Forty-two years ago, on April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, gunned down in Memphis, Tennessee. To those of us who were alive then, the images are etched in painful memory: One day, Dr. King is standing with colleagues, including Ralph Abernathy and Jesse Jackson, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel; the next, he's lying there mortally wounded, his aides pointing in the direction of the rifle shot.
Then we remember the crowds of mourners slowly moving through the streets of Atlanta on a hot sunny day, surrounding King's casket as it was carried on a mule-drawn farm wagon; and the riots that burned across the nation in the wake of his death, a stinging, misbegotten rebuke to his gospel of non-violence.
We sanctify his memory now, name streets and schools after him, made his birthday a national holiday. But in April 1968, as Dr. King walked out on that motel balcony, his reputation was under assault. The glory days of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and the 1963 March on Washington were behind him, his Nobel Peace Prize already in the past.
A year before, at Riverside Church in New York, he had spoken out -- eloquently -- against the war in Vietnam. King said, "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death," a position that angered President Lyndon Johnson, many of King's fellow civil rights leaders and influential newspapers. The Washington Post charged that King had, "diminished his usefulness to his cause, to his country, and to his people."
With his popularity in decline, an exhausted, stressed and depressed Martin Luther King, Jr., turned his attention to economic injustice. He reminded the country that his March on Washington five years earlier had not been for civil rights alone but "a campaign for jobs and income, because we felt that the economic question was the most crucial that black people and poor people, generally, were confronting." Now, King was building what he called the Poor People's Campaign to confront nationwide inequalities in jobs, pay and housing.
But he had to prove that he could still be an effective leader, and so he came to Memphis, in support of a strike by that city's African-American garbage men. Eleven hundred sanitation workers had walked off the job after two had died in a tragic accident, crushed by a garbage truck's compactor. The garbage men were fed up -- treated with contempt as they performed a filthy and unrewarding job, paid so badly that forty percent of them were on welfare, called "boy" by white supervisors. Their picket signs were simple and eloquent: "I AM A MAN."
A few weeks into their strike, which had been met with opposition and violence, Dr. King arrived for meetings and addressed a rally. Ten days later, he returned to lead a march through the streets of Memphis that ended in smashed windows, gunshots and tear gas.
Upset by the violence, he came back to the city one more time to try to put things right. The night before his death, King made his famous "Mountaintop" speech, prophetically telling an audience, "Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land!"
The next night he was dead. Twelve days later, the strike was settled, the garbage men's union was recognized and the city of Memphis begrudgingly agreed to increase their pay, at first by a dime an hour, and later, an extra nickel.
That paltry sum would also be prophetic. All these decades later, little has changed when it comes to economic equality. If anything, the recent economic meltdown and recession have made the injustice of poverty even more profound, especially in a society where the top percentile enjoys undreamed of prosperity.
Unemployment among African-Americans is nearly double that of whites, according to the National Urban League's latest "State of Black America" report. Black men and women in this country make 62 cents on the dollar earned by whites. Less than half of black and Hispanic families own homes and they are three times more likely to live below the poverty line.
The non-partisan group United for a Fair Economy has issued a report that features Martin Luther King, Jr., on the cover with the title, "State of the Dream 2010: Drained." Dr. King's dream is in jeopardy, the report's authors write, "The Great Recession has pulled the plug on communities of color, draining jobs and homes at alarming rates while exacerbating persistent inequalities of wealth and income."
Nor will a recovery ameliorate the crisis. "A rising tide does not lift all boats," United for a Fair Economy's report goes on to say, "because the public policies, economic structures, and unwritten rules of racism form mountains and ridgelines, and hills and valleys that shape our economic landscape. As a result, a rising economic tide fills the rivers and reservoirs of some, while leaving others dry and parched."
