Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

H2O Man

(73,333 posts)
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 08:21 PM Jun 2013

"Make It Plain"

The 1994 book "Malcolm X: Make It Plain" (Viking-Penguin; text by William Strickland, edited by Cheryll Greene) is one of my favorites. The title comes from the simple instruction that Minister Malcolm gave to aides tasked with introducing him to audiences.

Malcolm perfected the art of communicating complex issues in plain, simple, easy-to-understand messages. For example: "Any time two people think exactly alike, it means that only one of them is thinking."

In my opinion, very few DUers agree with President Barack Obama on everything. There is, however, a wide range of opinions on the numerous issues that various good and sincere forum members may disagree with President Obama on. This includes differing opinions on how one might attempt to follow the President's saying he expects citizens "to hold his feet to the fire" on issues where they strongly disagree with him.

Malcolm also said that it is impossible for a chicken to lay a duck egg. In other words, a system can only produce something of itself. This is why intelligent Democrats and members of the Democratic Left (which includes liberals & progressives who are not registered Democrats) can and do hold such a wide range of beliefs about issues such as domestic spying; more, they are able to articulate their reasoning.

However, there is a small number of others here, who make it plain that they are intent upon stirring a pot of emotions, then splattering about insults which they hope will disrupt discussions and result in meaningless arguments.

Malcolm noted that "not every man who throws worms into the water is a friend of the fish." No matter what your opinion on issues may be, please do not bite at the obvious attempts to disrupt.

Thank you,
H2O Man

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
"Make It Plain" (Original Post) H2O Man Jun 2013 OP
As usual, my dear H20 Man, you have made it plain. CaliforniaPeggy Jun 2013 #1
Thank you. H2O Man Jun 2013 #4
For a minute, I saw the subject title and my bad eyes thought I saw "Make it Palin" cascadiance Jun 2013 #2
Thanks for both! We People Jun 2013 #3
Yikes! H2O Man Jun 2013 #5
^ Wilms Jun 2013 #6
Thank you. H2O Man Jun 2013 #9
Reasonable people can debate ANY issue, if there we easy answers there would be no questions... Demo_Chris Jun 2013 #7
Right. H2O Man Jun 2013 #10
You as well. nt Demo_Chris Jun 2013 #14
I love your posts. It was a post of yours, quoted and linked by someone on tblue37 Jun 2013 #8
Thanks. H2O Man Jun 2013 #12
Excellent post. The Link Jun 2013 #11
Thank you. H2O Man Jun 2013 #15
It's a Rush Limbaugh talking point. He claims Liberals are racists who lure minorities into voting sabrina 1 Jun 2013 #13
Rush is a wormy fellow. H2O Man Jun 2013 #16
Lol, that he is. But he's clever too. He's obviously taken Rove's instructions on how to go after sabrina 1 Jun 2013 #17

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
1. As usual, my dear H20 Man, you have made it plain.
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 08:38 PM
Jun 2013

Your well-thought-out reasoning is perfectly clear and logical.

And.....subtle.

It was only when I got near the end of your post that I realized that you were talking about disruptors.

Thank you!

H2O Man

(73,333 posts)
4. Thank you.
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 09:35 PM
Jun 2013

There's been too much nonsense on DU:GD lately. It distracts from the important discussions and debates here, which provide interesting analysis of why good people can hold very different opinions.

 

cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
2. For a minute, I saw the subject title and my bad eyes thought I saw "Make it Palin"
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 08:46 PM
Jun 2013

... and was going WTF?...

But reading it and tying it to Malcolm X, it also had me thinking of Mark Thompson's "Make it Plain" show on Sirius XM that I listen to a lot in the afternoons now when on the road then, especially since the radio nazis Clear Channel shut down KPOJ here in Portland, and that is the only rational choice at that time now.

His show is a good one to listen to, and for those that follow Malcolm X, I would recommend it as a listen...

https://www.facebook.com/makeitplain

We People

(619 posts)
3. Thanks for both!
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 09:13 PM
Jun 2013

First, for misreading the word "Plain" - any kind of laugh it a great gift!

