What Exactly is Rev. Wright Saying?

Let's look dispassionately, if we can, at exactly what this man is saying.

He says the U.S. military has killed millions of people in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and in this hemisphere since the end of World War II. Isn't that a verifiable fact? Were any of these peoples enemies of the United States who posed a genuine threat to American security? We can unequivocally say the Vietnamese, Iraqis, Panamanians and others were no direct threat. That is why doctored intelligence and misinformation were needed to justify these offensive wars, from the Gulf of Tonkin to Saddam's "involvement" with 9/11.

There have been less lethal forms of suffering imposed by U.S. foreign policy, such as Washington's support for autocratic regimes in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Is it surprising that a group, no matter how crazed, might want to seek revenge against the United States for their unjustified suffering? No right thinking person would have any difficulty understanding that.

Saying that former Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan is one of the most important voices of the 20th Century is patently absurd. Saying that African-Americans listen to what he says but don't always agree with him, sounds like fact. Wright clearly exaggerated his point here and did damage to his overall argument.

His comment that AIDS is a government biological weapon against the black community seems incredibly irresponsible without absolute proof. He cited two books at his press conference. I was unaware of these books and suspend judgment until reading them. Having learned the facts from Senator Frank Church's committee in the mid-seventies about CIA LSD experiments with American citizens and considering what we know about the Tuskegee Syphilis scandal, Wright is unfortunately right to say he wouldn't put it past the U.S. government to do anything.

Wright's knowledge of the history of the black church in America and his powerful defense of African-American culture, its music, its mode of preaching and worship is of the highest order and America needs to hear it.

So let's add up the scorecard.

He's right about revenge against American brutality over the last 60 years of foreign policy.

He exaggerated about Farrakhan, and his statement about AIDS is out there, but judgment is pending study of the books he cited.

The timing of Wright's remarks couldn't be worse for Obama and for all of us who want Obama elected. But for a man like Wright who has been speaking out for decades in relative obscurity to give up his first chance at the national stage -- because of Obama -- was obviously too much for him. He has his job to do, Obama has his, but he could not be blind to the damage he's done Obama.

Having said all this, the American people need to hear what Wright is saying about foreign policy. Instead too many Americans defend the myths their rulers fed them in school and that are constantly reinforced in the corporate media: myths that serve their rulers' interests, not theirs or those of countless innocent people around the globe. The specific myth in question is that American leaders are spreading democracy with their invasions and military interventions rather than merely extending their political and economic power.

One of the corporate media's jobs is to defend these myths that aid corporate interests by vilifying Wright or anyone else who dares doubt them. A careerist press has to join the chorus of condemnation.

Too many Americans seem to have such a personal stake in propping up the Big Lies about their country that they lash out at anyone who challenges them. They appear in denial about what their government has been doing to people. Is that denial to avoid feeling guilt? But the American people are not guilty of the crimes of government, only of identifying with government and of confusing their own interests with their leaders' interests by believing the lie that somehow they too benefit from militarism.

Until America grows up and faces the painful facts about what government has been up to it will never make the changes Obama is talking about. Without a frank, national self-examination, it won't give up militarism and cut defense spending to attend to the American people's critical domestic interests, such as alternative energy, health care, education and public transportation.

Rev. Wright may be wrong about some things, he may exaggerate, but he's spoken about some matters we can no longer ignore. There is a feeling of impending crisis in the air: energy and food shortages, a new war with Iran. Now is the time to speak out. More importantly, now is the time to question what we are being told.

Comments

[PhoenixtheUndying]

Even the guy running for president can't ignore the truth. America has done really scary things in its time that haven't really been made public except on the Internet. Obama knowas full well that its likelier than hes admiting that America devised the AIDS virus. Come to think of it, has there been a recorded case of AIDS before the seventies at all?

[digoweli]

"We were attacked from Afghanistan in 2001, and we are at war in Afghanistan today, in no small measure because of mistakes this government made--mistakes I among others made in the end game of the anti-Soviet war there some 20 years ago."