This is a perilous moment. The individualist, greed-driven free-market ideology that both our major parties have pursued is at odds with what most Americans really care about. Popular support for either party has struck bottom, as more and more agree that growing inequality is bad for the country, that corporations have too much power, that money in politics has corrupted out system, and that working families and poor communities need and deserve help because the free market has failed to generate shared prosperity -- its famous unseen hand has become a closed fist.
It is hard to overstate the consequences of choosing more of the same -- the very policies that have sundered our social contract. But hear the judgment of Nobel Laureate Kenneth Arrow, echoing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and martyrdom. "The vast inequalities of income weaken a society's sense of mutual concern," Arrow said. "...The sense that we are all members of the social order is vital to the meaning of civilization."
Bill Moyers is managing editor and Michael Winship is senior writer of the weekly public affairs program Bill Moyers Journal, which airs Friday night on PBS. Check local airtimes or comment at The Moyers Blog at www.pbs.org/moyers.
Makes one think how more powerful the message of Frankfurt School would've been if any of them someone like MLK at the Institut fur Sozialforschung.
-Martin Luther King
American history is littered with "Christian" religious leaders. The thing that sets the right, Reverend King apart from most of these guys is the fact that he wasn't a hypocrite. He never tried to twist the words of Jesus of Nazareth into anything other than what they were - a call to love one another and for kindness and gentleness. Thomas Merton is another American Christian who took the gospel seriously. So was Dorothy Day. There are others - I think.
There are a lot of people today doing what Dr. King did - in reverse. They are the Anti-Kings - or as I like to call them - the Martin Loony Kings. In his time on earth, King sought to appeal to the nation's conscience - to all that was good and (unfortunately at times) hidden in the American character. Today there are national spokespersons galore who would be happy to undo all the good work he did. Their stated purpose is to appeal to the darker demons of our nature. It's working. The number of people out there who seriously believe that our African American President is a "foreign born, Socialist Muslim" is growing by the day. Have a cup of tea, Lady?
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen NY
"We must develop a program that will drive the nation to a guaranteed annual income. Now, early in this century this proposal would have been greeted with ridicule and denunciation, as destructive of initiative and responsibility. At that time economic status was considered the measure of the individual's ability and talents. And, in the thinking of that day, the absence of worldly goods indicated a want of industrious habits and moral fiber. We've come a long way in our understanding of human motivation and of the blind operation of our economic system. Now we realize that dislocations in the market operations of our economy and the prevalence of discrimination thrust people into idleness and bind them in constant or frequent unemployment against their will. Today the poor are less often dismissed, I hope, from our consciences by being branded as inferior or incompetent. We also know that no matter how dynamically the economy develops and expands, it does not eliminate all poverty.
http://www.famous-speeches-and-speech-topics.info/martin-luther-king-speeches/martin-luther-king-speech-where-do-we-go-from-here.htm
Some consider themselves betrayed by leaders governing the richest country on the continent and pursuing a policy of black empowerment that has made millionaires of a tiny black elite while millions remain trapped in poverty, even as whites continue to enjoy a privileged lifestyle"
Oh, forgive me, this is not the story on South Africa, though there seem to be similarities. This is probably true all over the world (the powerful few -- controlling and feeding upon the suffering struggling mass generation after generation -- India, China, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, etc...). Perhaps the mass is growing weary. We had better wake up from arrogance, because when the mass grows weary, response will no longer fall to distraction and revolution will not be scripted, televised, or otherwise not in the full possession of the people -- fed up and clear-eyed concerning who and what is the problem. Game change is not a book but a look in the collective's eye. Do not mistake your level of comfort as a signal that all is well. Get your house in order wherever your house may stand, and by all means have concern for the plight of the next person -- woman or man.
This jumble of socialist states, islamic juntas and democracies is beyond repair. Let me just adress a few points. Fact: for the first time in their long histories, China and India are now able to feed and educate their entire populations.
This achievement is difficult to understand for well- fed Americans. But it is almost impossible to underestimate this prodigious achievement for those two states. Hence stability and support for the political structures in China and India.
