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Kanye West a Hero: Dares to speak truth to power on Live TV- "Bush doesn’t care about black people."

by Open-Publishing - Saturday 3 September 2005
47 comments

Edito Music Governments Catastrophes USA

During a live Charity Concert on NBC tv, rap star Kanye West abandoned his pre-scripted comments and spoke his truth.

“I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family and they say we are looting, you see a white family and they say they are looking for food. And, you know, its been five days because most of the people ARE black.

And even for me to complain, I would be a hypocrite because I would turn away from the TV because it’s too hard to watch. I’ve even been shopping before even giving a donation, so now I’m calling my business manager right to see what is the biggest amount I can give.

And just to imagine, if I was down there and those are my people down there. If there is anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help about the way America is set up the help the poor, the black people, the less well off as slow as possible. Red cross is doing as much as they can.

We already realize a lot of the people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way. And now they’ve given them permission to go down and shoot us.”

“George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”


Finally, a ’star’ entertainer breaks the mold, risking the wrath of the corporate media and music industry, and potentially his career, to speak up about the grave injustices caused by the US government under George W. Bush.

Video of Kanye’s bold move here:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/02.html#a4762

Forum posts

  • Very shameful answer from NBC: ...an unscripted opinion of somebody who wants to disturb the help efforts.

    Scripted opinions on TV - listen NBC you obviously deploy Soviet Union journalism. Very sad!

  • Kanye West is a genuine leader rising out of the wreckage here. It’s about time someone has said this, and I’m so proud of him that it brings tears to my eyes. The right wing corporate media will obviously do what they can to destroy him; but he’s said what needed to be said. And the culture war, which has been smoldering in America for many years beneath the surface, may finally move to the foreground. President Bush is responsible. All Kanye West did was utter the truth, as courageously as anyone ever has. Thank God.

    Peter

    • I totally agree! I was so proud of him, and so grateful that someone finally told the TRUTH!!! Shame on NBC for trying to censor someone’s opinions, whatever happened to freedom of speech!!!

  • Kanye West , I salute you, for standing up and speaking truth!
    These aren’t "Black people" They are Americans, Their Lives are worth no less than any other American. I am a white man and today I am ashamed, ashamed of our country, our leaders and yes, my race. Haven’t we raped and degraged Black people enough? And now this. Not to mention the arrogance of goverment officals, who say "we warned them, told them to evacuate."
    The poor , the sick, the infirm, the young, the old, Unbelievable! Once again, It’s the poorest among us, that suffer the most!
    Joe

    • joe, you douche bag. if you are ashamed of america, let me be the 1st to help you pack up your shit and get you out of the country. where would you like to go. if yo upromise to NEVER return, i will pay your way on a one way ticket out of the USA. we have sewers to deal with a piece of shit like you...lets flush you out of the country you are "so ashamed of" yo ujack ass! do all of us a favor and get out!

    • You and your elk wouldn’t know truth if it sat on your face. Go back under the rock you came from and leave the humans to clean up this mess!

    • And you and your elephant wouldn’t know anything if it was written down for you, are YOU a human?

  • kayne west is a piece of garbage just like your article. this oiece of shit doesnt care about the victims of this disaster, all he cares about is his own reputation. what has he done to help out? he deserves to live out the rest of hisa miserable life in france with the rest of the cowards of earth. i hope he moves to that shit hole called france and they both get wiped off the map.
    peace!

    • kanye west is damn brave and fucking brilliant for what he said. he said what everyone in america’s too scared to talk about: race. everyone thinks racism is gone, but if that’s what you think, then you’re dead wrong. If it were rich white people stuck in New Orleans they would have come by with cruise ships, coffee, and goddamn sandwiches. They didn’t accuse the white people of looting, and they would never have come with guns if they were white. even General Honore knows that, and he’s white.

      People who criticise their countries aren’t bad. they’re just trying to make it more fair and just. people like Martin Luter King, Robert Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X were ashamed. Without radicals like that, their can be som justice. As for France being a shit hole: well, I can tell you haven’t been there. It’s gorgeous and perfect. Like some racially stable places in America. But it didn’t get to be that way without radicals. Remeber the French revolution? Bush doesn’t like Blacks, which is o.k. because we don’t like him much either. oh, and by the way. if a hot french girl shook her ass for you, you’de travel all the way to Paris just to fuck her.

