One Nation, Under A Grip, Not A Groove
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by BAR editor and columnist Jared A. Ball
The political exercise at the Washington Mall on October 2 “held out no real challenge to power” and was, therefore, of no use to the powerless. “What is being heralded as a largely successful mobilization of a young, energetic, diverse movement led by unionized labor and civil rights organizations was really a carefully manicured slap in the face of those traditions of struggle.”
No Groove, Just One Nation Under a Grip
by BAR editor and columnist Jared A. Ball
”This grip of the Democrats is no soft hold. It is a death grip.”
A rally for jobs, justice and education that occurs only two years after the election of a president and party who apparently cannot deliver either and which blames not the party in power for those two years but only the fringe elements of the out-of-power right wing, is a rally that even with a George Clinton performance is One Nation under no groove only a grip. And this grip of the Democrats is no soft hold. It is a death grip. It is a strangle hold designed to squeeze the life out of progressive elements within their own party and throughout the rest of the country – indeed the world. In what is being heralded as a largely successful mobilization of a young, energetic, diverse movement led by unionized labor and civil rights organizations was really a carefully manicured slap in the face of those traditions of struggle. Rather than the traditions of each, which include bold, strong irreverent organized acts of disobedience today’s versions are safely cajoled spokespersons of the liberal element of the ruling elite.
For those who have been coming to Washington, DC for decades to attend these kinds of rallies there was absolutely nothing new. First and foremost is that it was yet another march in DC that had nothing to do with the immediate concerns of most of the residents of DC. Secondly, there were the same tributes to organized religion, pledges of allegiance to the United States and a choir-styled national anthem meant to convey a fraudulent grassroots image and inclusion of the Black working class. But mostly it was the same in that it held out no real challenge to power, no threat of a push against liberalism or conservative Democratery. There were the regular co-opted calls of “power to the people,” quotes referencing A. Phillip Randolph’s that enemies of health care, education and jobs are “enemies of the Negro,” comparisons made between the Tea Party and the old Dixiecrats and even an extended reading by several young people of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech. But there was only scant reference of King’s own disillusion with his dream or the fact that the Dixiecrats of old are the Democrats of today and that these are still the “enemies of the Negro.”
”A banker’s party is a banker’s party no matter the color or gender of the candidate.”
But worst of all was the consistent and clear message that the problems we face today are the result of “40 senators” and a rabid right-wing of the country whose persistent responses of “no” have held back our innocent, even heroic, current president. The calls for jobs, peace, health care and education were simply hollow given that the president all of these people elected has done nothing to advance any of these issues in ways that did not more so advance the interests of the very entities who benefit by the currently horrible conditions of each. The proud traditions of labor and human rights struggles in this country and around the world are disrespected by a leadership that simply says to vote for the Democrat who will beautify our oppression rather than end it. The argument coming loud and clear from the podium Saturday was simply that if you don’t again vote for the Democrats and Obama then there was no point in having voted for them in the first place. There was no point then and there is no point now. A banker’s party is a banker’s party no matter the color or gender of the candidate.
There was one white man I heard this weekend who seems to have not completely lost his mind. David Swanson of the Progressive Democrats of America actually called for us to devalue the role of elections and the presidency itself by massive, even disruptive civil disobedience and grassroots organization. He is absolutely correct. Calls that we vote specifically because of the lives given toward achieving that right usually miss the point of what those fighting for the vote actually wanted that exercise to deliver. Marches that only belatedly call for the elected to deliver that which their benefactors have assured they cannot are simply foolishness. New directions with newly-developed methods of popular and public challenges are needed.
For in the end Dick Gregory was right. By consistently voting for the lesser of evil and by never seeking the truth about the assassinations of people we march in honor of we follow the path that leads us to Nazis.
For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Jared Ball. Visit us online at BlackAgendaReport.com.
Jared Ball can be reached via email at freemixradio@gmail.com.
