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The Problem Is Liberalism, Not Racism
Townhall.com ^ | March 31, 2014 | Star Parker

Posted on 03/31/2014 6:47:43 AM PDT by Kaslin

When Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, went off on Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis, for his remarks that “We have got a tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work,” the wrong part what she had to say got all the attention.

The big buzz that Congressional Black Caucus member Lee generated was her accusation that Ryan’s remarks were a “thinly veiled racial attack.”

But the part of her remarks I found most interesting was “…Mr. Ryan should step up and produce some legitimate proposals on how to tackle poverty and racial discrimination in America.”

Paul Ryan has been one of the most creative and courageous policy thinkers in Washington in recent years.

Ryan sat down with me for an interview shortly before he ran for Vice President in 2012 (the interview is on my organization’s website www.urbancure.org). His thoughtfulness and compassion came through loud and clear and he zeroed in on the core of a problem I have been talking and writing about for more than 20 years – government programs that not only do not solve problems but make problems worse.

I stepped into this whole business of public policy from my own experience with welfare. I saw that the welfare program, which operated in this country from the 1960’s until it was reformed in 1996, that required women to not work, not save, and not get married in order to qualify for their welfare checks was a most efficient mechanism to destroy family and perpetuate poverty.

So it should come as no surprise that single parent black households tripled as a percentage of all black households from the 1960’s to today.

Where Barbara Lee is right is that this is not about race. What it is about is liberalism.

The racial aspect comes into play in that black political leaders, like Congresswoman Lee, overwhelmingly embrace liberalism, progressivism, welfare statism – whatever you want to call it – that has failed and caused untold damage in the very communities they claim to want to help. And they refuse to ever learn. Their answer to every problem, despite prior experience, is more government, more taxpayer’s dollars.

When real reformers like Paul Ryan come along, they get branded racist.

In a column I wrote a couple years ago, I pointed out that the 41 member Congressional Black Caucus were uniformly Democrats, had a 100% reelection rates, and the average poverty rate in these Congressional Black Caucus districts was 20.3% and the average child poverty rate 28.8% - both well above national averages.

Economist Walter Williams has pointed out that, in America’s top 10 poorest cities with populations more than 250,000, “…for decades, all of them have been run by Democratic and presumably liberal administrations. Some of them – such as Detroit (now the largest municipal bankruptcy in the nation’s history), Buffalo, Newark, and Philadelphia, haven’t elected a Republican mayor for more than half a century. What’s more is that, in some cases for decades, the mayors of six of these high-poverty cities have been black Americans.”

Again, the point is not that the mayors of these cities are black. It is that they are liberals. And black politicians, like Congresswoman Barbara Lee, overwhelmingly are liberals, and they remain liberals, despite a long and consistent track record of failure.

When welfare was reformed, liberals like Barbara Lee fought it.

It is pure self-absorption for any interest group to think it is all about them. America is in real trouble today and we’re all in this together.

Ms. Lee talks about “code words.” Her code word is “racist”, which means someone, like Paul Ryan, who wants to make Americans of all backgrounds better off by giving them more freedom, more choice, more responsibility, and less government.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: chargesofracism; paulryan; racism

1 posted on 03/31/2014 6:47:43 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Don’t forget stupidity...


2 posted on 03/31/2014 6:48:19 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Kaslin

The truth hurts.

Always does.

Sorry, libs, but you know who you’ve hurt the most, and your only recourse it to keep lying to them.

You actively and knowlingly destroyed the black family, and your chickens (er...felons) are coming home to roost.


3 posted on 03/31/2014 6:50:30 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: Kaslin
Ms. Lee talks about “code words.” Her code word is “racist”, which means someone, like Paul Ryan, who wants to make Americans of all backgrounds better off by giving them more freedom, more choice, more responsibility, and less government.

Here's a 'codeword' Ms. Lee.......effing RINO. Please, I don't wanna hear any more about this debt limit/amnesty RINO traitor.

4 posted on 03/31/2014 6:51:23 AM PDT by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: Kaslin

Liberal Debate Rule Number 1:

If your opponent states fact that you are unconfortable with... and the you cannot deny as truth, call him racist. That will shut him up.
In fact, anytime anyone says something that makes you uncomfortable, no matter what it is, cry “RACISS!” very loudly to automatically win the debate.

The first one to cry “RACISS!” wins the debate by default.


5 posted on 03/31/2014 6:58:49 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!)
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To: Kaslin

The truth is the ones yelling “racist and racism” are the
true racist. The one who accuses racism first is the winner
of any debate. It’s a trump card for the ignorant. So when
you here Barbara Lee accusing anyone of racism, you know
she’s too ignorant to make her case or her point just cant
be made at all. Remember liberals always accuse other people
of things they themselves are most guilty of always.


