Great show as always, fire points as always! I agree with you Dave that social media creates a “society within a society” – replete with hierarchy and all. It seems to insulate us from the larger world. And I agree with Tareau’s point that it warps our sense of time – because our news feed is constantly updating, so we are accustomed to something new every second. This is typical capitalist thinking: we need something fresh off the conveyor belt, fresh off the press every moment. I wonder to which extent this seeps into our personal relationships and the way marriages do not last as long anymore. Is it because we simply give up on our partners when we think they are not “working” anymore? Is it because we have been trained to receive something new and exciting all the time?
With Veterans Day around the corner, ya’ll made some good points about war. I agree – it is a racket. When you said soldiers are “pawns”, it made me think of a statement made by Henry Kissinger (former National Security Advisor) who said: “military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.” True story! The discourse on patriotism and all that flag waving is a cover-up for the dearth of critical thinking. And we can pretend that black folks are not put on the front lines of war to die at disproportionate rates, as well. Stokely Carmichael said this is nothing more than “urban removal”.
I want to briefly address a point made near the end about complaining and choice. I agree that complaining, without action, can be crippling. But I do not think we should underestimate the grips of domination. Everyone does not have a choice. We should not let the white, neoliberal discourse of “choice” make us forget, that black folks are discriminated against in the job market. Studies show that people with “black sounding names” (i.e. Kwame or Keisha) are less likely to get jobs than equally qualified people with “white sounding names” (i.e. David or Mary). There is no choice there – unless black folks are supposed to completely erase their cultural identities and give their children names that typically “go with” kids with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Black people are also discriminated against in the housing market. Black folks are the least likely to be approved for mortgages. When we look at scientific studies of people’s neighborhood preferences, black people do not “choose” to live in segregated ghettos and war-torn areas. This is anti-black propaganda. Black people want to live in 50/50 racially diverse areas! Do you know who “chooses” to live in complete segregation? White people! White people are not comfortable living in an area that is any more than 20% black people. When a neighborhood tips into 21% black, white folks start packing their shit, and the property value begins to drop as a result (its not about who moves in, its about who moves OUT). Since white people control the housing market, they determine who gets the mortgages, at what rates, and in what areas. I recommend a book called “American Apartheid” by Massey & Denton, which talks all about the subtle housing discrimination of today. Housing realtors no longer discriminate to your face … once they find out you are black, you are simply less likely to get a call back to see the house and that is the end of it (several studies on this). They will only show you a house in a black neighborhood. This means black people are often FORCED, one way or another, to stay in black areas. So there is still a problem of “choice” – and we should not buy into the neoliberal language that we are all created equal and can simply choose what we want to do. Everyone does not have a choice. A lot of women do not have a “choice” because they are trapped in abusive relationships, and the alternative is death for her and/or her children. So we must not under-estimate oppression, as it is still alive and kicking – even if some of us are able to accumulate a little bit of dough.
This is also part of the reason why it is not as simple as moving to Canada. Black folks cannot even get approved for a basic loan to move across town. How can they move across the border? There are several restrictions and processes that need to go down, and not to mention the money. All that aside, people like Raven Symone are assuming that if you change the stars and stripes for a maple leaf and cross the border, that is the solution to your problems. It doesn’t. Canada is profoundly racist, too. The black unemployment rate in Canada is embarrassing, and their treatment of the aboriginals is horrible. But we never hear about it because, well, we don’t live there. Moving to Canada is not a solution. White folks gon be white wherever they are. Capitalists are gon be greedy wherever they are. There is no safe haven. We cannot just flee from our problems – especially because packing up and leaving assumes a degree of privilege, which undergirds choice. So if there is a mass exodus to Canada, black people will be left behind – as they could not afford it, and because black folks are more likely to have criminal records and felons cannot pass through customs. See what I mean by not having a “choice” ?
Society doesn’t want marriages to last because divorce is a business. That is why most new age women focus on the ” ring” or the “wedding” than actually focusing on marriage itself. Take my city San Francisco. It used to be a bustling city of families. Now with all these condos and lofts, San Francisco is basically saying bye bye to all families because the epitome of their perfect resident, is a millennial white or Asian person who is gay with a dog a pro I’ll Aryan Clinton. ( lmfao I typed in Hillary and the auto correct changed it to Aryan. My phone a straight G for that)
Social Media should be used sparingly but instead it is used for evil. Social media creates a new anxiety where people can not log off. For gods sakes they have boot camps here in the Bay area to teach these young folks how to interact with each other. They have withdrawals when they cant use any electronic device. It’s the new crack.
