The NFL and Crime

This well written thoughtful blog post points out that NFL players are actually less likely to be involved with the law than the general population.
It would seem that the criminal athelete is all smoke and no fire.

Obama vs. Australia

Prime Minister of Australia John Howard says the terrorists are praying for a Obama win in 2008.
Obama says send more troops or shut up.

The Economist magazine

According to the economist magazine 1.1 million black people make more than $100,000 a year. In the article concerning Black Power they go on to note that ,"The era of affirmative action, or preferential treatment for blacks, seems to be drawing to a close."
Do tell? I was unsure that it had begun, most likely because of my age.
The economist has some wonderful articles but its strengths are also its weaknesses.
Being a foreign publication often allows it to speak with startling clarity concerning US domestic issues but it just as often misses the mark because they do not understand America.

Genarlow Wilson

Genarlow Wilson is doing the right thing and being denied his liberty. In this article by ABC news we find that of the group of men charged with sex crimes he was the only one not to have a previous criminal record.
The article suggests that if the prosecutor had not brought charges or if he had taken a plea agreement he would not have spent the last 23 months in jail.
Perhaps a third option should have been jury nullification. Any jury in the US can decide not to convict, regardless of what the law says. This incidentally, is why and how convictions were never brought in cases involving white defendants and black victims, such as rapes and lynchings. The jury simply nullified the charges.
Lately it has been a suggested strategy in the war on drugs.

Black Bowled

Congratulations to coaches Smith and Dungy for making the Superbowl. They are fine examples of managerial and organizational expertise.
On the surface their accomplishment says that race is no barrier to greatness nor is it an indicator of future success.
They represent the American dream of anything being possible through hard work and perseverance.
The danger is of their accomplishment being viewed not as superficial (it is sport after all) but as a 'given'.
True, social conditions had to change to allow them into the arena, but it is their abilities not preference or affirmative action that effects their successes.

Black Paranoia in America

Unsurprisingly, as government bureaucracy works slowly, we are just now seeing some of the post 9/11 security policies being enacted. New requirements that all who enter and leave the country have a passport and federal standards for drivers license put this post on Black Paranoia in Britain in new context.
Ironically, the biggest problem for blacks isn't what the government keeps in its database but getting into it. Provisions keeping parolees, deadbeat dads and convicted felons from gaining access to passports and licenses will affect blacks.

Information and the Digital Divide

Some economists say that the main problem in economics is information. Needed so that markets can clear and be efficient.
The number one concern filed by minorities in worker discrimination complaints is that their coworkers were "withholding information."
Is information power?
It would seem so. In today's modern world blacks should stress gaining access to information and deciding how to use it. The Internet places vast information at the fingertips for a relatively low cost.
If the mind boggles when considering black people were once killed for knowing how to read and white people were killed for teaching them, it totally breaks down when considering the "Digital Divide."

The End of Black Liberty?

Black Economics is a worthy subject matter. To be thorough though requires a not quite as blacknificent worldview. After all, as it is put so eloquently in Ecclesiastes, we all share the same breath. So in the future there will be more but of a different nature.

Drug Legalization and Black Liberty

A report entitled "Marijuana Production in the United States" points out that Marijuana is the biggest cash crop in the country despite years of arrests, forfeitures, shattered lives and homes as a result of the war on drugs.
Black men and women more than any other segment of society would stand to benefit from drug legalization, yet our voices are almost absent in the discussion.
The price we have paid in the war on drugs has been socially devastating and turned every black man into a suspect.
Furthermore the war on drugs has done more to erode the bill of rights than the patriot act.
What do you think? Should black people support drug legalization?

The State of American Civilization

Is there any greater social indicator of the true state of America than Miss America going into rehab?

Kwame Jackson

Two years on from the apprentice Kwame Jackson is still going strong and speaking knowingly about blacks and the economy.

Envisioning Economic Collapse Part 2

A recent Boston Globe article on the declining dollar suggests that a currency collapse is imminent. While well reasoned the author ignores that it is in very few countries interest to see that happen. There would be, the author suggests, a run on the dollar into the euro.
What money manager would see the european union as being more stable than America? Why?
Still, the article is noteworthy because confidence in currency is critical to maintaining social order. Counterfeiting and money order fraud have grown to such proportions that the demise of physical currency is what is imminent.

His Panic or Yours?

Harvard professor Samuel P Huntington, populary known for his book, "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" chillingly writes of possible futures for America in his latest book , "Who are We."
He says the greatest surprise would be if America is the same country in 2025 that it is today. He even predicts it could be different countries.
He writes, "...various forces challenging the core American culture and Creed could generate a move by native white Americans to revive the discarded and discredited racial and ethnic concepts of American identity and to create an America that would exclude, expel, or suppress people of other racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. Historical and contemporary experience suggest that this is a highly probable reaction from a once dominant ethnic-racial group that feels threatened by the rise of other groups. It could produce a racially intolerant country with high levels of intergroup conflict."

Negrodamus

The effort to ban the use of the N word by Jesse Jackson has ,like the cristal boycott, merit. Paul Mooney dropping the word is a bombshell given his proclivity for it and his efforts to publicize it.
As long as there remains potential for someone to make money off of it the word will be in use in mainstream media.

Toxic World

This article on surviving your toxic enviroment is pretty good. While it is entitled how the world shaves years off your life it could just as easily been named, "How the world adds years to your life."
Be sure to check out the part on PM-10 which has got to be the most important health concern you have never heard of.

The Ultimate Resource

The ultimate resource is people.
Human ingenuity and creativity has almost limitless potential to enhance human life.
One idea can change the world.

Ghost of the Soup Nazi / Race Riot @ the Laugh Factory

Michael Richards is a haunted man. Like so many comedians his life contains little humour. Like so many human beings his thoughts tend toward the mundane, the vulgar.
His Kramer was a physical comedian. George, Elaine and Jerry handled the cerebral stuff. He was more of an athlete. Taking falls and fouls, yet scoring points.
Forced to make his money as a slave to the blank faced masses who stare at his image. More than once he has probaly said to himself, "At least the show is funny."
A jester, a clown, a funnyman beholden to funnymen.
Seinfeld was long ago; as well as the fame and the other riches that came with it.
So there he was, a washed up comic, begging for laughs when someone pointed out that the emperor wears no clothes.
Whoever said that was going to get it. The roulette ball came up black and Michael Richards lost the game.
He said he might need to do some personal stuff but let's face it.... he wasn't high on anything but rage and maybe a bong hit or two of self-loathing. Teaching an old dog new tricks is a long shot, there won't be any rehab for him.
The Soup Nazi is in all of us, fighting and tearing to get out. It can't be the medias fault. All that rage and violence and hatred and bigotry in American life is ...what it is. It's in us. There long before television or radio (or ipods and camera phones).
History shows but doesn't teach. If the enviroment can't change neither can the genes.
The words can make you angry but the hecklers left without further incident. Good for them.
Starting a race riot at the Laugh Factory would have been no laughing matter, well maybe but only in the strictest of terms.
What it shows is that Race is "one hell of a drug" and we need to stop our addiction.

Kramer the Nazi

By now you have seen the video of Michael Richards anti black tirade.
My first impression is at least Mel Gibson was drunk.
I watched his interview on Letterman and my impression of that is he doesn't care and his apology (if you can call it that) was very insincere. Like the Rodney King tape he said we didn't see it all.
Seinfeld said it sickened him. His defense of Richards is what is sickening. He said he loves him and he is his friend and that that's the way he does his routine.
Worse yet you can tell Richards has been this way for a loooong time, as the words slipped so freely from his tongue.
You have to applaud the hecklers for they showed constraint in a very difficult situation.

