Cynique

A provocative article by one of America's premiere black Conservative spokesman. Black Protest Has Lost Its Power by Shelby Steele Jan. 12, 2018 6:40 p.m. ET The recent protests by black players in the National Football League were rather sad for their fruitlessness. They may point to the end of an era for black America, and for the country generally—an era in which protest has been the primary means of black advancement in American life. There was a forced and unconvincing solemnity on the faces of these players as they refused to stand for the national anthem. They seemed more dutiful than passionate, as if they were mimicking the courage of earlier black athletes who had protested: Tommie Smith and John Carlos, fists in the air at the 1968 Olympics; Muhammad Ali, fearlessly raging against the Vietnam War; Jackie Robinson, defiantly running the bases in the face of racist taunts. The NFL protesters seemed to hope for a little ennoblement by association. And protest has long been an ennobling tradition in black American life. From the Montgomery bus boycott to the march on Selma, from lunch-counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides to the 1963 March on Washington, only protest could open the way to freedom and the acknowledgment of full humanity. So it was a high calling in black life. It required great sacrifice and entailed great risk. Martin Luther King Jr. , the archetypal black protester, made his sacrifices, ennobled all of America, and was then shot dead. For the NFL players there was no real sacrifice, no risk and no achievement. Still, in black America there remains a great reverence for protest. Through protest—especially in the 1950s and ’60s—we, as a people, touched greatness. Protest, not immigration, was our way into the American Dream. Freedom in this country had always been relative to race, and it was black protest that made freedom an absolute. It is not surprising, then, that these black football players would don the mantle of protest. The surprise was that it didn’t work. They had misread the historic moment. They were not speaking truth to power. Rather, they were figures of pathos, mindlessly loyal to a black identity that had run its course. What they missed is a simple truth that is both obvious and unutterable: The oppression of black people is over with. This is politically incorrect news, but it is true nonetheless. We blacks are, today, a free people. It is as if freedom sneaked up and caught us by surprise. Of course this does not mean there is no racism left in American life. Racism is endemic to the human condition, just as stupidity is. We will always have to be on guard against it. But now it is recognized as a scourge, as the crowning immorality of our age and our history. Protest always tries to make a point. But what happens when that point already has been made—when, in this case, racism has become anathema and freedom has expanded? What happened was that black America was confronted with a new problem: the shock of freedom. This is what replaced racism as our primary difficulty. Blacks had survived every form of human debasement with ingenuity, self-reliance, a deep and ironic humor, a capacity for self-reinvention and a heroic fortitude. But we had no experience of wide-open freedom. Watch out that you get what you ask for, the saying goes. Freedom came to blacks with an overlay of cruelty because it meant we had to look at ourselves without the excuse of oppression. Four centuries of dehumanization had left us underdeveloped in many ways, and within the world’s most highly developed society. When freedom expanded, we became more accountable for that underdevelopment. So freedom put blacks at risk of being judged inferior, the very libel that had always been used against us. To hear, for example, that more than 4,000 people were shot in Chicago in 2016 embarrasses us because this level of largely black-on-black crime cannot be blamed simply on white racism. We can say that past oppression left us unprepared for freedom. This is certainly true. But it is no consolation. Freedom is just freedom. It is a condition, not an agent of change. It does not develop or uplift those who win it. Freedom holds us accountable no matter the disadvantages we inherit from the past. The tragedy in Chicago—rightly or wrongly—reflects on black America. That’s why, in the face of freedom’s unsparing judgmentalism, we reflexively claim that freedom is a lie. We conjure elaborate narratives that give white racism new life in the present: “systemic” and “structural” racism, racist “microaggressions,” “white privilege,” and so on. All these narratives insist that blacks are still victims of racism, and that freedom’s accountability is an injustice. We end up giving victimization the charisma of black authenticity. Suffering, poverty and underdevelopment are the things that make you “truly black.” Success and achievement throw your authenticity into question. The NFL protests were not really about injustice. Instead such protests are usually genuflections to today’s victim-focused black identity. Protest is the action arm of this identity. It is not seeking a new and better world; it merely wants documentation that the old racist world still exists. It wants an excuse. For any formerly oppressed group, there will be an expectation that the past will somehow be an excuse for difficulties in the present. This is the expectation behind the NFL protests and the many protests of groups like Black Lives Matter. The near-hysteria around the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and others is also a hunger for the excuse of racial victimization, a determination to keep it alive. To a degree, black America’s self-esteem is invested in the illusion that we live under a cloud of continuing injustice. When you don’t know how to go forward, you never just sit there; you go backward into what you know, into what is familiar and comfortable and, most of all, exonerating. You rebuild in your own mind the oppression that is fading from the world. And you feel this abstract, fabricated oppression as if it were your personal truth, the truth around which your character is formed. Watching the antics of Black Lives Matter is like watching people literally aspiring to black victimization, longing for it as for a consummation. But the NFL protests may be a harbinger of change. They elicited considerable resentment. There have been counterprotests. TV viewership has gone down. Ticket sales have dropped. What is remarkable about this response is that it may foretell a new fearlessness in white America—a new willingness in whites (and blacks outside the victim-focused identity) to say to blacks what they really think and feel, to judge blacks fairly by standards that are universal. We blacks have lived in a bubble since the 1960s because whites have been deferential for fear of being seen as racist. The NFL protests reveal the fundamental obsolescence—for both blacks and whites—of a victim-focused approach to racial inequality. It causes whites to retreat into deference and blacks to become nothing more than victims. It makes engaging as human beings and as citizens impermissible, a betrayal of the sacred group identity. Black victimization is not much with us any more as a reality, but it remains all too powerful as a hegemony. Mr. Steele, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, is author of “Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country” (Basic Books, 2015). Appeared in the January 13, 2018, print edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Martin Luther King was certainly a mesmerizing speaker because of his rich voice, the rhythmic cadence of his speech pattern, and his frequent use of the "call and response" rapport with his audiences. All great orators have discovered and perfected these techniques. That's why they're great orators. If the English monarchy with all of its vapid family members and tabloid scandals is an example of teaching commoners how to conduct themselves, heaven help the commoners. Probably why these blokes have been relegated to figureheads who are good for London's tourist trade. Some political pundits have blamed celebrities for contributing to Hillary Clinton's defeat because she was the darling of the liberal show biz crowd and this turned off a lot of voters who resented celebrities for trying to influence their vote. Trump's celebrity didn't really help his victory. It was his rejection and ridicule of the politically correct agenda, and identity politics of the Democratic platform that endeared him to all of the bigots out there. Celebrity is a double-edge sword. Just as many or even more people have no use for the rich and famous Kardashians as there are those who like them. Real world? "The Matrix" wasn't the real world; it was a fictional movie, full of a lot of fictional dialogue. One person's reality is another one's delusions - which is why i'm sure you'll disagree with my comments.