    • peace? peace? after the revolting and violent things you express you have the nerve to sign peace.........your kind is why there is no peace. You are a violent uneducated reactionary in other words a dangerous man.

    • Without France you don’t have a United States of America, you would have got your ass kicked in the Revolutionary War, go back and read your history books and stop looking at the pictures.

    • NO MY SWEET YOU ARE THE PIECE OF GARBAGE WHAT KANYE SAID WAS THE TRUTH & THE TRUTH HURTS ABOUT DAMN TIME SOMEBODY SAID IT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SAID SOONER!!!!!!!!

  • I’m proud of him for speaking up, but I didn’t expect anything less from Kanye. He’s intelligent, aware and not afraid to use his celebrity to bring attention to injustices and to something bigger than bling and hos. He’s an inspiration.

  • How right you are Kanye! President Bush does’t care about black people. The delay happened because the majority of our sisters and brothers left in harm’s way in New Orleans were/are black and "they" (Bush and head of FEMA) had to figure out a place to put so many homeless, unemployed black people. Because of the delay many of our people died. Out of Bush’s attitude we in Houston will do our best to care and comfort them. I have seen my fellow white Houstonians break down crying when we heard Mayor Nagin’s interview. Houston and the world is watching Bush’s and questioning his mentality more than ever. Heat it up Kanye! Use your gifts/talent to keep this topic open.

  • ON THE LOOTING SITUATION

    I wish rappers and celebrities would just keep their mouths shut in the first place. The real problem with the "looting" and unbelievable behavior in New Orleans begins with the movie and entertainment industry. So many in our black community have a MTV perspective on life. Immoral behavior is treated as nothing. It goes back to the riots in Los Angelos with Rodney King. Looting= OK, Rape= OK, Killing =OK. IT’S NOT OK! And don’t give me this crap about the haves and have nots! That’s bull! Millions have nothing in America and don’t resort to this animalistic behavior. Yeah, if I needed to feed my family I would do anything needed. But no excuses for stealing television sets, jewelry, clothing.

    ON KANYE WEST

    Kanye West is only the hero of the leftist liberal establishment and maybe "the do nothing, but roll over" French.

    A telethon for VICTIMS of the terrible dissaster that has taken place in the gulf coast (90,000 square miles= size of Great Britain) should have been about the VICTIMS, not about our President.

    When the time to put partisan politics away was needed, the left only cares about their own political gains.

    So go ahead and erase this message, because it doesn’t agree with your political philosophy. Those who cry out for rights and against censorship.

    • first of all, just because someone is a rapper or a celebrity doesn’t mean that they don’t have an opinion. second, when there is chaos, disaster, distress, it is normal that people will resort to and do things that wouldn’t happen in a normal setting. Kanye spoke his mind and i commend him for that. trust me he’s not the only one thinking like that, he’s the first one to voice it. So sorry that your president had to break his vacation to go down there so many days after this catastrophe...

      tia, concerned canadian.

  • I also agree with the mayor, when he was rippin’ bush on how he has handled this, what a disgrace. Bush should just come out and say he messed up. What an embarrasment he is to our country! He comes in for a "SET UP" photo op and leaves while people were dying at the convention center! This government does not care for any of us period, white, black or otherwise.

  • One has to remember that NBC is owned by GE. Big corporations own the media. The media beds with the government and they both only care about $$$$$$$. It doesn’t make any differnece if you are black or white. If you are not the elites, than you are of no value. We all should take a stand against big business, the government and the legal system in the US. It does not represent the people and steals from them daily. I had a senator tell me that no ones should have a position in the government unless they are an attorney. This appears to be the mentality of the who are to represent We The People.

