Harry Belafonte on Herman Cain

[Empowerer]

Joy Behar:Now you have someone like Herman Cain –

Belafonte: Who?

Behar: Herman Cain.

Belafonte: Herman Cain….

Behar: You know who he is. (Laughs) And he doesn’t believe that racism holds anyone back, in any way now. What do you think about that statement?

Belafonte: It’s very hard to comment on somebody who is so denied intelligence – and certainly who is denied a view of history, such as he reveals. He knows very little. Because he happened to have good fortune, because he happened to have had a moment when he broke through — the moment someone blinked – does not make him the authority on the plight of people of color.

If black people are not having the worst time of it, all you need to do is take a look at the prison system. We have the largest prison population in the world. The largest members of that population are black and people of color….

The Republican party, the tea party, all those forces to the extreme right, have consistently tried to come up with representation for what they call black, for what they call the real Negroes, and try to push these images as the kinds of voices that Americans should be listening to.

So we have Condoleezza Rice, we’ve got Colin Powell – they’re heroes for some people. But for a lot us, they’re not.

And Herman Cain is the latest incarnation of what is totally false to the needs of our community, and the needs of our nation. I think he’s a bad apple, and people should look at his hole card. He’s not what he says he is.

Behar: No, I don’t think he has a prayer in the election, anyway.

Belafonte: I don’t think prayers were created for him.

And, of course, Herman Cain had something to say about that:

“As far as Harry Belafonte’s comment, look, I left the Democratic plantation a long time ago. And all that they try to do when someone like me — and I’m not the only black person out there that shares these conservative views — the only tactic that they have to try and intimidate me and shut me up is to call me names, and this sort of thing. It just simply won’t work."

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2011/10/11/wow-what-harry-belafonte-said-about-herman-cain/?cp=6

[Mimosa]

1. Cain is stupid. He repeats "El Rushbo"

Harry belafonte was in the civil rights movement when it was HARD.

I think Democratic underground should 'ban' posts about Cain. He isn't 'real'.

[Supersedeas]

13. What do you mean when you say, "He isn't 'real'?"

[lildreamer316]

2. The 'democratic plantation'??

Oh wow.

[Hydra]

4. Really shows the truth of the quote:

"There are 2 kinds of Republicans- Billionaires and Suckers"

[xiamiam]

3. love Harry.that is a great photo..nt

[Hutzpa]

5. Damn! "I don't think prayers were created for him"

that is really hash, I couldn't have said that any better.

[Number23]

6. Last time someone quoted Belafonte on this site, it practically LIVED on the front page

Wonder if this will do the same?

I completely agree with his comments about the prison systems in this country, but personally, I think some of Mr. Belafonte's comments are harsh. I don't share Condoleeza's Rice's politics at all but I still have a good deal of respect for her achievements. She grew up in segregated Alabama to graduate college at 16, learn fluent Russian and become SoS. Her achievements don't have to be diminished just because I think that black Republicans are the craziest, most confused people on the planet. Same with Colin Powell.

Powell had alot of respect from a lot of people, black and white. There was much talk that HE was going to be the first black president for a while. The greatest misstep these two could have possibly ever made was to hook up with the Burning (Brainless) Bush, sending plenty of black and brown and poor people to their deaths in illegal wars. Bush destroyed both of these people's credibility and diminished what were (until they hooked up with him) interesting and compelling life stories. And they were stupid for letting him.

Rec'd

[DCKit]

7. I opened the link expecting Belafonte wouldn't dissapoint.

As expected, he's spot on. As usual.

Lumping Cain in with Powell and Rice is really going to resonate with a lot of people.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. +1,000,000!!!!!!! n/t

[qanda]

8. "I don't think prayers were created for him"

I LOVE THAT MAN!!!!!

