Obama-Related Illusions Continue to Distort Black Perceptions
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A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
Until the entrance of the First Black President, the phenomenon was unknown. But a new poll shows Blacks remain far more upbeat than other groups about the economy. “Since late 2009, Black Americans have been reporting wildly more optimistic beliefs than any other ethnicity about the state of the economy, Black people’s relative position in that economy, and the respondent’s own economic prospects.” And for two years, Black perceptions of reality have been largely the opposite of the truth.
Obama-Related Illusions Continue to Distort Black Perceptions
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
“It has been like tracking a mass delirium that has been raging for two years.”
A recent poll of African American public opinion adds to the evidence that the very presence of a Black man in the White House has created lasting distortions in Black people’s collective ability to gauge their own relative position in society. To put it bluntly, something has gone very wrong with Black perceptions of reality, since the ascent of President Obama.
The latest manifestation of the madness arrived with this month’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal/the Grio poll, headlined “Black Americans More Optimistic, Enthused About 2012.” The poll showed that almost half of Black respondents thought the country was on the right track, while overwhelming majorities of other Americans believe the opposite. Sixty-two percent of Blacks think the recession is behind us – an intuition not nearly so widely held by other Americans. Most tellingly, 86 percent of Blacks approve of the way President Obama has been handling the economy – an economy in which Blacks are doing worse than every other major group.
The Grio article didn’t tell us that research has shown, since late 2009 – President Obama’s first year in office – that Black Americans have been reporting wildly more optimistic beliefs than any other ethnicity about the state of the economy, Black people’s relative position in that economy, and the respondent’s own economic prospects. It has been like tracking a mass delirium that has been raging for two years. The first poll by the Pew Research Center, titled “Blacks Upbeat about Black Progress, Prospects” appeared in January of 2010. It showed that the proportion of Blacks that thought they were “better off” than five years ago had nearly doubled. What had actually doubled in the previous five years was the rate of Black unemployment. Blacks also thought, in late 2009, that the racial gap had grown smaller in the last ten years. In the real world, it had gotten significantly larger.
“Eighty-six percent of Blacks approve of the way President Obama has been handling the economy – an economy in which Blacks are doing worse than every other major group.”
Clearly, this was a mass psychological manifestation of the Obama phenomenon. We wrote in the January 20, 2010 edition of Black Agenda Report, that “large majorities of African Americans have been trapped” in a Delusion Zone ”since Barack Obama took up residence in the White House.”
Six months later, the Pew Research outfit released an even scarier survey. Titled, “How the Great Recession Changed Life in America,” the study showed across the board that Blacks are more upbeat about damn near everything than everybody else. Here’s what we wrote on June 6 of 2010:
“The Pew poll shows that 35 percent of Blacks report their homes are worth less than their mortgages, compared to just 18 percent for white people. Fifty-four percent of Blacks took a pay cut, worked reduced hours or were forced to take unpaid leave during the Great Recession. Only 37 percent of whites suffered such employment trauma, yet Blacks are consistently – and insanely – more optimistic about the future.”
There is the possibility that Black folks are simply not answering honestly to pollsters, so as not to make Obama look bad. But, if they actually believe what they say, then Black folks would rather imagine an alternative universe in which the First Black President actually did bring good times for Black people, than face the facts as they have actually occurred.
For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford. On the web, go to BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
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OWS = Tea Party
Both the Tea Party movement and the Occupy Wall Street movement have grass roots aspects and authentic beefs with the status quo, beefs that have much in common, if only people on the Left and Right could take off their political blinkers long enough to see their common concerns. Both movements have been heavily manipulated by political elites as ways of driving the grassroots left and the grassroots right behind their barricades of mutual loathing, and back into their respective parties' arms, where they could return to their deputized role of channeling their energies into the Republican and Democratic parties, so that they could be betrayed, as always.
The great tragedy of American Politics continues, now entering its terminal phase. We could have fought back the fascistic system that is increasingly in total control of our world, had we been willing to set aside the toxic hate that keeps Left and Right bitterly divided. We, on both the left and right grassroots, have chosen hate, and because of this WE DESERVE THE FASCIST HELL THAT EVEN NOW HAS US BY THE THROATS.
It's as simple as that. We prefered to hate than to see our common cause. The only way forward is a world where, as one might put it, the same people are watching Alex Jones and reading Black Agenda Report, supporting Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. That is the way forward, if it's not too late.
The Idea that the "OWS = Tea Party" is Wrong AND....
That idea needs to be killed with a flamethrower.
First, the "Tea Party" was never any kind of grassroots movement to begin with. The first mention of the present-day "Tea Party" was a commentator on CNBC railing about an imagined slight by President Obama about the Financial Sector. Within days of his mentioning of the need for a modern-day "Boston Tea Party," websites other "traditional" means of protesting and assembly sprang to life in certain cities across the country. Later investigations would find that these "Tea Parties" were nothing more than Astroturfers with deep pockets and long ties with the GOP.
