Pioneer1

I was watching a quick video about the mental abuse that Michael Jackson suffered and what prompted him to get plastic surgery and change his appearance so much. He obviously had low self esteem and had the temperament and sensitivity of a child. I can understand a little bit of what he went through because I was called ugly so much as a child...even by other family members. As a kid growing up, I too was told my nose was too big and even though I'm lighter skinned....was often called "Black and Ugly" by some adults and kids. It WILL fuck up your esteem. Some more than others. It's a shame how we as a people often do this to our own children. I look at other races and how they interact with their children and I often see White and Latina mothers smiling at their children, looking deep in their eyes, kissing on them, playing with them, calling them handsome and beautiful.....and then I look at a lot of AfroAmerican mothers who are constantly yelling at their children and cussing at them and barely looking at them except to scold them or express disappointment. How can children be expected to grow up well adjusted when they feel that their own community and sometimes their own parents don't even want them?

Yeah...now you need cable with someone who carries MSNOW to see it when 3 or 4 decades ago an event like this would be aired on one of the national broadcasting stations like NBC, CBS, or ABC.

There are 2 major problems with current Black unemployment: 1. Not enough of our people are starting our own businesses and making our own jobs to employ our people. Too many of our people go into business as a "last resort"..... -If they have an extensive criminal record and just can't find a job anywhere else and can't find somebody to mooch off us...they'll get out in the street and hustle up a business and often end up becoming successful. -Or after getting tired of constantly being fired and running into friction with White employers realize they just can't work for or with White folks....they decide to go into business for themselves. 2. There is too much non-Black competition. As AfroAmericans WE are allowing too many immigrants to pour into the country sucking up valuable resources like jobs, healthcare, and certain government positions that could and should go to us. I know we don't totally control immigration or the immigration policies in this nation but we have far more control than we exert. I don't see to many Black people who are even concerned about the massive amount of racist immigrants who are pouring into this nation and pretty much not having anything to do with them. Black people.....especially Black Americans....should be LEADING the charge against immigration and joining ICE like it's the NAACP. Troy There is the gig economy, but that’s more a kin to sharecropping. And it's also incredibly stressful. Not only is it unreliable like most steady 9-5 jobs....but you're dealing with the stresses and headaches of having to run your own business and deal with customers WITHOUT getting the money that owning a business could potentially generate. Gigs and side-hustles used to be a rare thing that only the most ambitious people engaged in to earn enough money to do something specific like go into business or pay off a loan. Now it's almost standard procedure to get by in some areas. Working 2 or 3 jobs at long hours is tough for healthy young people, so the average American with pre-existing health conditions can't work themselves to death at 50 and 60 and 70 hours a week just to make a living.

ProfD I'm waiting for this chess move to win out. I don't believe it will. I don't support that "when they go low" bullshit, but I DO think that if Michelle Obama would have ran for president instead of Kamala, she would have won. As controlled opposition, I think Democrats purposefully allow Republicans to run over them. Ofcourse. The leadership atleast. I believe a lot of rank-n-file Democrats and low level Democrat politicians truly want to win and institute most of the policies they promote and they are sincere...to a certain degree; but the LEADERSHIP of the Democrats are in bed with the Republicans and they purposely lose some as you'd expect from controlled opposition. It's as if the Democrat leaders sit back and watch what works.....and do the exact OPPOSITE to ensure the Republicans keep the upper hand. "We can't call Republicans racist or Nazi sympathizers. That's too low of a blow. We can't promise everybody free healthcare. Sure we'd win every election but it wouldn't be fair to the Republicans." Both parties are in agreement when it comes to maintaining the system of racism white supremacy. Facts. It's actually a game. .....like Good Cop/Bad Cop The Republicans pretty much write and execute the policies while the Democrats pretend to restrain them and hold them back and resist a little so they don't go too far.

Phil Lamar Forgive me, I should have said I'm an OLD white man, whose lived through a lot, seen a lot of unfairness in our country, still believe it's the best country, but frankly scared. When you say "old"....exactly how old? Nearly everybody who participates on this site is over 50, so you're not dealing with spring chickens....lol. Trump and his followers are bringing back the racial unfairness, worship of the wealthy class, antagonism for anyone who's different, etc., with a vengeance. What bothers me the most about what's happening in our country is that most people (I say white people because that's what I know best) are silent, standing by while the country goes to hell or disappears completely. Perhaps because THEY...his supporters...don't see those things you mentioned as "bad". They may share the exact same observations as YOU do about the racial unfairness and worship of the wealthy but don't think they are bad but actually support and encourage them. And honestly, I'm trying to promote my new novel, The Short Happy Life of Wyatt Outlaw among AA readers. So far, almost almost all my readers are white, and they tell me they cry at the inhumanity of slavery and the tragic story about a heroic Black man who was murdered because he was "uppity." I have a couple questions..... Is "Wyatt Outlaw" the name of the protagonist in the novel? If so, why did you choose the name "outlaw" for him? I say bring them on, come on ladies, because the real "hero" of my novel is Wyatt's mother, who holds the family together and survives to send Wyatt's young children into the future. Wyatt has children. Without divulging too much of your novel....lol....does Wyatt have a wife?

