Thursday, February 26, 2015

Mincing Words: Why Fear Through Words is Just as Bad as Terrorism

We live in a time where everyone's opinion is out in front for all of us to see and hear. It isn't hard to find a news report or a group of people that can support any opinion that you may have. Still believe that president Obama isn't an American citizen? It would only take a few seconds for you to find a host of websites supporting that ridiculous line of thinking. Do you feel like racism doesn't exist? You could probably throw a balled up piece of copy paper in your office right now in any direction and hit someone who'd agree with you. And while opinions, in a lot of cases, are neither right nor wrong, sometimes they lean a little more to either end of the spectrum to support an opposite way of thinking.


Case in point: A lot has been made, said and written about the president's choice of words when it comes to terrorism. We can go back to the Benghazi incident and see that this is a running theme with Republicans and other Obama detractors. It is their opinion that by Obama "failing" to classify certain incidents as "terrorist acts" that it takes away from the seriousness of these incidents. The Charlie Hebdo incident was another case in which Obama was lambasted for initially not saying that the attack in France was a "terrorist attack". And as of late, Obama has chosen to not classify ISIS (or ISIL) as "radical Islamists", instead opting to refer to them as "violent extremists". Some politicians and critics have said his choice of words, or lack thereof, shows his inability to lead this country. Others have said it shows his unwillingness to take a hardline stance on Islamic terrorism. Obama has said that in not calling ISIS radical Islamists or Islamist terrorists, it separates them from the whole of the Islamic faith, therefore not giving the impression that all Muslims are terrorists and that Islam is a violent religion. He has said that his objectives in combating ISIS is "not a war against Islam" but a war against the extremists who claim to be doing the work of Allah. While one may not agree with whatever strategies that Obama intends to lay out, logically one can or should agree that Obama has the right idea in mind in not wanting to make this about a war against a particular religion. If that was the case, then we'd have a terrible situation that could be likened to the Holocaust. But no one on the political right seems to see the wisdom in Obama's choice of words.


Here is why I personally believe that the terminology one chooses to use is trivial when compared to the ideals those words may represent. Take the example of a person who commits a crime. There are a number of crimes on could commit, and the penalties vary depending on the crime. But if the crime can be proven to have been committed by the individual, then it doesn't matter if you acknowledge the person as a killer, burglar, rapist, etc.. That person committed said crime and the only distinction any of those labels will hold is the type of punishment the crime comes with. If a person or group of people commit "acts of terror" which by definition is an act causing "extreme fear to coerce people" or "the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear", not labeling them as "terrorists" doesn't somehow dispel what they are actually doing, nor does labeling them as such improve ones chances at stopping them. It's all just terminology, which is used to instill a certain image or attitude in others so as to persuade them to follow a certain ideal. If you put a face on terror (like Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein), then you put fear in those who associate those individuals with things like 9/11 or suicide bombers. But today's "terrorists" are "faceless", in that many currently are operating as individuals or small groups. The Al-Queda's and ISIS' are now more of an ideology these days. Individuals or "lone wolfs" as they are being called, are following these ideals and committing acts on their own. Whether you call them terrorists, Islamic radicals or violent extremists or not, their acts speak for themselves. What you call them doesn't matter, it's how they are stopped that's more important anyway.


But critics of the president say terminology and solutions go hand in hand when it comes to the new war on terror. I say, it's political branding. You have to put a name on something that you want to sell to the American public, on either side of the aisle. Healthcare reform was branded "Obamacare" so that those who didn't agree with Obama's political agenda would instantly cringe whenever they heard that term and automatically view it as "un-American" or unconstitutional. Politically, that was a great strategy. Republicans branded Obama as a socialist due to the fact that the word carries a negative connotation. But the true definition of socialism is a series of ideologies aimed at providing opportunities for every individual to maximize their potential, therefore giving every citizen an equal chance at prosperity. Or, at least that's what it is in theory. Socialism used to be linked to communism, especially during the Cold War era and the Soviet Union regime years. Nowadays, it's linked to the ideals of an American president who is thought to be everything from the worst president ever to the anti-Christ. And let's not forget, he just happens to not be white. There is currently a US Senator named Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who identifies himself as a "democratic socialist" and has been serving since 2007. Before today I had never heard of him. Maybe you have, or not.


Here's another example of an ideal carrying much more weight than what is actually said. Rudy Giuliani recently made headlines by saying that the president " didn't love America", saying that Obama often criticizes America "much more often than other America presidents". This came on the heels of comments made by the president in which he reminded American Christians, hell bent on labeling terrorists through their Islamic religion, that a lot of terrible things were done in the name of God by Christians including the Crusades, the Inquisition (better known as the Spanish Inquisition in which Jews and Muslims were told to convert or leave or risk persecution) and here in this country, slavery and the Jim Crow segregated South. When confronted on whether or not his comments were racist, Rudy swung for the fences...and missed by saying this:


“Some people thought it was racist — I thought that was a joke, since he was brought up by a white mother, a white grandfather, went to white schools, and most of this he learned from white people. This isn’t racism. This is socialism or possibly anti-colonialism.”
 
