Does Cornel West Harbor Racist Attitudes Towards Black People?

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree



Does Cornel West Harbor Racist Attitudes Towards Black People?

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Dr. Cornel West seems to have gone on a shameless mission to disparage anyone in the Black community who tends to overshadow him. Now he’s after music mogul and entrepreneur, Jay-Z, regarding his business holdings. West seems to be bound and determined to demonstrate to the world that Jay-Z's business holdings aren't as impressive as he's increasingly being given credit.

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But what Jay-Z owns or doesn't own is not the point of this piece. The bigger issue is the pettiness of a mind that can become so fixated on such a trivial issue. Considering West's, fading, yet substantial influence in the Black community, the possible impact of such a petty mind during a time when we are fighting for our very existence is indeed frightening.

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During a time in this nation's history when powerful forces in this country are hell-bent on establishing an era of corporate feudalism, how does Cornel West's attack on Jay-Z show "love" for the Black community? How does it help to reinforce the Black community and abolish poverty, as West insists to any and everyone who will listen, is his primary goal? In short, it doesn't - and that, is the point of this piece.

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Cornel West's petty fixation on such issues as the extent and source of Jay-Z's wealth, why a baggage handler could get inauguration tickets over his own illustrious personage, and why the President of the United States failed to return his personal phone call, clearly demonstrates that poverty and suffering within the Black community, and America as a whole, is not only less than his primary concern, but is, in fact, merely being used as a tool to gain personal attention and to promote his own self-aggrandizing agenda.

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In addition, West's all consuming penchant for attacking high-profile Black people - and in racially drenched terms - suggests far more than what many attribute to West's exaggerated sense of self-importance. It more clearly suggests a form of black-on-Black racism - an intense disdain and condescending attitude toward his own people. Black people tend not to look closely enough at this syndrome, but we should, because it's one of the most toxic maladies in the Black community. It's been killing us for over 400 years, and it's past time to bring it to an end.

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I was discussing this issue with a friend the other day, and she insisted, "No, it's not racism; it's a form of self-hatred." But I beg to differ. People like Cornel West, Tavis Smiley, Larry Elder (who Smiley just recently had on his show), Clarence Thomas, and Herman Cain, don't hate themselves at all - it's not themselves, but the Black community that they look down their noses at. During the Republican primaries Herman Cain said that Black people weren't supporting him because we were brainwashed. That's politispeak for stupid. But as things turned out, stupidity notwithstanding, with respect to Cain, it seems that the Black community was way ahead of the Republican Party. We saw right through Herman Cain from day one, so who's stupid?
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But we're not quite as practiced at seeing through people like Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, because Tavis and West have put a different spin on their game through the use of reverse psychology. Herman Cain tried to use the direct approach - using our ignorance to bamboozle us into supporting Republicans. Tavis and West, on the other hand, knew that wouldn't work, so they tried to accomplish the same goal, but through the back door - using our anger to hornswoggle us into NOT supporting the president. But in the end, it amounts to the same thing - our being flimflammed into cutting our own throats.   

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The Black community needs to start wrapping it's head around the fact that you don't have to be White to have racist attitudes towards Black people. Clear evidence of that fact can be had by simply asking yourself when was the last time you heard of a drive-by being perpetrated by a shooter wearing a sheet?
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One Black man responded to the above assertion with the following comment:
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 "I don’t hate myself. I'm dark and a handsome man, but niggas I can’t stand. I love my lineage enough to not put it with a group I see going downhill real fast. Black people have become a scab that will not heal as a collective. I’m doing like my Moorish/Kemetic ancestors and exploring the world. Blacks have shown to me that they can’t/won’t defend themselves because they don’t love each other. Blacks just have lost the luster they once had."

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You see, I know a little something about Black racism. It's not a new concept to me. I've been observing Black racists plying their trade for most of my adult life. I worked for the United States Postal Service for 28 years, and for 12 of those years I was a union representative who specialized in EEO claims. And during that time I witnessed Black managers and supervisors engage in some of the most vicious forms of racism against other Black employees that I've ever seen - in fact, a White manager wouldn't have been able to get away with it.