When Black Democrats and Liberals TRY to or start in on him, the White Liberals/Democrats silence them and condemn them and advice them to "take the high road". Even my girl Michelle Obama is guilt of this shit to a certain degree. She started that "when they go low we go high" mess and that failed strategy hasn't stopped these devils from going lower and lower on their insults and smears. Fighting back actually works. If Black people actually DID bust back at the right wing for insulting the Obamas calling them apes and monkeys and questioning Michelle's femininity....they'd probably stop and find something else to do. But like I said, the White "allies" like Bill Maher and the like are the ones who criticize Republican policy in one breath then turn around and enjoy cocktails with them and invite them on his show, the next.

ProfD Believe it or not, I share some of Cynique's views when comparing Jews with Arabs on their treatment of Black people. Not just AfroAmericans but Black people world wide. I grew up in the Detroit area which has both a large Jewish and large Arab population and most Black people will tell you that when Jews owned and operated stores in the ghetto they treated Black people much better and with much more respect than the Arabs. Globally, from my limited observations it seems as if Blacks in Israel live better and have more financial opportunities under Jewish governance than they do in most Arab countries. Again, this is looking at things from an outsiders point of view so I could be wrong. . Brotha Malcolm X mentioned that it was not a good idea to allow white folks fo join Black organizations & movements. Malcolm was a smart and wise man. Most of the time White folks only join these organizations so that they can INFILTRATE them and either steer them in a particular direction or act as spies to funnel information to their racists comrades who work for the other side. 2 good examples of this is how Colin Kaepernick was influenced by a White man to protest by "taking a knee" instead of walking out and how White people who infiltrated the Black Lives Matter movement changed the atmosphere from rioting and confrontation to walking around with your hands in the air chanting "hands up don't shoot". Making a pretty much neutered, docile, and powerless protest. He provided an excellent analogy when he said strong Black coffee keeps you alert but when you start adding milk to it.....it puts you to sleep, lol. Jews have further enriched themselves using Black talent & labor especially the entertainment industry. Facts. They've also done this with their gentile brethren. The Nation of Islam teaches that the Jews are actually the leaders or "brains" of White civilization. Baby might have to go ahead and do it by himself. It's going to take YOU all night and half the next morning to get out of them tight ass pants....lol

That's how you can tell he's a racist. He openly talks about them because he considers them "soft targets" to openly unleash his racism on. He doesn't believe talking about them will get him too much blowback. I've learned from both observation and experience that if a White man is against ONE minority group...he's usually against ALL of them, lol. If you're talking about Jews and Latinos to ME.....you're probably talking about Black folks to some of the Latinos or Jews you're kicking it with. "Black guys are cool. I like Black guys. But those camel jockey Arabs........can't stand 'em. So if I call 'em sand niggers.....don't take offence. I'm talking about them, not you guys."

Maybe they should run your guy, Bill Maher for 2028.....lol. I have never at any point questioned Michelle Obama's sex or gender. Now I'll admit...... Back in the day before she became famous, I didn't think she had the prettiest face in the world. Always had a nice body, but the face...... I'm not sure if she got plastic surgery or Washington has just phenomenal make-up artists who can transform any dandelion into a rose because she's been looking down right SCRUMPTIOUS for the past 17 years or so. ....and getting more beautiful by the year. I don't know WHAT she's up to but she's all over the media on one outlet or another in swimsuits, sun dresses, tight pants, legs crossed, etc...... I hope she ain't trying to look for another husband or some boy-toy side dish, lol.

Phil ....told ya.

A couple of the Africans at work commented to me over the NBA championship. They pointed out how interesting it was that while the vast majority of the world is into soccer and the World Cup....so many Americans and especially Black Americans are into Basketball and to a lesser extent Football.

ProfD Why do Black folks need them at all to become rich or wealthy? That's a great question FOR Black people who are rich or wealthy. Infact, they should be asked 2 questions: 1. Did White folks make you or help you to become rich/wealthy? 2. If so, why did you need THEM...or in other words...couldn't you have become rich/wealthy without their help or influence? Most wealthy people aren't spritual or religious either. They leave that to people who need an opiate to cope with life. I'm not going to lie, I don't know a lot of rich or wealthy people personally. But most of the ones I DO know....tend to be either religious, spiritual, or both. Although I'm sure they exist because some entertainers claim to be, I don't personally know any atheists who are rich or even wealthy. And along that spiritual route...... I don't know any rich or wealthy people who don't give charity on some level. That seems to be one of the spiritual principles most rich and wealthy people follow to gain more wealth. Not just for tax purposes, but actual charity to needy people and causes.

