Friday, Mos Def (info) was outside of the VMA's (Video Music Awards) performing "Katrina Clap" (click link for video) song, and he was arrested by the NYPD.Okay...
I have no major comments. Just found it interesting. Mos is rapping in commercials to sell SUVs on one hand, and then signifying from a flatbed truck in the street -- Amiri Baraka & the Black Arts (Power) Movement-style -- on the other hand.
Read this.
What's really going on with him?
Spike Lee (info) is another brother to question in this manner. Directing the Katrina documentary, but also directing six U.S. Navy recruitment commercials aimed at feeding young non-whites (his primary demographic) into the military (aka, the belly of the beast).
Read this.
It begs the question -- If an individual takes an action that we deem worthy and effective at advancing the cause of liberation, but also does things (whether personal or professional) that seem contradictory, should this affect our regard for the positive action? Ounknow! Whatchu think?
-Iyelli
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22 comments:
well, first, it can't affect our regard. we regard positive things as they are, right?
but what it can do is help us start to identify what is actually helping in the "long view" and what is not. it can help us come to terms with who we are and who we are not. and who we hope to and genuinely strive to be, or not.
so does spike lee's movie "malcolm x" contribute to a more sustainable way of living enough to outweigh the destructive way of living he has participated in by making navy recruitment commercials?
do mos' albums touch enough people in a positive way to outweigh the long view harm he does in reinforcing a way of life (consumer capitalism gone mad) that is destructive to millions, potentially the very existence of the earth itself?
or maybe let's look at humans for what they are. and not put them on platforms of worship or teachers until we are sure who they are and until they are sure of who they are.
is spike lee a declared servant of the people? is he a teacher of a better way of life? or is he just a talented man who is trying to fufill the desires of his heart and wants to help out "where he can" along the way?
in the former case he has made a public and internal committment to serve his people and so whenever he gains knowledge of a way in which he is a disservice to his people he will be open to changing his actions. his life is centered around and dedicated to the persuit of these truths and the manifestation of them.
however, in the latter case he has made no committment to anything but his own conscience and desires (some good, like making a historically revolutionary movie, and some bad, like making navy recruitment commercials for money), which can be self-justifying and subjective in order to preserve what it percieves as its own security in the world over that of others.
most of us fall into this latter category more often that not.
only those of us who fall into the former category are prepared to challenge spike or mos in their ways.
since most of us fail to reach that former category, most of us are unprepared to serve as judge of either mos or spike.
i hope to be a living manifestation of the former category.
until i am, i can only point out the facts, in them and myself. the facts are that they, like myself are hypocrits. i hope they accept and embrace that. moreso, i hope the public identification of them as that helps motivate them to not be so anymore. but still, i cannot judge them because i do not want to be judged simply on the basis of my human shortcomings.
i am completely open, however, to be called a hypocrit when and where appropriate.
my only wish would be that the caller-out is understanding and loving enough to give me time to remedy myself, and ideally, can provide some instruction for how i might do so.
True we are hypocrits but I think it is important for us to call each other out when things that one may or may not do don't add up. But it is also important to for us all to work on our shortcomings, judgment does nothing when there is no action behind it. Spike Lee taking part in Navy commercials? That should definately be questioned, let's not let each other get away with murder (literal and not so literal), let's expect more of each other and more of ourselves.
just to be clear:
i agree that we gotta hold folks accountable.
it is important, however to note that the initial question was "does a negative affect our regard for a positive."
My answer should be taken in context.
I said we should call out both negative AND positive for what they are.
We can hope that the "calling out" encourages change in that it is a challenge. it is in fact a "judgement" on the action and not the person. we can do that pretty easily.
but it should not be a judgement on the person. cause who is qualified to do that? not yet I.
The bible does not JUST say "Judge Not", it follows that with a key CONTEXT:
"LEST YE BE JUDGED"
meaning:
judge away!
just know that you will be judged as you have judged.
So be careful.
We should not judge anyone unless we are ready for ourselves to be judged in every aspect on the same scale.
I admit that I am not yet ready for myself to be judged like that. I'm not yet ready for all my good and all my bad to be put on a scale and to see a result... Thus I cannot judge them.
Because while one is alive you still have the opportunity to add some more positive or some more negative.
I can however, call positive a positive and a negative a negative as was mentioned... and I will continue to strive to.
That is the essence of being a truthteller.
So back to the question about Mos and Spike:
"does a negative action affect our regard for their positive action?
