rootsblog: african american identity and friendly fire

SATURDAY

the signifying monkey

i have been this week far more frank than
i care to be

I am very uncomfortable with yesterdays post
I think it was the russian situation w/the kids
that fired me up on that

between bush, iraq, terrorism, the sudan, aids and poverty, etc
growing rightwing fundamentalism all over the world
and in particular a rightdrift in the us that makes this
this 2004 election so frighteningly important
not to mention a whole slew of personal problems
im feeling beleagured these days
im feeling stressed

my strident tone this week is probably reflecting that

but im doing what kerry got to do w/bush
man kerry got to tell the truth about bush
in spite of the social compact pressures
to just hint at the magnitude of his incompetence
kerry cant afford to fiddle faddle around the bush
kerry got to speak ruthless truth to the people

samesame situation for blackfolk
there is pressure to follow the prevailing lines

like blaming whitefolk for our problems
like refusing to call out the arabs of the sudan for fear of
being considered reactionary
like identifying reparations as the absolute foolishness
that it is, just absolute foolishness

but I am resolved to be a strategic voice
in the destiny of the world and blackfolk

i aspire to be a visionary
and generate tribal actions that will deliver us from this evil

and if i pander to geopolitical bullshit
that does not free us but instead
delivers us deeper into this historical trickbag
we have found ourselves in

which means i got to say truths that are very uncomfortable
i cant afford to parrot the little evasions that smooth out relations

generally I signify rather than state bluntly
but i think the weakest thing about blackfolk is that
they dont know the real deal

we go running after any parade that comes down the street

i may game and signify in the larger public
but my contract with you is that here in rootsblog ima give you the best
longgame strategic analysis that im capable of giving

my primary ambition, even more than saving blackfolk
is to make the world a better place
to shape a better and more enlightened future for humanity

a greater destiny

I am uncomfortable with the implications of playing hardball
but i believe in a flexible strategic modality

soft when you can and hard when you must

i dont mind if fully informed you choose to play softball
in fact i prefer it

i have looked many generations down the line
and it is as an illuminated people that i see our survival
prosperity and empowerment

but if we are to be true contenders in this world
we got to know whats really going on
we got to know whos gaming who
and be prepared to finesse all comers

i am going to continue to speak out on our own weaknesses
im going to lay out the strategic dynamics of our relations
with other groups

im going to treat blackfolk as if we were in truth significant players in this world
instead of the marginal flunkys that we really are

im gon conjure

THURSDAY

ruminations on dar al sudan: land of the blacks

im looking at all the hell that radical islam
is raising all over the world

im looking at the fact that radical islam
just might beat the west if the west dont
get a more strategically sophisticated team in charge
at this critical moment of world history

the wests greatest strength is also its biggest liability
the wests open society is ripe for infiltration
and cooption

next thing you know our great grandchildren
will be subject to sharia up in here

how to digest the muslim impulse w/o
submitting to it will be one of the big challenges
of the west in this conflict

and ima tell you what you already know
finessing militant islam in the west while sustaining civilrights
requires more finesse than this crew is capable of

im looking at the situation in the sudan

where the arabs are genociding blackfolk
like they been genociding and enslaving
blackfolk for some 3000 years now

killing and demeaning blackfolk
erasing blackness thru arabized identity
all across the crescent of north africa
which once upon a time was black

im looking at this martyr thing they got going
and this fanaticism thing and im thinking
what do we have that will contend with that
strategic instrument

when we do have to go head to head
like in the sudan
because make no mistake
one day we are going to have to go up
against the arabs and islam

its difficult for me to say this cause i know ima catch flak for it
but one day we are going to have to back them up
and get them off our case

islam must be made to understand that it is a guest in africa
and not a conqueror

right now we would lose that battle
and lose it bad

the kind of resistance they putting up in iraq
we aint got nothing like that happening
if the west wanted to take us down it would be a cakewalk

and the arabs (and islam) are accustomed to
having their way with us
they been cleaning our clock for 3000 years

and you see how they treat blacks who have gone islamic
in the sudan when push come to shove

i got to give my people some power
that will stand up against arab fanaticism
much less the power of the west

im betting on trickeration
strategy: the key that opens all locks

and the first step in strategic relations
is to act like we still dont know the deal
and cover all tactical moves w/a progressive veneer

but amongst you and me, this the real deal

i would you my people be masters of strategy
ruthless masters of the game

hardtimes are coming

WEDNESDAY

hardball

gay activists have been in conflict
over tactic of outing closeted gay politicians
who practice antigay politics

the latest of which was conservative
republican edward schrock of virginia
who recently withdrew from reelection campaign
after being outed

i felt sorry for him, 63 retired naval captain, married w/family
until i read the defense of one of the gay activists who outed him
“they declared war” he said “we’re not going to respond w/a hug”

i cant argue with that
its about time progressive forces started playing
hardball