Israel is another glaring non-example. Israel is on par with most European states on providing social care for its citizens through superlative universal health-care, generous pensions and strong labor unions.
“According to the central government policy these three categories are entitled for positive discrimination. Sometimes these three categories are defined together as Backward Classes. 15% of India's population are Scheduled Castes. According to central government policy 15% of the government jobs and 15% of the students admitted to universities must be from Scheduled Castes. For the Scheduled Tribes about 7.5% places are reserved which is their proportion in Indian population. The Other Backwards Classes are about 50% of India's population, but only 27% of government jobs are reserved for them.â€
“But with all this positive discrimination policy, most of the communities who were low in the caste hierarchy remain low in the social order even today.â€
http://adaniel.tripod.com/modernindia.htm
“Caste barriers have mostly broken down in large cities,[7] though they persist in rural areas of the country, where 72% of India's population resides. Nevertheless, the caste system, in various forms, continues to survive in modern India strengthened by a combination of social perceptions and divisive politics.â€
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste_system_in_India
“Poverty in China refers to people whose income is less than a poverty line of $1.25 per day (PPP) set by the World Bank benchmark. Poverty has affected all aspects of China, including the environment, health, education, housing, nutrition, and agriculture. It has disrupted families and communities, and sent millions from the poorer regions to the cities in a desperate search for work.
Since the start of far-reaching economic reforms in the late 1970s, the growth fueled a remarkable increase in per capita income and a decline in the poverty rate from 64% at the beginning of reform to 10% in 2004. At the same time, however, different kinds of disparities have increased. Income inequality has risen, propelled by the rural-urban income gap and by the growing disparity between highly educated urban professionals and the urban working class. There have also been increases in inequality of health and education outcomes. There have been also reports of exaggeration by China on its poverty rate.[1]â€
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_China
I understand the attraction towards anarchism and pithy (albeit vacuous) slogans.
However, real revolutions ARE scripted and ARE led by leader(s) with a fairly clear ideas about their tactics and strategy and ideology. AND who are able to inform and inspire the masses.
The "non scripted" mass uprisings are simply a mob rule, resulting in rather quick suppression and restoration of status quo.
Examples--Failure of recent revolt in Iran: .Rodney King uprising--mob rule nonsense.
Not to mention various historical examples of mob rule like the Jacquerie etc.
Do you? Based on all that followed your declaration of understanding where I am coming from -- I doubt it.
For instance, predisposition made you think my reflection on revolution concerned violence. Tsk -- tsk! I see no point in going further, for your mind is made up and a piece of candy is on the pillow of your certainty. Sweet dreams.
Have you guys read any of MLK's speeches -- other than the "I Have A Dream" speech? You can see by his big speech on Vietnam and other matters that he was on his way to the top -- understanding where the true power is. Sadly, Bill Moyers is good but won't go that high. That's the difference between good and great.
MLK said we are all equal, no matter our color, place of birth, height of salary, ....
How can we get what MLK died for? How can we get what JFK died for?
http://www.equalpartyusa.org
We should have had full terms in the White House by JFK followed by MLK. Can you dig it?
When you realize the top reason why we didn't, we will make the necessary changes together.
Cut out . Print. Refer to this had-out every day. Your choices..
1.Work hard.
2.Open small business in you community.
3. Be obsessive about your children education from first grade on. If you kid wavers and is about to succumb to the general disrespect towards learning in his/her peer environment, do ANYTHING to fix it., including corporal punishment, if necessary.
4.Be respectful towards teachers. Do not complain about racism every time your child get s a bad grade.Once you model for children disrespect towards educators--, all is lost.
5. Disconnect yourself from the victim-hood narrative.
6. Become informed about all affirmative action opportunities available to you and your children.
7. When things are going tough , re-read the above.
If in doubt, consult with Chinese, Hindu, Russian or Jewish immigrant parents for advice.