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black agenda fraud
I believe BLACK AGENDA IS A REPUBLICAN FRAUD!!! You claim to be dealing with Black issues as it confronts Black Americans. I view your views as Republican value layden and your agenda is to put down those of us who want change from the Racist, Radical and down right trashy ideas from the Republicans. You are sad and I DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR VIEWS and believe you have the SLAVE MENTALITY people like myself do not need and deplore. Where were you when George Bush was lying and taking away our jobs, destroying our inner cities and creating a debt that our President inherited? You blame Barack Obama, but I don't hear you supporting what he is trying to do. Your so called ? Glenn Ford is a JOKE!! I"m a Professional Black Man who isn't ignorant to you "hidden agenda." I will pray that your soul doesn't get taken by the Republican and Tea Party. Where were you with Glen Beck? You probably supported him. BLACK AGENDA IS A JOKE!!!
socialworker98: BAR staff
socialworker98:
BAR staff criticized and reported on the evildoings of the Bush administration. As for BAR supporting what Obama is trying to do, just what is Obama trying to do? It certainly ain't trying to improve things for the average Joe.
Obama continued Bush's no strings bankster bailout, even taking time during his campaign to phone Democrats opposed to bailout to strongarm them into voting for it. Bailout has done little to help distressed homeowners and economy. However, the banksters are rolling in dough. Healthcare reform bill is based on the failed Massachusetts model and will leave millions uninsured and underinsured and sipphon funds from Medicare and Medicaid. Further, this bill was practically written by drug and insurance industry lobbyists - the only entities who will come out ahead in this sham reform bill.
A Social Security check is the only source of income for millions of retirees. These millions will increase due to the bankster Ponzi scheme that wiped out pensions and 40lks of a crapload of people. Obama promotes the right wing lie that SS is broke and benefits must be cut so he loaded his Deficit Reduction Commission with Republicans and Social Security haters whose sole mission is to enrich Wall Street even more by privatizing SS funds. Given the current financial collapse, why is Obama even considering gambling SS funds on Wall Street?
Obama's stimulus plan lacked the massive infrastructure improvement jobs program needed to put large numbers of people to work earning money and paying taxes. On the education front, No Child Left Behind is now branded Race to the Top but anyway you call it, this is just a transfer of tax dollars to fund charter schools, many of which are/will be run by corporations looking to enrich their bottom lines. Reliable studies have shown charters, just like public schools, have mixed results with regards to success at educating students.
Obama had two chances to name at least one true liberal to the Supreme Court. Both times he chose a center right leaning corporatist with little experience in or passion for representing and protecting the rights of the average citizen.
Civil liberties are taking a beating under former Constitutional law scholar Obama. Obama has continued and often increased the attack on civil liberties and human rights of the Bush regime. Suspension of habeus corpus, spying on emails and phone calls w/o a warrant, quashing dissent via labelling even peaceful protesters terrorists, false flag terrorist incidents, claiming right to assassinate US citizens, indefinite detentions, black site prisons - all this stuff and then some is alive and well under Obama's watch.
On the war front, we're still occupying Iraq. Combat troops left but noncombat units and Blackwater type contractors remain. Feel free to bet your next paycheck that our govt will find some reason (even manufacturing chaos if needed) to remain there indefinitely. We didn't build the largest embassy in the universe in Iraq only to abandon it. Afghanistan is Vietnam redux. Read beyond mainstream media/govt press releases (tedrall.com and counterpunch.org are good places to start) and you'll find the place is a mess, the Taliban is gaining strength, and our presence there is making things worst, not better. Compare Obama speeches about Afghanistan and Iraq with Bush's and you'll find little difference in rhetoric.
Obama continues the WMD-like lies about Iran's nuclear program. He continues to drop drones on Pakistan and Afghanistan killing more civilians than alleged terrorists. Such action is a far stronger recruiting tool for terrorists than any Koran burning by some two bit preacher in Florida.
Obama stocked his cabinet with warmongers, labor haters, environmental posers, and free trade cheerleaders. This action alone revealed just who was going to get the best deal under his watch - corporate and ruling classes who are enriched by war profits, low wages, and sham regulations.
If anyone has a slave mentality, it's the head in the sand cotton pickers still toiling on the Democratic party plantation despite being screwed over by said party for the past 30 years - and, the Obamabots who still contort themselves into knots trying to defend his pathetic actions and inactions.
Spare me any rants about the Tea Party. The TP and their enablers like Beck and Limbaugh aren't in the White House nor in Congress. They aren't responsible for proposing and enacting legislation. We have a Democratic White House and Democratically controlled Congress who have done not one damn thing with their power to advance an agenda that will improve the lot of the poor and working classes who comprise most of this nation.
BAR is no joke. The joke is anyone who is still defending Obama's sorry ass.
