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On the Cusp of an 'African American Spring'
The Huffington Post's The Blog ^ | May 1, 2015 | John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D. , Former Associate Dean of Harvard College

Posted on 05/02/2015 11:57:52 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Aghast at the sight of the Baltimore riot, I struggled for days to find meaning in what appeared senseless. I searched history for answers, discovering that what's happening through the protests and riots of African Americans throughout the country is similar to the "Arab Spring" that occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain. Are we on the cusp of an "African American Spring" akin the Arab Spring? Perhaps.

The Arab Spring was an "awakening" of long-held yearnings for equality led mainly by young, disenfranchised citizens. It began as popular uprisings in the form of local protests, riots, social media campaigns and, eventually, military strikes against oppressive rule that spread transnationally. While the uprisings had precipitating factors, such as we have here with the police killings of unarmed black men and boys, they were linchpins rather than causes of the Arab Spring. The cause was freedom from oppression. America viewed the Arab Spring as the people legitimately raising their voices in pursuit of democratic ideals such as freedom.

Like the Arab Spring, people in Sanford, Ferguson and Baltimore did not riot for the black men killed. They were waging a legitimate insurrection against racial oppression affecting their own lives--poverty, lack of opportunity and mistreatment by law enforcement--that may be the cusp of an "African American Spring." But we have a difficult time accepting these "raised voices" because we are conditioned to dismiss black rage....

(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: americanspring; americanwinter; arabspring; baltimore; baltimoreriots; blackkk; blackrage; blacks; elijahcummings; freddiegray; insurrection; longhotsummer; maryland; racewar; whites
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Does that mean we need an American el-Sisi?


61 posted on 05/03/2015 2:27:27 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
After such a stirring defense of the 2nd Amendment, I have to opine, it's too bad Admiral Yamamoto didn't survive the war. It would have been so interesting to take in his critique afterward.
62 posted on 05/03/2015 2:36:48 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

And most, if not all, of the Arab spring uprisings turned out badly.


63 posted on 05/03/2015 3:00:46 AM PDT by monocle
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To: monocle

It’s because it’s all about upsetting power structures and paving the way for “transforming” the nations to fit the agenda of those in higher places.

SAudi just had a huge shake down in their leadership...The House of Saud no less! So there’s some real leveraging and strongarming going on World wide.


64 posted on 05/03/2015 3:09:05 AM PDT by caww
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To: Iron Munro

90& of them don’t know what a “globe” is.


65 posted on 05/03/2015 3:14:00 AM PDT by anton
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To: DakotaGator

While everyone would prefer a private education (or homeschooling), it often isn’t practical. The oppression from public education doesn’t just come in the form of teaching very little; it is the blatant dishonesty with grades and the criminal racket of the teachers’ unions (which locks the dysfunction in place).


66 posted on 05/03/2015 4:56:33 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: DakotaGator

One issue I see in the workplace (which drives a lot of racial paranoia for blacks) is that when they have the same credentials as others (though they didn’t earn them/learn to obtain them), they can’t understand why advancement doesn’t follow. I have a co-worker with a masters degree in a business field, and he can’t write an intelligible email or balance a checkbook; he briefly left for a higher position elsewhere, and lost the job when the truth surfaced about his abilities versus what he could do “on paper”. He is back in the more entry-level position he left, very frustrated, and is now a full-fledged racial conspiracy theorist.

Simply giving people unearned diplomas, degrees, jobs and promotions is simply deferring the riot until they are a little older.


67 posted on 05/03/2015 5:08:47 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2
Quite true.

What I was suggesting was self-education. No degrees/credentials. But a solid basis for advancement through merit.

Hard to accomplish. But it has been the basis of many American success stories.

68 posted on 05/03/2015 12:07:27 PM PDT by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
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To: kearnyirish2

Indeed!

This is a typical “liberal” failing, equating appearance with substance. Sadly, those so afflicted also do not seem to comprehend cause and effect.

Their failure, rage, and riot should be comprehended but never condoned.


69 posted on 05/03/2015 12:14:28 PM PDT by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

John Fitzgerald Gates, Ph.D. , Former Associate Dean of Harvard College

Emphasizing the important truth of William F Buckley — maybe one of the most important truths of our age:

“I’d rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.”

(I personally wish he would have said Dallas instead of Boston, but it nevertheless is an extremely important statement.)


70 posted on 05/03/2015 12:19:21 PM PDT by samtheman ( BushClinton. The Yesterday Candidate.)
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To: DakotaGator

Yes, that’s true; I’ve learned a lot on my own. For startes, they need to at least be reading so they can have an English-language edge over the Illegals that are often taking their jobs.


71 posted on 05/03/2015 1:13:32 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: DakotaGator

It is part of the problem with affirmative action and the larger failure to have an honest discussion about race; when I see masses of the permanent underclass rioting, then I get the impression that they already understand that discussion (that they have no role working in a modern economy). The problem is that others who have been simply handed papers that we would be expected to earn then think they are “qualified” for anything (and the Great Depression II has been difficult for everyone - they are now competing with more qualified, experienced people falling down the economic ladder). The most distressing thing in my own experience (with my children) is watching grades become watered down for everyone; rather than expecting urban minorities to perform, the public education establishment is simply declaring everyone an “A” student.


72 posted on 05/03/2015 1:24:53 PM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

Hear, hear (for both your posts 71 & 72)!


73 posted on 05/03/2015 6:22:17 PM PDT by DakotaGator (Weep for the lost Republic! And keep your powder dry!!)
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To: Paladin2

Amen to that brother!


74 posted on 05/03/2015 9:58:12 PM PDT by pgkdan
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To: DakotaGator

Thanks; how long can this go on?


75 posted on 05/04/2015 4:15:23 AM PDT by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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