Kissinger had alot of foes and allies as well like most people in that position and was labeled Unpatriotic at times by few.
I have to disagree with complaining. When I lived in the projects everyone complained about everything. They wanted to be the HNIC. They didn’t want to take advantage of the wellness programs the community organized. Take the historical aspect out of being black, a lot of us are lazy and content with being a burden to hard working blacks. I’ve been grazed with bullets, stabbed, robbed, jumped, etc all due to living in the hood. There are opportunities but few rarely take advantage due to the conditioning of being hopeless. How many times did I hear mom’s telling their children that they aren’t shit? Or (insert any traumatic childhood memory while being black here) So it’s hard to blame white supremacy or racism when there is no one white around. The Mexicans and the Samoans never argued or destroyed the projects when I lived there. Nope just us which is sad. People choose their paths today. This isn’t Jim Crow. Black folks that’s don’t want to be better, I can’t fuck with. I’ll help you but I can’t do it for you. Failure is apart of success but alot of these brothas and sistas can’t even take constructive criticism.
When I was in college, you are absolutely right about the Black sounding names. We did this study in economics where I changed my name and race on job applications an resumes while keeping the job descriptions and accolades the same and I was 5 times more likely to get called back for a interview. Now when I showed up for said interview, I knew I wasn’t going to get the job because I am black. They interviewer would be in disbelief. Institutionalized Racism yes. But as a black person, we have to know that these racists aren’t going to hire us. We have to hire each other and take care of ourselves.
Absolutely right about housing. Hell Willie Mays couldn’t even buy a home here in San Francisco when he played for the Giants. White folks feel safer when there’s just one or two of us around. Look at sports. They love to be Courtside and in the action but you never see those people in the same neighborhoods that the players their kids admire. Housing will always be a problem due to post segregation. I totally get it because that’s where the “there goes the neighborhood” saying came from. As far as the women comment you’re right but I don’t see the relevance of overall choice as black people. If we are discriminated in the housing market, than why don’t we fix our own neighborhoods and stop trying to compete with races that are more unified than we are? Remember when doctors and businessmen lived on the projects pre Jim Crow? The non respect we have for each other and ourselves is what’s killing us. It’s like Jim Brown said on that open court episode I referred to a few podcasts ago: Change begins with you. Now even though I disagree with SOME of the things he was saying on that segment, he has done way more for the Black community than I ever will.
I visited Canada 3 times in my life and if we remember slavery, Canada was open to free slaves. Alot of Jamaicans and Haitians live in Canada due to the opportunities they have. I honestly think, yes it will be better. Universal health care, livable wages, affordable colleges. I’d rather stay there than here. There’s racism everywhere but we have to pick and choose what we are willing to put up with.
Raven Symone has her opinion and I think she used to look beautiful to me but she lost her credibility when she started denying her Black roots. Differences aside when you are black you can’t deny it. Her, tiger woods, Pharrell and all these other celebrities are poison. I don’t get upset with them because they are the real pawns. That’s why it’s laughable within our black community when we get upset at our celebrities. They don’t live the same if as us. (Few exception killer mike, David banner etc) but their words are manufactured.
I will be flying to Detroit to link up with Dave tonight and we have to get you and Lady G on the show. Here’s my email so we will touch bases. Thanks for the love man, you truly are a king. King of Boston. tareaubarron@gmail.com
My man Tareau – great points about marriage! Whenever I see one of them shows about “Say Yes to the Dress”, it becomes obvious that it is about money and not love and care.
In the spirit of self-determination (kujichagulia) and ujamaa (cooperative economics), I feel what you are saying about black business. Just be mindful that there are only two ways to organize an economy: totalitarian and egalitarian. Capitalism is based on total control of land, resources, and profit. Before European intervention in Africa, there was no word for (private) “property”. Before European intervention in the Americas, all land and resources were held in common. Thus, capitalism is a white system of economics. When we talk about “business”, we are talking about competitive economics, not cooperative economics. An egalitarian system is based on the idea that the land is held in common, the resources are held in common, and the profit is distributed to everyone, not just the people at the top of the pyramid. How does black business change the structure of capitalism and the fact that it is inherently totalitarian? We can talk about this later on the show, of course.