I agree that the masses are easily manipulated and that there are masters who have perfected the art of manipulating others for personal gain and ego gratification, especially in the political arena where image is everything, and where staffs exist for the purpose of advising candidates on how to mesmerize audiences. i also don't put anything past private industry when it uses subliminal advertising to sell products or Big Pharma and its designer drugs that hook white suburbanites, - who, incidentally, have their kids injected with vaccines just like everyone else. Militant black men in Afro-centric garb, wearing serpentine dread locks are particularly vocal about birth control clinics in black neighborhoods but rarely offer alternatives except to foolishly advise single sistas to "keep on havin' them babies"! Or have i ever doubted that the cigarette industry contrived to addict the general public to nicotine, a travesty that was exposed by the government. And, of course, there was Microsoft's latest scam that involved slowing down older iPhones. i am not naive as to how profit driven the world is. As an aside, it should be noted, that demographics play a big part in marketing, and specific groups of consumers are targeted in one way or another by companies that specialize in providing diverse groups their specific needs. Supply and demand is the gospel of a capitalistic country like America and it permeates our way of life. That's why I also know that all those being manipulated are not above manipulating others in their day-to-day lives. Ethics and scruples are in short supply today and the majority of folks will try and get away with anything they can. Everybody is seeking self empowerment. Obviously, i have never bought into the idea that there is a secret government network that specifically targets black people, and is busily at work to bring about dire results. Ironically, partisan politics is a kind of safety net that prevents the government from being unified enough to personify an organized evil force that wide-eyed conspiracy theorists, who are "in the know", warn about. I look at the big picture, and i question out-dated studies, and inconclusive results, and I take feasibility and logistics into account. Nobody holds this country in contempt any more than i but i always challenge what others are adamant about. That's what my man, Buddha, advised people to do. When it comes to Oprah, what i really noticed about her speech was that there was no spontaneity to it. It was well-crafted and well rehearsed and delivered with the gusto she is so good at displaying. Nobody can deny that she is a good performer. As for her running for president, i'm not enthusiastic. It would be Obama all over again. Considering her resume, she would fall into the category of being a president who is a black woman, not a black woman who is president. She would be trapped in the familiar scenario of not being able to please everybody, and would end up the butt of criticism for not catering to the demands of the different factions who helped elect her. She can do more good by just being a private citizen who gives dynamic speeches that make headlines. IMO.

