Obama , Riots & Ebola

After speaking out quickly & loudly concerning Henry Louis Gates, Trayvon Martin & Donald Sterling so far the president has been quiet on the situation in St. Louis. A Google search returns no hits with "Obama Michael Brown." The silence is deafening and might indicate there are details yet to emerge (written Monday August 11th).

The photo above on the other hand speaks loud & clear. The guy in the middle doesn't look very isolated to me.

The Obama administration goes beyond failure into the territory of impediment. What use is a black president if racism & discrimination go up? What use is a black president if his race cannot prevent India & China from the embrace of our competitors?

The change Obama promised America has not come to fruition. He cannot govern, he cannot advocate. He is a impotent lame duck US president with no credibility. Congress refuses to work with him or his attorney general (by their own admission). US police forces across the country are in open revolt against him. If you are black in America things are likely worse than when he came to office.

Barack Obama had a golden opportunity to change race relations in this country for the better. It is my opinion that instead of saying, "...the police acted stupidly" in regards to Henry Louis Gates, if he had said, "...as president I support the police officer" we would not have the situation we do today.

The mind boggles at the harm his contentious & provocative statements ,"..if I had a son..", have done to race relations and policing. One wonders if he is under the influence of some drug.

Suggesting a conversation on race be had over drinks indicates a lack of awareness regarding how serious a topic it is.

Its quite possible Michael Brown paid with his life for white frustration with president Hussein Obama.

With 1.73% of the country's wealth but 13% of the population black America cannot produce a man with enough resources to withstand criticism and act if necessary. We are seeing that play out with the Obama administration. All of his cards are held by the white men who own the major corporations, the wealth & key positions in this society.

I pray that I am wrong but based on how little relative affluence & influence blacks have how could Obama be anything in but in the pocket of  someone else.

Raw Deal

For many people, and particularly in communities of color, the basic bargain of America -- that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can share in the nation's prosperity -- has become a raw deal. 

US Secretary of Labor R. Perez writing on the 50th anniversary of the civil rights act.

That's a pretty grim assessment of the current and future state of the job market.

Stress Test

The New York Times credits the following to Tim Geithner, "The rescue itself, at its core, is a fundamentally unfair thing, except relative to the alternative of letting the system burn down..."

I can not call that a telling statement since it seems to obfuscate more than it reveals. I can say in response that his estimation of relative values reveals a quantifiable flaw.

For the vast majority of Americans the system has already burned down. Whether it's public education, health care, back logged litigation, public safety or inflation it is the vast majority of Americans whom are under stress.

The former secretary and those like him are propagating the myth that the now famous 1% and their business interests are needed. That if those interests are not allowed to function America comes to a standstill.

It would not. The sun would still rise and new entities would arise to replace the old.

 

Alan Moore, MiracleMan & Racism

Alan Moore, author of such highly regarded comics as Watchmen, V for Vendetta & Swamp Thing, has been accused of racism for including a Golliwogg derivative in the later volumes of his League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic books.

In this interview with Pádraig Ó Méalóid  he attempts to explain the inclusion of this Sambo like figure in the continuing tales of the popular comics. His explanation bleeds with the condescending contemptuousness of the question anyone familiar with his public persona would expect.  

He doesn't mention that since the characters are all in public domain he profits from the work of a woman , whose intentions while noble, resulted in a gross stereotypical caricature. He does hint of a desire to offer depth to a character where there was none before. Yet , much like the characters creator, his efforts serve to reinforce the very image he claims to reject (see photo attachment).

At this point, it's worth noting that comics are supposed to be fun & interesting. The fact that there is even (e)ink being expended on this subject shows what a master of the art form Alan Moore (and the artists, letterers & editors) are.

I am of the opinion the character in the League series is a caricature to the author. Nothing more, nothing less. The look of the character serves to stimulate interest in what would otherwise be a bit role. Moore admits as much himself, noting that the characters backstory is hidden in the novella like chapters that serve as epilogue to each individual issue of the comics.

Unasked, unmentioned, & totally ignored in the interview is MiracleMan. This may be by conspiracy or ignorance but it is notable that a conversation with Alan Moore concerning racism somehow excluded MiracleMan.

What is MiracleMan? Along with the Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, MiracleMan introduced an existential edge to comic books. Watchmen is also known for doing this but MiracleMan did it better.

What if the ... super man existed? Not in the realm of fantasy where no one dies and the hero always saves the day but in a deconstructed, post-modern world? Alan Moore's MiracleMan attempts to answer that question. The answer is not pretty thing.

"Behold ...I teach you the Superman: He is this Lightening...He is this Madness!"

Moore leads off with a quote from Nietzsche's, "Thus Spake Zarathustra."

The rest of his run on the comic does not hold back. He ponders aloud , mostly through the character of Cream, the reaction of the world to the white superman come to life. That it is Cream , a character of African origin, whom fears him the least & is therefore capable of killing him is of interest. Unsaid, but there between the lines, is the idea that Cream finds comfort not only in MiracleMans' perfection but it validates that he is capable of, "being practically white." That he is able to function as effectively in modern society as anyone, regardless of his background.

Most of the white people in the comic react to MiracleMans' existence with a mixture of awe & fear. It is not that he is a physical threat, though that is a worry, but that he supersedes them. Here Moore plays to feelings of insecurity and the inevitable obsolescence that is the dark side of "progress." "Do you know what we must look like to him" the character of Sir Dennis Archer asks? He knows with MiracleMan on the scene his vision of the world & it's hierarchy must change.

Lately, with the success of the super hero films there have been questions raised concerning the diversity of comic book heroes.

No Affirmative Action for billionaires

Random thoughts on the Donald Sterling saga.

The NBA players & their union would be wise to think long & hard about the above quote.

Millions of African-American men endure far more for much, much less. I doubt public opinion will stay on their side as that reality bubbles to the surface.

Doc Rivers saying that he wishes his team did not have to react is a cop out. Millions of African-American men have to react (or not as the case may be) to racism everyday. It's surprising he doesn't realize this. If he is to continue taking Clippers paychecks he might need to shut up - his indignation sounds hollow.

I doubt Mark Cuban walks down many dark streets late at night. Better he give a true to life example of prejudice than make one up.