Blogcritics Comments on Obama's Impossible Mission

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:06:46 EDT

Ruvy, I never would stand up for all Black people, just as you should never stand up for all Jews. That would be suicide. I never would suggest that ALL Black people are good but what I am addressing is the myth that Blacks are cruising because they are Black. That is simply ridiculous and shameful to even consider such a topic viable enough to discuss. I would venture to guess that there were plenty of ridiculous things that were allowed because some White guy or disabled guy or White female may file a lawsuit. When Black people get away with the ridiculous, it's as if the heavens have failed us all. This is America, lawsuits rule and the vast majority of them were not and are not initiated by Blacks. It's just that it is annoying to HAVE to respect a Black so the nuisance factor rises and the exaggeration of incidence prevails.

Comment by Ruvy in Jerusalem on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:58:52 EDT

Zedd, There is no Shangri-la in these United States where Blacks are preferred as employees. The myth of Blacks making out like bandits is laughable and I should hope that you would agree..... In the world of private enterprise, the only "affirmative action" that I'm aware of is kissing ass. The only blacks who can make out like bandits in America's private sector are bosses. Not all do. Being your own boss is really rough, but the only lousy incompetent you can blame for the business' failing is the person in the mirror. But in the world of the federal government, it was a whole different ball game. My wife, who was a federal employee for many years, had to deal with this from personal experience. Blacks were sort of left alone because nobody wanted to antagonize them, fearing an affirmative action lawsuit (or administrative hearing). One woman, a professional who was feminine, well dressed, etc., accused my wife of stealing office equipment that my wife was responsible for, but which the woman bringing the suit had taken for her own personal use. This was only part of a larger series of accusations of prejudice (or bias) against employees in her own office and others in the department. My wife, who is not a confrontational woman at all, had a hard time dealing with the whole experience, but with some coaching from the pushy Brooklyn-born SOB who is her husband, she got through it alright. In the course of the hearing, the accusing woman's own problems with competence were revealed, she lost, and shortly after it ended she suffered a heart attack. Obviously, this woman's view of her own contribution to the department's effective functioning differed from that of the administrative law judge, but in this instance, I have the distinct feeling that if she had subsumed her anger at not being recognized sufficiently to please her own amour propre into a stress releasing activity (like swimming or hiking - there was no blogging in those ancient days), she might not have suffered the heart attack she did. No, this is not an indirect attack on the attractive, professional, and feminine lady discussed in comment #42 above. I'm not that low. That said, just because someone looks attractive and knows how to dress (like Condy Rice) does not make her competent.

Comment by Dan Miller on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:53:05 EDT

Zedd, Thank you for your response to my comment. Frankly, based on many of your posts, I had expected something more sophisticated than a purported unawareness that Senator Obama had said what he said and a comment that I "totally missed what was being said. Perhaps its because you have such simplistic ideas about race, especially Blacks that you just missed what was taking place." Obviously, you have no obligation to respond substantively to my posts or to those of anyone else. I had, however, looked forward to something more than you provided this time. Perhaps when you have more time you might have more to say. Dan Miller

Comment by Clavos on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:38:20 EDT

Zedd says (in #38): "I don't remember anything in the speech which said that Blacks should take responsibility for their own lives." From the transcript of the full speech, published by CNN: "And it means taking full responsibility for own lives -- by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny." That passage (and many others) is one of the reasons why the speech is being hailed as one of the greatest political speeches of our time. Senator Obama has proved his mettle before as an orator; this speech burnishes that image even more.

