed to a well thought out cognizant assessment of this woman’s words. This woman’s allege racial inference had put me in an emotional state of being both angered and disarrayed—into mental frenzy. It took everything this writer had to gather and collect himself; this writer then asked himself was this woman attempting to inject race into the political discussion and was it an appeal to the dominant culture which has been shaped and structured on race and did she understand that when everything else fails and the dust settles in American politics; there is always old reliable—RACE? Thus, was her comments rooted in a perhaps much more deeply seated psychology of tradition; having its origins steeped in the racial dynamics that we had come to associate with old racial attitudes of yesterday and was this a mere play on the fears of the white electorate? (Reference: “Naim Akbar; “Breaking The Chains of Psychological Slavery).
Although, she did not have the bully-pulpit of a Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity—she was local, but was her statement and sentiment representative of the views of the dominant white community at-large? But this writer also wondered was this an example, of someone playing the race card in reverse in which blacks and other ethnic minorities have been accused of playing throughout the history of America. However, there would be no race card to play if a system and a culture were not built on Racism and racist precepts that created a culture of inequality and injustice in which often the dominant society set the rules in American culture—skin color and ethnicity have always determined how resources would be distributed and allocated. (Reference: Earl Ofari Hutchinson; “The Assassination of The Black Male Image”).
The problem this writer is having with this election is how quick we develop political amnesia; from 1865 the majority of African Americans were affiliated with the Republican Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, the so-called great emancipator. African American from 1932 beginning with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the present day 2008 have overwhelmingly voted for white democratic candidates on the national, state, and local levels. This writer has ascertained that ninety-two (92) percent of African Americans are registered democrats. This writer personally thinks this political predicament and strategy to be insane, this writer doesn’t know if you can call it a strategy—this is more of a faulty political strategy; in particular in a two party system. It is political suicide because, it allows the Democratic party to take the black vote for granted—they understand the political numbers being just an eight (8) percent differential and this does not create the type of pendulum swing to generate enough external political leverage which to keep the Democratic Party honest. (Reference: Claud Anderson; “PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America”).
Politicians only respect an electorate that can impose political consequences, but those above numerical variables based on registered party affiliation do not pose an equitable number balance, which could alter or derail a candidate potential to being elected, hypothetically if forty (40) percent of blacks were registered Republicans and the other sixty (60) percent were Democrats this would automatically create a political leverage. They then could definitely command more political respect from this two party system, in particular from the Democratic Party who for seventy-five (75) years has taking the black vote for granted and would definitely build unimaginable credibility with the Republican Party. If African Americans are going to effectively play American style politics, this will require and mandate them to devise a new political strategy and tactic that moves beyond being a majority one bloc political party, which has had its benefits at times and simultaneously can be politically detrimental. (Reference: Claud Anderson; “Black Labor White Wealth”).
This reliable Democratic electorate bloc has put many past presidential candidates over the top and now this same black electorate is being accused of practicing racial politics because blacks are supporting a Democratic candidate for president who just happens to be an African American. The status quo is creating this double standard and as diversionary tactic to possible racially incite whites to the determent of derailing Senator Obama’s candidacy by appealing to old racial stereotypes that perhaps lie just beneath the surface. Senator John McCain and company, fully understands the numbers which Senator Obama can not win the office of U.S. President with the black vote alone; it is going to take a broad base racial coalition for him to pull this thing off. (Reference: Tim Wise; “White Like Me: Reflections on Race From a Privileged Son”).
Lets fast forward to 2008 blacks have been very consistent in their tradition of backing Democratic candidates, how quickly do we forget that there were two black candidates that ran as presidential candidates in 2004—Al Sharpton, a democrat and Alan Keys, a Republican. Sharpton, a former New York activist who ran for Senator and Mayor of New York and was unsuccessful in those bids, but had established credibility as a Civil Rights leader and founder of the National Action Network, which champions black grassroots causes. Sharpton ascended and evolved to become the new face and voice of Black leadership; replacing Reverend Jesse Jackson, as the so-called appointed public leader of black America.
This writer has always taking issue when the dominant culture elevates a black leader to so-called chosen status and as a single spokesperson for an entire race, as though we are a monolithic people. But nevertheless, during the 2004 Presidential elections Al Sharpton ran against the Massachusetts Senator John Kerry during the Democratic primaries and for those who do not know Sharpton is African American. Sharpton perhaps did not garnish five (5) percent of the black vote, but this is what made that woman I spoke about early in this writing statement of blacks are backing and supporting Senator Obama just because he is black as being more asinine, unfair and insulting. This writer believes that the black electorate is a lot more political astute than to be voting for Senator Obama just because he is an African American.
This writer personally likes the message and platform of former Democratic Congressional woman Cynthia McKinney who is running for the office of United States President as an Independent Green Party candidate and as a Third Party Candidate. She was uncompromising as a two term Congresswoman out of Georgia and she is very clear on the issues and is not and bought and paid for as the two corporate candidates. Congresswoman McKinney is black, but most blacks will not be casting votes for her because in their political astuteness they have reasoned that to vote for her is a throwaway vote. This writer may not agree nor share in their political disposition, but perhaps they see Senator Obama as having the best chance to upend Senator John McCain and for them it is a sign of political intelligence and it has nothing to do with race. (Reference: Ian Inaba; “American Blackout” a documentary film).
