UFC187: Champions Play It Slow and Safe

Chris Weidmann and Daniel Cormier are boring. The UFC 187s  main events produced a much lower quality of fights than fans of the Middle and Light Heavyweight divisions are used to.  The losses of Anderson Silva and Jon Jones as kings of their domains have hurt UFCs entertainment value.  The damage has never been more evident than in the two main events of UFC 187 where both Chris Weidmann and Daniel Cormier though victorious left the fans feeling a bit short changed in terms of excitement.  Granted, the disappointment wasn't on the level of "Fight of the Century" of which 32 lawsuits are still pending but I was left longing for the days of the spectacular knockouts of Anderson Silva and the sharp elbows and knees of Bones Jones.  Chris Weidmann is a large man for his weight class he has almost the same physical characteristics as Anderson Silva. The difference is while Silva wielded his size like a scalpel Weidmann uses his like Thor's hammer.  The UFC middleweight champion withstood an early barrage by Vitor Belfort, sustaining a cut above his eye.  The champion, however, managed to gather himself, take Belfort down, and mount him while he pummeled him into a referee stoppage. It was simple, brutal, and effective but it wasn't very entertaining.  It is clear that the Brazilian veteran without his TRT supplements is succumbing to the ravages of time much like the previous middleweight champion. It may not seem fair, to compare Weidmann to a ring legend like Silva, but Weidemann touts those controversial wins over Silva as proof of his ability.  While there is no doubting that his style is clearly effective, it doesn't feel like you're watching the world's best middleweight. Maybe I've been spoiled by years of seeing Anderson Silva's brilliance in the octagon but the contrast between the two styles leaves me feeling hollow and wishing for a more skilled fighter to take his belt.  He implored the crowd, post fight, to "stop doubting" him.  Maybe they wouldn't if Chris had a win over an elite fighter under the age of 38.

Weidman (l) Belfort (r) Photo: MMAjunkie.com

Ironically, the light heavyweight championship match was no different. Rumble Johnson showcased a flurry of heavy kicks and punches that almost knocked Cormier senseless in the early rounds.  As the fight went on, however, Cormier's stamina proved to be the difference.  The eventual champion was able to display the Olympic level wrestling skills Jon Jones didn't allow him to.   He controlled the fight from the early 2nd Round and finally put Rumble out of his misery in the 3rd, by rear naked choke.  While this was more entertaining than the middleweight fight (DC was knocked down more than once by Johnson's strikes), it suffered from the same lack of showmanship routinely showcased by the previous champion. Cormier is the Mayweather of the UFC in regards to his style being boring but highly effective.  As if to drive home the point, Cormier even called out Jon Jones, just minutes after winning his championship.

  

"Jon Jones, get your shit together" Photo (AP/John Locher)

These new champions may have intended to cement their legitimacy with the fans, but in my opinion they did exactly the opposite.   All they did was remind the fans of who was missing.  Most people don't like change, especially when that change is inferior to the previous product. Both Cormier and Widemann  have a long way to go to gain credibility with the UFCs casual fans.  Tonight, they came off sounding more like insecure men begging the crowd to believe in their greatness.  That, may prove to be a tall order.  Most fans believe Silva and Jones have no one to blame but themselves for losing their belts.  Including me.  

A Humanistic Perspective...

Political Science Prof. Jerry Hough,
Duke University
Photo: Duke University

The recent faux pas by Professor of Political Science Jerry Hough of Duke University has predictably
brought out the usual players in our never ending debate about race.  Interestingly, a perspective I rarely see broaching the subject made its way into the discussion and dare I say...its brilliant, thoughtful, and honest.  An Asian American commentator who's screen name is "ssun" attempts to set the record straight in regards to why their group is touted as the "model" minority and thoroughly deconstructs the myth is solely due to their character and determination and that their success should be used as an indictment on the struggles of Black America.

From "ssun" www.youngcons.com:

I'm one of these "asians who succeeded in spite of discrimination and hardships." When my family first immigrated we were too poor to afford to even turn on the air-conditioning in the hot Texas summers. My high school had at least a 30% drop out rate just judging by the size of the freshmen and graduation class. Now I attend an Ivy league university, well on my way to getting a Ph.D. in high energy physics.

