#drbencarson

AKDEM Genç Okulu Programımızda Bu Hafta Film Okuma Etkinliği Vardı.

It has often been proven that among any society where there are oppressed groups, there inevitably exists an intermediate class stratum among the oppressed. This group functions essentially on the peripheral of two planes of existence. Finding themselves effectively shut out from the ruling group whether due to class, race, or some other form of caste, they will never (at least in a social order designed by the “ruling” group) become full benefactors in the fruits of those considered at the top of the ladder. However, for this group and its individual members, this is a concession they are willing to make, because if only they can get a glimpse, just a taste of such “power”, they are just about willing to do anything at the behest of those in the ruling group. It matters not whether the power they seek to gain will inevitably be of an eroding sort or if they are politely denigrated both publicly and privately, in the minds of such folk, complete and blind subservience has its “rewards”. This often manifest itself in the form of an attempt at what’s often called assimilation. Assimilation is essentially the adaptation of social and psychological characteristics by a group of people or and individual of another group in (in this case, the “ruling” class). Naturally, when individuals or groups belonging to the oppressed group take such measures it has the opposite yet equal reaction of drawing the ire of many from the oppressed group who haven’t given in to the pressure or temptation of sacrificing one’s cultural identity (typically the most positive social and psychological markers) for a faux form of privilege or power. In the hearts, minds, and emotions of the oppressed, they can obtain success, status, and power just fine based on their own terms and definitions, without offering up their cultural uniqueness as a sacrificial lamb. These people are more like what you would call integrationists. Now, I know that historically (particularly in my community, the African American community) there has been something of a misuse or misperception of the integrationist, one that posits integration as assimilation. This is understandable, after all there have been many instances of closeted assimilationists infiltrating ranks as integrationist. Of this there can be little doubt, it is true and there are a multitude of historical examples (which for the sake of brevity I will not go into) to reinforce this. So, for the sake of differentiation, I will utilize the term “true integrationist” in the place of integrationist. Because integration as defined by Meriam Webster’s dictionary is as follows: “the act or process or an instance of integrating: such as: incorporation as equals into society or an organization of individuals of different groups (as races)”. In other words, integration is something totally different from assimilation. Integration requires not that one must fully or even partially adapt the idiosyncrasies of any other group (or in this case the “ruling” group) to operate as an equal in society. If anything, integration by definition is more about cultural exchange. The true integrationist understands this and realizes that while he has a right to choose to take from surrounding cultures that which can enrich his own, and other cultures can do the same, adopting any one culture’s outlook is not or should not be a qualifier for his participation as an equal in society. A true integrationist is a cosmopolitan who takes pride in the richness of his or her own cultural legacy without hesitation or shame, and views it as on equal footing with other cultures in terms of contributions to society. This definition of integration and particularly the practice of it by the true integrationist, is why at worst, integration never seems to fully work in the United States of America between African Americans and white Americans. At best, every gain at a measure of equality and or equal autonomy is met with some degree of rollback in gains. The U.S. system and more broadly the western system, was specifically designed that Blacks and other people of color would remain in a perpetual state of subservience, period. When this was, and is met with resistance, the “ruling” class, in this case whites, reacted then and now both covertly, overtly, and when “necessary”, violently to such attempts at equality. In the minds of those who are of the “ruling” group, the most they will “allow” is a Black person (or some other person of color) who is fully divested of any independence of mind and culture to occupy a space of perceived power on terms drafted by the “rulers” themselves. Whether for lack of intestinal fortitude, war weariness, weak minded desperation, cynical admiration of the “ruling” class, or some poisonous cocktail of all the above, this has tended to work on many Blacks and those belonging to other groups of color. They become assimilationist. They bow, scrape, beg, and plead for attention from those in the “ruling” group and they purposefully forgo any form of assertion or self-determination (even though many assimilationist, particularly those in America will utilize the self-determination argument to berate Blacks who demand equal rights and reparations). True integrationist look at such people and shake their heads in shame, pity, and disbelief. Nationalist (a group who I haven’ t gone into here for the sake of brevity but who bear some commonalities to the true integrationist except for cosmopolitan outlook) are typically so disgusted with assimilationist, that they can’t stand to be around them without wanting to rain Black fire upon them. This in effect makes the intermediate group the most venerable in the caste system. Seeing this, the ruling group makes it sport to trot out these members of the oppressed as model citizens and in some cases as “lords”, “governors”, and “interpreters” of the “rowdy” or “radical” masses of their brothers and sisters. Their job is to “tame the herd” and keep a protective wall of color around the “ruling” class that will shield them from all challenges seen and unseen. For this, the assimilationist will get a pat on the head, typically in the form of some position of perceived importance (usually a job a member of the “ruling” class would either never do or at best would only do with the promise of something greater). At this point, the assimilationist feels like one of the “good ol’boys or gals” even though he/she is not, and never will be. It’s like that scene in Friday after next were Craig must constantly remind Dae Dae that they are not real police officers, that they are just “Top Flight Security”. But Dae Dae, insists by saying “we something like’em!”. This is the permanent mental state of the assimilationist. The assimilationist is a completely lost person.