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:35:48 EDT

Dave If Whites have gained unfairly simply because of their race, how are they being oppressed if those who have lost unfairly because of their race are given a chance to succeed? Your analogy about slave owners doesn't work for several reasons. I didn't point it out earlier because I thought you knew that and was just BS-ing. Essentially, the foundation for Affirmative Action is based on righting a wrong. Slave owners were not wronged. We could go further with this but that wont be necessary. That should suffice shouldn't it? Now, what is your solution for evening the playing field? How do you create a world where "standing a chance" is clearly quantifiable and therefore doled out equitably in a society where not standing a chance for a specific population is more so an expectation? There is no shangri la in these united states where Blacks are preferred as employees. The myth of Blacks making out like bandits is laughable and I should hope that you would agree. In my personal experience, one may have consistently been the best employee on her team; One may have put in the most hours, come up with the most solutions and been the most productive; In some cases one may have been the hidden arsenal for her superiors however, ones advancement will not match their efforts or contribution, comparably. One may be attractive, professional, feminine, and dress appropriately for the position (sounds rather arrogant but I have to illuminate the point); one may have been given accolades by their colleagues for being refined and pristine, however, being often the lead on my team, if an individual comes into our midst (new VP, etc) one will be ignored for months until they can show their capability because it will be assumed that they are not competent. The White guys will be the automatic go-to-guys on projects that I have initiated and pushed along at every stage. I have to push ahead with everyone on the team realising what is happening but pretending like its not so, credit being usurped by everyone including the village idiots. I am charged with the careful task of remaining professional, not displaying my frustration (else I'll be tagged angry and we know what that does to Blacks) not complaining to the new guy because it is inherently unbelievable that i would be good at my job (I would shatter his world ) sometimes I regain the due compensation (emotional, economic, etc) but often times its a game of start over again. But one dares not look exhausted. It will be perceived as ANGER or a lack of "team spirit". I've seen many who all of a sudden weren't a "good fit" because of the same reasons.

Comment by Dave Nalle on Obama's Impossible Mission

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:26:13 EDT

Zedd, you're being disingenuous. I gave you a general response before moving on to disect your little racist diatribe sentence by sentence, because your general assumptions and each of your individual statements were equally wrong. The only thing that could possibly hurt Blacks from Affirmative Action is a backlash from angry Whites. And the only thing that could hurt whites about slavery was the possibility of a slave rebellion. I guess that makes it okay. Do you even read the stuff you write? So you are saying that we should dismantle Affirmative Action because it makes Whites mad and they retaliate, exacerbating the racist issues that put everyone in that position in the first place. Please point out where I said this, because I sure don't see it anywhere on this thread. The reason we should dismantle affirmative action is that it is unjust. Whether whites like it or not is irrelevant, as is whether blacks like it or not. So the solution is that we need to find a solution that Whites like. No, we need a solution which doesn't involve oppressing people on the basis of race. Dave

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:55:59 EDT

Dave, Its useless to respond sentence by sentence. One sentence does not an entire thought make. You dare respond to a single sentence knowing the statement that nullifies your comment was on the following statement, which you omitted in your rebuttal. What goes on Dave? Either you cant think past a single sentence or you are afraid of and have no interest in a real dialogue. So which is it?

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:43:10 EDT

Dave, The only thing that could possibly hurt Blacks from Affirmative Action is a backlash from angry Whites. So you are saying that we should dismantle Affirmative Action because it makes Whites mad and they retaliate, exacerbating the racist issues that put everyone in that position in the first place. So the solution is that we need to find a solution that Whites like. Whites will never admit to being the benefactors of our racist history. Whites males will never admit to advancing to the extent that they have because of their race and gender. There will not be a time when an equitable solution will be received because Whites don't see how they are unfairly advancing in this society, that they are not hussling as much as they think they are and that their effort is minscual compared to many others who have to play a mean chess game on so many fronts in order to complet a single days work... all that while Bob sucks on a toothpick and yuck yucks his way up the ladder (???).

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:31:21 EDT

Dan, I don't remember anything in the speech which said that Blacks should take responsibility for their own lives. I think you totally missed what was being said. Perhaps its because you have such simplistic ideas about race, especially Blacks that you just missed what was taking place.

