₦airaland Forum

Anyone seen Michelle lately?

Is this a true picture of her or are my eyes deceiving me? Wow, I like this. Now this is a First Lady image.

BigB, where are you, how do you see your girl?

Its true but they no go succeed. D em go try but they no fit nail am.

In both Hausaland and Yorubaland it is called sadaka. Igbo is a rich language, regrattably I dont speak it and I missed many opportunities to learn it. I would like to know what my Igbo people call social welfare in their language. In english it is called almsgiving. In Christianity it is called tithe, in Islam they call it zakat and in Judaism its called tzadakat.

Sadaka is a social welfare system enjoining those who have abundance to share materially with those who are poor and have no meaningful resource or opportunity for gainful income or are destitute or are heavily burdened by debt. Almsgiving has both spiritual and material benefits to the giver and the recipient respectively but that's a whole different issue for why I am bringing this up and so I will not go into the depths, except to say it is a form of cleansing.

I saw an audio clip on YouTube, and it is attached as hyperlink below, of an interview with Barack Obama in 2001 when he was Illionis State Senator. In the interview Barack unmistakably clarified his position on civil injustice and unbalanced distribution of resources. He made clear that there ought to be a re-dress for how those who are dispossesed of a fair and equitable chance or opportunity at building wealth should be recompensed in default of their elimination at the starting block of economic mobility and proposed that there should be a legislative inclusion as a bill of rights for fair redistribution of wealth.

I do not believe in equality but I believe in fairness. There is no way humanly possible to produce two equitable results without a noticeable variation in their outcomes. For successful improvement in the quality of life we must not focus on averages but instead on variations and then respond to that by adjusting the index to maintain flexibility and balance. This is the bottom line of stock exchange market which is the bedrock of American economy and wealth.

We just witnessed a collapse of that market and the intervention of the government to use public treasury to redistribute the debt on Wall Street.
The income tax code in America uses a non-linear formula that creates a heavier tax burden on low income earners than it does the wealthy ones so that it is correct to say that across a broad demographics, the tax contribution ratio of a low income American to the Federal Treasury is far higher than that of a wealthy American. Dollar for dollar this is not true but it is fair to conclude that what is contributed to the social purse is in effect a disproportionate amount of discretionary dollar that otherwise could have gone towards household spending for the poor worker.

If America see no problem with redistributing debt to the tune of $700b from bottom to top, then neither should they have problem with Barack Obama's vision of reditributing wealth from top to bottom. Obama proposed redistributive wealth 7 years before the meltdown on Wall Street. If nobody believed in his philosophy back then, they should now looking at recession in the face. He is not a messiah but more than his intellectual gift, Obama has the strain of a divine messenger.

I have watched Obama's campaign closely and listened to and studied almost all of his speeches past and present to the point that I can predict what goes on in his mind. However, as his campaign progressed and his staff grew his originality changed and he took on political slogans in replacement for philosophical ideologies. That turned me off. True ideologues dont change and compromise their principles for complacent comforts. Listening to this audio clip those of you who think Obama is Great now will be more impressed to realize what a Greater person he was back then. This is the Obama I would love to vote for, not the one I have now but I haven't voted yet, so there is still chance that within the next seven days I could vote for him. Im watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck

Obama is not going to be assassinated. Will there be attempts? Yes, there will be but he will survive it all. The enemies that will get him will not come with guns, they come with pen and paper.

What speech? Obama is scheduled for Wednesday, not today.

Edelweiss, edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white
Clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow sun
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, edelweiss
Bless my homeland Nigeria forever

Small and white
Clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow sun
May you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, edelweiss
Bless my homeland Nigeria forever

If I thought the US would gain from Obama but in some way Obama would suffer in the end, then I won't vote for him.

Thank God, someone finally showed up that has an objective look, is confident in her racial heritage and proud of it and is not afraid to ask critical questions.

Maedan, welcome!

Obama is touched by your concern, but he still needs your vote.  
He is ready to deal any imaginary consequences that victory may lead him to.
If his family is not afraid, why should you be afraid?  Vote for the right person, no excuses please

.

