The World is a Ghetto: Economic Apocalypse Now

The World is a Ghetto: Economic Apocalypse Now

Paul Scott



"Families buying dog food now. Starvation roams the streets."

Village Ghetto Land- Stevie Wonder




Back in 1972, the funk band, War, recorded the grim hit ,"The World is a Ghetto." I thought about this dire ditty when I read an article last week about a recent study out of the Sanford School of Policy that announced the shocking (yet, self-evident) revelation that poverty has something to do with drop out rates and out of wedlock births.

No shellac, Sherlock.

I wish that I would have been part of that little study, I could have given them a whole laundry list of social ills that are caused by being broke ranging from high blood pressure, nervous breakdowns to a rare form of Tourette Syndrome that makes one have the irresistible urge to kick the neighbor's poodle for no apparent reason.

Yeah, I've heard the talk about how the Reagan-esque voodoo economics of the stimulus package is finally beginning to bailout the average Joe and how the report of the 10% national unemployment rate is just an illusion or part of some vast right wing conspiratorial misinformation campaign.

I don't mean to burst any one's bubble or rain on your parade but I don't think that post recession America is going to differ ,significantly, from recession America. Kinda like when gas prices all of a sudden jump to $4.00 a gallon. Sure, the prices will eventually go down but you know in your heart of hearts that the days of $1.25 a gallon premium are dead and gone.

We are quickly moving into an era where there will only be two groups of people; the haves and the have nots. While in the past, the average homeowner may have been two paychecks away from the poor house, nowadays, a short bout with H1N1 will have you up all night trying to figure out how you're gonna fit your giant flat screen TV into the homeless shelter.

Welcome to the ghetto.

Although the term "ghetto" is usually meant to describe a place full of poor African Americans and Latinos, the term was originally used to describe a place where European Jews were forced to live around World War II and also places where immigrants resided when they came to America. However, in the 21st century, ghetto-ism has taken on a more universal meaning; a place of hopelessness and despair.

Contrary to popular belief, the ghetto doesn't start at the first boarded up house in Northeast Central and end at the first coffee house downtown. The ghetto is a village without boundaries.

While most well -off folks only know the ghetto as the home of 70's sitcom, "Good Times" reruns, those of us who have ever had to dine on "Oodles of Noodles Surprise" every night for dinner are well acquainted with the place

There was a time when poverty was seen as a condition of the chronic underachievers. You know, the kids who skipped Algebra class to hang in the hallway quoting Run DMC lyrics. But now, for many, unemployment is in the "stuff happens" category, striking even the most educated, hard working person for no rhyme nor reason.

The gainfully employed are now seen as those who have their positions simply because "somebody up there likes them." In this case, I am not referring to the proverbial "man upstairs" but the head honcho in the seventh floor corporate office who makes the hiring/firing decisions. We live in a time when a human resource department has become a virtual Mt. Olympus with folks with almost god-like powers granting favors to those who swear their undying allegiance, vowing to sacrifice coffee breaks, holidays and family time on the altar of economic stability.

So, the writer with the cushy job and the scenic view at the newspaper's corporate office may not, necessarily, be a better wordsmith than the poor, unemployed journalism major holding a "Will Write for Food" sign in the Herald Sun parking lot. Or the lucky sap who is charging $50 a pop for balcony seats to see him perform at the DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center) may be no more deserving of the spotlight than the guy with the four string guitar singing his heart out on the sidewalk of Ninth Street.

Economic success is not an exact science.

So, are we quickly approaching a sci-fi -type Apocalypse where bands of roving poor folks will start rollin' up on suckas sportin' Argyle sweaters and drivin' Volvo's, jackin' them for their Starbucks money?

It's possible. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As hardcore rapper, Freeway, once warned when facing economic uncertainty, "if my heat stops workin'...I'ma rob me a person."

Maybe there is a bright side to these days of gloom and doom. Perhaps the recession will force us to focus on the important things in life.

Maybe, we will stop being so blinded by the bling of celebrities like Jay Z and Paris Hilton and realize King's dream of judging a person by the content of his character and not the size of his paycheck.

I don't know.

But in the perpetual, purgatory of poverty, one thing is certain. We'll have more than enough time to figure it out.

As the late, great funkster, Rick James once said;

"One thing 'bout the ghetto, you don't have to hurry. It'll be there tomorrow. So, brother, don't you worry.


Paul Scott is a self-syndicated columnist and author of the blog, No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com . To join the "No Warning Shots Firing Squad" on Twitter visit twitter.com/NWSF

Confessions of an Angry Black Man

Confessions of an Angry Black Man:
White America's Guide to Understanding Black Rage

Paul Scott




James Baldwin once said that to be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage. Maybe that explains why the black guy in the car next to you looks like he just had a bowl of nails for breakfast.

