The present conflict with Huckabee's comments which claim that "Barack Obama grew up in Kenya" provide a perfect segue over to the discussion of Rev Wright. The bulk of the media reports are looking at Huckabee as a political operative "birther" - denying the evidence that Obama was born in Hawaii both as a personal slight against Obama and, for some people - a conspiracy theory which questions his qualification for office.
As I listened to the audio of Huckabee's office - while I do agree that he should have chosen his words more carefully because his (claimed) "misstatement" has him labeled as a "birther" it is the point that he was trying to make that proves more interesting. Huckabee echoed the arguments made by Dinesh D'Souza in the Forbes article "How Obama Thinks"
The irony and "missed opportunity" for many of the people who choose to reject this argument is - It echoes much of their own arguments with regard to:
- The Legacy of Exploitation under European Colonialism In Africa, South America and Asia
- The Legacy of American Slavery
- The Understanding Of American Hegemony at present
The rebuttal has largely taken the form of "No - this is wrong because - Obama wasn't raised by his father. How could his father been such an influence on him?"
The ironic point is that while it is the "American Conservative" that is perceived to quash all overt criticism to open debate over "America's/Europe's historical oppression" of people around the world - in this case we have the American political left USING the occasion by which they can make an indictment against anyone daring to use "Birther Tactics" to slander Obama as a means of AVOIDING the debate about America's history.
Per my line of reasoning the people who stand with these elements of the "America defending left" should be saying "You're damned right that some of the people who proved formative upon Obama's upbringing were aware of America/Europe's exploitative past and its impact around the world!!! This shows their CONSCIOUSNESS. Are you denying the facts of the history books?"
In the context of American politics, however, the goal is the acquisition of forward power, NOT to have an transparent and honest discussion on race, historical exploitation and aggression. I can just imagine that this week MSNBC's Rachael Maddow has featured Mike Huckabee as a "brither" while never bothering to probe his argument any deeper, per the desire to play "donkey vs elephant football".
The "History Lesson" Made By Rev Jeremiah Wright
I attended a banquet made in tribute to Malcolm X which featured Rev Jeremiah Wright as the keynote speaker. My goal was not to attend the event and deliver a critical analysis of Wright. In truth I was more interested in learning about "Sister Courage", formerly on the local "Progressive Information Station" radio WRFG. She had recently passed away due to an unstated ailment.
Of course, knowing that Rev Jeremiah Wright was Barack Obama's preacher for 20 years provided an inference based on the cluster of people (and their thoughts) that they all associated with.
In this case the people from the "Malcolm X Grassroots Movement" were the traditional Black Nationalist, leftwing-progressive, "Social Justice Strugglers". They were not the "Kill Whitey" type of people that some people use to slander the Black Panthers as, for example. Instead they are akin to what I am likely to hear as criticism on WRFG or WAOK. They are not willing to tuck their criticism of this nation's past into the flag and then agree to tuck it under their arm, agreeing not to "remind" the nation that "You did this to us".
My view of Rev Jeremiah Wright's speech was that - he is a very educated man. Articulate and entertaining in his words and delivery. No doubt a seasoned pastor after years of standing in front of a microphone before large crowds. A "traveled man" who has a world-wide network of connections upon which he can draw upon. (He talked about being in South Africa and then later South America).
The context of the speech that night was about how the Christian religion - and most other religions - have been used over time to advance an agenda. A political agenda but most importantly - a racial agenda. Too often the collection of which - the scriptural text, the rituals, the church organizations, the dogma that is maintained among fellow travelers - all have been used for a particular end, on occasion bastardizing the fundamental principles of the belief in "righteousness" - the original calling of their religious order.
Wright talked about Christianity was used to "civilize" certain "savage lands". The classical framing - "They carried the gun in one hand and the bible in the other". He likewise noted that Africans held in bondage had used gospel music to carry hidden messages. The "old Negro spirituals" that we all know about.
In summary - nothing that Rev Jeremiah Wright "upset me". He is not a radical, anti-American voice, secretly seeking the overthrow of America.
