Obamacare: What's So Wrong with Having Government Protection?

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Obamacare: What's So Wrong with Having Government Protection?

(Reprise)

 

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I initially wrote this article in August of 2009. Since that time the single payer plan has been taken off the table, because the insurance industry and the Republicans in congress fought tooth-n-nail on behalf of the insurance industry and against the American taxpayer - the very same taxpayer who had just recently bailed the industry out from certain disaster to the tune of 700 billion dollars during the Wall Street crisis. So yet again, the fat cats had convinced an uninformed American public that protecting themselves, and their families, from corporate manipulation was a form of socialism, and therefore, un-American. Essentially, they convinced us that President Obama was un-American, because he was engaged in a socialist plot to protect our families. Think about that.

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Those in congress who are protecting the insurance industry from government intrusion are doing a great job - of protecting their campaign contributions. They've managed to so complicate the healthcare debate that many Americans have been completely blinded to what should be clearly obvious. There's only one issue in this debate - whether or not we want to entrust the healthcare of our families to an entity whose only goal is to provide service, or one that's in the business solely to make as much profit as humanly possible.

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In order to see through the smoke and mirrors of this debate we need ask ourselves only a few very basic questions. First, do we really believe that the insurance industry is giving politicians $1.3 million a day just so they can protect our well being? Second, how have the insurance companies become so rich that they can afford to give away that kind of money? Third, if they're doing such a good job of looking after our interest, why do they fear that a public option will lead to a government takeover of the industry?

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And finally, what's so bad about government-protected healthcare anyway? The government protects us with the police department, the fire department, the military, social security, and medicare. So why do we allow these things to be run by government? What do they have in common? The answer is very simple - they are all services that are much too essential to our well being to entrust to those whose single motive, and sole reason for being, is to make a profit.

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Can you imagine what it would be like having to negotiate with the police department after having a child kidnaped? Imagine the police telling you, "I sorry but your daughter just turned eighteen, so she's no longer covered under your kidnaping policy." That's exactly what's happening to Americans on a daily basis regarding their family's healthcare.

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The fact is, the so-called insurance industry is not an industry at all. An industry produces products. The insurance business produces nothing. It is made up of Wall Street speculators who take your money with the promise that they'll protect you from financial ruin. Then if something unforeseen does happen, they spend much of that money trying to find loopholes to get out of honoring their agreement.

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Their entire business model is based on the proposition that they can get more money out of you than they'll have to pay back. So they're not in the business of providing you with a service. On the contrary - they're in the business of taking your money while providing you with as little service as possible. That's how they make a profit.

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Now, with his healthcare reform, it is President Obama's contention that too many Americans are being denied services, and as a result, they're dying or losing everything they own just so these speculators can make money. He wants to bring that to an end.

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In response, the politicians who the insurance companies are paying to deceive you are screaming bloody murder - and since they don't have truth on their side, they've taken to lying to the American people.

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If your representative is among them, instead of representing your interest, he's being paid by the insurance companies to lobby against you. He's trying to convince you that it's a bad thing for you to have the choice of a public option that would protect you and your family from loss of coverage if you're laid off your job, or having your insurance cancelled if a member of your family contracts a disease that the private insurance companies deem so expensive to treat that it cuts into their profits. In short, he's placing his seat in congress before the welfare of your family.

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These politicians will often claim that a public option would place a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor. But the fact is, the healthcare plan that the president is proposing for you is the exact same plan that your representative and every member of congress enjoys, and I've never once heard a member of congress complain about their healthcare.

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In addition, they always conveniently fail to mention that with your current healthcare you have a businessman, who's out to make a profit, between you and your doctor. You're rarely aware of what goes on between your doctor and your current insurance company, because your doctor simply won't prescribe a treatment that he knows the insurance company won't cover. But how many times have you gone to the pharmacy and had a generic drug suggested because your insurance won't cover the drug that the doctor originally prescribed, and wanted you to have?

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In addition, we mustn't forget that the infamous AIG is also an insurance company. It was suppose to be insuring Wall Street against investment losses, and you see what happened there - AIG was so greedy for profits and paid so little attention to the precarious condition of its customers, that when Wall Street collapsed and AIG's customers came to it to cover the losses that they'd paid billions of dollars to insure, AIG simply said, "Sorry, we can't help you."

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Thus, if the crooks on Wall Street can't trust the insurance companies, the average American family doesn't have a chance. And remember, even though AIG was founded, appropriately enough, in Shanghai, China, and was doing business and spreading its money all over the world, when it found itself in trouble it ran back to the United States to pick your pocket, in order to get back on it's feet.

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And that's not the worst of it. Once the American taxpayer did agree to help them to get back on their feet, they took much of our hard-earned tax money (while we were losing our homes and jobs) and used it to wine and dine company bigwigs at plush resorts, and pass out multi-million dollar bonuses to the very people who ran the company in the ground, and they are currently spending the gains that they received from YOUR tax dollars, to pay YOUR representatives, to undermine YOUR interests.

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So now, these are the people that many of your representatives want to protect from a government takeover - never mind what's in the best interest of your family. And it is these very same people who have already robbed you of your tax dollars, that your representative want to see standing between you and your doctor, with calculator in hand. Of course he does, because the government is not going to contribute to his campaign.