Most white Americans are of the opinion that these are happy times for black folks. You know, with the dude that everyone assumes is our "homie" in the White House and all. Even hardcore Hip Hoppers like Jay Z and Young Jeezy took brief hiatuses from rapping about guns and drugs to acknowledge the historic 2008 presidential victory. So even the most liberal white guy greats the permanent Ice Cube- like scowl on my face with the comforting words of "why so glum, chum ?"

For many African Americans, the euphoria of the last election has not lived up to the hype. This is compounded by the increasing attacks on "blackness" by the right wing under the guise of critiquing the Obama administration.

So, as comedian Richard Pryor once said, "I got a right to be hostile, my people are being persecuted!"

While today's average white American sees the modern expression of black anger as something as commercially, superficial as Kanye West snatchin' a microphone from Taylor Swift, black rage is deeply rooted in American history.

One of the first instances of black anger in written form was Wilmington NC native David Walker's, "Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World."
The 1829 pamphlet boldly warned America that "woe, woe will be to you if we have to obtain our freedom by fighting." Not quite the sentiment of the stereotypical "happy go lucky darkie" of Antebellum America folk lore.

Black disillusionment continued after World Wars I and II as the black soldiers who risked their lives overseas experienced as much racism on foreign soil as they did domestically. It has been recorded that German prisoners of war received better treatment than African American enlisted men. The soldiers also returned home to see black men lynched while still in uniform.

The condition of African Americans did not change during the following decades, prompting Civil Rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer to proclaim in frustration that she was "sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Black rage of the Civil Rights Age came to a head after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, resulting in the burning of many American cities, bringing to fruition the prophesies of Black Power prophets of rage like Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) and H. Rap Brown (Jamil Al-Amin).

Black anger trickled into the 80's and early 90's with a series of rebellions accompanied by a soundtrack courtesy of a politicized Hip Hop movement courtesy of groups like Public Enemy; the rebellions after the so called "Rodney King Trial" being the most reminiscent of the explosive 60's.

Not only black rage but protest in general was subdued after 9/11 as anything even remotely resembling anti-Americanism was seen as a threat to national security and carried with it the possibility of a lengthy stay at the Gitmo Hotel.

In 2009, the current state of affairs in this country threatens to wake the sleeping not -so- jolly black giant.

However, the spark that may ignite Baldwin's, "Fire Next Time" may be mostly based on a deep sense of hopelessness.

Many African Americans are now questioning whether things will ever get better. I mean, there are just so many times that you can ,unsuccessfully, play the Lotto at your local convenience before storming to the exit knocking over a rack of potato chips on your way out.

What if the unemployment rate never goes down?

What if 2010 brings about another Republican revolution?

What if the mass mobilization of the right wing base is successful and President Obama does not win a second term and the miracle of a black president goes down in the annals of American history as a fluke?

This state of fear and frustration is worsened by ultra conservative talking heads who insist on pouring gasoline on the fire on a daily basis.

There is an old adage in the black community that if you tell white folks what they want to hear, all will be right with the world.

Therefore, white America may be totally oblivious to the black rage bubblin' under the surface until it boils over.

The average Joe Bob will believe that everything is fine and dandy until Willie Smith, his mild mannered black coworker goes off on a tirade about "400 years of oppression," after he, politely, asks him for one of his doughnuts one morning.

So, the question that is being posed in 2009 is the same question that poet Langston Hughes asked in 1951,

"What happens to a dream deferred?"

I don't know, America. You tell me...


Paul Scott is a self-syndicated columnist and author of the blog, No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@nowarningshotsfired.com

NWSF Advice to "Wishy Washy in Washington"

Today, No Warning Shots Fired is proud to present a new advice column. The first letter comes from Washington DC:

Dear No Warning Shots Fired,

I am having problems with the new job that I started, last January. Seems like I'm having a hard time trying to please everybody.
If I move to the right, my Left Wing friends get upset.
If I move to the left, my Right Wing friends get angry. And when they get angry, they get very, very angry.
It seems like the whole country is losing respect for me.
What should I do?

Signed,

Wishy Washy in Washington


Dear Wishy Washy in Washington,

I would give you some Dr Phil type advice but you need some tough love, homie. So, I'm gonna quote the words of the late, great philosopher, Tupac Shakur:

"People diss us on the street, man! We run from Bill O'Reilly. We run from Sean Hannity. We even run from Glenn Beck! All we do is run, like we're on a track team!

If you want respect you gotta earn respect! You gotta be willin' to grab some suckas by their collars and throwdown!

You gotta get the ground beneath your feet, partna and the wind behind your back and be willing to go out in a blaze of glory like Blizzard did!!!"

Hope this helps,

NWSF

Marxist on the Mic: Hip Hop Soul-cialism

Marxist on the Mic:
Hip Hop Soul-cialism

Paul Scott



Since the early part of the 20th century the best way to diss a politician was to call him a "Socialist." Even the mere suggestion of a dude being red was sure to guarantee a 20% drop in the polls. This is what the Conservatives are counting on as they continuously sling "Commie" accusations at President Obama. While the president's so called "socialist" programs may not play in Peoria, they seem to be a big hit in the 'hood.