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Personally, I believe the postal service incorporates that fact into its business model. You see, it's next to impossible for a Black employee to file a successful claim of discrimination against another Black person, so part of the postal service's business model is to elevate Black people to rob, steal, intimidate, harass, and fire other Black people. As a direct result, I have a friend who's an Asian woman with a Master's degree who's been passed over for promotion for over 10 years in lieu of an endless parade of Black racists who barely made it through high school. The reason for that is the primary qualification for promotion is their willingness to abuse other Black people. That's a huge part of the postal service's rapid downhill slide in both competence, and customer service.
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The following is an eye witness account of a Black bigot at work:

Customer Statement

"Atten: Miss Stanley, Station Manager
To Whom It May Concern:

“My name is Elizabeth Crawford. I along with my wife Michelle Lo, own [address withheld].  On August 13, 2011 we were landscaping our front yard and witnessed an altercation between our mail carrier, Sylvester Burton and a woman whom I later learned was Juanita, his supervisor.

“At first I only heard a woman (Juanita) shouting and cursing. Since my back was to them I did not see who was yelling. Then I saw our letter carrier Mr. Burton drive by in his mail truck and pull over to the curb just past our driveway. A black woman raced over to the now parked mail truck cursing and shouting at Mr. Burton saying “you tried to run me over” and that she was going to “call the police”. As I watched I became very very alarmed because I could not tell at first from the casual attire she was clothed in that she was a postal employee. All I could see was an extremely unhinged woman going ballistic and attacking our mailman. I watched Juanita as she reached inside the mail truck and shook her hand in Mr. Burton’s face as she shouted ‘I don’t give a fuck about you and by the way I think your ass is GAY!’ Then she shouted ‘you take your ass back to the station right now…this is MY ROUTE, MY ROUTE…and you take your ass back to the station right now...’ She then shouted ‘I’m calling the postal police on your ass you take your ass back to the station right now.’

“Mr. Burton drove away in the mail truck. I don’t know what Mr. Burton was saying in response to all this as he NEVER raised his voice or shouted back during the entire episode.

“My entire family including my seven year-old niece had to witness this entirely unprofessional vulgar outburst. The cursing and swearing peppered with the f-word and the homophobic remarks was nothing less than shocking and completely inappropriate. I was extremely offended by her homophobic remarks and I am myself gay, not to mention the cursing and swearing in front of our child.

“Don’t know and I really don’t care what prompted Juanita’s tirade. I was shocked to see someone in a so-called “supervisory position” treating someone who works for her so brutally. Needless to say law in the state of California the law prohibits the attack on Mr. Burton based on his sexual identification in the workplace! You should take note of this.

“You need to DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WOMAN. While representing the USPS no one should be able to behave that badly and make that big of a scene in public plus publicly attacking a subordinates sexual orientation and be allowed to keep their job.

“If Mr. Burton sues for harassment I will gladly be a witness on his behalf.

Signed,
M. Elizabeth J. Crawford"
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The postal service lost the case and gave the supervisor involved a tap on the wrist (sensitivity training). Now it's back to business as usual. All of the above took place because the carrier was rushed out of the office, and as a result inadvertently left some of the mail at the station. And by the way, once the supervisor found out there was a witness, she never again mentioned her allegation that the carrier tried to run over her.
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So with respect to Cornel West, just take a minute to ask yourself the following questions. First, with everything the Republican Party is trying to do to Black people - obstructing our right to vote, trying to destroy our educational system, attempting to take away our parents' and grandparents' access to Medicare and Social Security, and trying to destroy our future by making higher education beyond our children's reach - why is West focused on something as unimportant to our welfare as what Jay-Z is doing?  In addition, West is as quiet as a church mouse regarding the role that his buddy, Tavis Smiley, played in helping Wells Fargo Bank swindle Black homeowners - at least, former Black homeowners. All of a sudden, "accountability" doesn't apply in that case.  http://washingtonindependent.com/59633/suit-alleges-trusted-black-figures-drew-minorities-to-high-rate-loans

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And secondly, since the most direct road out of poverty is to ensure that our young people obtain a quality education, why is it that Dr. Cornel West has failed to teach at any school that more than 1% of Black students can even afford to get into in his entire career? Wouldn't you think that one who is renowned as an educator, and who claims to "love" his people so passionately that he was "forced" to publicly attack the first Black President of the United States, would at the very least, apply his skills to educating Black youth? Come on, people. Connect the dots.   