I can't make that judgement because they are still alive. And as long as I'm alive, I have the opportunity to add more to the positive end of the scale that is weighing me.
So any "judgement" you make trying to answer that question is temporarily corrent at best, and flat out untruthful otherwise.
Agreed, I definately believe in judging ones actions as opposed to the snap judgement of an individual however there comes a time when ones actions reflects ones character. So when do we start critiquing the person? I just feel it necessary, as you stated, to hold folks accountable. And I believe that it really does depend on the negative and the positive; does the negative do anything to counter the progress/influence/affect of the positive? Also, what are the intentions in both the positive and negative actions? We all make mistakes and do things that may be considered hypocritical or selfish or self righteous or whatever but let's start learning from our mistakes and living by example and REALLY thinking about what we say and do and how that affects ourselves and others. Yeah, Spike is a great filmmaker and has influeneced a whole generation and such but damn, he made some films for NAVY recruitment targeted towards youth of color? What's up with that? He owns one of the largest collections of Black Art in the country so I'm not sold on the money aspect of things and even then, what pushed him to do such a thing for money? I don't want to judge but I'm definately going to criticize and go ahead, criticize me, I'm open to it, I can only grow from it. We need to start somewhere cause right now I feel like a lot of us are just stagnant...
criticism is just what "calling out" should be... critical thought, critical constructive informed criticism.
so if we are going to criticize Mos' and Spike's negative actions and actually mean it do to something, we have to be sure that we take our responsibility as loving critics seriously and give them the facts and the numbers.
illustrate to them EXACTLY how and why their actions were negative. make them think!
that's what "calling someone out" is all about. it must contain love, education (info) and vision.
Agreed.
Well...
I can say that this is really just the tricky part about being HUMAN. Its the inner battle that I think we all fight, regardless of our position in society (as leaders or ordinary citizens). I love Malcolm...dearly...his words and the beauty of his spirit continue to touch me in a very deep way. But he did spend a chunk of his life hustling and pimping. Should that be ignored? Should it be remembered?
At the end of the day, we all have a journey, and we are going to learn/grow from our mistakes. And we're ALL gonna make them.
So I feel that there is the very human experience of "positive" actions as opposed to "negative" ones (if we can call it that because I know in the African sense things are a little more complex). And THEN there is the sense of urgency associated with our oppression that really forces us in positions where we have to live up to superhuman standards.
And thats something that many of us fail at...because its damn near IMPOSSIBLE.
So I guess what I'm saying is, I'm hurt by what Spike is doing because i can't think of any logical reason TO do it (the issue of money, survival, etc. the reasons that NORMALLY influence folks to do such things aren't even valid reasons in his case). So it makes it THAT much more painful, because its completely unnecessary.
But does that make Spike more "sinful" then the brother on the corner slinging crack? No...but Spike has demonstrated that he is a thinking individual who is at least moederately exposed to information regarding African people and who has gone out on a limb, more than once, to speak out regarding social injustices. And he's done so in a semi-believable manner. So this is just so...distasteful.
I just think thats more of a reason why we have to not only study our history, but study our rising stars who navigated this whole thing despite being in the belly of the beast. The Ida B. Wells', the Harriet Tubmans, Sojourner Truths, Martin Delanys, Steve Bikos, etc.Those are our examples and in them I think we will find our answers. In the Walter Rodneys and the Fannie Lous. I think its about us knowing what IS important...what WILL be significantly remembered about our lives...and attempting to live out THOSE virtues. I think thats the important part...making sure our goods are REAL GOOD...cuz our lives, our futures depend on it.
Hold on!! wait!
Here is a novel idea. Why don't we wait until after the ads come out to pass judgement on Spike Lee?
Give him credit for being a man that has his own reasoning for wanting to do these ads. Keep in mind that he is an ARTIST in his own right, and by saying that, he is driven by a creativity that is not biased nor prejudiced in the way it inspires him.
I see a bunch of reasons why we can harpoon Spike and Mos for what they are doing. Historically, Chevy-the company Mos has done ads for- has shown an interest in giving to the black community and promoting things that us "African-Americans" deem important to us. My father bought his SUV from one of Chevy's dealerships which happens to be one of the only high-level Black-Owned dealerships in the country-so rare that he ordered his truck via internet because there are no black dealerships where i live.
