Flashback: Obama 1995

Ace of Spades HQ ^ | March 30, 2008 | Nice Deb

[Jet Jaguar]

I was doing some googling to see if I could find some info on Obama and the Million Man March he reportedly marched in and helped organize, and I found this interview of Obama in the Chicago Reader from December 1995, after he (yes!) attended the march. What stands out to me is his unapologetic love affair with collectivism. I guess that’s not surprising for a Democrat, but still…..wow!

Here are some highlights:

John Wayne = Typical white guy:

“In America,” Obama says, “we have this strong bias toward individual action. You know, we idolize the John Wayne hero who comes in to correct things with both guns blazing. But individual actions, individual dreams, are not sufficient. We must unite in collective action, build collective institutions and organizations.”

Organize and mobilize more black churches:

In an interview after the class, Obama again spoke of the need to organize and mobilize the economic power and moral fervor of black churches. He also argued that as a state senator he might help bring this about faster than as a community organizer or civil rights lawyer.

The Christian right: intolerant, narrow-minded, falsely nostalgic:

“The right wing, the Christian right, has done a good job of building these organizations of accountability, much better than the left or progressive forces have. But it’s always easier to organize around intolerance, narrow-mindedness, and false nostalgia. And they also have hijacked the higher moral ground with this language of family values and moral responsibility.

It’s society’s job to teach children about the left’s version of morality:

“Now we have to take this same language–these same values that are encouraged within our families–of looking out for one another, of sharing, of sacrificing for each other–and apply them to a larger society. Let’s talk about creating a society, not just individual families, based on these values. Right now we have a society that talks about the irresponsibility of teens getting pregnant, not the irresponsibility of a society that fails to educate them to aspire for more.”

Obama goes to the Million Man March:

Obama took time off from attending campaign coffees to attend October’s Million Man March in Washington, D.C. His experiences there only reinforced his reasons for jumping into politics.

“What I saw was a powerful demonstration of an impulse and need for African-American men to come together to recognize each other and affirm our rightful place in the society,” he said. “There was a profound sense that African-American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives.

“But what was lacking among march organizers was a positive agenda, a coherent agenda for change. Without this agenda a lot of this energy is going to dissipate. Just as holding hands and singing ‘We shall overcome’ is not going to do it, exhorting youth to have pride in their race, give up drugs and crime, is not going to do it if we can’t find jobs and futures for the 50 percent of black youth who are unemployed, underemployed, and full of bitterness and rage.

“Exhortations are not enough, nor are the notions that we can create a black economy within America that is hermetically sealed from the rest of the economy and seriously tackle the major issues confronting us,” Obama said.

Oh, here it comes…the “mean, cruel” Republicans:

We must deal with the forces that are depressing wages, lopping off people’s benefits right and left, and creating an earnings gap between CEOs and the lowest-paid worker that has risen in the last 20 years from a ratio of 10 to 1 to one of better than 100 to 1.

“This doesn’t suggest that the need to look inward emphasized by the march isn’t important, and that these African-American tribal affinities aren’t legitimate. These are mean, cruel times, exemplified by a ‘lock ‘em up, take no prisoners’ mentality that dominates the Republican-led Congress. Historically, African-Americans have turned inward and towards black nationalism whenever they have a sense, as we do now, that the mainstream has rebuffed us, and that white Americans couldn’t care less about the profound problems African-Americans are facing.”

White America doesn’t care? Does he still feel this way 12 years later?

[Jet Jaguar]

Ping.

[Roy Tucker]

You know the thing that irks me is that here is a guy who was not part of what it means to be a Black American, with a history of slavery and Jim Crow laws. His father or ancestors were never enslaved in America, he got a scholarship to Harvard. Barack was born and (partially raised in Hawaii) a more multi-ethnic society would be hard to find. If anything, he was a fortunate beneficiary of the best America has to offer bright, energetic young people. He didn’t grow up in the ghetto or in rural America. And yet he chose to become entrenched in one of the more bitter and racist fringe elements of Black America. To side with the worst of the grievance pimps for what he clearly saw as political gain. It’s just weird.

And this guy is supposed to unite us?

[Jet Jaguar]

Well put.

[6SJ7]

And this guy is supposed to unite us?

He is. We're becoming united in our disgust at Obama's anti-American diatribe.

[Shirerwasright]

I look farward to a day when Obama is the Prez and he institutes his reparation plan for helping all theose blacks wronged by racist white America.

I hope this stunt will bring about a final race war. These people have had trillions spent on them and still want more.

Stupidity breeds ignorance and we have had enough.

[2ndDivisionVet]

EMAIL THESE LINKS OUT **NOW** TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AHEAD OF THE PENNSYLVANIA AND PUERTO RICO PRIMARIES!!

Obama’s Pastor Celebrates 9/11 (explicit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhl-endvco

Obama’s Racially-Divisive Pastor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUbUBTlmAiA

Obama Disrespecting U.S. Flag and Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QCkgg5Kjo

The Audacity of Barack Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjnT4eJJvs

The Audacity of Barack Obama 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeC8BE-2T_k

Is Obama Wright? - Pastor Wright & Senator Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72B3tUAqpo4

Obama’s Pastor - 9/11 Fault of Israel Association

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnI431s1r6s

Obama - Cult of Personality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7lUGn7HWk&;;;;

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeu_4Ekx-o

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFOOcEQtP0

Barack Obama: There Will Be Bamboozling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuB_W8o_UsU

The Two Things Senator Obama Accomplished

http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/02/27/obamas-empty-change-message/

The Jeremiah Wright Lifetime Achievement Award

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prhnc2fxAzg

Obama — We Are Building A Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xtNr5-up0U

The Obama File

http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm

[LibertyRocks]

Ping for the list. Thanks to Jet Jaguar for pinging me. :)

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[Roy Tucker]

Very funny and true.