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What we have to begin to understand regarding people like Cornel West and others of his ilk is, Black people are the product of the very same racist environment as White people. And as a result, many of us are just as racist and condescending towards other Black people as any racist Hillbilly. So what West is clearly demonstrating is, in spite of everything that's coming together to destroy the Black community, it all has to take a backseat to America's favorite pastime - dragging a successful Black man through the mud. And West’s attack on Jay-Z is not just an aberration - he’s done the exact same thing to President Obama, Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, and Rev. Al Sharpton. Yet, he seems to be fine with Walmart, and the others who are trying to cut the Black community's throat.

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No other group of people in the world think that way about their own, and for that reason, Black people are at the very bottom of the social and economic ladder. New arrivals to this country all but stumble over us as they move forward and leave us behind. So we need to wake up, and stop tolerating this sort of thing, regardless to how we might feel about Jay-Z's wealth. We shouldn't be doggin' Jay-Z. We should take pride in what he's accomplished, because whether you're a hip hop fan or not, the brother has demonstrated the intellect to rise to the top - and without Walmart.

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Finally, it's easy to understand why West is so popular among many - he's the most prolific champion of intellectual masturbation in the Black community - bar none. He's an entertainer. But don't be bamboozled by a wooly head and hardcore rhetoric. While Cornel West has been hyped by the establishment as one of the Black community’s premier intellectuals, he’s been repeatedly demonstrating the very worst in Black behavior for over twelve years now. So while it’s both understandable, and appropriate, for the Black community to despair over this public embarrassment, we should use it as a teaching moment: Always look beneath the hype, and never allow others to define our heroes.

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RELATED ARTICLES

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What Has Obama Done for the Poor and Middle Class?

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Tavis, West, and Malcolm

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It’s Time to Boycott Tavis,West, and All Black-on-Black Racists

 

Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com

Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class Abuse (CARMA)

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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The New American Pastime - Ignoring the Truth to Accommodate a Lie

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

The New American Pastime - Ignoring the Truth to Accommodate a Lie

As I watch the political machinations of extremists of every stripe in this country, it occurred to me that maybe I should write a book of fiction. That seems to be the only way left to slip a little truth in to the American people. The people of this country have been lied to for so long and so consistently, that they’ve become much more responsive to a well articulated lie than they are to reality. So at this point, a work of fiction would have to be about fairies and pixy dust not to come closer to the truth than what currently passes for political reality in America.

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Over the past thirty years we've allowed the most extremist forces in America to take over our political environment. As a result, truth no longer matters. What's become more important is how effectively truth can be distorted to conform to a given ideology. This philosophy has become so fully embraced by our society that instead of the press digging for the truth as was traditionally the case, they're now more like handicappers, reporting on whose lie is likely to play most effectively with the American people - "Mitt Romney's latest lie on job creation seems to be polling well in the battleground states."
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But lying is not limited to the GOP. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West have also elevated lying and demagoguery to unprecedented levels in the Black community. With their highly innovative "Poverty Tour" scam, Tavis and West are using their "Obama's-not-Black-enough" rhetoric, along with impossible demands, to marginalize the President. The tactic is designed to anger Black people and drive them away from the polls. That, in turn, benefits the GOP, and of course, it delights Tavis and West's corporate benefactors - ca-ching!
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But in spite of the fact that every available indicator, and simple common sense, suggests that Tavis and West are, let's say, less than sincere about their deep concern for the poor and middle class, there are people who are so passionate about their various one-issue ideologies that they find it more convenient to embrace a lie than to face the truth.
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For such people, the truth is inconvenient, so it doesn't matter how hard Tavis and West are fighting to bolster the position of the GOP, a group whose sole purpose in life is to cut the throats of the poor and middle class. Instead of facing this truth, they'd rather be angry at Obama for refusing to shove their personal religious beliefs down the throat of the rest of America. Thus, instead of facing the reality that corporate fascists are poised to change the very character of America as we've known it, these people would rather embrace smoke and mirrors, and promote arguments that distort reality in a way that conforms to their particular ideology. In short, the American people have been conditioned to give ideology priority over truth.
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I mean, what do you say to a man who says, President Obama is un-American because he's engaged in a socialist plot to make sure my family has health care? And what do you say to people who take the position that Obama is an arrogant elitist - "How dare he try to send my kids to college!!?" And then there are the people who say, "Sure, Obama stopped the the country from hemorrhaging 800,000 jobs a month under Bush, and then he got Osama Bin Laden, and in the process created more jobs in 27 months than Bush did in 7 years, but that's not good enough, so we need to go back to the old way."
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There's nothing logical left to say to such people. They're immune to logic, so the only thing left is to write a book of fiction to give them a sneak peak at the kind of world they're asking for - and I was thinking, maybe it would help to have it animated, and staring Yogi Bear unable to find anyone who could afford a picnic basket. But I've decided to give logic one more shot.