Robert Gates, Senate Armed Services Committee on April 10, 2008,

Isn"t this what got Ward Churchill and Reverend Wright in trouble? The CIA, calls it Blowback and both Churchill and Wright called it "Chickens Coming Home to Roost." Here is the Defense Secretary for the Bush Administration agreeing and admitting responsibility. Where was the press? Will the UKB and Colorado U. now forgive Ward Churchill, will Obama forgive Wright? Not a chance. It worked, the right wing shut up two loudmouths from the left and that was all that it was about.

Is it any wonder that it was America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia that refused to sign the UN Declaration of Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples this year? "Indigenes" are not human yet to those four countries? Yessir, the answer to $4.00 a gallon gas is to open Anwar. When can we have it? Six months? Next year? Two years? Ten years? and how much will it lower the price? Is there no end to this venal duplicity? Guess not. And when is Sarah Coburn going to sing in Moscow? And who was President 20 years ago? Doesn"t anyone ever get embarrassed anymore?

[northeast73]

Didnt you get the memo?

Obamanation is not supposed to defend Wright anymore.

[CaseyBabes]

This country's history, in whole, has been honorable. It is easy for an angry man to take issue with any segment of the country's ignoble past as "reverend" Wright has. So the media has their paragraph or broadcast minute to exploit. Too bad this hating individual has sunk Obama in his wake.

[KillTheMessenger]

There ain't no such thing as "history on the hole". Bach, Goethe and Beethoven do not make up for the German Holocaust and NO German with any honor will ever say so. Sorry to say that, but the US had its own Holocaust on native Americans, it conducted military operations like the Spanish-American war and the Civil War, it was one of the world's major slave owner societies and the list can be extended. If you don't like your own history, take a deep breath and start growing up so that one day you can accept it for what it was, not for what you want them to be in your imagination.

Reverend Wright has no way of dealing with history, but neither have the apologists.

[digoweli]

History is just history. You accept it as a system that has parts that didn't work and were inhuman. If you benefit, you decide to make the past mistakes correct to those who are still suffering PTSD from it, work together and go on as human beings pledging to make the system better, more mature and intelligent but you never, never change history. You discover it and grow in your understanding. It is the data that makes you who you are and self knowledge is the only key to significant growth and change. Digoweli

[digoweli]

A well put article but when people do not see themselves as others see them, then, they reject it. That speaks for Wright in the harassment he received before this weekend when his ministry has been significant and it speaks for the harassers who stereotype him as he stereotyped both cultures at the NAACP and the NPC. His culture comments were shallow and silly. Black classical artists can perform anything and George Gershwin was a Jew composing Jazz. Both Black and White perform foot dances and the "palmas" of the Spanish flamenco are as hard for any race as another. Culture is much too complicated to fit the conventional. But I feel sorry for a man whose ministry has obviously been a difficult one and whose church made significant financial contributions to healing ills that the society perpetuated. He's not a Catholic with a hierarchy to fund his endeavors. Protestants are the real entrepreneurs of the proselytizing religions. They operate on a wing and a prayer. There's nothing more depressing then seeing the blindness of people who had doorways opened for themselves by others comparing themselves to the people on the streets and in the ghettos. You can hear Catholic Irishman Chris Matthew's envy when he talks about the attendance at a black church. "Lines down the street" he said today. This whole endeavor is just too layered to address in 250 words or on a pundit's TV show. Digoweli

[Zogtastic]

If our way is the best way, then we don't need to force it on others... they'll want to steal it.

[GeorgeShieman]

All you have to do..is print out...the actual words...that Mr. Wright spoke.

After you print them out... insert the words.."God Bless America"

At least..Time Magazine...of all the source... did print out the actual words.

Suppose...that Mr. Wright said.."God bless America ..for killing innocent citizens."

A late-night talk show host... Lars Larsen... said..
Mr. Obama has shown that he made a lack of judgment...in his choice of a pastor..
and that lack of judgment will come back to haunt him.. actually , the talkshow guy used diffferent words... that Obama can expect the "chickens to come home to roost."

