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It seems like every time a Black person criticizes Pres. Obama, a thousand people jump on their back like Huey Freeman! Cornel West and Lupe Fiasco are the most recent examples. The strange thing is that as soon as someone attack President Obama, the Black media jumps up to tell us why the person leading the charge is out of touch and doesn’t represent the views of Black people. The problem that I have is the lack of critique within the community. You cannot fully support someone if that someone without being able to give critique. Blind support is like blind faith in the sense that it is disingenuous. The campaign is over people. Being Black while also being critical of the President’s policies does not necessarily mean that you have switched camps. It doesn’t mean you are a card holding member of the Tea Party. Being Black and being critical of the President’s policies could also mean that you are using your brain and not being another blind sheep. When the Black community is intellectually dishonest we lose our voice. If we only support Black people because they are Black, then we as a people have become largely predictable.
To add further context I think it’s important to remember that Black people have made significant advancement in the U.S. over the last 60 years due to our solidarity and ability to support each other even if they didn’t agree on everything. However, this is perhaps also the reason why criminals, corrupt politicians, corrupt preachers , dictators and the like have exploited the this relationship to shield them from the consequences of their indiscretions. My point is not that President Obama is in this category but my point is that you can support a politician without the bumper stickers and the rose colored glasses. Of course there is the argument that President Obama is doing the best he can and that one president cannot change the whole structure of the American government. However it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t push for more. Corporate powers and lobbyist are pushing and so should we.
Some will say that what Lupe Fiasco did by calling Pres. Obama “the biggest terrorist in the United States of America” went beyond a critique. But the same charge has been made at most presidents of the last 20 years due to the military industrial complex without much of a stir in the Black community. Lupe shared theses same sentiments on the song “Words I Never Say” but this time he went a little harder with the biggest terrorist jab. Obviously whenever you label anyone a terrorist, it changes the tone of the rhetoric. Cornel West opened his mouth like Kanye West, and the room fell silent. Calling the President a “Black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a Black puppet of corporate plutocrats.” Shots fired. With West there is clearly a personal history but still I disagree with appears to be a knee jerk reaction on the part of the Black media. My issue is that as soon as that happened you had Black heads popping up everywhere saying he was old, out of touch and basically that Obama has full support of the Black Community. Like there is a fear in dissent. My thing is let people speak, don’t try to drown out their dissent in with more noise.
I could be wrong. What say you? This is what O’Reilly had to say…
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17 Comments
I personally fell the same, as lupe and Mr. west. What makes him so despicable is the manipulation of the black community.He is using his color,and the hopes of african americans to push the corporate agenda. If any one were to take an objective view in totality of the work he has done since being president, there is no way you can not have some problem wiith him. By now everyone should know the president doesn’t run anything, so why willingly be the face of the new order. When he good have had more impact on our community pursing his work as a community organizer.
Yea i just like when the communities that I am apart of are open to dissent. Given the corporate pressure many would prefer to grant Obama a pass, and I get that. But every president is criticized, it’s part of being president.
I just hate the illusion of Unanimous support. We are not one monolithic people, and we are not separated into Black and Uncle Tom, or Academics and Regular Folk. That’s what gets me. We are bigger than that.
I respect Dr west’s critique because he has always stood for lower class americans and Obama has only providied temporary solutions to the problems they deal with. As far as lupe, if trump would have said something like that he would have been hit with a brick, so i cant give him a pass. I am for holding obama responsible for his failings, but the term terrorist is extra.
Well written. Lupe might have changed the discourse with that one, but didn’t everyone say the same of George W? If it’s wars has Obama fought any less?
I agree that we are not a monolithic people and I also agree that just because you’re Black that you don’t have to agree with what President Obama is doing in his administration.
In regards to Lupe Fiasco, his comments about President Obama can be just taken as him “going hard”. What I truly don’t agree with is his idea of not voting. I truly think people who don’t vote are idiotic, ESPECIALLY if you complain about things that could have been changed by you voting in a particular election. If you don’t vote, you have no voice to complain about politicians.
Something that President Obama constantly said throughout his campaign that he kind of threw by the wayside when he became President was that he wanted change, but he couldn’t do it alone. He said that about every five seconds. So if you vote, but you have not done anything to be a catalyst for the change you want to see in your community then maybe you have a right to complain, but not that much.