A few words on Friedman

Milton Friedman was (like Abraham, Marx, Einstein & Freud) a Jew with some big ideas. At first blush a supporter of Goldwater, Nixon, and Reagan may not seem like the type to inspire Black Liberty but he most certainly was.
What I most remember is a passage in the Free Market Reader where he states that , "a furniture maker cares not whether he gets his wood from a negro or a Jew, so long as he gets wood" or something to that effect.
For the black economist it was a turning point in his understanding of social studies.
Later, when presented with a copy of ,"The road to Serfdom" (written by Hayek, not Friedman)the idea crystallized that whilst we can do little regarding color prejudice it matters not overmuch if we are paid and able to purchase what we please.
In Friedman's view, "better a negro woman pays a few dollars more for rent than not being able to rent at all."
It may on the surface seem callous (as admittedly much economic thinking is) but it is best overall.
The black economists view is that African-Americans need not paternalism but markets. Should anyone think that liberals cannot be racist I encourage them to tell one blacks don't need assistance but access and observe what happens.
A large part of white racism is a deep rooted insecurity.
In Friedman you had the best type of man. One who did not need to put down others to boost himself up. A white man who was not afraid of "the other" because he was confident in himself and who he was.
In fairness, I should mention that other writings of his did refer to Africans as savages, or uncivilized or somesuch.
The point though is like the Jew or Asian prejudice should not be allowed to hold back our material progress and like the Jew or the Asian LIBERTY will not come until we recognize that the freedom to think and learn is what we have and the key to our continuing success.

The Audacity of Obama

I haven't read his book, spoken to him, or seen him on television too many times but I continue to read of Barack Obama and the presidency.
The problem is that he did not have a groundswell of support that brought him into office. It was a scandal plagued republican challenger that gave him his boost. Now after 2 years in a position he would not have won had he been challenged by anyone who could pass a smell test he talks of the presidency.
If he engineered the defeat of his opponent he can talk legitimately, if it was by circumstance he (and anyone who believes his presidential ambitions) is being taken for a ride.
A friend mentioned that he thinks he is merely positioning himself for a run in 2016.

Black Paranoia in Britain

Eugenics is rearing its ugly head in Britain.
Apparently in Britain and Wales the police have established a database that contains the DNA of 60-75% their black male citizens.
This has led to concerns of a surveillance state "in which some ethnic groups are monitored more closely than others."

Black Radical Congress

No, not THE Black Radical Congress but that's what conservatives will call it if the democrats take the house in the upcoming elections.
Should the democrats take the house three of the most powerful committees in Congress would be chaired by black men.
They are John Conyers (Judiciary), Alcee Hastings (Intelligence) and Charles Rangel (Ways and Means).
That would, presumably, mean the issue of Reparations would be studied by the government.
This would not be the first time blacks have held high office in America.
It would be the first time in over 100 years however.

The Black Millionaire Next Door

Tavis Smiley interviewed the authors of this report but I cannot locate it anywhere on the net. Their research shows there were 116 thousand black millionaires in 2003 (out of 2.5 million overall). 80-85% owned their own business. About one thousand were athletes.

Ten Richest In Hip-Hop

1. P. Diddy, $346 Million
2. Jay-Z, $340 Million
3. Russell Simmons, $325 Million
4. Damon Dash, $200 Million
5. Neptunes, $155 Million
6. Dr. Dre, $150 Million
7. Ice Cube, $145 Million
8. Eminem, $110 Million
9. 50 Cent, $100 Million
10. (Tied) Nelly, $60 Million
10. (Tied) Jermaine Dupri, $60 Million

Wikipedia article on black billionaires

The Blade of the IRS

If you can believe it, Wesley Snipes actually filed a tax return requesting an Administrative Law Judge review his request for a 7.363236 million dollar refund.
More fantastic is the indictment showing him falling in with the Guiding Light of God ministries who convinced him not to pay taxes.

Supreme Mathematics

The 5% album by Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian was inevitable. Its' like a black wax crest sealing the scroll of hip-hop.
It is also a wake-up call and challange to listeners. He plainly says don't spend your money on gangsta that does nothing for the mind, body or soul.
The 90 page booklet included with the disc was much appreciated. After all, how often does a rapper include the printed word with their music? It focuses on the history of the 5% , or the Nation of Gods and Earths, and its influence on hip-hop.
Interestingly, while they have appropiated many Islamic words and phrases five percenters insist they are not Islamic. The words are but keys to the philosphy which bears a strange resemblance to the esoteric knowledge of old.

Black Economics

Black economics is the study of the means by which black people (Afikans if you will) maintain their material integrity. This includes land, resources, commodities, physical health, and of course their Liberty.
It follows then that there would be a political element; because on a large scale these decisions would be made by a body politic. For Afrikans that body politic suffers severe distortions because we do not exercise total control over our material integrity.
You have heard it all before, we don't own land, produce crops or for the most part teach our children. We rely on the white people for those things. For in America they own the land, multinational corporations and occupy every seat of public and private authority.
The challange of the black economist then is to formulate and research means by which Afrikans can maximize their wealth, health and knowledge of self.

25 million reasons to be alive

Suicide is no laughing matter. There are more suicides than murders in the United States. Black male suicide , in particular, has been on the increase over the past two decades.
Suddenly a very serious subject (two if you count allergic reactions to medication) has been trivialized (not deliberately) by the prototypical narcissistic sports star who could not possibly commit suicide because he has 25 million reasons to be alive according to his publicist.
Does this mean impoverished black men are justified in killing themselves?

Africans, Islam and Terror

The "Arc of instability" not to be confused with the "ark of the covenant" is a imaginary band that surrounds the middle of the earth. The countries that fall within it are clinically referred to as the non-integrated gap. The countries that fall outside are called the functioning core. So named by Thomas P.M. Barnett.
Notice that the continent of Africa falls almost completely within the non integrated zone. According to African journalists this is because the countries are resource rich.
According to western policy analysts it is because of the continent's potential as a terrorist breeding ground.

FreeMasonry and the Wu-tang

Masonry is said to have it roots in the mystery systems of ancient Egypt, which in turn received them from the disputed civilizations of Atlantis and Mu.
The mystery systems themselves are said to have focused on the "rebirth" of the initiate into a being at one with themselves and the universe around them or some such variant. In some systems the initiated become either "like-god" or "with-god." In other mystery schools initiates merely become fully human for the first time, meaning that that are free to think for themselves and act upon those thoughts .
All involve the dissemination of secret or hidden knowledge. There is ample evidence to suggest that humans have a strong genetic need to be initiated into social systems.
Anyway, the most common reason the knowledge was occult or esoteric was because the general populace could never be trusted with it and to profit the owners of it. Throughout Western history we see emperors, kings, queens, priests, scientists, merchants and the like working to see that the masses were indoctrinated in one way while they themselves practiced or sought after different philosophical ideals.
Many times these same ideals they sought in private they would lampoon in public.
The founding fathers of America saw things differently. They believed that the minds of the masses could be loosed. As time has progressed however the same old rigid structures of society have again been rebuilt in America. Some would say it is inevitable because the great masses of men are content to run the treadmill of life and peacefully go away while only one in a thousand is truly interested in acquiring knowledge and acting on it.
In other words only 5% percent know or seek the truth.

A Dangerous Game

Telling American citizens they are safer with less liberty is a dangerous political game.
Saying the current tactics of the "war on terror" are working simply because there have been no reported incidents in five years is also very dangerous.
It was nine years between original bombing and the second attack on the world trade. Would you work in the pentagon now?

