Prometheus 6

P6... What are your thoughts on State of the Black Unions of past?  Do you think they broadcast a broad range of views or do they leave some voices out? 

I only remember two of them. The first, Min. Farrakhan was there and the ego battles were amusing. Then there was last year, with the whole Covenant deal.

The panel that convenes annually does not set forth the full range of voices in the community. They tend to be most conventional sorts of folk. But collectively they look a lot like the aspirations of a broad range of folks

Would you say they possess a talented tenth consciousness? 

Elitist. Yes.

Just one industry to employ the youth and train them up...just one - and no, we don't have that one yet.

The quintessential message conveyed by the intelligentsia of The State of the Black Union Conference is that the same palaver is bound to endure another 400 years.

 

It is a real possibility. Peter. But this one was better than the last.

What do you think was missing?

Still.Isn't it interesting that Hare would pontificate against the maisntream media (but she didn't say jack about NPR did she?) and not offer an alternative. This resembled nothing so much as a revival meeting with no ability nor encouragement to follow up. So long as the Church gets to say Amen three times, is everybody placated? 

It seems to me that there's but one way to make this anything other than a platform for bloviation which is to get into the new media. I mean all due respect to Bennett but how old media can you get? The EbonyJet message boards have 30 posts. It's a joke.

It's chruch. All call and response and all you can say is Amen.  

I've been told by extremely reliable and well placed sources that in all of kansas city's hundreds of Black churches, there are only 5 with websites..., I haven't taken the census myself, but am strongly inclined to believe this the case.  

I'm meeting with a large group of young, progressive Black ministers about technology next week, should be interesting.

Of course we knew that Vision Circle was ahead of its time. I've been wanting to build black online community since 1986. I just finished delivering a monologue to my hotel room walls about what ought to be done. Maybe this time...

Isn't it interesting that Hare would pontificate against the mainstream media (but she didn't say jack about NPR did she?) and not offer an alternative. This resembled nothing so much as a revival meeting with no ability nor encouragement to follow up. So long as the Church gets to say Amen three times, is everybody placated?

Sometimes. How many churches would stay open if they didn't preach to the choir? Every political rally bear the same uncomfortable resemblance to a revival meeting.  That's why I'm not really sweating this:

It seems to me that there's but one way to make this anything other than a platform for bloviation which is to get into the new media.

...as a judgment of her work. Besides, "new media" is also a platform for bloviation. See just about this entire weekend of posting on P6.

In any event I think we can consider the content of her ideas apart from the quality of her website.

Certainly, progress is being - made at snail’s pace. What distinguishes most from the African ancestors is that poor African American throw around about 50 lbs overweight, whereas the poor in Africa are 50 lbs underweight.

 

What is missing is a heavier emphasis on analytical sobriety how to speed up the catching up process with other ethnical minorities with much shorter lead times into the mainstream of society.

 

Histrionic aerobic grandstanding, throaty declamations, torchlight glares at past and present injustices as well as the invocation of Jesus plus assorted saviors can arouse the masses, but hardly improve the plight of those who need it most.

 

In an exponentially competitive and unfair world nothing replaces individual discipline, strive and diligence.

What is missing is a heavier emphasis on analytical sobriety how to speed up the catching up process with other ethnical minorities with much shorter lead times into the mainstream of society.

There was a time when every statement by Louis Farrakhan would unleash a flood of editorials asking why, if he was so concerned about Black people, he didn't speak out against extant slavery in Sudan. My response was, because he can't do it all and had to prioritize.

You can't do everything at every meeting. Every organization can't be required to do it all. There IS an inspiration component that is necessary, and a mature plan would have a reasonable division of labor.

In an exponentially competitive and unfair world nothing replaces individual discipline, strive and diligence.

It is also the case that nothing replaces fairness.

You think their goal should be accelerated entry into the mainstream. There are those whose goal is is to establish fairness and justice...which would fundamentally change mainstream society. You should hope they succeed, as long as they don't interfere with your personal acceleration into the mainstream.

Do their efforts interfere with your personal acceleration into the mainstream?

True, nothing replaces fairness. The problem is that fairness is such an elusive, if not illusive commodity.

No, their efforts don't interfere with my personal status. I just wish more could enjoy it, even though the recipe is not tailored for brother happy-go-lucky.

The problem is that fairness is such an elusive, if not illusive commodity.

Don't you think it would be good to find out which it is? 

even though the recipe is not tailored for brother happy-go-lucky.

It will always be possible to fuck up enough to fail. I'm not the one looking for THAT level of protection, though I do think failure shouldn't be fatal as it is now.

"There was a time when every statement by Louis Farrakhan would unleash a flood of editorials asking why, if he was so concerned about Black people, he didn't speak out against extant slavery in Sudan. My response was, because he can't do it all and had to prioritize."

The conman Louis didn't speak out against slavery in the Sudan or Mauretania or Saudi Arabia because he won't criticize his fellow Muslims and, more important, because he's on their fucking payroll.

Don't you think it would be good to find out which it is? 

No, I don't think so because chasing after illusions it is a waste of time like the analysis of darkness does not create light.

 It will always be possible to fuck up enough to fail. I'm not the one looking for THAT level of protection, though I do think failure shouldn't be fatal as it is now.
 

Agreed, the result of failure, gang and assorted violence should not leave so many fatalies.

Don't you think it would be good to find out which it is?

No, I don't think so because chasing after illusions it is a waste of time like the analysis of darkness does not create light.

You're assuming fairness is an illusion and not just difficult to attain.

That's your option, I suppose. You should understand, though, every advance we've made has been in the face of a majority of people who thought we were chasing illusions. So I'm not just rejecting your position, I'm specifically militating against it.

It will always be possible to fuck up enough to fail. I'm not the one looking for THAT level of protection, though I do think failure shouldn't be fatal as it is now.

Agreed, the result of failure, gang and assorted violence should not leave so many fatalies.

Word games. Feh.

Respond to my point or ignore it but don't try twisting it. That never turns out well.

The conman Louis didn't speak out against slavery in the Sudan or Mauretania or Saudi Arabia because he won't criticize his fellow Muslims and, more important, because he's on their fucking payroll.

At the time making idiots shut up was more important. It was also pre-Million Man World Tour. 

"At the time making idiots shut up was more important."

More important for who? The victims of the Arab slave trade? Or conman Louis' career of demagogy and deceit?

More important for who?

To me, of course. The issue was gratuitously tossed into a conversation as a distraction.  I chose to handle it in a way that dismissed it as such.

Okay... Since you 'splain it dat way, I'll shutup about it.