That’s what Reverend Al Sharpton was saying in the one video with Cornel West. President Obama can’t do it alone. People have to do things in their communities to help with situations. People also have to vote in their state, city and other local elections. You can’t just vote for a President and think that’s the end. That’s why Wisconsin, Arizona and my beloved Michigan are going with what they are going with now. Because as I said in one of my Facebook statuses, “Dumb people vote, smart people don’t vote because they think it doesn’t count :\”. If all the smart people who think voting has no purpose would actually get out to vote, then maybe some things could change. It’s not a perfect system, but it would help.
On Cornel West, I love me some Cornel West, but through multiple articles and videos that I have read and watched, at this point, some of his dissension is personal. He’s mad for the right reasons of President Obama not doing as much as he could for the Black community, but he’s also mad that he praised Obama all throughout his campaign and when it came for Obama to return the favor, respect-wise, Obama didn’t do it and played him to the left. So West’s thoughts aren’t wholly unbiased.
I think, in general, that the dissension against President Obama would definitely happen with any president and it’s just the American though process of “he hasn’t done anything for my specific demographic”. President Obama has done a lot, but people still complain because their demographic hasn’t specifically been touched.
Also, for race issues, President Obama is the most perfect and least perfect person to deal with the issue. Damned if he does, damned if he don’t. I think if he gets a second term, he’ll have a lot more freedom to take care of some much needed business but I’m not sure if he’ll necessarily step up to the plate. But if he had done some things this term in regards to race relations, it would be the nail in the coffin of a second term.
Yes presidents are terrorists on some levels. From Reagan to Bush over 6 billion dollars was spent to support terrorist such as al-Queda. And cornel west please don’t get me started on him. His cause ain’t for the poor black class. He spent his career living the life in cushy white institutions. You wanna be down for the people take your ass somewhere where black men and women are and teach them and stop bitching cause you didn’t get a ticket but a maid did. As for Obama he is a politician not a revolutionary. He does what politicians do and him being black doesn’t change that fact
I agree with Dr. West’s commonly voiced critiques if the President, demanding substance or mere symbolism. Being a black president is not enough in the face of black suffering. I also believe the “symbolism” of his presidency is “substantial” in the sense that it can prove to reverse the mentality of black inferiority within the USA and abroad. There must be a grassroots movement to set the stage for more top down change. Black America is too complacent with the mirage of a middle class existence, which is rapidly disappearing.
My bad. iPhone keys
*critiques of the president
*demanding substance over mere symbolism
Well said. I agree with Deborah & David, the people have some level of responsibility too. As for Cornel’s critique, it may be emotional charged but he makes a clear case about his connection and loyalties to big business. Sharpton is in the fold too, quick to defend the president. Whereas as a Cornel, or a Tavis Smile probably were in the fold to begin with and have less to lose by speaking their mind.
Deborah i feel you on the people need to vote tip.
Alexis, truth Obama does what politicians do. All I expect is the same level of critique we have always had in the community. I respectfully disagree about Dr. West. He is in the community. Last time I saw him he was in AZ working with Latinos to combat legislation. He is an academic and a devoted academic at that.
D A V I D
“Black America is too complacent with the mirage of a middle class existence, which is rapidly disappearing”
T R U T H
I voted for Obama just because he was Black and had a wife that was unquestionably Black. As a Black person I would never make the mistake of looking to the government for much of anything. I’m practical so even politicians such as Marion Barry are still my personal heroes.
Not off base at all. In discussing presidents, it seems like it’s always been treated like an ‘either you’re with him or against him’ situation by the media, and defiantly even moreso now. People always seem to forget that elections are never about choosing the perfect candidate, but about choosing the lesser of two evils. Your vote doesn’t, or shouldn’t, mean I like this man and he can do no wrong, but rather, I like this man slightly more than his opponent. What West and Lupe said though, can be applied to most Presidents, as you pointed out. What Lupe said is a little more opinion driven and intended to get a raise out of people and stir up controversy (the man has bills to pay and albums don’t sell themselves) but what Cornel West said is pretty accurate. That’s not to say that that’s all he is, but we can’t ignore that that is a part of it.
As far as black folks, I think that the issue is that we want this to be a successful presidency so badly because if it’s not who knows how long before one of us lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I think that sentiment has made people want to shy away from the criticism and try to stop other from as well- “he’s going to be criticized regardless, so it might as well not be from us.” I think all people do this to an extent, for various reasons. If your favorite team has an off day or just plain sucks you still rep and defend them til the death, but in private with another fan you’ll most likely speak differently and more truthfully about your team. Keeping with the Boondocks reference, in the R. Kelly episode Huey said something along the lines of “Black people know that niggas are crazy, but we won’t talk about crazy niggas in public because white people might be listening.” Then there’s Kanye on “Family Business”: “Act like everything’s fine and if it isn’t we ain’t letting everybody in our family business”. So yeah, there are defiantly the blind followers and Yes men, but there are also many that are politically aware and just choose to keep quiet, or at least choose their audience, just to save face.