I think Spike Lee is taking this job doing these ads because he might feel that he can change the way the NAVY, and other armed service branches are portrayed. The ads are said to be very artistic and Honest in the way they promote and/or paint the navy.
I am not saying I agree with what he is doing but I am at least willing to give him the benefit of the doubt unlike some of the other posteres here. please, black folks, stop being so quick to throw our leaders, or celebs on the train tracks because you don't understand it. let the plant fully bloom before you decide that you don't like it.
We can all want liberation, but that does not necessarily mean that we want to achieve it in the same way. Some of us have other viewpoints and that needs to be taken into consideration when we discuss these issues.
this brings up the question does one thing make a man? and also, spike and mos got kids to feed... i wouldn't judge cause i'm not living in their shoes.
I will be the first person to tell you that too many Black folks tend to be quick to judgement and a slow to accept other ways of being and doing. I don't want to throw Mos or Spike on the tracks, I just believe we should question what they are doing and what we all do in our lives. Mos did a similar thing with Nike where he did an ad campaign for them when they agreed to give some contribution to local Black orgs. But I don't think we should be quick to applaud. Just because Chevy has given contributions (which tends to be a business move as opposed to a caring move for many corporations) to the Black community and just because many of their dealership owners are Black doesn't neccesarily mean we should start throwing our praises. I'm sure his heart is in the right place but where exactly is Chevy's heart in this? Sure they make an in kind donation and hire some Black folks but when we see the ad do we think, wow Def is really doing things to help our community or do we see an ad for an SUV targeted to the Black demographic? Does the so called ends justify the means? And I just think the armed forces in this country is fundamentally dysfunctional and does nothing for the progress of society much less the Black community. When I first heard this I was thinking maybe Spike signed this contract and would do some kind of subliminal message ad that would be anti-Navy, but that's nothing he couldn't have done on his own. I definately DO NOT think that a single action should sum up a whole person. But I DO believe that our actions are some indication of who we are and/or where we are in our lives so we shouldn't just dismiss those actions. And I also believe that we should beware of the arrogance (conscious or unconscious) in good intentions. I'm totally down for taking various avenues for progress but we need to find a balance so things don't go out of wack. I did state that we are not perfect (none of us) and I don't expect ANYONE to be but like I said we should expect more of each other and OURSELVES at all times and LEARN from our mistakes and our successes.
Also,
"Give him credit for being a man that has his own reasoning for wanting to do these ads. Keep in mind that he is an ARTIST in his own right, and by saying that, he is driven by a creativity that is not biased nor prejudiced in the way it inspires him."
Everyone has their own reasoning for doing whatever they do (which, I respect) and yes Spike is an artist but he is an artist whose art has a motive and that motive just doesn't immediately jive with what he is doing. Which leads me to not pass judgement (no one should) but definately question.
lets take this out of the realm of abstraction:
Anyone seen the movie "The Corporation"?
Well see that. It schooled me on the important point that a corporation is legally a person. And further it goes on to ask the totally logical and humane question: if a corporation is a human, what type of human is it? And so it applies the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION's test for mental health to the historic entity of "The Corporation" and it miserably fails.
The diagnosis is that "The Corporation" historically and presently for the large majority, are walking "persons" with mental disorders. Unhealthy citizens of the world if you will. Now would Mos or Spike shake hands with Hitler? Why? Or would we even ask why? We probably wouldn't. It'd be clear. The only thing allowing us to have this discussion is the NON-CLARITY of the situation. A circumstance that benefits who? I'll let you figure that one out. It sure don't benefit you in the long run, is all I have to say.
Now, let's look at the "characters" that Mos (and I LOVE Mos for what he's contributed, but it's time for a spanking NOT a judgement on his entire being, however.) and Spike (same goes for him) have associated themselves with.
First let's visit General Motors' (Chevrolet) historical legacy:
Centralize This—GM in Asia
General Motors and the Nazis
General Motors Purchases Algonquian Languages
And now the US Military's historical rapsheet (Navy, etc)
A Chronology of U.S. Imperialism: From Wounded Knee to Iraq
So... what exactly is there to defend? What they are doing is WRONG!
If we are going to defend anything, it can only be their persons it cannot be their actions. Their actions in THIS case(s) are CLEARLY against our interests are they not?
I would like to respond to B.
