Page 2 The Skanner March 16, 2016
Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now
Opinion
Bernie Foster
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Hypocrites, Hucksters, Histrionics and Hype
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BE A PART
OF THE
CONVERSATION
#SkNews
ren’t you tired of the
rap and clap sessions
by political wannabees
and their respective
contingents? I know I am.
The so-called “debates” are
downright insulting and em-
barrassing, especially on the
Republican side, reminiscent
of a stand-up comedy show,
or “throwing shade” as young
folks say.
Over on the Democratic
stage (or should I say in their
“ring”?), what was a fight has
turned into a face-saving
swan song for Sanders since
he was, in his own words,
“decimated” in South Caroli-
“
James
Clingman
NNPA
Columnist
political three-ring circus.
We will be the diversions,
the ones who turn the lion’s
attention away from the per-
formers, the clowns who turn
the bull’s ire away from the
bull rider by yelling and then
jumping into a barrel.
The “Yo Mama!” debates in
the Republican ring are really
ants who offer condescending
words and platitudes directly
to Black folks — as opposed
to the Republicans, who say
absolutely nothing to Blacks.
The Democratic candidates
rail against the business es-
tablishment and tell us that
we really need more jobs to
solve our problems. I don’t
know how they expect to
bring us more jobs, which are
created by private business-
es, when they are constantly
denigrating business. It’s just
hype. (By the way, why do you
suppose the Black candidate
— Willie Wilson — has been
invisible?)
Rather than asking the candidates what they will do for
us, we must present our demands to them, and rather
than settle for lip service, we must have them sign an
agreement signifying their support of our issues
na. Black folks strike again!
With all the money these
candidates have in the bank,
this “theater of the absurd”
could go on for months, and
when it’s all over Black folks
will have not moved one inch
toward real empowerment.
Unless we get serious about
our own economic and politi-
cal future, by establishing our
political platform and being
willing to promote, support
and leverage it, Blacks will
continue to be relegated to
the clown ring in this current
not debates, in case you have
not noticed; they are rap ses-
sions, Ronald Reagan séanc-
es, and pseudo-patriotic dia-
tribes — repeated ad nauseam
by guys who swear they are
the answer to our problems.
The only one who has any
kind of real record of having
actually solved a few political
problems is John Kasich. But
he’s so far behind the others
that a victory for him is very
unlikely.
Over in the Democratic
ring, we have two combat-
Why are many of our people
spending inordinate amounts
of time arguing over whose
plantation is more comfort-
able?
Rather than organizing our-
selves into a voting bloc that
must be reckoned with and le-
veraging our votes, we end up
acquiescing to political par-
ties and their selected candi-
dates. Rather than asking the
candidates what they will do
for us, we must present our
demands to them, and rather
than settle for lip service, we
must have them sign an agree-
ment signifying their support
of our issues.
If they refuse to support
our demands, verbally and
in writing, then why should
we vote for them? What do
we have to lose? Why vote for
any candidate who does not
support reciprocity for those
who vote for him or her?
That’s just stupid.
We must stop accepting the
hypocrisy of candidates who
say one thing and do another.
We must not get sidetracked
by arguments among political
hacks and commentators that
mean absolutely nothing to us
in the scheme of things.
We must stop doing our
best impression of Pavlov’s
dog when they come to call on
us. If nothing is funny, don’t
laugh; if you are not itching,
don’t scratch. We must change
the silly way we deal with pol-
itics by collectively leverag-
ing something of substance
in return for our votes. If we
don’t change, the hucksters,
Black ones and White ones,
will always win.
Join the One Million Con-
scious Black Voters and Con-
tributors and let’s make a real
difference this time.
James Clingman is the na-
tion’s most prolific writer on
economic empowerment for
Black people. His latest book,
Black Dollars Matter! Teach
your dollars how to make more
sense, is available on his web-
site, Blackonomics.com.
Why ‘Diamond’ and ‘Silk’ Support Trump
I
saw it on Facebook: two
Black women at a Trump
rally expressing their sup-
port for “The Donald.”
I realized, once again, that
there is a certain type of emo-
tional naiveté that I possess
when it comes to our people.
I assume that in light of the
history of White supremacy
which we have experienced
for several hundred years,
including indentured servi-
tude, slavery, Jim Crow seg-
regation, and de facto seg-
regation, not to mention the
ideological demonization of
our people at the hands of an
assortment of characters, that
we can look a racist in the eyes
and know their stand.
I found myself staring at
these two Black women back-
ing Trump and I realized I
felt the same emotions about
the candidacy of Dr. Ben Car-
son (who has since endorsed
Trump himself ). How is it, I
have asked, for a Black per-
son to utter some of the most
ridiculous statements known
to humanity?
It is only when I have
calmed down that I remind
Bill
Fletcher Jr.
The Global
African
myself that not only are we, as
a people, far from monolithic,
but that — despite our history
— there is a very conserva-
tive, if not outright reaction-
ary minority among Black
“
to address. It is that there are
people who honestly believe,
for whatever reason, that
their personal future or our
collective future resides in
conforming to the worst car-
icatures that White America
has of us. They seem to be-
lieve that by joining in on the
pile-on against Latinos and
Muslims, for instance, that we
will somehow become accept-
ed as “real” Americans.”
It will never happen. Some
Black folks tried that after
the execution of five Black
men who were accused in the
Central Park brutal rape of
a white woman in 1989, only
for them to be exonerated.
Trump calls for excluding
and expelling Mexicans for
allegedly bringing crime to
the U.S., as if no other ethnic
group has ever been or is as-
sociated with crime.
Trump calls for banning
Muslims from entering the
U.S. for allegedly bringing
terrorism despite the fact that
They seem to believe that by joining in on the pile-on
against Latinos and Muslims, for instance, that we will
somehow become accepted as ‘real’ Americans
Americans that are actually
convinced that we ourselves
are the problem. Many also
believe there is some other ra-
cial/ethnic/religious group,
e.g., Latinos or Muslims, who
can take some of the racist
heat away from us that we
have experienced for so long.
It is not simply self-hatred
that we are facing. In some
respects, that would be easy
9/11. It does not work. We are
still hated.
It is the revelation that the
Adolph Caesar character has
at both the beginning and end
of the classic film A Soldier’s
Story: the “game” has been
rigged and masses of Whites
still hate us, even when we get
on our knees and do every-
thing that they ask.
Donald Trump called for
most terrorist attacks since
9/11 have been carried out by
white supremacists.
What am I missing? Is there
any reason to take anyone
who supports Trump with
any degree of seriousness? I
think not.
Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a talk-show
host, writer and activist. Fol-
low him on Twitter, Facebook
and at www.billfletcherjr.com.