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DO YOU THINK NATIONWIDE
IS ON YOUR SIDE?

So first, let's be real. A blind man could see that Tavis and West are pimping the Black community. They're clearly placing their agenda before what's in the best interest of the people. They're making money, and they're also pursuing a four-year long vendetta. Now, I'm not saying that they’re being paid directly in response to an agreed upon quid pro quo, but rather, with a wink, a nod, and a slap on the back in corporate sponsorships (which helps to keep them propped up as high profile players). They could also be paid through the manipulation of endowments that fund West's $30,000 speaking fees, the corporate purchase of their books in mass numbers, and media appearances. There are many ways for the corporate establishment to reward "good-boy" behavior other than passing bags filled with cash in dark alleys.

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In his article, "My Republican Party has Abandoned Me," Black Republican activist, Raynard Jackson, says the following:

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"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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Now, do you really believe that in this contentious election, where the Republican Party has unlimited funds and are willing to do anything to win, that some of that money is not finding its way into the pocket of two of the most money hungry, highest profile, Black Obama bashers in the country? That's highly unlikey - especially since one of those bashers, Tavis smiley, is closely associated with Walmart and several other charter members of "ALEC."  So if you believe that they're not benefitting in some way from that GOP dirty tricks fund, you're naive.

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They're rationale just doesn't make sense. Tavis and West claim that they're going to vote for Obama, but they simply want to stimulate discussion. Well, if that's true, then couldn't they wait until AFTER the election, and AFTER we've made sure that we've protected the interest of poor and middle-class America and the Black community  from corporate fascists, and THEN have this "intelligent and passionate" discussion?
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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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At this point, I'm sure there are Tavis and West Supporters who would say that I'm being unfair. But the fact is, I'm following Cornel West's own prescription on how to determine who to trust. When Barack Obama failed to come on Tavis Smiley’s "State of Black America" show in 2008 - the very day that he threw his hat in the ring to run for President of the United States - Cornel West jumped up and down wanting to know, "Where are you getting your money?" He also said, that Obama was involved with people "who warrant our distrust." Okay. Well, Tavis and West are always talking about accountability, so lets hold them to the same standard. Do the people they're associated with warrant our trust, and where are they getting the money to finance their so-called "Poverty Tours?" And there's an irony here, by the way. In the link below, notice the logos in the background while West is preaching his sermon on trust - Wells Fargo and Exxon/Mobile, both members of ALEC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXj3_pjTTwg&feature=player_embedded

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Now let's take a look at the people who Tavis and West want us to trust. In an article appearing in PR Watch entitled  "ALEC Exposed," Brendan Fischer says the following:

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"The gun lobby has come under the spotlight for its role in the so-called "Stand Your Ground" or "Shoot First" law that may protect the man who shot and killed seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida -- but many other special interests, including household names like Kraft Foods and Wal-Mart, also helped facilitate the spread of these and other laws by funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)."

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Brendan goes on to say, "But as CMD has documented through ALECexposed.org, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is not the only special interest that has funded ALEC's operations over the years. Kraft, Wal-Mart, State Farm, and other well-known corporations are ALEC members and give thousands of dollars a year to ALEC to support its work, sit on its board, have a vote on its task forces, and access lawmakers through ALEC meetings at fancy resorts. Over 98 percent of ALEC's annual $7 million budget comes from corporations and sources other than the $50 in annual dues paid by its legislative members. Because ALEC is largely corporate-funded, it is through the financial support of some of the largest companies in the world that ALEC model bills can spread across the country."