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So if your representative comes to you during this break and tries to feed you this nonsense, you should respond with just one sentence - "You're out of here in the very next election." You'd be entirely justified, since his support of the insurance lobby is irrefutable evidence that what he sees as his vested interest, is far removed from your own.

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Eric L. Wattree

wattree.blogspot.com

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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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A Message to Conservatives: What it Means to Be an American

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Message to Conservatives: What it Means to Be an American
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To "Tallgrass Palms," and all others on the Breitbart site who share his bigoted views:
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Being a patriotic American is about more than simply walking around with a flag pin attached to your lapel and declaring to everyone in earshot how much you love America. Being a true American is about being willing to come together to promote and support the best interest of the nation and the ideals that it represents. Conservatives like Ike Eisenhower used to recognize that fact, but I don’t see that in many of today’s conservatives.
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What I see is a bitter and irresponsible group of reactionaries who are more than willing to sabotage America, and it’s ideals, in order to appease the delusional views of a radical few - and the irony is, the vast majority of you - like Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney - ran like the wind when this nation called upon you to serve.
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Republicans have developed a reputation of being so mean-spirited, fraudulent, and un-American, that the American people can no longer even take them seriously. The GOP has racked up a one hundred year record of swindling the American people. History will never forget the damage and purposeful misery that you’ve put America through - and neither will loyal Americans (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2010/10/gop-one-hundred-year-record-of.html). If Al Qaeda represents a rattle snake in America's garden, the modern GOP is, at the very least, a python in the bedroom. After all, Al Qaeda can only blowup buildings, but the modern GOP is trying its very best to destroy the very foundation upon which this nation rests.
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As I pointed out in a previous piece, what Obama critics are failing to recognize is if the president is engaged in diplomatic talks and using the threat of military intervention as leverage to further the United States’ interest, when we have Republican politicians using the issue to jockey for political advantage, and loudmouths like Cornel West running around talking about, "If you do it, we’re gonna impeach you!" for personal advantage, that hurts America’s ability to negotiate. So titles, claims of patriotism, and PhD.s notwithstanding, these people are either so selfish that they don’t care about American interests, something much less than effective thinkers, or both.
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But they're not fooling the American people for a minute. While we've understandably developed an increasing distrust for politicians - ALL politicians, including Obama - our instincts tells us that there's something about this guy that we can't quite put our finger on that sets him apart. That's why we elected him to a second term. Well, I think I have put my finger on it.
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When the vast majority of Americans look at President Obama, they don't see "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs;" they see a decent man, who loves both America, and his wife and family. They see the guy next door who's been chosen to be a modern-day David who, to everyone's complete shock and surprise, has dredged up the strength and courage to wage a desperate battle against the Goliath of wealth, power, and presumption.
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When America looks at Obama, as they watch him turning grey before their eyes, they see themselves fighting the good fight for American ideals. They see him as the personification of everything America once was - a feisty little underdog, all alone, in a desperate battle against those out to destroy America, and they see the GOP as a bunch of spoiled fat cats who think their right to control America is an entitlement.  So the American people are under no illusions.
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Americans, by nature, tend to gravitate toward the underdog, and while President Obama is undoubtedly the most powerful man in the world, he's also our first Black president, and as such, Americans can clearly see that he's under siege in Washington, D.C., so they've rallied behind him to protect his flank.
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So, while the racists, bigots, and Joe Wilsons get a lot of press, they don't reflect the actual character of America. The vast majority of Americans are corny, like myself. They truly believe in the ideals that this nation was created to represent - if they didn't, Obama never would have become president in the first place, and now, reelected. For that reason, while race baiters of both races may get a lot of press, for the most part, they're spittin' in the wind. Due specifically to their activity, America may not quite be a post-racial society, but the vast majority of Americans are way out in front of them.
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I suspect that most Americans see Obama like I do - not as some kind of Messiah, but like a neighbor doing battle against a group of thugs who are trying to takeover the neighborhood. That's why I defend this man, because I admire both his character and his courage. So I'm not going to just sit back and peep through my blinds and watch a man of his character be bludgeoned to death while he's defending MY home. That's not how Americans do things.
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I also support him in gratitude of his service, and I want to give him his roses while he can smell 'em. History is certainly going to honor him greatly, but like Martin, he won't be around to see that. As a result, I never got the chance to thank Martin, but I'm not gonna make that mistake this time.
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So, Bravo, Mr. President!
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So Tallgrass, "Blackie" here, former marine. I got a pretty good fix on your attitude toward Black people, and I don't have a problem with that. You have every right to your opinion. But here's what our military had to say about my son. He’s currently a federal agent, and even as we speak, he’s out in the world fighting to make America safer, and defending your right to be a bigot, because that's what Americans do:
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MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL SELECTION COMMITTEE
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FROM: 92 SFS/SFO
2 E. ARNOLD STREET
FAIRCHILD AFB, WA 99011

