ProfD

I've seen the video too. I appreciate Tariq's position that we shouldn't rush to judgement. I wouldn't put on a whole cape for the dude though.

Selfishness. Greed. Fear. To name a few. Regardless of reasons or excuses, we end up having to deal with it in one way or another.

Yep. That's it.

Short of biological mental health issues, it's unfortunate that we live in the wealthiest country on the planet with people living in despair to the point of self-medication in order to cope and survive. Even for the mentally ill, there's no reason that we cannot insure that people who need the most help get it. The world would be a much better place if human beings took better care of each other. Ultimately, that comes down to live and let live in peace.

Civil Rights, Affirmative action, DEI, etc. would not have to codified if the country was truly a democracy.

Department of Homeland Security executed the raid. Department of Justice signed off on the order. If you see where I'm going with it hopefully that answers your questions.

I drink alcohol on occasion. Both my parents were smokers when I a kid. I puffed one of their cigarettes. It wasn't for me. I drink coffee every day. Guess caffeine is my drug too.

Never. Saw the destructive effects of drug use among family members and friends. I have to be in control of my faculties at all times. I've never been a follower either. Always marched to the beat of my own drum.

Don't have to work for a living means the people will never be hungry or homeless in those places. Basic needs met. Of course, in this capitalistic system most folks have to work in order to get food, clothing, shelter and healthcare. Land in a US hospital with no medical insurance and thry might let that azz die. Fast food restaurants have to throw away food that didn't sell. The US is so litigious that if a person eats a free 2 piece chicken dinner and gets sick they can sue and become a millionaire. American companies could easily make every holiday on the calendar a paid day off. Instead, they'd rather give the CEO a multimillion dollar bonus for making more money. Several months sgo, the UAW (United Auto Workers) had to go on strike to get raises they hadn't seen in years. The CEO gave some mealy mouthed answer for why she was entitled to a higher salary and bonuses. She doesn't touch nuts and bolts. Just examples of the greed that capitalism breeds. Most sovereign homogeneous countries take care of their own people. Basic needs met.

I take pride in having an encyclopedic memory when it comes to some things. But, as I get older, I'm dumping a lot of useless data too. No dementia or Alzheimers for me.

That probably explains why I've never smoked weed or used drugs. Also, music has always been my opiate. I can sit down and play piano or listen to music and get higher than a space shuttle.

No problem. I'm chilling in the armchair and here for it. Yep. Seems they started coming after Puffy after he filed that lawsuit. Them folks don't like Black folks biting the hand.

The streets have always known how Puffy rolls. He made a lot of money in the entertainment business. He enjoys all of the excesses that come with his lifestyle. Anything someone does in the dark that involves other people is a liability. There are receipts that can be produced at any time. Puffy has done something to p8ss off white supremacists. Maybe it's the lawsuit he brought against the liquor company. Whatever it is he has to weather the storm.

Middle East. Scandavia. The operative phrase is they don't have to work in order to meet basic needs. Foreigners are allowed to do jobs the citizens may not feel like doing because they don't have to work. The foreigners get to come and work to make money for themselves and their families back home. Just like here in the US. The welfare system is an example of how it works in the USA. As jobs are being phased out by technology, the US will have to come up with a UBI (Universal Basic Income). Glorified welfare. Mentioned above. Human beings are slowly being replaced by robots and AI. The UBI will allow humans to consume at a certain level. They will have to find some kind of work to make extra money. Drones and self-driving vehicles will eventually move a lot of products. Many stores are going to self-checkout. Folks pump their own gas in most states. No cashier or attendant. Drive up at 3 a.m. Pay at the pump and gas up and go. I don't know if we'll be around to see the implementation of it but eventually the US will have fewer social classes. The work week will be reduced. Unemployment as we know it will be different too.

The system of racism white supremacy will always remind its AfroAmerican tools that they can be broken at any time no matter how much money they'e made for them. Arrogance and ignorance is dangerous mixture and a weak shield when it comes to dealing with the most powerful force on the planet. Puffy has enough money to make this situation go away if he promises white supremacists he won't get too far out of pocket again.

Interestingly, there's no highlight on the many thriving AfroAmerican communities in every major city throughout the USA. Maybe it's a great thing for AfroAmericans who live in thriving communities to stay on the low. That's why I make it my business to re-educate folks who come here on that BS. Takes a strong individual or group of AfroAmerican leadership from that community to clean it up and change the narrative. The mayor of Baltimore is a young educated AfroAmerican man. He looks and walks and talks like the residents of B-more. I've heard he's doing a good job there. That's a step in the right direction.

