Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Help Me Understand Field Negro's Alleged "Smackdown" of Shelby Steele's WSJ Op-ed


I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Steele's entire article Why The GOP Can't Win With Minorities. What is facinating to me is how the Field Negro responded to it as well as the bloggers over at Jack & Jill Politics who called Field Negroes response a "smackdown". I have been trying to process it from their prospective but I'm getting nowhere. So I have decided to just post what each said and perhaps someone can help me understand what is that I'm missing -- I hate it when I don't "get" it.

Shelby Steele writes: "The appeal of conservatism is the mutuality it asserts between individual and political freedom, its beautiful idea of a free man in a free society. And it offers minorities the one thing they can never get from liberalism: human rather than racial dignity.... What drew me to conservatism years ago was the fact that it gave discipline a slightly higher status than virtue. This meant it could not be subverted by passing notions of the good. It could be above moral vanity. And so it made no special promises to me as a minority. It neglected me in every way except as a human being who wanted freedom. Until my encounter with conservatism I had only known the racial determinism of segregation on the one hand and of white liberalism on the other -- two varieties of white supremacy in which I could only be dependent and inferior."


The Field Negro responds: Right there, Shelby, is the problem with your well written essay. You only saw yourself as a person of color in two ways: "A racial determination of segregation" and the subject of "white" liberal paternalism. You should have said no to both of those choices. It wasn't one or the other. Both were destined to make you the man you became: Someone who chooses a selfish ideology which is predicated on chasing a carrot that you will never be able to grab. By embracing that ideology you have bought into the false premise that your people seek the liberal handout and are not willing to work as hard as the conservative to grab the carrot. It is not true. I submit to you that your people (and poor people of all colors) are willing to work harder. The problem is that their government has never been willing to work as hard for them. Instead, their government has worked only for a special few, and contrary to what you might believe, it didn't neglect you, it used you to achieve its own goals. At least with liberalism, with all its faults, there was a realization that it should make you a promise, and that promise was that never again will you be subjected to second class status, and our government will always work to make it so. Our government will finally give you an even playing field to compete on, after tipping the field against you for so long.

Shelby Steele writes:""So here stands contemporary American conservatism amidst its cultural liabilities and, now, its electoral failures -- with no mechanism to redeem America of its shames, atavistically resisted by minorities, and vulnerable to stigmatization as a bigoted and imperialistic political orientation. Today's liberalism may stand on decades of failed ideas, but it is failure in the name of American redemption. It remains competitive with -- even ascendant over -- conservatism because it addresses America's moral accountability to its past with moral activism. This is the left's great power, and a good part of the reason Barack Obama is now the president of the United States. No matter his failures -- or the fruitlessness of his extravagant and scatter-gun governmental activism -- he redeems America of an ugly past. How does conservatism compete with this?"

The Field Negro writes: "Sorry Shelby, it can't. And I, for one, am glad for that."

I just want to throw my hands up and say -- "Hopeless, let the "brain dead" bury the "brain dead". But Field Negro is an intelligent man and I have mad respect for him. It's nothing new for me to disagree with him as I ALWAYS do. But I just don't understand the point he is making here. Is it just me? Or, is the Field Negro indeed a real life personification of that which Mr. Steele describes in his article?

40 comments:

Conservative Black Woman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Conservative Black Woman said...

DJBA~ No, I agree he does not suffer from a "victim" mentality although the same can't be said from some of his regular commenters. But when he says "Sorry, Shelby it can't and I for one am glad for it" is he not saying.... I'm not letting go of this grievance and I am glad that I have it and will use it as a weapon against conservatism as long as I live. I mean the blogger at JJP who called FN's response a "smackdown" calls him or herself Christian Progressive Liberal? So....why and how do you reconcile support of a party, politician or ideology that consistently and invariably heralds that which is evil or that which is good; and promotes behaviors that lead to failure over those which lead to success (Those are Evan Sayet's words). As a christian when do you lay that "burden/grievance" down and follow after righteousness. Again I'm not talking about individual morality. I'm talking about juxtaposing liberalism and conservatism.

