Cornel West: To Be a Leftist in the 21st Century (2/3)

[megajames3000]

America-

white people stole it

asians helped build it

blacks and hispanics sustained it.  in a nutshell....

[halflifeproductionz]

i love reading chomsky, but can't stand listening to him. makes me feel tired but this guy, Cornel West, is an excellent speaker.

[tarossi400]

A lot of flowery language with no point.

[elkrobber]

@tarossi400 Do you think so? Sounds to me like a lucid defense of leftist principles and candid comment on the uniniterested nature of the corporate press and the religious public. Sure he digressess and goes off on one, but that's part of the fun.

[tarossi400]

@elkrobber No, he's a preacher, a spellcaster. His words are deceptive. The point of this speech is to include, without permission, people in the leftist camp, black people in this case, and then tell them what they should hate. What they should hate is corporations, religion, white people, and American culture in general. A lot of his statements seem very confused, but he says it as if YOU must be too dumb to understand. Its just flowery words to confuse you between the real messages -destroy.

[aplatt65]

Yapping and yapping. Most of what this man says is without substance. Comparing him to Chomsky is insulting. It's not unimpressive that he knows the intimate details of particular historic events, but it's not really impressive either, because he tries so hard to demonstrate that he does, as if he's taking some hidden pleasure in doing so. Honestly, very little substance. Just black bullshit from what I can tell. About as much nonsense as a neo-Marxist/Marxist writing sample. No surprise really.

[FuckUtube2008]

@aplatt65 ya...sure. if a white person were to parrot the exact words he spoke in this clip you would be calling him brilliant and forget who the hell jew chomsky is. just admit that you're another hate monger that hates to give credit where credit is due when it comes to black people.

[aplatt65]

@FuckUtube2008

King Jr.: brilliant orator. Miles David: Brilliant jazz musician. This man: not a brilliant intellectual. You can disagree but it's just my opinion. He's just parroting left-wing rubbish. Chomsky at least impresses me with his insights from time to time. Hate monger? Please. I'm not a hate monger, but I'm also not a race hustler who creates idols out of clowns, because they are black. I know a race hustler jungle rat when I see one though, understand race hustler jungle rat?

[Sophistaphunk]

@aplatt65 "Black bullshit"? That's American history, you fucking tool. You don't want to hear the value of what he said because you came to this video with your biases already set before you. Your refusal to acknowledge as well as your cowardly superiority complex is evident.

[agapeiron]

@aplatt65 I find it hard to believe that anyone that would defend Chomsky would go in for calling something "black bullshit." You just broadcasted your own internalized racism with that little nugget. If you can't listen to a black American speak in an African-American vernacular, if you can't listen to the way Americans talk in DAILY LIFE, then maybe you have some special fetishizations of hearing the voices of ordinary, every day people.

[misshookedonchronic]

I had ther privelage of watching him speak here in washington state about four years ago. He is amazing with words, never have been so intrigued by a speaker in my life...

[tangetas]

what did he say that book was that went underground?

[jasonqlwilliams]

sounds like a binaural beat in the back,

[rockerdisturbed]

shouldn't it just be common sense to treat people equal? no matter the color of skin we bleed blood red.

[sealio9]

he is so great

[Lranee]

I love that he plugged his book lol

[shootthedevil]

He didn't plugged is book. It was the Covenant of Black America by Tavis Smiley. He is not Tavis Smiley.

[fruitsofnews]

but travis publishes his books. llol... anyway: WHY THE EFF SHOULDNT HE PLUG HIS BOOK? WHY NOT? people are incredible!

[sparkietaggart]

what was the name of the book?

[amet1980]

one of the greatest american minds with chomsky.

[henpage]

and zinn ;)

[dbohemian1]

no doubt... this guy is fantastic. Zinn, davis and so many many many others... there are so many thinkers who manifest resistance, not only as academics, but also artists and workers.

[PTALARA1]

yeah STUPID SH*T EATER!!! that's what we need another HATER get your but into an academic setting where you can expose yourself to discourse of a critical nature then learn some feckin history and get back to me

white girl who has everyone of west's books/cd

[mick005usa]

PTALARA, while I agree with the intent of your message, would it not be better to avoid remarks like 'shit eater.' Surely our position is strong enough to avoid ad hominem attacks.

[TwiggyDig]

i would have liked to know him when he was a kid

[3rdWorldCrusader]

I don't understand why Cornel West has to string together polysyllabic words ot make his points. He could be less pretentious and talk like the folks he claims to represent.

[hymnofashes]

Sometimes you can't describe complex and specific things without complex and specific words.

[HeathAndEr]

Also,

If he is intelligent, and wants to be respected, he shouldnt have to "dumb" himself down.

[opinionhead444]

George Carlin put it rather interestingly...

"You give us a color, we'll wipe it out."