But my success is not because of just me. Both of my parents have masters degrees from china and taught me algebra, geometry, Chinese years before when any of these subjects were taught in my not so great public school.

The current success of Asian americans are because of many reasons and not simply because of a simple can do spirit like its often touted in the media. Part of the reason for Asian american success is the immigration policy of the united states allows only highly educated, successful Asians to immigrate to the United States in the first place. It is near impossible to immigrate to the US unless you have either money or higher education. These highly educated 1st generation then pass on that success to their children.

The values that people credit for their own success are not their own. No one was just born brilliant, hard working, kind and strong. If you have these traits they were instilled in you by either your parents (who had to have gotten it from somewhere also) and the community that you grew up in. That good moral character that you're so proud of is not your own, you got it from the experiences you had growing up in stable families and neighborhoods.

For those of you who blame african americans for a "lack of character" remember, that racist jim crow policies forced them to live in slums and ghettoes just 50 years earlier. People still alive today were robbed of a stable childhood not by the lack of will or character but by cold hard laws and policies not 50 years past. Just because we repealed those laws during the civil rights era doesn't mean they got their childhoods back.

And now you blame these people for not instilling the same values in their children that you got from your parents and community. How can you expect some parent who grew up in the slums to teach their children geometry when they don't know that themselves?

I think most people agree that America has had some very racist policies in the years before the civil rights. And even if we repealed these policies, it doesn't mean that the play ground is now fair. Wealth, character and most of all knowledge, knowledge of not just academics, but how to manage money, how to resolve conflict, how to negotiate with others and all passed down from one generation to the next. This is why racism of the past is directly responsible for the under performance of minorities in the present. To say that, well everyone's equal under the law now, so minorities are just lazy if they fail is blissful ignorance of reality.

A lot of people are saying this professor is wrong and racist, not just racist. He's simply not listing to those people.

This the compassionate, humanistic, and honest perspective that has been missing in our perpetual battles about race and class.  It's type of honest reasoning that MLK was striving for.  Being honest about why the American social order is twisted requires a level of compassion that most are afraid to give.  We have been led to believe that it is a zero sum game and that has poisoned the well of understanding necessary to truly put the past behind us.  We're more afraid of losing our position than fighting real injustice.  It is frustrating, but the current climate of political correctness wouldn't be needed if weren't for two greedy squabbling cousins in 1676 Jamestown, Virginia.    "Race" even isn't a real scientific classification for humans. It is a fictitious social construct that didn't exist before Bacon's Rebellion showed what a united underclass can achieve.  The concept, however, has been the lynch pin of our social structure ever since.  Even if you don't believe that race isn't real, the notion of one group being "superior" has been an albatross on all of us.  Poor whites who suffer economic hardships feel unfairly targeted by attacks of "white privilege" feel just as frustrated as poor blacks who can't walk down the street without being harassed by law enforcement regardless of whether or not they committed a crime albeit with less fatal consequences.  The "War on Drugs", Mass incarceration, Redlining, gerrymandering, and the militarization of America's police departments are issues you only ignore if you think they don't affect you.  The flaw in this thinking is not realizing they already do.

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Strength to Love,” 1963

How many more jobs would the local small businesses be able to support if the tax dollars spent to house inmates at for profit prisons were spent on small business or educational initiatives?   Imprisoning an entire group of people who's only crime is being born different creates resentment for law enforcement, degrades prison as an effective deterrent to crime, and costs taxpayers millions that could be better served re-investing in our communities.  Tuition based charter schools wouldn't be necessary if everyone had the same educational standards and access to resources regardless of income.  The 2008 financial crisis was the direct result of a decades of under education, legal housing discrimination, and a desperation to achieve the signature status symbol of the American middle class.  Home ownership.  For many people, not just minorities, the crash took their only means of escape from poverty and kicked them right back down the socioeconomic ladder. Many Americans regardless of background were left in a worse position than ever. I realize I've vastly oversimplified the problem but there have been many books written that explain America's social dynamics in depth. For the purposes of this post, I'm keeping it short.