Intellectual honesty and Obama: "Where were you?"
when GWB had the lowest approval ratings of any US President, the Democrats regained control of the House in 2006, and Bush STILL did what the hell he wanted, because of Democrat complicity? Where was the Democratic filibuster to GWB's wars of aggression, appointment of Right Wing Sup. Ct. justices, and trashing of the Constitution? Or, where were "you" when Obama signaled before the election he would be a Blue Dog Democratic wimp and crater to Right Wing Rethuglicans? Better yet, I wonder where will "you" be when Obama's "Cat Commission" reduces Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare benefits AFTER THE NOV. ELECTIONS? Oh, he's laying in the weeds my friend, bet on it.. That will be a tell-tale moment to say the least. I can tell you where BAR was, is and will be during ALL of these situations, on the side of working and middle class Americans, and pushing an Agenda amendable to Black folks instead of cheerleading Obama.
Just face the fact that Obama is a first-class punk and wimp, on both the domestic and international front. This excellent article from Dilop Hiro breaks it all down:
Tomdispatch intro to essay:
"The last time Hiro (author most recently of After Empire: The Birth of a Multi-Polar World) appeared at TomDispatch, he noticed a striking stylistic sign of American decline in action, what might be called the Obama flip-flop. In one case after another, from Central America to China, Israel to Afghanistan, the Obama administration would pressure a foreign leader to bend to Washington’s will, threaten dire consequences, and then, when he refused to back off, move into a placatory mode. Strangely -- a sign of domestic power outages as well -- it hasn’t been hard to spot a similar style in action at home. (emphasis mine)
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175299/tomgram%3A_dilip_hiro,_the_waning...
Don't blame BAR for the "Obama flip-flop" blame your self and fellow Kool Aide drinkers for ignoring reality. Here's some more "reality" for ya:
1. Truth about the public option momentarily emerges, quickly scampers back into hiding
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html
Excerpt: "...despite Obama's multiple statements to the contrary, had secretly bargained away the public option with corporate interests early in the negotiation process and therefore did not intend to push for its inclusion in the final bill."
2. How pervasive is Democratic dissatisfaction?
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/10/05/schmitt/ind...
"...But judge for yourself: just examine the recent evidence on this question to see if Schmitt's claim -- "the dissatisfied Democratic base [is] represented really by a couple of blogs" -- bears any relationship whatsoever to reality:"
3. WH messaging about its base
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010_elections/index.html?story=/opin...
President Obama gave an interview to Rolling Stone and actually said this:
The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible. . . . .If we want the kind of country that respects civil rights and civil liberties, we'd better fight in this election.
This may be one of the most audaciously hilarious political statements I've read in quite some time. The Holder Justice Department's record on domestic civil rights enforcement is actually one of the few areas where there has been substantial improvement -- and that's a perfectly legitimate argument to make -- but for Barack Obama to cite "civil liberties" as a reason why Democratic apathy is "just irresponsible," and to claim with a straight face that this election will determine whether we're "the kind of country that respects" them, is so detached from basic reality that I actually had to read this three or four times to make certain I hadn't misunderstood it. To summarize Obama's apparent claim: the Republicans better not win in the midterm election, otherwise we'll have due-process-free and even preventive detention, secret assassinations of U.S. citizens, vastly expanded government surveillance of the Internet, a continuation of Guantanamo, protection of Executive branch crimes through the use of radical secrecy doctrines, escalating punishment for whistleblowers, legal immunity for war crimes, and a massively escalated drone war in Pakistan. That's why, as the President inspirationally warns us: "If we want the kind of country that respects civil liberties, we'd better fight in this election."
Socialworker98, where were you when the Democratic base was being undermined, thrown to the curb, and crumbling right before your eyes, when Obama morphed into GWB, when the WH responded to legit Democratic base complaints with ridicule, arrogance and "talking down?"
No one is more to blame for the lack of enthusiasm and outright destruction of the Democratic Party than Obama. Face it, the truth hurts. After spending months making excuses about not having a filibuster proof majority Obama used RECONCILLATION when it was clear his ass and reputation were on the line, he declined to use it at the OUTSET for a health care bill the MAJORITY of Americans wanted. As I've said a million times the man is inherently WEAK, and has no coherent vision or set of principles. What we have and what you fail to acknowledge is "The Obama Flip-Flop" Read em and weep.
p.s. I'm just getting warmed up my friend, don't want writer's cramp to set in early. LOL
MORE "UNFORSEEABLE" INEVITABILITY
Someone is hustling votes for blue dogs again.