SUBJECT: Recommendation for Staff Sergeant Eric L. Wattree
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I wholeheartedly concur with Staff Sergeant Wattree’s request to attend Officer Training School. He represents the enlisted ranks with the highest standard and will bring that dedication and professionalism to the officer corps.
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2. Eric continues to lead a stellar military career; his enlisted performance reports speak for themselves. His leadership and experience, especially in contingency environments, remains a vital asset to our unit and wing. As one of my primary Phoenix Raven team leaders, he’s propelled to the forefront of all major deployments throughout the world. He’s repeatedly secured aircraft and crews, supporting a wide variety of missions, in the most austere and terrorist-ridden environments where security is severely inadequate. The diversity of these missions never limited SSgt Wattree’s capacity to adapt to each situation. For this reason, Eric was selected as our 2000 Outstanding Phoenix Raven Member of the Year and the 2001 Air Force Reserve Component Airman of the Year for the 92d Security Forces Squadron.
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3. Whether operating under peacetime or contingency operations, Eric easily assumes control and tackles every situation with meticulous tenacity, a quality highly desired in our Air Force officers. Requested by name, Sergeant Wattree, provided security for presidential Banner missions throughout Greece, Peru and Viet Nam. While deployed to Afghanistan, he flew numerous combat missions in our nation’s pursuit to eradicate terrorism through Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Additionally, he provided round-the-clock force protection for aircraft in other high-threat environments including Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Oman.
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4. Sergeant Wattree motivated his personnel during the worst conditions and raised the level of esprit de corps to integrate personnel from other Air Force specialties into a cohesive team. His leadership, integrity and devotion to our Air Force play an integral part in our future leadership. Eric has what it takes to become a commissioned officer and earns my full support to attend Officer Training School.

FRANK HELLSTERN, JR., Captain, USAF
Operations Officer
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So tell me, Tallgrass, what have you done for America lately, other than trying your best to make it a little less American? I’ll be anxiously awaiting your response.
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IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO MERLY SALUTE OUR HEROES

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Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com
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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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BRAVO, MR. PRESIDENT!!!

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

BRAVO, MR. PRESIDENT!!!

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OKAY, SMILEY, WEST, GOP, DO I HEAR A "WELL, DONE, MR. PRESIDENT?"
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 IF BUSH COULD HAVE PULLED OFF IN IRAQ WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS DONE IN SYRIA, IT WOULD HAVE SAVED A MILLION LIVES AND OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS.

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The exact same thing is true with respect to bringing Osama Bin Laden to justice. While Bush spent seven years, a national fortune, and over four thousand American lives chasing Bin Laden, Obama brought him to justice with three helicopters and a handful of America's finest - and, while casually dragging Donald Trump through the mud at a dinner party in the process.
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I hate to come off like an Obama cheerleader, because I assure you, I’m not (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-supporters-vs-cheerleaders.html), but President Obama is less than aggressive in tooting his own horn, which allows the GOP and his other detractors to distort history. So it is incumbent upon those of us who support him to toot his horn for him, because it's just not Obama's nature to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier in a flight suit for a photo op.
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In that regard, here's what I had to say the other night during an exchange with an Obama critic regarding his handling of the Syrian Affair:
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"There are a number of very important elements to this situation that critics are failing to take into account, and frankly, I'm shocked to see that so many people who are suppose to be sophisticated and highly intelligent are failing to recognize.
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"First, international diplomacy is a game of chess, so things aren't always as they seem. Secondly, many things are said for public consumption that are contrived for the specific purpose of disseminating disinformation in order to misdirect the opposition to our true thinking. Many things are also said and done in order for the super powers to allow one another to save face before their client allies.
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"So for all we know, the U.S., Russia, and China may be on the exact same page on this issue - after all, who wants to see chemical weapons unleashed on the world?  But in order for Russia and China to save face in backing down, it has been agreed between the three powers that President Obama should purposely overstep some pre-agreed upon bounds that would force him to step back. That way, everybody gets a little something.
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"So, as a good rule of thumb - not only in politics, but in life in general - is one should never start shootin' off their mouth without having all of the facts. That's what first tipped me several years ago about Cornel’s limitations as a serious intellectual. To listen to him run his mouth, you'd think he was getting a CIA condition report across his desk every morning. How in the hell does he presume to second-guess the President of the United States when the ONLY information he has access to is what he reads on the internet?"
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This morning the New York Times reports, "Deal Reached to Destroy Chemical Arms in Syria." The story reports the following:
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"GENEVA — The United States and Russia reached a sweeping agreement on Saturday that called for Syria’s arsenal of chemical weapons to be removed or destroyed by the middle of 2014 and indefinitely stalled the prospect of American airstrikes."
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So what Obama critics are failing to recognize is if the president is engaged in diplomatic talks and using the threat of military intervention as leverage to further the United States’ interest, when we have Republican politicians using the issue to jockey for political advantage, and loudmouths like Cornel West running around talking about, "If you do it, we’re gonna impeach you!," for personal advantage, that hurts America’s ability to negotiate. So titles and PhD.s notwithstanding, these people are either so selfish that they don’t care about American interests, something much less than effective thinkers, or both.
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But they're not fooling the American people for a minute. While we've understandably developed an increasing distrust for politicians - ALL politicians, including Obama - our instincts tells us that there's just something about this guy that we can't quite put our finger on that sets him apart. That's why we elected him to a second term. Well, I think I have put my finger on it.
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Americans, by nature, tend to gravitate toward the underdog, and while President Obama is undoubtedly the most powerful man in the world, he's also our first Black president, and as such, Americans can clearly see that he's under siege in Washington, D.C., so they've rallied behind him to protect his flank. Because, while the racists, bigots, and blowhards get a lot of press, they don't reflect the actual character of America. The vast majority of Americans are corny, like myself. They truly believe in the ideals that this nation was created to represent. If they didn't, Obama never would have become president in the first place. That's why, for the most part, while race baiters get a lot of press, for the most part, they're spittin' in the wind.
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Because, when the vast majority of Americans look at President Obama, they don't see "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs." They see a decent man, who loves his wife and family. They see the guy next door who's been chosen to be a modern-day David, and to everyone's complete shock and surprise, has dredged up the strength and courage to wage a desperate battle against the Goliath of wealth, power, and presumption.
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When America looks at Obama, and as they watch him turning grey before their eyes, they see themselves fighting the good fight for American ideals. They see him as the personification of everything America once was - a feisty little underdog all alone, in a desperate battle against those out to destroy America.
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That's also how I see him, not as some kind of Messiah, but like my neighbor doing battle against a group of thugs who's trying to takeover the neighborhood. That's why I defend this man, because I admire both his character and his courage. So I'm not going to just sit back and peep through my blinds and watch a man of his character be bludgeoned to death while he's defending MY home. That's not how Americans do things.
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And finally, I want to thank him for his service and give him his roses while he can smell 'em. History is certainly going to honor him greatly, but like Martin, he won't be around to see that. As a result, I never got the chance to thank Martin, but I'm not gonna make that mistake this time.
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So, Bravo, Mr. President!
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TO THE