 

That is an interesting defense because in the speech he made when he said Obama didn't love America he said that the president "wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country". So regardless of what the former NYC mayor actually said, word for word, the connotation was made so as to disparage the president as Commander in Chief. It doesn't matter that what he said was, above all other things, pretty damn stupid. What matters is the idea that he got across to those who respect what he says. This type of political pandering is dangerously close to the ideals of terrorism, if you really think about it. While terrorists use fear and violence to coerce others to follow their lead, many politicians use fear through rhetoric to do the same exact thing. Negative campaign ads often put political opponents in a scary light to give the viewer the idea that this particular person will take things away from voters or will take away from the values that this country was based on. If the viewer believes what the ad is portraying to be true, that likely will influence them at the polls. More times than not, the words of the ad or the politician ring hollow because the ideal was based on getting support for a agenda and the words were just meant to entice the listener, reader, etc.. While the words themselves play a huge role in influencing people, voters or what have you, nitpicking at what a politician or average person says or doesn't say is trivial in the grand scheme of things.
 

Anyone who experienced 9/11, watches the news or is familiar with the conflicts this country has had in the Middle East over the past 20 years knows exactly what a terrorist is and what terrorist acts are. Obama and any other world leader doesn't have to come out and provoke these groups by making a marked verbal attack on Islamic or any other culture and faith. What Obama says has no effect at all on whatever strategies the administration decides they will put into play to combat any potential threat. What Obama said about the way people view "violent extremists" in relation to Christians is true. The scope of religion in conflict is narrowed down to those on either religious side. Anything done in the name of one's religion or God is "righteous" in their eyes and one will do anything to accomplish those goals, whether morally right or not. That's the way these extremists need to be viewed because that is the root of their actions. Whatever you want to call them is irrelevant. What is done to stop them is more important. 

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Opinion(s): A Rant to Sum Up a Host of Different Feelings

I've started a series of posts lately and couldn't complete any of them because they were all fractured thoughts. But I feel they are relevant thoughts, especially since I feel so passionately about them all. So, in no particular order of importance or chronology, and in a nod to Kanye West pissing the world off at the Grammy's this week, here are a few of the things I've been on lately:
 
 

The Fall of The Wu: It finally happened, even though I may be the last Wu-Tang Clan fan to admit it (probably not). With the December 2014 release of A Better Tomorrow, which I was uber late on listening to, the Iron Flag brothers showed their fans that 8 Diagrams wasn't an anomaly. It was a testament of things to come. The RZA has outgrown his brothers from Shaolin and Raekwon is no longer interested in being part of a dated collective if that means softening the identity of "the hardest group in the game". Ghostface just seems bored with the whole thing. Method Man seems engaged, if only to prove to himself that he can still spit like it's '94. GZA's subject matter and intellect seems to have transcended Earth, so much so that every line he spits on the album seems to have been steeped in scientific research like he's searching for the cure to what ails the Clan. Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck seemed to have peaked and U-God, although sounding more refreshed and refined than he has since his featured verses on the first Only Built for Cuban Linx album, is, well U-God. Cappadonna seemed oddly out of place. The only thing that seemed right about A Better Tomorrow was the places where RZA inserted voice clips of ODB. Those seemed to be as perfectly timed as the album was imperfect, which is quite a shame. I feel like the demise of the Wu could have been totally avoided, especially since they've recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers), if RZA had just stuck to the formulas that made the Clan iconic in the first place. So what if it sounded dated or came across as an attempt to recapture those glory days from back then? For the last hurrah, I think that would have been the perfect way to go out as a group that we will never, ever see the likes of again. But maybe that 20 year run was way too much to be sustained anyway and they just lucked up being able to do it. It just feels like they went out like Rocky did in Rocky V, a broken down shell of a once glorious fighter. Let's just hope that if they decide to right this wrong, they do as well as Sylvester Stallone did with Rocky Balboa, which was filmed as if Rocky V never happened. It really makes me wish the secret album that the Clan only released one copy of, Once Upon A Time in Shaolin which was said to be auctioned online, was available to the general public. I heard a clip of one song here ( http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/05/06/wu-tangs-secret-album-hear-51-seconds-of-once-upon-a-time-in-shaolin/) and that was better than the entire ABT album. Listen, I'll forever be a Wu-Tang fan, regardless if they never make anymore music together. I'm just hoping that they do, and that it is that Wu-Tang shit!!!! 
 