If that talk show host is true to his words... Why cannot we say that our "policy and judgment decisions ...made by our president..and our congress... why can't we...and Rev.Wright say.
Hey..you made choices.. your choices pissed off people...you killed people all over the world.
and the consequences of your actions....are retaliations."

george shieman [e-mail]

quote of the day..from Dr. seuss... "Just be who you are ..and say how you feel...
...those who mind don't matter...those who matter don't mind'>

[imapundittoo]

Wright on Farrakhan: Dr. Wright's relationship with Farrakhan is not relevant. However, WHY can't this man be friends with this other man? What is wrong with celebrating the fact that Louis Farrakhan - and the Nation of Islam - was able to organize not only one, but two, peaceful meetings/marches of millions of Black people? What is wrong with acknowledging the respect the Black community holds for Louis Farrakhan? As we all know Obama is not Dr. Wright and should not have to apologize for his comments, and so it goes for Wright & Farrakhan. Wright is anti-Semetic because of comments made by Louis Farrakhan 20 years ago? Obama is unpatriotic and racist because of comments made by Rev. Wright some 3-6 years ago? Come on; you have got to be kidding me. This guilt by association thing has got to stop. Wright is right...he should not put Farrakhan down, he should not distance himself from Farrakhan. Farrakhan is not his enemy. Just because the media doesn't like Farrakhan doesn't mean Dr. Wright can't.

[pasberry]

The MSM and most people in this country lack the ability to see things in shades of grey. Ever issue has to be black or white, good or evil.

Sometimes life isn't just black and white. With regards to Farrakhan , most people might have fault with some of the statements without understanding that he has done some good as well.

Hillary supporter Rendell has been to events promoting peace with the man.

[imapundittoo]

Great work Mr. Lauria. Here's my take on Wright's comments to the NPC on Monday. (Keep in mind the media won't address the Moyer interview or the NAACP address where he says basically the same things he said on Monday because of his tone. I get that because if one more person asks ME about Jeremiah Wright, who knows what my tone will be?)

Wright on Senator Obama:In response to being asked how he felt about Obama's decision to distance himself from the Wright, he responded by saying Obama didn't distance himself from him, but from comments that he made that the media used to portray him as anti-American and unpatriotic. (Of course, I am paraphrasing, but you can find the transcript on HuffPo or google it.) Did I miss something or is this not what Obama said in his famous "race" speech? Obama said he didn't agree with the comments made by his pastor, but he wasn't disowning him. Dr. Wright in his response to the question was not negating what Obama said in his speech, but confirming it. He said Obama distanced himself from his comments and not his person (their personal relationship). He did not accuse him of politcal posturing. Correct me if I am wrong, but is Obama not a politician? If Obama were not a politician running for POTUS, he WOULD NOT be distancing himself from Dr. Wright's comments or his person because NOBODY would care.

[pasberry]

Of course BO is a politician. I never forgot that. Do I believe his political persona is similar to his personal self ? Yes I do. He had to come out and denounce Wright. Its politics.

[Justtellthetruth]

At least on this point, I fail to see what is controversial about his statement.

The Iraq study group, the 9/11 commision, Tony Blair, the Head of the CIAs bin laden unit, and even Bill Clinton have all said at different times after 9/11 that there is a connection between our middle eastern foreign policy debacles and terrorist recruitment, funding, and anti american sentiment.

What does it mean to deny this? That NOTHING that we do has any impact on the things that happen to us in the world? That 9/11 had absolutely no connection between our policies and the group that attacked us and those that are sympathetic to it? I would say that of the two, THAT would be the delusional statement.