HARD WORKING AND COURAGEOUS

MEN AND WOMEN OF LITTLE CLOUT,

WHOSE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS BUILT

AND DEFINES THE CHARACTER  

OF THIS GREAT NATION

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HERE’S TO THE UNDERDOG

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Here's

to the magnificent underdog,

majestic--just look at that face;

who struggle each mile, yet, manages a smile,

while the powerful spits in his face.

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Yes,

a toast!

To the illustrious underdog,

whose courage holds chaos at bay;

for the unshakable steel, which makes up his will,

to stand-up through yet one more day.

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Let’s hear

a cheer!

For the tireless underdog.

His heart firmly girdered in place;

who finds just enough to survive when life's tough,

while the "powerful" stands in disgrace.
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Let us

cherish

the heroic underdog,

who walks water routinely each day;

who braves lion Jaws and shuns all applause,

then quietly goes on his way.

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*

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RELATED CONTENT

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Reflections on President Obama’s Speech on Syria

http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/09/reflections-on-president-obamas-speech.html

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Barack Obama: A Unique Historic Figure
http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/09/obama-unique-historic-figure.html
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A List of Obama Accomplishments

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009/

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Eric L. Wattree

Http://wattree.blogspot.com

Ewattree@Gmail.com

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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.

Sphere: Related Content

The Blind Hatred and Ignorance that Obama Must Endure From A Minority of His Own People - It's Pathological

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

The Blind Hatred and Ignorance that Obama Must Endure From A Minority of His Own People - It's Pathological 