First Brian, I read each article, and the article about GM purchasing languages was entirely satirical and has no truth, it was a made-up story put out a while back that was meant as a humurous statement.
second, the book on GM doing business in germany might have some validity, but until I can read either the book, or a description that plainly incriminates GM for actualy doing business with the third reich in germany-which this book description falls very short of, and actually doesn't say that GM did business with hitler but that it purchased a german automaker during hitler's reign but maybe I didn't pick up on what you did- I'll withold my judgement on that.
Third, while the centralize this article clarifies what GM purchases are doing to Asian and american economies, it is straight-up slanted and biased.
When I read something that accuses a company of exploitation-which most capitalist companies are anyway-before any of the supporting information is given, thats a persuasive article that is meant to get me thinking the same way as the writer and I hate that.
The article made a lot of sense, and I am not trying to defend GM or the navy-i will make no attempt for the latter because their "good" is far outweighed by the "bad" but let this serve as a statement that the are doing some "good"- but lets put it in perspective:
If you are an entrepreneur seeking to have a for profit company in this society, you have to play by the capitalist rules which call for the very things GM does in order to "maximize profit, minimize cost" which is basically a 4 word summary of capitalism.
Gm doesn't go out and say "we are righteous" and they do not claim to want to save the world so I would say, in this country we are forced to pick either the lesser of two evils or nothing at all and you'd be hard pressed to convince our community to choose nothing.
give them a lifetime supply of bus passes or the keys to a brand new tahoe and guess what, the rates of blacks on busses would decrease exponetially!
Now, I would like to respond to Kemi.
My question is this: how far are we going to push and say, "well they are giving but I don't think it's from the heart" or "well they only helped these (insert minority here) but it was only to advance their business"
Truth be told, YOU(nor anonye else) really knows if even our own "leaders" are honest, and from the heart on many of these issues. This comes down to Faith in the end. I say, we accept-not necessarily accept GM's help in this instance- with a fiathful heart.
I am not saying we should hail anyone as the next savior our our people, but to be frank,
damn at what point do we begin to be grateful for what they are doing and have a little bit of trust that some of these white folks have their hearts in the right place. As long as we've been here in this country, there have always been white folks along the way that sympathize and are willing to risk their necks to help, so its odd to me that you first reaction was attack rather than inquiry which is our-meaning black folks-modus operandi in most cases.
to be plain, I am all for criticism of our actions as long as he who is without sin is casting that stone...or the alternative is an honest examination of our actions and whether or not we are helping or retarding our cause, but lets wait for all of the cards to be laid out before we say anything POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
because im not ready to dismiss any kind of help in this struggle even if it means accepting someone who brings some flaws with them.
we aren't forced to pick the lesser of two evils... we choose to do that because we are SCARED.
the nazi/GM descriptions says it pretty clear to me, of course you'd have to read the book for details, but comeon google works pretty good for that. i was just tryna make some example points.
read this for more though:
Ford and GM Scrutinized for Alleged Nazi Collaboration
the languages one was a joke. i'm basically saying that its not hard to find examples or details.
the question we are dealing with is pretty simple:
1) what is wrong?
2) why?
3) what is allowing that to continue?
4) what can be done to remedy the wrong?
--
1) the exploitative nature of what is today widely known as western capitalism.
2) uh, because, like u said, "maximizing profits and minimizing cost" has proven to be an unsustainable way of living and the adherance to this fundamental goal sacrifices humanity and the well-being a humans and our environment.
3) people are allowing it to take place for various reasons.
4) One... Armed revolt. (gasp!) Two... A volunteer fundamental restructuring of western soceity. Three... Fundamental restructuring through the electoral process. (just stating the possibilities here). Four... The creation of alternative societies elsewhere. Basically the same ideological battle that has been awaiting us since we got here. Malcolm narrowed it to two choices... the ballot or the bullet.
NOW... FIRST YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE you are understanding there is a difference in the christian sense of who goes to heaven and in the realist sense of what actions are going to change societies.
good intentions and repentence and good deeds might get you into heaven in some people's conception of their spiritual universe (might not, we'll leave this to a later discussion).
however, good intentions do NOT change societies. PERIOD, my friend.
if one is interested in changing a society at fundamental levels, it is absolutely necessary to critique and study and understand which actions are conducive to the change and which are not. there is really no inbetween. Either something contributes to change or it doesn't. In the science of society it's pretty much as simple as that -- we either reinforce societies or we manifest opposition to them!
I'm scared that so many people consider "playing by the rules" a LONG-TERM option, for by doing so you reinforce the validity of the very structure that you recognize must be fundamentally changed!