Michael was a great entertainer and very charismatic but I wouldn't call him a threat to White racist hegemony. While it's true that maybe SOME White folks were trying to destroy him, OTHER Whites supported him and promoted him. The fact that he lightened up his skin, straightened his hair, and had numerous surgeries to change his appearance and be more White stands in start contrast to someone who actively opposed White supremist ideology.

Bill Maher is CONTROLED opposition. He's a racist White man who works for the racists in power to give the so-called "Left" their talking points. To help stir their argument in a way that is less threatening to the powers that be and less effective in defeating the right-wing.

ProfD The Arabs were not smart &/or forward-thinking. They built Dubai and other cities. You don't consider them smart accomplishments? White folks offered them a deal they couldn't refuse. Give up oil voluntarily & get wealthy or have it taken Venezuela style. True. But this doesn't mean the Arabs weren't smart, it just means that the White folks (non-Arab Whites) MAY be a little smarter, lol. White folks have reached their quota of rich Black folks. There is no quota. They make or break many Black folks as they see fit. The entertainment industry is a great example of this. In what other country can poor kids from the ghetto be given riches and exposure simply by rapping and rhyming about the violence and dysfunction they grew up in? Becoming wealthy or rich is not merely a matter of putting in work. If that was true...a whole lot more people would already be rich. I wrote "put in THE work"...lol. Becoming wealthy isn't simply a matter of just working or putting in any ole type of work but CONCENTRATING YOUR EFFORTS on certain fields, occupations, opportunities, and investments as well as rubbing elbows with the right people. ....on a physical level. On a Spiritual level, other activities seem to be involved.

Lol..... After this movie? ....I'm a HUGE supporter (I don't apply the word "fan" to myself) of his! My love and support for Michael has waxed and waned over the years. When I was younger I was more into traditional R&B and rap but still enjoyed me some Michael. I liked his music but is behavior and public image was a little to eccentric for my tastes. And then the allegations of being with children.....too much. But like Madonna....when one of his jams come on over the radio or on tv, you GOTTA move. I'm not going to lie..... Since watching that movie the other day I've been BINGING on Michael Jackson songs, from the time he was in the Jackson 5 all through up to the 2000s. Even listening to song I hadn't even heard before. Seeing what he went through with his family, especially his father, his tragic accident at the Pepsi commercial shoot....it helped put things in perspective and made a lot of his songs make more sense. As rich and famous as he was, I didn't realize he continued to live with is parents until his late 20s and that he was such a mamma's boy, lol. That movie only showed a fraction of what he went through in his life. He was also a victim of police brutality. What REALLY makes me interested in him is the spiritual aspect of his life. Talking to people who knew him personally or met him in person, they all say he had a type of presence or charisma that even the music or television didn't capture. But if you were in his presence or in the same room with him or even at a concert.....his energy would TAKE you.

Good So now you'll only have to apologize to ONE person for spreading their picture all over the internet without their permission. As a matter of fact..........

The Arabs....especially the elite.....were smart and forward thinking enough to "get in" with the rich White folks to enrich themselves. ....at the expense of being enemies to some of their own brethren at times, however it is what it is. Although certainly White folks wouldn't allow ALL Black Americans to get rich in America, they certainly would have allowed a lot more of us get rich than currently are. A lot of our people simply didn't want to put in the work to make that happen.

Sometimes even well seasoned meat needs to be trimmed up from time to time...lol. ....and if the meat is too lean it often needs to be marbled to enhance the flavor...lol.

Cynique You're just having a GOOD ole time playing around with AI while sitting up in your dark dank room, ain't ya?

Posting pictures of yourself all over the internet grinning and grabbing on different men. .....that says a lot.

I thought you claimed that no such consensus existed among Black people....lol.

Finally got around to seeing the Michael Jackson movie yesterday. I enjoyed it. It brought back a lot of memories. I looked for things that I remembered seeing and hearing about him back in the 70s and 80s. I remember watching television and seeing Michael being hauled away by ambulance after his hair caught fire during a Pepsi commercial shoot. ....I also remember that Pepsi commercial, lol. And one of the things that I looked for and saw was the media showing him laying on a ambulance cot with that sparkling white glove being held up. I had little idea that the burns Michael received from that Pepsi commercial accident were so serious and left him in so much chronic pain. I though his hair just caught on fire. I wish they would have included Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, and Brooke Shields in the movie. The movie basically ends with Michael's life back in 1988 -WTF????? I sense a part 2 in the works.

The question is..... Why do so many women adhere to those definitions? That fact is, most women's identities revolve around what the men of their society think of them.