From Battchief:
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Wattree,
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I don't think I questioned the wisdom of asking for Congress to pass a resolution and I don't recall mentioning "warmongering". What I said is that there is no moral high ground for Obama to stand on.
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"Assad is a part of the Alawite religion, a very small sect of Islam. They constitute only 12% of Syria, and they’re beliefs are kept so close to the vest that they’re secret from even other branches of Islam. So we don’t know what this guy is capable of. He may launch biological weapons into Israel and start an all-out regional conflict." Really? Are you a religious bigot, too? I think what you've got hold of is the very, very special Kool-Aid.
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If this spills beyond Syria's borders, the Israelis and the Egyptians have plenty of arms that we've given them, to the tune of $1.5 billion a yr., to make it move back. The idea that we have to impose our will there is based, again, on oil.
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If the people in the region don't want to act, why should we do so in their stead? In the past few days Kerry made an offhand comment that, to Obama's benefit, Putin and Assad decided to run with. No one's blinking. The Russians intend to keep assad in power. Whether or not the weapons CAN be removed under the conditions at hand or this is a delaying tactic, remains to be seen.
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Obama invoked international conventions and says that only America is responsible for enforcing them. That makes little sense to me, when there are so many international conventions being broken, killing so many in places we turn our back on. Let's go clean up Darfur. I'm down with that. What? No oil, huh?
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Battchief,
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Your analysis of the Syrian crisis is based on seriously flawed thinking.  You're engaging in gross suppositions, unwarranted assumptions, the tendency to give ideology priority over truth, and an atrocious example of syllogistic logic.
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An example of that is you said, "The idea that we have to impose our will there is based, again, on oil."
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What credible evidence do you have of that? While I agree with you that the United States’ history in the region has been all but entirely characterized buy hubris, greed, and unthinking self-interest, to say that EVERY action that we take in the region is an extension of that very same animus without being able to put forth clear evidence for your assertion constitutes a grossly unwarranted assumption. The logic behind your assumption gives ideology priority over fact and is based on the following flawed syllogistic construction: "All dogs have fleas. My cat has fleas. Therefore, my cat is a dog."
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President Obama was clear in his explanation as to why he was considering taking action in this case. Bashar al-Assad is in direct violation of the "Chemical Weapons Convention," designed to control the development, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, which has been signed and ratified by 189 nations.
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The president said the following:
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"If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. As the ban against these weapons erodes, other tyrants will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gas and using them. Over time, our troops would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield, and it could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and to use them to attack civilians."
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That’s a serious matter to be considered, and so is the following:
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"If fighting spills beyond Syria’s borders, these weapons could threaten allies like Turkey, Jordan and Israel. And a failure to stand against the use of chemical weapons would weaken prohibitions against other weapons of mass destruction and embolden Assad’s ally, Iran, which must decide whether to ignore international law by building a nuclear weapon or to take a more peaceful path."
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And with regard to your question that, "If the people in the region don't want to act, why should we do so in their stead?" There’s a very simple answer to that question. First, The Arab League -a regional organization of 22 Arab countries in and around North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Southwest Asia - not only suspended Assad in 2011, but has called for his resignation. And secondly, the use of chemical weapons is not just a regional issue. Just like nuclear weapons, chemical weapons are a threat to the entire WORLD.
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Comments like yours is a perfect example of what President Obama has to deal with on a daily basis. Regardless to what he does, even when it’s in their best interest, haters will start ranting and raving over the issue without even knowing the facts. But now that you do know the facts, what would you do on this issue if you were in his place?
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I shudder to even think what Cornel West would do, who thinks the president should be impeached if he acts as a responsible adult in the face of an irresponsible congress.
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RELATED CONTENT

Reflections on President Obama’s Speech on Syria

http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/09/reflections-on-president-obamas-speech.html

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A Slave's Prayer

http://wattree.blogspot.com/2009/01/slaves-prayer.html

Eric L. Wattree

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

Sphere: Related Content

Reflections on President Obama’s Speech on Syria

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

Reflections on President Obama’s Speech on Syria

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After listening to the president’s speech on the Syrian affair, my position remains the same. He should throw this issue in the lap of congress, and thereafter, follow their prescription. The primary reason for that is, for the past four years it has been clearly demonstrated that he’s dealing with an irresponsible Republican congress, so regardless to what he does on his own initiative, or how it turns out, they’re going to say it was wrong. They’ll then completely ignore any precedents set by the Clinton or Bush administrations and conjure up articles of impeachment against Obama - as was so helpfully suggested by Cornel West - in order to sabotage and distract from any initiatives that he might have planned for his second term.

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Another reason that the president should place this issue in the lap of congress is to force congress to act responsibly by giving them a vested interest in bringing the country together behind whatever action we take. The United States is between a rock and a hard place on Syria. It’s one of those issues where there is no right thing to do. If we don’t act, we’ll lose face with U.S. allies. That could cause them to lose faith in the United States’ commitment to protect their security, and thereby, cause them to have second thoughts about standing behind the United States when our own security is in jeopardy in the region.

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On the other hand, if we do take action against Syria, we have to deal with the possibility of unintended consequences. One of the big mistakes the United States makes when dealing with people from other countries is that we assume that everyone thinks like we do. That’s a mistake. People from other countries have different religions, and therefore, different motivations. So while President Obama may plan on ordering a limited air strike as an admonishment to Syria to behave, Bashar al-Assad may feel under siege and go for broke.
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Assad is a part of the Alawite religion, a very small sect of Islam. They constitute only 12% of Syria, and they’re beliefs are kept so close to the vest that they’re secret from even other branches of Islam. So we don’t know what this guy is capable of. He may launch biological weapons into Israel and start an all-out regional conflict.
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President Obama has all of this information, so for some to suggest that he’s just anxious to go running off to war against some unknown quantity, is simplistic thinking at best. As he mentioned in his speech, he’s weighing options. The president said the following:
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"If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. As the ban against these weapons erodes, other tyrants will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gas and using them. Over time, our troops would again face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield, and it could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and to use them to attack civilians."
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That’s a serious matter to be considered, and so is the following:
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"If fighting spills beyond Syria’s borders, these weapons could threaten allies like Turkey, Jordan and Israel. And a failure to stand against the use of chemical weapons would weaken prohibitions against other weapons of mass destruction and embolden Assad’s ally, Iran, which must decide whether to ignore international law by building a nuclear weapon or to take a more peaceful path."
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So it’s easy to run around and rant about this "warmongering’ president, but the people who are out searching for cameras to run their mouths in front of are not concerned about any of these issues. All they’re concerned about is getting media exposure, and if you specifically ask them about these issues, they probably wouldn’t even know what you were talking about - if they do, they certainly haven’t come up with any suggestions on how we should handle the situation. That’s the difference between wagging your tongue and governing - when governing you have to come up with solutions.
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The majority of us voted for President Obama, not because we expected him to do everything that we wanted him to do, but because he’s a serious-minded adult whose judgment we trust; and in this big stakes chess match, he’s managed to stand firm, just as we voted for him to do - so firm, in fact, that Russia and China, Assad’s two major allies are beginning to blink. As a result, the president was able to report the following:
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"However, over the last few days, we’ve seen some encouraging signs, in part because of the credible threat of U.S. military action, as well as constructive talks that I had with President Putin. The Russian government has indicated a willingness to join with the international community in pushing Assad to give up his chemical weapons. The Assad regime has now admitting that it has these weapons and even said they’d join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits their use."
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Now, that’s what it means to be a president.
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Eric L. Wattree 
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com
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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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Obama: A Unique Historic Figure

