Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by tonic:
[qb] Rev Dillon, my position is that there need to be a conference where black leaders get together and discuss what is the black agenda. Then all politicians who seek the black vote must agree to push the agreed upon black agenda. Do yo see that as a way to build unity behind a black agenda and would you be willing to support this idea? [/qb]

I do support the idea of a Black agenda, although I believe that we suffer a leadership vacuum as it always necessitates one or several individuals with the courage and will to bring Black people together to address not only politics but economics as well. I'm a strong believer that economics is the second tier in our process for growth and empowerment as a people. The first is a spiritual foundation, which much fuel economic power. Economic power will enact political control. Political control will facilitate social stability. These are thoughts that I've expressed in my book, and I'm ready, if you are, to harness the will and energy of our people and coalesce around a Black economic agenda as the first step that will automatically lead to political control and social stability.

[Pepper]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by tonic:
[qb] Rev Dillon, my position is that there need to be a conference where black leaders get together and discuss what is the black agenda. Then all politicians who seek the black vote must agree to push the agreed upon black agenda. Do yo see that as a way to build unity behind a black agenda and would you be willing to support this idea? [/qb]

Tavis Smiley has been hosting such conferences for a couple of years now. He had one two weeks ago, it was aired on CSPAN.

Rev Dillon, do you know of these conferences and their format. If so, would you be willing to participate?

[Pepper]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

double post [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[sistactry]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by Rev. Dennis A. Dillon:
[qb] The Bible declares that when the righteous rule, the people proser, but when the wicked are in power, the people are damned. We're damned in New York, we're damned across America, Europe, Africa, and we're certainly damned in Jamaica. Obviously, ungodly, unrighteous people are ruling. There must be a strong commitment on the part of righteous people -- and righteous does not necessarily mean what we have traditionally defined it to mean, but it means a people who are guided by principle, and a people with a strong sense of "rightism", people who live for the sake of others and whose personal needs, aspirations, whims and wishes do not rise so high above their constituency that they damn their constituencies to meet their personal goals and objectives. [/qb]

BRAVO me bredda.., BRAVO..,

bwoy a cudden tell when last I hear somebody tink bout odders fuss..,

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Jamaicans have shown globally our tenacity and courage to lead and to pioneer in music, culture, business and so many other areas of life. It is important that Jamaicans abroad and indigenous Jamaicans look at the pitiful condition of our politics, driven by an economy that is still controlled by interlopers and because "he who feeds the piper names the tune", the economic and political conditions will continue to deteriorate because White people, for the most part, and Europeans in specific, serve their interest even if other people are destroyed in the process. Slavery is a good example of this.

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by Pepper:
[qb]

Originally posted by tonic:
[qb] Rev Dillon, my position is that there need to be a conference where black leaders get together and discuss what is the black agenda. Then all politicians who seek the black vote must agree to push the agreed upon black agenda. Do yo see that as a way to build unity behind a black agenda and would you be willing to support this idea? [/qb]

Tavis Smiley has been hosting such conferences for a couple of years now. He had one two weeks ago, it was aired on CSPAN.

Rev Dillon, do you know of these conferences and their format. If so, would you be willing to participate? [/qb]

I'm very much aware of the conferences and have participated in some. I am, however, concerned that the root of the Black man's plight is often overlooked. We must move to address two critical problems that we face as a people: 1) our pitiful obsession with spending -- a disease I have coined CSD (Compulsive Shopping Disorder) several years ago; and 2) particularly as it relates to Caribbean people, Jamaicans in particular, the problem of remittance. We send too much money home for our people back home to spend empowering everyone else but ourselves, and we continue to outspend every other group of people in North America, the Caribbean and Africa. If for but a day we curbed our spending, and if for but a day we decide to hold our monies in America, invest them and then use those dollars to set up processes for manufacturing and distribution in the Caribbean, and then put in place an infrastructure to market those produce and carry out trade between North America and the Caribbean instead of remittance, we would accomplish much in the journey for Black empowerment and the redemption of Jamaica and our Caribbean islands.

[tonic]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Rev Dillon, slight disagreement about black leadership. I feel that competition among black leaders fragment the black cohesion needed to push the black agenda. How do you suggest that we used the black religious institution to foster black economic development. Can we used the not for profit black religious institutions to grow the black private sector ecomony in a manner similar to how the Jews develop their private sectors?

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by tonic:
[qb] Rev Dillon, slight disagreement about black leadership. I feel that competition among black leaders fragment the black cohesion needed to push the black agenda. How do you suggest that we used the black religious institution to foster black economic development. Can we used the not for profit black religious institutions to grow the black private sector ecomony in a manner similar to how the Jews develop their private sectors? [/qb]

I do believe that to build a strong economic infrastructure, we must pursue a progressive not-for-profit or philanthropic system, and the latter must serve the former. No doubt, other cultures -- Jews, Koreans, Italians, and most other peoples -- do exactly that. It is interesting that from all my studies and research, it is indisputable that the strength of the global European economy is built because of the focus of the European church and the commitment that the European church made to achieve global European success. Let's be clear -- slavery is a direct instrument of the European church, and that movement was clear that global economic control was their motive. Colonization and even World War 1 and 2 evolved from this European agenda. Equally, the Black church in America and a resurrected church in Jamaica and the Caribbean must aggressively pursue the path of economic, political and social transformation and understand that it is the primary institution to pursue such changes.