[rsg5354]

I have studied Malcolm X for many years. Farrakhan used to be Malcolm X's speaker in the Nation of Islam. When Malcolm X looked into allegations that the Honorable Elijah Muhammed had gotten several of the young women in his ministry pregnant he turned his back on the Nation of Islam and the Elijah Muhammed. Farrakhan turned his back on Malcolm X and the Fruit of Islam. I personally don't have any respect for Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. For years I have been telling my husband and my children that the United States Foreign Policy sucks. We have no buisness in Foreign Affairs if it doesn't affect us personally here in this Country. Not the most powerful Country in the world. The United States has become arrogant and believes it rules the World. Look how the Chinese Government is playing the United States, Look at what they have done to heprun the blood thinner. They are killing us on purpose and our stupid President just keep letting them do it. I'm not blind to what is going on around us, but I also see the people of this Country content to what's going on and it's ashame. I love when true journalist can tell the truth about the Government. I wish that the people of this Country would make our Government accountable for their actions. Truth be told the CLINTON's are the ones who gave our jobs away with NAFTA and now they want to blame Bush.

[pasberry]

Be careful before the MSM media paints you as an unpatriotic "blame America first" liberal.

[ColinCody]

You are entirely correct in disrespecting Farrakhan. He is a dangerous psychotic. Wright is much like him, and he has tried to make Obama into his own image. We may have an opportunity in future to see just how well he succeeded.

As a Ron Paul conservative/libertarian, I have to tell you that the reason people do not hold our government accountable for it's actions is because they do not even understand that nearly everything the government does is harmful to the great majority of our citizens. Unconstitutional government is not the solution, it constitutes the very heart of our problem.

Our government has sold all of us out to Big Pharma and big business for big money at the cost to us of millions of American lives destroyed or blighted every year and the literal enslavement of our entire population. We are their unthinking voter milk cows, their stupid sheep for the shearing at tax time and their blindly loyal guard dogs in time of war. Until we begin to elect men and women of absolutely pure moral character unflinchingly loyal to the governing principles of our sacred constitution who also understand genuine free market economics---men like Dr. Ron Paul---we will forever continue to have the abominable government that we now have. It's as simple and inevitable as that.

[harriscrl3]

Yes he did say somethings that made sense but the stuff were just too outrageous for people to care so he comes off as paranoid ranter. He did himself and a truth a disservice with the delusional absurd rantings that he included. Exhibit A on how to shot your reputation to hell and then take down someone else with you. Obama didnt just threw him under the bus he drove the bus over him and I cant say I blame him one iota. If this destroys Obama's campaign what a title Wright will have to live with for the rest of his life knowing what he prevented heck maybe his delusional mind will get a kick from it.

Carol

[Maanu]

Most black folks know that he speaks truth. Thanks to slavery, we've developed a natural healthy skeptic streak, and his sermons speak to that. We know we are in a position to need to hear the truth of a harsh world. White folks seem to not want to know that green is the only color that counts. Although this is one country and either sinks or swims together, how much can you try to help someone who wants to denigrate you for your efforts?

[jhink465]

I know something about the bible and something about history. I know Rev Wright speaks the truth and he does it with style. I'm white European descent and even we know the truth when we hear it.

[Marlyn]

"he could not be blind to the damage he's done Obama."

Yes he could. Jeremiah Wright is blinded by ambition.

[kindablu]

With regards to Farrakhan as one of the most important voices of the 20th and 21 centuries. If he is not important, how is able to stymie two presidential campaigns (Jesse's and now Barack's) and make white folks shudder at the mere mention of his name? He carries no weapons that I know of. He does not have access to any natural resources that I know of. Even after the Million Man March, countless brothers went (I among them), no one I know of joined the Nation of Islam. Their numbers in terms of members I would guess has not increased at any noticeable rate over the years (surely that would have made BIG news otherwise). Why is his name in the mouths of Russert, Blitzer and others? If it is not his voice, what is the concern with him? What's up with Rendell praising him to the high heavens a few years back (Check YouTube, it's all the rage, with the exception of media folks who should have mentioned the hypocrisy at the Philly debate) A Change Is Gonna Come!????!

[Nommo]

kindablu, Farrakhan is "Bigger Thomas" for this day and age.

[kindablu]

Interesting idea Nommo. I'll wrestle with that.