The Progressive-Fundamentalist Dogma
Rev Jeremiah Wright's words allowed me to reaffirm my views of Obama and why he sat in this church for 20 years. Obama is a progressive. These words felt comfortable to him. Over time on this blog I have documented my own experiences in visiting "Black Progressive churches" and their underlying ideological and political messages. Wright is right in line with this tenor.
The main criticism that I have for Wright is the very same criticism that I have about the "Black Progressive-Fundamentalist Movement" itself . Its expertise in detailing "I Know Who Did This To Us" and perpetuating "The Struggle" often fails to develop a system among the people themselves in which "ORGANIC COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT" is produced as a result.
The milieu "Speaking Truth To Power" - for the majority of Wright's speech was applied to the physical form embodied by:
- Sarah Palin
- Glenn Beck
- Fox News
- The Tea Party
Few people will bother to document the "threat" of these forces and contrast them to the CLEAR AND PRESENT danger faced by Black people on the street. This is what I do on this blog.
In short - Rev Wright was ultimately guilty of doing what he "documented" in others: making use of religion as a political tool. The main failing of his speech is that he ONLY set up Black people as "warriors in the struggle". Who are we "fighting"? See the list above. It just so happens to line up perfectly with what a Progressive fights. What a Democrat fights.
"Speaking Truth To Power When Pharaoh Looks Like You"
I detected that Rev Wright - as well as the "Black Progressives" in the "Malcolm X Grassroots Movement" and the Black Establishment Machine in general are sitting in the car that I keep referencing. The tail lights that they are chasing which appear in their front windshield actually belong to the car that they are riding is - their "infinite universe" having doubled back on itself.
It was telling to me that Wright had made the references the "Right Wing" threats listed above and told us to "continue our struggle against them" - lest they TURN BACK THE CLOCK - but he did not mention President Obama (by inference) until the closing line of his speech.
"The Pharaoh Looks Like You". A few weeks ago I posted a video from "The Democratic Party Preacher" Rev Al Sharpton in which he said (something to the effect of) "We have never had to deal with a Black president where we had to support him yet obtain our agenda priorities out of him, not being taken for granted". Since I assure you that a "President Allen West" would not have to deal with this conundrum from Al Sharpton and the rest of the Black Progressive Establishment - it is clear that these words were not reserved for "BLACKNESS" that they have in common but ONLY for the PROGRESSIVISM that they have in common!!!
In choosing between "The Struggle" yet tactically addressing what I call "You've Won But You Still Have Lost" ("Mission Accomplished Political Districts" in which we suffer) neither Rev Wright nor the Black Progressive Establishment is willing or able to separate from their ideological dogma in pursuit of MEASURABLE evidence that they have delivered for our people that which we "Struggle for".
When I wrote my piece "They Have A Problem Accepting That A Black Man Is Now President" stands true. The greater evidence of this violation is seen in those who used to protest against "Pharaoh" but are now his "marketing agents" upon the masses.
The failure of this Progressive Movement to transform our community is based on its inability to become anything more than an ideological exercise. The reason why Barack Obama sat in Wright's church is because - his arguments were ACADEMIC and thus pleasing. A certain cathartic experience was expressed by the actions of "taking to the streets" and enlisting "The Least Of These" into the political struggle. Building up POWER for the movement by getting them to enact their "equal vote". There was nothing that I drew from Rev Wright's words that showed interest in creating a "Southside Chicago" that was self-sufficient and able to create a set of actions ad enforcements which would have the balance of the people living at a high standard, perpetuating this consciousness into the next generation.
The entire evening was summarized perfectly (and I did enjoy myself immensely) in the closing calling which admonished everyone to "Fight Against POLICE BRUTALITY".
Not only is "Pharaoh's Police Force" mostly Black in Atlanta - the assailants which he arrests are as well. The fact that the "Street Pirates" live their formative years in an ecosystem who's viewpoint are in line with Rev Wright's goes to show the abstract and disconnected state that this "academic exercise" of progressivism is.
The worst possible condition for progressivism is for it to be ALL BY ITSELF, needing to field a system which engages the people for organic uplift based on their own control.
No comments:
Post a Comment