@Pioneer1You are pathetically grasping at straws, unable to concede that your argument is lame. I can't believe that you can't distinguish between America promoting gay rights, and America supporting a surreptitious plot to feminize black males! Gay rights are about the right of human beings of a certain sexual orientation in certain intolerant countries to be free from discrimination. They are not a case of America publicly supporting an operation that will transform black males from straight to gay - for some reason that you can't come up with. And, yes, my mind is made up about your claims in regard to a chemical that has been known about for 50 years and has been shown to make some rats gay, and is secretly being released into the hood to feminize baby daddys. For one thing, if this is factual, the plot isn't working except in the imagination of paranoid people who don't seem to take into consideration that society's growing acceptance of homosexuality among all ethnics is a factor in causing more men to come out of the closet, rather than their ingesting something that made rodents swish when they scurry around. And it's not as if homosexuality doesn't naturally occur in all animal species. Or is it like the inner cities are not rampant with horny young straight men knockin' up the girlfriends eager to post their positive pregnancy test results on FaceBook. You like to portray yourself as the voice of reason and logic, while accusing everyone else of being obstinate when it comes to rejecting what is stuck inside your thick skull. But it's you who don't think things out to their logical conclusion. You stop at the point where to go further would reveal that most of your kooky notions prove more about your fallibility than ours.