    • The NBC corporation owned by G.E., did us all a HUGE favor by putting their disclaimer in writing. Their broadcasting license should be revoked. The airwaves, by law belong to the public, and NBC has been granted a license by the people through our government FCC. Now they admit that nothing except their "scripted" information and statements are ALLOWED. Since WHEN??? This is a blatant admission that the airwaves are not owned by the people of this country at all, but by some NAZIs that pre approve what can and can not be said on our airwaves.

      Now we are all aware that the idea of freedom of speech has totally been taken away from us. We are now only allowed to speak freely amoungst ourselves, the airwaves are now censored and controlled down to writting scripts that must be adheared to by anyone who might be given a nationwide forum. This must be Hitler’s Germany now instead of the United States of America.

      It is time for a revolution people our country no longer belongs to us and there can no longer be any question of that.

    • Joe, don’t pay any attention to our resident Nazi, he is a one toothe red neck with a third grade education from the Klu Klux Klan. Best to ignore him and let the hemorrhoid that serves as his brain burst from false patriotism.

    • Time for a revolution true but isn,t it the Wealthiest Jews that rule, the Air Waves Multi National Buisness and the world and arn,t the Wealthy Jews also behind the" New World Order" excuse me for asking but wasnt "Germany Natzi "’a Nationalist , preserve my country my people type of thing. The first thing burried in war is the Truth Dig it up The Supreme Sovern spirit Lives

  • kanye is a real man who has guts. our current federal government is bringing the country down...day by day, if the current administration does not re-adjust her mission which they are supposed to work for the people of america and help build a better country for the people. but actually, they are building a better life for themselves. simple as it is...greed...capitalism...bush way.

    i always love kanye’s courage and what he stands for as an american citizen. the americans (black, white, yellow, red ) should learn from a good example like him. a good country starts from a respectful citizen, a productive loving family, a justic government. we all have a responsibility to build a better america today, tomorrow and the future. help each others and love each others no matter what color you are...that’s the beauty of america. chicago

  • As a black American, I understand Kanye’s message perfectly. I’m glad that someone addressed the issue. Of course, Kanye will be vilified by the American press, but at least he said something. People don’t want to admit that race, color, and class play a large part in the relief aid given to New Orleans. I don’t recall the people in Florida ever having that much trouble. The American government has failed to step up to the plate.

    Alex, Georgia

    • Neocon hipocrite, full of....

      Seems like the white americans are namecalling the black americans.

      White americans only loot oilfields.
      White americans rob other nations.
      White americans use nuclear weapons.
      White americans

      White hipocrite, full of ...

    • As a white american i want to defend the words of the black americans here, as a matter of fact i will go one step further. we all know they cant work for crap, but lordy they can pick cotton with the best of them....EVERYONE should own one!
      morons! you dont remember florida having trouble? could it be that the storms there were about 1/100 th of what hit NO?
      let me guess..its Bush’s fault all the people living in the inner city are black right? he put them all there? they havent been living there....forever????
      thankfully, all the black americans crying out over bush are doing the very thing that holds their people back.....instead of working hard to get ahead, sit on your butts and blame whites for your problems, and wait for the free handout!!!

    • White America uses Black Famlies and Black soldiers to # 1 help crush other sovern nations #2 to get votes #3 to get into Power #4 To Plunder and Rob Kill #5 As does the Black use the white man and the white money in Africa to do like wise but stupid" civil war" The winners the loosers The loosers that lived gave up their weapons became cheep labour refugees or immigrents Every Country in the world does likewise with immigrants refugees the poor are used because they gave up the fight for equality and justus are un inlightened ni eve or in persuit of Ser vival "health and Welfare/// Money Every country in the world would do well to block immigrents and refugees.There is no equality no justus any wher that I have seen in the whole of the world and especially not in Canada and the United states. My ancesters should have stayed in Denmark and fought harder in stead of fleeing like cowards from who ever it was that led me to this life of the underdog

    • hey jerk, the most important thing is that people are FINALLY getting the help they need! dont turn this into a racial war. its about human lives here. no one can discount the fact it took TOO long to help these people. the government should have been rolling day 2, gettting planes, helos and buses there. obviously the judgment and communication was horrible. the most important fact is that finally people are getting help!
      there is a more important message here than words of hate!!!!!