6 posted on 03/31/2014 7:00:47 AM PDT by Slambat
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To: Gaffer

Paul’s solution: teach ALL people of ALL ethnics to fish. Teach them pride and self-worth by EARNING a living.

Barking Moonbat’s solution: Take away from racist fishermen and give to lazy who don’t want to wake up that early. Set up a counter where people can come and stand in line for fish. MAKE fishermen give a percentage of their catch to feed the these people. Call them ‘racist’ if they complain.


7 posted on 03/31/2014 7:04:13 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!)
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To: Kaslin

“””Mr. Ryan should step up and produce some legitimate proposals on how to tackle..... racial discrimination in America.”

Start by getting rid race hustlers that pull racism out of thin air when it is not present. That should eliminate 95% of it right there.


8 posted on 03/31/2014 7:07:21 AM PDT by envisio (Its on like Donkey Kong!)
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To: envisio

And yet he CREATED a bill that allows an unchecked debt limit while simultaneously willing to ‘debate’ anyone on his plan that “earned legalization is not amnesty”.

Actually, it’s horsesh!t. He has nothing to offer anyone, and certainly not the moral rectitude to be preaching anything pride, self worth, value or freedom.


9 posted on 03/31/2014 7:08:47 AM PDT by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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To: envisio
Barking Moonbat’s solution: Take away from racist fishermen and give to lazy who don’t want to wake up that early. Set up a counter where people can come and stand in line for fish. MAKE fishermen give a percentage of their catch to feed the these people. Call them ‘racist’ if they complain.

And, don't forget the government takes 10 - 20 % off the top to keep themselves in luxury and power

10 posted on 03/31/2014 7:17:11 AM PDT by mistfree (It's the media stupid!)
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To: Kaslin
Star Parker's entire article is spot on...and this sentence "When real reformers like Paul Ryan come along, they get branded racist". Nothing could be closer to the truth than that....Barbara Lee, Shelia Jackson Lee, the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton plus the entire Black Caucus are race baiter's who have kept the American Negro on their special plantation for power and money!
11 posted on 03/31/2014 7:20:57 AM PDT by yoe
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To: Kaslin

Let’s see, one politician seems to think that African-Americans are people who, given the opportunity, are capable of getting an education, getting jobs and taking care of themselves. Another politician thinks that African-Americans are incapable of getting educated and employed, and that the government must perpetually assist them. Which one is the racist?

Liberalism (n.) The act of standing on one’s head and declaring that the entire universe is upside down.


12 posted on 03/31/2014 7:24:25 AM PDT by stremba
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To: Kaslin

Barbara Lee is the problem. She and other black politicians adhere to liberal policies that are destroying the inner cities and ruining black families. Trying to reason with people like her is useless. Dealing with reality is something Barbara Lee and other black liberal politicians refuse to do yet they are the very reason for all the misery.


13 posted on 03/31/2014 7:25:16 AM PDT by dowcaet
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The failing of government is that when I 'problem' is being addressed with other people's money and no real incentive for success the common approach to correct poor results is throw more money at it. But, curtailing the program or admitting it doesn't work is never an option.

Liberalism is even worse in that when a progressive designed program seems to be failing it will not be stopped because most people don't understand what the program was created for in the first place. Like ACA that is obviously not about health care and immigration reform that is simply a democrat voter drive, welfare assistance was not (and never will be) about bringing people out of poverty and giving them the tools to lead a productive life.

14 posted on 03/31/2014 7:30:51 AM PDT by Baynative (Got bulbs? Check my profile page.)
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To: Kaslin

The term “this is racism!” is thrown out to get high level officials to shut up if what they’re saying is too close to the truth and uncomfortable for the likes of Lee, et. al to hear.

A lot of discourse is shut down by accusations of racism, which indeed, can be career ending.

Ask Trent Lott.


15 posted on 03/31/2014 8:04:55 AM PDT by Bon of Babble (Don't want to brag...but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school!!)
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To: Kaslin
“…Mr. Ryan should step up and produce some legitimate proposals on how to tackle poverty and racial discrimination in America.”

I'd like to hear some legitimate proposals proposals on how to tackle poverty and racial discrimination in America from Barbara Lee that don't include more freebies for the shiftless, lazy, and think they're owed something.

I know it's a tall order but, maybe Barbabra Lee and the CBC should be willing to give it a try. Anything less will tell me they're all full of you-know-what.

16 posted on 03/31/2014 9:41:15 AM PDT by rllngrk33 (Things will continue getting worse until at least January 2017.)
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