CharliePeach🍑Follow GATech Alum - World Traveler, Unbossed & Unbought: #DarrenSeals #AssataShakur #FreeGaza #DemExit - End the Duopoly #Independent & Critical Thinker Jan 8 Oprah Winfrey’s Shameful Comparison of Black Women’s Jim Crow Era Rape to that of Rich White Women’s #MeToo… I have to admit that I purposely ignored the Golden Globes and all of its Hollywood Rich Women’s #MeToo moments. However, I was more than insulted listening online this morning to Oprah compare the violent and brutal pain of rapes and even murders that Black women endured by racist white men during Jim Crow to that of rich white women in Hollywood and business. The brutal gang rape of Recy Taylor by six white men in Alabama is not comparable to the alleged sexual assaults that rich white women (often times purposely endured for fame and money) are fighting in their new #TimesUp and #MeToo movements. To compare the savagery and racism that fueled the many rapes and abuse that Black women had to endure by the hands of racist white men to that of rich white women’s new fight for dominance and power is a shameful erasure, even for Oprah. These rich women weren’t raped, beaten, bloodied and left to die because of hate and white power, these rich women chose silence out of fear of their careers and wealth, Black women who chose silence during Jim Crow etc., chose silence out of fear for their very lives and that of their families. The image below was taken from the documentary of Ruby McCollum (August 31, 1909 — May 23, 1992), a wealthy Black woman from Florida who was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering her white doctor who she accused of repeated rapes and forcing her to have his children. Her conviction was later overturned.The Golden Globes gave the Cecil B. Demil Award to a Black woman billionaire, this after not giving even one Golden Globe to any black actresses…nothing says supporting Black women like the coronation of one of their own, who better to deliver the erasure of Black women’s pain but the most powerful Black woman in the world (all of this as the new push by the powers that be to elevate Oprah as potential presidential candidate). Many of you will say that Oprah used the stage to highlight the story of Recy Taylor; I disagree…Oprah is a talented woman and orator, her purposely omitting the vast differences in the rapes and pain that Black women endured because of racism by racist white men during the Jim Crow era, and comparing their pain and often deaths to that of rich white women was a disgrace. What’s laughable about the Golden Globes and the #MeToo and #TimesUp gaggle of elite Black and White women is that they had no problem with an award named after a White man (Cecil B. Demil) being lauded as its top Award “Lifetime Achievement”, a white man that I’m sure if someone looked into his past…would find the same disturbing and accepted practices of casting couch auditions and more, that the likes of Weinstein and other Hollywood execs used for decades. A system that was known to all, everyone knew the pathways to success in Hollywood always came about through a small amount of talent, a large dose of nepotism, a lot of money and many meetings with casting couches. It now looks like Hollywood has actually silenced the #OscarSoWhite crowd, (it only took a few Essence covers and a parody of #Woke100 crowns) they were never going to do right by Black people/women…after all, how does an industry that lauds itself on being Liberal and Democrats, have to be forced to acknowledge the talents of Black people? White women were not going to allow Black women to have the spotlight all to themselves for long, because it has never been about female solidarity but about white feminism and white women power…This new #MeToo push is nothing more than a planned agenda to elevate rich White women into the same abusive power of rich white men they claim to hate, a clever scheme to replace their rich White husbands and fathers, while continuing their solidarity of generational wealth and white supremacy. Hillary was going to be their Queen to that pathway but since that didn’t happen, #pussyhat and women’s march looked for other ways to ensure their path to power, and viola’ along came Ronan Farrow and Harvey Weinstein. I’ve written on many occasions how sad it is to see Black women fighting so faithfully to be equal to that of White women…always joining their fights under the guise of feminism, when in the end as usual we’re always used for votes and voices, to only laud and lift up their causes and agendas of white women power and dominance. I don’t write in normal writer prose and professorial jargon that many writers use, which seems more to stroke their egos than to deliver a succinct story that all can follow. I hope that in doing so, my words are food to those who need it most. Daniel Holtzclaw raped 13 poor black women and not a word from Hollywood or feminists in their defense. As Oprah revisits the history of Recy Taylor’s horrible rape, then she and Hollywood must also revisit the recent rapes of the poor Black women in Oklahoma and give them the same respect and support that they give those they deem more worthy. It’s almost as if history is repeating itself, we all know that Rosa Parks wasn’t the first Black woman to sit down on a bus in Montgomery and unlike Parks, Claudette Colvin’s choosing to sit down in front of a bus was not staged by the NAACP but an actual Black girl who was tired, yet her image and history didn’t sit well with the local NAACP…so they used Rosa Parks, a Black woman with fair skin and silky hair…an image they felt would be more palatable to whites and garner more sympathy than Colvins. Never Hers Alone At the Dark End details a litany of horrific accounts of sexual violence suffered by black women under Jim Crow. Such violence was not an irrational byproduct of the Jim Crow era. Instead, McGuire makes clear that sexual violence was an essential tool in disciplining black labor and in punishing black resistance (taken from an article by Rosa DeLux). Oprah of all Black women, knew of all of these disturbing stories; yet her fight is for that of maintaining white supremacy and the rich white power structure that now OWN’s her. So, until we rebuke the voices of powerful Black women like Oprah who refuse to admit that the struggles of Black women for equality are NOT equal to that of White women, we will continue to be left fighting for something as basic as heat in our school systems for our children (as was the case this past week in Baltimore City Schools). There is no #MeToo until there is a #BlackFirst and an end to systemic racism and all of its dangerous and deadly tentacles. And the brutal rapes and often murders of poor black women by the hands of racist white men are not comparable EVER to that of rich white women who either submitted to or sat silent to sexual assault in order to further their careers and fame.