You said that racism is not a problem in the ghetto because there is no white person around. Understand, dear brother, that systems of domination are very complex. They are not just a game of exteriors, they are about the psyche and worldview. White supremacy can attach itself to anyone, not just white people. For example, there is a classic study you should check out by Dr Kenneth Clark. He put two dolls next to each other, one white and one black. He asked little children, some white, some black, which doll was “good” and which doll was “bad”. The white kids said the white doll was good, and the black kids also said the black doll was good. The white kids said the black doll was bad, and the black kids also said the black doll was bad. When asked which doll looks like them, the black kids pointed toward the black doll. This means that black people, by the age of 5, have already been taught to hate themselves and other black people. We are often taught that the most important thing in life is self-love. Black people are taught, in a white world, that blackness is filth, ugly, dirty, and sinful. Just look up the word “black” in the dictionary – and you will see nothing but awful definitions. Now look up the word “white”, and you will see pleasant ones. Studies show that black people are disproportionately associated with negative images on TV, independent of crime rates! Malcolm X spoke about this in several speeches when he would ask “who taught you to hate yourself?” – we have been taught to hate our very being, we are taught to hate Africa, etc. It is about the learning, not simply the person.
A system of domination requires hegemony – in other words, it flows smoother when it does not have to rely on violence. The best system of domination is the one where the people are brainwashed. It is so much easier to teach people they are inferior than have to bring out guns every week to suppress them. If you can convince them they are inferior, they will oppress THEMSELVES. And this is what black people are doing – oppressing themselves in the name of white supremacy. It is beautiful. Black people have been programmed to hate themselves – programmed to do their oppressor’s work when they arent around. If you study the way pimps “break” their girls, the first thing they do is beat them. Then they might get them hooked on drugs, and then they start convincing them that they are inferior and that they deserve their position. After a while, the pimp doesnt have to beat her anymore, she beats herself up in her own head. If I can convince Dave that he is inferior and should kill his family, he does my work FOR me. I can sit back, relax, and THEN point the finger at him and blame him for doing it – even though I trained him! Its a wild mind-fuck!
Have you ever read the Willie Lynch letter? It is a letter from a slave-maker from the West Indies, giving advice to other slave masters in the states about how to make slaves better. He argued that the best way to do it is to divide them and get them to hate themselves. The Europeans divided Africa up into pieces because they taught everyone they were inferior. This is the same with any system of domination. The rich are always disseminating information through the media teaching poor people that other poor people are inferior; men are always teaching women that their fellow women are bi**hes.
I can go on and on. More on this later though.
I will email you my details. Thank you for the credit you have given me. It is always a pleasure to chop it up with you and Dave. This is why I mess with WordPress. In solidarity always.
The Real Couch Sports 
Great show as always, fire points as always! I agree with you Dave that social media creates a “society within a society” – replete with hierarchy and all. It seems to insulate us from the larger world. And I agree with Tareau’s point that it warps our sense of time – because our news feed is constantly updating, so we are accustomed to something new every second. This is typical capitalist thinking: we need something fresh off the conveyor belt, fresh off the press every moment. I wonder to which extent this seeps into our personal relationships and the way marriages do not last as long anymore. Is it because we simply give up on our partners when we think they are not “working” anymore? Is it because we have been trained to receive something new and exciting all the time?
With Veterans Day around the corner, ya’ll made some good points about war. I agree – it is a racket. When you said soldiers are “pawns”, it made me think of a statement made by Henry Kissinger (former National Security Advisor) who said: “military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.” True story! The discourse on patriotism and all that flag waving is a cover-up for the dearth of critical thinking. And we can pretend that black folks are not put on the front lines of war to die at disproportionate rates, as well. Stokely Carmichael said this is nothing more than “urban removal”.
I want to briefly address a point made near the end about complaining and choice. I agree that complaining, without action, can be crippling. But I do not think we should underestimate the grips of domination. Everyone does not have a choice. We should not let the white, neoliberal discourse of “choice” make us forget, that black folks are discriminated against in the job market. Studies show that people with “black sounding names” (i.e. Kwame or Keisha) are less likely to get jobs than equally qualified people with “white sounding names” (i.e. David or Mary). There is no choice there – unless black folks are supposed to completely erase their cultural identities and give their children names that typically “go with” kids with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Black people are also discriminated against in the housing market. Black folks are the least likely to be approved for mortgages. When we look at scientific studies of people’s neighborhood preferences, black people do not “choose” to live in segregated ghettos and war-torn areas. This is anti-black propaganda. Black people want to live in 50/50 racially diverse areas! Do you know who “chooses” to live in complete segregation? White people! White people are not comfortable living in an area that is any more than 20% black people. When a neighborhood tips into 21% black, white folks start packing their shit, and the property value begins to drop as a result (its not about who moves in, its about who moves OUT). Since white people control the housing market, they determine who gets the mortgages, at what rates, and in what areas. I recommend a book called “American Apartheid” by Massey & Denton, which talks all about the subtle housing discrimination of today. Housing realtors no longer discriminate to your face … once they find out you are black, you are simply less likely to get a call back to see the house and that is the end of it (several studies on this). They will only show you a house in a black neighborhood. This means black people are often FORCED, one way or another, to stay in black areas. So there is still a problem of “choice” – and we should not buy into the neoliberal language that we are all created equal and can simply choose what we want to do. Everyone does not have a choice. A lot of women do not have a “choice” because they are trapped in abusive relationships, and the alternative is death for her and/or her children. So we must not under-estimate oppression, as it is still alive and kicking – even if some of us are able to accumulate a little bit of dough.
