Hearts & Minds
By Thomas Sugrue
Courtesy of The Nation
"So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds," proclaimed Barack Obama in January from the pulpit at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, in a speech marking the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Obama's high-minded words echo those of Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal, whose 1944 book An American Dilemma still defines the basic dynamics of racial politics in America. In a lengthy italicized passage in his introduction, Myrdal provided the essence of his argument for readers who did not want to slog through its 1,483 data-laden pages: "The American Negro problem is a problem in the heart of the American. It is there that the interracial tension has its focus. It is there that the decisive struggle goes on." For its unflinching accounts of patterns of segregation, the rhetoric and practice of Jim Crow, and pervasive racial violence, Myrdal's book is indispensable. But the book's longest-lived contribution was its argument--one that resonated with American religious and therapeutic culture--that racial inequality was fundamentally a moral and psychological problem that would be resolved only when Americans' hearts and minds were untainted by prejudice.
Myrdal had many detractors, most of them on the left. Marxist historian Herbert Aptheker criticized him for downplaying the long history of black resistance to inequality. Oliver Cromwell Cox, the West Indian-born sociologist whose brilliant but mostly neglected book Caste, Class, and Race was published just a few years after An American Dilemma, took Myrdal to task for downplaying the connection between race and economic exploitation. Cox singled out Myrdal's "mystical" belief that changing individual attitudes would end the "exploitation" at the heart of racial inequality. "In the end," wrote Cox, "the social system is exculpated." Myrdal's critics grew more numerous in the 1960s. In their 1968 manifesto Black Power, Stokely Carmichael and Charles Hamilton offered their own challenge to individualistic understandings of race relations and coined the term "institutional racism" to account for the ways that racial inequality was not solely or even primarily a matter of beliefs or attitudes. They pinpointed "conditions of poverty and discrimination" rooted in unequal relationships of power and privilege, like the healthcare system that failed urban blacks and that "destroyed and maimed" lives every bit as effectively as the actions of the most brutal individual racists.
Aptheker, Cox, Carmichael and Hamilton were swimming against strong political and cultural currents. Most Americans now, as then--black and white, leftist, liberal or conservative--take for granted that racial inequality is predominantly a problem of hearts and minds, of bad attitudes, deeply felt prejudices, irrational thinking, intolerance and immorality. They aren't wholly wrong. Forty years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., overt racism (Klan marches, Denny's restaurants rebuffing black customers and noose-laden trees in Jena, Louisiana) still plagues America. But hooded Klansmen, bigoted waitresses and perverted youth who romanticize lynching (of which there are still all too many) are not the prime causes of racial inequality in America today. Nor are the many whites who still trade in vile stereotypes of blacks.
The obsession with individual culpability has created an impasse in our thinking about race, right down to the widely used misnomers "postracial" and "post-civil rights era." Explaining racial inequality in America--especially the most enduring form of it, that between blacks and whites--flummoxes even those most devoted to analyzing and eradicating it. How do we make sense out of a country where racial inequality is deeply entrenched but where racism is seldom overt? How can we square evidence of racial progress with the grim reality of persistent racialized poverty, unemployment, health and wealth gaps and educational disparities?
There are two prevailing answers to these questions. Racial optimists emphasize the extraordinary progress blacks have made in the United States over the last half-century. In their view, the civil rights legislation of the 1960s--and the related shift in white attitudes--removed the formal legal obstacles to black advancement. As a result of the society-wide delegitimation of racism, most whites are now truly colorblind. The market rewards blacks and whites alike on their merit. Racial separation is the result of the inexorable expression of freedom of choice. Any remaining inequality is the result of blacks' cultural pathologies and moral deficiencies, not racism. Only African-Americans themselves can solve their problems, by dealing with the dysfunctional behaviors and self-defeating attitudes that keep them down.
Racial pessimists, by contrast, argue that racism is pervasive but well hidden. Peel away whites' colorblind rhetoric and beneath it you will find deep-rooted, perhaps subconscious, evidence of racial hatred. When white public officials criticize blacks (think Bill Clinton and Sister Souljah or the recent fracas between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama about Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson and civil rights legislation), they face charges of racism. And the horrible and still all-too-frequent acts of racist violence are regularly interpreted as the tip of an iceberg of white hatred. Racially tinged insults or crimes become the moral equivalent of lynchings. Racial justice, in this view, requires constant vigilance against veiled and hooded racism. And it requires an ongoing struggle for hearts and minds--exhortation and education to reveal and overcome hidden biases. Two Harvard psychologists, Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald, have even gone so far as to devise a cognitive test that correlates rapid flashes of black and white faces and words with positive or negative connotations to uncover "implicit bias" (what a skeptical critic calls measuring "prejudice in milliseconds"). They have recast racism as a problem in the amygdala of the American.