    • Fuck you, you racist pig. Go back to bed with your sister and produce some more inbred little bastards to send to the wars for your chickenshit president and his old oil cronies.

    • That was for 24...94...the one tooth shitass redneck product of inbreeding and no education.

    • hey einstein, did you notice who was commiting 99% of the crimes in NO after the devestation? i suppose the looters will NEEDED the TV, or radios they were steealing. shows you how stupid they are....where are they gonna plug them in?
      i suppose the rape in thge superdome which killed a 7 yr old girl was essential for that black mans survival? take a look around and realize that i the problem is with a certain mentality, not color.

  • This article is just proof why Americans have problems with the French.

  • Kanye West may be a rapper but taking advatage of a national relief fund raiser is just dumb. You may call him a hero but if you listen to his words, I dont call him a hero. Bush doesn’t hate anyone. This is just hate words on his part. Get a grip Kanye.

    major.simms@verizon.net

    • Bush doesn’t hate anybody???? You’re probably correct in one way, maybe he doesn’t hate them, but he doesn’t give a plugged nickel for anyone outside his social set or bloodline. He’s indifferent to anyone that is not privileged, white and unrelated to him which is worse. If you would loosen the grip you have on your brains, major peckerbrain, you’d realize that means you, too. That’s right, he’d let you go down the tubes, too, if it was convenient or necessary and the sooner you figure that out the safer you are.

      Bush is a racist, sexist, inferior product of inbreeding (yep, Barb and Sr. are cOUsins) and he’s never been "ept" at anything in his life except partying, in every other activity, he’s been completely inept. He doesn’t care about black people, brown people, yellow people or anyone except the people that I mentioned above. Leave Kanye alone. He’s got a better grip on the truth than somebody who still clings to the hope that Bush is human. Go listen to that President of the Louisiana parish talk about how one of his officer’s mama died WAITING for someone to come...and then you tell me that this Bush doesn’t hate or feel indifference for those people. My god, these are not numbers to me, these are human beings that he left to die seemingly on purpose.

      By any measure, Kanye is a much better person than Bush.

  • Kanye is the man

  • Kanye was telling the truth. He just left one thing out, not only does Bush not like black people he does not like poor people above all. He failed to serve us, the American citizens yet again. He is really following in His father’s foot steps and it’s not a complemet to Bush Jr. His father also failed to aid the American people in a timely manner after Andrew hit Florida. The media is tearing Bush and our government to shreds across seas right now as we speak. One news cast interviewed people on the street over across seas and they said that American people are weak... One little storm hit and we are done... the government who was so quick to go fight in Iraq couldn’t even come to the aid of it’s own people. Bush is doing too little too late. Now the day I see this on tv being said about America was a day I thought I might not ever see. What else did I really expect from Bush though? These next three years need to ride out fast so we can get a real true American in office to restore order to this broken nation.

  • Speaking as a person who lives outside the US - George Bush isn’t particularly against black people. He’s against the poor, be they black or white. If you aren’t wealthy, and therefore able to shore up his family’s power structure, he couldn’t give a shit about you. I am still dumbstruck that he was voted in for a second term. He is possibly the most dangerous person on the planet, but he’s got half America (and a good part of the rest of the world) scared of the terrorist boogeyman "out there" when they should be terrified of him and what he could (and is) doing. How many people have died in the past year on US soil as a result of terrorism? How many have died waiting for aid after Katrina? This is criminal, insane, surreal, unbelievable. I wish I could help you people, but all I can do is say: vote this man and his evil cohorts OUT. And if the opposition looks as bad, then it’s time to start DEMANDING change now.
    My heart goes out to all victims of Katrina. I wish I could help you somehow.

    • ’’George Bush isn’t particularly against black people. He’s against the poor, be they black or white’’ May be truebut he kills a hell of a lot of brown people. Think there is a definite element of racism.

    • You black animals will kill, rob, or rape anything that moves, even your own. You are parisites, you need other people to feed off of. Not one word from you morons about the children that were raped and killed in N. O.? It just shows the world what your black terrorist mentality is when you idolize a punk like west is.