Kobe Bryant a.k.a Grumpy Old Black Mamba: Only Kobe Bryant can make being stubborn and delusional so entertaining. I don't think anyone who loves or hates the way Kobe plays ever thought he could return from two severe leg injuries at his age and be very competitive. But we all loved watching him try. His insane shot selection along with his volume of shots this season has made an in his prime Allen Iverson look like a conservative shooter. Watching the likes of Byron Scott dare to challenge him was awesome, if only because we all knew Byron Scott knew he couldn't tell Kobe shit back when they played together, let alone now. Watching Kobe tell Jeremey Lin to "get the fuck out of the way, I got this" with the game tied at 86 all with 15 seconds left against the Denver Nuggets was classic. Watching Nick "Swaggy P" Young's reaction (*deadpan look* Really, mu'fucka? Really???) was awesome. Kobe missing the shot? Not so much. But when you've got a guy like Kobe (even an old broken down Kobe) on a Laker's team like they currently have assembled in Los Angeles, you don't have a choice. What, you expected the Black Mamba to go silently into the retirement night on a team he thinks he can beat all by himself? You live with that kid of theatre because the team is not winning, it isn't KB8's fault, you're paying him $24 mil per for this season and next AND you don't really know how much he's got left in that 'ol cloned Michael Jordan tank of his. So you let him Brett Farve the last two seasons of his illustrious career because you know he's going to do it anyway, regardless if it's in Laker's purple and gold or (gasp!) Knicks' cobalt and orange. And you'd hate for him to end up telling you "I told you so!" on national television playing for New York (or the Clippers).
 


Oscar Snubs: So Selma deserves more than a nomination for Best Song and Best Picture. David Oyelowo deserves a Best Actor nod for not just being MLK Jr. but for being that MLK Jr., the Selma, Alabama version. There isn't another character in the field that was recognized that represents what Martin Luther King, Jr. represented in and to this country. We're talking about recognizing that. We're not talking about winning the Oscar because the actual win is a popularity contest or a facsimile of a lifetime achievement award. To not even be nominated is more of a snub than not winning. I can make the same argument for the Best Director snub. Now, I'm not taking anything away from Bradley Cooper and his Best Actor nod. It just doesn't seem right when you've got an actor playing a soldier in a controversial role as an American sniper in a war regarded around the world as morally wrong get the consideration but an era crossing portrayal of the leader of the Civil Rights movement and  the winner of a Nobel Peace Prize doesn't. Seems ass backwards to me, amongst other things. But whatever. I hope Michael Keaton wins for Birdman so we can see how ridiculous this shit really is.
 


The 2015 Grammys: Beck wasn't the only person whose win should've been questioned. I guess when your nominees are Wiz Khalifa, Schoolboy Q, Iggy Azalea Common, along with the kid from Community who raps now and an over the hill Slim Shady, you gotta go with Slim. I guess record sales drove that win because I was as underwhelmed by MM2 as I was by ABT. Common's Nobody Is Smiling was a solid effort and Schoolboy Q's Oxymoron was better than expected, at least by me. And Wiz wasn't winning anyway. I guess the people who determine these sort of things figured they couldn't screw Kendrick Lamar twice and give a phonograph to his lesser talented crewmate. So Marshall wins by default. But it tells me that the up and coming crop of top notch MC's better get used to watching their less talented peers or throwback relics win. Or the next gimmick single driven non-Black performer who wins by surprising the shit out of everyone by their marketing machine.
 


*in my extremely loud and annoying DJ Khaled voice* KANYE WEST!!!!!: Speaking of the Grammy's, I'm with 'Ye 24/7. I was last time when he cold dissed Taylor Swift (and subsequently launched her star into the stratosphere, she's welcome!) and I am with him semi-dissing Beck this year. I mean, frickin' Beck??? I remember Where It's At and it was a dope record...back in 1996!!!! Name Beck's last hit record. Go ahead, I'll wait. Can you name a song off of the album he just won Album of the Year for? No seriously, I'll wait, I literally have nothing better to do at this particular moment. You can't. You know why? BECAUSE NOBODY CAN!!! Beck probably can't and he showed how shocked he was by trying to get Mr. West to come back on stage after Kanye decided it wasn't worth it to give him the Taylor Swift treatment. Think about that. Everyone thinks it was a joke but Kanye, who loves shit like this, CHANGED HIS MIND. Beck's last album was in 2008 and I had to Wikipedia that to find out. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of music that I am not up on. I'm not really up on Sam Smith but I know he had one of the biggest hits this year, I actually know and like the song and if he could win 4 Grammy's (he did get best pop album) then I would have rather seen him win a fifth for Album of the Year than see Beck win. Or as a nice consolation prize, Beyonce'. At least one of them winning would have had merit and then Kanye could've done something else crazy that we all could have appreciated later.
 


And last but not least The New York Knicks: 'Melo. Shut it down. Go have the surgery on that gimpy old knee, go rehab with old man winter, Kobe-yahshi Maru, (get it, Trekkies?) and get ready for next season and the 2016 season. And forget about wining that ring. Unless you join your buddies J.R. and Shump in Cleveland or a West Coast team, the only rings you'll ever see are Phil Jackson's. If he hangs around long enough.