commentary by Glen Ford
A Black Agenda Radio
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
The “hope-la” and “change-la” emanating from the Obama and Clinton campaigns turned sour as Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday approached. The two front-running candidates and their corporate media-megaphones found themselves on shaky ground when the subject turned to the actual history of MLK and his antagonist/ally, President Lyndon Johnson. The vapidity of the debate revealed, once again, the shallowness of American political discourse, which has been stripped bare of relevance to past, present or future realities. Fortunately, Dr. King left a voluminous record of his own political analyses. Rather than allow them to blather further, the candidates should be tested on the question: What would Dr. King do? All but one would fail.
“What would Dr. King do?”
The corporate media-mangled Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton “debate” over the relative contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Lyndon Johnson coincides with the birthday of the actual Martin Luther King. Since the corporate media is totally incapable of covering or even tolerating the raising of any issues of substance, and because both Obama and Clinton avoid real issues, real facts, and real history like the plague, we urge that thinking voters put the candidates to the Martin Luther King Test. What would Dr. King do, if he were alive?
…
The only candidate who would pass the Martin Luther King Test is Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, whose platform for peace, truly universal health care, a living wage, and an end to corporate domination of American life harkens back to that “shining moment” in the Sixties that King mentioned, when there were “hopes” and “new beginnings.” But the corporate media has caused the Kucinich campaign to disappear from coverage and televised debate.
continued… plus audio link
h/t: Dennis 4 President
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see
What you may not know about Dr. Martin Luther King + Rev. Yearwood on MLK’s dream (videos)
Obama’s Dubious Praise for Reagan By Robert Parry
Dream versus Nightmare: Pick One – An Open Letter to Barack Obama by The Other Katherine Harris
Kucinich Wins Presidential Endorsement From Key Mexican American Organization
Dennis Kucinich: Soul Meets Body (video)
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Ron Paul is more than being against the war.
Ron Paul is for freedom, and freedom by peaceful means. That is the ultimate MLK test.
MLK did have a primary focus and that is on rights and a growing wisdom and harmony in this free nation.
Last month grassroots Ron Paul supporters raised a lot of money on the Boston Tea Party day because it is a freedom symbol. Monday, MLK day, they will do the same for the same reason. MLK symbolizes freedom.