LONG Version: The REAL Math:
i.e. [ Cheney + (McCain + Obama) + The MEDIA ] vs. Clinton.= Bush's Third Term
[ (GE + Westinghouse = Nuke power plant builders) + Dick Cheney ENERGY Bill ] x (McCain + Obama) = 29 New nuclear power plants
(Your Copy of an email I am sending to all our Congress People Today.)
NO Obama = NO NUKES!
NO to Dick Cheney! & GE!
****EXTREME WARNING****
** to ALL DEMOCRAT Senators & Representatives**
DEMOCRATS Voting in the PRIMARY States CHOSE CLINTON.
Do NOT Allow REPUBLICANS in the CAUCUS states to "choose" our Candidate.
IF YOU Throw this Election to the Republicans--The Democratic Party
IS HISTORY--and YOU will be OUT.
TABOO words the MEDIA doesn't Mention:
Cheney Energy Bill
Rezko Trial
Quoting Obama: "The American people deserve honest answers."
QUESTIONS All of US should be ASKING The MEDIA: Phone, Fax, email, post, blog & Asking ALL your Congress people/SuperDelegates.
QUESTIONS:
1. WHY isn't THE MEDIA providing NEWS Coverage of The BIGGEST---ENERGY ISSUE? i.e. Are WE going to LET Cheney, GE, Westinghouse et al, Build 29 New nuclear power plants, or Not?
ANSWER: The TV MEDIA isn't providing NEWS coverage of one of the BIGGEST ISSUES of our time --BECAUSE: the BUILDERS of those nuke power plants will be GE, Westinghouse, Excelon Corp. of Illinois, Entergy; 3 Consortiums of nuke industy companies...
... and .... GE owns NBC/MSNBC, Westinghouse owns CBS...PLUS-(GE, 2nd largest corp. on the planet) & Westinghouse have $BILLIONS of Adverising $$$ to spend in EVERY FORM OF MEDIA they don't own.)
i.e. The NEWS you GET to SEE & HEAR on TV is the "news" GE/Westinghouse et al...WANT You to SEE and Hear. THEY do NOT want YOU to KNOW Anything about The Cheney Energy Bill.
2. What's the Cheney Energy Bill about?
ANSWER: The Cheney Energy Bill passed in 2005 (H.R. 6). McCain Voted FOR it. Obama Voted FOR it. Clinton Voted AGAINST it. (i.e. McCain & Obama already SOLD OUT to the nuke industry in 2005. Clinton did not: will not.)
The Cheney Energy Bill decreed that US Taxpayers would REPAY the Nuke Building LOANS that DEFAULT. (The Congressional Budget Office rated the risk of default at 50% or greater.) No new nukes were built for 30 years because the banks wouldn't loan the money--too risky.
Why Should we build nukes?
ANSWER: There is NO Good Reason for US to build nukes. We NEED De-Centralized, Clean, Renewable, INEXPENSIVE ENERGY Technology. Nukes are NONE OF THE ABOVE. There's PLENTY of excellent NEW Technology that will fill the bill...given greater INVESTMENT.
Why Shouldn't we build nukes?
ANSWER: Nukes are OBSOLETE 70-Year OLD Technology. WE already have a 50 YEAR NIGHTMARE Legacy of MILLIONS of TONS and BILLIONS of Gallons of NUKE WASTE all over the USA in leaking tanks, crumbling buildings, contaminated rivers...GOOGLE: Rocky Flats Denver Plutonium & Hanford WA nuclear waste...and READ about the NIGHTMARE that = nuke waste.
ALL the Nuke waste dumps are CLOSED. The nuke waste at the 100-Plus existing reactors has been stored ON-SITE for DECADES. All of them represent Terrorist TARGETS of opportunity & potentially catastrophic accidents.
3. Why isn't the TV MEDIA providing NEWS coverage of the Rezko trial? Why did NONE of the TV MEDIA even mention last week's SENSATIONAL Court Testimony that:
Two Witnesses testified that Rezko told them the prosecutor in the Rezko case (Patrick Fitzgerald) was going to be fired to stop the criminal prosecution of Rezko.