Seun,

That's the mark of divinity - in the history of mankind, all men who have stepped forward to lead with inspiration - teachers, messengers, sages - have always been driven by the inner truth and much to the dismissal of any external danger by way of threats to life or even a consequential death.  We saw it in Mahatma Gandhi, in Martin Luther King Jr and also Malcom X.  Obama has proven that his drive is genuine and divinely inspired and outwardly he is not afraid of any danger to himself.  Hence the labeling that he sees himself as a messianic leader.  

Still, I wouldnt vote for or follow a teacher that has not been tested and fortified with adversity.  His experience should be my scripture and if he lacks experience, then his message is all there is, nothing more.  I cannot live on empty faith of "do as I say, not as I do".  If you cannot practically live what you preach to me, then I cannot blindly follow what you profess.  

Sometimes a messenger could be in the wrong place and he will need to relocate so his message can gain ground effectively.  Obama has great messages but he is in the wrong party.

now u're really freaking me out! Hey, I don't pretend to be some heavy political ananlyst, but I AM an intelligent observer and I really think America would prefer  the Worst White President (eg McCain) than the Best Black President (ie Obama). Something tells me it will be a very small margin, but Obama may lose. It would be made to seem like a "close call", but he just might be cheated out of the White House. What ever, Obama seems just too dignified to want to be the American president, an office that has sunk low from its once elevated pedestal.

You are correct it will be a close call.  Personally, I want Obama to win.  I say this because Obama the person has strong leadership demeanour and solid idealism which under the correct settings will indeed propel America back into the forefront of global leadership. However, the party platform for which he is campaigning is anti- the ideals that Obama is visualizing for America.  The Republican platform is more in harmony with the visions that Obama has.  

Along the line he has modified his original message to fit in with Democratic agenda.  With Democrat having majority in the House and Senate, President Obama's visions and ideals will all be suppressed and the democratic agenda will dominate. Much as he may dislike it, he will have no choice but to flow along or risk having his Presidency ruined and discredited worse than Bush's.  Obama wants to change Washington but Washington is going to change him.  Black America know Obama and they know Biden but I wonder how many blacks in America truly know Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and their shpere of power and influence.  The President serves at the bequest of the Constitution.  The Senate Leader and the Speaker of the House of Reps are the custodians of that Constituion - they can make and break a President and we have seen that with Clinton and with Bush.  Let's see what they will do to Obama - they will turn him into a puppet and he will dance along or forfeit his term to Biden.

Negro says :

he said that Hillary was more qualified than he was for the VP choice

Hollandis says:

Why are you misquoting BIDEN?The guy just said clinton would have been a better Veepee.You are getting things twisted

Hollandis,

How is someone else better in a position that you have? What criteria, other than qualification, would you use to evaluate and judge that person?
If you agree that it is indeed qualification, then I have not misquoted Biden and I did not twist anything. If I did, then so did you; you only have to compare our two quotes above to see what I mean.

Besides, it is unmanly, smirks of low esteem, it is un-adventurous and un-ambitious for a man to declare that someone else is more qualified than himself in a position that was hotly contested by the best in the field and in which he is the winner. If you are the winner then you are the best, period - no one else is more qualified than you are, thump your chest and celebrate your success. That's how men do it!

Seems every(almost) right-thinking person wants Obama to win - but has anyone one considered the aftermath? Obama wins - then what? Obama looks like too good a person to waste on the presidency. The White House changes people. It makes them MONSTERS. I really don't want that to happen to the idealistic, mild-mannered Obama. Also, there's the fear of assasination. America couldn't stand to have a Catholic president for long - can they stand a Black one? I really pray that if they LET Obama win, he survives the next four years.

Maedan,

Two figures are very important on that thought and you have to really analyze what these people have said in the past 15 months to get a clear understanding of what the future holds. Much as I'd love to give you the gist, I must restrain my tongue because there is a literary work on that and its still not completed but when the climate is ripe I will be glad to share. I can tell you this for now - when Biden speaks, listen attentively and critique the reasoning behind his statement. Obama is not going to be assassinated but something even more dramatic will unfold that will cost him the Presidency.