DJ Black Adam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Conservative Black Woman said...

Because I reject the premise that the GOP actions show that they have little regard for the Gospel. I think they are much closer to it than the Democratic party. Can you tell me what you are referring to specifically?

DJ Black Adam said...

How do you justify YOUR support of the GOP, when, in many actions they show they have little (if any) regard for the Gospel of the Kingdom of God OR Jesus example in ministry?

For example, Jesus said: "Mercy", they say "keep the death penalty and oif an innocent person gets killed by the system...well you have to break some eggs to make onlets"...just asking...

brotherkomrade said...

Nothing you conservatives will write this week will take my mood down today because right now, I'm so high on the democratic victory won in El Salvador, I could shout in the middle of the street. Next, Mexico, then the U.S.!!!

It's uh interesting that you posted a pic of FN, CBW, you bad girl you!!! ;-)

DJ Black Adam said...

CBW:

You wrote: "Because I reject the premise that the GOP actions show that they have little regard for the Gospel. I think they are much closer to it than the Democratic party."

We are going to have to agree to disagree on that one CBW, I think they both are equadistant from the Gospel of truth, for different (and in some cases the same) reasons.

At lest I know when a lefty doesn't believe the Gospel, many in the GOP attempt to use the Gospel in a way to forward their agenda and manipulate Christians as a base for that agenda, and that agenda is one of Mammon not God, which I think FAKING THE FUNK is as low as it gets...

Conservative Black Woman said...

"At lest I know when a lefty doesn't believe the Gospel, many in the GOP attempt to use the Gospel in a way to forward their agenda and manipulate Christians as a base for that agenda, and that agenda is one of Mammon not God, which I think FAKING THE FUNK is as low as it gets..."

I can't argue with that! Although I will never forget Hillary Clinton say in her best southern black woman voice "I ain't feelin' no ways tide".

BK~I not sure why you think I have less than honorable intentions for putting up FN's picture. Attorneymom can attest to the fact that the only thing naughty about me doing so is that I think he is sexy as hell as I shared with her this morning that "Mrs. Field" is one lucky lady.

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

"I can't argue with that! Although I will never forget Hillary Clinton say in her best southern black woman voice "I ain't feelin' no ways tide".

lololololo I remember that, one of the many reasons I am not a liberal or demoocrat...

brotherkomrade said...

"that "Mrs. Field" is one lucky lady."

Yeah, my wife says the same thing.
LOL!

Alpha Conservative Male said...

This is the reality check that black and white liberals can't grasp. The GOP doesn't need the "black vote" in order to win elections on the state, congressional or Presidential level. The Democrat Party on the other hand can't survive as a party without the black vote. These facts can't be disputed, they are what they are. From 1980 to 2008, the GOP controlled the white house for 20 out of 28 years or 5 out 7 election cycles. They controlled congress for 12 straight years as well has controlling most of the governorships ALL WITHOUT THE BLACK VOTE. The GOP embrace blacks within the party because of a mutual interests and shared ideology. It comes down to "quality" not "quantity" of blacks in the Republican Party. That is fine by me.

Conservative Black Woman said...

UTS~We don't fit into that mold. Neither do read that from Steele's writings here or elsewhere. How do you arrive at that conclusion?

Anonymous said...

By this bull$hit from Steele:

"The appeal of conservatism is the mutuality it asserts between individual and political freedom, its beautiful idea of a free man in a free society. And it offers minorities the one thing they can never get from liberalism: human rather than racial dignity.... What drew me to conservatism years ago was the fact that it gave discipline a slightly higher status than virtue. This meant it could not be subverted by passing notions of the good. It could be above moral vanity. And so it made no special promises to me as a minority. It neglected me in every way except as a human being who wanted freedom. Until my encounter with conservatism I had only known the racial determinism of segregation on the one hand and of white liberalism on the other -- two varieties of white supremacy in which I could only be dependent and inferior."

