Star Parker Has An Opinion

[The Great American]

Back on Uncle Sam's plantation

Star Parker - Syndicated Columnist

Six years ago I wrote a book called Uncle Sam's Plantation. I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

I said in that book that indeed there are two Americas -- a poor America on socialism and a wealthy America on capitalism.

I talked about government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS), Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children (EANF), Section 8 Housing, and Food Stamps.

A vast sea of perhaps well-intentioned government programs, all initially set into motion in the 1960s, that were going to lift the nation's poor out of poverty.

A benevolent Uncle Sam welcomed mostly poor black Americans onto the government plantation. Those who accepted the invitation switched mindsets from "How do I take care of myself?" to "What do I have to do to stay on the plantation?"

Instead of solving economic problems, government welfare socialism created monstrous moral and spiritual problems -- the kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility for their lives over to others.

The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city schools, and broken black families.

Through God's grace, I found my way out. It was then that I understood what freedom meant and how great this country is.

I had the privilege of working on welfare reform in 1996, passed by a Republican Congress and signed 50 percent.

I thought we were on the road to moving socialism out of our poor black communities and replacing it with wealth-producing American capitalism.

But, incredibly, we are going in the opposite direction.

Instead of poor America on socialism becoming more like rich American on capitalism, rich America on capitalism is becoming like poor America on socialism.

Uncle Sam has welcomed our banks onto the plantation and they have said, "Thank you, Suh."

Now, instead of thinking about what creative things need to be done to serve customers, they are thinking about what they have to tell Massah in order to get their cash.

There is some kind of irony that this is all happening under our first black president on the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.

Worse, socialism seems to be the element of our new young president. And maybe even more troubling, our corporate executives seem happy to move onto the plantation.

In an op-ed on the opinion page of the Washington Post, Mr. Obama is clear that the goal of his trillion dollar spending plan is much more than short term economic stimulus.

"This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending -- it's a strategy for America 's long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, healthcare, and education."

Perhaps more incredibly, Obama seems to think that government taking over an economy is a new idea. Or that massive growth in government can take place "with unprecedented transparency and accountability."

Yes, sir, we heard it from Jimmy Carter when he created the Department of Energy, the SynfuelsCorporation, and the Department of Education.

Or how about the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 -- The War on Poverty -- which President Johnson said "...does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty."

Trillions of dollars later, black poverty is the same. But black families are not, with triple the incidence of single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births.

It's not complicated. Americans can accept Barack Obama's invitation to move onto the plantation. Or they can choose personal responsibility and freedom.

Does anyone really need to think about what the choice should be?

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[Swami57]

So Republicans are now citing Star Jones to make their "I hope he fails" case? Sorry GAH, that's just sad. I'm curious, what specific Obama policies to you see as increasing the welfare state?

[Red-and-Black]

Jones =/= Parker

Just thought I would point that out.

[The Great American]

So Republicans are now citing Star Jones to make their "I hope he fails" case? Sorry GAH, that's just sad. I'm curious, what specific Obama policies to you see as increasing the welfare state?

This article/opinion was written by someone who had "been there... done that" To me that gives her some crediblity.

As far as my personal opinion goes ... I'm still in the sitting back and observing mode. It's way too early in Obama's admininstation.

[Swami57]

Jones =/= Parker

Just thought I would point that out.

Ooops.. :lol:

[The Great American]

Jones =/= Parker

Just thought I would point that out.

But is it relevent to aforementioned opinion?

[Red-and-Black]

Nope, but I didnt want Swami to keep thinking he was discussing something attributed to the wrong person, and make himself look foolish if this thread had become popular. Im a good guy like that. I even try to be nice to libs when I can.

The opinion of the lady who wrote the article is pretty extreme, but I have definitely heard/read things more extreme, from both ends of the spectrum.

[st4ngeI2]

So Republicans are now citing Star Jones to make their "I hope he fails" case? Sorry GAH, that's just sad. I'm curious, what specific Obama policies to you see as increasing the welfare state?

That article couldn't be more on-point and being written by someone who themselves experienced and pulled out of a Welfare state offers credibility.

Increasing welfare state?

Tax cuts to the middle class that are welfare since most do not pay income taxes in the first place.

Nationalized healthcare

This is just the beginning...what else does the government 'owe' people...dental care, healthcare...a home? a car? free childcare?

you can't be that nieve

[logic]

Bullshyt op-ed by a hack writer with zero historical perspective...

[The Great American]

Bullshyt op-ed by a hack writer with zero historical perspective...