This is also part of the reason why it is not as simple as moving to Canada. Black folks cannot even get approved for a basic loan to move across town. How can they move across the border? There are several restrictions and processes that need to go down, and not to mention the money. All that aside, people like Raven Symone are assuming that if you change the stars and stripes for a maple leaf and cross the border, that is the solution to your problems. It doesn’t. Canada is profoundly racist, too. The black unemployment rate in Canada is embarrassing, and their treatment of the aboriginals is horrible. But we never hear about it because, well, we don’t live there. Moving to Canada is not a solution. White folks gon be white wherever they are. Capitalists are gon be greedy wherever they are. There is no safe haven. We cannot just flee from our problems – especially because packing up and leaving assumes a degree of privilege, which undergirds choice. So if there is a mass exodus to Canada, black people will be left behind – as they could not afford it, and because black folks are more likely to have criminal records and felons cannot pass through customs. See what I mean by not having a “choice” ?
Good stuff fellas! Have a great day!
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Society doesn’t want marriages to last because divorce is a business. That is why most new age women focus on the ” ring” or the “wedding” than actually focusing on marriage itself. Take my city San Francisco. It used to be a bustling city of families. Now with all these condos and lofts, San Francisco is basically saying bye bye to all families because the epitome of their perfect resident, is a millennial white or Asian person who is gay with a dog a pro I’ll Aryan Clinton. ( lmfao I typed in Hillary and the auto correct changed it to Aryan. My phone a straight G for that)
Social Media should be used sparingly but instead it is used for evil. Social media creates a new anxiety where people can not log off. For gods sakes they have boot camps here in the Bay area to teach these young folks how to interact with each other. They have withdrawals when they cant use any electronic device. It’s the new crack.
Kissinger had alot of foes and allies as well like most people in that position and was labeled Unpatriotic at times by few.
I have to disagree with complaining. When I lived in the projects everyone complained about everything. They wanted to be the HNIC. They didn’t want to take advantage of the wellness programs the community organized. Take the historical aspect out of being black, a lot of us are lazy and content with being a burden to hard working blacks. I’ve been grazed with bullets, stabbed, robbed, jumped, etc all due to living in the hood. There are opportunities but few rarely take advantage due to the conditioning of being hopeless. How many times did I hear mom’s telling their children that they aren’t shit? Or (insert any traumatic childhood memory while being black here) So it’s hard to blame white supremacy or racism when there is no one white around. The Mexicans and the Samoans never argued or destroyed the projects when I lived there. Nope just us which is sad. People choose their paths today. This isn’t Jim Crow. Black folks that’s don’t want to be better, I can’t fuck with. I’ll help you but I can’t do it for you. Failure is apart of success but alot of these brothas and sistas can’t even take constructive criticism.
When I was in college, you are absolutely right about the Black sounding names. We did this study in economics where I changed my name and race on job applications an resumes while keeping the job descriptions and accolades the same and I was 5 times more likely to get called back for a interview. Now when I showed up for said interview, I knew I wasn’t going to get the job because I am black. They interviewer would be in disbelief. Institutionalized Racism yes. But as a black person, we have to know that these racists aren’t going to hire us. We have to hire each other and take care of ourselves.
Absolutely right about housing. Hell Willie Mays couldn’t even buy a home here in San Francisco when he played for the Giants. White folks feel safer when there’s just one or two of us around. Look at sports. They love to be Courtside and in the action but you never see those people in the same neighborhoods that the players their kids admire. Housing will always be a problem due to post segregation. I totally get it because that’s where the “there goes the neighborhood” saying came from. As far as the women comment you’re right but I don’t see the relevance of overall choice as black people. If we are discriminated in the housing market, than why don’t we fix our own neighborhoods and stop trying to compete with races that are more unified than we are? Remember when doctors and businessmen lived on the projects pre Jim Crow? The non respect we have for each other and ourselves is what’s killing us. It’s like Jim Brown said on that open court episode I referred to a few podcasts ago: Change begins with you. Now even though I disagree with SOME of the things he was saying on that segment, he has done way more for the Black community than I ever will.