2. Check -- ongoing concern
3. Check -- education stressed in importance not only to young people but to all people, along with a few questions concerning the nature of education (versus brainwashing)
4. Check -- though racism, much to the contrast of your post -- does exist in classrooms and within virtual environments of opinion and news.
5. Check -- never had it, never will, and who are you to say who has it?
6. No. I do not believe in government set-asides for anyone, and the American government would go broke if it ever tried to pay for the atrocity that was and is slavery, for there is no monetary value that could address the damage done. I am willing to achieve (compete) on the merits. Affirmative Action is a legal bone prone to manipulation by racists and non-racists alike, thus, I dismiss it (but not the people and the movement that made it possible) out of pocket as a BS attempt to address real problems.
7. Define tough and then I will provide a definition you may not consider in your elevated view of the situation (sitiation).
THIS is what our country has come to thanks to republicant rule for the last 30 years.
There are very significant differences between fascism and corporatism. You're confusing the concept of corporatism with the bete noir of liberals-- commercial corporations.
In fact the notion of corporatism, forms an integral part of progressive, socialist ideology.
For Americans--notions of corporatism were especially evident in the New Deal policies that helped to save U.S. economy.
Become educated on this issue.
Marxism/socialism taken to the extremes becomes Communism, where the state absorbs all business. Corporatism taken to the extremes becomes Fascism, where business absorbs the state!
Obama treated by the "right"? What the hell are you talking about?
I cannot stand his policies, I think he is a sell-out to the "progressive" mind meld and his political IQ is in the single digits.
I think he is a good family man, has good friends (just a few) and discharges his duties as he sees fit.
I am greatly elated with America, getting off its collective butts to be heard when its elected representatives along with the President flips the bird to the voters.
And while I can see that you don't like his policies (as is your right...) your claim that he's sold out to the "progressive mind meld" is not born out by FACTS. Nor is your claim that his political IQ is in the single digits, as shown by the FACT that he DESTROYED the Clinton campaign machine, something that would be impossible for pretty much any other White House in HISTORY!
And the President is NOT flipping the bird to the voters, because a MAJORITY VOTED FOR HIM, unlike Bush, who didn't win EITHER of his "elections", except PERHAPS by selling out too much to the RIGHTWING!!!
No European citizen would accept even one of these situations. It's time for America to wake up and attack the real tyranny in America.
they have taken all of our money, gambled it away only to have their puppets in government "socialize" their losses.
we are essentially sliding backwards to the dark ages re-instituting a type of modern day feudalism where the 1% of wealth barons rule the country while the rest of us become serfs and slaves.
the real tragedy in all this is that half of this country's population is too dumb to understand any of this.
Who gives a crap about Bill Gates and his billions, if you've got a shot at working hard, keeping what you earn and not having it ripped off by Al Capone or some government agency?
We'll slide backwards if you believe this crap, and give up your rights to the government or some other cult, instead of being responsible for yourself.
No capital, no jobs.
Idiot.
Capital too strong, no jobs.
Idiot.
The Martin Luther King described by the self-serving Moyers and Winship, a discouraged man on the verge of throwing aside laws and the Constitution, is NOT the man who spoke to us, who told us that character is the content of the man, and part of character is giving to the community and giving of yourself to others.
I believe, had he lived to a ripe old age, he would NOT have bought into the "progressive" police state of entitlements, knowing it deteriorates character to depend upon handouts that have been involuntarily taken from another. He would put Barack Obama in his place, and call him accountable for his unthinking legislative rip-offs and phony moralizing.
I think about him every now and then, he was only in his 30's at the time, which made him appealing to us students. I felt he was on a journey into the unknown, and was nervous about it. He didn't have the huge ego and self-importance of a Jesse Jackson or Farrakhan, nor the anger of a Malcolm X, or the inner peace and self-assurance of a Ronald Reagan; he was still a young man.
You are entitled to so few social programs in America, and you think that makes you free? Sad. And I am sorry for you, that you care so little for the less fortunate that you are unwilling to pay taxes to help them.