ANSWER: GE, Westinghouse, et al = the Corporate Controllers of the Corporate-Controlled MEDIA. They will not be covering NEWS from the Rezko Trial--UNTIL--AFTER Obama gets the Nomination.
The so-called "left wing" & "right wing" MEDIA have ALL been PROMOTING Obama on TV everyday since last November. Their GOAL is to get Obama nominated, THEN Start reporting the REAL News/REAL DIRT the FBI has been gathering on Obama, Rezko, Auichi, Alsammarae for more than 4 years.
5. Here's some Words the MEDIA says A LOT: Obama hasn't been VETTED.
QUESTION: WHY Not?? HOW can the "news" MEDIA keep repeating that FACT.. without it ever occurring to them it's THEIR JOB to VET HIM?
ANSWER: The NEWS MEDIA'S--JOB--isn't to Report the News; not anymore. Their JOB is to Put out WHATEVER Propaganda their Corporation wants to SELL to the American people...to make themselves MORE MONEY.
ALL the "faux" "journalists" on MSNBC, et al are now Media "Stars" making $$$Millions per year to Convince YOU of anything their Corporate Masters WANT you to Believe.
QUESTION: Why hasn't he been VETTED by the Democrat Party Leaders?
ANSWER: MONEY. The Democrat party leaders already KNOW most of the Real News/REAL DIRT the Republican Party will Spring on Obama as soon as he's nominated, but, a whole lot of them are SELL-OUTS to the same Big Corporations that are running McCain&/Obama for President.
Many of the smaller fry...a whole LOT of the Congress People/SuperDelegates are already bought and paid for.
Obama Formed HIS Own PAC. The military-industrial complex, insurance companies, drug companies etc. already put their cash into his PAC---before he started running. THEN Obama's PAC made "campaign contributions" to a WHOLE LOT of his fellow Congressmen & Senators/ SUPERDELEGATES.
i.e. THE FIX was IN -- BEFORE he even started running.
[You have to greatly admire the extreme fortitude,
Honesty, and GUTS of ALL the DEMOCRATIC CongressPeople/ SUPERDELEGATES who are STILL Standing AGAINST CHENEY/ GE/Westinghouse/their MEDIA].
MOST Americans RECOGNIZE the Republican Party as their ENEMY.
WE the People Threw a WHOLE LOT of those bums OUT in 2006.
WE must now RECOGNIZE the TV MEDIA & Most of the 'Mainstream MEDIA" as our ENEMIES -operating as the PROPAGANDA TOOLS of their REPUBLICAN Owners.
Millions of us also yelled, phoned, wrote, and emailed Congress & WE succeeded in STOPPING the Dubai Ports Deal.
What YOU can do to STOP The MEDIA SELL-OUTS and the Democrat Party SELL-OUTS from giving Obama the nomination and throwing this election to the Republicans: Phone, fax, email, write, to your Representatives/Senators & SUPERDELEGATES:
*DEMAND they VOTE to Nominate CLINTON*
INFORM them that those who SELL OUT the Democratic Party and the Majority of the population of the United States---by Voting to nominate the FAKE Obama candidate--will be duly noted and thrown out of office at the earliest opportunity.
**DEMAND that they FAIL to nominate
THE Candidate who HAS NOT BEEN VETTED**
*Tell them "The MATH" does NOT Add Up*
WITH two to five times more MONEY than Clinton, and the FULL SUPPORT of--ALL---the TV MEDIA--Obama is less than 1% ahead in the pledged delegate count and the popular vote count--Proving beyond any question that CLINTON is BY FAR the Strongest CANDIDATE: BEST FOR PRESIDENT.
Tell them: The ACTUAL number of VOTES cast by INDIVIDUALS - does NOT correspond to the Pledged Delegate TOTALS, or the popular vote TOTALS given that; the Caucus states do not even have to report ACTUAL Vote Totals; & given the EXTRA Delegates AWARDED in some precincts.
i.e. The "Criteria" by which Obma (Falsely) Claims that Superdelegates voting Clinton in as the nominee...goes against "the will of the people" and "TAKES the Nomination Away" from him is SPECIOUS and FALSE on its Face, and the SuperDelegates know it.
A. The ACTUAL Real PRIMARY Vote Totals ARE a true reflection of the will of the people, and that WILL = Clinton for President.
B. Obama Does Not HAVE the Nomination;
The SuperDelegates can't TAKE AWAY something Obama does not possess.
Obama has not EARNED or DESERVED the nomination. Clinton EARNED IT: Clinton DESERVES IT. Clinton WILL WIN.
