When the issue is placed into relative proportions the argument becomes more clear.__If we attempt to apply a relative size to:_* The number of Black students attempting to enter elite schools that use AA to sort through their mounds of applications_* The number of Black students in solid, mid-ranked state run schools_* The number of Black students who are high school graduates who COULD HAVE BEEN college students but for their weak high school academic preparation.__It is popular for the Black establishment to engage in fights at racial fissures. Sadly too many of these arguments miss the larger picture. If we as a community committed to shifting ALL of our Black high school students - 2 standard deviations upward in academic performance the presence of more Black candidates in the applicant pool of these elite schools would functionally nullify the need for AA admissions.__MORE IMPORTANTLY, however the dramatic increase of Black students in "the wide middle" who now enter into mid-ranked schools would do far more to advance the interests of our community as they return as professionals and small business owners. The mere size of this band of people would dwarf the number of Black students in elite schools.

Ms Williams:__I wonder what your reaction would have been to the ancient African saying of "We Know Not Which Womb Holds The Future King".__This African saying speaks to the intrinsic value of the gestating child._Why is this intrinic value outsourced over to the political agenda of those who are anti-Abortion? If THEY never lift a hand to feed this child after he is born does this disprove the intrinic value of it as an equal human being?__Does it speak to the responsibility provided to its prospective parents to exhibit more care before "exchanging body fluids"? Their actions initiate the cycle of life. The culture within which the male and female are encapsulated in must govern these intimate "Body Fluid Exchange Sessions". This is why - though I am a Black Conservative I do NOT believe that the government should have a role in banning the abortion procedure. This is a matter for the cultural consciousness to address.

[quote] It is beyond my imaginzation to conceive of a world where the Black community gives any credibility to Michelle Bachmann or Newt Gingrich. Just can't imagine it...
[quote]

Villager:

WHY are you so focused on the CREDIBILITY that "The Black Community" might give to GINGRICH and BACHMANN than you would consider the two bucket of VALUABLES in our possession that have been given up:

* Our EQUAL BLACK BALLOTS
and the
* FUSION OF THE BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS onto the VEHICLE known as the Democratic Party

that has been GIVEN to the PROGRESSIVE - DEMOCRATIC PARTY with the hopes of filling up our THIRD BUCKET:

* The bucket of COMMUNITY WEALTH

WHICH has produced the GREATEST MOLESTATION OF BLACK INTERESTS per its ability to SPEND THE NIGHT OVER OUR HOUSE and BE ACCEPTED IN AS A TRUSTED PARTNER

Do you notice, Villager - and you seem like an intelligent man - that ALL OF THE REBUTTALS of Gingrich Bachmann focused on ATTACKING THEM rather than denying the TRUTHINESS of their statements about the CONDITION OF BLACK PEOPLE after we have INVESTED so much?

If they have never spoken one word, Villager would the CONDITION OF BLACK PEOPLE be any different

Unlike them, however, I don't look at OBAMA.
Instead we have a CASCADING MACHINE that has been erected ON OUR BACKS - that we have been the BACK BONE OF.

With the OPERATIONAL UNITY that has been enforced there are far too few people INSIDE that are willing to appraise WHAT WE GO in TRANSPARENT TERMS. INSTEAD there is also some Wide Receiver in the 'Malcolm X Political Football Game" that comes to our HUDDLE and reminds us how evil the REPUBLICANS are.

What happens where there are NO REPUBLICANS AROUND Villager (Chicago, Detroit, LA, Philly, Newark?) Does our condition radically improve ? Or is there a need to MAKE A NATIONAL INDICTMENT because the proximate enemies are too few?

[quote] it is a condition of the black man’s own creation[/quote]

Please allow me to slightly alter your word "creation".

Whereas the defacto state of man is "poverty" only the SYSTEM which he actively constructs around him and his community can leverage the human resources to assemble a measurable quantity of that which that same system recognizes as "wealth" .

The Progressive-Fundamentalist receives his power from making INDICTMENTS against their enemy. As such it is not an organic ideology. Leave it all alone by itself and the factions would feed on themselves. The retain "Ideological Unity" via their agreement to look outward and go through the motions of indictment.

As I listen to various people debate their present standing they adopt some perfect reference (ie: the NUL views White people as their "1.0" reference to which they measure Black people in their annual "State Of Black America" Report) to which they compare themselves to. Where there is a deficit this proves to be evidence of 'injustice'. Without the valuation of the knowledge of fishing over the final state of "being in receipt of fish" - they cast their fortunes on obtaining their equal load of fish by enumerating RIGHTS that are due to them per their "national social contract" that they have identified in common with their target.