Moreover, the pundits fail to take into account that just four years ago blacks demonstrated that they were politically savvy and just do not vote a long racial lines and this was no more proof positive than when the black electorate turned back Al Sharpton, one of the most well known and prominent black Civil Rights leaders in recent American history and chose to eventually put their huge bloc numbers behind presidential nominee Senator John Kerry. This is what the political pundits in 2008 do not understand; this was a perfect example, how race and nationality played absolutely no factor and did not influence their endorsement strategy, but it is not to suggest that these variables haven’t inspired the black electorate unlike any other presidential campaign in the history of America.
Yes, Senator Obama’s candidacy has created excitement and enthusiasm amongst African American which is undeniable—most whites could never understand this euphoria because it is rooted in the history and culture of an oppressed people who were disenfranchised, denied Civil Rights, and human rights from 1555-1964 until the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Acts, but before the passing of these two pieces of monumental legislation, Jim Crow reigned high in America. So this writer must say he can reckon with their enthusiasm and excitement, for them it is a very passionate historical moment. For example, this writer has an elderly African American neighbor who is about eighty (80) years of age and he experienced the era of Jim Crow where race determined the political, economic and social reality of African American people in the United States. (Reference: Juan Williams; “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954-1965).
The Jim Crow culture and segregation were very painful for blacks to endure—there were racial violence in the form of lynching and outright racial motivated murders, separate but equal policies was the law of the land—white only public accommodations, whites and blacks could not share the same bathrooms or attend the same schools. My neighbor as he recalled this history became teary-eyed (these were tears of both pain and joy) and viewed the possibility of Senator Obama becoming the first black president in the history of the United States as being monumental in his psyche; this same view probably resonates with millions of others just like him. This presidential election in 2008 makes it all worth the hell they caught fighting to achieve freedom, justice and equality for the African American race in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, etc. (C. Vann; “The Strange Career of Jim Crow”).
This writer to a larger extent do not expect the dominant culture to fully understand my elderly neighbor sentiments and the overall collective excitement that African Americans are experiencing. He understood how far our nation had come in the last forty-three (43) years and the road still yet to travel. Senator Obama’s achievements would not have been possible today if it were not for the untold sacrifices that were made by African American freedom fighters of yesterday. Racism would have been the barrier that would have curtailed Senator Obama’s high political aspirations. Lastly, my neighbor told me, he never thought in his life time that he would live to see a black man become president of the United States. This writer truly understood what this presidential race meant to this gentleman and millions like him all over America. This represent breaking through a racial glass ceiling that has stood for over 250 yeers in which this exclusive club has been open to white male elite only. (Reference: Derrick Bell; “Faces At The Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism”).
Perhaps African Americans and all America have something to celebrate, which is we are getting closer to the beautiful word of the Declaration of Independence that is so eloquently stated, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Dr. Martin Luther King preached that a man should not be judge by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.
This past week Senator Obama received a huge endorsement from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Secretary State Powell’s endorsements lend further credibility to Senator Obama’s bid to become the United States Commander-in-Chief. Secretary of State Colin Powell crossed party lines and gave his endorsement to Senator Obama, a Democrat and may be this endorsement is telling us something about the vulnerability of Senator McCain’s campaign. Thus, some of Senator Obama’s critics have tried to deduce Powell’s endorsement of Senator Obama to the lowest common dominator—race both men happens to be African Americans. This again is insulting and condescending and to say the least racist.
I believe Powell is above voting strictly on racial lines and he has legitimate political history to back him up. Secretary of State Powell served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Bush 1 and would later serve as Secretary of State under George W. Bush II and none of these pundits injected race as a variable during these prior assignments; it was not even a thought Powell was considered a good American (a well decorated professional soldier) and as a conservative Republican. However, this writer thinks Powell’s endorsement of Senator Obama was out of sheer political motivation and nothing else; Powell is a very intelligent man and I believe he is his own man and believe me, his endorsement of Senator Obama was not based on the race indicator. This writer thinks Powell’s endorsement was strictly out of political expediency.
Powell recognizes and fully understands that the Bush Administration has lost a lot of credibility domestically and internationally due their reactionary domestic and foreign policy. This writer believes that when Powell decided not to return for a second four (4) year tenure as Secretary of the State under the Bush Administration; it was evident to me that he left with some differences with the Bush Administration and his departure attest that they parted ways based on those differences. Powell endorsing Senator Obama represented a clear attempt to break away from his past relationship with the good ole boys— under George Bush and the Republican Party and the politics as usual syndrome, which have created a political mess in the last eight (8) years and has even blemished his own name and career.
This new beginning of sought would allow Secretary Powell to perhaps regain some personal and political credibility amongst the American electorate; after-all in 2003, it was Powell speaking from the United Nations and publicly made the case of why the United States needed to invade Iraq and whether or not he received faulty intelligence relative to Iraq having Weapons of Mass Destruction is debatable. This writer does not trust him, he is only interested in legitimizing himself to once again recapture the image as a man of integrity and veracity, but Senator Obama and Secretary Powell are two political animals and they could use each other toward furthering each others political aspirations. (Reference: Richard A. Clarke: “Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror”).
No, this relationship and endorsement has nothing to do with race, it was strictly based on politics. Powell isn’t bit more a Democrat than the man on the moon (and is not a bit more concerned about black issues than the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan) and one should not read more into than what it is worth; Secretary Powell did not say, he was switching political parties. It was only an endorsement and perhaps African Americans can learn a lesson or two from Powell’s decision, which is, it’s best to vote issues and not parties and allow the race to get the best deal they can get from either party—Democrat, Republican, and/or Independent. This was a courageous political move by Powell and it is steeped in valuable political lessons. (Reference: Michael Eric Dyson: “Race Rules: Navigating The Color Line).
Fahim A. Knight-EL Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight-EL
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