Comment by Dan Miller on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:21:42 EDT

Zedd, You commented: "You see Dan, African Americans do take responsibility for their lives. You don't and haven't contributed a mili-cent to my livelihood or to any aspect of my lifestyle or successes, lest you float in your delusional state for a moment longer. Sober up and discard your White supremacist ideas and look at your real world. Every black person that you see working even at McDonald's is taking responsibility for their lives." Do you consider Senator Obama a White supremacist as well? He said that amelioration of the racial divide -- and here he was speaking to the Black community -- "means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny." I thought Senator Obama put it rather well, and am sorry to have offended you by agreeing with him. If by virtue of having done so you conclude that I am a "White supremacist," well, so be it. I rather think that's your problem, and not mine. In response to one of Dave Nalle's comments, you stated, "Not only does Obama get it but I would guess that 99.9% of Blacks get it. But it doesn't mean that affirmative action should thrown out. The fact that Whites don't like it doesn't mean that it should be a thrown out." I agree that affirmative action should not be thrown out simply because "Whites don't like it. . . " You are, almost certainly, more familiar with the Black community than I am or ever will be. However, I would ask you whether it has been truly productive and, if so, whether it needs to be continued in perpetuity. Is there at least a possibility that some aspects of affirmative action may have been contrary to the best interests of the Black community as well as of the White community? You seemed to take quite personally my reference to Senator Obama's plea for Blacks to take responsibility for their own lives, and offered that I "haven't contributed a mili-cent to my livelihood or to any aspect of my lifestyle or successes . . ." Perhaps you misconstrued my comments as suggesting that NO Blacks have taken responsibility for their own lives. My comments certainly were not intended to suggest that, but the fact that you so construed them raises the possibility of a perception in the Black community that Whites are patronizing Blacks through affirmative action programs; or, at the very least, that Whites look down on all successful Blacks as having achieved their success via affirmative action programs on the backs of Whites. Not very encouraging, for any of us. Think about it. Dan Miller

Comment by Dave Nalle on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 04:53:35 EDT

Well Zedd, I guess you're in the .1% who don't get it then. You don't get that you can't cure injustice by creating more injustice. It doesn't matter whether whites like or dislike affirmative action. It is a policy which is inherently unjust and oppressive and is therefore wrong. The goal is to repair this nation and do the best we can to right our wrongs so that we can get as close as possible to who we have been claiming we are since our conception. You cannot repair the nation by persecuting one group for the benefit of another. That was what caused the problem in the first place. The history which brings us to this point occurred to Blacks because they were Black, only. We are not living in the past. We are living in the present. The solution should benefit Blacks as benefactors of the negative results, because they are Black. Just as slavery benefitted whites because they were white. How hard is that to understand? Not hard at all. We call it 'racism'. Dave

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:45:29 EDT

Dan, I would suppose that you would be perturbed if I were to write something about YOU taking responsibility for YOUR life, if you have worked since 15 and put yourself through college working several jobs at once, rose through the ranks in business, donated and volunteered and make it your responsibility to be engaged in a loving and positive manner with your fellowman on a daily bases regardless of their blatant disrespect. Your statement is annoying and embarrassingly arrogant. You see Dan, African Americans do take responsibility for their lives. You don't and haven't contributed a mili-cent to my livelihood or to any aspect of my lifestyle or successes, lest you float in your delusional state for a moment longer. Sober up and discard your White supremacist ideas and look at your real world. Every black person that you see working even at McDonald's is taking responsibility for their lives. Every Black child that is in school, is taking responsibility for their lives. YOU are not assisting them. What a meaningless existence one has when they are not so needed. Perhaps your delusion serves a purpose, it makes you feel more important than you are, more accomplished than you are, more responsible than you are. You are just as significant and actively taking responsibility for your life as Shaniqua at the grocery store down the road. Sorry to break it to you.

Comment by Zedd on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:04:27 EDT

Dave, Not only does Obama get it but I would guess that 99.9% of Blacks get it. But it doesn't mean that affirmative action should thrown out. The fact that Whites don't like it doesn't mean that it should be a thrown out. Whites have not liked all of the civil rights initiatives. ALL of them Dave have been protested against with EVERY generation. Every generation, like yours today, thought they had plausible arguments. You see the goal is not to keep Whites happy. The goal is to repair this nation and do the best we can to right our wrongs so that we can get as close as possible to who we have been claiming we are since our conception. The history which brings us to this point occurred to Blacks because they were Black, only. The solution should benefit Blacks as benefactors of the negative results, because they are Black. How hard is that to understand?