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Tavis Smiley is, or has been, closely associated with several members of ALEC - Walmart, Exxon/Mobile,Wells Fargo, and All-State Insurance - an organization whose sole purpose for being is to get rid of Obama, abolish the liberal agenda, and to lower the standard of living of the American middle class to conform with that of developing nations. So how does that agenda coexist with Tavis and West's claim to be concerned with the plight of the poor?

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Think about it for a moment. Contrary to the hype, both of Tavis and West are mediocre talents at best. West is all image and no substance, and Tavis is probably the most overrated Black "journalist" in all of the media. Compare Cornel West to a scholar like Melissa Harris-Perry. Dr. Perry is lucid, she substantiates her assertions, and she’s more focused on her message than she is on how cool she looks while she's on camera.

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One the other hand, Cornel West’s game is to bedazzle with showmanship rather than to inform - in fact, clarity is the very last thing he wants, because that would betray the fact that he’s not saying nothing. West goes out of his way to find polysyllabic words and construct sentences filled with phrases so convoluted that you need the Rosetta Stone decipher them, and even then they refuse to resolve into a cogent thought. And that’s not by accident. West’s entire purpose is to get a lot of camera time to bedazzle the people with gesticulation, while camouflaging the fact that he’s not saying anything. The brother’s an expert at taking a very long time to say very little. But there's one thing I can say for him, when he’s done, you’ve definitely been entertained - that is, unless you’re looking for substance. So if you interview most people after a Cornel West concert, they’ll say, "I don’t know what he said, but it sure sounded good."
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The fact is, West has been in the public eye for nearly 35 years, yet, I've never met anyone who can think of ANYTHING memorable or profound that he's said in all of that time. Even when he puts forth an effort to be profound it comes off as inane and contrived - 'Justice is what love feels like in public.' That is so tired. The only reason that ANYBODY accepts West as a scholar and intellectual is because the people who are propping him up told us that he was - and since when he came along Black people were thrilled to death to have one of our own embraced by the intellectual establishment, we never bothered to questioned his credibility, or whether or not he measured up to what they claimed he was. As a result, we're now stuck with a high profile joke representing a Black intellectual - and the bigots love him.
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The Black community was blinded by all the hype, and two words - Harvard and Princeton. That's why so many of us are so protective of West. While many of us are beginning to see the light at this point, what we still fail to realize is the only reason West was selected and embraced by the establishment in the first place was because they knew he was a clown, and he was so shallow and self-promoting in his thinking that he was safe. There’s one thing they knew about Cornel West - he might run around trying to sound militant, but he’s not about to say anything that’s going to seriously jeopardize his celebrity. That’s why you didn’t hear him saying none of the things about Bush that he’s saying about Obama.
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You see, the establishment needs people like Cornel West. He helps keep the people in check by keeping the people believing that salvation is just around the corner, but he never steps outside the boundaries of the status quo.
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Malcolm could have been the greatest mind that the world had ever known, and the establishment would never have embraced him like they're doing Tavis and West. Ask yourself why - and ask yourself why the media is allowing Tavis Smiley to overshadow much more talented Black journalists. The answer is clear. The fact is, we’re allowing ourselves to be told who to listen to.
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Now, those are the facts. Anyone who needs the animated version can contact me at the address below.

Eric L. Wattree

Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com

Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class Abuse (CARMA)

Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

Sphere: Related Content

It’s Time to Boycott Tavis, West, and All Black-on-Black Racists

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

It’s Time to Boycott Tavis,West, and All Black-on-Black Racists

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Like most black people I used to like and admire both Tavis Smiley and Cornel West a great deal, but after they made public fools of themselves on the very day that Barack Obama announced his intention to run for president, I decided to do a little research into them instead of simply buying into the hype. Not long thereafter it started to become clear that their images were merely facades that hid highly ambitious, self-serving, and untrustworthy clowns of the worst kind - and that assessment is not based merely upon my opinion. The most cursory review of the facts will easily bear that out.
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I found that Tavis is the most prolific corporate shill in the Black community, and he's closely associated with some of the most exploitive corporations of working class people in the country. So I began to ask myself, how can his so-called concern for the poor and middle class coexist with his association with Walmart, Nationwide Insurance, and other corporate manipulators of the poor and middle class?
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HERE’S A MESSAGE FROM A PRO-BUSINESS FRIEND OF MINE REGARDING NATIONWIDE INSURANCE.
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“One thing that caught my eye was the picture of Nationwide because it's personal. Sharon's sister was blind-sided by a drunk, uninsured motorist. Donna had been paying uninsured motorist insurance though Nationwide for years. Donna was barely conscious in the hospital when a Nationwide rep showed up with a document he told Donna to sign because it would pay the ambulance fees (about $4-5,000). Donna had broken arms, broken ribs and other major injuries. Donna barely scribbled her initials and the guy left. Several weeks later, when she got out of the hospital, her bill was in the tens of thousands of dollars. Required Physical would add thousands more, all within her policy limits. Nationwide refused to pay, citing Donna's initials on what she was told was the ambulance and ER bills. Donna was unable to have physical therapy and had to file bankruptcy. Like Sharon, Donna is an American Indian (Cherokee), lives in the country and knew/knows nothing about lawyers. By the time we found out, Nationwide's weird statute of limitations had run out and they were legally "off-the-hook". Donna is crippled and debilitated to this day.
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“Nationwide IS NOT on your side. They are scumbags to be avoided AT ALL COSTS! You have my permission to use this if you wish to help your community. Tom”
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I also began to ask myself how Tavis could possibly claim to be concerned about the plight of Black people, and then seek to pad his pocket by promoting R. Kelly, a man who became more famous for his alleged appearance in a graphic underground video of himself molesting a 14 year-old Black child than he is for his musical ability? Sure, Kelly beat the case, but the video is still out there, and it is what it is. http://newsone.com/384692/tavis-smiley-draws-child-rape-criticism-f...
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And then there's Cornel West, a man who's literally made a career of spewing the depth of his love for his people to anyone who will listen, for a fee. With West, it's always brother this, or my dear brother that, yet, as badly as we need educators in the Black community, why is it that he has never taught at a school that more than 1% of Black people could afford to attend in his entire career? If he loves his people so much, why isn't he teaching third grade in the hood, or at the very least, instructing young people at one of the many Historically Black Colleges or Universities? Isn't teaching poor and middle-class students prestigious enough for him? Doesn't he love his people enough to want to see them well educated? I guess not, because while his incessantly running mouth says one thing, his behavior consistently says another. Over the years it has become abundantly clear that he would much rather preach us a sermon than live us one.
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While it seems that West can't inconvenience himself to the point of busting a grape when it comes to helping to educate Black children, he wants us to believe that he loves the Black community so much that he was forced to join forces with Ralph Nader and help to elect George Bush in the 2000 election. Bush won the election by 537 votes. The Nader-West coalition peel off 97,488 votes in Florida alone. But, of course, West only helped to usher in the Bush-Cheney era, and the attendant misery that it brought to the Black community, in the interest of political chastity. You understand, right?
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But as horrific as that episode was, for me, its hypocrisy is more than rivaled by West's mere association with Tavis Smiley. In this latest coalition, West reminds me of a guy running down the street ranting about fascism after just having lunch with Mussolini. But many Black people can't seem to see that, because they've been so bedazzled by the hype over Cornel's resume that even though he doesn't make a bit of sense most of the time, they assume that he must be saying something so profound that their limited education is causing them to miss the point. But what point could possibly be missing when a man advocates that you become so disgusted with the Bogeyman that you elect the Devil? Dumb is dumb, even if it comes from Princeton.
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So my distaste for these two individuals run far, far deeper than their criticism of President Obama. The fact is, I’ve written several articles criticizing the president myself - as I do with every president - but I make sure that my criticisms are constructive, issue-specific, and I ALWAYS make sure that I afford the president all of the respect that he’s due. But the thrust of Tavis and West’s criticisms of President Obama are neither issue-specific, nor constructive. In fact, in the case of Cornel West, his criticisms are not only less than constructive, but they hover around a level of immaturity approaching The Dozens. So for the most part, Tavis and West are simply running around saying, "This guy ain’t no good and he can’t be trusted," under the guise of being concerned about poverty. But if you listen closely, after you get past all of the misleading rhetoric and disinformation, you'll find that the bottom line is, they’re campaigning for the Republicans as a cure for poverty, and you don't get no dummer than that. So we're dealing with one of two things here - either they're two turncoats, or they're so dumb that they shouldn't be allowed to hold a microphone.