The Way to Wealth

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin is an accesible book for anyone interested in that subject. So is Working with the Hands by Booker T Washington. In both cases hard work or industry as they referred to it brought a man wealth of all kinds.
For wealth is not measured in money alone, if at all, as money is only a means to an end.
Health is the most realistic metric of wealth. No wonder the healthcare industry is booming.

Last Days on Earth

This program , produced by 20/20 (no pun intended), tells of the seven greatest threats facing not just mankind but the planet. Iraq is not one of them.
Today the president gave a speech wherein his only focus was the so-called war on terror. This he asserted was the challange of our times.
"Despite their differences, these groups form the outline of a single movement, a worldwide network of radicals that use terror to kill those who stand in the way of their totalitarian ideology." To whom is he refering? His staff?
After watching two hours of how Western technology has created diseases, nuclear weapons and enough waste to drastically alter the climate one is left to wonder just who are the terrorists.

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gores playlist on itunes includes "Umi Says" by Mos Def from the album Black on Both Sides. I guess he took that election loss pretty hard.

Black Liberty Radio!

Well not Blackliberty radio really, but close enough.

Underground Scrolls

The X Clan mixtape "Underground Scrolls" comes 20 years after the release of "To the East Blackwards." Brother J's lyrical skills have not faltered. The music is still funky and to hear a black artist rap Marcus Garvey or Harriet Tubman instead of dro, crunk or hyp is welcome. "Do it Again" stands out with its old skool funk beat and Brother J's tirade against those haters ("How can I be considered 3/5th a man, my DNA is the master plan.")
X Clan (like Jeru, KRS1) attacks ignorance head on.
There are snippets of Professor X and at the end J acknowledges his "great life."
The black economists rating?
Vainglorious

Up from Slavery

"In all things that are purely social we can be separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress."
Booker T Washington

"Nothing about us, without us"
Overheard at a seminar.

The "pre-9/11 mindset"

The Iranian president also mentioned the 11th of september attacks in his letter.
"All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and good standing of their citizens.
Reportedly your government employs extensive security, protection and intelligence systems
– and even hunts its opponents abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation. Could it
be planned and executed without coordination with intelligence and security services – or
their extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an educated guess. Why have the various
aspects of the attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who botched their
responsibilities? And, why aren’t those responsible and the guilty parties identified and put
on trial?"
The black economist has long wondered why the first president with an MBA fired no one. He seems awfully hard on everyone else.
In the days since the infamous terror attacks the current administration has shamelessly exploited them for political gain. The threat of terror has been used to erode civil liberties, obfuscate politcal discourse and cover-up fraudelent elections at home and abroad. Most importantly it has served as a cover to ignore more pressing domestic needs.
Such is the clash of civilazations.

Dear Mr. President

The black economist was taught that you always have to read what others are saying about you. It is common sense I suppose. So he dutifully read the president of Irans' letter to President Bush.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad comments concerning Africans:
"The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and
valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and
spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from
happening. Don’t they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth – including minerals –
is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others?"

Bear in mind that many, many Africans would reply that Arabs have and are taking part in that looting. One need only look at the situation in oil rich Sudan.

Blacks, Islam & Terror

Shortly after the Million Man March the black economist recalls reading in the Washington Post a quote from Alexander Lebed , a Russian general. He said (to the best of my recollection), "People in Washington are sure to be concerned about joining Islam with the genetic imprint of slavery."
At the time what caught my attention were the words, "genetic imprint of slavery." I have since come across other references to that line of thinking from some black Hollywood actors but no concrete work on the concept.
As the war on terror has progressed more and more black Americans have been arrested on terror related charges. Louis Farrakhan, the most prominent black Muslim in America, has been a no show in the public eye for years now.
The implication is explicit.
The government has long known that the greatest threat to domestic security is its black population (think COINTELPRO). At this point in history that threat is even greater because a large domestic disturbance would prevent America from projecting it's power overseas and drastically increase security costs which in turn would send the economy into a tailspin.
The black economists predicts this issue will burst into the public eye spectacularly at some point in the near future.

Creating Black Wealth

Frederick Douglas and Booker T Washington (pictured with the National Negro Business League) both espoused the necessity of African-Americans building sustainable communities through ownership. So did Marcus Garvey and Elijah Muhammad. In fact it's difficult to find a black leader who does not promote such ideas.
Why then have they not been realized? There are no black owned Fortune 500 companies or multinational corporations for instance.
admittedly, the barriers to entry in such markets are high. Many would argue that a minority group has no chance. Yet these firms are not owned collectively. Each one is held and run by a very small group of people. A "minority group" if you will.
The black economist brought this issue up to a real estate professional who promptly answered that, "We have to create the market." Meaning that we have to establish value for ourselves.
Bear in mind that cash is useless unless someone agrees to accept it. It's value is agreed upon. The art market is a prime example of this. Why pay millions for a Monet? Because it will keep it's value.
The secret to creating Black Wealth is to create value. As it stands black people are the ones being valued (your wages) or exploited (if you believe that profits are unpaid wages).

Media Doublespeak

The airwaves have been filled with commentators "discussing" the need to bring peace to Iraq and how it was immoral for the US to allow Saddam to threaten his neighbors. The black economist wonders if any of these commentators or politicians thought it was immoral to allow fellow citizens to be threatened by street gangs across the country. The cost of clearing up these problems would be much less and they are far closer to home.

The Ancient Future of the Near East

Creationism dates the genesis of the world as we know it at 4004 BC. The first man and woman were said to have lived in a garden of Eden located somewhere between the mighty Nile and Euphrates rivers. A cursory review of the histories (Old Testament, Akkadian, Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian etc. etc.) available from that period onward show that conflict was a way of life. Whether it be the bloody story of Cane and Abel or the necessity of the code of Hammurabi humanity has constantly been unsettled in that region. How could it not be so?
The Near East or the Middle East as it is now called, has for millennia greatly influenced world culture and events. Whether it be the library of Alexandria, the gardens of Babylon or more recently the oil riches of the Arabian peninsula, there is no doubt that control of the region is a great cultural and material prize.
No wonder then that the contemporary politics of the region are so explosive and involve such myriad and disparate players.
It is likely to remain that way for many years to come.
But will Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan, & Syria lead to World War III? How likely is America to pull out?
Observing Joe Lieberman might help us to best answer those questions.
If Lieberman is willing to lose his senate seat for the sake of the war it is unlikely America has any intentions of drawing down it's forces anyime soon. In fact it is likely that the current administration will only expand the military presence in the region.

Bling: Consequences and Repercussions Part 2

Diamonds and Oil are not essential to human existence. Water is life on the other hand. Yet a glassfull of water costs much less than a glassfull of diamonds. A glassfull of oil costs marginally more than a glassfull of water but still much less than the glassfull of diamonds.
The reason for that, as the theory of marginal utility puts it, is that while water has the greater overall utility value oil and diamonds have a larger marginal utility value. Put another way, water is not considered to be as scarce as oil and diamonds though it is much more essential.
That marginal utility of oil and diamonds is quite impressive. It shows that once the basic needs are fulfilled that men and women are still driven to consume. Since goods are scarce , however, that drive to consume breeds conflict and competition.
Take the NFL for example. No one needs a superbowl ring, but men sacrifice their bodies and time to get it. More importantly, only one team gets it. The rest leave empty-handed.

Malcolm and Morpheus

Separated at birth?