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

Barack Obama: A Unique Historic Figure

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Politicians will be politicians, and we should hold EVERY politician’s feet to the fire. But when you consider that Black people have been trudging all through history for generations in an attempt to find people to show that we too have a significant history that’s competitive with other cultures, President Barack Obama is uniquely significant.
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While we’re looking back 5000 years to find great Black kings, queens, and conquers, we have one of the greatest men in history – and not just Black history, but in ALL of history – walking right here among us. In yet another 5000 years people will be talking about Barack Hussein Obama, because he’s accomplished something that NO other man in history has accomplished. He’s a man whose father came to these shores from a little village in Africa, seeded him, and then he went on rise from the dust to become the equivalent of the emperor of Rome. You don’t get no greater than that.
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When Barack Obama is seen in that light it becomes clear why an attack on Obama is not just an attack on a politician, it’s an attack on the potential greatness of Black people as a whole. Obama haters recognize that fact, that’s why they’re leaving no stone unturned, and sparing no expense in a desperate attempt to drag this Black man down. They understand that since we are what we think, Obama represents the destabilization of the lie that’s been holding Black down for centuries - that we’re incapable of greatness. 
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The exact same kind of attacks were lodged against Dr. Martin Luther King, by the very same kind of people, and for the very same reason. Simply because he had an innovative way of seeking justice for our people without getting thousands of us slaughtered in the streets, they used to call him "Martin Luther Coon" - I know, because I was one of those damn fools!  But in the end, it turned out that what made him great was his ability to out-think his opponents, which is true of nearly every man with a monument attributing to his greatness in Washington, D.C. So what are we hearing now? "Obama ain’t no Martin Luther King." But believe me, the cards are stacked against the haters, because regardless of what the haters say, President Barack Hussein Obama has already proven himself to be a great man. In fact, that's what they hate about him most.
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When we begin to recognize the pride that young Black people will take in pointing to Barack Obama as a prime example of greatness for EONS to come, only then does the absolute treachery of today’s Black, Obama haters begin to sink in. Just think how they’re going to look to the young people of tomorrow - and unlike the haters of the past, they’re not going to have the benefit of having their identities drift into the shadows of history. Due to the flawless memory of the internet, their names, pictures, and videos will be available to posterity in all their flaming treachery with the touch of a button.
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Just imagine what the families of these people are going to have to go through. "Hey Corny, I was checking out your old wooly-headed great granddad on the net last night. What an idiot! How does it feel to be the great grandson of one of the biggest turncoats in history?" So the families of the haters are certain to take great pride in them - probably to the point of having their names changed.
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In order to understand their attitude - and many of our attitudes today - you have to consider the gravity of Obama’s story. In spite of the fact that the Statue of Liberty was designed to represent a freed slave, as attested to by the broken shackle that was attached to her left leg, some of the very same people whose ancestors this great lady’s flame shined upon as she welcomed them to this great land practiced hatred, racism, and allowed discrimination to run rampant within her very shadow. But in the midst of all that hatred and turmoil, the lady welcomed yet another young man to our shores, a solitary and unassuming young man from Kenya. He sailed quietly into America beneath her burning flame and presented papers bearing the name Barack Hussein Obama. As the immigration official looked at his jet black personage, he undoubtedly laughed as he examined the papers and said, "Who!!!?" But little did he know that in another generation the entire world would be able to answer his question. "You mean, Mr. President."
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So unless President Obama goes completely off the rails, any Black person who doesn’t support this man is a fool. That isn’t to say that you can’t disagree with him like you would any other president(http://wattree.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-supporters-vs-cheerleaders.html), but your disagreement should be with great respect, because to disrespect President Obama is to disrespect the Black culture as a whole – and any scholar who doesn’t recognize that fact needs to turn in his diploma, because he hasn’t learned a thing.
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Bravo, Mr. President!
http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/09/bravo-mr-president.html
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BLACK AMERICA: OUR HISTORY LIES BEFORE US

http://wattree.blogspot.com/2008/12/black-america-our-history-lies-before_31.html
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A List of Obama Accomplishments

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009/

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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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Tavis Smiley and Cornel West - 'Bligoted' Turncoats Without A Home

Beneath the Spin * Eric L. Wattree

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West - 'Bligoted' Turncoats Without A Home