It must be election season.
Two weekends ago, Obama
Two weekends ago, Obama virtually declared open war on left dissent in America, literally breaking down doors. One weekend ago, much of 'left' America gathered in DC in what apparently was basically a pep rally for the Obamacrats. Is there a word for such perversity and cowardice?
The "silent" voices speak up
The fact of the matter is that over 70% of African Americans foolishly support Obama. The other fact of the matter is that most of the vocal criticism of Obama has come from White Left Wing blogs, are you suggesting they are "Republican Frauds" too? The mainstream media suppressed the "Left" critique in order to give voice to the Tea Party and move America further to the right, so many folks like socialworker98 believed ALL criticism of Obama was inherently Right Wing Republican criticism. NOT!!
Go to Truthdig.com or Common Dreams.com and you will "hear" (read) comments of bloggers who actually attended the so-called rally and described how pathetic it was. Nothing but a cheer-leading cry for the Dummocrats.
March to Nowhere
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/march_to_nowhere_20101005/
last paragraph: "The One Nation March in Washington, which lacked moral and political courage, did nothing to educate or rally our most important constituency—those out of work, those being foreclosed, those without hope. It refused to confront the real, corporate structures of power. It refused to disown Barack Obama and the Democrats. And in the end it only confirmed what those who hate us think of liberals."
Here are a few choice comments from posters at Truthdig who attended the "rally.":
By MollyJ, October 5 at 9:52 pm
I listened to the _Democracy Now!_ coverage of this event. And there were some inspirational speaker but at the end of the day it was a “get out the vote” action and it ignored that there is no one to vote for. they are all employed by the same interests. Amy Goodman interviewed Danny Schlecter and he said something that Chris Hedges said. He commented that there was no educational effort.
Bingo.
By Kanomi Blake, October 5 at 7:15 pm
While this pathetic collection of partisan hacks, hanger-ons, naifs, waifs, and dupes was out hollering for the Blue team and booing the Red team in the never-ending political football game of the Corporate police state, the real players were hard at work.
Unfortunately, unlike these pathetic pep rallies, their work is no game: wiretapping, looting, foreclosing, outsourcing, kidnapping, torturing, imprisoning, bombing, and oh yeah, working a coup in Ecuador.
But of course it’s easier to snicker on cue at the Tea Party when prompted by Jon Stewart than to take a long look in the mirror and admit that you’ve been tricked; to admit that your continued support of these utterly corrupted political front-men makes you cog of a ruthlessly exploitative capitalist war machine; that it makes you a willing partner to your own destruction and an indirect party to usury, racketeering, war crimes and treason.
By dcrump, October 5 at 11:58 am
Once again, Mr. Hedges is spot on. My wife and I gave up on the “official” speakers after listening to a half dozen or so repeat the banal platitudes of the Democratic establishment. If you wanted specifics or education, then you needed to hear the speeches by local, activist leaders of the initial “feeder marches.” We were at the Peace Table where many people said the things that needed to be said, all of which is delineated here by Mr. Hedges. Unfortunately—but all to predictably—the One Nation march was the flip side of a Tea Party rally. That is, genuine grass-roots anger, fear and possible solutions co-opted by the political and corporate powers that controlled the stage and the media coverage for their own purposes. I’m glad I went so that I could make more connections with real activists working outside the system, but the offical rally itself was a disappointment, just another Charlie Brown moment where the football is (predictably) pulled away…again. I should have known better.
Here's more insight from the "fraudulent" "Left"
Here's a great essay that underscores Obama's inherent weakness of personality and character, how he is beholden to the Zionists, and a prediction that he's a one-termer. Read and enjoy.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/10/israel-in-america-obamas-dance-of-deat...
The purpose here, however, is to highlight the words of one of the "fraudulent" leftist commentators, the analysis is dead one. Although the poster is responding to a pro-Zionist poster named Michael Kenny he could have just as well been responding to socialworker98, check it out:
kanomi: "...MichaelKenny’s comment was so badly-informed and so riddled with logical errors and remarkable assertions without evidence, that one has to wonder where he gets his information from. This is the gist of his opinion:
“What is appearing on the right-wing sites is a right-wing message, presented openly as such, but what is appearing on the left-wing sites is the same right-wing message, but dressed up in leftish-sounding jargon.”
