Anyway,it just seems to me that any analysis of how decline began in our communities excludes the whole idea of this brain drain.  The civil right movement was both spawned and lead by a talented tenth that had ties to the community and the loss of that linkage  goes a long way in explaining the state of affairs now business, politics and everything else.  As I see it, the head was severed from the body and just as a headless body represents a frightening horror to most, so it is with our communities today.  You’re right of course, when you suggest that this is not a easy trend to reverse.  I think the analysis of our condition must consider this as a huge contributing factor, but I rarely if ever recall seeing this discussed specifically. 

Big business capitalism, as practiced by the oligarchs and kleptocrats, is a scourge on the world and is grasping for air in its death throes.  We in no way would want to replicate that.  There are scores of small businesses that operate outside of that realm and this is where more African-American involvement in providing everyday needs to key in economically developing our communities.   I see a backlash brewing against big business and the beneficiary of this will be the local small business as opposed to some nameless faceless corporation, but since African-American have thin representation in the ranks of small business, this movement may pass us by.  I’m reminded again of how we lost control of black hair care products— an industry we once controlled—to a group that was prepared to take care of business while we were not.

It just seems to me that we’ve got no agenda or infrastructure set up to address a self help agenda.  There’s no shortage of infrastructure set up to address social justice issues, but those issues aren’t our only problem.   As I think about it however, business and economic development tends not to  lend itself to movements as these are usually initiatives that are shouldered by a community’s “fathers and mothers” and their absence explains the lack development in this regard.  I’d argue that their absence and the absence of the talented tenth are in fact one and the same.

The Chinese, Koreans and other groups don’t have their most talented separated from their masses.  Because their leadership group is intact and on the scene, they can strategize and build. And due to this, we never hear calls for ethnic solidarity or for folks to buy Chinese.  There’s no need for it because they control industries where everyone buys from them.

Whereas I understand and can benefit from a call to “buy black”, I do see it as a call of desperation.  And just as it’s easier to call for protests rather than calling for accountability and fixing things within, so to is it easier to call for “buy black” rather than to call for the investment and infrastructure needed to create the businesses.  The latter is far more effective than the former and if successfully done, there’d be no need to call for folks to buy black as there’d exist compelling reasons for anyone to buy based on what one has to offer.

Historically, successful black businesses such as Madam CJ Walker and Atlanta Life backed and financed social justice movements.  Since the businesses were independent,  the movements themselves could enjoy a very brief period of independence prior to being taken over and funded by others.  So because we lack a degree of economic independence, we effectively don’t control the politics nor the social justice issues.  We don’t control our own agenda.  Rather it’s controlled for us.  This should be unacceptable to all concerned, but few see this as an issue.  For me, it’s the main issue.

In my view, it’s well past time for us to begin to deal in concepts of power.  Again, I don’t refer to power in the meglomaniacal sense of the word, the world has seen enough of that, but we do need power to control our backyard and to address our issues.  Everything we do needs to be set against the litmus test of whether the initiative or proposal contributes to our power to address our issues ourselves.  If we did that, fully 99% of the stuff that’s proposed or suggested would be dismissed

You’re describing a brain drain, a condition that benefits whites at the expense of black communities–our political, social, and economic development. 

Reversing this is extremely unlikely as we have adopted the ideals of whites in this regard, selling our talent to the highest bidders–namely, those who can pay us the most money.

We have thrown our lot in with those who were our oppressors, and it appears that this alliance will either further our cause, or thwart it, but we’re in it, not for an ounce, but a pound. 

“Here’s what my experience informs me of—a real business is not about civil rights, buying black or any other romantic notions.  It’s about business and that means offering competitive services that the public wants.” 

Capitalism is unforgiving– implacable and harsh in its dispensations.  There has to be a better way. For all the good it has done, it has left broken lives in its wake, those under-insured, or uninsured, gross unemployment, poverty, and a government that struggles to make up for its deficiencies–usually against a Republican party that calls for little or no government involvement, believing that the “invisible hand” should rule the day.

Having said that however, there are some things that Obama and his administration have done that could be characterized as Nazi-like–such as the recent National Defense Authorization Act or the proposed interventions in Syria and Iran, but  Sowell and his army of sycophants fall strangely silent here.  I suspect that they’re okay with this as it fuels the favorite industry that pays their salaries; that industry being the military industrial complex. 

The problem with people like Sowell and you is that your ire is very selective as is your supposed concern over the erosion of constitutional rights.

A classic fallacy which you also argued here is that: “On the other had, there are statements that are so egregiously stupid, that you’re inclined to never listen to what the offending party has to say about anything else.”This is likewise a way to dismiss a host of arguments from someone without one trace of logic or evidence. For an extreme example, let’s go back to Hitler. He may have been an evil man bent on murdering millions of people, but that doesn’t mean that when what he had to say about public speaking is any less valuable or reliable, as he was one of the most gifted public speakers of his time. This rhetorical tactic has also been pointed out by Sowell repeatedly in his books, you should read some of them before you dismiss every single argument from a person because of once stance you find displeasing. 
You’re misrepresentation of Sowell’s argument with the use of verbal virtuosity such as “Nazi-like” – implying that Sowell has compared Obama as a person, his moral values, or specific political objectives, to Hitler is such a skewed argument that you’re the one that can’t be taken seriously. Sowell compared how Obama and Hitler build/built political support, and  THAT’S IT. If you want to dismiss everything else that a respected and distinguished scholar has to say off of an absurd comparison you’ve conjured up in your head, go ahead. You’ll continue to wall in the close-mindedness of those pursuing some vision that doesn’t align with any factual reality that the rest of us factor into our daily lives.

I say and say again that you guys made a strategic blunder that will be fatal for your party this year and beyond.  You guys doubled down on the right to get your base all worked up in 2010, but now have to run to the middle for the general.  Your base is rejecting that move and demanding a hard right conservative, but that person can’t get elected.  You guys are trying to deflect attention away from this crisis with the attacks on Obama’s apology to the Afghans, but it won’t work.  Yes, make no mistake LTE, this is a crisis of major proportions for your party.