I don't agree that anyone who runs against Trump will automatically win. A lot can happen between now and 2020. His support base may expand, increased by a backlash of whites tired of the POTUS being vilified by the hated media. If the evidence against him isn't sufficient enough to try him, and the economy remains stable, and Trump's saber rattling keeps hostile countries in check and maintains the peace, - as keeper of the status quo, Trump may very well be re-elected if he runs again.

Who said i didn't agree with your take on Sally Hemings? Why wouldn't i? She was, after all, the involuntary, enslaved mistress of a plantation master. I merely note that her descendants apparently don't hold any hard feelings against Jefferson. No, i don't think she could've passed for white. She has black people's hair.

Last night, at the much-anticipated Golden Globe Awards telecast from Hollywood, amidst an ebony sea of sexually-harassed women and their sympathizers, all of whom were garbed in black to display their protest against male predators in the work place, Queen Oprah took to the stage and hit the ball out the park with her speech. There to accept a life time achievement award, Winfrey took the occasion to address the issue that has spawned the "me too" movement made up of women who have long endured being humiliated and disrespected by employers in a position to get away doing this. From all walks of life, victims are now coming out of the woodwork to tell their stories and offer explanations for why they were too intimidated to remain silent about this ongoing abuse. The band wagon is full speed ahead. Whatever. A bespectacled "O" was a force of nature as she vibrated there, all slimmed down in a low-cut black gown, her naturally abundant hair helped along with silky extensions, and she brought the audience to its feet with her well-rehearsed pep talk replete with a warning that "a new day is on the horizon"! Lewd misconduct that degrades female employees will no longer be tolerated, nor will disparity in salaries between men and women performing the same job go unchallenged. It's "on" now, and i can't help but wonder if this momentous crusade might reap an ironic outcome. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of her sensational performance, Television, The Press and Social Media have all exploded with speculation about the possibility of Oprah's stirring speech being a prelude to her throwing her hat in the ring, and running for President! One of the presenters at this awards show even joked about this, suggesting that actor Tom Hanks be her running mate. Would that be an unbeatable combination? A presidential run by Oprah is mind-boggling, and her election would be an incredible achievement which would top an incredible life's journey. I have mixed emotions. Is a rich, black, woman president the cure to what ails this nation? Should Trump still be around to run again, a "mammy" figure candidate defeating a "slave master" incumbent would certainly be the stuff of poetic justice. Would an Oprah victory be the final nail in the coffin of the United States where a substantial portion of the population is still afflicted with racism and sexism? Or, would a Trump win trigger rebellious unrest among the citizens fed up with his brand of government? Who knows? It's bad enough that i have to try and hang on until 2019 to see the conclusion of "Game of Thrones". Now this. if i want to see what happens in 2020 , i'll have to try and last yet another year. i think i'll take a "pass".

Gay people have made so many great contributions to all areas, particularly in the sector of the Arts, that they inspire the support of influential institutions who accept them and appreciate their talents. I still want to know the name of this chemical being introduced into the black communities that can affect the sexual orientation of straight men. Once it is identified, straight guys can avoid anything of sustenance that contains it - if they so choose.

