Is partisan bickering and the impending nail-biting election getting you down? Kick back and enjoy another episode of the Africa Town Follies! See my previous post for background.
If I may quote myself: “The Detroit City Council wants to declare the dilapidated city ‘Africa Town’ and siphon off more taxpayers’ money for yet more skin color preferences.”
On this week’s show, the screeching squirrels on the council have come to the ridiculously and embarrassingly obvious conclusion that it’s unconstitutional to give away government money based on race, so the plan has been “revised.” Now if only the rest of their legion were this smart. Minority set-aside programs abound everywhere else.
While the man behind the originial, skin color-based Africa Town fiasco, Claud Anderson, may have a few good building-black-businesses ideas under his “Powernomics” plan, he has a nasty tendency to blame others for black people’s ills. And I doubt he’s read the Constitution lately. Fine document. I recommend he pick up a copy.
I’m no economist, but as far as I can tell it is better to build businesses through hard work, ingenuity, initiative and creativity rather than through government aid. Am I wrong? Wouldn’t be the first or last time. 
Why are immigrants of all races able to build businesses on nothing or by pooling money together with family and friends, but blacks in Detroit, who’ve lived in an open democracy and capitalist nation their whole lives, can’t seem to make it without race-based this or race-based that?
Liberal ideology is the culprit. Yes, I am going there again. You tell people often enough they can’t be successful without white liberal patronage, this is what happens. I’m simplyfying it, of course, but you get the point.
Read Nolan Finley’s assessment of the plan. Killer. The race-based scheme has everybody up in arms, from Hispanics to the Detroit News editorial board.
In my previous post I quoted Kay Everett, a Detroit City Council member who voted against the plan. In another op-ed, she pleads:
I, too, cry for my Detroit. Why the tears?I cry because Detroit, a city on the move, may fall prey to hate and become a national embarrassment.
“Powernomics,” a proposal for increasing African-American employment in the city, is a suicidal form of reverse racism and a bad deal for Detroit.
Stop the madness of scapegoating immigrants and others who are not Americans of African descent. Non-black immigrants were blamed in the “Powernomics” report for depleting community resources and taking jobs from blacks. So Detroit City Council passed two racist resolutions that will divide our beloved city as much as the deadly race “riots” of 1967 and 1943.
I won’t bore you with more of my analysis. You know what I think about this already, and you guys are smart. Talk among yourselves.
By the way. The election is tomorrow! I’ll do a little live-blogging tomorrow night, but you’re all invited to live-comment a lot. During live-commenting for the third presidential debate, you guys generated 544 comments. Think you can do better?
(Africa Town hat tip: Booker Rising)
{ 16 comments }
Why, this is a wonderful idea!!! As a matter of fact, I do believe I will lobby my city council to change New York City to “Jewtown”, so I can evict all you inconvenient gentiles! I’d call it “Hymieville”, but that name has a bad connotation, being associated with the Democrat who first came up with it.
Hopefully we can get some huge bundles of cash from the government to create job placement programs to retrain the residents of Jewtown for employment in fields which Jews remain woefully underrepresented (sp?). I’m thinking here of professional sports, automotive technicians, pig farming, and organized crime.
Whaddya think, Ms. Barber? Don’t worry, I’ll have border patrol put you on the “honorary Jew” list.
Oooh…I know, I know! Was the Democrat Jesse Jackson???
I make it a practice never to remember the names of Democrats.
Simply put, Detroit is a mess and I gotta vote in the morning. Call me Dr. NO on any and all inane proposals and personalities on the ballot
Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh…LaShawn has thrown down a challenge. I bet we can beat 544 comments. I’m looking forward to getting things started tomorrow.
Are you ready to RRRRRUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEE!!!!
WHAT do you get when you have Democrat control for 30+ years in a city? Add to that racial preferences for any and all development projects? WELCOME TO MY TOWN! Sad. I mean, if there ever was “lab” for proof of why Democrat’s ideas don’t work, it’s Detroit. There is no reason why it is such a failure, year after year. We have stuff … we have a beautiful river … we have museums, and zoos – we have a base of industry. It’s just pathetic. African town … sigh. I mean, WHAT is going to be there that you can’t find here already?? But, you know, if they want to put it in Highland Park or something, I’m fine with that.