Instead of seeing this as a condition that they have CREATED - it is more accurate to say that in their IDEOLOGICALLY BIGOTED BLINDNESS they failed to tap into their collective community's potential and "equality" by focusing upon building up the systems infrastructure within which their people's talents would be leveraged to construct the favorable outcomes that they seek.

The talent to lead a "social justice march" is focused upon getting SOME EXTERNAL POWER to change their ways so that you and your people can get relief

The talent of 'Human Resource Management", however, is an INWARD focus. It seek the people to make inventory of themselves and then make measure of WHERE THEY WANT TO GO - clarifying the attributes of what this "Promised Land" looks like. Above all the need for LOGISTICAL SKILLS by which the emotional buy in that is tapped from the people is verified to be in support of THEIR OWN permanent interests and NOT in support of the VEHICLE that they chose to ride upon that purports to get there.

Those of their people who see the sign to the "Promised Land" but see that their "donkey" or "elephant" has kept going, remaining on the highway which is destined for a longer scenic route are the ones who have proven themselves to be more committed to their partisan ideology than what they have presented themselves as interest to their own community.

Mr Tucker:

In Europe they have only the GSM standard. They also have regulations which "free" the device from the grasp of the carrier.

Unfortunately the "hardware subsidy" that we Americans enjoy (the $600 iPhone can be purchased for $99 with a 2 year contract) does not exist. While the new phone in Europe is unlocked you must shell out the full $600 out of your pocket.

The debate is between the carriers seeking "predictability" in their subscriber base - locking in 2 year contracts as it costs several thousands of dollars to acquire one new customer via the marketing spend VERSUS providing "freedom" to the consumer to move from one network to the next.

In the cellular world before 4G (LTE) the incompatible standards between CDMA (Sprint/Verizon) and GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) made it impossible for one phone to go on the incompatible network. Verizon's "World Phone" has a CDMA radio for domestic USA and a GSM radio for international travel.

As everyone converges to LTE for their 4G (except Sprint who chose WiMAX) the standard will be the same across company but now the spectrum will be the inhibitor.

Verizon purchased 700Mhz spectrum that is a different range than what AT&T purchased. T-Mobile chose HSPA+ for its "4G".

Keep in mind, however, that these incompatible networks also has prevented massive mergers as the brutal game of consolidation has brought us to the "Big 4" (Though Sprint is anemic)

With all of that said the "Least Of These" will have full 4G coverage. Ms Clyburn need not worry.

[quote]expressed her concerns that the rules do not extend to wireless broadband access providers. [/quote]

Does anyone find it ironic that the past INDICTMENT called "the Digital Divide" where "Minority Communities" have no access to the Internet has now scaled to a DIFFERENT indictment, namely that in as much as "The Least Of These" now use wireless at a greater rate than does the "Majority Community"........the fact that the FCC has not regulated the wireless space in kind is an INJURY to the "Minority"?

No where does Commissioner Clyburn speak of the fact that wireless spectrum is a shared resource. When the kid sitting next to you is using his T-Mobile data card to stream a high resolution game this draws away from YOUR ability to download using your T-Mobile smart phone. Thus the wireless carrier had better have traffic management because YOU are going to call them to complain about your throughput.

In regards to Ms Clyburn's comments on "The Fast Lane". This too makes sense only to those who are not familiar with the architecture of the Internet. Without the use of "Content Distribution Networks" such as Akamai where content providers PAY to move high bandwidth content closer to the end user thereby making it faster - to not have this overlay architecture will lead to an inefficient use of resources.

With all due respect - I would love to hear Ms Clyburn provide a more technical summary of her viewpoint of how these "fast lanes" and "slow lanes" work.

[quote]This means a few things. First, it may explain why things aren't done. There's no funding for them. Secondly, it reduces the argument between so called progressives and conservative elements with the black community a proxy battle funded by someone else. [/quote]

Greg L:

There is countless references on video tape which indicate that "EDUCATION IS THE KEY EQUALIZER FOR BLACK PEOPLE".

Yet as we look at Washington DC's latest election we see that Black people chose a JOBS PROGRAM over ACADEMIC REFORM.

On my blog I have the results of the "Adequate Yearly Progress" for DC schools.
I am dumbfounded to try and understand how a FAILED SCHOOL SYSTEM does not translate into a GRAND PURGE of the MACHINE and associated IDEOLOGY that has controlled it for more than 30 years.

