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Blind Conceit: Politics, Policy and Racial Polarization: Moving Forward to Save America
In “Blind Conceit,” Parker lays out how the progressive liberal agenda, often touted as being helpful to the African-American community, has been nothing short of destructive through its “War on Religion, which weakened our public institutions and opened the door to a culture of corruption,” its “War on Marriage, which weakened women and opened the door to a culture of meaninglessness,” and its “War on Poverty, which weakened the family and opened the door to a culture of entitlements,” writes Parker. Seven years of first-hand experience in the grip of welfare dependency gave Parker the understanding and insight to the failure of the system. After helping craft federal Welfare Reform legislation in the mid-90s, she founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) to bring new ideas to policy discussions on how to transition America's poor from government dependency through market-based solutions. Star has a bachelor's degree in marketing and international business from Woodbury University and has received numerous awards and commendations for her work on public policy issues.“The liberal progressive social justice lie of the left gripped America’s poor and minority communities some 50 years ago and locked three generations into economic stagnation and dependency on a welfare state,” explains Parker. “And today, progressive liberalism is financially choking our entire society.”Parker regularly consults with both federal and state legislators on market- based strategies to fight poverty; she has spoken on more than 190 colleges and universities about anti-poverty initiatives; has authored several books; and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators.
- GenresPolitics
152 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2014
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June 14, 2024
A SERIES OF HER COLUMNS ON SIX TOPICS
Star Parker (born 1956) is an author and columnist, who founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). She wrote in the Introduction of this 2015 book, “Liberals pretend they are against war; however, in their quest for power, they started three wars against our American culture. Unfortunately, blacks were the first group to get caught up in progressive political promises of social justice, thus becoming the first casualties… Progressive War No. 1: WAR ON RELIGION: weakened our public institutions and opened the door to a culture of corruption… Progressive War No. 2: WAR ON MARRIAGE: weakened women and opened the door to this new culture of meaninglessness… Progressive War No. 3: WAR ON POVERTY: weakened family and opened the door to culture of entitlements… The War on Religion marginalized personal obligations. The War of Marriage marginalized personal commitments. And the War on Poverty said someone else will pay the bills for any and all irresponsible behaviors.” (Pg. 2-5)
She continues, “This book is my attempt to address six specific topics that I believe conservatives, tea party patriots and maybe even a few Republicans might want to think about going into the 2016 elections… In these six parts, you will read a compilation of columns I wrote during my 10 years as a nationally syndicated columnist … I hope within each column you will find insight or ammunition so to not allow progressive liberals to hold our country hostage to their agenda any longer.” (Pg. 7)
She points out, “It is ironic to me that as we encourage Iraqis to create a new, free society in the Middle East---as Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and Kurds work to create a constitution with just and common rules for governing all---we Americans retain the concepts of race and ethnicity in our political formalities. I think it is insulting to all Americans and denigrates the ideal of freedom as we understand it at home and advocate it abroad. My plea here, of course, is not to ignore ethnic differences. They are crucial. My plea is to remove them from politics, where, rather than being appreciated as part of individual uniqueness, they are used to transform people into objects for political manipulation.” (Pg. 19)
In a 2004 column, she wrote, “Bill Cosby conducted his own shock-and-awe campaign recently of festivities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation decision. He used his remarks to an audience of a virtual who’s who in the black political establishment to redirect attention from political and legal victories of the past to the dismal social reality of the present. Cosby crossed the line by laying out the tragic state of affairs of inner-city black life today and then accused blacks themselves of being responsible for the mess. One can only imagine the gasps throughout an audience for whom being black is not just a condition but also a profession. These are folks who have built careers finding explanations for every black social malady except the irresponsible behavior of individuals themselves.” (Pg. 23)