Malcolm X on Economic Philosophy

"My personal economic philosophy is also Black Nationalism, which means that the black man should have a hand in controlling the economy of the so called, "Negro Community." He should be developing the type of knowledge that would enable him to own and operate the businesses and thereby be able to create employment for his own people, for his own kind."
Malcolm X interviewed in 1964

Bling: Consequences and Repercussions

This documentary on conflict diamonds focuses on the savage nature of the diamond trade. It connects the dots, or rather it shows the disconnect between rappers' promotion of "Ice" and war in Africa (specifically Sierra Leone).
It is worth the 11 minutes it takes to watch.
Diamonds aren't the only good that has a bloody economic history of course. We could just as easily speak of "conflict oil" or perhaps "conflict sugar and rum."
A fundamental economic tenet is that the existence of scarcity implies conflict. A scarce good (economic good) such as diamonds require a sacrifice or cost in order to obtain them.
As the documentary shows this cost is more than money.

The Rich and The Super Rich

Written in 1968 by Ferdinand Lundberg and subtitled, "A Study in the Power of Money Today" the Rich and the Super Rich does make one or two observations concerning Negroes.

When discussing the system of private clubs which the elite use to mark themselves off more precisely from the rest of society the author contributes. "It would be erroneous to say Negroes are barred. They are simply not noticed."

"...Negroes not only lack titles to property...but no one of them seems to be within 250 years of ever having them in any significant proportions. Who would a Negro be likely to inherit from?"

"As large," think Bush, Kennedy, Turner "property holdings are now mainly inherited and hard even for an occasional white nonproprietor to come by, it would seem that Negroes are forever circumstantially barred from becoming considerable American property owners."

Can this be true?

to understand and protect our home planet

The black economist cannot claim to have known that part of NASA's official mission statement was, "to understand and protect our home planet."
That mission statement was changed for political reasons because data from NASA satellites apparently fall on the wrong side of the argument concerning whether western civilization affects the earth (the home planet in question) adversely.
The Black economist can envision a scenario wherein the question was raised as to whether they had to eliminate "understand" being that they are scientists and all.
Jokes aside, this reshuffling of euphemisms is a side argument in a much larger debate concerning not particularly natural resources but mostly markets and their shape. If there is strong evidence that present levels of carbon emissions are leading to the extinction of the human race then a reasonable mind could conclude they must be stopped.
Another ,equally reasonable mind, could conclude that humanity has always adapted to an uncertain world, that speculation is imprecise and that no change is needed.
Both minds, especially if they were politicians, would agree that Americans would vote them out of office if they dared even suggest they reduce consumption levels. That's why our president recommended Americans shop rather than sacrifice after 9/11.
So prices rise. Wars are fought. The present lurches toward the inevitable shock.

The Cristal Boycott

Rap music was truly only a music of black folks for a short while. It's commercialism led to content changes that degraded its ability to be a positive force in the black community. Most rappers are little more than slaves selling lyrics written by whites who have no interest in promoting black culture, unity, or any type of healing or positivity to the descendants of
colonization.
If anything, most rappers are race traitors and deserve what they inevitably get, which is ripped off and pimped.
That's nothing new.
What is interesting is that black folks , for whatever reason, believe that money can shield them from prejudice and that certain companies care about their business.
Jay-Z's boycott of Cristal is a case in point. It's too late to advocate a boycott of a product when you have millions of recordings that reference the popular drink.
Rappers routinely endorse products produced by groups of men and women who would call the police or kill them outright if they ever attempted to associate with them or saw them where they live.
Why do black folks demand to give their money to people who hate them?

Data Mining and the Matrix

The Black Economist (as one might imagine) has a great deal of interest in data mining and the resulting predictive analytics. Blackness is a quantifiable (as well as qualitative) variable after all.
Recent revelations of it taking place on a grand scale with data provided by phone companies is the very tip-top of a large iceberg running head long into civilization as we know it.
There are no constraints on the government asking other entities for the same assistance. That, given the large amount of information they already compel and possess, can lead the mind into conspiracy theories far beyond any imagined in the Matrix (Hal Varian's or the movie, take your pick) if only because they would be 'real.'
Many large corporations base critical business decisions on analysis of customer and market data so it is no surprise that the government does the same thing. The governments use of such techniques is far more dangerous however because while you cannot be forced to patronize a business the government does compel you to participate.

American Coup

This is the story of the only recorded overthrow of a lawfully elected American government. The elected officials were, of course, black.

A World Cup of Terror?

May be, just not from whom you think. The black economist has come across other references to social intolerance and european racism brought about by low economic standards. When it was tied to soccer and stock markets I thought it novel enough to comment upon.

Fuzzy Math @ Duke

Many commentators ,such as Kathleen Parker in her article "Fact and Fiction Duke it Out," are making much of the fact that acording to FBI records 15.5 percent of rapes against white women are perpertrated by black men whereas "while less than 1 percent of black victims were raped by white males." Before providing these sensationalized, questionable figures Parker does say that, "though sample sizes are considered too small to draw any solid conclusions." She still goes on to report what must be unsolid numbers.
The black economist issue lies with the fact that much the same way black women were sexually exploited by whites for hundreds of years with no fear of repercussions, black men were most certainly often killed and maimed for false accusations made by white women. As a result , even in 2006, most black males are extremely cautious in their dealings with white women. No writer has dared tackle that in their "analysis." In fact judging how often we hear that DNA evidence is not present in most of these convictions its not hard to imagine many a black man sent up the river by a white woman or judicial system that needs a conviction but not justice.

Black Tax Avoidance

If a majority of african-americans could be convinced to not pay taxes they could affect real change within the public policy framework. There are numerous justifications for this. Why should we pay taxes to a government that uses that money to build prisons, ghettoes, and ineffective public schools?
An organized campaign of tax avoidance would put an end to the reparations question as well as fit neatly into our culture of nonviolent peaceful movements. It could also work.

Ignored to Death Part Two

The National Urban League Policy Institute has issued a report entitled "Sunday Morning Apartheid" that examines the dearth of black commentators on the critical-to-public-opinion Sunday morning talk shows.
What the report doesn't mention is that these talk shows are more the result of organized propaganda operations than an attempt at diverse discourse. It also fails to mention that many of the guests of these programs hold important positions within our society. It's no surprise then that Kofi Annan, Colin Powell, and Condaleeza Rice are the only ones to pop up with any regularity.

Black Gold or why Duke Lacrosse Players prefer Black Women

The beauty of the black woman has been admired, lusted after, and desired by white men throughout known history. The photo at the left shows contempraries of the infamous hottentot venus. Paradoxically the popular media image (in America and elsewhere like Brazil) is of the buxom, blue-eyed, blonde. This the tell-I-vision directs is the model to pursue. Consequently, Korean women dye their hair and engage in painful surgeries to meet this standard and Fela Kuti sings of the yellow fever that grips the African woman as she tries to turn from black to white.
Stunning is that at the same time you have white women tanning, injecting fat into their lips and buttocks, and learning dance moves from the latest rap videos. It's not uncommon to hear white women tell each other, "you go girl." An english phrase that originated with black women.
The black woman is the forbidden fruit to the white man. White women know this and in seeking to satisfy their mates adopt some of their attributes.
The black economist believes all women regardless of race, age, personality, or other attributes possess an inherent beauty that the masculine can appreciate if the blinders of sexual physical attraction are removed.
Why did the Lacrosse team hire Black strippers and not White?

Dancing on the Ceiling in Libya

From the truth is stranger than fiction section, Lionel Richie gave a concert in Libya to mark the 20th anniversary of a bombing in that country by the American Military. Is he on the terrorist watch list now? Has Lionel Richie been "radicalized"? Was Billy Ocean unavailable?