Comment by Kumari on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:37:12 EDT

If you want to end inequality in the schools the answer is vouchers. With all the black urban activists supporting vouchers obama might pass them before a republican.

Comment by Heloise on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:29:59 EDT

Hey I agree that no president can fix race in the WH with the stroke of a pen. But that institutionalized racism is dead is another matter. Anyway if that type of racism were dead why would there be any need to fix something not broken? Public schools/education are the finest example of institutionalized racism that I can offer up. This is why we have NCLB to end as the shurb says: The soft bigotry of low expectations. He probably did not write that but he said it and it IS true. Anyway, it pays the bills. Heloise

Comment by REMF on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:11:55 EDT

"Obama is the best the Dumbocrats have had in years..and in fact if it comes down to him and "The Angry Old White Man" McCain -- I WILL BE VOTING FOR OBAMA...." - JOM, Feb. 3, 2008 "Thank you for finally admitting that Obama is aracists, one who plays the victim to deflect attacks and one who makes excuses for his misjugements and ethical failures because its the "white mans" fault." - JOM, #25

Comment by Dan Miller on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:36:56 EDT

JOM Yeah, maybe. Or how about "I'd like to buy the world a Coke and live in harmony." Dan Miller

Comment by JustOneMan on Obama's Impossible Mission

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:31:21 EDT

Dan, I agree! But he will probaly legislate that we eliminate the Pledge in public schools and replace it with either "Kumbia my Lord or "We are the World". JOM

Comment by Dan Miller on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:58:15 EDT

One of Senator Obama's comments frequently overlooked is "For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny." The part which begins with "and it means taking full responsibility for [our] own lives . . ." is very refreshing. It sounds almost (not quite, but almost) like Bill Cosby. To me, it is the crux of the problem or, if you will, the opportunity. I do not think that Senator Obama plans to try to rectify past errors through legislation. We have had more than enough of that already. Besides, promises by presidential candidates to pass legislation to cure the nation's problems are, to me, generally vacuous. Legislation is the job of the Congress. the President leads and motivates. Remember TR's Bully Pulpit? That is a resource available more to the President than to anyone else, and if nominated and elected, I suspect that Senator Obama will use it vigorously. I hope so. Dan Miller

Comment by Dave Nalle on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:09:18 EDT

Bliffle, are you contending that the balance of trade has not been massively improved under Bush? Dave

Comment by bliffle on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:33 EDT

nalle: "The trade deficit is no longer an issue. Fixing it has been one of Bush's major accomplishments." hahahahahaha

Comment by JustOneMan on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:50:12 EDT

REAMF #23 Thank you for finally admitting that Obama is aracists, one who plays the victim to deflect attacks and one who makes excuses for his misjugements and ethical failures because its the "white mans" fault. Thanks! JOM

Comment by JustOneMan on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:47:53 EDT

Ruvy.....Welfare, military aid, free cheese and now Social Security. Pretty funny hating AMERICA while sucking up American dollars...just like all other third world countries

Comment by REMF on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:05:15 EDT

Re #21; Thank you for proving Barack's point, JOM.

Comment by Ruvy in Jerusalem on Obama's Impossible Mission

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:35:08 EDT

You could probably fix that citizenship problem real fast! Actually you should -- all that anti-American hostility can't be good for your blood pressure! I would - I probably should - but prudence dictates that I hold on to it until 2017 (if there is an America for that long) so I can attempt to collect Social Security (if there is still a fund worth collecting from - by then the dollar may be worth only a shekel or less!). Sorry, Whymrhymer. The bitter truth is that America is an awful big dog - and when it takes a shit in my neighborhood (like Iraq or the Condibitch interfering in our anti-terror efforts, pathetic as they are) it leaves an awful big stink. Whooff!!! You see, you can't smell that stink from within America's borders, and that's why I tell you about it.