I also made the connection immediately w/the Mark Thompson radio show I found very informative when I still had Sirius. Thanks for the good memories and I'll try to give it a listen once again.

H2O Man

(73,333 posts)
5. Yikes!
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 09:40 PM
Jun 2013

That ain't ever going to happen! I saw a brief clip of her on the news the other day, and was thinking how terrible it is that even the republican party nominated her for VP. And wouldn't it be hilarious if, somehow, history was altered in a manner that would have allowed Malcolm to debate that swine, rather than Joe Biden?

 

Demo_Chris

(6,234 posts)
7. Reasonable people can debate ANY issue, if there we easy answers there would be no questions...
Wed Jun 19, 2013, 11:46 PM
Jun 2013

However, that is not to say that our party, or liberalism in general, can accomodate any position on an issue. In other words, there are certain positions that place one outside the fold.

Civil Rights are an issues about which there can be no debate, and that's what we are talking about here. This is not a battle to protect meta-data, it is a battle to preserve the entire foundation of both our freedom and our party.

H2O Man

(73,333 posts)
10. Right.
Thu Jun 20, 2013, 08:58 AM
Jun 2013

In theory, no matter if one is a (left-to-right) progressive, liberal, moderate, or conservative Democrat, they should be a staunch supporter of the Constitution. And that would mandate recognizing that the Bill of Rights applies to all individuals and groups, especially so when it comes to Civil Rights and Human Rights.

By no coincidence, the Constitutiuonal Law discussions and debate are the most important that we can have on DU, and in the larger society. It offers the greatest amount of space for common ground. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the few seeking to disrupt that discussion resort to appeals to emotions to prevent this from taking place.

Thank you for you post; it is thoughtful and well-stated.

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
8. I love your posts. It was a post of yours, quoted and linked by someone on
Thu Jun 20, 2013, 12:06 AM
Jun 2013

smirkingchimp.com, that brought me to DU in the summer of 2004. I have been here (and not there) ever since.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
13. It's a Rush Limbaugh talking point. He claims Liberals are racists who lure minorities into voting
Thu Jun 20, 2013, 09:53 AM
Jun 2013

for them. I see Limbaugh has arrived at DU. When it fails to accomplish anything, they will move on to the next Limbaugh talking point. DU is full of Limbaugh talking points lately.

I like this Malcolm quote:

"not every man who throws worms into the water is a friend of the fish."

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
17. Lol, that he is. But he's clever too. He's obviously taken Rove's instructions on how to go after
Thu Jun 20, 2013, 01:29 PM
Jun 2013

Liberals to heart. I believe it was Rove who said 'you take your political opponent's strengths and turn them into weaknesses' which was to be done by using their well known strong positions on issues and accusing them of the opposite. This technique, according to Rove will cause the 'enemy' to rush to their own defense, justifiably angry at the false allegations, which he acknowledges, and distract them from whatever the real and serious issue under discussion happens to be.

I think it used to work, but no matter how effective a devious tactic may be, after years of usage, like anything else that is over-used, it wears out.

Limbaugh's audience however, old and tired as they are, cling to the old ways that once upon a time made them feel powerful and righteous and CLEVER. They so needed to feel clever and old Rushbo fed that desperate need with daily doses of Rove's techniques.

But now they are merely cob-web covered relics of a time when Liberals, honest and incapable of such vile deviousness themselves, responded as expected.

But those days are long gone, liberals are sadly aware now of the lengths to which evil people will go to cover up their crimes and lies and those old tactics work only for the old, jaded sad excuses for human beings who still tune for Rush's daily dose of assurances that they really are the righteous ones fighting the good fight against the 'commie threat'.

I have no doubt that Limbaugh et al work to sew dissension among Democrats, having seen them do it over and over again.

You are correct, it's best to avoid contact with Rush's pods.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»"Make It Plain"