The Battle of Ideas

There have been many recent articles on the plight of black men. Of course if you look at american history at what point are black men not in some state of crisis?
There is the time of the Olmecs of course, but from 1500 on things pretty much went downhill.
While Dr. Kambon's remarks were sensationalized by the media the essence of them was ignored. Rather, the fact that ideas are needed is known to a large number of black people the world over. Bill Cosby certainly knows it and said as much. The black economist knows that human capital is the greatest commodity. So did the slave traders, so do the politicians, so do the managers of "sweatshops" the world over.
How can we save the black man?

The Wu-Tang Manual

The Rza has written a pretty good book. It is raw and razor sharp like the music of the Wu-Tang. 36 chambers long it explores the mysticism, the reality, and the inspiration behind one of hip-hops most prolific clans.
It is not an actual manual however.

Minority $cholarships

Wisdom is better than silver and gold the proverb goes. Contrary to the popular supposition; it's what you know, not who you know that really matters. Ph.D holders as a group are the least likely demographic to be unemployed.
Knowledge is power. Not-so recent attacks on affirmative action in higher education in America have taken a change in policy by allowing all students to apply for funds previously designated for minority scholarships.
Conversely, in France we find there are plenty of degrees to go around but no jobs available to minorities. That is because no statistics concerning race are kept and thus despite race riots the french power structure can ignore the issue.
So you're saying america is turning into france? No, but there is a definite attempt to avoid the subject of racial discrimination and economic impact using the "content of character" card.

A most evident truth...

"A most evident truth is that color prejudice is not natural to man but is the result of economic and social rivalry, the desire to hold certain groups available for exploitation."
Joel Augustus Rogers writing in "Nature Knows No Color-Line"

Reparations and the Good Life

A few years ago Thomas Sowell noted and Walter Williams echoed that if you compare current african-american income to that of black africa, "...we would owe them money." This was all in the context of a discussion concerning reparations that had gripped the headlines. On the surface they are correct, it's simple mathematics. On the other hand if you calculate what was lost the case tends once again in the favor of positive reparations.
The salient issue to the black economist is that African-Americans enjoy an exceedingly high quality of life compared to their brothers and sisters overseas. We are far more wealthy by most (if not all) comparative standards. We have access and leverage within the political system. We can own assets, assemble freely, organize at will for whatever purpose suits us, own spacious homes and luxury cars and enter into business. Even the poor among us do fairly well considering third world ghetto conditions.
The paradox is that we must do far better.

Ignored to Death

In "A New Black Power" by Walter Mosley the longtime crime author observes the pitiful state of the criminal justice system in the US and advises that a new black voting bloc be constructed to bring democracy back to america. He notes that the issues concerning african americans have not been predominant with the Democrats for a long time, at least three decades. He doesn't directly say it in his article but his point is that africans and african americans are being ignored to death.
Contrast this with the recent passing of Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks and we see that doesn't have to be the case. No one ignored them.

Economic Profiling

A recent article in the Charlotte Observer on "Linguistic Profiling" and another concerning Mittal Steel's attempt to take over the largest steel firm in Europe show that prices are not only variable but sometimes nonexistent depending on who's buying. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) found this out when it attempted to purchase Unocal oil in the United States.
Why does the same money in differently colored hands purchase less or nothing at all?

A SuperBowl of Terror?

At least thats' what WorldNet reports. The San Jose Mercury News writes of the NFL dismissing it's security firm of the past 29 years for cost reasons. No worries says the Detroit News, it will be the largest security operation ever undertaken.
The Art of War says that "You must attack where the enemy cannot defend and defend where the enemy cannot attack." The black economist doubts that there will be a superbowl terror attack because it will be so heavily defended.

Privacy in the New Millenium

The desire for and right to privacy is inherent in human nature. Thoughts are by their very nature private things and since rational thinking requires compartmentalization and classification they are not for everyone at everytime. More than thoughts but activities, interests, dislikes, associations and such should be kept private if one should wish.
In a digital world that is not the case. Information trades in kind on the internet and private networks. Pin numbers, pass words and code words unlock bill paying, purchases and informational sites. Satellite images are freely available on google and maps are plentiful.
The black economist publishes under a nom de plume not to conceal his identity but to set a very definite tone as to the nature of the work. That is to say that the black economist harbors no illusions as to the possiblity of his identity being secret or his personal habits and purchases.
On the other hand I did find the news that Apple computer downloads the libraries of itunes users disquieting.

Ever notice....

that major terrorist attacks tend to take place when the moon is a crescent? Is Al-Queda into astrology?

Envisioning US Economic Collapse

Catastrophism studies are a favorite pastime of the black economist, particularly during this time of "terror." The question of total economic collapse due to a terrorist attack is provocative to say the least. To accomplish this the terrorists would have to do one of three things, cause a shock to supply, demand or both. Disrupting the supply chain of an input critical to the economies' functioning (oil maybe?) would accomplish a supply shock. Infecting the country with a lethal, highly contagious organism would create a demand shock as people would avoid one another at all costs.
Thus, the original question melts away and we see that these shocks (economic collapse) take place frequently (Argentinian peso collapse, New Orleans hurrican, Russian political collpase, Toronto SARS, Hong Kong SARS) and that it is a question of how long they last and what happens within them that should concern us. In other words it is not a question of if the economy can collapse but when and what will you do to survive?

Black Economics?

How can economics be black? Mainstream economists argue that overall economics is a science founded in mathematical theorems and quantifiable phenomena. While there is ample room to study race relations to brand the entire science black would be irrational. Economics is neither pink nor brown or any other color.
Yet there is an inescapable realization that economics is not a science rooted in cold hard facts but cold hard assumptions.
So, if the underlying assumptions are that people of color are miscreants and that trust is fundamental to markets it is no surprise that there is a derth of black and brown billionaires, executives, judges and governors.

Internet Porn Arbitrage

"We need some money up in this house. We gotta get that paper flowing. The internet...the internet...we'll show you the nastiest thing you ever want to see if you just give us that card number and let us float $2.95 for three days."
Source: Late night phone conversation with a loan officer

Failed Foreign Policy

Many commentators have speculated as to the failure of the current republican administration as it pertains to "ethics" or even song choice. The media has to a large extent been silent regarding failures of foreign policy. The war in Iraq notwithstanding.
Argentina and Brazil's abandoning of the IMF and prospering, the ascension of the Euro currency, and Russia, China and India's moves toward closer security integration demonstrate the extent to which America's influence has degraded abroad. The Central and South American states are glaring examples of an increasingly turning tide in "the Battle of Ideas." Evo Morales's (the new president of Bolivia) declaration that coco growing should be legalized and natural gas resources owned by the state in a socialist framework aptly demonstrates that the influence the US has in the region is deteriorating.
Is it by coincidence then that George Bush's foreign policy wears a black face?

Tookie Williams

Much as already been written about Stanley "Tookie" Williams. The black economist believes the only thing that has gone unwritten is that it is a shame that some black men only achieve consciousness when they have been locked down.

Racist, Racist Australia

The recent race riots in Australia come as no surprise to the black economist or anyone familar with colonial history. Aboriginies were the objects of genocide. The "stolen generation" is a horror show of a society gone mad.
More recently during the filming of, "The Matrix", Larry Fishburne compared modern day Sydney to 1950's America. Later in the interview he does say that ,"once they know you" things are fine.
More disturbing to the black economist is the way cell phones were used to organize beatings and meeting places for the attackers.
Looked at from the Macro level one can see that Australia is on the precipice of real change. A few months ago (while the potential bird flu pandemic was hot news) there were a number of press reports saying that "Australia could survive if it found itself cut off from world trade". Indeed, they seemed to be well prepared for a closing of borders.