She suggests, “Democratic politicians have just one job: Deny the patient is sick. The Republican Party, if it is going to be a real opposition party, has a much tougher job. With all the talk about the recent election’s being driven by demographics and turnout, the most basic point is the party and its candidate did not step up as a serious, principled opposition party. We can’t save Medicare and Social Security. They are bankrupt. Did we hear this from the Republican candidate? We hear wishy-washy words about reforming these systems so we can save them. Did we hear anything about how our public schools---controlled by unions whose agenda is growing their benefits and promoting moral relativism among our youth—are destroying our children and our future? No.” (Pg. 37)
She laments, “D.C. is largely black---almost 60 percent. Its poverty is black poverty. Its public school system serves mostly black children. And its AIDS crisis is mostly among blacks. But the pathologies that strike the weakest parts of our population most brutally are nonetheless pathologies of the nation… It should concern every American as we watch our nation’s capital city transform officially into Sodom.” (Pg. 52-53)
She states, “Anyone who lives in Southern California, as I do, knows that the Latino immigrant community is far from the paragon of virtue that forces wo want to encourage open borders would have us believe. I see much of the same troubling behavior that blacks get tarred with. Much of the gang behavior in Los Angeles, unfortunately, is Latino-related… Yes, let’s encourage freedom. But freedom is a privilege and a responsibility. We already have enough people here who think it’s all about entitlement.” (Pg. 75)
She notes, “according to the script of this political culture, election of a black man as president meant more than an end to racism. If the man holding the highest political office in the nation was black, it must follow that African-Americans would be better off. Now blacks have a dilemma. We have a black president and blacks are worse off. Not just a little, but a lot worse off… Blacks now grapple with two possible conclusions. One, our black president is a traitor to his race… he’s not taking care of his folks… Or, two, that the man’s performance reflects his views and his capability, not his race. He’s not delivering for anyone.” (Pg. 99-100)
She acknowledges, “Barack Obama did not invent the problems with American health care. costs were going through the roof before he got elected. Tens of millions of Americans were living without insurance before he got elected. But Republicans did nothing. They were afraid of being too bold, of taking on hard issues, of being too ideological… The issue for Republicans today is whether they can be as clear and principles about who they are as the Democrats. It is not enough to just talk about spending. All government spending is not created equal. Spending for national defense if a clear constitutional responsibility of the federal government.” (Pg. 103)
She asserts, “according to President Barack Obama, a ‘faction’ of Republicans (read ‘tea party’) is holding the nation hostage to its ‘ideological demands.’ … Obama is intentionally playing to the cracks in the Republican Party. He knows Republican leadership is weak-kneed. But if Republican leaders cave in, the country is lost. We need principles and courageous leadership now. The tea part is the solution, not the problem.” (Pg. 106-108)
He says, “homosexuals have hijacked the civil rights movement. And in doing so, they have interjected the very values are destroying black communities. Let’s take back our movement. Rebuild black families by restoring the centrality of traditional Christian values to black life. Only support politicians who sign onto this agenda. And give black parents the choice to get their kids out of public schools and send them back to church schools.” (Pg. 122)
This book will be of great interest to conservatives of ALL ethnicities.
Star Parker (born 1956) is an author and columnist, who founded the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). She wrote in the Introduction of this 2015 book, “Liberals pretend they are against war; however, in their quest for power, they started three wars against our American culture. Unfortunately, blacks were the first group to get caught up in progressive political promises of social justice, thus becoming the first casualties… Progressive War No. 1: WAR ON RELIGION: weakened our public institutions and opened the door to a culture of corruption… Progressive War No. 2: WAR ON MARRIAGE: weakened women and opened the door to this new culture of meaninglessness… Progressive War No. 3: WAR ON POVERTY: weakened family and opened the door to culture of entitlements… The War on Religion marginalized personal obligations. The War of Marriage marginalized personal commitments. And the War on Poverty said someone else will pay the bills for any and all irresponsible behaviors.” (Pg. 2-5)
She continues, “This book is my attempt to address six specific topics that I believe conservatives, tea party patriots and maybe even a few Republicans might want to think about going into the 2016 elections… In these six parts, you will read a compilation of columns I wrote during my 10 years as a nationally syndicated columnist … I hope within each column you will find insight or ammunition so to not allow progressive liberals to hold our country hostage to their agenda any longer.” (Pg. 7)
