About the only wrong thing in this article is the impression, that "the US is at an intersection".

Bullshit. Anyone will come to your house and ask you if it would be allright to bomb some arabs in Iran (who cares that Iranians arent arabs anyway). Doubt it.
Anyone will come around and figure what the majority of the American people really need?

There is no intersection. Just war business as usual. And nothing is going to change that. NOTHING.

The whole Democratic Party should have gotten behind Obama on this issue instead of playing political games with it. They could have forced a dialog and shown how what the Rev. is saying is the truth. But I'm not surprised that Clinton uses this to try and further her chances of winning. That's what political whores do.
Hoa binh

Thank you Lauri King-Irani.

There goes Bill Moyers again! Teaching Journalism 101 to the corporate info-tainers. Instead of speculating (making things up out of context to suit their agenda), Moyers simply has the man tell us what he meant with meaningful, thoughtful questioning. Rev Wright spoke the truth. The lying corporate media is what should be feared and ostracised. Not this man.

I watched the interview last night on PBS and I thought it was excellent. I am very impressed with Reverend Wright. He's extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, kind and compassionate, and I am grateful to Bill Moyers for giving Wright a chance to respond to the smear campaign against him. It is despicable what we do to good people in this country. I've felt all along that "Wright was right," but when you see the interview, you understand even more the message of his sermons. Too bad the slime that smeared him will never air this interview and the idiots who watch "Faux News" will never see it. They might just learn something if they did.

Bravo Rev. Wright and Bill Moyers! Of course, the people who should have seen this interview did not watch....I'm sure of that. They will still keep their heads in the sand and believe "our country right or wrong". Etc. In their crusade to win the Democratic nomination the Clintons have managed to take down a wonderful man in Obama. I have wondered if maybe Barack Obama is too good for this country? How sad that so many people in this country would rather remain ignorant than to face the truth.

The entire democratic party shoud renounce and reject the race baiting and religious smears of the Clintons and tell them in no uncertain terms that their right wing gutter campaign will not be tolerated. Of course this will never happen because they are spineless and terrified of Clinton's thugs.

Here's the video. Well worth watching:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html

Rev. Wright is right: damn the U.S. policies. Take for example Indian policies which were condemned by President John Quincy Adams. Yes, that's right, JQA severely criticized the United States when he went back into Congress and tried to end slavery and stop the continued assault by white Americans on the Native Americans. He failed, but we do have this judgment from him: He believed that U.S. policy toward the Native Americans was among the greatest sins of the nation, for which he believed god would one day bring it to justice.

JQA was wrong about the existence of god and therefore there will be no justice adminstered to this nation, except by its citizens, but they are now too busy whiling away their time on all manner of sports, draining their brain into the one eyed baby sitter and creating their myspace pages to take the time to impeach, try and convict the two unelected men running this country.

Obama was wrong to not stand up and fully defend Rev. Wright. His failure to agree with Wright is ignorant. He wants to win the election and he didn't want to damage his electability. But to borrow a one word question from Shooter Dick Cheney: So?
So, Obama wins? Going Cheney one word better, So what?

Nothing is going to change with Obama other than the color of the skin of the WH occupant. The economy will continue to be oriented around the profit motive that drives a free trade policy, drives a health insurance policy centered around making a buck off of human suffering, drives a monetary and investment policy geared to the needs of the wealthy investor class, drives a foreign policy focused on forcing the world's countries to orient their economies to the requirements of the tiny class of wealthy investors who dominate business decision making, etc. Obama is challenging NONE of this, in fact his election will make all of these systems even stronger than they are.

I have mixed emotions about Rev. Wright's excellent interview with Bill Moyers. On the one hand, I agree with Rev. Wright ON POLITICS; however, I think he's childish and stupid ON RELIGION. I particularly was unhappy with one word: "sodomy", exposing his homophobia. I also sense a heterosexist man who sees "achievement" as more important than simplicity, peace, and care. The United States is a terrorist nation, no question about it. It was a really good interview, but my bravo goes to Bill Moyers!

Christianity obliterated african religions; christianity has always been used to oppress african-americans, to make them accept their lot in life. All religions are delusional and harmful. Churches can do some good, but on balance are toxic places for discrimination to breed and for the mental illness of religion to be fostered on the world.

Bill Moyers was the perfect person to interview Reverend Jeremiah Wright. With a background in both politics, and religion, he asked the relevant questions. And, then he went the extra mile, -- he courteously allowed his guest time to thoughtfully formulate, and present complete answers. No soundbites here. It will be interesting to see if he (The Reverend Wright) is extended the same courtesy on Monday, when he addresses the National Press Club, and takes questions. Bill Moyers Journal is what journalism should be, and sadly is no longer.