Philanthropy and the Black Athlete

An article by the Washington Post reprinted by the Black Athlete Sports Network discusses charitable giving by black athletes. The main focus of ire are Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Apparently, Jordan and Woods have not been generous to the point of appeasing the authors. African-American museums, we are told, can barely stay open because of a lack of donations by wealthy African-Americans.
The article is typical propaganda. It goes into no detail about the museums in question. It assumes that they are worthy institutions without mentioning their history. The article does not even mention a single piece that is preserved within them.
The black economist beleives that is where the real story is. The athletes must have a reason for not supporting them and that reason is....what?

Black Women, Success and Marriage

As the black economist read about materially successful black women attempting to find spouses he couldn't help but think of the destruction of the Black Family and how this was known to be decades ago.
This example displays the power of public policy as a predictive tool. In this case it was predicted that by freezing the black male out of educational and professional opportunities he would be unable to fulfill core requirements of family participation resulting in the dissolution of the black nuclear family.
In saying that modern day racism has become more insidious and unseen many black commentators would do well to simply take stock of current public policy and its likely consequences.

Katrina, Racism and the Media

It would seem that the media has played the role of friend to black america. The mainstream press has dutifully reported the charges of racism by former New Orleans residents. Numerous stories have covered poverty and race in america.
The black economist suspects that the sensationalized coverage of New Orleans is meant to detract focus from the tens of thousands of whites affected adversely by the storm. By making Katrina and its aftermath a "black issue" the fact the government failed all of citizens is wrapped in an obfuscating logic cycle of rascism.

Other Blogs 2

European Ethnocentrism has more of an academic air to it. There are extensive qoutes from obscure (to me) journals and texts that go into great detail concerning anthropology, socialology, and genetics. The propaganda of white supremacy is all over the web.

Other blogs...A history of Violence...

It's important to be familar with what others are saying and writing. Christianparty.net has an article on homicide rates that focuses on black america. It reminds me of Charleton Heston's qoute in Bowling for Columbine. Heston says that america has such a high homicide rate because of it's black population.
Black men and women in America do suffer from high homicide rates. Actually, it's high assassination rates because they are mostly surprise attacks.

I-Terations

Realize=Real Eyes
Ignorance=Ignore Us
Televison=Tell I Vision
Intimacy=Into Me See
Democracy=Dem' A Crazy
Politics=Polly Tricks
Prescription=scripture

Peter Tosh was a lover of Liberty. He could take what he was given and make it his own.

Black Friday

When the black economist heard it was Black Friday he rushed out and spent as much as he could with Black merchants. There was only a slight disappointment when he was informed that it was so-called because that was the day when shopkeepers traditionally went into the black(profits).
The photo is the interior of one of the places of business visited.

Biggie and Tupac

Rolling Stone magazine has a pretty well written article concerning the murder of Biggie Smalls. Covert Action Quarterly delves into the murder of Tupac Shakur. Covert Actions' website can be tricky, but it is there in the back issues. It is well worth the read.
To the black economist the details of their killings pale in comparison to the broad generalizations and troubling assumptions that can be made from them. True, the details are important, but have no doubt been clouded at this point by the massive publicity surrounding the events.
Those broad assumptions however, are still crystal clear. Namely that great wealth, fame and the respect of one's peers cannot prevent black men from meeting violent deaths in America.

The Economics of Pimping

Pimping has a certain allure in pop culture. Rappers and Hollywood moguls help to give a very dirty business a sanitary sheen. There is incentive for them to do this. There is no question that sex sells. As a good it has very few ,if any, substitutes and complementary goods are many so there is potential for upsell.
Essentially, the ho performs a service and the pimp collects the payment. If we are liberal in our possible definitions of service and payments we see that there are a far greater number of pimps and hos than we might first speculate. Indeed it would seem that pimps have there hands in far more than the sex pot.
Key Points
1. Pimping ain't easy. There is significant risk for uncertain return.
2. All workers have pimps. Since Profits are unpaid wages to workers.
3. Some of the most prolific pimping takes place in boardrooms.
4. Human capital is the background of any economy.
5. A Pimp understands that wealth is a product of a (wo)man's capacity to think.
Pimping is often thought to consist simply of sexual commerce relegated to the underground economy. In reality, Pimping is a far more auspicious and penetrating subject matter upon which to meditate. Slick dressed Pimps and dolled up whores are but the tip of the iceberg of a phenomenon that represents itself throughout the human economic universe. This is because at it's essence Pimping contains within it the metaphysical secrets of wealth creation. Metaphysical because the pimp works his mind and not his body, the pimp has someone else perform the physical labor. The benefit of this is that the body's strength may be preserved while the mind is exercised.
Marshall McLuhan (and others before him) note that all things that man creates are but extensions of himself. That the fashioning of a knot or a skyscraper originates in the mind of man and in a very important but unquantifiable way remains a part of him.
So does pimping originate in the mind of man and is a part of him. As we shall see Pimping can be rationalized but it is, like any art, ultimately intuitive.
Sex sells due to an idea. That idea is to increase Net Present Value. The Pimp has that idea. It originates in his mind. He then combines that idea with his tongue to manifest the physical creation of his mental vision. Like lawyers, economists and journalists Pimps need the gift of gab to succeed. They have to be rhetorically persuasive.
The hos (workers) are drawn by that idea. They are mesmerized by the Pimps propaganda. In particular they are attracted by a vibration that the pimp gives off. Different Pimps have different vibratory levels, as do Hos. When these vibrations resonate, click so to speak, a pimp and ho relationship is formed.
It is most certainly an exploitative relationship. It differs from slavery in that it is consensual. Pimps don't collect rent because (as much as they might want the ho believe it) they don't own hoes. Hos leave pimps for any number of reasons.
Make no mistake, a Pimps heart is cold. There is no room for caring or compassion in what is sometimes reffered to as "the game." That ultimately is why most people don't become pimps but find themselves laboring as hos.

Get Rich or Die Trying

The commercialization of Hip-Hop is old news. Product placements and payola are evidence of that. Most recently the black economist observed Flavor Flav (of Public Enemy fame) indicate by the large clock on his chest that it was time for Bud Light.

Black Economics?

Though many people have heard economics described as the "dismal science" few are aware of the origins of the term. The phrase was first used by Thomas Carlyle in his book "The Nigger Question" written in 1849. It is also worth noting that during the time Carlyle was writing; assorted academic papers, newspapers, books and magazines all took for granted that the world and its resources were for the exclusive use of the white race. Richard Heilbroner in "The Worldly Philosophers", notes as much when he (belatedly) discusses imperialism and "Anglo-Saxon infallibility" in chapter seven.
More modern a reflection on the theme is given by Samuel Huntington in his "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order", copyrighted 1996. Quoting Jeffrey R Barnett, Huntington writes, "(Western nations) Own and Operate the international banking system, Control all hard currencies, Are the world's principal customer, Provide the majority of the world's finished goods, Dominate international capital markets, Exert considerable moral leadership within many societies, Are capable of massive military intervention, Control the sea lanes, Conduct most advanced technical research and development, Control leading edge technical education, Dominate access to space, Dominate the aerospace industry, Dominate international communications, Dominate the high-tech weapons industry." Huntington also writes, "..is the only civilization which has substantial interests in every other civilization or region and has the ability to affect the politics, economics, and security of every other civilization or region. Societies from other civilizations usually need Western help to achieve their goals and protect their interests." Note that "Anglo-Saxon infallibility" has been transposed with Western nations.
It would seem that in the ensuing 156 years Carlyles' question was answered. No wonder Noam Chomsky speaks of not intelligent but "Malignant Design."
The black economist has heard no reports of federal reserve chair nominee Ben Barnake being questioned about such things and seriously doubts that he will.