    • The history of genocide by the white race is a long and shameful one. But you, one of the poor white trash, wouldn’t know that since you are well known for being unintelligent and uneducated. And speaking of using people, you disgusting shit clod, what about more than 100 years of slavery that built the U.S.A. in the first place? Was that just a good "Christianly" thing to do? Or didn’t you know about that? You rednecks all suffer from the same mental deficiencies, you should stop screwing your sisters and your mothers, your offspring is all retarded as a result.

    • The white race has a long and shameful history of genocide and exploitation, but you wouldn’t know anything about that since you are both unintelligent and really uneducated. The United States was built by more than 100 years of black labor slavery but you probably think that was "Christianly" love and caring.

      You rednecks really should stop screwing your sisters and your mothers, your offspring is defective and mostly retarded. In todays world, you need to know how to do more than jack off and drink beer.

    • You Redneckers really should stop screwing your sisters and your mothers, your producing a bunch of idiots that can’t be educated. In today’s world you need to know more than how to drink beer and jack off.

    • Whoa! Slow down there, Jim-Bob. Shut off your t.v., get off your fat white ass, step outside your front door - and go out and meet some actual black people. The hate you are spewing gives away your ignorance which shows that the only things you know of African-Americans are what your white-sheeted heroes tell you.

  • If all it takes for Kanye West to be a hero to you morons is not to read the cue cards, then you really are clueless. I actually think that Bush should sue Kanye West for defamation. I think the television station should sue him for breaking the contract. Nail him to the wall so that he has so many lawsuits coming out that whatever he earns for the next ten years is used to pay off the lawsuits.

  • Kanye, nice job on the free pass to the Mayor of New Orleans and the Governor of Louisiana. Believe it or not it is their responsibility to have a plan in the face of a disaster, and they were completely unprepared (the mayor’s plan was to have the residents drive out of New Orleans...meanwhile 35% of the citizens don’t have cars). After they blew it the Federal government had to come in and try to clean up the mess. Yes, they could have done better to a certain degree, but to completly blame it on Bush because of your ill feelings towards him is ignorant and made you look like the young, brash, foolish kid you are.

    Why would you turn this into a racism debate... there are plently of poor white people dying as a result of the Hurricane as well. Because of what you said, millions of dollars that were to be donated were then recinded. People don’t like being told how to feel, and certainly don’t care what your opinions are. Get on stage, do you little song and dance, and get on with your life... a telethon to raise money for those very poor and dying is not the arena to voice you political beliefs. Do you think that people who voted for president Bush (more than half of the voting population) would gladly phone in and give money after that crap you said? It was disgusting and I am still in shock of your crudeness.

    Kanye West is a hero... I don’t think so. Loretta Jones needs to come up with some original thought and actually analyze the problem before automatically saying since Kanye laid his ass on the line that it was "daring" and "heroic." I’ll concede that it was definately daring, but also ill-conceived and unfounded in rational thought.

  • He’s just another racist pos. Truth to power, my ass. If you believe that juvenile conspiracy crap, you need to rethink your life. You probably buy his last profound thought, too: "white America gave AIDS to the Africans to wipe them out, and the CIA invented crack and put it in the ghettos."

  • This comment is 28 days late: and therefore totally USELESS and empty. Nevertheless I’ll point out that this situation should not have been strange to anyone in the world, least of all any viewer in America, black or white.
    It’s sad, but no, Kanye West is not a hero for using his comments about the development... in the white house, gouvernor’s office or even the mayor’s office, where the critical decisions were not taken.
    He risked an awful lot to do what he did, but that did not and will not change anything significantly, his remarks were and will be USELESS... Bush has already been re-elected, and he did not even need to commit fraud this time. His turn will soon be over and it will not matter as much anymore.
    Words are not useful when late, and history teaches us one thing: that it has nothing to teach us.

    That george w. bush is a incapable person in every sense of the wordwas and will always be clear. And so are his coworkers. But so are U.S. politics as well, and therefore he is the rightful president of this strange country and will not be brought to court for having and all too common case idiocy, simple.

    all IMHO,
    a.m. bernal sanchez.