[Supersedeas]

10. So Condelezza Rice, Colin Powell, and Herman Cain are merely RW props?

Merely RW tokens of what a 'real Negro' should be? I don't hear much respect for individual dignity here. Is it me or do you hear an ideological agenda that claims to be the Authority on 'real Negros?' Here we have someone claiming to know the range of experiences that define the 'real Negro.' Do we also have someone with an ideological agenda that snuffs out the individual in an effort to disparage their achievements as nothing more than good fortune, as nothing more than a conspiracy supposedly conjured up by those looking to alter the image of 'real Negros' as a political pretext, as nothing more than RW image making--a theory given further legitimacy by the simple juxtaposition of a black and white photo with Dr. King.

Do you thing that Dr. Condelezza Rice is less real because of her political positions?
General Colin Powell is less 'real'....Michael Steele??...Ken Blackwell??...J. C. Watts??

Are we really ready to have those with an ideological agenda define and delimit the 'real' experience of being black? Or is 'being black' the sort of thing, the sort of human experience, that is always defined individually, apart from the Tea Party agenda...apart from Harry Belafonte's agenda?

Food for thought.

[Empowerer]

11. That's not what he said. Not at all

He did not say that Rice and Powell are "props" or "tokens." He didn't insult their "individual dignity." He didn't claim they aren't "real negroes." YOU have read all of that into a very straightforward comment that said nothing of the kind.

He simply said that they aren't heroes for "a lot of" black people. Do you disagree with him about that?

[Supersedeas]

12. "the latest incarnation of what is totally false" -- he puts them in the same boat

In so much as their individual experience is just the "last incarnation," it is an insult to their dignity.

You are right, I did read it. What do you make of what he said about Cain simply being the "last incarnation of what is totally false?"

Sure, many do not think that they are hero. BTW, just because "a lot of" black people don't think that they are heros doesn't mean that they are incarnation of what is totally false. Do you agree with that?

[Empowerer]

14. I do agree with that

You don't.

So be it.

But I can't help but notice how much more concerned about and eager you are to protect and defend black conservative Republicans from any "insult to their dignity" than you ever are about protecting and defending the Democratic president from insults to his.

[Supersedeas]

19. Deleted

[Empowerer]

24. Deleted

[noiretextatique]

26. what dignity? the GOP is a blatantly racist party

it's been an integral component of their message since the reign of reagan. so...if you, a black person, align yourself with a blatantly racist party, you cannot whine about "dignity." obviously rice and powell are not stupid people, but many of the black people the GOP loves to trot out for the cameras are not exactly intellectual giants...michael steele is a perfect example. both powell and rice were totally disgraced by their roles in the bush administration.

[EffieBlack]

27. I'm really surprised that liberal Democrats would go out of their way to defend Herman Cain

especially considering that some of the same ones who are defending him against "racism" by liberals deny that racism is ever a factor in the way some liberals treat President Obama.

Herman Cain has made race his stock in trade - he not only uses his race as a justification for attacking African Americans in ways that white Republicans benefit from but could never get away with doing themselves, no one could possibly argue with a straight face that he'd be the Republican frontrunner if he weren't black.

[Supersedeas]

28. Are you lumping Dr. Rice and General Powell in with Cain too?

[noiretextatique]

no...they are disgraced bushbots

cain is more of an intellectual midget like steele.

[Supersedeas]

31. midgets? there's perspective

Harry has a way of bringing out the best in us.

The hits just keep on coming.

[noiretextatique]

29. no...they are disgraced bushbots

cain is more of an intellectual midget like steele.

[noiretextatique]

30. they are insults to their own dignity

for the lies they told about iraq. however they aren't buffoons like cain....that i will grant them.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. I Don't Think You Can Throw Condi Rice , Michael Steele, And Colin Powell In With Herman Cain

.

[Supersedeas]

20. I didn't throw Condi Rice and Colin Powell in with Herman Cain

I simply asked a question about whether it is legitimate to throw them in together and whether others might be thrown in with them.

Harry Bellafonte tossed in Condi Rice and Colin Powell--which should prompt further discussion about whether they should be lumped together like that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. By Throwing Them In Together It Lets Cain Off The Hook

.

[Supersedeas]

23. Or puts them all on the same hook--where Cain is merely the latest incarnation.

[bvar22]

34. Colin Powell is NOT a "right wing prop" ?

The guy who used Cartoon Drawings in front of the UN to "Prove to the World" that Saddam had WMDs?
That Guy?
Not a Right Wing Prop?