She points out, “It is ironic to me that as we encourage Iraqis to create a new, free society in the Middle East---as Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims and Kurds work to create a constitution with just and common rules for governing all---we Americans retain the concepts of race and ethnicity in our political formalities. I think it is insulting to all Americans and denigrates the ideal of freedom as we understand it at home and advocate it abroad. My plea here, of course, is not to ignore ethnic differences. They are crucial. My plea is to remove them from politics, where, rather than being appreciated as part of individual uniqueness, they are used to transform people into objects for political manipulation.” (Pg. 19)
In a 2004 column, she wrote, “Bill Cosby conducted his own shock-and-awe campaign recently of festivities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation decision. He used his remarks to an audience of a virtual who’s who in the black political establishment to redirect attention from political and legal victories of the past to the dismal social reality of the present. Cosby crossed the line by laying out the tragic state of affairs of inner-city black life today and then accused blacks themselves of being responsible for the mess. One can only imagine the gasps throughout an audience for whom being black is not just a condition but also a profession. These are folks who have built careers finding explanations for every black social malady except the irresponsible behavior of individuals themselves.” (Pg. 23)
She suggests, “Democratic politicians have just one job: Deny the patient is sick. The Republican Party, if it is going to be a real opposition party, has a much tougher job. With all the talk about the recent election’s being driven by demographics and turnout, the most basic point is the party and its candidate did not step up as a serious, principled opposition party. We can’t save Medicare and Social Security. They are bankrupt. Did we hear this from the Republican candidate? We hear wishy-washy words about reforming these systems so we can save them. Did we hear anything about how our public schools---controlled by unions whose agenda is growing their benefits and promoting moral relativism among our youth—are destroying our children and our future? No.” (Pg. 37)
She laments, “D.C. is largely black---almost 60 percent. Its poverty is black poverty. Its public school system serves mostly black children. And its AIDS crisis is mostly among blacks. But the pathologies that strike the weakest parts of our population most brutally are nonetheless pathologies of the nation… It should concern every American as we watch our nation’s capital city transform officially into Sodom.” (Pg. 52-53)
She states, “Anyone who lives in Southern California, as I do, knows that the Latino immigrant community is far from the paragon of virtue that forces wo want to encourage open borders would have us believe. I see much of the same troubling behavior that blacks get tarred with. Much of the gang behavior in Los Angeles, unfortunately, is Latino-related… Yes, let’s encourage freedom. But freedom is a privilege and a responsibility. We already have enough people here who think it’s all about entitlement.” (Pg. 75)
She notes, “according to the script of this political culture, election of a black man as president meant more than an end to racism. If the man holding the highest political office in the nation was black, it must follow that African-Americans would be better off. Now blacks have a dilemma. We have a black president and blacks are worse off. Not just a little, but a lot worse off… Blacks now grapple with two possible conclusions. One, our black president is a traitor to his race… he’s not taking care of his folks… Or, two, that the man’s performance reflects his views and his capability, not his race. He’s not delivering for anyone.” (Pg. 99-100)
She acknowledges, “Barack Obama did not invent the problems with American health care. costs were going through the roof before he got elected. Tens of millions of Americans were living without insurance before he got elected. But Republicans did nothing. They were afraid of being too bold, of taking on hard issues, of being too ideological… The issue for Republicans today is whether they can be as clear and principles about who they are as the Democrats. It is not enough to just talk about spending. All government spending is not created equal. Spending for national defense if a clear constitutional responsibility of the federal government.” (Pg. 103)
She asserts, “according to President Barack Obama, a ‘faction’ of Republicans (read ‘tea party’) is holding the nation hostage to its ‘ideological demands.’ … Obama is intentionally playing to the cracks in the Republican Party. He knows Republican leadership is weak-kneed. But if Republican leaders cave in, the country is lost. We need principles and courageous leadership now. The tea part is the solution, not the problem.” (Pg. 106-108)
He says, “homosexuals have hijacked the civil rights movement. And in doing so, they have interjected the very values are destroying black communities. Let’s take back our movement. Rebuild black families by restoring the centrality of traditional Christian values to black life. Only support politicians who sign onto this agenda. And give black parents the choice to get their kids out of public schools and send them back to church schools.” (Pg. 122)
This book will be of great interest to conservatives of ALL ethnicities.
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