[hoosd42]

Note: American Apartheid and White Supremacy only exist because of cultural continuity not because of some sort of conspiracy against non-white races. This is a cultural problem it does not exist because of corporate greed. If it was because of corporate greed white slave would have been treated just as bad. True greed knows no racial distinction only evil does. Corps are only as evil as those who run them. Dr. West's problem is that he can't make the distinction between evil people & corps

[steelmagnoliadiane]

White slaves WERE treated badly. "Negro" had a name that was unfamiliar to the English language. They were languages the slave masters couldn't speak. Also, pigmented skin was a good replacement for a tatoo that says "slave." A good way to "sort" people.

[hoosd42]

Great point.

But I wouldn't say it's a "good" way to sort people it's a efficient way to sort people.

You don't want to imply that sorting people like cattle is a good thing.

[msufyneguy]

LOL @ Oprah wouldn't breathe on it.

[Theaterkunst]

If you try to convince these nazis, you're not doing a good job. They study Jesus. What is the point? They believe in Creationism. Not evolution. Ignorant corporation zombies.

[halomachine1977]

My brother I extend to you both arms filled with books with the high hopes that you'll heed my invitation and embark on a journey of knowledge that will undoubtedly free you from the clutches of marginalization and open your mind to the prosperity of diversity and understanding

[halomachine1977]

Hmmm it appears to me that you are not a well read individual or at the very least not able to think beyond the talking points of hustlers and dilettante of the far right. But I'm not holding that against your or anybody because ignorance is a disease for which knowledge is the cure.

[maverickcul]

Noam Chomsky can kick his ass..talk about a real leftist

[19770326]

I've been surprised on how so many people are criticizing this man. This man could have 8 or 9 Ph.D.'s, knows more in his little finger than some of you and you question his facts. Yeah right.

[LawrenceErnie]

Folks, this is what a Useful Idiot looks like.

[2Candela]

Please watch the video and listen carefully before making a comment. Thanks.

[bigdap100]

Nah, youre trying to be nice but let me say this. People hate to see an intelligent black man who is confident and don't give a f*ck, and is not intimidated. This man has more brain power than any of these haters would have in 3 lifetimes. I respect this guy but other people think he's just words but the reality is people love to criticizes Black Folk. I'm down with ole boy.....Cornel West for President.

[gabecollett]

good point

i will try to do that more often

my roomate in College was a hip-hop

fan, and white

I tried to get over it by my teenage years but still majored in History

[7567266]

I guess you're talking about the man in the mirror

[bluecafe22]

I think his assessment of black & white slaves is kind of distorted. I am sure the reason black slave names were not recorded has more to do with pronunciation difficulties and cultural unfamiliarity. It was probably just easier to record them as "Negro." I wonder how Indian slave names were recorded...

[THEONEANDONLYCHICO]

Of course it was easier - that's the point! going forward, if you don't know their name, it is easier to ignore them, easier to not address their concerns, and that was 1619...

[eirefrance]

I think you're not getting the point of the video. Abuse happens because its easier to allow it happen than to fight it; i.e. erase the entire personal history of a people because its harder to take the time to record who they are than write 'negro'. To be a leftist is to actively work to avoid/stop those abuses. In how you consume, what you speak about, how you yourself speak, etc...

[shootthedevil]

So it means that whites are culturally insensitive. They don't value them in enough to learn their name. It is the same reason why whites people go to other country and expect people to speak their language or mocked people names. I don't see this same disregard and meaness in other culture, only in Anglo-American-Australia culture.

[xXfainarufantajiXx]

Hence why I'm an open-minded, leftist, trilingual, yet a "white" citizen of the United States of America, the self acclaimed, "land of the free". It makes me sick how people can act in the way you described. Its mainly our culture, yet it is also basic human arrogance, and America has a lot of arrogance.

[hatchbx]

Cornel West for President!!!!!!!!!!

[kindu2006]

This Man is a GENIUS!

[acefireburst]

Opera is a sell out to the white race than put her there. This man should run for president, but he's to intelligent for that. Next to Bush,this man is a rocket scientist.

[Umbriaga]

you are so right. He is a rocket scientist next to the smartest poeple everywhere!

[DianeBWill]

I just wish Mr. Cornel West would just call it SIN over powering the white European nation. In this world if satan wants SIN to rain the best people to use are the white European nations.

SAD!!

DBW

[JNagarya]

Listen to part one of this speech about how "religion" as an ideology is yet another means to enslave. When you adopt that language, which has the invocation of "God" behind it, and thus the idea that it can't be wrong, you adopt the ultimate justification for bigotry: 'God' authorizes.

[kessyboy]

Cornel West is brilliant. I have, and will always, admire his speeches, writings, and vision.

[Blackstarguitar]

me to ..and i agree .^___^