Obama and Gates

President Obama is the the top law enforcement official in the country. He wasted an opportunity to build goodwill with the police forces across the country.
It may indeed end up being a devastating error.
Instead of saying the police acted stupidly it would have been better to support the officer and his friend Skip Gates. I acknowledge that the president has leeway and as leader has the right to express himself.
On the other hand, being that he is the constant victim of attacks concerning his allegiances and national identity why not support the officer and make clear in a practical way that he is not against policemen or police departments.

Racist Robots

So I heard about the racist robots in Transformers 2. I had to go see it then even though I liked the first one and had planned to see it anyway.
Bring them on - these programmed automatons that were more race specific than the humanistic oriented machine villains in the matrix.
Sadly , as so often happens, they were just hype.
No article seemed to mention that the villain robot the Fallen (who curiously hated all human beings [for which thankfully there is no stereotype]) was voiced by an African-American.
Nor did the recurring theme of Resurrection which is prevalent through both films warrant popular attention.
This after even promo materials highlighted the battle royal amongst ancient Egyptian ruins.
On top of that they take the carcass of Optimus Prime to Egypt for Resurrection.
But no, the least common denominator comedy of marginal characters is what was widely reported.
But were the robots racist?
Did the blood boil?
Was I kicked around again by the "big media elite" as an African-American?
No , it's a great summer film and maybe the point of highlighing innocent, naive Skids and Mudflap is to keep the conversation accessible for the masses.

If Palin Quit...

I am fully aware Palin is not "African-American" but we learn from her story.

Winners never quit and quitters never win goes the story.

I guess the republican party is no more.

Me First

After first reading this article on the first African-American woman to be a Jewish rabbi I thought, "What doors has Obama opened for blacks." It was followed by the realization that Alysa Stanton and Barack Obama have worked for years to attain their accomplishments.

In fact, Alysa was working towards her goal long before Obama became president.

While the question of her goal being attainable only after the election of the first black president was suductive it is obviously a dead-end. In this instance the two may or may not be mutually exclusive but it seems unlikely that all like events will be the same.

Now as to why it is pointed out and whether we will get past this American heritage and tradition of pointing out negro, black, woman, Latina etc etc "Firsts" - that's fertile ground.

The Token President or Black Liberty in our lifetime?

Obama's inauguration today was a milestone achievement in the history of America, but the black economist has yet to see the change.

Is Obama little more than a fly amongst the buttermilk?

Does the achievement of one black man (with tangential roots in African-American history) materially improve the conditions of African-Americans?

No, but I am sure it will do much to get the ball rolling.

The Obama Report

Available at http://change.gov/page/-/hem5zet3nalm2/2008%2012%2023%20PTT%20Contacts%20Memo.pdf

Even more interesting is that Obamas chief of staff "took a long planned trip to Africa."

Third World America

I wonder if Noam Chomsky was also thinking America would have the debt of a third world country when he asserted that America was becoming a third world country because of the greater stratification between the rich and poor?

Don't Play Me

Powell as secretary of Defense?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27266223/

Thoughts on the Financial Crisis

The economy is a national security issue.

Giving financial institutions hundreds of billions while they fire tens of thousands of workers exceeds moral hazard.

2009 can still be a year of hope, betterment and change. We must not to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of decline.

Today the market closed forty-seven percent off it's all-time high reached a little over a year ago. How long will it take to reach it again?

Black Precedent

Reasonably, with demographic trends predicting an America population over fifty percent nonwhite by 2050, a Black President was never a pipe dream far into the future. It's a great achievement and President - Elect Barack Obama has empowered the present for black men in a way only a few have before him.

The Death of Black Nationalism

The manufactured controversy surrounding Barack Obama was predicted by his own staff. The now famous pastor Wright was , according to media reports, not allowed to be present when he announced his candidacy.
It is reasonable to assume that someone long ago noticed that Barack Hussein Obama was black and that would substantially impact his race for the American presidency. Knowing that, it is logical to assume that he would be attacked by association which is standard political practice. The majority of white Americans have a ... unrealistic understanding of their black fellow citizens so the senator is particularly vulnerable to having the race card played against him. His enemies, wily and cunning, know that attacking him directly for his race would never work so they turn to the target rich black community. Black men are boogey men to many and an out of context soundbite is a well worn political weapon.
In the end it is not pastor Wright that is personally important because any black boogey man will do.
What I find most interesting, and indicative of democratic party infighting / election year politics, is that when Dr. Kambon made his now forgotten speech only the right wing media carried the story. With Wright the entire establishment has jumped into the fray.
Obama gave a great speech in response.

First Black President

My gut tells me that Toni Morrison regrets her famous qoute about Bill Clinton.

intensely competitive

The above is how one of Obama's aides characterized a "possible" McCain/Obama general election. It was in response to remarks by talk show host Bill Cunningham showcasing Obama's middle name and liberal leanings.
I think it's an understatement.

Black President

The contrarian view might be that Obama is being manipulated into running for president.
A much more realistic view is that, somehow, if you are black the only reason you are voting for Obama is because he is black.
Would Obama be the first black president? Was Bill Clinton?
No on both counts.
To answer the question we must define "black" politically.
A Black president must have a black base of support, an infrastructure. More importantly a "Black President" would have a black political agenda (what that agenda might be we will leave to further/previous posts.)
Obama ,apparently, has neither.
It is ironic that the primary reason for not voting for him is that he might.

Obama and Clinton

Please correct me if I am in error, but the black economist's understanding of history is that black men gained the vote before white women.

Blackle

Search the web a greener way. Check out google sponsored http://www.blackle.com/ or read the FAQ here.
According to the website; a black screen uses less energy than a white one.

Race Fatigue

Sorry all , I have not been posting lately because the black economist has come down with a severe case of race fatigue.
Maybe it was all those crabs in a barrel I ate, the profound stupidity of Michael Vick or the utterly depressing state of hip hop.

Where Wealth Lives

Selected quotes from the BET Jazz Documentary on the African American wealth experience:

"Owning personal property or land is a sign of freedom"

John Hope Franklin

"....but also because they had a stream of income independent of the white folks"

Tom Hanchett on the success of funeral home owners

Emmitt Smith on Capitalism

"People ask me what my sport is these days, and I tell them as far as I'm concerned I'm in the ultimate arena of competition, It's called free enterprise, and it's the most competitive thing I've ever attempted."

Emmitt Smith

Glover and Chavez

The Venuzuelan congress has invested somewhere between 18 and 20 million dollars with Danny Glover to produce films on the lives of Simon Bolivar and Toussaint L'Ouverture.
The press release is available here in spanish or translated into english by google here.