Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree
An Open Letter to Pacifica Radio: Regarding the Dropping of Smiley and West
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ARE THEY BEGINNING TO SEE
THE WRITING ON THE WALL?
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Board of Directors,
Pacifica Foundation:
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I'm writing in response to the recent announcement that the Pacifica Foundation has appointed it's own chairman, Summer Reese, as Executive Director. Admittedly, at this point I know very little about Director Reese, but I intend to address that issue immediately so as to gain a better understanding of what's going on within the organization that has caused it to become so far out of touch with what’s currently going on in the Black community.
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Ms Reese has started off her tenure as Executive Director of the Pacifica Foundation by making one of the worst moves she could have ever made, at least, with respect to the Black community. By intervening in the Tavis Smiley/Cornel West controversy at radio station WBEZ she has clearly demonstrated that she is completely out of touch with the shifting sands in the Black community. While on the other hand, by discontinuing the services of Smiley and West, Torey Malatia at WBEZ and the three other stations that took similar actions, clearly demonstrated that they have their finger on the pulse of what's going on in the community. So it is Dir. Reese who is out of touch with the rumblings within the community, not the people that she's criticizing.
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Ms. Reese was quoted as saying, "It is disappointing when the term advocacy is used as a smear to trivialize the presentation of intelligent and passionate discussion that is sometimes critical of the American status quo." That quote alone demonstrates that Ms. Reese is missing the entire point.
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Tavis and West have tried to preempt criticism by framing the response to their activities in a way that suggests that their critics are merely upset because they’re criticizing President Obama, and obviously, Ms. Reese has bought into that nonsense hook, line, and sinker. But that's just nonsense. It's the very same kind of RACIST and condescending nonsense that the Republican Party is arguing, and for the very same reason - demagoguery. The implication is that Black people are so blinded by race that we don't have sense enough to know what's in our own best interest, and the mere fact that Tavis and West would join racists in promoting such a degrading and condescending argument speaks volumes about how little respect they have for the intelligence of the Black community.
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Many in the Black community have criticized President Obama, just like we criticize any other president, including myself. I’ve written several articles criticizing the Obama, but I made sure that they were always issue specific, respectful, and free of unsubstantiated innuendo. http://wattree.blogspot.com/2008/07/journalists-first-responsibility_04.html
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So the issue that’s stirring many in the Black community has absolutely nothing to do with attempting to stifle "intelligent and passionate discussion," as Ms. Reese suggests. The issue is, many believe that Smiley and West are exploiting their high profile in the Black community to promote personal vendettas and lucrative marketing campaigns without any regard for the fact that their activities are detrimental to the Black community’s interest as a whole.
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Tavis Smiley and Cornel West's activities during this election season are identical to the activities of Ralph Nader and Cornel West's in the 2000 election that got George Bush elected. So West is either purposely trying to sabotage the Black community, are he's too dumb to be given a public platform in the first place.
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Tavis Smiley and Cornel West's activities during this election season are identical to the activities of Ralph Nader and Cornel West's in the 2000 election that got George Bush elected. So West is either purposely trying to sabotage the Black community, are he's too dumb to be given a public platform in the first place.
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During the 2000 election Cornel West join forces with Ralph Nader under the very same pretext - "to stimulated vigorous and intelligent discussion." But what did it get us? It got us eight years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, and it was directly responsible for placing America - and the Black community - in the very economic condition that West is currently complaining about. George W. Bush won the 2000 election by a mere 537 votes. The Nader-West coalition peel off 97,488 votes in Florida alone, so Cornel West is, literally, like a man who's dug a ditch and is now complaining because Obama's not filling it in fast enough. Yet, Ms. Reese is arguing that dropping these two demagogues constitute stifling intelligent and passionate discussion!!? Please be serious.
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The fact is, it’s not WHAT Tavis and West are saying that has the Black community up in arms, it’s WHY we suspect they're saying it. After all, couldn't they wait until AFTER the election, and AFTER we've made sure that we've protected the Black community and poor and middle-class America from corporate fascists, and THEN have this "intelligent and passionate" discussion? But of course, Tavis and West would argue that once reelected, President Obama wouldn't have an incentive to listen. But that's not true. Every president is concerned about his legacy, and as the first Black president that's even more true of Obama than most. In addition, President Obama has two daughters who'll have to live with his legacy for the rest of their lives. Thus, President Obama's actions in office will determine whether they live their lives as American princesses, or pariahs. Certainly the highly intellectual Cornel West recognizes that fact - doesn't he?
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So what's so important for us to discuss at this particular time that it's worth sabotaging this election, and possibly, the future of America? After all, it's not like we have a viable alternative to President Obama. So personally, I can't think of a thing, and neither can many others in the Black community. The only thing we can see is a personal agenda - and then, when you put that together with Tavis Smiley's all-consuming penchant for self-promotion, and his close ties to Walmart, Nationwide Insurance, Wells Fargo, and other corporate interests, that leaves the Black community very suspicious of these two characters. In addition, the Black community is not nearly so dense that we don't recognize that every time these two go on one of their "poverty tours" that they have something to sell under their arm.
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In fact, the political activity of Tavis and West strays so far outside the boundaries of common sense that many in the community are beginning to suspect the possibility of much more sinister motives. In his article, "My Republican Party has Abandoned Me," Black Republican activist, Raynard Jackson, says the following:
"For many years, I have approached the party and its supporters about underwriting programs to bring together Blacks who are Republican or lean Republican so we can weave them into every facet of the party structure. The answer is always, no! But, twice this year some of these same people have approached me about funding for some election year tricks that they (White Republicans) have conjured up and simply need a Black face to execute the plan. On these two separate occasions, these funders were willing to spend upwards of $20 million to have me organize a national campaign to identify Blacks who would be critical of President Obama."
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In fact, the political activity of Tavis and West strays so far outside the boundaries of common sense that many in the community are beginning to suspect the possibility of much more sinister motives. In his article, "My Republican Party has Abandoned Me," Black Republican activist, Raynard Jackson, says the following:
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| RAYNARD JACKSON |
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| Hmmmmmm. |
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Nevertheless, both men are experiencing a precipitous fall from grace in the Black community. Radio Station WBEZ pointed out that their listenership went from 37,900 to 13,200. That means that out of nearly 38,000 listeners, they lost nearly 25,000. That's a dramatic decline in their listenership (65%), and I'd say, that perfectly corresponds with their pronounced decline in the Black community.
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Tavis and West have become the new Amos & Andy of the Black community, and their trajectory is identical. They not only fail to represent Black interests, but they've become a major liability and embarrassment to many in the community. This will become more readily apparent as they begin to lose the major corporate sponsors currently propping them up - corporations that make it their business to know what’s going on in the community. Once these major corporations begin to see that these two have become liabilities rather than assets, they’re going to drop them like hot rivets. They probably already see it, but Tavis and West are still of marginal value - at least, until after the election.
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So while I have no idea what kind of executive Ms. Reese is, her criticism of Torey Malatia, WBEZ, and the three other stations that dropped Smiley and West was a huge mistake. Because essentially what she's done is admonished these people for recognizing the condition of the Titanic, and then having the good sense to paddle away in lifeboats before the undertow could tarnish their brand and take them down with the ship.
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Pacifica Foundation
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pacifica-Foundation/88069796661.
Pacifica Foundation
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It’s Time To Boycott Tavis/West and All Black on Black Racists http://wattree.blogspot.com/2012/09/its-time-to-boycott-tavis-west-and-all.html
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Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.
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