Destruction of the Black Family

The family unit is the foundation of society. In 1965 the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan (a senator from New York State) released a report entitled, "The Negro Family:The Case For National Action." Following are excerpts:

"Nineteenth-century racists readily believed that the 'Sambo' personality was simply an inborn racial type. Yet no African anthropological data have ever shown any personality type resembling Sambo; and the concentration camps molded the equivalent personality pattern in a wide variety of Caucasian prisoners."

"Lincoln freed the slaves," but they were given liberty, not equality. It was therefore possible in the century that followed to deprive their descendants of much of their liberty as well.

"The principal challenge of the next phase of the Negro revolution is to make certain that equality of results will now follow. If we do not, there will be no social peace in the United States for generations."

"...the Negro male, particularly in the South, became an object of intense hostility, an attitude unquestionably based in some measure of fear."

"The fundamental, overwhelming fact is that Negro unemployment, with the exception of a few years during World War II and the Korean War, has continued at disaster levels for 35 years."

"It was by destroying the Negro family under slavery that white America broke the will of the Negro people. Although that will has reasserted itself in our time, it is a resurgence doomed to frustration unless the viability of the Negro family is restored."

"More important, it is clear that Negro females have established a strong position for themselves in white collar and professional employment, precisely the areas of the economy which are growing most rapidly, and to which the highest prestige is accorded."

Vote?

There have been some literate, well reasoned, articulate polemics against voting produced. As slippery as the idea may be to grasp it makes very little difference who is in office. After eight years of bombings during the Clinton administration is there any doubt that Gore would have invaded Iraq with Lieberman playing the role of Cheney?
Well, I suppose there is doubt because that's not what happened. Still you have to wonder.
One argument I have heard is that Democrats fund more social programs while Republicans cut them. Maybe. Of the 2.1 trillion dollars spent on the federal budget a marginal amount is devoted to social programs (social security is an actual security cost for the US). In addition, if you cut or increase the budget of a program that it is not fulfilling its commonly understood purpose what are you really cutting or funding?
Still the black economist votes because he can and he should to honor his ancestors and the other americans that made sacrifices so that he can. Dismal invectives and voter conspiracy thoughts aside.

French Freakonomics

The black economist has a special place in his heart for francophones, which is why the current news out of france is so disheartening. However unfortunate it was not unexpected. Perhaps the black masses of France are also familar with Steven Levitts' book. Perhaps they heard about it from Dr. Kambon.
Distasteful jokes aside we can only expect such events to happen with more frequency as Europe continues to adopt the "american model" for its economy. The countries of europe are burdened with increasing costs for security and labor markets adjusting to new economies of scale. There have been cuts in the generous (health care, short working weeks, job security, education, unemployment benefits) welfare state.
Interestingly enough, NPR reported that the cuts in benefits were not due entirely to economic concerns. Europeans, they reported, did not like the idea of providing such benefits to nonwhites. A sentiment no doubt shared by many americans and thus one example of europe's adaptation of the "american model."

Red State Conundrums

This is a map provided by the Census Burea showing the Black population in the United States. I have often wondered how it is that with such extremely high population levels (much of the map indicates

50% or more in the south) neither Gore nor Kerry carried a southern state in the recent presidential elections. What about the lack of black governors or senators from these states?

A large proportion of the black voting age population is incarcerated. There are also laws prohibiting former felons from voting. Overall, we know most citizens of the country who can vote don't.

Still, in 1995 the Million Man March registered a record number of voters. In fact voter registration drives were one of the strategies employed to inform people about the march. That campaign did continue after the event.

Ironically, one of the democratic parties' strongest constituencies seems to have no discernible impact on presidential elections yet should hold the swing vote throughout the south.

Did Dr. Kamau Kambon read Freakonomics?

A friend suggested to me that I read Freakonomics. Generally I consider pop nonfiction on economics to not be worth the time. Authors of these tomes often attribute outrageous conclusions to economic "laws." Economics has no "laws"; it only has resilent theories that can be applied successfully or unsuccessfully to individual events on a case by case basis.
I came across a copy of the book at Barnes & Nobles. The hardback was marked 30% off (a clear signal if there is one). I decided to read a few chapters to see if there was anything to it.
There is not.
The author (Steven Levitt) writes in one chapter that there was confusion surrounding falling crime rates. The answer ,he concluded, must be that as abortions rise crime must fall. His reasoning is that since low income women with no spouse have most of the abortions and since most criminals come from poverty stricken single parent homes crime falls as abortions rise.
This line of reasoning is flawed on many levels.
First, it really depends on how you define crime and what kinds of crime you are focusing on. Corporate and political malfesance has risen for instance. Second, correlation between two variables (crime and abortion) does not indicate causation. Third, where is he getting his numbers? Does anyone track the number of abortions by american citizens outside our borders? What about their income level?
Lastly, no where in his writings did he indicate the benefit or intrinsic value of human life.
Ideas are insidious. Like the flu they can be easily spread from person to person. In this case the idea is that killing is good, that it is beneficial.
Enter William "abort every black baby and the crime rate falls" Bennett. He likes the book and the ideas. His remarks were widely reported. If you missed them NPR played them for you at the top of every hour. All the major television networks, newspapers and the blogosphere were filled to the brim with his comments. He said this a few weeks after americans had watched over eight days worth of nonstop black pain, suffering, helplessness and poverty (white suffering was edited out and discredited, by no less than Tim Russert, when exposed) run rampant in New Orleans.
Further along in Freakonomics Levitt points out that terror is a powerful incentive. This is in the chapter comparing Klansmen to Real estate agents (I am not making this up). His reasoning is based on lynchings falling as Klan membership rose. By this thinking every white person should have joined the Klan in order to bring lynchings to their lowest possible number.
I do agree that terror is a powerful incentive.
Maybe Bennetts' comments were given so much press because after hurricane Katrina and Kanye West black people needed incentive to calm down. African-American fear and paranoia (for that matter all americans fear and paranoia) is well documented, and has been running high since the presidential election of 2000.
Maybe those horrific images of Katrina made a large portion of the american population wish those poor, huddled masses would just disappear.
Such specualtion is dangerous, but if you have read this far you deserve something unadultered.
Into this echo chamber of "Freakonomics" comes Dr. Kamau Kambon who is the author of such books as "Black Guerilla Warfare: A peoples guide and manifesto" and "Subtle Suicide."
Dr. Kambon is no stranger to mainstream media. CNN's headline news featured him a few years ago saying that black people should not celebrate Christmas because it is economically and socially debilitating. This time he made genocidal comments concerning white people. Coming on the heels of the Bennett comments I am not surprised that someone voiced the obverse.
My questions are: Has Dr. Kambon read Freakonomics? Was he using terror as an incentive?

Icon of Black Liberty: Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks reached that iconic level of fame and influence reserved for world leaders. Her act of not giving up her seat and the widespread media attention it received has inspired generations of americans. The simple message of not doing something if it's wrong, of not being afraid, to show courage, still resonates.

Black Self Interest

Adam Smith ,regarded in academic circles as the founding father of economic thinking, stressed the magic of self-interest as the key to the division of labor. Others after him such as Frederic Bastiat and Ayn Rand continued the theme. In essence the theory is that if everyone acts in his or her self interest everyone benefits. Self interest meaning that individuals made those decisions and took those actions that most benefited themselves.
In my opinion, the most succint and complete (and therefore most economical) written expose to expound this is "I Pencil."
The magic trick is that by one person producing the best product that he can produce by innovation and another doing the same everyone benefits from higher quality goods and the resulting competition. In essence, the desire for material wealth properly channeled through a constructed social system produces prosperity.
In reality, economic history is riddled with examples of lust for material items causing great destruction or in economic parlance unintended and intended consequences.
Whatever. This is the generally accepted philosophy of capitalist economies and the actors within them. For the sake of brevity and a desire to give the subject its just due I am leaving Black Game Theory for a seperate post.
Where then is Black Self Interest? Is the black consumer acting rationally? What is black self interest?
Like the Hippocratic oath, first do no harm, to yourself that is.