July 13, 2012 Roanoke, VA
President Obama gives "you didn't build that" speech
Photo: Associated Press

"ssun" is not afraid to give credit to the people who help successful people excel.  He (assuming he's a guy) didn't have to demean anyone else and it didn't take away from his success to admit he didn't do it alone.  In fact, it shows just how a powerful a unified cultural objective can be.  That's the secret that keeps most of us frustrated and angry.  We are worship the "self-made" man or woman not realizing that it took the sacrifices of a lot of people in their lives to get them where they are.  President Obama tried to convey this point a few years ago and was excoriated in the conservative press for his verbal flub.  Politics aside, it was clear what he meant.
Parents sacrificing countless hours of sleep and money to make sure their kids get an education, practice their craft whether it be music or sports, or to get the mentorship they can't provide just for their child to have a chance to take advantage of a big break.  Actors who became famous because someone took a chance on them.  The entrepreneur who succeeded because their family supported them financially, physically, and emotionally, with no guarantee of a return on the investment.  Anyone who is "self-made" is there because of hard work and help from others.  The two aren't mutually exclusive and that's the idea that must enter to the American discourse.  We won't get anywhere if we aren't moving together.

I Miss...

They say you can't miss something you never had.  As the child of an absentee father I disagree.  We know exactly what we're missing.  We see other children with their fathers and wonder what it would be like if ours was that loving, caring, or even just present.  It leaves you with a hole in your heart because you know you could have used the guidance in your tough moments, when the advice of a man who'd already been through his own tough times could help steer you away from the same pitfalls.  To know that someone would always have your back and be in your corner but love you enough to tell you when you're wrong from a man's perspective I imagine would be incredibly empowering.  I'm aware that there are some fathers that even while present, are horrible people to their children and that their influence cripples them instead but the power of the influence is still there.  Even when we speak of the founding of our nation we speak of the "founding fathers."  Men who some of us hold infallible and will forever remain the blueprint of what America should be.  I know that feeling.  Its the feeling I get when I watch footage of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  When they speak on the issues of their time there is a feeling of self assurance and faith in their steadfast leadership that makes me feel like everything is going to be ok.  We of course know how it ended for these great men.  I realize now, on a larger scale Black America feels the same way we do looking at other children receiving the guidance they so desperately long for.

We had it once.  Frederick Douglass' philosophy of equality through education and outspoken leadership was the driving force of the post Reconstruction era. Most of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded during his lifetime and his speeches inspired a waves of black intellectuals to take up his mantle long after his passing. The debates between W.E.B. DuBois' Talented Tenth ideology,  Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise, and Marcus Garvey's United Negro Improvement Association left our people with no shortage of schools of thought on what success was and how to achieve it.  The assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. King, however, seems to have brought the era of the great black leader to a close.  We have a generation of kids for whom that type of leadership has never existed.  The black intellectuals of today, Michael Eric Dyson, Cornell West, Tavis Smiley, and many others don't seem to have as strong a voice.  You have to seek them out instead of being the inescapable force their predecessors were.  They seem to be content with being talking heads on someone else's news network instead of banding together and forming their own organization.  The NAACP has been silent on issues that don't involve them getting a check and honestly, I've gotten more news on black entrepreneurs and people making positive changes in our communities from Mary Jane Paul than our "leaders".  Many who lived through the 60s and 70s had hoped that Barack Obama could be that voice but he has consistently shied away from directly confronting the issues that may still be affecting his grandchildren if no progress is made.  The recent riots and protests set off by the unjustified deaths of unarmed black men show that the need for strong leadership is there.  The desire for change is there.  The need for justice is there. As Malcolm X predicted, we are assailed in the media as if we're a pack of wild animals that can't control themselves.  We are weighted down by practices like gerrymandering, housing discrimination, and outright gentrification designed to strip us of the rights so many gave their lives for and like Christ on the cross, we are screaming "why have you forsaken me?"