To give you a hint - are you aware for how long the Democratic party had known that John Edwards had extra-marital affairs and refused to disclose it; and why they kept John that long in the Primary race? Thats all I can say for now, you deduce the rest of the story on your own. No Obama has no extra marital issue, thats not the line of the story. It will not matter whether Obama or McCain wins, either way it goes America is about to witness a huge awakening in its politics and it all circle around the person occupying the oval office.

What part of my statement did you not understand?? I never said the reason that I am voting Obama is simply because he is black. You guys simply make that assumption. For a fact, I do not support the Republican party (never did and never will). They simply do do not appeal to me. I am actually shocked that you picked up on that. What I meant when I said you'd be crazy to vote for them was that I do not see what they have to offer Minorities anywhere. Why is even Colin Powell endorsing Obama rather than McCain Isnt this a public forum anymore?

Shotster,

There are protocols in public forum and you violated one of them. In public forums you state your views and defend them vigorously as you can while at the same time respecting the differing views of other contributors. Just because you never supported and never will support Republican does not make anyone else that does an insane and weird individual as you inferred in your post. I only asked "why so" to your statement that if a minority was supporting McCain then something is really wrong with them and you did not articulate a response. My question is still standing if you want to respond.

Why is something terribly wrong for a black person to support McCain? Would it be equally correct to assume that something is terribly wrong for a white person to support Obama? What I am trying to get is have we concluded that this election is about race and not about issues?

If its about race and we ought to elect Obama, then we must also have vision and be prudent. As a race, we have been stupid many times in the choices we made in the past. We unquestionably gave loyalty to one party and lost the ability to negotiate laterally for influence. The outcome is year after year we continue to remain marginalized to the benefit of hispanics and Indians and other minority groups who, unlike us, saw wisdom in splitting their backing amongst the two major political parties. As we have witnessed in this election, the candidates have appeared in front of the elders of the Hispanics and the Jews and made conciliatory promises to issues that matter most to their sub constituencies and communities. In May when McCain attended NAACP conference all he did was to give a speech, so did Obama. Neither one of them have promised to resolve any issue local and unique to the black community.

You must ask, in a general election where over 90% of blacks support one party, God forbid, what happens if that party lost the election? Who truly is the loser, is it the white Democrats or the black democrats? I ask again, in return for decades of loyal support what has the Democratic party done for black America?

Shortster, it is uncommon for black people to ask penetrating questions but amongst us there are those who have raised critical questions and the answers we keep getting is that both parties are on a par in terms of their pros and cons, however, in order to forge a new destiny for black people in America our collective path forward must not diverge from the single purpose of accessibility and hold on political power and influence, even though our party affiliations may differ. The reason that black men continue to be victimized by metro cops is because we lack political power and influence and even worse, it's the same reason why those cops are never convicted of crime. We love the Democratic party and until Obama came along we loved Bill Clinton but it was Bill who signed into law the penal code for posession of a gram of powder cocaine versus posession of a gram of crack cocaine. I am not excusing bad behavior but at the expense of black skin the white skin made tons of money and escaped prison time. We need to wake up!

You need your head examined if you're black and you vote reps, even Hispanics are turning to Obama.
Is Mc Cain not the same senator that voted against Dr Kings birthday? He even went to his state to canvass against it.
Experience tells me that blacks who oppose Democrats are the same ones quick to denounce any achievement by fellow black people. This is not just a black phenomenon, I think the word for it is "Self hate".

Sleek & Shorster,

Republican is not a black party. Democrat is not a black party. There is no black party in America, so stop fooling yourself and everyone else with your sentiments.

If you want to vote on a racial line, then you really ought to vote for Green Party, where both the Presidential candidate - Cynthia McKinney - and her VP - Rosa Clemente - are both minorities. Obama is half white, half black. If you truly want a black president, then argue for support behind Cynthia McKinney and Green Party.

The problem I have noticed here is that a lot of you folks are supporting Obama for nothing other than that he is black - I dont get it! You want black candidate? Vote for McKinney! If you dont believe that her racial lineage is sufficient for you vote, then be objective on the issues that each platform is presenting and stop this accusation about being black and voting republican is crazy, no it is not.