Only in America is selfishness so celebrated.
Name ANY country that has sacrifices so much, in the blood of its citizens and its wealth, to helping the world rid itself of butchers and despots like Hitler, Lenin, Mao who slaughtered tens of millions; Norman Borlaug, who developed a strong strain of wheat that could withstand tough climate conditions and changes, and saved hundreds of millions from starvation; the tens of billions the United States has invested and given away to nations in all continents, the Marshall Plan after WWII to get Europe on its feet; the billions given to Africa (Bush particularly) for famine, AIDS relief, hospitals.
Where did all that come from? Our goddam taxes, but most of all NGA's, foundations, etc. that get DONATIONS!
You and your "progressive" pals miss the point entirely. Free people and free enterprise is what allows people to grow, thrive, prosper, create, work hard and earn goods and services. Collectively EVERYONE prospers, and part of human nature is charity and generosity. It's NOT "social programs" foisted upon us by the self-anointed through government power; it is you and I choosing for ourselves where to give our goods and services that provides "social programs".
Otherwise we have Cuba, "social programs" few people want, and even fewer benefit from.
Conservatism is a mental illness.
"progressive" police state of entitlements"
you have no idea what you're talking about, to begrudge the populace programs to assist the elderly, disabled, sick, veterans who served this country and the downtrodden services to help them survive with dignity defies common decency.
we all pay taxes for the common good and, in return, receive common benefits.
where is your outrage over the 2 trillion in wealth stolen from the American people.
their jobs, homes, investments, health insurance...etc
the social programs you are bellyaching about are a mere pittance in comparison.
you honestly believe the Republicans are gonna give you back what they allowed their pimp-masters to take from you....GET REAL!
Read it, for god's sake, it does NOT say government is a PROVIDER.
And what's this crap about wealth "stolen" from the American People? You ready to execute Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in your Che Guevera T-shirt?
http://www.truemajority.com/oreos/
http://www.archive.org/details/ChildrenOfGaza
What about the parents who "did all the right things" and then their kid became disabled and they lost nearly everything?
Do those people matter to you? Should they abandon their child - to pursue the American Dream?
You doubt it?!
If MLK was alive today, under the new DHS guidelines, he would be called a domestic terrorist, detained, rendered and tortured.
I can tell even over the internet that you were not alive then, or you would never, ever say that.
If EVER the government was truly evil enough to do as you suggest, they would have done it then.
But MLK's message wouldn't be suppressed like Mr. Cosby's. I sense that Mr. Cosby's opinions are being back-shelved because an underperforming African American society provides a useful purpose for the progressive-minded: as long as there is an under-class, they have a very real example to point to. The Asians have moved out of that paradigm and are of little value to the progressives.
Would progressives embrace a prosperity model in the African American community? All I can say is that in my work with the African American poor, I have to help these kids overcome large cultural obstacles in order to free them to the world of prosperity. I don't see a concerted community effort to help in this area. My oldest "partner in prosperity" is now a junior in high school. His grandma is a believer in American prosperity, his parents spend much of their time in jail. He's doing pretty well - motivated to get good grades, trying to determine which colleges he wants to apply to. We'll know more in the next 5 years.
Much of King's basic theory of social activism was a combination of Rauschenbusch & Gandhi.
(This is drawn from "Let the Trumpet Sound: The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr." by Stephen Boates.)
Just before "civilization" collapses.
Get rid of ANY of those three parts of society, and the WHOLE collapses!
Extremism of any flavor always turns out to be an ugly, distorted thing of evil.
Too much of anything is bad for you.
Anything must be mixed in the right proportions with a variety of ingredients to be healthy for you.
It also applies to politics. We have muslim extremists and christian extremists. We have capitalist extremists and socialist extremists. We have extremists of many varieties and flavors.
If you take the fear and prejudice out of the debate, it becomes clearer that we need a mixture of capitalism and socialism and populism to have a healthy society.