we been way too nice
and we have almost lost
our country

mission impossible

bush been flip flopping
one day he says we cant win war on terrorism
the next day he says we can

kinda ironic
everybody knows we cant
win a war on terrorism in the conventional sense

but hes gotten himself in such a bind that when
he attempts to express nuance
its such a diversion from his relentless doublespeak
about how well the war is going
about how well the economy is doing
that it trips him up

that’s good
now he got to keep on lying
which hopefully will create
terminal dissonance
for undecided voters

we taking this sucker down

heads we lose, tails we lose too

what just played out in najaf was internal shiite politics
allawi represents securlarist shiism
sistani a moderate religious shiism and
al sadr fundamentalist shiism

and real conflict is which brand of shiism will be dominant in iraq
the us obviously would like secularist shism
something like what they had before we stumbled into the chinashop
forget democracy, at this point they will accept a strongman secularist
and call it a day

but the heavy handed us occupation is compromising secuarlism
sistani was the winner in the recent conflict but so was al sadr
the only real loser was allawi

we shall see how this plays out
either way we have a client shiite state
to protect and nurture
with blood and money

life is just one big irony sometime

TUESDAY

schoolhouse blues

well, school has started
cant give rootsblog the kind of time i been giving
got to find a new rhythm

didnt finish my novel
got a whole lot of work done but not enuf

still in that stage where the harder i work
the deeper i dig myself into the whole
sorry i meant hole

novel still growing
which means raw manuscript
which means a lotta rewrite
lotta reconcepting

ohwell, one endures
deadline has been moved to the
end of the year

loving what im coming up with
its finally looking like a real novel

a luta continua

just who is an african american

alan keyes claims obama not really african american

"my ancestors toiled in slavery in this country," mr. keyes said. "my consciousness, who I am as a person, has been shaped by my struggle, deeply emotional and deeply painful, with the reality of that heritage."

well if folk like keyes and clarence is what that process delivers
better none of us claim african american

keyes is just trying to pimp the phrase
but there have been tensions between american and foreignborn blacks

personally Im fond of the term 'black' because it covers
more demographic ground

my understanding is that in the multiculti future
we want numbers (and wouldnt mind more diversity)

we want the term african american to cover
as many folk as possible

onedrop or foreignborn its all good

why on earth would we try to define african american narrowly
and lose constituients

in truth the term african american should cover any
black person in this hemisphere anyway

im pleased that african/caribbean and so forth blacks
want to be defined as African American instead of
wanting to isolate themselves from us as social pressures
sometimes incline

its all in the family
its all good

office of very special plans

this guy, larry franklin, accused of spying for israel
is part of a cabal of neocons in the bush admistration
affiliated in some way w/israeli expansionism
and in particular the likud party

feith (franklins boss), pearle and other necons in 1996 prepared a

'strategic manual' for prime minister netanyahu advocating taking out iraq
for israeli security, not american security mind you, israeli security

this neocon cabal has been pushing war in iraq
syria and iran as part of this effort to establish israeli hegemony
in the middle east
long before they used sept 11 to convince babybush to go for it

nobody could figure out why we just had to attack iraq behind sept 11th,
one of the few islamic powers that hadnt attacked us
using terrorist tactics
that had in fact never attacked us period

and so now we have reaped a bitter and enduring harvest
of terrorbased antiamericanism in the islamic world
just when we could afford it least

paying in the blood of our soldiers
and standing in the world
because of the confused allegiances
of those in power over us

israel feels that only hegemony will ensure their survival
but why should we be forced to fight their wars if we dont agree
with their strategies

i thought they were supposed to be our proxy forces
not us theirs

just who is in charge of this 'strategic' relationship
that continues to cost us so much in blood and money
and moral standing in the world

how many of us must die before
we refuse to play israels hegemonic games

anybody who notes the israeli connection
of the neocon agenda is accused of antisemitism

im susceptible to that
i tend to restrain my criticism of israel
not to be charged with that
but some things just have to be said

and rickydoc flowers aint gon never be scared
to speak truth to the people
i speak in the name of schwerner, chaney and goodman

obviously cant blame all of iraq on israel
just as obviously israels needs played a role

tell you the truth i admire the israeli hold on us foreign policy
i wish we had that kind of muscle in africas name

the jews got solidarity
while our strongest players often play for opposing teams
selling themselves to the higest bidders

israels response to these allegations has been
we dont have to spy on you
we already got you by the balls

its enuf to give you a headache

singer laura branigan, 47 years old,
recently died of a brain aneuryism

she reportedly suffered a powerful headache for 2 weeks
and medical folk saying she should have had it checked

apparently sharon stone had this happen to her and
said on a recent oprah show
"if you have the worst headache you've ever had, go to the hospital because by the time you get to the hospital, you're as far gone as you wanna be."