You may want to consider doing a little research next time:

Star Parker (born 1956) is an American author. Parker, an American woman, spent her teen and early adult years as an unemployed mother on welfare; she was arrested in her teens for shoplifting and has disclosed that she had four abortions.[1]

[logic]

You may want to consider doing a little research next time:

Star Parker (born 1956) is an American author. Parker, an American woman, spent her teen and early adult years as an unemployed mother on welfare; she was arrested in her teens for shoplifting and has disclosed that she had four abortions.[1]

What does the fact that she was a thief and hoe have to do with her historical perspective?

[The Great American]

What does the fact that she was a thief and hoe have to do with her historical perspective?

I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

Sounds historical to me.

[logic]

I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

Sounds historical to me.

I was actually talking about her reference of "plantations"...

[bad newz birds]

Back on Uncle Sam's plantation

Star Parker - Syndicated Columnist

Six years ago I wrote a book called Uncle Sam's Plantation. I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

I said in that book that indeed there are two Americas -- a poor America on socialism and a wealthy America on capitalism.

I talked about government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS), Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children (EANF), Section 8 Housing, and Food Stamps.

A vast sea of perhaps well-intentioned government programs, all initially set into motion in the 1960s, that were going to lift the nation's poor out of poverty.

A benevolent Uncle Sam welcomed mostly poor black Americans onto the government plantation. Those who accepted the invitation switched mindsets from "How do I take care of myself?" to "What do I have to do to stay on the plantation?"

Instead of solving economic problems, government welfare socialism created monstrous moral and spiritual problems -- the kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility for their lives over to others.

The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city schools, and broken black families.

Through God's grace, I found my way out. It was then that I understood what freedom meant and how great this country is.

I had the privilege of working on welfare reform in 1996, passed by a Republican Congress and signed 50 percent.

I thought we were on the road to moving socialism out of our poor black communities and replacing it with wealth-producing American capitalism.

But, incredibly, we are going in the opposite direction.

Instead of poor America on socialism becoming more like rich American on capitalism, rich America on capitalism is becoming like poor America on socialism.

Uncle Sam has welcomed our banks onto the plantation and they have said, "Thank you, Suh."

Now, instead of thinking about what creative things need to be done to serve customers, they are thinking about what they have to tell Massah in order to get their cash.

There is some kind of irony that this is all happening under our first black president on the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.

Worse, socialism seems to be the element of our new young president. And maybe even more troubling, our corporate executives seem happy to move onto the plantation.

In an op-ed on the opinion page of the Washington Post, Mr. Obama is clear that the goal of his trillion dollar spending plan is much more than short term economic stimulus.

"This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending -- it's a strategy for America 's long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, healthcare, and education."

Perhaps more incredibly, Obama seems to think that government taking over an economy is a new idea. Or that massive growth in government can take place "with unprecedented transparency and accountability."

Yes, sir, we heard it from Jimmy Carter when he created the Department of Energy, the SynfuelsCorporation, and the Department of Education.

Or how about the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 -- The War on Poverty -- which President Johnson said "...does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty."

Trillions of dollars later, black poverty is the same. But black families are not, with triple the incidence of single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births.

It's not complicated. Americans can accept Barack Obama's invitation to move onto the plantation. Or they can choose personal responsibility and freedom.

Does anyone really need to think about what the choice should be?

Visit My Website

So much of this is so true.

Its not the College Liberals I'm worried about, I was the same way when I was young. Liberal to the core, started paying taxes moving up in salary, turned to the right, but still stayed somewhat in the middle in alot of beliefs. I opened my 1st business and said WTF! You have no clue on how many diffrent ways you get screwed in taxes as a Micro Small Business Owner, you need every tax break you can get to survive.

I am often in low income housing areas for my business. There is no amount of taxes, that you can slam on the small business owner thats going to pull most of these Liberals out of poverty! I believe in helping low income americans start their own businesses, but taxing the producers of economy, and handing it down in the form of Government Weekly Welfare Checks, will only keep the Natives on the Reservation!

You cant fund the Reservation!.You've got to close the Reservation.

[The Great American]

I was actually talking about her reference of "plantations"...

She wasn't actually raised on a plantation. I think she was using an analogy:

analogy  - /əˈnælədʒi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-nal-uh-jee] –noun, plural -gies.

1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based

2. similarity or comparability

[logic]

She wasn't actually raised on a plantation. I think she was using an analogy:

analogy  - /əˈnælədʒi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uh-nal-uh-jee] –noun, plural -gies.

1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based

2. similarity or comparability

Oh my bad I didn't know she was making an analogy.. I actually really thought she was raised on a plantation and escaped with Harriett Tubman on the Underground Railroad.

[The Great American]

Oh my bad I didn't know she was making an analogy.. I actually really thought she was raised on a plantation and escaped with Harriett Tubman on the Underground Railroad.

You know i was messing with you. right?

I wasn't sure about your plantation/history concern. "I was actually talking about her reference of "plantations"..."