The Republican party made Colin Powell, the Republican party made Condoleeza Rice, The Republican Party made JC Watts. Tell me how many successful blacks the Democratic party has produced in the past? If you cannot, then shut up and wait for Nov 4th to go cast your vote for your candidate of choice, respect the choices made by other people that do not share in your false reasonings for exercising that right.

If you have any additional substance to add please let us hear it.

But, as the son of Jamaican immigrants who rose through the ranks of the military to become a general, the first black chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the first black secretary of state,

Add to that,

. . . . . the first black National Security Adviser, the first black General to command a US war on a global alliance scale,

If it wasn't for Europe's racist views, he would have been the first black SACEUR - Supreme Allied Commander Europe. That is the head of NATO Allied Command Operations.

Heck, if your black and your republican, something is really wrong lol.

Why so? Which party should a black person belong in and which candidate should we vote for and for what reasons?

if you are a minority and you vote for Mc Cain, something is really really really wrong with you

Why so ??

its either stave the freefall or let the banks crumble, taking along deposits and debts with them. then companies will not have a lending line and for fear of going bust, will downsize their workforces in the thousands further burdening Welfare and Soc Sec and making desparate folks refinance their houses for a 3rd mortgage in order to survive leading to further glut in the housing market and subsequently dragging the few remaning subprime brokers into a downward spiral ala Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac along with the cash of lending houses such as Lehman brothers thereby killing the lenders in one fell swoop and dragging ancillary banks thus requiring another round of $700 billion bailout in tax payer money.

it could lead to a vicious loop, not bailing out the banks.

I agree with you, except on one point. . . this problem is not exclusive to USA, it is Global.  Seek global solution to global problems.

Mark my word - - -  eventually IMF and World Bank will have to intervene to rescue Wall street after it will become apparent that the bailout money is insignificant to seal the bottom of the pit hole.  By then the $700b and any additional money pumped to the rescue will be irrecoverable, unaccounted for and the problem is still not resolved.  

Expect industrialized nations to start creating regulations for insulating their economy from US economy.

On the political front, I hope China does not use this as a pivotal opportunity to resurrect its ambition on Taiwan.  Net-net, whoever the next President is there is hell lot of work for him both on the financial and political war fronts - Russia vs Georgia vs Ukraine; China vs Taiwan; Iran vs Israel; Pakistan vs India.

He is known for making such gaffes

Richy,

That is worse than a gaffe. Are you sure Biden doesn't have an agenda? Remember, if the VP post is vacant, then the House Speaker, Pelosi, will automatically ascend to become VP.

Anytime the Executive and the Legislature are run by same party, the Legislature always have the upper hand in Government. This is so because they are closer to lobbyists and to the people, so the referendum is always on the Executive. We are about to have such an arrangement if Obama wins the election. With that, President Obama cannot afford to have too many falters in how he runs the country, otherwise there could be moves to censor or even impeach him.

It seems to me, gauging from Biden's statement, that this is a calculation into the future, not a gaffe. VP Biden becoming President Biden and House Speaker Pelosi becoming VP Pelosi.

Your thoughts . . . .

people will riot if reps win.

If people did not riot when government gave $700billion of their money as bailout to private banks chaired by thieves, there is nothing else you could do to get them to riot - including stealing their votes.

Yes, I am talking about Joe Biden. With the statement he made on Sunday, is it not time he gets a psychological evaluation? He came out prior, after the convention, to question the judgement of his boss when he said that Hillary was more qualified than he was for the VP choice. Now he is questioning the competency of his boss to stand up against foreign adversaries when he becomes the Commander in Chief.

There is two weeks to election; in-between, Obama does not need any dramatic exhibitions or sudden movements that startle the electorates. Isn't it a good time to lock up Biden away from the public? If anyone wondered where he is tell them he took two weeks vacation away from campaigning to attend to his ill mother-in-law.

Talking of illness, Obama is stepping away to see grandma in Hawaii. Who is in charge in his absence. . . who got the microphone? Please don't say Biden , . .!!

Apology for the multiples, < browser timeout>

It has been over 48hrs and no Obama supporter is yet to respond to my allegation that Barack failed the test of leadership when he voted against National Security apparatus in 2003 before the beginning of the Iraq war.


