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?