So CBW, please tell me what "special promises" have been made to black folks by liberals???

It's an abominable LIE and to hear it peddled by a black man is just too disgusting.

Conservative Black Woman said...

UTS~I knew you would force me to work through this carefully so allow me to go slowly because this FN's response truly stumped me...

Steele writes: And it offers minorities the one thing they can never get from liberalism: human rather than racial dignity.

CBW: True - Human Dignity in that you are equal so you don't need any special treatment or accommadations. The BIG LIE is that Liberals (Dems) issued the clairion call for civil rights when they were the ones turning the firehouse on us and blocking the entrances to thier schools. Yet, just 50 short years later they have all but hijacked the civil rights movement and claimed it as their own. A liberal politician will promises equal pay jobs whether or not your are truly equally qualified and promote the idea of entitlement to said job because of America's racist past (isn't that the underlying premise of affirmative action?) There isn't much racial dignity to be had if we enter the workplace, or school because of the color of our skin and not the content of our brains. Now, you have said on a prior thread that Affirmative action doesn't exist anymore thanks to Reagan -- I'm not so sure but I will take your word for it. Now whether or not liberals actually make "special promises" to black folks is immaterial because the reality is that "some" black folks believe they will receive "more" from liberals/ democrats than they will from conservatives/republicans. Remember the viral video of the lady saying "now I don't have to worry about paying my mortgage or putting gas in my car. If I look out for him (vote for Obama) he will look out for me (perceived special promise).

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

"Yet, just 50 short years later they have all but hijacked the civil rights movement and claimed it as their own..."

CBW, penalty, 5 yards: Reason...oh yes, Building a foundation on a purposed FICTION.

Come on CBW, you do remember from history class the ever famous Dixicrats? you know, Like Strom (knock up a black girl and act like you don't know her while you claim your black daughter don't deserve equal rights as your white ones) Thurmond or Jesse (Keep them coloreds out) Helms? Sure, some Democrats like Gore Sr. and Byrd were racist, but the Democratic party from Truman on was changing and preparing for the change that THEY forced through while the GOP catered to racial fears and fought tooth and nail against EUQAL (not special) rights...

Come on now CBW, you gotta be at least fair....

Conservative Black Woman said...

DJBA you write:"CBW, penalty, 5 yards: Reason...oh yes, Building a foundation on a purposed FICTION"

I don't understand penalty and yard football stuff! However, I am not unfairly building a foundation based on purposed fiction. It was Lyndon Baines Johnson (D) (post Truman) who referred to MLK as a Nigger, and I'm sorry I can't let you sweep the elder Gore's monkey-azz under the rug so easily because he was a post-Truman democrat as well and voted against the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s nor that racist Robert "KKK" Byrd post-truman democrat. What about Senator Fritz Hollings who hoisted the Confederate flag over the state capitol in South Carolina when he was the governor, and Senator Ted Kennedy who insulted black judicial nominees by calling them “Neanderthals” while blocking their appointments? Oh yeah, and John F. Kennedy who voted against the 1957 Civil Rights law as a Senator, then as president opposed the 1963 March on Washington...all post Truman Democrats....No, No my dear friend no penalty here for building straw men.

Anonymous said...

"The BIG LIE is that Liberals (Dems) issued the clairion call for civil rights when they were the ones turning the firehouse on us and blocking the entrances to thier schools."

Oh please stop this.

The segregationists were Conservatives.

The ICONS of the modern conservative movement Reagan, Buckley and Goldwater all OPPOSED Civil Rights legislation.

And the reason the GOP dominated the white southern and urban white working class vote for the last 40 years is because RACE POLITICS.

So stop.

Conservative Black Woman said...