I read some of the other comments, but here is what I think of the issues you brought up:
1. Racial solidarity is nice. It creates a sense of community and understanding among black and brown people that, yes, we are in the same boat. It is not the answer, however, to the problems of the African Diaspora. In my opinion, one needs to adopt that policy with a critical eye. I can see myself as connected to the Diaspora, and I’ll fight to help out those who are a victims of the system, but others might not see me in that light and I don’t expose my back to a black person any more than I would a white person.
The first black mayor of Philadelphia, Wilson Goode, allowed bombs to be dropped on the headquarters of a civil right activist organization (M.O.V.E.).
White people will fuck you over, Black people will fuck you over, Latinos will fuck you over and not everyone who looks like me thinks like me.
2. I haven’t heard, or read, Lupe’s statements, but calling Obama the world’s biggest terrorist, as emotionally provocative as it is, isn’t much of an exaggeration. The man is continuing wars that have killed around 1 million people, including women and children. He gives unconditional support to Israel no matter what murderous acts they perform. Support mean weapons, and massive amounts of tax payer money (if you’re wondering why that’s a terrorist act do some Google searching on the establishment of that state and its interactions with neighboring countries and peoples [specifically Palestinians]).
His domestic policies (healthcare, the bailout etc.) have also continued to place Wall Street above Main Street. Looking at who the man has chosen as advisers it’s no surprise. The economist who was a leader in the deregulation of wall street, which later lead to the world financial crash, was his Secretary of the Treasury. Obama’s a politician, plain and simple, and being “black,” or mixed, or whatever-you-wanna-call-him, hasn’t changed that.
3. One shouldn’t underestimate the Obama effect on Black folk. It is utterly stupendous that the white house, built by slaves, is now inhabited by a black family. Black folk wanna see that continue in the future, and even if he’s no different than Clinton (the jailer of minorities and the poor) it provides a psychological boost. It says, “we are worthy of something. We have the potential to outdo the race of people who’ve been repressing us for 400 years.” That’s pretty powerful stuff and yes people might denounce you if put a chink in that man’s armor. They might even do a lot more than denounce you.
4. Rhetoric like Lupe’s, or for that matter Prof. Cornell West (who never really appealed to me because of his overly flashy words), doesn’t do much to help things. What people need to hear – black, brown, and poor white alike – is a factually based argument on what is happening and what can be done to make things better. Yes, you can call Obama a terrorist, but so? What does that even mean? What is that opinion based on? What is being offered as an alternative to that terrorism?
In conclusion “Food & Liquor” was good, “The Cool” was awesome, “Lasers” sucks (from what little I’ve heard), and as a bit of self promotion check out my blog.
Live,
——
AlexClermont.Wordpress.com
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” – Philip K. Dick
Honestly, Lupe is too dumb to be “the new Huey”. I respect Cornel West’s opinion because he’s extremely tight and poignant with his criticisms…Lupe (and most musicians that have opinions) just regurgitate stupid that they heard 3rd, 4th and 5th hand.
Ha ha K Thurst you on point tho he does seems to be one of the more serious ones, with 1st and 15th and his background. TY RE N, though i will have to disagree with you over lyrics, not sure if his statements boast his sales, which have already been performing strongly. Great point about the public v. private criticism.
K Thurst you on point but tho he does seems to be one of the more serious ones, with 1st and 15th and his background. lol.
TY RE N, though i will have to disagree with you over lyrics, not sure if his statements boast his sales, which have already been performing strongly. Great point about the public v. private criticism debate.
Great points Alex, 3 gives the reason for the reaction and 4 really points out the emptiness of the statement, it’s not that provocative without an alternative.
As for West, he is committed to people. I have seen him in action, and I know he has love for the people.
Lupe’s album, lyrics are cool, production would have been better. All Black Everything is a dope track.
…Great points Alex, 3 gives the reason for the reaction and 4 really points out the emptiness of the statement, it’s not that provocative without an alternative.
As for West, he is committed to people. I have seen him in action, and I know he has love for the people.
Lupe’s album, lyrics are cool, production would have been better. All Black Everything is a dope track.