I love Chicago

[HAL 9000 96]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

Edit-bump

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I talk about things I have an interest in and/or know something about. So when it comes to the aesthetics and livability of a city I have first hand experience of the best.

Ok - but does that experience give you special insight into the day to day experience of the urban poor?

Or does it simply give you reason to claim again and again and again - how ####### America is, and how every single thing you can possibly imagine (and then some) is better, richer, cheaper, shinier, newer or more sexually attractive in Australia?

[Heracles 417]

I am impressed. Obama actually gets it..

"What I saw was a powerful demonstration of an impulse and need for African-American men to come together to recognize each other and affirm our rightful place in the society," he said. "There was a profound sense that African-American men were ready to make a commitment to bring about change in our communities and lives.

"But what was lacking among march organizers was a positive agenda, a coherent agenda for change. Without this agenda a lot of this energy is going to dissipate. Just as holding hands and singing 'We shall overcome' is not going to do it, exhorting youth to have pride in their race, give up drugs and crime, is not going to do it if we can't find jobs and futures for the 50 percent of black youth who are unemployed, underemployed, and full of bitterness and rage.

"Exhortations are not enough, nor are the notions that we can create a black economy within America that is hermetically sealed from the rest of the economy and seriously tackle the major issues confronting us," Obama said.

"Any solution to our unemployment catastrophe must arise from us working creatively within a multicultural, interdependent, and international economy. Any African-Americans who are only talking about racism as a barrier to our success are seriously misled if they don't also come to grips with the larger economic forces that are creating economic insecurity for all workers--whites, Latinos, and Asians. We must deal with the forces that are depressing wages, lopping off people's benefits right and left, and creating an earnings gap between CEOs and the lowest-paid worker that has risen in the last 20 years from a ratio of 10 to 1 to one of better than 100 to 1.

"This doesn't suggest that the need to look inward emphasized by the march isn't important, and that these African-American tribal affinities aren't legitimate. These are mean, cruel times, exemplified by a 'lock 'em up, take no prisoners' mentality that dominates the Republican-led Congress. Historically, African-Americans have turned inward and towards black nationalism whenever they have a sense, as we do now, that the mainstream has rebuffed us, and that white Americans couldn't care less about the profound problems African-Americans are facing."

"But cursing out white folks is not going to get the job done. Anti-Semitic and anti-Asian statements are not going to lift us up. We've got some hard nuts-and-bolts organizing and planning to do. We've got communities to build."

[Heracles 417]

Ok - but does that experience give you special insight into the day to day experience of the urban poor?

Or does it simply give you reason to claim again and again and again - how ####### America is, and how every single thing you can possibly imagine (and then some) is better, richer, cheaper, shinier, newer or more sexually attractive in Australia?

Vice Versa. We obviously know nothing about the others past so why make out as if you know what I have or have not seen or lived through. I mean in your particlar case I don't know anything about you as you have kept it strategically hidden; Yet you have the nerve to mock my background. At least I have nothing to hide chap.

Edited April 7, 2008 by Boo-Yah!

[HAL 9000 96]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

Edit-bump

One more time for the heck of it.

[Peikko 1,575]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

It's probably going to count as a 'frivoulous comment' but here goes. What politician enters politics having not persued a career of some sort these days? The suggestion seems to be that Barack is different because he was successful already and wasn't entering politics 'for the money' but to help the 'people'. Yet again there's this almost evangelical 'preaching' the activist message but I don't see any evidence of him acting like one. Barack strikes me as a guy who wants to earn a lot of money, activists don't for example spend a number of their prime years writing their autobiography. We already know that an intelligent person can earn a fortune post presidency and my opinion is this is one of his motivations.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

Edit-bump

One more time for the heck of it.

Mind if I repost in a new thread?

[Heracles 417]

One more time for the heck of it.

You need to really look closely at this statement of his:

"Any solution to our unemployment catastrophe must arise from us working creatively within a multicultural, interdependent, and international economy. Any African-Americans who are only talking about racism as a barrier to our success are seriously misled if they don't also come to grips with the larger economic forces that are creating economic insecurity for all workers--whites, Latinos, and Asians. We must deal with the forces that are depressing wages, lopping off people's benefits right and left, and creating an earnings gap between CEOs and the lowest-paid worker that has risen in the last 20 years from a ratio of 10 to 1 to one of better than 100 to 1."

[tammy2688 1]

You all better back off of Chicago. I mean it. (:withering, menacing glance:)

HELL YA I LOVE CHICAGO!

[HAL 9000 96]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

It's probably going to count as a 'frivoulous comment' but here goes. What politician enters politics having not persued a career of some sort these days? The suggestion seems to be that Barack is different because he was successful already and wasn't entering politics 'for the money' but to help the 'people'. Yet again there's this almost evangelical 'preaching' the activist message but I don't see any evidence of him acting like one. Barack strikes me as a guy who wants to earn a lot of money, activists don't for example spend a number of their prime years writing their autobiography. We already know that an intelligent person can earn a fortune post presidency and my opinion is this is one of his motivations.

Not too frivolous, sister PH. Just read the article and compare.

More the case of actually paying attention to the people in the community where Obama's feet got wet in the first place. This accounts for more than just pandering to what stained notions of most politicians we allow ourselves to preconceive.

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

Edit-bump

One more time for the heck of it.

Mind if I repost in a new thread?

Be my guest brother 6!

Perhaps with the entire text for all to read. HPLC is now done and I want to go home.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This one might just get its own topic thread... I LOVE CHICAGO...

What Makes Obama Run?

Lawyer, teacher, philanthropist, and author Barack Obama doesn't need another career. But he's entering politics to get back to his true passion--community organization.

By Hank De Zutter

LINK: December 8, 1995

**** No posting the entire article here; this is geared for those that wish to read instead of making more frivolous comments. ****

Edit-bump

One more time for the heck of it.

[Heracles 417]

Solar Panels for all..

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Solar Panels for all..

I'm sorry your High School science project didn't work out like you hoped.

[Heracles 417]

Solar Panels for all..

I'm sorry your High School science project didn't work out like you hoped.

yeah I failed that project. Not as smart as Al gore..

Edited April 7, 2008 by Boo-Yah!