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Thus, their mantra about "attacking the messagener" notwithstanding, I’d like to hereby assure both, Tavis and West, and the world, that my raging distaste for them has absolutely nothing to do with their criticizing Obama. My distaste for these two individuals is a direct result of what I perceive as a gaping flaw in their character. I am far less concerned about WHAT they’re saying, than I am about WHY they’re saying it. Because it's the "WHY" that's so toxic to the Black community.
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I’ve been around long enough to recognize that as African Americans, we’re products of the very same racist environment as White people. As a result, many of us are just as racist toward other Black people as any Hillbilly, and that’s exactly what I see in Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. I've never forgotten the very valuable lessons that I learned from the FBI's "Cointelpro" operation launched during the sixties to destroy the civil rights movement.
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During that time the FBI scattered turncoats, snitches, and provocateurs all through the Black community to intice us to destroy ourselves. I was just a kid, but I learned something I'll never forget during that period - always keep your eye on the ones who are always looking, acting, and talking the most militant. That's why Cornel West immediately got my attention. I also learned that a good rule of thumb when dealing with such people is to ignore what they say, and simply watch what they do. In that regard, what are Tavis and West doing at this very moment? As we speak, they're campaigning in the battleground states against Obama, and for the Republican Party.
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So it has long since become clear to me that these two are not the least bit concern about poverty. They’re simply using the term "poverty"as a convenient metaphor to misdirect the people. You see, once their criticism of President Obama backfired on them in Black community, Tavis and West had to find a way to spread their anti-Obama message without generating so much heat. So they simply started using the word "poverty" as a metaphor for "Obama," much like the Republicans use the word "welfare" as a metaphor for "Black people." So now, instead of saying, "Don't vote for Obama, they just use the word "poverty" to IMPLY that Obama’s presidency is inadequate. It’s an old psychological technique right out of the Republican playbook.
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You see, Tavis and West’s motives are exactly the same as Herman Cain’s, but they’re coming from a different direction. At least Herman Cain was honest enough to come at us as a Republican, but Tavis and West are so arrogant that they think the Black community is stupid, so they’re trying to use reverse psychology. Where Herman Cain’s message was, "Black people need to start voting Republican so the two parties will have to fight for their vote," Tavis and West are playing us stupid in a different way. They’re using militant rhetoric in order to get us to cut our own throats. They're trying to make unsophisticated voters so disgusted with Obama that they don't vote - and as every sophisticated voter knows, every Democrat who doesn't vote translates into a vote for the Republicans. So like I said, it's Cointelpro, revisited - the use of Trojan Horses to divide and conquer.
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Tavis and West are currently wrapping themselves in the legacy of Malcolm, Martin, and every other historic Black figure they can think of in order to send the message that Obama’s not being Black enough. Yet, in doing so, they know full well that it’s impossible for President Obama to become more strident in pursuit of exclusively Black issues, because then, the Republicans would use it as a weapon to tear away his White support - and he can’t get anything done without White support. Just imagine what the Black response would be if a White President said, "I’ve got to put things on hold for a moment so I can do something for White people." Black people would go berserk, but essentially, that’s exactly what Tavis and West are demanding that Obama do - but again, just like the Republicans - they're making their demand in race related buzz words.
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So Tavis and West have President Obama in a position where if he continues to be the president of ALL the people, as he should be, they’re going to divide his Black support; but if he caters to their call for him to pay special attention to the Black community, he’s going to have two problems - congress is going to dig in, so he won’t be able to get anything passed, and beyond that, it’s going to divide his White support. So instead of doing everything they can to help improve the condition of the poor and middle class (Black and White), Tavis and West are playing silly, self-serving little games to divide the people, help the Republicans, and promote their own mean-spirited agenda.
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So why are Tavis and West playing these games when they know it’s hurting both the country, and the administration of the first Black President of the United States?
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It’s simple - for spite. As I mentioned previously, since Black people are a product of the very same racist environment as White people, many Black people have attitudes that are just as arrogant, condescending, and racist toward other Blacks as any White racist, and this is clearly the case with Tavis and West. They think that they're above us, and that we're undereducated and politically unsophisticated idiots that they can play to their advantage.
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You see, contrary to what they would have us believe, these two don’t love Black people - they think they OWN us. They don’t see us as people - they see us as a commodity to be manipulated, bartered and sold. That explains why Tavis and West are so upset with President Obama. When he went around them to get our vote, as far as they were concerned, he stole something from them.
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If you go back and review the video of Cornel West ranting over the fact that Obama decided to hold a press conference to announce his intent to run for President of the United States instead of attending Tavis Smiley’s "State of the Black Union" broadcast, you’ll notice a clear sense of entitlement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXj3_pjTTwg&feature=player_embedded. West takes the position that when Obama failed to come on Tavis's show, he turned his back on the entire Black community. I'd never heard such balloon-headed arrogance in my life! When was Tavis Smiley appointed the Grand Vizier of the Black community? 