... cut, copy, paste--use any or all of this message, or write your own...AND Send to everyone on your email list & ask THEM to email it to everyone on their email list.
IF Most of the people on your email list...& their email list...WILL do that AND Phone, fax, write, email their Congresspeople & Senators... POST on blogs: Local, State, National--TV "news", newspapers, radio, colleges--& (posting as much as possible in all the Upcoming PRIMARY States)...
...WE THE PEOPLE can CHANGE the dastardly direction this election is headed:
WE WILL GET the Clintons back in the White House:
RE-GAIN Good Government:
RE-GAIN a better future for our children and grandchildren:
RE-GAIN the Trust and Respect of the rest of the nations and peoples of OUR WORLD...just like WE THE PEOPLE-STOPPED-the Dubai Ports deal.
Post this REAL News everywhere you can:
Obama's campaign is based on ONE BIG LIE:
*Working across the Aisles to bring
*CHANGE*
OBAMA = NO Experience/NO CHANGE
Obama claims 7 years experience in the Illinois legislature -Working Across the Aisles, Bringing people together to get good CHANGES passed-as exemplified by 26 good bills with his name on them.
A Chicago neewspaper reporter says all 26 bills were passed in ONE Year and they were NOT Obama's.
http://wweek.com/editorial/3418/10516/
EXCERPTS:
But what’s interesting, and almost never discussed, is that he built his entire legislative record in Illinois in a single year.
Republicans controlled the Illinois General Assembly for six years of Obama’s seven-year tenure.
Then Emil Jones Jr. (became the Senate Majority leader), He became Obama’s kingmaker.
Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills.
During his seventh year in the state Senate, Obama...sponsored a whopping 26 bills including many he now cites in his presidential campaign when attacked as inexperienced.
Making CHANGES = ZILCH
INTEGRITY = ZERO
(His book "Audacity ..." confirms:
Democrats had Majority Control of the Illinois Senate when those bills were passed. They were passed during his last year in the state Senate.)
Dick Cheney has Pulled Off,
& made US PAY for:
Energy Ripoff # 1: ENRON: Electricity Rates
Energy Ripoff # 2: Oil & Gas: Market Manipulation
Ripoff #3: Iraq War
Let's ALL Get Together and STOP Cheney's NEXT Big
Energy Ripoff #4: Nuclear power plants
SOUND THE ALARM!
Posted by: elme | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 08:54 PM
Republican Strategy = DIVIDE & Conquer!
(McCain + Obama) - Clinton = Another Republican in the White House.
Cheney Energy Bill = 29 New nuclear power plants
[ (GE + Westinghouse = Nuke power plant builders) + Dick Cheney ENERGY Bill ] x (McCain + Obama) = 29 New nuclear power plants
McCain's VOTE on The Cheney Energy Bill = YES
Obama's VOTE on the Cheney Energy Bill = YES
Clinton's VOTE on the Cheney Energy Bill = NO
{ Obama +NBC+MSNBC+CBS+FOX +(All the MSM) } vs. Clinton = Another Republican in the White House
Clue: GE owns NBC & MSNBC; Westinghouse owns CBS; (GE= 2nd largest corporation on the planet); BOTH have been pumping $$$Billions of ADvertising dollars into every FORM of MEDIA they don't own, for generations.
i.e. [ Cheney + (McCain + Obama) + The MEDIA ] vs. Clinton.= Bush's Third Term
Posted by: elme | Monday, May 12, 2008 at 08:52 PM
but what is he gone do about 200$ in two when he gets in office? im scared for him
Posted by: rawdawgbuffalo | Thursday, May 08, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Another day gone and another day of speculations on who will be the next President. Another round of mud slinging and unfounded rumors. And I am not talking about those running to become the next US President. I am talking about the American people – or at least some of them. I am astounded to read some of the things people have to say about those leaders who are willing to put their hand up in a difficult time in the American history. What is it that makes people dig so deep to find their own worse self in the way they speak about the candidates? It’s like being in South Africa all over again back in 1994 when we had our own first democratic elections. The doomsayers lived large. But the truth is that all three would make fairly good Presidents – and all have their flaws. It won’t be the end of America. Can’t people just focus on what makes America great instead of scrapping the bottom of the barrel of humanity in the way they talk about their potential future leader? http://angryafrican.net/2008/05/07/november-is-coming-start-stockpiling-baby/
Posted by: Angry African | Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 06:17 PM