The Myth of Black Class Distinctions

In reading coverage of hurricane Katrina and the Millions More Movement I keep coming across references to there being a black lower, middle and upper class. I agree that upon first glance it may seem so. What they are actually referring to is differences in black income. Money is typically associated with class when such distinctions are made in the popular press.
Class is more than money. It is also association and control. Despite great riches blacks control very little land, hold little sway in fiscal and monetary governmental policy and own or manage none of the top banks and (while prolifigate content developers) mass media networks. Another example is racial gerrymandering. Blacks are not themselves drawing the demarcation lines between counties and congressional districts. These are functions of class that supercede money.
For there actually to be true class distinctions in the black community (not simply rich and poor blacks) some groups of blacks would have to exert a wholly disporportionate and precise influence on varied significant events. In short they would have to be in a position to decide the fate of capital and the legal and social enviroment in which it operates.

Millions More Movement

Roughly ten years ago I participated in the largest demonstration of black men in america's history. These are my thoughts between then and now.
I was leaving an organizing meeting with a friend. Since we had known of the march for months we had time to petition our college for buses and publicize the event on our campus. As we walked home we were set upon by street thugs. They flashed their guns and demanded the cash. What drives black men to treat each other this way? Why did these men threaten our lives for the money we had in our pockets?
Negative experiences of black men, women and families was a compelling, overarching reason for our support of this march. What man among us had not felt the role of sex and race in unpredictable ways in our daily lives. The sting of bigotry, the injustice of being prevented from consideration.
I did not travel with my college classmates to the march. I caught a greyhound bus 35 miles north and met two friends from high school. I recall we left in the small hours of the morning after one of my friends' girlfriend had cooked us dinner. I hadn't known that it had been requested that women make their men a meal before they left; as the men would be required to fast until sunset during the day of atonement.
Conversation was sparse and tense. A mystical leader known to speak of a "great fiery wheel" that foiled American interests throughout the world was the primary face of the movement. He was organizing (along with thousands of others) a Million Man March to be held in the District of Columbia. The gathering was exclusively for black men. No others need come. It was also on a monday. If that didn't show the organizers were serious what would?
The memory of my most recent encounter with black men I didn't know still fresh on my mind I beleived that there was a chance things could go badly. Conspiracy theories abounded. No one will come. The air will be poisoned, there will be riots and mass arrests. The federal government had declared holiday. Even the president left town.
My parents were at best skeptical. They ,like many older black folk, thought it a bad idea. Perhaps they still had memories of Bull Connor fresh on their mind.
The moon was full and unusually bright as we traveled. We arrived early and slept in the car on some downtown DC street. Around six o'clock we awoke and made our way over to the mall. There were already some people there but it was far from a million. That changed in time. Soon we were part of a ocean of black men. All of us laughing, crying, talking, praying, shouting, smoking, rapping, dancing, watching and listening. Maya Angelou spoke and her words said what we feeled. Deep was how she described it. Stevie Wonder told us he could see us all around him. Cries of "Cube" eruptered when the jumbotron showed the rappers face. Jesse Jackson told us to beware the change in law concerning crack cocaine. A man whose name I forget told us of the worlwide plan to dominate us. Farrakhan spoke of the number 19 and the building of the Washington monument. We waved our money for the cameras and then it was over. No violence, no hatred, no doom or gloom.
When we returned home there were tears in the eyes of our family and friends. A number of people said that if we did it again we would get two million. Many a man nursed the regret of not having gone. They should. It was a beautiful experience. I still get a shiver done my spine when I think about it. Such peace.
Ten years later it is time for Millions More. I have lost touch with the gentleman who was robbed with me and one of my traveling companions. The other friend is well. When I saw him last we didn't mention this new march.
This time we are told there will be follow through. I think when you compare black america then and now some things have changed but others (like the black prision population) stay the same or even have grown worse.
Now we need policy. We need effective ideas. We must communicate to and educate ourselves. That means more black media.
I am sure this weeks participants will experience a spiritual catharsis but I will not be among them.

Katrina Diaspora

I saw this map over at Black Feminism. This is the Katrina Diaspora map by epodunk.

Confederate States of America

The film has yet to recieve wide distribution in the US. The images are certainly provocative though.

Black GDP

The US Census estimates that blacks make up 13% of the population. The BEA estimates current US GDP at 11 trillion 734 billion. The World Bank has it at 11 trillion 667 billion. My rough estimate (13 percent of 12 trillion) is that blacks should account for one and a half trillion dollars of GDP.
The figure for black buying power in the united states varies between 600 billion and 700 billion. That is impressive as it places black america in the 14th to 9th spots on a list of the worlds' richest countries. Still, by population blacks should rest at number 3 only behind Japan or at 4 if you include the eurozone as a single entity.

Development

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

Blacks and Globalization

Like many americans I have been exposed to the writings of Noam Chomsky. One of the things I recall him saying in his interviews and writings is that america is turning into a third world country. By this he means a society more clearly delineated between the haves and the have nots. Others make essentially the same argument but in a different way. Thomas Friedman simply says that in a world of 3 billion new capitalists everyone's job is up for grabs. Friedman also tends to focus more on the upside of globalization, pointing out that opprotunities are now available were there were none before. The social darwinist authors of the Bell Curve say that he who is smartest wins.
They are all correct. There is no doubt that local labor is experiencing international competition as the photo illustrates. Ironically enough though, automation (read: increasing efficiency) not outsourcing or offshoring is responsible for most job losses, which happens to be what a number of subcontractors engage in.
These particular subcontractors are Infosys employees. Their swarthy brown skin does not seem to be a hindrince to their gaining employment. No, it would seem that their intellectual resources and willingness to work are all they need to travel the globe. They are here as a modern effect of globalization.
Outgoing federal reserve chairman Alan Greenspan notes that the economy is getting lighter and lighter in terms of a physical weight to GDP ratio. This is the knowledge or information or digital effect. Software, legal documents and numerous other transactions have no physical weight but their share of the economy continues to grow. Accordingly the supply of money itself has become weightless to a large extent, being stored in the servers of banks. Commodities still have value it's just that ideas seem to have more and more value everyday. Those with ideas find themselves prospering more than those without them.
What does this mean for black folk? Properly interpreted it could be a great boon. I would argue that Black Poverty is a result of not physical but mental phenomena at this day and time. There are numerous examples of wealth born not in backyards full of goldmines and oil wells but in the fertile ground of the mind. Some argue that true wealth is metaphysical. Bob Marley and Peter Tosh are two excellent examples of this. Born dirt poor in Jamaica their words and song (not local natural resources) made them wealthy.
In a digital world in search of content, in an enviroment where tricolor cameras and desktop media studios are reaching the prices of microwaves, in a world of the $100 Laptop blacks and specifically african-americans have a distinct advantage.
Black creativity and culture, black ideas drive american culture to a very large extent. True "Viacom and Hennessy" run rap music as Mos Def raps but once the means of production and distribution are dispersed that could quickly change (it could intensify or wane).
This is the opprotunity of Globalization.

Black Freedom

I have often wondered how it is that certain groups manage to appropiate words and phrases and other groups seemed to have missed the boat. When you look up the word freedom in a dictionary or research database I would expect to see numerous citations from african-americans. After all, in the present time who should have more interest in freedom and defining liberty?