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Tavis and West were clearly under the impression that they OWNED the Black community, and when Sen. Obama went around them to announce his intent to run for president instead of coming on the show and asking, "Mother may I?" it constituted a slight to their authority, and a huge failure in protocol on Obama’s part. They obviously believed that the proper thing for Obama to do was to come on the show and ask for their permission to borrow THEIR Black votes! Even now, they're trying to force President Obama to meet with them. Who the hell do they think they are?  We've got to bring these two egomaniacs down to Earth.

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This bears repeating. Tavis and West hate Obama because in their unmitigated arrogance they feel like he stole something from them - us, Black voters. They felt that they had us in their pocket like a commodity to be bought and sold, and they were right. They were - and they or - making money off of us. Large corporations, like Walmart will come to Tavis Smiley and ask, "How much would you charge to deliver the Black community to us?" And he tells them. So while Tavis and West speak of "loving their people," that's not exactly what it is. They don't see us as their loved ones; they see us as their whoes, and the evidence of that is glaring.

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DO YOU BELIEVE THAT NATIONWIDE IS ON YOUR SIDE?
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT TAVIS DOES?
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Tavis’ Solicitation To Corporate Sponsors (like Nationwide)

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"Tavis Smiley builds brand identification and strengthens your corporate image. Sponsors benefit from the "HALO EFFECT" of being associated with PBS and NPR and its mission to make a meaningful contribution to our community. Nearly 85% of consumers believe such HIGHER-PURPOSE, CAUSE-RELATED marketing creates a positive image for sponsors. And almost two-thirds of PBS viewers and NPR listeners are MORE LIKELY TO PURCHASE the product or service of a PBS or NPR underwriter."
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As for West, the man is greedy, immature, and petty. He complained because "The guy who carried my bags into the hotel" got tickets to the inauguration and he didn't. Wouldn't you think that a person who fights for equality would love the symbolism of a worker getting into the inauguration of the President of the United States over a self-appointed VIP?  But not Cornel, he felt slighted and insulted. He felt like he was more deserving than the "HELP." And when Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry got the job with MSNBC. Wouldn't you think a man who fought for equality and loves the Black community would be delighted to see another intelligent Black female voice getting national exposure? Of course you would. But not Cornel, he issued a public statement calling her a liar and a fraud. How did that promote the interest of the black community? And is that the behavior of an enlightened intellectual? I don't think so.
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We’ve got to bring this kind of petty, self-serving, Black-on-Black racism to an end. That’s why it’s time to boycott Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and any corporation, product, or media outlet that’s associated with them. After over 400 years of manipulation, it’s time for the Black community to send out one message loud and clear - BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT FOR SALE! And we're not going to tolerate ANYONE thinking that they can walk around with us in their pocket.

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Related Articles
Suit Alleges Trusted Blacks Drew Minorities to High-Rate Loans
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TSU Drops Tavis Smiley's Name From School
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SUNY Oneonta Paid Dr. Cornel West $30,000 for one Lecture
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Cornel West is an expert showman but nothing more
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Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com

Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class (CARMA) 

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