OWNERSHIP is yet another "carrot" that is dangled for the chase.
CONTROL is secured over the DC school system.

When I point to the moves that South Koreans are making in the retail space in various Black communities - INDEED - OWNERSHIP is being expressed with them. HOWEVER we cant' pretend that there is NOT a balance of power in the local communities where "favorable people" run where Blacks live in our highest concentrations.

It need not be "Black people" running the place.
A WHITE LIBERAL'S voting record on legislation is INDISTINGUISHABLE from that of most Congressional Black Caucus members.

[quote]What's missing is what permitted this country to steep itself in slavery, and decimate the population of indigenous people (our own American holocaust), and exploit the workforce of today--at home, and around the world. [/quote]

Black Diaspora:

I hope that you are using a solar powered water heater in your attempt to BOIL THE OCEAN.
You do know that natural gas, propane, coal and electricity (generated with coal) trigger global warming.

I bet you that I can show you a whole lot of people LOOKING TO BE "EXPLOITED" because they need a SALARY to feed their family.

The most damning and frustrating part of your (ideologically bigoted) stance is that you have no pretense in rejection of the need for REALISTIC ways forward.

If you required that MAN FLAP HIS WINGS AND FLY into the dreamland that you envision beyond the clouds - you would be pointing out that the capitalistic skyscrapers that some people will crash into as they fly and thus injure them is the greatest threat.

Brother Greg L (and you too Black Diaspora):

At the transactional level I have no problem with "stupid people" who are supporters of an adversary being highlighted. I can go over to "Magicnegrowatch.blogspot.com" and find the very same form of content against Obama supporters.

HOWEVER, as I make note of this Glenn Beck event and the 100% focus and bombardment of the "Lampblack Yellow Journalist Press" and so many of their Black Blogger Understudies - I could not help but notice one important thing.

The very same people who told us that Glenn Beck was attempting to co-opt Dr King's message are the same people who sublimated the (supposed) tribute to Dr King held by Al Sharpton (and MoveOn.org, Media Matters, and MSNBC).

More to the point, Greg L - as Al Shaprton stood on stage and told the world of the demands by Black people for QUALITY EDUCATION I noticed that not a single one of the Black press operatives who were focused upon Beck made note of the grand irony of it all.

You see Black Diaspora - you know the school at which Sharpton spoke as "Dunbar High School". This school was opened in 1870. It was once the nationally top rated school for Black kids that was once known as "The Preparatory High School for Colored Children".

On the day that King was supposed to be honored, no one noted that Anna Julia Cooper was disrespected. She was the long time principal of the high school that took it to the top. This at the high of Jim Crow

Sadly today - despite having favorable people running the city and the school system - Dunbar is just another failing inner city school that is dealing with violence problems.

As I check out you two brothers I must ask if you feel that you are compromised in any way as you divert our community's attention upon Beck and others that are ONLY a threat to PROGRESSIVES. (If you can find a threat that Beck provides to Black America - I would love to see it).

At some point should we as a community feel USED?

[quote] The white agenda is to hold blacks back[/quote]

Brother Black Diaspora:

WHICH "WHITE AGENDA" are you speaking of?
I KNOW that you believe this as the case for the "Beck/Limbaugh/Palin WHITE AGENDA"

I would love for you to articulate your viewpoint for the "Olberman/Maddow/Schultz WHITE AGENDA".

Malcolm X had some broad insight as to the antics of bigoted White folks. Do you find it ironic that the Black guard who fought in the 1960s are quite sure that the CONSERVATIVE WHITES of the CCC are now in the Tea Party BUT they are also sure that the WHITE LIBERAL SNARLING FOXES that X told us about from the past ......are seriously SMILING AT US when he shows his teeth TO-DAMNED-DAY!!!!

LOOK AT YOUR PEOPLE Black Diaspora as we have WON the victories in the Political Domain that we were told would lead to:

* Quality Education
* Economic Prosperity
* Peace In Our Communities
* Health for our people.

Then tell me with this new HEALTH CARE that you are poised to get - WHAT about the SCHOOLS that favorable people now control will produce greater access to health care because MORE PHYSICIANS and other professional service agents for our community ARE STREAMING OUT FROM THEIR DOORS as testament to the CONSCIOUSNESS that has been disseminated as our young people gathered within.

I am expecting to look at this CONTROL that we have over our communities as an ADVANCEMENT.
Instead I look at the continuing results and the PURCHASED SILENCE that it brings and I am brought to the point of cursing.

CLEARLY these operatives do not have our people's best interests in mind. Their success would be shown in our generally improved condition.