Always Controversial Cornel West Disses Obama, Survives Cancer and Almost Spent His Life in Prison

[StarfarerBill]

By Terrence McNally

"'The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people.'

"There's music in those words as well as pain, wisdom and honesty. Those are the words of Cornel West, who has just written a memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. In it, he writes, "Until now, I've never taken the time to focus on the inner dynamics of my soul.'

"Educator and philosopher Dr. Cornel West is the Class of 1943 University Professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University. West has won numerous awards, including the American Book Award, and has received more than 20 honorary degrees. He's produced three CDs of music and spoken word, offers weekly commentary on The Tavis Smiley Show, and is the author of several books, including Race Matters, Democracy Matters, and Hope on a Tightrope.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/144569/always_controversial_cornel_west_disses_obama%2C_survives_cancer_and_almost_spent_his_life_in_prison

[Mari333]

1. knr West speaks eloquently.....

'That's where the analogy breaks down. Barack Obama leans toward Wall Street, mesmerized by the elites, wants to be embraced by the establishment, wants to preserve his legacy as a president, more in the language of the neo-liberal and neo-conservative columnists than in the hearts and minds of everyday people.'

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

2. Dr. West is one of our brightest jewels in the net

I am glad he is thriving.

[Mira]

3. When Cornel west speaks, I listen very closely. Recommended

[RufusTFirefly]

4. Always a K and R for the great Dr. West

Democracy Matters is one of my favorite books. Here's a telling excerpt:

The Democratic Party elites are too often unwilling to tell the American people just how connected they and their Republican colleagues are to powerful corporations and influential lobbyists. Their caving in to Bush's Iraq war, and their support for the loosening of regulations on corporations that led to the recent wave of scandals, are two blatant examples. In these legislative votes, most Democrats failed to follow their conscience, following instead the polls and their reelection strategies. Unlike their idol, Bill Clinton-a masterful neoliberal communicator who subordinated his conscience to the exigencies of reelection strategies, but was able to conceal his opportunism with his charisma-the vast majority of Democratic Party elites are rendered impotent by their timidity and paralyzed by their cupidity (their courting of corporate donors). Their unprincipled compromises reinforce the idea that corporate influence and lobbyists' clout run the U.S. government.

[Blue Owl]

5. Yes, my brother

I kinda dig his brand of crazy -- he's all lit up on justice, equality, and peace. Rock on, Cornel!

[L0oniX]

6. Hmmm ...that reminds me. I must put a link to his site on my website.

http://www.cornelwest.com/

[phiddle]

7. A Beautiful Interview. His Remarks on Obama:

"As a critical supporter of Barack Obama, engaged in over 50 events for him from Iowa to Ohio, I knew that at a symbolic level something could happen that was unprecedented. And it did happen. At that symbolic level, I can understand the tears, I can understand the jubilation, I can understand the euphoria. But I always knew there was a sense in which he, now heading the American empire, was tied to the shadow government, tied to CIA, FBI, tied to the establishment waiting to embrace him. It was clear when he chose his economic team, when he chose his foreign policy team, he was choosing, of course, the recycled neo-liberals and recycled neo-Clintonites that substantially you're going to end up with these technocratic policies that consider poor people and working people as afterthoughts. Beginning with bankers, beginning with elites.

Symbolically, black man breaks through makes you want to break dance. So, yes, we have to be able to relate to both of these. So I resonate with your dear fiancee, because the hopes that were generated and the call for change, and then we end up with this recycled neo-liberalism. There's no fundamental change at all....

Barack Obama leans toward Wall Street, mesmerized by the elites, wants to be embraced by the establishment, wants to preserve his legacy as a president, more in the language of the neo-liberal and neo-conservative columnists than in the hearts and minds of everyday people....

I think even my dear brother Michael Moore tends to put too much confidence in Barack Obama. In his film you get the sense that here comes Barack Obama speaking the language of deep democracy. No, no, no, he's been a liberal all his life. He uses that language to mobilize, but in the end he's going to capitulate and defer to the neo-liberal establishment, which is what he has done so far. Now granted, there's still some possibilities there, even when you talk about just extending unemployment benefits. This is nothing revolutionary at all, but it does alleviate some of the suffering. But if we don't get some restructuring going on, if we don't get some Marshall Plan activity of massive investments in infrastructure here, in this country....You've got four billion dollars every month in Afghanistan....we're locked in an iron cage of a neo-liberal or neo-conservative mediocrity, which means the needs of the people will never be fundamentally met if they're poor and working class. That either leads toward a thickening of the cynicism or it leads toward new expressions of social chaos."

[glitch]

9. "we're locked in an iron cage of a neo-liberal or neo-conservative mediocrity"

laserly acumen.

[snagglepuss]

11. Spot on. nt

[glitch]

8. Very deep and brilliant thinker. So glad we still have his voice in the world. Thank you for posting

K & R

[StarfarerBill]

10. You're welcome.

Prof. West has long been one of my intellectual heroes.

[Mithreal]

12. Cornel West is the BEST! Tavis Smiley too!