This is an extraordinary claim, to say that all progressives everywhere are somehow magically taking marching orders from the Republican Party, but he provides absolutely zero evidence to back up this wild notion. If you claim that all progressive criticism of your Dear Leader is “dressed-up” or disguised right-wing rhetoric, you need to prove it.
But you can’t prove it, because it’s ridiculous. There are thousands of bloggers, columnists and essayists, on this and hundreds of other sites, hammering the fascist character of this bipartisan police state, the vast majority of whom are not paid at all, least of all by the GOP. I for one am not “dressing up” a right-wing message in leftish-sounding jargon. I for one don’t get paid. I don’t even have a use for the false left-right dialectic anymore, the real masked conflict is top versus bottom. But anyway.
Progressives hammer Obama for extending and expanding the wars, increasing police state powers, continuing programs of torture and abduction, of murdering civilians with robot airplanes, imprisoning tens of thousands of innocent people in private prisons, of more bailouts and handouts to the banks, of selling sick Americans to a criminal health cartel, etc., etc. These are fundamentally, deeply statist, corporatist, fascist (“right-wing” if you want) policies and are blasted as such, and rightfully so.
It is Obama who delivers these right-wing policies, but dresses them up in liberal-sounding marketing slogans of hope and change. It is a charade of democracy, masking a criminal oligarchy.
I suspect the reason why people like MichaelKenny — blindly loyal partisan sign-wavers — perceive any criticism of the Great Nobel Peace Prize Winner as “right-wing attacks” is because they can only see the “attack” part, but cannot and do not bother to actually read, think about, or consider the substance of those critiques. They are blindly loyal, incapable of critical thinking about an emotional connection.
So let me state it as simply as possible for those who dispense with facts, cling to hope and refuse to change:
Obama is the sheepskin costume; Rahm Emanuel, Larry Summers, and the rest of the Zionists, warmongers, financial terrorists, and Pentagon profiteers are the wolves hiding inside his costume, and anyone still sitting in the sheep-pen with these murderous, thieving carnivores deserves to get sheared.
Nuff said kanomi, nuff said.
I'm getting writer's cramp, yall help me out, ya hear (lol)
http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/10/whats-behind-the-one-nation-rally/
What’s Behind the One Nation Rally?
by Jack A. Smith / October 6th, 2010
Relevant excerpts:
• The unity achieved at the rally between the working class, people of color and progressives in various social advocacy groups is very important in terms of the political struggle for needed progressive social change in the United States.
However, the rally’s singular purpose was to increase the popular vote for Democratic candidates in the November 2 Congressional election and local offices, not to build an independent liberal/progressive/left coalition to agitate for needed programs that go beyond the limited possibilities of the Obama Administration’s center/center right political agenda.
• Rally speakers supported a number of relatively progressive policy initiatives, including a massive and comprehensive jobs program, advancement of civil rights and liberties, immigration reform, education reform, and union rights to mention a few. This was a major liberal event and were it the actual intention of the Obama Administration to fight for such initiatives, it would be transformational.
However, not one of the speakers criticized the Obama Administration’s failure to seriously embrace many such programs or to mount the political fight required to attain even watered down versions, blaming everything on “The Party of No.” Even the Blue Dog conservative Democrats in Congress were off the hook."(Blue Dog conservative DemoRat would include Obama, btw)
There you have it. Now, I'm going to take a pause and pass the baton, I'm moving over to bash heads at some of the other columns, a change of subject might alleviate my writer's cramp. (lol)
p.s. I've been none to renege on my promises, sort of like Obama. (lol)
Heroic President....?
This President is by far NOT heroic. He's at best an utter patsy for the right wing and at worst, the first true Fascist President of the United States. We've seen nothing of his promises that he and he alone controls. As Commander in Chief he could have ordered Gitmo closed, stop the criminal renditions, closed every "secret" prison under our control, allowed information to flow like every President except Bush did, etc. Obama will go down as the first Black President and an utter failure for being unable AND unwilling to even try to live up to his promises. I'm ashamed I ever walked the streets with his supporters. Never again will I vote Democrat. Sad to say, but Nader was right. There isn't enough difference between parties to make a difference. Both are in full swing toward a text book Fascist nation. Obama has turned out worse than Bush ever was.