The reasons no one has stepped up to carry the torch of leadership have been debated, dissected, and disclosed on countless whats-wrong-with-black-people themed projects across every cable news channel.  My take is that the rise of the black middle class has created a class divide among black people that compound the racial issues that hinder us all.  We've lost sight of what unites us.  Black immigrants tend to look down on African Americans (a sin of which I am guilty from time to time). African Americans in turn resent foreign blacks.  The reality, of course is that our stories are as intertwined as the tribes our ancestors were taken from centuries ago.  It's a divide that doesn't truly exist but we've been living with segregation so long we've adopted it too.  It doesn't matter in the end, though.  The lack of leadership and common purpose for our people has left us wandering.  Everyone just tries to eek out the best living we can and every man woman and child is left to fend for themselves.  We keep looking for the person who can bridge the gap and bring us together the way we used to be.  I once advised young brother who asked me where our leaders are and I told him that leadership comes from a strong family first.  I still believe that but I realize now what he was really asking.  He's looking for what our great men used to provide.  Its like that little boy watching what a good father does for his kids. It's something we all miss

The Definition of Insanity

I may be starting losing my mind.  The video of the latest police shooting to make national headlines literally had me laughing yesterday.  Clearly, nothing is funny about this but it feels like I'm going insane staring at the same headline every few weeks.

It's like Satan's version of Groundhog Day.

The talking heads at CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX News say I'm supposed be shocked and outraged.  Honestly, the emotions that really dominate my thoughts are fear and indifference.  It's like that song on the radio you know is crappy and they play it so often it becomes background noise.  Black men have to be desensitized to certain things or you'd be fighting every day.  Literally.  Even if you work in a diverse environment, racially insensitive comments, negative assumptions about your background, personality, and way of life are just things you have to deal with.  You also become desensitized to the script that has been played out over and over again since childhood.  Video evidence of obvious wrong doing by law enforcement is presented on a national stage which produces no punishment worthy of the crime.  This incites an angry response from citizens which is then in turn condemned by political leaders.   Then everything forgotten about until the next incident.  You probably have a case in mind.  It could be Eric Garner or Ramarley Graham in New York.  How about Oscar Grant in San Francisco?   Maybe John Crawford III or Tamir Rice in Cleveland?  How about the first case that started the phenomenon way back in 1992, Rodney King?  For the sake of consistency, I'm excluding cases in which the alleged aggressor wasn't a member of law enforcement (Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida; Jordan Davis in Jacksonville, Florida) or there is no explicit video evidence of the crime nor the events leading up to it. (Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri) Their stories delve into an entirely different aspect of this issue regarding the attitudes and fears of black men in general.  That's another much longer, deeper, and more involved conversation.

Rodney King, after being assaulted by the LAPD in 1992

As a people, we should be outraged any abuse of power but the aspect of this scenario that troubles me more than anything is the fact that it flies in the face everything we profess to love about America. We resist tyranny.  We stand up for those who cannot defend themselves.  We defend freedom for all. We believe in innocent until proven guilty.
That is who America is supposed to be.  So why is it when it comes to defending the freedoms of our own citizens so many turn a blind eye or worse, blame the victim?  This is the country that promises opportunity and fairness as long as you play by the rules, right?  Police officers aren't supposed to be judge, jury, and executioner yet every time we see another life lost the first reaction for many of us is that he must have deserved it.  Maybe I'm the naive one in believing that the only thing a suspect deserves is his miranda rights and a fair trial.  Maybe I'm just ignoring history when it comes to the application of the law to certain Americans.


People much smarter than me have tried to explain it but from an individual perspective the answer is simple.  Of all the rights denied to us, the one that hurts us the most is the right to be seen as individuals.  If one of us sins it is treated as indictment on the entire diaspora.  It's why when a deranged psychopath murdered two NYPD officers in "revenge" for Mike Brown's death, it was used as "evidence" the protesters were dangerous.  It was also justification to disrespect the Mayor, who was doing what any father would do, trying to protect his son.  In general the actions of a depraved few are used to justify the abuse of power for all.  We rarely get the privilege of being seen as individuals.  The scenario plays out over and over again because to some people, we're all the same and need to be controlled.  Too many communities are living under what feels like a military occupation because neither side sees the other as human.

