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Obama’s National Service Plan= SLAVERY? Oh really?

Started by baratunde aka jack turner · 12 months ago

Jonah Goldberg’s at it again.

Today in a LATimes op-ed, he compares Senator Obama’s National Service plan to SLAVERY.
There’s a weird irony at work when Sen. Barack Obama, the black presidential candidate who will allegedly scrub the stain of racism from the nation, vows to run afoul of the constitutional amendment that ... Continue reading »

33 comments

  • CraigHickman

    12 months ago

    Some things are so outrageous they tell on themselves.

    Who can read that, and I mean WHO can read that and not see right through it?

    I guess the old saying that the easiest way to hide something is right out in the open would be the only explanation for anyone who believes that nonsense.
    reply
  • Sepia

    12 months ago

    Oh, you'd be surprised. Some people hate Obama so much -- people who ordinarily would disagree with something like this or anything the Right says -- that they will co-sign this garbage.

    It's really sad. This election has really exposed the pettiness in people.
    reply
  • Admiral_Komack

    12 months ago

    More bullshit from the Doughty Pantload.
    reply
  • rikyrah

    12 months ago

    Craig,

    I've been waiting to hear the comments about Obama's speech at the townhall in Georgia. Once again, I agree with him; nothing I don't say to the young men I know, but what do I know, I'm only conservative (small c) about this. We've got a dropout rate of 50% for young Black men, but I'm waiting for the criticism of Obama on what he said.

    http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07...
    reply
  • CraigHickman

    12 months ago

    I actually watched that town hall on CNN video and the words as printed sound a lot harsher than the words he spoke. If was a humorous exchange that had the crowd laughing. It was like sharing an inside joke but the message was serious.

    I'm sure he'll receive harsh words from those who believe he only lectures black people, but that girl's school in Chicago where he said the same thing (minus basketball) was predominantly white.

    Sports and entertainment are considered fast tracks to stardom among the disillusioned. Barack is trying to keep it real and make sure youngsters know an education is the ticket.

    I'm conservative on these issues as well.
    reply
  • Teacher

    12 months ago

    Many of those who read and commented on this story are very anti-Obama. It's ugly over there. It makes me want to send him some $.
    reply
  • Michelle

    12 months ago

    First of all, the slavery comparison is plain ridiculous. I mean please.

    Second:

    We’ll reach this goal in several ways. At the middle and high school level, we’ll make federal assistance conditional on school districts developing service programs, and give schools resources to offer new service opportunities. At the community level, we’ll develop public-private partnerships so students can serve more outside the classroom.

    The educational system requires all sorts of things from students. For example, middle and high schools requiring students to study specific a-contextual stuff, much of which they may forget almost immediately, just to score well or okay on state or nationally standardized tests.

    The fact that real world out-of-classroom service (and the actual learning that goes with this) is not systematically part of education is, from some angles of vision a looming horrible gap in the educational system.

    I don't think young people are any more self-centered than this society as a whole, including adults. What our institutions say is relevant and valuable use of time is communicated to the young people in various ways, including through schools.

    What we define as education and how that translates into the institutional practices and requirements is part of what communicates to young people what it means to be a functioning young person and functioning adult in this society.
    reply
  • TruthSeeker

    12 months ago

    Yeah, 'cause they can't approach Obama like a human being...it's always from a racial standpoint. Somehow Goldberg has to figure out how to associate O's community service policy with slavery, and make an ass of himself in doing so.

    50 hours is roughly an hour per week over a year. Community service builds character, maturity, responsibility...all that good stuff.
    reply
  • msmartin

    12 months ago

    This plan will also engage some maybe otherwise less enthused students.
    reply
  • Scott Fuller

    12 months ago

    The 13th Amendment hasn't been enforced by a court since 1947, which means, it's interpretations are antiquated and inadequate.

    Very serious people has made the argument to abolish taxes under the 13th amendment. Goldberg may not be as far off as you think.
    reply
  • sandalstraps

    12 months ago

    Goldberg may not be as far off as you think.

    Do you seriously believe that adding community service to high school curriculum - and attaching a $4,000 college scholarship to completing that portion of the curriculum - constitutes slavery?

    If so, I don't know what to make of you. If not, then you agree that Golberg is, in fact, 100% off, which is very far indeed.
    reply
  • CraigHickman

    12 months ago

    He's far off, sandalstraps. He's over the cliff.