UTS you write:"And didn't the CONSERVATIVES oppose Civil Rights legislation which only afforded black folks basic citizenship????"

uhh, NO.

DJ Black Adam said...

@Uptown:

You wrote: "Are you people crazy???"

I'm beginning to wonder if "We" are the crazy ones, it's like You and I and BrotherKomrade are the only ones who remember how the GOP Fought agianst "EQUAL" rights and acts like "EQUAL" rights are "Special" rights...maybe we are in one of those pocket dimensions the Enterprise ends up in from time to time of Star Trek, where everything looks the same, but no one remembers key historical information?

Jus saying...

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

"UTS~The segregationist were DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Oy Veh! You're not SERIOUS are you? The dixicrats ran to the party of Reagan faster than Speedy Gonzalez away from Sylvester the cat...

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

I would never suggest that the DNP didn't have its fair share of racist, BUT, the GOP opposed as a party Civil Rights legislation, and is not the party of Lincoln, the last real Republican President, was Gen. Eisenhower....

Anonymous said...

"UTS~The segregationist were DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!"

CBW, this won't work.

The Southern Segs were rightwingers.

There is a reason why the white South was almost entirely Republican for the last 40 years.

Why Thurmond, Lott, Helms, Shelby Gramm, Tauzin and other Southern Dems turned Republican.

Anyway you try to slice the pie or spin historical facts the supporters of the CRA of 64 were Norther and Eastern liberals and moderates. The opponents were Southern and Western rightwingers and libertarians.

SO STOP.

Anonymous said...

"it's like You and I and BrotherKomrade are the only ones who remember how the GOP Fought agianst "EQUAL" rights and acts like "EQUAL" rights are "Special" right."

Exactly.

Righties occupy a parellel universe.

Conservative Black Woman said...

DJBA~You write:"Oy Veh! You're not SERIOUS are you? The dixicrats ran to the party of Reagan faster than Speedy Gonzalez away from Sylvester the cat..."

Last time I checked Robert Byrd (Dixiecrat) was still a democrat and he supported Barack Obama-- Oy Veh indeed...lol

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

"Ok, I'll stop because in my mind it isn't about which party is more racist because racism exists in both parties among whites and blacks"

Oh lord, not the "some black people are racist too" defense? It's not about who is "racist" it is whose racism as an INSTITUTION (like the GOP) has caused them to as an INSTITUTION oppose basic Civil Rights legeslation not just for Blacks but for Women as well.

It is about which party who at that time and at this time acts as if you ar einvisible or an annoyance. That would be the GOP.

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

Of course ANYBODY can be a "racist", that wasn't what I was debating, but only a in this country the majority can, has and in some isolated cases still does oppress the minority(s).

Do you deny that actuality? Or do you somehow think that Black people have oppressed white people in some institutional and historic way, and further tried like hell to keep Whites from having "EQUAL RIGHTS"?

Conservative Black Woman said...

DJBA~

"majority can, has and in some isolated cases still does oppress the minority(s)"

I think that this has been the case in the past. I'm hard pressed to think of a case where the latter is true although I don't unequivocably deny it.

"Or do you somehow think that Black people have oppressed white people in some institutional and historic way, and further tried like hell to keep Whites from having "EQUAL RIGHTS"?"

LOL, of course not, however if PSBO has his way.....just kidding.

Anonymous said...

This black lady will tell you how the democrats keep holding people back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YdEmn7IYOg

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote] I'm so high on the democratic victory won in El Salvador, I could shout in the middle of the street. Next, Mexico, then the U.S.!!![/quote]

Brother Former Marxist:

It is interesting that you have more to hang your hat on in El Salvador and Cuba than you can point to in the ghettos of your own nation?

What about the failed urban cores gives you hope that if MORE of the same is brought forth that things will get better?