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Why are Tavis Smiley and Cornel West always so racially inflammatory when referring to the policies of President Obama? Every comment they make seems to be hostile, disrespectful, and racially slanderous. Cornel West, who was alleged to be an intelligent man, doesn’t seem to be able to open his mouth without alluding to "Black puppets," "house negros," or referring to people who disagree with him as being on "Obama’s plantation."
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They claim to want to be taken seriously, yet, they just can’t seem to bring themselves to say, "MR. PRESIDENT, I think you're making a serious error. Here are the reasons why," and then going on to engage in an intelligent and constructive discussion of the issues.  Instead, they rant and rave and name-call in a way that they never did against neither Bush, nor Clinton.
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So are these two individuals really interested in the issues they’re discussing, or are they simply using the political issues as a pretext to attack President Obama the man? Their strident behavior is clearly not simply an oversight on their part, because in response to comedian, Steve Harvey, referring to Smiley and West as ‘Uncle Toms,’ Cornel West said the following:
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"When you’re trying to talk about issues that affect the people, name calling get’s in the way. Name calling is nothing but another weapon of mass distraction." - Cornel West. (http://www.eurweb.com/2011/08/steve-harvey-ain%e2%80%99t-sorry-about-what-he-said-except-the-uncle-tom-thing/) 
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So what’s the deal with these two. Why are they KNOWINGLY barraging America, and the Black community, with their "weapons of mass distraction?"
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Based on their own definition, Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are deeply engaged in a game of mass distraction. They’re not only PURPOSELY lending comfort to the enemies of the Black community - after all, PRESIDENT OBAMA is the most powerful symbol of Black competence in the world - but they’re also slapping the Black community in the face in the process, because every time they're disrespectful of the president, FOX News and every White racist and bigot across this country take that and run with it. They say, "We told you that Black people are incapable of handling power - they don't even have any respect for Obama themselves."
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So since their propensity for distraction clearly demonstrates that they're not legitimately trying to address the issues, why are Smiley and West engaged in this outrageous behavior? The answer is quite simple. Just like the GOP and the corpo-Republican congress' strategy of promoting gridlock and maintaining high unemployment as a weapon against the American people, Smiley and West are using hostility and confusion to PUNISH America for electing this Black president. Never mind, that their activities cause division and distract from the president's attempt to create jobs and improve conditions all over America, and, in the Black community - "let the people suffer" - the only thing that matters to them is their own self-serving agenda.
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Thus, as a direct result of their self-service and bitterness, Smiley and West have allowed themselves to become a tool against their own people. Black people have had a serious problem with that sort of mentality for nearly 400 years. The reason for that is, Black people are the product of the very same racist environment as White people, so the weaker-minded among us tend to be just as racist towards other Black people as any sheet-wearing Hillbilly. Their attitude reflects the position that Black people (except for themselves, of course) are inferior, so any Black man who thinks he's equal to the White man is a phony. That's clearly the attitude of Tavis Smiley and Cornel West. 
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Like much of Black America, at one point I had a tremendous amount of respect for these two individuals, but once they began to engage in the behavior described above, I quickly began to realize that they are two ignorant, self-serving, and weak-minded Black men who are doing a tremendous disservice to the Black community with their public stupidity. That's why I've made exposing them to the Black community a way of life. In many ways I'm hurting myself, because I should be writing books and talking about other things, but I've decided that this issue is so important, that I'd make exposing Tavis Smiley and Cornel West for what they are my contribution to my people (I recognize that discussing oneself in an article is bad form, but I'm often asked why I'm so fixated on Smiley and West).
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While people like Tavis and West put on a good front of being super-Black, they're actually overcompensating for the way they really feel. Such people have such low self-esteem and want to be accepted by the White man so badly, that much like a beaten-down and defeated dog they feel a dire need to crawl up with their tail between their legs, and then turn over and reveal their stomachs to win the approval of those who look upon them with disdain. This is clearly the case with this Tavis and West.
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While they engage in a lot of militant rhetoric, they engage in that rhetoric with a wink towards the White establishment. Clear evidence of that fact is Tavis Smiley’s close association with Walmart, Wells Fargo Bank, and various other ALEC-connected corporations that leave no stone unturned to victimize and undermine the Black community, including a brutal assault on the Voters’ Rights Act.
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If Smiley was truly as dedicated to the Black community as he claims, he would not only NOT be associated with these corporations, but he would be speaking out against them with the most pronounced vigor. But when was the last time you heard either Tavis, or West, say one critical word against Walmart, or how Wells Fargo Bank, along with Tavis’ able assistance, victimized over 30,000 poor minorities in what the Department of Justice described as the second largest housing discrimination case in the nations history? (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-question-for-both-tavis-smiley-and.html)
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The same is true of Cornel West. In the 2000 election he teamed up with Ralph Nader and helped George W. Bush get elected President of the United States. Bush won the election in Florida by a mere 537 votes. The Nader/West coalition stripped away 97,488 votes from Vice President Gore in Florida alone. But did he say, "I made a big mistake?" Absolutely not. West tried to team up with Nader AGAIN in the last election to do the very same thing to Obama. So the problems that West is criticizing Obama for not fixing fast enough, West himself helped to create! In addition, since he tried to do the very same thing in the last election, we can’t even give him the benefit of a doubt by saying that he might have made a mistake. (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2011/09/once-again-nader-and-west-team-to-elect.html)
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But there’s an irony here. Much like the defeated dog, people like Tavis and West never manage to win the love and respect they seek. All they succeed in doing is generating even more disdain, not only from their own people, due to their disgustingly weak behavior, but also from those whose approval they so desperately crave, because no one likes a person who is so weak, and has so little character, that he or she will turn on his or her own. Yes, the White establishment will use them to their advantage, but they’ll hold their nose in the process. Thus, that leaves Tavis and West homeless - nobody wants to claim them, other than other turncoats like themselves.
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The bottom line is, Tavis and West are actually Black racist - "bligots" (Black-on-Black bigots) - and by definition, all racist are desperate individuals. One of the primary reasons that people become racist in the first place is because they recognize their innate mediocrity as individuals. As a result, they want to believe that in spite of their personal shortcomings, they’re special by virtue of some benevolent gift of nature that’s been bestowed up them. In short, since they see themselves as having very little personal value, they base all of their feelings of self-esteem upon being a part of a ‘special’ and exclusive club. That’s why racists - both Black, and White - hate Obama so intensely.
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Obama’s position and superior intelligence is an assault on the self-esteem of all racists - both Black and White. For White racists, Obama’s very existence destabilizes the lie of innate superiority that they depend upon to maintain their self-esteem. Black racists tend to hate him for the same reason. They tend to believe that they’re an aberration, and an accident of birth made them innately superior to their own people. Therefore, they hate Barack Obama because his very presence clearly demonstrates that they’re nothing special. So essentially, they hate Obama because he represents a pie in the face of their delusions of grandeur.
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Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com
Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class Abuse (CARMA)
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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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Let's Set the Record Straight - Black People Don't Hate Tavis Smiley and Cornel West Simply Because They're Critical of Obama