There are 2 things about the current shooting that gives me hope, however.

Michael T. Slager (left) shot Walter Scott (right) 8 times in the back, killing him

1. The swift action of the North Charleston Police Dept.  Former Officer Michael Slager has not only been fired, but charged with murder.  The people of North Charleston should be proud of how seriously it takes the trust of its citizens.  Slager's indictment may not be a conviction but I can't imagine any legal argument that could exonerate him.  Then again, Rodney King's attackers were acquitted and Eric Garner's assailants weren't even indicted.
2.  Both the right and left slanted media,  seem united in condemning this killing as unjustified.  Normally everyone would line up on their respective sides and use this man's death to push divisive talking points.  This time there seems to be an atmosphere of universal disgust at how Walter Scott was murdered (Warning: Graphic).  I would like to think that's because what Slager did was indefensible. It's more likely because the video leaves no doubt about the sequence of events.  The video even shows Slager trying to plant his taser next to the dying man to save his job instead of trying to save Walter Scott's life.

If we're going to change the culture of distrust between the black community and the police we also have to change ourselves.  We have to bury the idea of us vs them which seems to have taken over as the default discussion stance, preventing any real productive exchange of experiences.  Old ideas have to die on both sides.  The neither majority of black men nor police officers are savages and we both can agree that no one benefits from the current status quo.  North Charleston is taking steps in the right direction but the day needs to come when their response is the norm, not the exception.  To do otherwise and expect different results would be to invite more of this...

Watts, California (1992)

Criminal Courts Building in Los Angeles on March 26, 2010. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty)

Ferguson, Missouri August 12, 2014 (Photo: Getty Images)

Brooklyn, New York December 12, 2014 (Photo: Reuters/USA Today Sports)

And that's insane.

Aren't We All Americans?

I Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One Nation, Under God, Indivisible with Liberty and Justice For All.

Everyone who's grown up in this country has recited the above pledge in school countless times.  The Pledge of Allegiance, even more than the Star Spangled Banner is the truest stated goal of the American experiment.  The promise of our country is that we don't recognize religion, race, economic background, or gender when it comes to rewarding hard work and perseverance.  If you work hard and do the right things, your place here will be assures.  In practice however, America has been far more exclusionary.  It's taken almost 200 years to even approach that ideal.  White women have only been able to vote for 95 years, descendants of African slaves only for last 50 years, and there are American "citizens" in certain territories that still can't vote.  (A full timeline of American voting rights can be found here.)  Even now, there are those in power that are determined to set us back.  In that context, I suppose it should come no surprise that some of the longest retainers of full fledged citizenship are still having a difficult time adjusting to the idea of a President that doesn't fit the mold of the last 43. Even through all that difficult history, people still come to America for the promise of opportunity to work hard and do better.  The people who have been the objects of exclusion still by and large believe in America and wouldn't want to be anyplace else.  I see us as one large mixed up crazy family.  We're all from so many different walks of life and so many different cultures but we're all here for the same reason.  To do better as one nation moving with common purpose for the benefit of all...just like the pledge says.  However, as his term inches to toward its sunset, the newly elected Republican majority are employing tactics that show that they clearly don't believe in the last line when they don't get their way.
  

Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, addresses Congress.
Image: NY Magazine

No congress has allowed a foreign leader to use the chamber floor to boldly speak out against White House policy.  It is a clear indication of the level of contempt that both Boehner and Netanyahu have for the Obama Administration, despite what they're telling the press.  2 weeks ago, Congress sent an "open letter" to Iran signed by 47 Republican Senators designed to treat the President as if he were a non factor.  Though not directly violating the Logan Act, the intent was clear.  Iran has the highest percentage of American college graduates serving in its government and the condescending letter was rebuffed with an embarrassing lesson in the same American laws these Senators are supposed to know and uphold.  