Sally Hemings was a light-skinned mulatto. All her descendants from her liaison with Jefferson must've forgiven him because, in the present, members of this clan are very proud of their heritage and even fought to be recognized and accepted by the other descendants of him and his white wife. I know one of these descendants who wrote a book about this.

I would be remiss, if i didn't DISAGREE with Pioneer's declarations about conspiracy theories that date way back to over 50 years ago - scenarios which i always find amusing. Why? Is there a secret government department run by The Man, one that is concocting chemicals to introduce into the black ghettos via food and marijuana, ingredients that will turn black men into homosexuals? What is the name of this chemical and is it why black males in these communities are shooting each other up because they are trying to cover up their gay inclinations by exhibiting the macho behavior that leads to settling "beefs" with bullets? You can come up with sinister plots about anything. Those who spread these ideas are usually ones who think they are smarter than everyone else, and cannot be hoodwinked like those who dismiss them. The Man is really kept busy, what with the task of making sure lead would be present in The Projects. He must've been miffed when the gangsta drug dealers beat him to introducing Crack to the ghettos.

What is the intent of minstrels?

I think you've presented a very good case, David, for crafting an opinion which decides that, yes, wearing black face in the spirit of accuracy is not only offensive but is an oxymoron. Taking into consideration the country where you are located, what would be more authentic would be to recruit a swarthy person of Moorish descent to portray Baltasar. Another alternative to black face, would be to neatly apply bronze colored make-up instead. In America, under appropriate circumstances, black men will dress up as Santa Claus. But Santa in black-face would be unacceptable because it is, indeed, offensive.

@Pioneer1You don't agree with me, when i say that you don't agree with me. The fact that you address your denials to Troy, indicates that he is also under the impression that we are rarely in agreement. Do you agree that I have no choice but to assume that the reason you say you always agree with me is because you think i am always right? And surely your agreement is forthcoming when i assert that your thought processes are flawed.

I totally disagree with your assertion about white people. They do engage in public displays of affection; I've witness this all my life, and they don't shun or disapprove of sexuality.They are demonstrative, horny and freaky just like everybody else even if they happen to use different terms of endearment. Do you live in a cave? Where do you get these ideas?

Puleeze. The reason why i challenge so much of what Pioneer's says is that he and i have a different world view. I never have to work at disagreeing with him, - it kinda comes natural. i am probably old enough to be his mother and it always amazes me as to how set in his ways he is when it comes to his conclusions about blackness. Take our different views on homosexuality. i grew up during the '40s and '50s. My small, midwestern home town, a suburb of Chicago, was the location of a small ghetto island surrounded by a sea of white people, many of whom i went to school with. Growing up here, there were always males around - choir directors, hair dressers, slick haired guys who powdered their faces and gossiped - guys we called "sissies". They were a part of my community and weren't bad people. We just accepted them, just like we accepted people with low intelligence, calling them "not quite bright", and the sneakin-around-cheats who were "playin' on" their spouses", and the expectant couples, who "had to get married", and the the frequent imbibers who we called, "liquor heads". When i went away to the state university, i encountered a cross section of blacks from villages, towns, and cities located all over Illinois, everyone bringing their ways and customs and accents, all of us congealing into a group where blackness was our common denominator, where huddled together, interacting and learning about each other, we existed amidst a large white student body. As i grew older, i encountered a wide variety of black and white folks during a very pivotal and volatile period in American history when there was plenty to observe. To me, this explains why, in the present, when i interact with Pioneer our interpretations and impressions of black life don't jibe. Plus, our interests are also different. I am not Afro-centric. And he is not into meta-physical spirituality, or the thoughts and disciplines of "white" philosophers . My black experience apparently shaped a point of view different from his. And contrary to how he portrays himself, Pioneer rarely agrees with me. i am not arguing by myself. BTW, i found myself immediately disagreeing with his just-made remarks on another post about the sex habits of Millennials. My observation are that they are definitely not chaste prudes. They are who originated the "hookin' up" practice, a phrase used to describe one night stands. And smart phones are their favorite venue for exchanging nude pictures.