By the way I know that you are a Cuba defender. I recently attended a Single Payer Health Care conference. These leftists also believed that Cuba was the best thing going in the western hemisphere. It was ironic that a doctor on stage from the local welfare hospital initially dismissed an MRI as a profit making device and then later on at the same propaganda meeting for young impressionable minds and old washed up leftist activist he said "If the USA didn't have trade sanctions Cuba would have more advanced medical devices available such as MRIs......"

You all have little credibility

Anonymous said...

CBW

"but I guess that would be too much trouble because many of these loud mouths have left the "community" and are pontificating from their mini-mansions in suburbia and are no longer constituents of those communities."

This is what you righties can't or won't get through your thick skulls.

The black community is not a "ghetto".

I am damn proud that I left the hood and now live in a sparkling clean safe community filled with proud successful upwardly mobile BLACK FOLKS.

For some incredibly mindfucked reason you black righties will not accept the fact that most of us are doing quite well.

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]The black middle class has never been larger and indeed is the majority of the black community.

Poverty rate for blacks 40 years ago was in excess of 60%. Today it's 21%[/quote]

WhiteBowieSteve:

Remember back in the day when the White man was confronted with the painful facts that EVERYONE did not share in his picket fence world?

When he pointed to all of the glories that the White folks had in their living condition and thus dismissed the conditions of "The Blacks" YOU were of the mindset to call him an "uncaring racist" who was bound more to the SYSTEM that he wanted to see as "all good" than he was willing to open his eyes to the truth.

If he is a racial bigot Steve - what should we call you?

Steve there are more CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS going unchecked in today's BLACK COMMUNITY than anywhere else in the nation.

* Homicide Closure Rates In Prince Georges County: http://www.examiner.com/a-1523340~Pr__George_s_trails_region_in_closing_murder_cases.html
(You should be ashamed of this Steve)

* Even the liberal Detroit Free Press is attacking the Obama plan to send money but little guidance to the Detroit Public Schools:
http://www.freep.com/article/20090311/OPINION01/903110327

You are a blind ideological bigot Steve.

Constructive Feedback said...

CBW:

You are a far nicer person than I am in dealing with them.

In their hatred and bigotry they are unable to see that:

THE MORE THEY WIN CONTROL OVER OUR COMMUNITIES.....THE MORE OUR COMMUNITIES LOSE!!!

Its just that simple.

Steve likes to make the claim that by me calling out INCOMPETENCE that I am "anti-Black"

In truth by HIM sitting silent as the train of incompetence rolls forward, gaining more ground HE shows his SOLD OUT STATUS to the Permanent Interests of Black people.

Anonymous said...

BTW Buckwheat (CF)

Your link is BOGUS.

Just like your arguments.

Anonymous said...

One more question for Buckwheat.

If Republicanism and conservatism is so friggin great why are the poorest states in American Red (Republican) and the richest states BLUE????

Maryland is #1 in median income and it has the 4th largest black population out of the 50 states!!!!

You don't know what the hell you're talking about fool.

Conservative Black Woman said...

UTS~"This is what you righties can't or won't get through your thick skulls.

The black community is not a "ghetto"."

I didn't say that it was. I know that it isn't. I said you were pontificating from you MINI-MANSION IN SUBURBIA....I'm not sure what your grievance is with the eeeeeevil republican party. Even if what you about the GOP is true apparently they are powerless to oppress us at this point in history. The cream has risen to the top in the black community and will continue to do so... so what are you so angry about? That's a rhetorical question--Shelby Steele is absolutely correct. YOU, FN, Eric Michael Dyson, Cornell West, Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama and the rest of you six- figure earning BQSPFRC prove it!

BTW, Black conservatives particularly this one are not dis-connected from the black community -- neither the suburbian or ghetto part of the our community. I just choose to align myself with righteousness because of who I am in Christ Jesus so the GODLESSNESS of the democratic party and liberalism is offensive to me.

Anonymous said...