I ain't tryna convince no one to do nothin. I'm tryna show people the truth and illustrate our options to people so collectively we can decide what we want to do. Either we want real change or we are satisfied for "feeling good" and "good intentions" and things will never be fundamentally changed. Talking in the car today with a friend I asked, "so if society were flipped and whites were poor and in harlem and blacks were downtown in the skyscrappers would that be the change or upliftment for our people we'd want?"
NO! I don't want upliftment for black people at the expense of buying into a way of life that is at its foundation, EXPLOITATIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE, IMPERIALIST AND UNSUSTAINABLE.
Would Malcolm or Martin pick the lesser of two evils?
They were for the elimination of poverty and exploitation. Martin was killed in Memphis as he was jumpstarting a campaign to eliminate poverty at a Sanitation Workers strike. He realzed that the fight was bigger than politics... it was an economic one. It was about eliminating economic exploitation. Providing economic justice. The civil rights shit was the easy part!
So what is GM and the NAVY doing so "good" that it contributes to our goal of fundamentally altering the way of life that is the "PROBLEM" in the first place?
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
They make cars, and kill people... respectively of course. (or maybe not respectively... haha)
I've little room in my heart for compassion on them. Now as for Mos and Spike, at least Mos makes songs that touch people's spirits and Spike makes movies that do the same... so it could be argued that even if they are too scared to fight openly and alone at least they might inspire someone else to do their dirty work that each generation continues to pass off to the next.
But when they shake hands with a corporaion or entity that is doing absolutely nothing (charity does not in any way shape or form contribute to the coming about of an alternative way of life nor does it contribute to the reconstructing of society, in fact it retards peoples will to do so by making them believe that things can work under the current system so in effect they are doing DAMAGE by giving charity -- think LONG VIEW not SHORT here!)
I respectfully submit that your pops buying a car from a black dealership does little to none for the ultimate goal as well.
Want a suggestive blueprint? Cause I happen to have some ideas...
What must be done if you are to both "survive" in this capitalist jungle as well as begin to resist it... is that you must manifest an alternative in all areas where it is currently possible. Thus we must THINK and envision and create new models for business structures. Similar to the Cooperative Apartment or Co-op Grocery Store models (although they are not perfect, they are the beginings of people attempting to resist the current way of doing things...)
We must in all of our endeavors ask how can we do this in a better way?
And sometimes that better way will be found in African or Indigenous (same as "African", Africans are the indigenous people to frikkin planet earth) histories or they may have to be found in the depths of our creative spirits and minds, but they must be found. That it how we begin to challenge this system.
Cause whether we grab guns or grab ballots to attain POWER we are going to need to have an alternative way of doing things otherwise that power will be used in the same way it has been used.
This spaceship is on autopilot essentially. So no matter who is driving it, it will continue towards its destination unless we learn (or relearn) an alternative way of flying and start to head in the direction of our choice.
The key as far as communicating this to the masses is education and awareness. Making connections between we who suffer here and people who suffer elsewhere, etc. basically doing what we are doing with Mos and Spike... the critique is NOT the problem. The problem historically has been critiques with no alternative suggestions.
Here's my suggestion Spike and Mos, join our focus groups that we created at the forum a few weekends ago for musicians, filmmakers and artists... where we will be attemping to create alternative economic models for our musicians and artists... through the ideas of independent artist associations, artist cooperatives and collective distribution networks... all with the goal of creating a way to do art without being exploited and without exploiting.
Get involved in those conversations Mos and Spike.
Holla.
"well they are giving but I don't think it's from the heart"
As far as corporations go I am going to definately say this because everything they do is carefully orchestrated to keep the imbalance of extreme profit on their end. Now I am not anti-business and I believe corporations to be a dysfunctional version of what business should be and I will be quick to criticize the "good" acts of a corporations as opposed to an individual or community. Check out Costco and how they do business, which goes against the way of many corporations but they still manage to turn a very generous profit for everyone involved.
"damn at what point do we begin to be grateful for what they are doing and have a little bit of trust that some of these white folks have their hearts in the right place"
I wasn't singling out white folks at all, oppression has no ethnicity, but I will say that each group has its own history/background so we have to look at everyone's reasoning for their actions in different ways.
"Truth be told, YOU(nor anonye else) really knows if even our own "leaders" are honest, and from the heart on many of these issues."