Don't need a paycheck as long as basic needs are met. Sure. They've imported them the same way white folks allow immigrants to work here. Difference between lazy and industrious. That's by design especially in capitalistic systems. The economy is predicated on people spending money. Doesn't matter how they get it. There's 8 billion people on the planet. Only 2.8 million of them are worth $10 million or more. A whole lot more than 2.8 million people live beyond comfortably well with less than $10 million.

Black folks didn't benefit from the New Deal nearly as much as white folks if at all. As a result, back in the 1930s, Black folks were either self-sufficient in their own communities or they took on jobs white folks didn't want to do. POTUS Lincoln didn't free the slaves and plunge America into a Civil War because he loved Black folks. Whatever FDR did to help AfroAmericans economically wasn't enough to build wealth. Bless her heart. She had a soft spot for AfroAmericans. Maybe they were her babysitters and servants to her family when she was growing up.

Africans do not totally dislike AfroAmericans. Africans are afraid and wary of us because they have been fed a narrative that AfroAmericans are lazy, ignorant, violent, drug abusers, etc. Unfortunately, AfroAmericans have no control over the propaganda that goes out into the world about us. As I've mentioned several times here, there are quite a few Africans in my tribe. I'm a very proud AfroAmerican man in being able to show Africans our success on several levels. I tell them to f8ck what you have heard about us...watch me. I've toured my African brothers and sisters through the streets on which I grew up to where I live in the cradle of AfroAmerican affluence. Education is priceless. It is a key to shared understanding and eliminating ignorance.

POTUS FDR came up with the New Deal to pull white folks out of the Depression. Since it was back in the 1930s, any benefit of the New Deal to Black folks was incidental. Otherwise, desegregation in the USA was at least three (3) decades away.

As the resident agnostic around here, h8ll to the naw.

As I mentioned above, work becomes an avocation. The people are still doing those jobs. They just aren't what we define as low income or poor. They can afford to work for free. No different than the offspring of wealthy people. They just happen to be in a wealthy country. It's false to believe that people have to be low income or poor or have a carrot dangled in front of them to work. There is a difference between lazy and industrious people. Lazy people have to be incentivized to work. No amount of money will keep them from being mentally or physically lazy. The threat of not having food, clothing or shelter is motivation. Industrious folks like to build and fix things or be of service to others. They will work regardless of money. Investing is passive income. It's not the same as trading labor for money i.e. work. I would never sh8t on anyone. Especially some who is willing to work. Folks would not have to slave for money if their basic needs were already met. IOW, an adult should not have to work as a janitor in order to feed a family. However, some folks enjoy cleaning up. They would be perfectly happy pushing a broom or mop around in a a luxury hotel. Get off from work and change clothes and jump into a Mercedes-Benz to to go and kick it with the family in their nice home. That is a by-product of living in a capitalistic system. Depends on how one defines rich. I define rich as having all basic needs met (food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and peace). Accordingly, everybody on this planet can be rich. The only obstacle to living a rich life is human greed. The belief that some folks have to be poor in order for others to be rich is ridiculous.

I believe success is a combination of effort, decision-making and some luck too. Nothing has significantly changed enough to affect my overall reality.

An African universal currency and passport would definitely be steps in the right direction. Of course, that's along with controlling their own resources and taking care of their populations too.

i do not recall that particular thread. May have been before my time. The Democratic agenda (Left) has always been a counter-balance to the Conservative (Right). GOP POTUS Richard Nixon allowed drugs into Black communities. Back in 1971, POTUS Nixon declared a war on drugs. Fast-forward 20 years and Democratic POTUS BIll Clinton signed the 1994 Crime Bill which led to the mass incarceration of Black folks. One author of that bill was former senator and current Democratic POTUS Joe Biden. When Democrats had the White House and a majority of Congress, they did not codify Voting Rights, Abortion Rights, nominate a Supreme Court justice when they could or raise minimum wage. OTOH, when the GOP is in control, they steamroll their agenda which enriches the wealthy, packs the Supreme Court and roll back voter rights and abortion rights. Neither party, GOP or Democrats has ever brought up Reparations and how they plan to atone for America's greatest sin...slavery. That's my reason for always posting this two-party political system is two sides of the same coin.