May 27, 2009, talkhousemag.com

Oh, the games they play.  A little media exposure, sound bites and a formal public relations campaign can have the masses of African Americans believing just about anything.  Why do they do it?  To keep business as usual or to make some quick money at the expense of those who can least afford it.  Let’s look at some of the games.

Home Ownership:  We were hit relentlessly that times were getting better for Blacks as home ownership was significantly rising.  Both the Clinton and Bush administrations harped on this like a “mantra”.  What we didn’t know was that we were being led down a path of predatory lending.  It was a trap that was going to snare us big time.  In fact, not only was it a game, but also a program that was going to set us back economically for an entire generation.  The jive is up and our neighborhoods are racked with vacancies, abandonment and deprivation.  It is going to take us a good decade to make up for the losses.

It is so easy to excel when you are the only player on the field.  Such was the case for the US Automobile Industry for decades.  World War II and the Korean War devastated European and Asian automobile capacity.  The bombing and aggression left their manufacturing facilities in total disarray.  They were knocked back into the “stone ages.”  The Big 3 of the United States had virtually little competition during the 1950’s through the mid-1970’s.  We foolishly thought it was our ingenuity and prowess but the actual playing field wasn’t level at all.  The conversion for our manufacturing from World War II equipment to automobiles was pretty seamless and the ready workforce was there and more willing and able than ever.  The manufacturing counterparts of Europe and Asia such as BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Mitsubishi were crumbled ruins and had to start step by step.  It would take them decades to recover.

While our foreign competitors were slowly recovering we were totally cavalier.  Whatever “Detroit” would produce we would gobble up.  The advantages of those times were the cost and easiness of maintaining your vehicle personally.  Consumers could upkeep their own car.  Oh how simple it was to change your oil, tune up your car and, with a 9/16^th wrench and screwdriver do just about anything your ride needed.  It was fun adjusting the timing, cleaning the valves, changing the spark plugs in your drive way or garage.  Young men would show off their ability by letting their machines publicly “purr” before their friends. The simonize wax job you personally put on it would keep it looking like new.  If something was remiss, you could be admonished by a friend who would, after listening to the engine say: “It’s missing, can I help you?”  You always kept your “ride” in perfect condition...