You're right, I don't, and you're right again, it does come down to faith but we cannot go about trusting people blindly. Many Africans and Native Americans "trusted" Europeans to be civil and look what happened...so we need to be careful. Yeah, it would be great to believe that everyone is out to do good/has good intentions but I think history and our own lives have taught us better. I will be faithful but I will be careful aswell.
"to be plain, I am all for criticism of our actions as long as he who is without sin is casting that stone"
No one is without "sin" homie and that is why it is so important for us to look out for each other. In art school everyone knows how important the critique is, as a graphic designer I will tell you all of my work has been seen by a atleast a second pair of eyes, all of my colleagues have their strengths and weaknesses but having them critique my work, they catch things I may have not seen and make suggestions that I may not have thought of. In the end I come up with something better than I imagined and I have grown as a deigner fromthose critiques. We all know that we have our weaknesses as individuals so we count on each other to improve our own personal best. That's how I see us working in the Black community and beyond.
"so its odd to me that you first reaction was attack rather than inquiry which is our-meaning black folks-modus operandi in most cases."
I did not and am not attacking Mos or Spike, I did and am questioning their actions. I am going to question corporations and in many cases attack their actions cause gosh darnit I just don't trust those mother suckers. Their good, which I believe is insincere in many cases, does not outweigh the harm they are doing in the long run. I believe that many corporations' "good" is dictated by their profit margins. Was it not GM whose engines were exploding upon side impact some years ago and nothing was done about it until lawsuits and news reports started chiming in? I just don't trust them...
"give them a lifetime supply of bus passes or the keys to a brand new tahoe and guess what, the rates of blacks on busses would decrease exponetially!"
The rates of Blacks on buses decrease and we get more folks with asthma, more harm to the ozone layer, more pollutants in the environment causing exponential harm to living organisms gerneration after generation.
Wow! I am really feelin this discussion right now...I see valid points in everyone's posts and I think this process is a very healthy one. Dialogue is the first step....
My two cents:(no pun intended cuzzo!)
My brother once told me your deeds are judged by the weight of a feather Meaning if you steal a quarter or rob a bank, STEALING is STEALING Wrong is wrong. There is no way to justify it. Yes we all do different things for various reasons and it could be us just being human, but I think for the most part it can be selfishness gettin the best of us. Our egos if you will. I think it's important to have a long term view. Everything is everything and I think regardless of if you're Spike Lee or just plain old Shelley(me) Your actions are a testament to who you are and what you represent.Actions always speak louder than words. I don't think we should be anymore critical to Mos or Spike than ourselves just because they're 'famous' They are human and I think sometimes we expect for people in that limelight to be super-human or to 'lead the way for us'...but we are intellectuals and we know better. We are human and we know better. I don't agree with and I cannot support what Mos and Spike are doing. I think there are other means to that end...if there is one. I'm not clear on exactly what the reasoning is behind their actions....I DO think we need to hold each other accountable and let each otha know when we're slippin'....that is-if we share the same objective.
*side note: but seriously-the NAVY?!?!
...and when I think about Mos and them damn car commercials a whole nother cnoversation comes to mind about the commercialization of hip-hop, he aint the only one 'sellin out'.*
accountability is of great importance and really that's all I have to say about that....We DO need guidelines and standards and we have to be willing to live up to them.
SPIEGEL INTERVIEW WITH BOLIVIA'S EVO MORALES: "Capitalism Has Only Hurt Latin America"
Moroni revisits 'Babylon': “My sculpture combines the concepts of physical, spiritual and metaphysical Babylon … architecture is a metaphor for humanity, of who we are and what we are—spiritually and physically. It’s vital for Americans to see that the current war in Iraq is not a final resolution, but the latest chapter in an ongoing history.”
By the Waters of Babylon: Judeo-Christian values and "The Attack on America": Or perhaps we can identify hubris in the heedless way we in the West have enjoyed the gift of unparalleled wealth in the midst of, and in large part on the back of, the off-stage suffering and oppression of most of the earth’s population. Or in our belief that this wealth is not a gift, but something to which we are entitled – a birthright that no one, not even God, can take away – a sense of entitlement that enabled us recently to hear George Bush proclaim that our "high consumption lifestyle" is "blessed" and not wince with shame or quake in holy terror.
This is indeed a time for mourning and prayer. But in the midst of our grief and lamentation, and without for a moment gainsaying the innocence of those killed or the criminality and utter evil of the terrorists, we need to be reminded that when a people have gone astray, God punishes the good along with the wicked.