I asked: "How do you know a white male saying the same thing to a young white woman wouldn't have elicited the same response as you did? @Pioneer1 ??? I'm wasn't talking about how a black female would react to a white male saying what you said. I asked how you knew whether a white female wouldn't have reacted the same way, had a white man said to her what you said to a black female, - my point being that "race" very possibly had nothing to do with the after effect of an encounter like the one you described. Moving on, everybody isn't a homo-phobe like you. That's why same sex marriage is becoming legal in all states, and why the Supreme Court strikes down those who practice discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation. Plus, more than half of the population accepts gays as legitimate members of society. Broadminded people don't concern themselves with "what goes on behind closed doors between consenting adults". Furthermore, conventional wisdom in the medical community says that homosexuals are born that way and should not be ostracized for being themselves, and that a truly straight male cannot be converted into being gay or bi-sexual. ( Something i imagine you would attest to). Incidentally, superficial things like clothing have no gender. They are just a matter of taste and preference. i don't agree with the claim of some who insist attempts are being made to feminize black men. i, personally, find the latest style of suits with tight trousers and short, single-breasted, 3-button coats quite sexy. Nothing more appealing than muscular male thighs shown off by tight pants. Also, sistas have always had gay male friends and confidants, especially among hairdressers because these guys are good, sympathetic listeners.This is nothing new! And show biz females of every ethnicity have always had legions of the adoring gay groupies who these women appreciate because these fans are so supportive and loving. In any case, homosexuals have a right to exist, whether you despise and stigmatize them or not. Finally, your fear that white females will somehow corrupt the sexual behavior of black ones is ridiculous! Sexual antics transcend color. All women do whatever works when it comes to pleasing a man they desire. And in regard to your observation about white men, how do you figure a bar is not a public place?? I guess you are also unaware of how typical white construction workers ogle and make cat calls at female passers-by. Or do white people have a monopoly on good conduct! Black folks who embrace civility do so as human beings who reject crude behavior, not as "wanna-be's" influenced by white people, as you suggest. Anybody who equates black propriety with their being influenced by white society, brings to mind the slave mentality that scolded black folks for being "uppity". It also reeks with your inconsistency. You want black folks to imitate what white people do to achieve economic success, yet you criticize them for swimming in the main stream. Your implication that blacks sacrifice their uniqueness by having poise shows how you constantly underestimate them. Their being able to successfully preserve their mystique is a not only a reality, but a tribute to the adaptability which allows them to be elegantly black. Sooo, 2018 is starting off on a familiar note. We are just never of the same opinion.

I simply elaborated on what "being under his sway" meant in my last post. What did i say that was contrary to this in my first statement?

@Pioneer1How do you know a white male saying the same thing to a young white woman wouldn't have elicited the same response as you did? And you continue to underestimate the intelligence and instincts of black women. They are no more influenced by white women, than white women are by them. These fragile "me too" white women are now emulating strong sistas most of whom have learned how to deal with men who proposition them, something they've been doing for centuries. All women are a part of a current culture which is becoming increasingly cynical about the inappropriate behavior of horny males. The girl in question is of the humorless Millennial generation and these types are "politically correct" to the extreme. What might've offended her was your insinuation about "straightness" and "blackness" which is a "no-no" to the Millennial mindset of inclusiveness and tolerance. This is why many stand-up comedians won't appear on college campuses anymore, because the audiences there are too easily offended about subjects comedians have traditionally made jokes out of.

Yes, I think the Republicans are falling under the sway of Trump because they are seeing how he gets away with thumbing his nose at convention and protocol, something they admire especially those among them who are used to to engaging in deceptive underhanded tactics. His shameless public persona has seduced and influenced them into emulating him.