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Guliani appearing on "Fox and Friends"
Image: Mediamatters.org

Our family disputes are supposed to be handled in house. This new idea of pretending we have no President because we don't like him doesn't just divide the country it threatens to topple our system.  What good are the checks and balances our democracy prides itself on if you can simply bypass them when it suits you? Further, the next generation of politicians are looking at this 7 year display of disrespect and obstruction as a baseline on how to behave when your party isn't in power.  For any new leader to stand out he or she will have to take the rhetoric to a whole new level to stand out.  Considering the current establishment has already set the precedent of using foreign policy to score political points domestically, it is out of the question that in the next few years our men and women in uniform could be cut off from much needed funding because of some imagined slight at home?  It's been threatened before by Democrats during the Bush Administration.  Republicans are proposing the same for similar reasons.

There's a new generation of young men and women who are watching this shameful display and realizing that some of us are still treated as more American than others.  I won't be as cynical to declare nothing has changed.  Clearly, America has made progress toward fully extending the ideals of America beyond rich white male landowners to all of her people but there is still much work to do before we can truly say we are "One Nation, Under God, Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all."

Another Crack in Assad's Foundation

When the vehicles of your propaganda abandon you, the position of power you hold is tenuous indeed.

From The German New Organization, Der Spiegel :

Syrian Radio and TV Host Ola Abbas Defects to Join Rebellion - SPIEGEL ONLINE:

'via Blog this'

In the last few weeks we've seen generals, politicians, and now journalists flee Syria due to the atrocities committed by "President" Assad.  We've also seen the most powerful countries on Earth take sides.  The Iranians tried to hide their support for the Assad regime.  The Russians are more honest about their stance.

This latest defection will hardly be the final straw that brings down Assad.  In truth, I doubt the audience was listening anymore.  Damascus, is a war zone.  They don't need to watch the news or listen to radio hear the gun battles raging in the streets.  Those who can leave are doing so.  Unfortunately for Assad, most of them are his supporters.

Why the Reaction Is Different When the Terrorist Is White - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic

Why the Reaction Is Different When the Terrorist Is White - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic


The better question is why the media's reaction the these shootings is different based on the suspect's ethnicity?  There are many Americans of all races that are reviled and outraged by the terrorist attacks in Colorado and Wisconsin.  In the pursuit of ratings, however, it seems the media is more interested in humanizing the terrorist.  Why?  Does MSNBC, CNN, FOX, and PBS think that because the majority of the audience and the suspect share a common ancestry that they can some how relate to a person who had no second thoughts about killing innocent people?  How does focusing on their backgrounds and bringing in a seemingly endless parade of psychologists to tell us that their murderous outbursts stemmed from their abuse or lack of hugs as children bring us any closer to focusing on the real goal here, which is stopping these killings in the first place?   The focus should be on what these people did instead of what they are.  Stop wasting time trying to relate to them because unless you plan on committing mass murder, you never will.

The profit motive of the major news organizations have driven them to promote a biased agenda that is dangerous for its viewers.  Wearing a wrap on your head, your pants below your waist, worshiping in a different way,  or speaking a different language doesn't make a person a threat.  It's time for the media to change the profile of what and who we consider dangerous. 

Some people, no matter their origins, are just evil.  Period.

St Kitts reflects Caribbean’s financial woes - FT.com

St Kitts reflects Caribbean’s financial woes - FT.com

This is practically economic colonialism.  The nations of the Caribbean have very few competitive advantages due to the lack of unique natural resources.  The sugar industry has collapsed in St. Kitts and Barbados due to the advent of artificial sweeteners, everyone exports tropical fruit, and the oil that exists in Trinidad is too small to really have in impact on the country financially.  It seems we are stuck in a financial deadlock that only a technological innovation can break.  Unfortunately, the money necessary to carry out the research for a breakthrough would have to come from the same countries that are trying to do it themselves.  It seems that even after 50 years of independence for Trinidad and Jamaica, Britain and the USA still have a major if not definitive say in the futures of their economies.

What are the Limits of Your Forgiveness?

Witness how faith can TRULY be put to the test.  This was an actual event.

Al Jazeera People and Power : Blood and Dust

Al Jazeera journalists embedded with US Army helicopter medics.  This shows the true heart a dedication of the United States Army. I'm posting this as a shining example of the dedication our soldiers show every day. HOOAH!

****Warning: some of the images here may be disturbing****