For most middle class Americans who are heavily invested in the system, the mere mention of Socialism is like someone with nine inch nails ,repeatedly, scratching a blackboard but for the black community the promise of a more socially equitable society has been music to the ears of an oppressed people who have been denied the American dream of Capitalism.

We must remember that the African American attraction towards Socialism did not start with the Obama administration but has existed in this country for over 70 years.

Many of the early black leaders were heavily influenced by Socialist theory if not members of the Communist party, themselves. It must be noted that while Dr. WEB DuBois is most known for being a founding member of the integrationist NAACP, by 1934, he was singing the praises of Karl Marx. Also, the head of the Civil Rights movement , Martin Luther King had Socialist theorists on his staff such as Bayard Rustin. Not to mention the fact that that the good reverend's Poor People's campaign raised a middle finger in the face of Capitalist exploitation.

During the late 60's the Marxist -Leninist philosophy of scientific Socialism was used as a blueprint for the Black Panther Party and their many community programs. The idea of the people owning the means of production resonated well with black folks who were tired of the slave-master relationship.

The impact of Socialism has been felt in the world of black entertainment, as well, as performers such as Paul Robeson got "blacklisted" for their political beliefs.

Though less overtly, rhythm and blues artists recorded tracks that favored Socialism over Capitalism as exemplified by the Isley Brothers asking "when will there be a harvest for the world," in 1976.

While many of today's Hip Hop moguls like Shawn "Jay Z" Carter and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs are, unashamedly, black Capitalists, Hip Hop has challenged the doctrine of Capitalism since its inception. Many rappers have penned Socialist inspired lyrics, whether knowingly or not.

In 1982 Kurtis Blow yelled, "I don't want a lot, I just want enough. So why does it have to be so damn tough?" Later in 1984, rap group Divine Sounds critiqued the pitfalls of Capitalism with "What People Do for Money."

Although more known for run ins with the law than revolutionary ideology, rapper DMX presented a musical manifesto of his own with the 1994 hit, "Stop Being Greedy," when he demanded, "ya'll been eatin' long enough, stop bein' greedy. Just keep it real partner, give to the needy."

Perhaps the most overt disciples of Socialism are "the Black Panther of Rap," Paris who frequently calls for revolution on his cds and the group, Dead Prez, whose People's Army Movement urge followers to "bang on the system."

Also, the fear of a bland, monolithic society forced to dress in matching uniforms that was used to scare previous generations is lost on a Hip Hop Nation whose members wear the traditional "gangsta" gear of white T-shirts and blue jeans on a daily basis, anyway.

So, why is scientific Socialism still relevant to a Hip Hop generation far removed from the days of the McCarthy hearings ?

The reason is simple.

The condition of the masses of black people has not changed since that era nor has Capitalism.

Most black folks still have neither "a pot to pee in nor a window to throw it out of ", so Karl Marx's idea of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need," is appealing to residents of the 'hood who, constantly, see the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

This does not mean that Marxism nor Communism has been seen as a perfect fit for African Americans.

It must be remembered that writers such as Harold Cruse (Crisis of the Negro Intellectual) have argued that Marxists underestimated the depths of racial superiority in the psyche of the white working class. It must also be noted that, according to Tony Martin in his book "Race First," the early American Communists were opposed to Marcus Garvey and all forms of Black nationalism as they saw this ideology as a barrier between their movement and the black working class and unemployed (the proletariat and the lumpen-proletariat).

Also, the Marxist rejection of organized religion did not sit well with an African culture based on spirituality, even though the principals of Socialism do not differ much from the "corporate responsibility" of Judaism, the "love thy neighbor" ethic of Christianity nor the "universal Brotherhood" of Islam. All of which are opposed to the amoral nature of Capitalism.

That is why black leaders such as Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) and ,to some extent ,Dr. WEB Dubois presented Socialism through the lens of of traditional African communalism which predated Marxism by centuries. Dubois wrote in "Dusk of Dawn" that " in the African communal group, ties of family and blood, of mother and child, of group relationship, made group leadership strong." Ture suggested that African Americans look beyond the short comings of the practitioners of Marxism and apply the principles of Socialism to the struggle for black empowerment.

What the Conservatives have not realized is that black folks aren't that endeared to labels. We have always been more concerned with a way to get food, clothes and shelter then getting into a philosophical debate over the merits of opposing ideologies.

We'll save that for the talking heads on Fox and CNN.

For us, be it Capitalism, Socialism or any other "ism," as we say in the 'hood, at the end of the day,

"We're just tryin' to eat."


Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283

NWSF News: Advice to Dems on How to Handle Right Wing Militants

Since the "gentle and kind" approach has not worked against the Conservative Militia at the Town Hall Meetings, TRUTH Minista Paul Scott has some advice for the Democrats.

Right Wingers Riot in Stamford!

With the creation of the Birthers Movement and the Healthcare Reform Town Hall Riots, is the Grand Ole Party becoming the Gangsta Ole Party?