Word is that 2018 will be a strong Capricorn year. There are 4 Planets in that sign right now. Capricorn rules Saturn and it's predicted that this relationship will manifest itself by placing stringent demands on humanity. Whether in one's personal life, one's job, or political leanings, this configuration in the heavens supposedly portends that things are going to get very complicated. So say the astrologers. What say you, Del? Taking everything into consideration, i tend to subscribe to the idea that things will get worse before they get better. Not a far-fetched notion considering the quixotic economy and the polarized populace at home, and the possible repercussions from abroad attributable to the fool hardiness of the inept POTUS. Furthermore, taking into account that right or wrong has no relevance in how reality is played out, i have little faith in Trump being brought to trial for his collusion with the Russians or that an impeachment will be imminent. Especially considering how impotent the floundering Democrats are. The newly-elected senator from Alabama now speaks in conciliatory tones, hoping Democrats and Republicans can compromise for the "good of the country". The typical Democrat stance of taking the high road against a bunch of self-serving low-lifes. Meanwhile, Republican leaders are falling under the sway of Trump. As luck would have it, like other scoundrels, his teflon surface prevents charges against him from sticking. Or is any clear leadership emerging from the ranks of the Democrats except for played-out old men, and wanna-be candidates of the female variety, still handicapped by their gender. A 2020 defeat of Trump is dependent on his leadership resulting in disaster. But he seems to be successfully settling in, converting his party leaders with his bluster and hyperbole, impressing them as he bumbles along, never falling off the edge. If he gets better at this, as an incumbent president, he may be re-elected. Also, there could be many independent voters who might like his tough talk and bold misguided threats to the rest of the world. The incidents of domestic terrorism at the hands of Muslims converted to the cause of Isis certainly don't inspire a lot of opposition to his restrictions against the Islamic community. Whatever. The earth will continue to orbit the sun, and revolve on its axis, and the good guys will be indistinguishable from the bad guys while the masses will be sandwiched in between. Black folks? They, as usual, will be plagued by their perennial problems as pundits persist in articulating them, offering no viable solutions. And so it goes. What will be an encouraging surprise is if my pessimism is unwarranted! I can't believe we're of the brink of 2018. Seems like just yesterday when the new century turned. Tempus fugit. Yesterdays are like blinks of the eye, and time is fleeting. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Today is a gift. That's why it's call the present". Taking things one day at a time is the best option for a world-weary mortal like me. Ho Hum. See ya next year (?)

Finally someone who recognizes the difference between vanity and self-hate when it comes to black women. Kudos to you, Troy!

i haven't forgotten Oscar Peterson, Harry. He was one of my favorite jazz pianist. And i wish your wish would come true!

I have been patiently waiting for 2018 to arrive so that i could enjoy the final season of Game of Thrones. This was my incentive for hangin' around another year, and i'll be damned if the fools haven't pushed the airing of the final season up to 2019! WTF! (Thank you, Pioneer.) Suppose i croak before then, and never find out how it ends and whether my human race sweetie, Jon Snow, - Snow as in "white" , (sorry Troy, ) finally gains his rightful place as ruler of the 7 Kingdoms! i'm now trying to convince myself that if i leave this crazy-assed world before 2019, i will have an excuse to take time off from languishing in the spirit realm and come back as a spook so i can haunt my old room and watch the last episodes on the TV that will be left there as per my instructions. Life can be sooo problematic. Oh, well. Sorry, Folks. Slow day. I'm outta here. Check ya later. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

These big corporate giants are really ruthless and disingenuous. Apple slowed down their older iPhones, and although they denied doing this deliberately, users with these older models think this was done to make them want to buy new faster ones. Apple feigned innocence, claiming that they slowed the old ones down to preserve their batteries, glibly going on to inform that new batteries would bring the phones back up to speed, and could be purchased for $80.00. There's no shame in their game. Why do i find this funny?