Cornel West Calls Out Barack Obama: “Don’t simply be the friendly face of the American empire.”

[kpete]

Cornel West Calls Out Barack Obama


Posted on Jan 24, 2010

In this video message to the president, the celebrated professor asks, “How deep is your love for poor and working people?” and urges, “Don’t simply be the friendly face of the American empire.”

VIDEO:
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/cornel_west_calls_out_barack_obama_20100124/

TRANSCRIPT:

My Dear Brother President Barack Obama,

I salute your unprecedented, historic victory. Just a year ago, we were there celebrating on the Mall. And here we are 12 months later, and I must say that, despite your brilliance, despite your charisma, I'm disappointed when it comes to the fundamental question, which is a question of priorities, a question of urgency: How deep is your love for poor and working people?

We need democratic policies, not technocratic policies. Your economic team has little or no concern about poor and working people. Job creation is an afterthought. You say the recession is over, but 10.2% of our precious citizens are still unemployed, and many of those have given up working. How deep is your love for poor and working people? Don't be seduced by the elite.

I applaud your brilliance; I applaud your charisma. You changed the image of America. But don't simply be the friendly face of the American Empire....

I believe like Martin King that democracy can be reinvigorated, can be revitalized. But it takes courage. You can't just cut deals. You have to take a stand. You have to have backbone....

more:
http://readmorewritemorethinkmorebemore.blogspot.com/2010/01/cornel-wests-note-to-obama-how-deep-is.html

[Bullet1987]

1. Sadly, Cornel West gets ignored by most of the MSM

He's an unflinching liberal-thinking man that says things without apologies. He hasn't written the most flattering books about America either. I love his passion, but we need more like him.

[Number23]

13. He gets ignored until the micro-mili-second that he says ANYTHING that can be construed

as even remotely negative about Obama.

Do you find that extraordinarily interesting or is it just me??

[EFerrari]

16. The best and the brightest people I've ever met

appreciate their best and brightest critics.

[Mithreal]

44. +1

[Blue Owl]

2. YES my brother...

Perfect response to the administration's current problems.

[Moochy]

3. K&R

[snagglepuss]

4. K & R nt

[Better Believe It]

5. K & R

[Better Believe It]

6. Oooppsss. Duplicate

[cilla4progress]

7. I watched the video

and it released much-needed tears. It was stunning, beautiful, expressed my exact tone and feelings. But coming from Mr. Prof. West, it had to sting and let's hope impact, BO.

[eleny]

8. K&R

[robcon]

9. Shaddup, West.

Never ran for public office. Never had to face the electorate.

His words "Your economic team has little or no concern about poor and working people." are a complete lie.

[Javaman]

10. um right.

so he fails because his opinion runs in contrast to the cheerleaders.

I haven't seen my bailout, how about you?

[Solomon]

11. Aw he's just saying it's easy to sit on the sidelines and say what

needs to be done. Everybody here does it everyday. Everybody knows better than Obama.

[EFerrari]

12. Participants in a democracy don't just sit down and shut up.

Fyi.

[Javaman]

25. Yeah, because my opinion as an American citizen, the type our elected officials are elected to serve

doesn't matter at all.

Put tape over your mouth, that will serve you better in your concept of democracy.

[Mithreal]

27. +1

[donheld]

14. Lie my ass

[PinkoDonkey]

19. I've never run for public office.

I've never had to face the electorate.

And neither have a lot of people here.

Should we just shut up too?

[Mithreal]

26. -1

You seem to be implying that facing the electorate is some great act of courage. Obama and Dem Leaders wouldn't have to fear facing the electorate if they made it clear they fought for them.

Odd, but I doubt Sanders, Grayson or Kucinich and a handful of usual exceptions face the electorate with anything but confidence. I wonder why that is.

How dare anyone participate in their democracy unless they filled one of those hallowed thrones, am I right, robcon?

[Forkboy]

31. Who to take seriously, Robcon or West? Robcon or West?

One one hand we have an extremely intelligent and thoughtful man....on the other a knee jerk poster on DU.

Think I'll stick with West.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

33. In this case, I'll take Robcon.

He's got a better argument.

[Forkboy]

37. There's a shocker.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

38. Argument from authority's never a good idea.

As the esteemed Prof. West is demonstrably full of shit on this one, all Robcon has to do is point it out.

[Mithreal]

40. robcon didn't bring shit but ad hominem

And your counter is argument from authority? Really?

If someone mocks an ad hominem attack, calling that an argument from authority is weak to the extreme.

Congratulations on the fail.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

41. You're not using any of those terms correctly.

Not ad hominem, not argument from authority, and not fail.

[Mithreal]

43. Fellow DU'ers look up those terms for yourself. Here is a good resource.

http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/toc.htm

[Mithreal]

39. Know what, I had nearly 100% certainty you would answer that way.

edit to avoid deletion

[shadowknows69]

35. My money seems to be drifting toward Prof. West as well.

Like Godzilla Vs. Bambi.

[Mithreal]

42. Let's go all in, they have got nothing.

[BlueIris]

15. Woah.

Not what I was expecting.

[democracy1st]

17. K & R

[stillrockin]

18. K & R

[PinkoDonkey]

20. I think West raises a question we could all reflect on:

In what ways are the policies that we as as individuals, or we as a party, or we as a liberal-progressive movement, merely Empire with a human face?

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[invictus]

22. K&R

[Leopolds Ghost]

23. And if he could get a word in w Obama, ask him to stop tearing down public housing in New Orleans.

And schools in NY -- well, he has no control over that one...

[Autonomy]

24. It's not really an accusation letter

and its tone is of a friendly warning. I can abide that. That's the difference between wrong and right: whether you are foaming at the mouth while you type, or not.

[Duhgee]

28. Obama's new tax withholding on the poor

Those making $116 a week started getting $11 less a week this
month. No one is  holding the government accountable. Yes, I'm
a troll, but I still care about the poor.

[Mosaic]

29. Message to Obama:

Message to Obama: Take a stand against war, empire, greed and for the poor, for progress, for a higher quality of life, for peace.

[mdmc]

30. YES

[upi402]

32. Turd, meet polish

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Now with 'SmartPower!'

[shadowknows69]

34. .

[MisterP]

36. conservadems will never see the "American imperialism" part: all they care about is the "friendly

face"

as long as candidate or party A is marginally better than B, they'll attack anyone criticizing A--just look at Carville's maundering book on how we have to "stand behind" Fearless Leader no matter what he does. For them, it's about the PERSON, not the policies: thus, we'll have smiley glandhanders enacting appalling policies in perpetuity (a la Transmetropolitan)