those of you who get a headache of this sort take note
those of you without insurance must fend for yourself

the unwashed millions

apparently the numbers of uninsured have risen drastically
during the bush presidency
as have the numbers of folk who have fallen into poverty
to the tune of 3 million or so in the last year

this is what bush calls
economic success

i guess its akin to what he just called the war in iraq
"a catastrophic success"

god deliver us from any more
successful bush policies

fire from the right

there this group of conservative black bloggers
out there that call themselves bookeristas
as in booker t washington revolutionaries

im impressed with the power of their mackeroni
they're good
and they got this effective network thing happening

wellworth keeping a finger on that pulse
they strike me as sincere if misled
and there are many roads to timbuktu

but they
make me wonder where are the young progressive
black voices in the blog world

most of the progressive blogs like say freedomrider about my age

though im not quite sure how old prometheus6 is

we got more established voices like rudy of chickenbones
and the folk at black commentator

but the young talent seems to be coming from the right
this is not a good thing

apparently more and more young blacks considering themselves
conservatives
we got to finesse this trend toward black conservatism

why should racial uplift be considered
the rights territory
and what they call victimhood reserved for progressives

we being outdefined and out generationed here

we got to stop regurgitating the same old tired lines
and strategies
and speak to the upcoming generations
on both sides of the divide

i will have to put some thought into this when i got time
right now i have to go prepare for class

hangtough

Comments

Nice posting on African-American. Agree with your position.

Been noodling on it from a different angle.

Back in the day, that is, the seventies, we had a framework for this kind of discussion.

Remember internal contradictions and external contradictions?
And we felt that we must prioritize external contradictions in order not to get sidetracked.

Who/what is an African American strikes me as an internal contradiction.

Seems that there are more pressing issues.
You know the litany, unemployment, primary education, political mis-education, deterioration of values, global contempt, etc.
Arguably, the "tensions" you mention are rooted in political mis-education.

When the litany gets too heavy, we get distracted and focus on internal contradictions.

Not clear to me how a determination of the "African-American" question resolves any external contradictions.

But I'm glad that you retain a pan-African vision.

One love.

[lex]

i was gonna tell you to hush before somebody yelled "anti-semite!!!!", but you beat me to it...

when i was younger, i assumed that getting called an anti-semite meant you hated jews, period--just like burning crosses on lawns was the kkk trademark. now i know that 9 times outta 10, it's just someone telling the truth about israel.

i have no qualms when i chant "free, free palestine" at a rally or a march. none at all.

[GEORGE BROWN]

I have been reading some blog pages from cybernetic hippies: mostly white people with obsessions about web technology, ufo's, Christian ethnocentrism, or Perverts looking for inconsiderate sources for Vitamin P. Basically, I've gotten numb to this stuff-- as the self centered ddroolings of a culture dying of pop individualism.

SSo when a friend introduced me to your site, my initial response to the non-commercial, untargetted thing was: here comes a Black Man, with the same spiritual fungus.

It's the self-centered, lack of structure thing that un-nerves me, however. But don't tear this up and throw it away-- yet!!

In spite of myself, I have read your material. I am finding me to be profoundly identified with your personalized reactions to things,-- and your lack of concern about whether there is an organized, or "collective" affirmation of what you think about.

So I am realizing that I have learned to judge myself on whether my newspaper copy, or public statements, are creating massed "cultural expressions" of some sort of political dogma. This is how I have learned to evaluate myself as a meaningful Black man!

However, What do I Know: Considering I have been holding this euro-generated bullshit in front of my face since I've been a teenager, and its given little to my people, generally speaking, and nothing to me but progressive cardio-angina, shortness of breath, and increasing reclusiveness and paranoia.

But then for related reasons, I have been thinking of creating a blog-site in my "retirement years," but have been afraid of this; and have been going to more assinine vocational solutions at this time in my life.

I may fear freedom. I'm not sure. Anyway, thank you for helping me come out of the closet. AS I noted, I have always tried to think of myself as a conscientiously structured "Oraganizer." However, basically-- this never really got me anywhere. Maybe blogs are somehow a new class of underground railway stations!

I also cant know any of this for sure-- which also might be a good sign.

But keep holding the flashlight. I'm behind you!

THANK YOU. GB

[rickydoc]

thanks for the props man
the self centered unstructured thing
unnerves me too

specially when it gets so confessional
but i love having my own forum where i dont
have to please paymasters and/or editors

i love being able to say whatever i think
should be said without reservations of any
sort other than a desire to avoid embarassment

i try to put up enuf raw news to justify using
a little space to do my prophetic thing

i do begrude the time it takes
but i love having the forum

if you thinking about doing it i say go for it
we need as many free and alternative voices as possible to forge an alternative reality than the one thats been set up for us

i call myself being in the line of david walker
trying to get his 'appeal' out to the slaves

and i like thinking of it in that underground railroad station motif, thats kind of a nice motif for us organizers in general

hope you dont mind if i use it

in struggle

rickydoc