"I didn't say that it was. I know that it isn't. I said you were pontificating from you MINI-MANSION IN SUBURBIA."

And you also said I left the "community" as if the only way to be authentically black is to live in the ghetto.

"Even if what you about the GOP is true apparently they are powerless to oppress us at this point in history."

Not as if they won't try.

Bush stacked the federal judiciary with rightwing judges who set the bar so high for proving racial discrimination against blacks that employers virtually have to be wearing klan robes in order for a civil rights plaintiff to prevail.

The righties want to overturn the Voting righst act and Bush again stacked the EEOC with rightwing ideologues who don't even believe in the agencies right to exist.

"so what are you so angry about?"

I'm am angry about educated black folks who know better repeating the same tired lies and stereotypes about their own people that whie racists do.

It's disgusting.

"Shelby Steele is absolutely correct. YOU, FN, Eric Michael Dyson, Cornell West, Jeremiah Wright, President Barack Obama and the rest of you six- figure earning BQSPFRC prove it!"

This is BS.

You, Shelby Steele and CF still have slave mentalities.

You can't deal with black people confronting white people and saying what's on our minds.

You seem to feel that we don't have the right.

"I just choose to align myself with righteousness because of who I am in Christ Jesus so the GODLESSNESS of the democratic party and liberalism is offensive to me."

Oh puh-leeze.

LOL!!!

Constructive Feedback said...

[quote]If Republicanism and conservatism is so friggin great why are the poorest states in American Red (Republican) and the richest states BLUE????[/quote]

WhiteBowieSteve:

Why do you hide behind the STATE level? Let's go down to the ZIPCODE LEVEL.

Then YOU would see that you are just like your White Racist Liberal friend - Jonathan Kozol.

You see Steve - Kozol called a class of Black 7th graders "illiterate". He got away with it because he said that they were "illiterate BECAUSE of NCLB". He argued that he had been tracking them for 4 years and NCLB prevented their teacher from conversing with them.

Sadly many Black school administrators applaud Kozol. They believe that he is "fighting for them" and thus the don't mind assuming the POSITION OF IGNORANCE and INFERIORITY as long as they get more aide.

Steve - YOU and other Ideological Bigots seek to attack the "Red States" calling those who are poor - "ignorant and backward". The sad truth is Steve that if we did a ZIPCODE STUDY in the RED states and the BLUE states we'd see WEALTHY ELITES and POOR and IGNORANT people - White, Black, Hispanic.

The balance of Black people live in SOUTHERN RED STATES.

Thus I can't help but to see this as yet another case of you promoting your IDEOLOGY over your RACE.


I just set straight the Black Bigots at Jack and Jill who are calling South Carolina's Republican governor. Their argument, like yours is that THIS RED STATE is hurting Blacks.

I simply pointed to CALIFORNIA. They will lay off 26,000 teachers. South Carolina will lay off a fraction of this amount.

The governor of SC wants to pay down the state debt and sure up their finances.

CALIFORNIA - the PROGRESSIVES' ROLE MODEL is near bankruptcy and has the worst credit rating of any other state.

THEY are hurting poor people more than any other.

DJ Black Adam said...

@CBW:

" I just choose to align myself with righteousness because of who I am in Christ Jesus so the GODLESSNESS of the democratic party and liberalism is offensive to me."

Soooo are you saying the GOP is "righteous" in the eyes of our Father, the Most High God?

Anonymous said...

CF

Sorry to scuff up them tapshoes but
the 10 states where 60 percent of African Americans reside are: New
York, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina,
Maryland, Michigan and Louisiana.

Five of these had more than 2 million
Blacks each: New York, California, Texas, Florida and Georgia."

The only one of these states that ranked among the ten poorest US states was Louisiana.

Constructive Feedback said...

That's OK Steve. If you are going to attack me - you'll have to attack Johnson Publishing as well:


Minority congressional districts among poorest
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n24_v83/ai_13609606