What we need now is a prophetic voice — maybe two or three. We need an Isaiah or a Jeremiah, harsh men who directed their anger not at external enemies but at the waywardness of their own people, men who recognized that even the brutality of the Assyrians and the Bablyonians could ultimately be an instrument of God’s will.
We need prophets demanding that we look upon the events in Washington and New York and ask ourselves what it is we have done – or not done – to call this savage retribution down upon our heads. We need voices rising up not to placate us with empty talk about how the People of Israel surely could not deserve such punishment, or to divert our attention with bombast about wreaking vengeance on others, but to remind us that the very belief that human beings are in total control of their own destiny is a kind of blasphemy, that overweening wealth in and of itself is a sin, that selfishness is a transgression which a just and merciful God will punish in order to put His children back on the path of righteousness.
I am at work and will reply a little more later on tonight when i get out of class.
I understand what B and Kemi are saying but my points weren't to justify, stick up for, validate or defend in any way GM, the Navy, spike or mos.
My goal was to simply say that while we all have reservations and complaints that may very well be valid. None of us at this time have the same exposure as spike and mos and we should therefore take a more supportive role of some of the things they do.
to be Frank, at times this sounds like one of those family convo's where your family doesn't do anythign but complain about our celebrities doing nothing even when they are trying to do something.
I feel like, the criticism should've been applied where mos was actually doing something wrong rather than when he was protesting the president at the vma's.
on the other hand, i recognize that this blog is not temporary in intellectual thought nor is it situational in insight so there was relevance in the criticism. however, I feel that since they are capable for reaching a massive audience-that we all know is fickle and particular about how it recieves its messages-we should try to support.
I totally understand what you're saying with the family convo, I think it's really easy to complain but to actually do something is a whole nother story and I think folks definately do more complaining and criticizing (more destructive than not) than doing. And as far as Mos I was addressing the original question, "If an individual takes an action that we deem worthy and effective at advancing the cause of liberation, but also does things (whether personal or professional) that seem contradictory, should this affect our regard for the positive action?" It wasn't simply pointing out that Mos did a commercial for GM but how do actions like this affect his positive actions and vice versa.
And I will say this... I have and will support Mos and Spike in their attempts and accomplished positive endeavors but if I feel that theirs or anyone else's actions are wrong then they are wrong and that is something that I can't ignore or overlook. I not only learn from my own mistakes but others' mistakes aswell.
2c, you said:
"None of us at this time have the same exposure as spike and mos and we should therefore take a more supportive role of some of the things they do."
the fact that black folks get exposure is exactly the reason why they should be held accountable. especially because as black folk, their ancestors PAID for them to be in the position they are in. just supporting them blindly would make us like americans who support george bush.
and you said:
"I feel like, the criticism should've been applied where mos was actually doing something wrong rather than when he was protesting the president at the vma's."
the criticism wasn't at the vma protest. i posted that in full support of that action. i support all the good spike does as well as the good mos does. i support the goos anyone does. i'll be the first to donate or buy a work of art with a cause behind it. at the same time i'll be the first to say something if the next day that person is out doing something contradictory. and i expect and DESIRE then same criticism. thus i feel good giving it.
and you said:
"...I feel that since they are capable of reaching a massive audience-that we all know is fickle and particular about how it recieves its messages-we should try to support."
i do. i hope everyone else does. i also hope they arent too much of "yes men" that they wont stand up and speak when they see something that makes them go "hmmmm..." just cause someone has captured an audience does not mean they deserve support all the time. let's differentiate a persons actions from the person herself. i support mos and spike and all humans in their personal form. but i do not support all ACTIONS of people... and i will criticize the bad actions and praise the good ones. we should all do this, if we love humanity and want to see real change in the world.
check this article in the hilltop today:
real relevant. a girl writes about being at a hiv/aids pagent where girls were talking about their support for hiv/aids activism and education then a rapper gets up and performs a song about having sex with women he just met with his timbs still on.
perfect example of us needing to establish some clarity.
would the panthers let this song go down after a meeting? would malcolm give a speech and then let this dude perform? hell 2 da naw. period! that is what real manhood and real womanhood are all about. being accoutable. proclaiming who you are and what you are about to a larger community and asking them to hold you to that. we dont have any sort of initiation processes that require this of us. so we are allowed to contradict ourselves with no recourse or even dissapointment from our peers. here's the article
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