    Slavery is our prison system, now run by private corporations in many jurisdictions. Let's hear Goldberg talk about that.
    reply
  • sandalstraps

    12 months ago

    Let me add to my last comment that when, in the United States today, there are documented cases of actual human slavery among tomato and citric pickers in Florida, apple pickers in Washington, garment sewers in Saipan, and even welders in Oklahoma, people who argue that the 13th amendment is best used to get them out of paying their taxes don't strike me as very serious.
    reply
  • منتدى كوره

    12 months ago

    thank you .
    reply
  • ubstu34

    12 months ago

    You have to excuse Mr. Goldberg. This is a man who argued in his last book that American liberalism was an outgrowth of Soviet Communism. Goldberg ignored the fact that American liberalism preceded Soviet Communism, has outlived Soviet Communism, and throughout its history has produced such prominent anti-Communists as Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Arthur Schlesinger. His argument that compelling young people to perform community service in exchange for tuition money is analogous to slavery is another example of his intellectual dishonesty. Only the most cynical would support such views and only the most stupid would actually believe them.
    reply
  • Town

    12 months ago

    Like I said yesterday, this is just more of the "The black president will force white people into slavery if he's elected" meme.
    reply
  • kenyaw

    12 months ago

    Town,
    How did you know? lol
    reply
  • Town

    12 months ago

    LOL, but seriously many people think that if Obama is elected, blacks will get "brand new" and start getting uppity attitudes with them and white people will be forced into slavery for revenge. These people seriously think that.
    reply
  • msmartin

    12 months ago

    Sad but true; Thomas Jefferson even comptemplated this long before there was a Barack.
    reply
  • djchefron

    12 months ago

    Watch for the slavery theme to dominate right wing dialogue to the election
    Conservative Christian Group Invokes Slavery In Opposing Obama
    http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07...
    reply
  • purplehawk

    12 months ago

    Isn't this just another attempt to inject a subliminal torpedo into the political dialogue?

    There are moments - and this is one of them - when I can only shake my head at the ridiculousness of some of these right-wing pundits. They're all freaking nutcases!
    reply
  • icebergslim

    12 months ago

    Hey Rikyrah,

    Can you add Al Giordiano's "The Field" to the blog list and This Week with Barack Obama?

    Thanks.
    reply
  • rikyrah

    12 months ago

    Slim, I have The Field. Am Adding This Week right now.
    reply
  • Sepia

    12 months ago

    Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His mother is Lucianne Goldberg.
    reply
  • CraigHickman

    12 months ago

    Did anybody catch Brian Williams on MSNBC just now?

    He said that McCain was scheduled to appear on all the morning shows today. How convenient. The same day the Iranians test their missiles. I guess he wanted the "presidential" foreign policy soapbox.

    But he wouldn't have it alone, despite his best efforts.

    When the missile test story broke, Barack's people scheduled him to appear on the morning shows at the last minute to discuss the situation and have his own presidential moment.

    Meantime, Bush is in Japan and hasn't appeared on any network.

    If people doubt the wag-the-dog pure politics of this theater, then their weave is in too tight.
    reply
  • Sepia

    12 months ago


    If people doubt the wag-the-dog pure politics of this theater, then their weave is in too tight.

    LOL

    First, the Columbian "rescue" and now this. Funny thing is that neither has achieved their goals of giving McCain his presidential moment.

    Good for Obama for beating McCain at his own game.
    reply
  • GreenLadyHere

    12 months ago

    I'm trying to define people who can "stretch" and, therefore, distort Mr. Obama's statements to tranform them into their "SICK" mentality. Back in the day, there was a song- "Rubber Band Man". For now [until I come up with a different concept], I'll call them - ta-dum - "People Who Think With RUBBER BAND BRAINS"!
    A point about rubber bands is that they can reach an "elastic limit" and never return to their original shape. That's where the "RUBBER BAND BRAINS" are headed. I would love to be around when they "snap". L8R
    reply
  • AnonymissBlog

    12 months ago

    What kind of a paper is LA Times for even running this piece? What were they thinking? Tossing "slavery" around like pennies. *SMH*
    reply
  • Nquest

    12 months ago

    All Obama is doing is applying the "conservative" welfare-to-work principle.
    reply
  • Free

    12 months ago

    I'm surprised no one from the National Review has called for showing "A Birth of A Nation" again, so as to "inform" the public of what will happen if someone like Obama becomes POTUS.
    reply
  • Bronze Trinity

    12 months ago

    His plan sounds great! It will teach people to care about their communities an d that other people might have it worse than them. Plus they are getting something out of it. Its nothing like slavery! Lots of social groups require public service. I'd rather see someone get into college because of their service rather than their ability to throw a ball!
    reply
  • Talibah

    12 months ago

    In Prince Georges County, Maryland, where I graduated from high school, 50 hours of community service was a requirement for graduation. I don't see that as an issue. I'd gladly do community service if it was going to shave a few thousand dollars off of my 35,000 dollar tuition.
    reply
  • shawn

    11 months ago

    Good thing my children won't be going to any government indoctrination camps (aka public schools).
    reply
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