What Colin Powell did at the UN is the definition of "Right Wing Prop".
He Sold Out cheap.



You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their Cartoon Drawings.
Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Hutzpa]

39. I do agree with Harry Belafonte

these individual are what is false in the black American community? The republican uses them
to show the other side that they too can have blacks within their ranks, it is about giving
them false sense of responsibility. When you do listen to some of them speak imo it does
nothing for them but to expose them for what they truly are.

It is about "oh no you are DIFFERENT from them" I'm sure they've heard that said to them
before, the hard work put in by pioneers such as Harry, Martin, Malcolm etc, is being diminished
just so the republicans can have a bragging rights over the democrats. No surprise then
that racial attacks on Obama has been rampant and I can guarantee you that some of those attacks
are been encouraged by these very same people that the civil rights movement helped paved the
way for, their advice is seen as valuable to achieving their individual goals which in turn helps
regress the progress of blacks in this country.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. I Agree With Everything He Said But I Would Cut Colin Powell More Slack

This is a man who had a photograph of The Buffalo Soldiers on his wall and argued in favor of affirmative action in front of a Republcan(t) Convention to a smathering of boos. He has also never said "racism doesn't exist" and his fellow African Americans are brainwashed.

[Empowerer]

16. I agree

But Belafonte wasn't attacking Rice and Powell. He was using them as examples of how the Republicans assume that blacks will rally around any black Republican, regardless where they stand on the issues.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. I Am A Bit Confused

I think Republicans will rally around a black who tells them what they want to hear and use him as a shield to ward off charges of racism. I think Herman Cain is fully aware of this and exploiting it perfectly.

As an aside I wonder if a President Powell would have engendered the same animius.

[Supersedeas]

22. Do you mean whether Colin Powell as a Republican candidate for President

would be attacked in the same way that Harry Bellafonte attacks Cain?

That's a good question.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. Harry Belafonte Has Attacked Powell Before

I was referring to the Tea Party. I don't see a President Powell governing all that much differently than a President Obama.

[Empowerer]

33. Criticism of Herman Cain really gets under your skin, doesn't it?

[MadMaddie]

40. I think you have to go back further into Powells history

to see the true man. It is possible he has changed but....too little too late. When it counted in Vietnam during the My Lai massacre and subsequent investigation....as an investigator he looked the other way.


Behind Colin Powell's Legend -- My Lai

By Robert Parry & Norman Solomon



http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/colin3.html

After reading this, you may draw the same conclusion that I did, Powell knew there were no WMDs in Iraq, he willingly told that lie. I don't buy the he was hoodwinked....

[stevenleser]

32. In General, I love Harry Belafonte nt

[bulloney]

35. It's one thing for Cain to strut like he's some hot shit story on financial success.

It's another thing for him to not acknowledge the obstacles and discrimination minorities have had to overcom,e and to put them down.

I've stopped eating his overpriced pizza. A 12" pizza with two soft drinks and two salads for over $30? I can have a good steak for two with all the trimmings for less than that at several restaurants in my area.

[Empowerer]

36. Exactly!

Some people (even some DUers) believe that African Americans dislike Can because he's a black Republican. Wrong.

In fact, many of us have problems, not with his success but with his insistence that he got where he is solely on his own and the nasty, petty way he sneers at those who either helped him get where he is or who haven't been as fortunate as he was.

And his almost minstrel-like way of taunting other blacks - for the delight and amusement of white Republicans who feel like he does but know better than to say it - turns many people's stomachs.

[Marnie]

37. He doesn't understad that he is the current Sarah Palin

He is tolerated by the conservative white old boys in order to try to shave Black voters away from Obama and the democrats.

Like Sarah and Bachmann, once he are no longer really useful he will no longer have the party's monetary or organizational support. It will have moved to the next Sarah Palin candidate.

[Empowerer]

38. And, like Palin, he believes that his "popularity" is because he's all that

and a bag of chips ...

He's going to have a rude awakening when he realizes they're really not all that into him ...