I’ve been preaching the ingenuity, hard work, and determination ideal relentlessly in my minority/majority classroom. My reward: I’m called a racist by minority student parents.
Detroit isn’t alone.
I can’t wait to vote tomorrow. And I especially can’t wait to comment tomorrow night.
Who do they want JESSIE JACKSON or AL SHARPTON i mean its getting pretty bad when they still carry out illegal racial prefrences
It’s good to get away from the battle for a moment to reflect on deeper issues like this post. The deeper issues will still be there after the election – possibly worse than before. Click on my name for a brief discussion of how we as bloggers can regroup and rediscover our philosophical roots in the coming months – no matter who wins tomorrow (or whenever the court battles are over).
Unfortunarely, city council Kay Everitt has had her hand in the “blame game” in Detroit for many years. She’s just recently got off that wagon so I can appreciate that.
Detroit is already Africa Town with a non-willingness to pool resources. So the city suffers. No more government money so it can be misused, misrouted, and misplaced.
La Shawn,
I look at the situation in Detroit as well as numerous other locations throughout our Nation, and recognize there is a serious need for service within these communities. However, the charitable efforts by the local and national governmental agencies and parties so often seem hollow and self serving.
Neal A. Maxwell, who recently passed away, wrote, “Frequently, we busily search for group service projects, which are surely needed and commendable, when quiet, personal service is also urgently needed. Sometimes the completing of an occasional group service project ironically salves our own conscience when, in fact, we are constantly surrounded by a multitude of opportunities for individual service.” He goes on to say, “We lose ourselves in righteous service and in wise and good causes through a thousand deeds rather than one single spectacular act.”
From my perspective, Africa Town is a selfish attempt at a spectacular Act.
There are direct, obvious, and traditional needs to be met, such as providing food, clothing, shelter and physical care. But there are also more subtle needs to be met. There are people, of all races, with wounded and bruised egos who need to be wrapped in the blanket of belonging. I see the encouagement and support of Faith based activities, by President Bush, as subtle means to meet subtle needs.
I recommend you read his “Black Labor, White Wealth: The Search for Power and Economic Justice”. I also recommend that you read “Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America”.
I assume you do know that until recently housing discrimination was the law of the land. I also assume you know that family wealth is one of the biggest determiners of success. And that schools are funded based on local taxes.
I live in nyc where have an rent controlled apt is better than owning an apt. “For an apartment to be under rent control, the tenant must have been living in that apartment continuously since before July 1, 1971.” Well pre – 1971 housing descrimination was rampant in nyc. So guess who gets the advantage of this tax free subsidy in the better neighborhoods with the better schools and social services. (Not black people)
The intersection of race and wealth is ignored by liberal and conservatives alike. I advise you and your readers to learn more on these issues.
Solo! Welcome back to the blogosphere! You don’t know how cool it was to wake up this morning and see your comment waiting in the queue. I’m so glad all seems well with you. I pray for your speedy recovery.
Scott – Just because we think Africa Town is stupid doesn’t mean we don’t understand the dynamics of race, wealth and discrimination. You’re correct in a sense – family wealth may be a determiner of success, but there are many others. Don’t undercut the individual here. Race-based government schemes to remedy past discrimination are still wrong despite any rationalizations. The question becomes, do we want to rationalize it? I say no, at least not for me as a black person. It stinks.
Detroit needs to find some other way – legally – to solve the problems.
Just rename Detroit to “Tax Town” and be done with it. What…with high city taxes, “living wages”, and other such nonesense driving jobs out it would serve Detroiters right to just be honest with themselves. Perhaps “Failed Democratic Policy Town”? Now I’m just being silly…
“Failed Democratic Policy Town” … you have me hooting now! But so true.
Scott, do you want to explain to me how housing discrimination comes into play in Detroit?? Detroit has been under black control (Democrat) since I was a child, and I’m quickly approaching 40.
In addition, family “wealth” may be a predictor, but another MAJOR factor is family strength. Heck, no family wealth here (my student loans are finally gonna be paid off this year- YEA!) … but I did come from a family where not going to college, NOT doing what I was supposed to do, was NOT an option. I live in a community in Detroit where in-tact families are the norm, not the exception. Not a lot of pregnant teens here … people go to school, get a job, get married, keep their houses nice, and do what they gotta do. THAT is the key to success.
Troll alert – Admin
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