This past week we saw assimilation in the entirety of its painful display. Dr. Ben Carson is an assimilationist. Yes, that Dr. Ben Carson. Black ass Dr. Ben Carson from traditionally and predominantly Black ass Detroit, Michigan. Former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Ben Carson the human gaffe machine who always appears to be in a perdurable state of REM level sleep. Dr. Ben Carson of “Gifted Hands” fame you know, that book that every African American 5th grader (myself included) was made to do a book report on long before you knew what “assimilation” meant or knew that the protagonist of the book was the living embodiment of that. Dr. Ben Carson, the former genius of a neurosurgeon turned self-appointed Egyptologist who posits that the pyramids where originally used for “storing grain” (because…forget all those sarcophaguses and mummies that have been unearthed in pyramids over the past few millenniums) a pre-antiquity equivalent of the refrigerator you keep your ‘Wheat Thins’ cool in.  Dr. Ben Carson, who said that Obamacare is “like slavery in a way”, (more of his views on American slavery coming up). Dr. Ben Carson who suggested in the wake of police brutality protest that we should “stop being mean to police” because “it makes them timid”.  Dr. Ben Carson, who has previously accused President Obama (already considered by historians as one of the best presidents ever) of being everything from treasonous, to Leninist, to diagnosing the former commander-in-chief with psychopathology. Dr. Ben Carson who suggested that “bakers may poison gay wedding cakes if they are forced to make them”. Do you want me to continue? I shall, because there’s plenty more, including what I’m leading up to. Dr. Ben Carson who during an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd compared women who get abortions due to rape and incest to slave owners. Dr. Ben Carson who state that “separation of church and state is a form of craziness” at an Iowa state fair of white evangelicals. Dr. Ben Carson who stated that “no Muslim should ever become president without renouncing Islam”. Dr. Ben Carson who suggested that “gun control may have caused the Holocaust” (because certainly a manic populist ideologue named Adolf Hitler with a demonic political machine wasn’t it). Dr. Ben Carson who hinted at policing speeches on liberal college campuses. Dr. Ben Carson who will hence forth be known as “Pusha Ben” for his peddling of fake “cancer curing” Mannatech magic supplements. Pusha Ben, who in response to the Oregon mass shooting at Umpqua Community College essentially blamed the victims through his “recounting” of his personal experience at a Popeye’s Chicken in Baltimore in which he was held at gun point and somehow “diffused the situation”, (this was just another of Pusha’s bat shit crazy lies, no police report could be found for the incident). Dr. “Pusha Ben” who at one point was leading now President Donald Trump (wtf?) in multiple polls which evoked whispers that he could become the next president. Until white folks came to their own conclusion that one Black man was enough. Dr. “Pusha Ben” Carson, who after being politely given his “get the fuck on” card from his mostly white electorate and the republican national committee, was thought to be at least temporarily done politically, only to become a Trump surrogate for the then republican nominee. Dr. “Pusha Ben” who was all but looked over for the very cabinet position in the Trump administration that may have made sense for him; Secretary of Health and Human Services; and was essentially thrown the position of HUD Secretary (which is, 1. Comparatively speaking a less consequential post, and 2. A position for which he has zero qualifications for). I have the odd feeling that he just may have been picked for this position because the word “urban” is in the title, but that’s just me. Kind of like Trump and his minions were sitting around near the verge of choosing their next few cabinet picks via hat raffle when they got to this position and the light bulb went off:

Trump: “You know then there’s the HUD, the HUD has been a complete and utter disaster. We need to have biggest and bestest HUD! This HUD has to be yuuuuuge!....What is the HUD?

Stephen Bannon surrounded by others: “Housing and Urrrrrrban (wink wink) Development Mr. President-elect”.

Trump: “Who’s urban? Because we need the best urban person ever! And a really really great guy who will do big things”.

Stephen Bannon surrounded by others: “There is that Black head case…I’m mean…neurosurgeon”.

President Stephen Bann…I mean, President Trump…yes that’s it: (cross talking) Yeah, Benson…I mean…Dr. Carson, Yeah Ben Carson, that’s it. Yep born in Detroit, very very “urbany”.  

Note: The position of Secretary of Health and Human Services ultimately went to white man, republican Georgia Congressman, doctor, and health sector stock insider trader Tom Price.

The same Dr. “Pusha Ben” Carson at first went on to state that he would not accept the HUD position as he “did not have any experience in government” …. let that sink in. Some more. And some more. If you found your mind dry fucked by this, the statement of a man who ran for president, you’ll be “glad” to know if you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few months, that he did indeed accept his token position and was recently confirmed by the Senate. And earlier this week at the meet and greet of his fellow HUD staff where he discussed among other things; 1. The “kindness” pledge. 2. His experience with “zapping” brains into memory recall, he also touched on the topic of immigration. This was of course delivered within the context of typical right wing one tracked mythology of America as a “land of opportunity” and after describing photos of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island he went on to state, and I quote:

“That’s what America is about, a land of dreams and opportunity,’’ he said. “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”