Well, let me help . ,  . .  look in the attached picture you will find the material for a counter attack.  Why is that guy in baby blue tie behind Powell's right shoulder, George Tenet, at a UN General Meeting?

This is the point where Powell's career as a Secretary of State was damaged. Obama has said he will have Powell's advise, I hope not as a Sec of State or Defense and not as American Ambassaor to UN either; He will be okay as Sec of Energy.  Hillary would be better as Sec of State or as Ambassador to the UN.

It has been over 48hrs and no Obama supporter is yet to respond to my allegation that Barack failed the test of leadership when he voted against National Security apparatus in 2003 before the beginning of the Iraq war.


Well, let me help . ,  . .  look in the attached picture you will find the material for a counter attack.  Why is that guy in baby blue tie behind Powell's right shoulder, George Tenet, at a UN General Meeting?

This is the point where Powell's career as a Secretary of State was damaged. Obama has said he will have Powell's advise, I hope not as a Sec of State or Defense and not as American Ambassaor to UN either; He will be okay as Sec of Energy.  Hillary would be better as Sec of State or as Ambassador to the UN.

THE LINKED ARTICLE IS LONG BUT A GOOD READ IF YOU ENJOY READING THOUGHT PROVOKING ARTICLES.

ENJOY!!

http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=a3894827-4373-4f9b-a0e9-ebbc88036375

Lmao, Karma, I have some bets to sell I need you Obama followers to bid on them, they are averaging $84.3 in Obama's favor and the price is going up, hurry!!

They are offered in multiples of 10 bets per order at $90/bet. Hurry up!!

Nigeria would be a better nation if leaders like Colin Powell could just exist in our political structure.
This type of unique leadership style and complete commitment to the country would certainly help our economic and political developments in Nigeria.

Nigeria has them, plenty of them . , . . . when they speak to us and behold us to stand up for what is right we turn away from them and give them our back.

Example - General Tunde Idiagbon.

Colin Powell worked as hard as he could to prevent the war, he made his decision to go to war based on the information available to him. It so turned out that those informations were false and probably spinned by those who wanted to go into Iraq anyway.

Hmmm . . . . . .

I don't know if you support Obama or McCain, I hope its the former. Nonetheless, this is a deficit on Senator Obama. I say this because the whole premise of who voted for or against the Iraq war is based on that argument of whether or not George Tenet was forthcoming with factual intelligence or propaganda for regime change.

The damage here is this - If General C. Powell, a decorated career soldier, a veteran of wars, served as National Security Adviser, served as Joint Chief of the Services, a Pentagon insider, a Fellow at the Institute of Strategic & Policy Studies, could form a judgement to go to war based on the prevailing evidence infront of him, . . then what does it say of those who voted against that prevailing evidence?

Here is what it says of them. . . when faced with a truly and genuine imminent danger, they will still vote against a military solution, taking it for granted as an unecessary assault. You don't vote against your intelligence apparatus, you vote inline with it - this is a fundamental National Security test. McCain passed that test, Hillary Clinton passed that test, General Powell passed the test and so did Joe Biden. Senator Obama failed that test.

What's common between all those that passed the test? Experience!!

If there's a valid imminent danger while in The Oval office, how would President Obama respond to it? Will he respond to the 3:00am call or would he roll over and go back under the sheets?

I need the Obama supporters to respond.

Some Republican supporters were interviewed after a rally in Ohio by Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin. (not the most unbiased interview but. . . . )

– “I’m afraid if he wins, the Black will take over.”

, . . . .and. . . ? Whats wrong with that? Isnt it time a black person rule America from the top?

– “When you’ve got a Negro running for President, you need a first stringer. He’s definitely a second stringer.”

America couldn't handle a first stringer Negro if one became President. Heck, if they have problem accepting a second stringer, what makes them think they will accept a first stringer? This is one of their divide and rule tactics - separate the fair skinned one from the dark skinned one, the fair haired one from the nappy haired one, the half-blood one from the quarter-blood one and sow the seed of discord and hatred between them by making the one sunbservient and less desirable to the other.

– “He seems like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I believe Palin is filled with the Holy Spirit and I believe she’s going to bring honesty and integrity to the White House.”