[Pepper]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by Rev. Dennis A. Dillon:
[qb] I am, however, concerned that the root of the Black man's plight is often overlooked.

1) our pitiful obsession with spending -- a disease I have coined CSD (Compulsive Shopping Disorder) several years ago[/qb]

I have to agree with you an these two points, particularly CSD.

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Clearly, more Black leaders -- religious, political and business -- must find ways to partner if success is to be achieved. It is my belief that the seeming fragmentation surrounds a billow of ignorance. And although different strategies and approaches must be pursued to achieve the same objective, it is the commonality factor that must be central. When leaders find common ground around which to focus, differences are automatically subordinated for the common good of the race.

[Pepper]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Rev Dillon,

Thank you for your responses. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

I am stepping away, but one final question....have you become a better spades player yet? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

I will check back later for your response.

Have a blessed day.

[tonic]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by Rev. Dennis A. Dillon:
I'm very much aware of the conferences and have participated in some. I am, however, concerned that the root of the Black man's plight is often overlooked. We must move to address two critical problems that we face as a people: 1) our pitiful obsession with spending -- a disease I have coined CSD (Compulsive Shopping Disorder) several years ago; and 2) particularly as it relates to Caribbean people, Jamaicans in particular, the problem of remittance. We send too much money home for our people back home to spend empowering everyone else but ourselves, and we continue to outspend every other group of people in North America, the Caribbean and Africa. If for but a day we curbed our spending, and if for but a day we decide to hold our monies in America, invest them and then use those dollars to set up processes for manufacturing and distribution in the Caribbean, and then put in place an infrastructure to market those produce and carry out trade between North America and the Caribbean instead of remittance, we would accomplish much in the journey for Black empowerment and the redemption of Jamaica and our Caribbean islands.

I strong agree with you but how do you tell our people not to spend so much on cars and clothes if they feel empowered by spending. Since Jamaicans send the most remittances back home, how would sending less money help to empower Jamaicans?

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by tonic:
[qb]

Originally posted by Rev. Dennis A. Dillon:
I'm very much aware of the conferences and have participated in some. I am, however, concerned that the root of the Black man's plight is often overlooked. We must move to address two critical problems that we face as a people: 1) our pitiful obsession with spending -- a disease I have coined CSD (Compulsive Shopping Disorder) several years ago; and 2) particularly as it relates to Caribbean people, Jamaicans in particular, the problem of remittance. We send too much money home for our people back home to spend empowering everyone else but ourselves, and we continue to outspend every other group of people in North America, the Caribbean and Africa. If for but a day we curbed our spending, and if for but a day we decide to hold our monies in America, invest them and then use those dollars to set up processes for manufacturing and distribution in the Caribbean, and then put in place an infrastructure to market those produce and carry out trade between North America and the Caribbean instead of remittance, we would accomplish much in the journey for Black empowerment and the redemption of Jamaica and our Caribbean islands.

I strong agree with you but how do you tell our people not to spend so much on cars and clothes if they feel empowered by spending. Since Jamaicans send the most remittances back home, how would sending less money help to empower Jamaicans? [/qb]

I appreciate the question on remittance, and here is how sending less money back home helps Jamaicans. Jamaicans who are sending the money must commit themselves to investing as much as possible and sending as little as can possibly be sent by creating more investments here in America and utilizing the system of making money -- the stock markets, business ownership and other types of investment instruments. We will begin to take that money that we would send and invest it here. Then we give our people as much as they need to survive, and invest the difference to ensure their future success as opposed to their immediate survival. Success in the longterm, despite struggles to survive, is always better than an easy survival that perpetuates a "survival mentality" and delays a success process. Thus, it is my belief that when the monies are invested here -- and money makes money -- the money that is earned must then be taken to JA, factories are built, businesses are created, and now the people that we are sending the money to are now empowered as manufacturers and business owners. Before long, the process changes and as opposed to sending remittance to perpetuate consumerism in JA, we begin to send payments down to buy products and services from those in JA, thus empowering them and ourselves, both home and abroad.

[tonic]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Originally posted by Rev. Dennis A. Dillon:
[qb] Clearly, more Black leaders -- religious, political and business -- must find ways to partner if success is to be achieved. It is my belief that the seeming fragmentation surrounds a billow of ignorance. And although different strategies and approaches must be pursued to achieve the same objective, it is the commonality factor that must be central. When leaders find common ground around which to focus, differences are automatically subordinated for the common good of the race. [/qb]

I am truly impress by your thoughtful presentation and knowledge on the subject. Beside the church, what areas would you suggest blacks get into position themselves to financial prosper? Specifically what businesses can blacks start that blacks have a competitive advantage.

[Rev. Dennis Dillon]

Re: Rev. Dennis Dillon March 11, 2004

Our people must be educated to understand that buying clothes and new luxury cars is not empowering, particularly in the absence of some of the more basic instruments of economic power such as home ownership. Education is the key. Through workshops and seminars, our people must be educated to understand that while it feels good and seems empowering to drive expensive cars and wear nice clothing, that in the system of economics, those are not the key dynamics. Money makes money. And more importantly, to whom you give your money is to whom you give your power. So when we spend and extend our resources through these instruments, we inevitably empower those who are on the receiving end to the disempowerment of self. IT is for this reason that Blacks in America, Jamaica and Jamaicans and Caribbean people are in the economic plight that continues to perpetuate itself. There must be a new paradigm.