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Let’s Set the Record Straight - Black People Don’t Hate Tavis Smiley and Cornel West Simply Because They’re Critical of Obama

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Why is it that most Smiley and West supporters always jump to the unwarranted conclusion that the only reason that Black people dislike Tavis and West is because they’re criticizing President Obama? That’s an extremely presumptuous point of view, and it’s not true. The majority of Black people aren’t hostile toward Tavis and West BECAUSE they criticize Obama, but for the WAY they criticize Obama.

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The reason we become angry every time they criticize Obama is because Tavis and West are arrogant, petty, self-serving, condescending, and disrespectful, and those flawed character traits come to the forefront whenever the subject of President Obama comes up. In addition, their criticisms never come coupled with constructive solutions, so it’s obvious to the Black community that they’re not actually interested in the issues; they’re merely USING the issues as a pretext to attack the man - and Cornel’s repeated racial slanders clearly validate that perception.

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Black people clearly understand that ALL politicians’ feet should be kept to the fire, and that includes Obama’s. I’ve written several articles criticizing President Obama, and I’ve also written articles explaining WHY it’s important to hold his feet to the fire (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2011/01/obama-supporters-vs-cheerleaders.html), but when I criticize Obama I make sure that my criticisms are respectful, issue-specific, constructive, I ALWAYS come armed with solutions - and I send them to him. A case in point is an article I wrote in November 2009 entitled, "Could Obama Fall Victim to a Change We Can’t Believe In," where I said the following:
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"The President needs to recognize that there is nothing he can do that's going to make him acceptable to the GOP - that is, unless he agrees to appoint a Republican vice president, then resign. By now it should be clear that even while he's asleep, the GOP is trying to hatch plans to destroy him. So by spending more time thinking about them than he is his base, he's playing right into their hands.
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"I mentioned power as one of the reasons that Cheney's trying to rush the president into Afghanistan. I wonder if the president has considered the fact that Cheney just might be trying to get him to make the same kind of mistake in Afghanistan that the Bush Administration made in Iraq in order to take the Iraq issue off the table for the 2012 election? If during the 2012 campaign America is bogged down in Afghanistan with the useless death of thousands of U.S. troops, all of a sudden, Bush, Cheney, and the GOP won't look all that bad. The president should think about that possibility, since the machinations of Dick Cheney make Machiavelli look like a trainee.
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"On the other hand, if the president would have the CIA go after Osama Bin Laden (through the use of intelligence, instead of blindly shooting at rocks), then pull out of Afghanistan, and then make an agreement with the government of Pakistan to help them protect their nuclear arsenal, he'll be looking pretty good in 2012, and he won't have the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops to have to justify."
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Thus, Black people are way out in front of Tavis and West on MOST issues, so the repeated suggestion by Tavis and West that Black people are blindly working on "Obama’s plantation" is a slap in the face of the Black community. They’re saying the very same thing that White racists are saying - that Black people are just a bunch of stupid zombies - "Dem niggas ain’t got sense like we do, boss."
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That attitude is not lost on the Black community for a minute. They don’t like it at all, and as a direct result, they don’t like Tavis and West at all. The Black community looks upon them in the very same way as they do any other slanderous bigot.
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The Real History of the Poverty Tours

http://wattree.blogspot.com/2013/03/beneath-spin-eric-l_24.html 
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A List of Obama Accomplishments
http://pleasecutthecrap.com/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009/

 .

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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