I am not looking to the White House for my Holy Spirit. If I need one I go to Church to get it.

– “He must support terrorists. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. And that to me, is Obama.”

Cheney, Rumsfeld, Reagan, G.H. Bush . . . . all these people supported terrorists in the 80s and 90s, back when it was popular for America to arm and finance Osama and the Mujaheedins into Afghanistan against USSR invasion.

I am clueless why Obama never bring this up and just sit there and absorb the rubbish, but again, this is one of the reasons why I am not supporting him because of his softness. If you cannot decisively beat Hillary in the primary, nor whip McCain in the general election, I don't want you leading America into a global territory fraught with egotistical tensions. I want a fighter for a leader, not someone always looking for ways to reconcile opposing views. Its fine once in a while to make peace and seek harmony, but not everytime.

– “Just the whole Muslim thing. A lot of people forgot about 9/11. I don’t know, it’s just a little unnerving.”

In that case no evangelical should vote for McCain. Timothy McVeigh was an evangelical and one of the reasons for his eruption against the government was because of Janet Reno's decison, as Attorney General to use para military force to invade the Branch Davidian compund in Waco, Texas in 1993. McVeigh soon took that anger out to Oklahoma and detonated a truck full of explosives that blew out a Federal Building and killed innocent Americans.

– “Obama and his wife. I’m afraid they could be anti-White.”

. , . you mean they are victims of anti-black??

– “I don’t like the fact that he thinks us white people are trash. Because we’re not!”

. . . then who is trash??

BigB,

Rush is not a journalist, he is a radio talk show jockey. Their job is to promote agendas and they use extreme provocations, shielded by the first amendment right to free speech, to push their propaganda.

Do not waste your time with Rush, even Republicans distance themselves from him.

What has the God-awful racist Republicans said about the White terrorists that lynched many blacks, bombed black churches, killed black children, stoned black children and raped black women around the same time Ayers was active?

Many of those crimes are still under investigation whereas Ayers has been tried and acquitted!

If McCain and the perpetual dumbo Sarah Palin care so much about domestic terrorism in the 1960s why have they not addressed the real terrorists of that era - those that masterminded the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Jesse Jackson, when he ran for Pesidency talked about it and questioned his opponents about their associations to racism.
Alan Keyes, Republican, raised it as an issue and questioned it.
Al Sharpton, raised the issue and questioned it.

Barack Obama, , ? Silence on the question of racism. Instead, he is seeking reconciliation and forgiveness. Have you ever heard Jesse, Sharpton talk about forgiveness for racism? It will never happen. Have you ever heard a Jew talk about forgiveness for Nazism? Never, ever , ever! Why is Obama forgiving racism?

Don't question why Republicans are talking about his association with a terrorist, ask why Obama is not questioning GOP's association with racism.

Obviously you are drunk

No doubt, had too much milk - lactated too loong!  

Everything in America, from sunrise to sunset and everything in-between is about race.

Body lotion
hair pomade
the ambient temperature in the office space - whether it is unbearably cold or hot
food you eat - is it soul food or cold sandwich; is your steak well done or rare cooked; is the meat brown or is it pink and juicy, is it spicy or not, . . .
your health - prostrate, diabetes, obesity, pulmonary disease. . . .
police stop - will it turn out bloody, will I end up in jail, will i get a ticket
pharmaceutical - what side effects can i expect
job position
salary decision
consideration for promotion
music choice

To all those lamenting about race card in American politics, lift your head up out of the sand. America is a racially discriminating country, you breathe it, you eat it, you drink it everyday.

Instead of lamenting about race card, ask why Obama would visit poor white neighborhoods but not poor black neighborhoods? Is that not discriminating along color line? So Obama is aware of the liabilities of campaigning in black neighborhood but not white neighborhoods and so he manuevered the political stigma and successfuly so. I see no reason for any outcry if there's any perception against him of a racial undertone on the trail.

This will be like saying, " oh my gosh, I want to invest $20,000 in stock market but I always expect gains and no losses ". Heck, its a prospect market and involves risk of loss. Everyone expects to gain but the volaitlity of the market does not always guarantee that.