Second, these Tea Parties pointed their anger at 5 people: Obama, Pelosi, Reid, George Soros, and the local Democrat wherever the Tea Party rallies took place. The slogans they used were the same ones used by Republicans at election rallies or when they appeared on Fox News. The Tea Partiers were also hostile to people of color and the poor - and blamed them (not the Wall Street Bankers and the Political Cronies) for crashing the economy. Tea Partiers also took time to direct their anger to Muslims (actually, just Brown and Black people and/or Sikhs) with the same language that Rush Limbaugh, Peter King, and Eric Cantor use.
Third, when the Tea Partiers brayed about using "Second Amendment Solutions," going to the "Bullet Box if the Ballot Box Didn't Work," and even held rallies where they CARRIED WEAPONS OPENLY, the police response did not include heavy barricades, tear gas, full riot gear, clearing out protestors for flimsy justifications, or any of the like. Even with all of this, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of the so-called mainstream praised the Tea Partiers and welcomed their talking points on their shows.
Fourth, most of the OWS (and its offshoots) want the Banksters investigated/prosecuted/incarcerated; the ever-increasing theatres of war brought to an end AND the bloated military budget slashed dramatically; the corporations and the rich taxed - without the ability to hide money in shelters or shell games; no cuts or "Grand Bargains"; and the like. The Tea Party NEVER called for such investigations, choosing to blame their problems on "The Government." The military budget AND the wars in which we are engaged are off-limits to any budget slashing, because Tea Partiers are warmongers themselves. Also, Tea Partiers believe that Tax Cuts for the Rich need to continue, because "Job Creators" won't make jobs in the US without them. And jobs held by union members, like Teachers (especially), should be eliminated, replaced by At-Will positions that pay very little (this is called "Competitive Salary") determined by The Free Market (run by the 1%). Diametric opposition between Tea Party and OWS.
Tea Partiers want nothing to do with OWS - or what it stands for. In fact, in light of the all of the events surrounding OWS (including brutal police-state crackdowns), the Tea Party, which many people insist was/is about out-of-control Government actions, has been completely silent regarding all of it. You would think that the Tea Party, since they also hate Bailouts and the like, would have been staging their own rallies, even if not in direct support of OWS. Talk to a Tea Partier and ask them what's wrong with the country. I guarantee that you will hear either mainstream GOP or Libertarian GOP/Ron Paul-like talking points. And both are wrong, either on the problem OR how to fix them.
If you notice, the Obama Admininstration tried to co-opt the OWS mission on multiple occasions, using part of the message of OWS and flipping it to blame the GOP. That has failed in spectacular fashion. Also, OWS does not use Democractic/Republican/Oligarchy Party talking points when the media finally does speak to some of them.
Also, take note of how most of the media categorizes Occupy Wall Street (and its offshoots): Dirty Hippies, Anarchists, Homeless People Looking for a Spot Where They Can Hide (without being carried away by the Cops for the Crime of Being Poor), Young People Whining About Having to Work and are Looking for a Handout, and so on. You did not hear this about the Tea Party.
When the Tea Party stops being about wanting to return to the days of Antebellum-Era White Supremacy, the rest of us may be willing to listen. But I have no interest in trying to bring in knuckledraggers who only want that "Black Guy" out of the White House and care little for justice for the little guy.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY
The so-called Tea Party, in addition to it's many other faults, is also pathologically anti-union. Anyone who would eliminate unions, or work to reduce their power and influence in this society, and in doing so, leave workers to the "mercy" of unfettered capitalism, is no friend of labor, organized or unorganized. As the man from the hip-hop group "the Roots" said on in an interview on KPFA yesterday, the Tea Party is not perceived as either an enemy or as a threat to the corporate establishment, because it supports the current system of corporate control and corporate impunity. Its agenda is the same as that of big capital, to reduce government at all levels to an entity which is totally submissive to the whims and dictates of the business elites, one which would provide no services or protection of any kind to anyone who is not a member of the chosen few. In the real world, often the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy.
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I read somewhere that only
I read somewhere that only 35% of Americans distrust bankers. I took that, to the extent that one can trust any polling these days , as an indication of how savagely Americans hold onto their illusions. They still think that Frank Capra's vision of bankers, as exemplifed by George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life, is more truthful than what they know from the world around them. Obama, like Capra, is an effective spellbinder.
"There is the possibility
"There is the possibility that Black folks are simply not answering honestly to pollsters, so as not to make Obama look bad."
Bingo. Also add the death grip of religion to black people's acute case of ethnoitis. They have all "turned it over to Jesus" (the Bible guy, not Obama) and believe he'll make everything all right. Is there not some biblical saying about God helping those who help themselves? If so, then black folks need to stop sitting around praying and get active in fighting for their interests. One good start would be to wake up and smell the reality of their pathetic economic and social condition and fact that Obomber and the black misleadership coalition is shitting them over big time. Making Obomber look good won't pay your mortgage or buy a loaf of bread people. Speak up, act up before you're permanently stuck in shit creek.
Please fAst-forward this broadcast to minute 21:00
Please fast-forward this broadcast to minute 21:00 to understand the gravity of this situation:
http://tarpley.net/world-crisis-radio/
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