[Peace-discuss] Fw: [socialistdiscussion] obama on verdict

Sun Jul 21 17:24:27 UTC 2013

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard Mellor 
To: socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2013 11:42 AM
Subject: Re: [socialistdiscussion] obama on verdict

Obama is referring to this for one reason.  He has been forced to shift from "the jury has spoken" and we are a nation of laws, due to the pressure in the streets.  There have been protests in over 100 cities.  Here in the Oakland area there were overwhelmingly peaceful protests including the blocking of a major freeway.  I thought it was interesting in that report from the local news that they talked to a couple of the motorists and they were quite supportive though it inconvenienced them.  This is Murdoch's station and it is not insignificant they there wasn't the usual tirade against protesters.  There is considerable opposition to this verdict even among whites and the capitalist class is wary.  I know a number of people that wouldn't attend the first rallies because they were afraid of violence but protests have been overwhelmingly non violent.

My 15 year old grandson, who is black,  impressed me as he told me he called in to KGO late last night to speak on the Trayvon Martin verdict after some white dude had called in saying something about how black youth need to dress in a way that doesn't scare white folks.  When you have a child, grandchild or relative who is black, male and dark skinned like my grandson you are always concerned when they are out there in the streets simply minding their own business.

I am not moved by Obama's personal stories. He's a slick bourgeois war criminal.

Richard 

On Jul 21, 2013, at 7:43 AM, Dan <dan.armstronguk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

  As a young man with dark hair and a beard, I lived abroad for a time. I recognise exactly what Obama is referring to: little old ladies clutched their handbags tightly, some crossed the road to avoid my proximity. Many glared and even ignored greetings. And I am not even black.

  Dan

  --- In socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com, John Reimann <1999wildcat at ...> wrote:
  >
  > I, too, think that ignoring the rest of Obama's speech is not correct. I
  > too think that we have to give him his due credit. However, we also have to
  > consider what sort of credit he is due.
  > 
  > Those who say that there is no difference between Obama and Bush are
  > mistaken. The key difference is that Bush was obtuse. There is a reason
  > that the tops of the US capitalist class maneuvered Obama into power.
  > Internationally as well as domestically, they realized that the approach of
  > Bush would cause immense problems. Internationally, they knew that the US
  > was going to need allies in its future wars and to get them the US couldn't
  > just go around invading any country it wanted anytime it wanted.
  > Domestically, they knew the then just developing economic crisis meant that
  > they would need a president who would have some populist credentials. It's
  > no accident that the two top contenders for the 2008 presidential
  > nomination were a woman and a black man.
  > 
  > When Zimmerman was first let off, Obama more or less dismissed it with a
  > comment that the jury had decided and we live in a system of laws. The
  > outrage, especially in the black community, must have been communicated to
  > him. This would have been done through the black ministers, as well as
  > police spies, etc. He and his advisors realized that something had to be
  > said to mollify people, especially in the black community. If you read the
  > transcript of his speech, it's clear that that is what he was trying to do,
  > while at the same time not offencing anybody in law enforcement or the
  > criminal (in)justice system (including the judge).
  > 
  > His speech was really a pretty highly nuanced one, and we need to recognize
  > it.
  > 
  > John
  > 
  > 
  > On Sat, Jul 20, 2013 at 5:21 AM, David Johnson <davidjohnson1451 at ...
  > > wrote:
  > 
  > > **
  > >
  > >
  > > **
  > > *That's typical Obama !*
  > > **
  > > *He talks a good talk, but actions always speak louder than words, and he
  > > never does what is in the best interests of ; Working people, justice, etc..
  > > *
  > > *In fact, I seriously doubt Obama has had in his lifetime even a
  > > microcasm of negative racial experiences that the average African American
  > > has had. Considering Obama's priviledged background ; Mother's family in
  > > the banking industry and the U.S. Intelligence community as well as an
  > > Indonesian colonel step-father. All the best private schools, and then
  > > Columbia university, Harvard, and then the University of Chicago.*
  > > **
  > > *David J.*
  > >
  > >
  > > ----- Original Message -----
  > > *From:* Dan <dan.armstronguk at ...>
  > > *To:* socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com
  > > *Sent:* Saturday, July 20, 2013 5:40 AM
  > > *Subject:* Re: Fw: [socialistdiscussion] obama on verdict
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > > Picking out 4 sentences from Obama's 18 minute speech in which he
  > > recounted amongst much else his personal experience of racist reactions to
  > > himself as a young man seems to me to be wholly unfair. Give credit where
  > > it is due, even when it is contradicted by other things the man does or
  > > doesn't do.
  > >
  > > Dan
  > >
  > > --- In socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com, "David Johnson"
  > > <davidjohnson1451@> wrote:
  > > >
  > > > Did anyone really expect anything else from Obama, considering
  > > everything he has done ( or not done ) in the past ?
  > > > Unless of course it is on behalf of corporate amerika, then he is gung
  > > ho and spare no time or expense to make it happen.
  > > >
  > > > David Johnson
  > > >
  > > > ----- Original Message -----
  > > > From: Richard Mellor
  > > > To: Rogerslist
  > > > Sent: Friday, July 19, 2013 3:38 PM
  > > > Subject: [socialistdiscussion] obama on verdict
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > Obama spoke today on the Zimmerman verdict:
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > "The judge conducted the trial in a professional manner. The prosecution
  > > and the defense made their arguments. The jurors were properly instructed
  > > that in a case such as this reasonable doubt was relevant, and they
  > > rendered a verdict," Obama said. "And once the jury has spoken, that's how
  > > our system works."
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > http://news.yahoo.com/-obama--trayvon-martin-%E2%80%98could-have-been-me-35-years-ago%E2%80%99--180734663.html
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > "Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean
  > > politics won't take an interest in you." Pericles, 430 BC
  > > >
  > > > "Like" FFWP on FB http://www.facebook.com/FactsForWorkingPeople
  > > > FFWP blog http://weknowwhatsup.blogspot.com
  > > >
  > >
  > > 
  > >
  > 
  > 
  > 
  > -- 
  > "Poems don't belong to those who write them; they belong to those who need
  > them" - from movie "Il Postino"
  > Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com and //
  > www.facebook.com/WorkersIntlNetwork?ref=stream
  >

We think too small.  Like the frog at the bottom of the well.  He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well.  If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view.  

"Like"   FFWP on FB http://www.facebook.com/FactsForWorkingPeople
FFWP blog http://weknowwhatsup.blogspot.com

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