I visited Canada 3 times in my life and if we remember slavery, Canada was open to free slaves. Alot of Jamaicans and Haitians live in Canada due to the opportunities they have. I honestly think, yes it will be better. Universal health care, livable wages, affordable colleges. I’d rather stay there than here. There’s racism everywhere but we have to pick and choose what we are willing to put up with.
Raven Symone has her opinion and I think she used to look beautiful to me but she lost her credibility when she started denying her Black roots. Differences aside when you are black you can’t deny it. Her, tiger woods, Pharrell and all these other celebrities are poison. I don’t get upset with them because they are the real pawns. That’s why it’s laughable within our black community when we get upset at our celebrities. They don’t live the same if as us. (Few exception killer mike, David banner etc) but their words are manufactured.
I will be flying to Detroit to link up with Dave tonight and we have to get you and Lady G on the show. Here’s my email so we will touch bases. Thanks for the love man, you truly are a king. King of Boston.
tareaubarron@gmail.com
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My man Tareau – great points about marriage! Whenever I see one of them shows about “Say Yes to the Dress”, it becomes obvious that it is about money and not love and care.
In the spirit of self-determination (kujichagulia) and ujamaa (cooperative economics), I feel what you are saying about black business. Just be mindful that there are only two ways to organize an economy: totalitarian and egalitarian. Capitalism is based on total control of land, resources, and profit. Before European intervention in Africa, there was no word for (private) “property”. Before European intervention in the Americas, all land and resources were held in common. Thus, capitalism is a white system of economics. When we talk about “business”, we are talking about competitive economics, not cooperative economics. An egalitarian system is based on the idea that the land is held in common, the resources are held in common, and the profit is distributed to everyone, not just the people at the top of the pyramid. How does black business change the structure of capitalism and the fact that it is inherently totalitarian? We can talk about this later on the show, of course.
You said that racism is not a problem in the ghetto because there is no white person around. Understand, dear brother, that systems of domination are very complex. They are not just a game of exteriors, they are about the psyche and worldview. White supremacy can attach itself to anyone, not just white people. For example, there is a classic study you should check out by Dr Kenneth Clark. He put two dolls next to each other, one white and one black. He asked little children, some white, some black, which doll was “good” and which doll was “bad”. The white kids said the white doll was good, and the black kids also said the black doll was good. The white kids said the black doll was bad, and the black kids also said the black doll was bad. When asked which doll looks like them, the black kids pointed toward the black doll. This means that black people, by the age of 5, have already been taught to hate themselves and other black people. We are often taught that the most important thing in life is self-love. Black people are taught, in a white world, that blackness is filth, ugly, dirty, and sinful. Just look up the word “black” in the dictionary – and you will see nothing but awful definitions. Now look up the word “white”, and you will see pleasant ones. Studies show that black people are disproportionately associated with negative images on TV, independent of crime rates! Malcolm X spoke about this in several speeches when he would ask “who taught you to hate yourself?” – we have been taught to hate our very being, we are taught to hate Africa, etc. It is about the learning, not simply the person.
A system of domination requires hegemony – in other words, it flows smoother when it does not have to rely on violence. The best system of domination is the one where the people are brainwashed. It is so much easier to teach people they are inferior than have to bring out guns every week to suppress them. If you can convince them they are inferior, they will oppress THEMSELVES. And this is what black people are doing – oppressing themselves in the name of white supremacy. It is beautiful. Black people have been programmed to hate themselves – programmed to do their oppressor’s work when they arent around. If you study the way pimps “break” their girls, the first thing they do is beat them. Then they might get them hooked on drugs, and then they start convincing them that they are inferior and that they deserve their position. After a while, the pimp doesnt have to beat her anymore, she beats herself up in her own head. If I can convince Dave that he is inferior and should kill his family, he does my work FOR me. I can sit back, relax, and THEN point the finger at him and blame him for doing it – even though I trained him! Its a wild mind-fuck!
Have you ever read the Willie Lynch letter? It is a letter from a slave-maker from the West Indies, giving advice to other slave masters in the states about how to make slaves better. He argued that the best way to do it is to divide them and get them to hate themselves. The Europeans divided Africa up into pieces because they taught everyone they were inferior. This is the same with any system of domination. The rich are always disseminating information through the media teaching poor people that other poor people are inferior; men are always teaching women that their fellow women are bi**hes.
I can go on and on. More on this later though.
I will email you my details. Thank you for the credit you have given me. It is always a pleasure to chop it up with you and Dave. This is why I mess with WordPress. In solidarity always.
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