This was an excellent program and one that should be viewed by all. Bill Moyer's Journal and other PBS programs are enlightening and should be given full support. We must continue to be ever vigilant that the Government is not allowed to cut the funding, or cut the journalists who provide us with news and views via PBS. Main Street Media complain about the internet cutting into their profits. I'm sure that's true to a degree but if we could really trust Main Street Media to provide us with full information perhaps we would be more willing to depend upon them.

I have a feeling that the "problem" is that not enough of the non-college-educated white men and women watch PBS to begin with, and that even it they watched Rev. Wright, they wouldn't "get" him. The ones voting against Barack are somewhere else, bowling, shooting something, or perhaps attending the church recently shown on MSNBC (Olberman) where a pastor had put this message on the outside sign:

"Osama and Obama. Hmmm. Are they brothers?"

Racism MAY win. Indiana primary is gonna give us another clue. Liberals and progressives MUST NOT stand by while election goes to McCain---BECAUSE OF THE POLICIES, NOT JUST HOW WE "FEEL" ABOUT IT. Read the tea leaves. If the left is going down, DEMAND the Obama and Clinton team-up.

The other side may be planning the McCain - Huckabee ticket that could beat either Barack or Hillary alone.

Well, I agree that MSM has deliberately sound-byted Rev. Wright to death, essentially corrupting the truths he and others speak. But let's not be so quick to place all blame on Hillary Clinton or MSM, though I'm an apologist of neither. Obama distanced his own self from his sound-byted minister and that was one of his fatal mistakes. He caved to the "white-guy evangelical" game instead of grabbing a perfect opportunity to check-mate MSM, and perhaps Clinton too. He may still get the job, but then this will turn up against him in the future.

He failed to remember that we are judging him on shrewdness and an ability to take the high road. We don't believe that white-guy evangelicals have the clout so readily heaped upon them. They're meaningless, right? Just say it, Obama. Support your local minister.

Kenneth E. Nuti
Medford, MA

I watched this interview with a kindred reaction, and was reminded of the co-opted upsuckery to Hou$e Bushelzebub that characterizes the head-&-heart-hardened borne-again Christian right.

They're like tanked fish, their mouths moving at demonstrably-thoughtless "faith" in the "literacy" of "scripture"...we remember the Old Testament prophets by their gut-fired moral outrage against the excesses of power against the people. The effete, smug butlery to same--the Pat Robertsons & Jerry Falwells--make for a pitifully forgettable and effectively souless "Neo"-contrast. Bully Pulpiteers, Multi-Millionaire War-Pharisees, Chickenhawk Toadies.

It's difficult to imagine anything they've ever said having a spiritually-dignified claim on "posterity".

Wright, on the other hand, came across as in and of the proven moral 'old school' --a deeply-soulful, mindfully-heartfelt career, not flinging delicate sprinkles of 'holier-than-thou' water on the flames, but full buckets, properly heaved.

Why in "God's Name" should a Faith worthy of itself expect less? "Patriotism" indeed remains the "scoundrel's last refuge". The infected embrace of church & state has put that in our collective face. It's a political obsenity that we'll be seeing more of come November.

"And what Hellbent Vision Thing,
its Truthless Power come round at last,
$louches towards Liberty to be Borne?"

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/3354/81/

Rich Griffin - I had the same initial reaction when Wright used the word "sodomy" in the interview, but again, we need to be careful not to jump to emotional reactions, which is how this whole controversy started in the first place. In context, Wright was talking about the imprisonment, rape, and sodomy that has been inflicted on people as a form of terror - he is referring, I am sure, to cases such as when NYPD sodomized a Haitian immigrant with a nightstick, and not to consentual sex between adults. At least I hope that Wright, who came off as fair-minded, intelligent, kind and compassionate, with justifiable anger, and a clear understanding of the limitations of a literal reading of the Bible, would not fall prey to the homophobia that infects so many "Christian" ministers today. Thank you Bill Moyers for the interview.

I'm sorry, but Americans take religion far too seriously. This is just another example of this. Why can't people get it through their indoctrinated heads that it's all dogma? If everyone would just take one simple truth from the Bible, and I'm sure all religions have a similar tenats, then all the rest is rendered redundant: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's all you need to know.

In the Moyers interview, Jeremiah Wright came across as a domestic version Desmund Tutu. Wright should be giving lessions in true christianity to the religious right nutjobs.

Thanks for posting the video here. Wright is a well-spoken, thoughtful man. And Bill Moyers represents what journalism is supposed to be.

Thank you Lauri King-Irani.

Power slave: Your facts are wrong and devious. You are an apologist or defender of Israel, one of the worst human rights violators in the world. What Israel does is far worse than what China or even Zimbabwe does. More importantly, Palestininas are not part of Israel. Tibet is part of China and Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe. There are protests against China but not Israel so you are wrong again! What is being done to Gaza is far worse than what is being done in Tibet. Tibet is not a large prison being denied food and fuel. Two wrongs don't make a right. You must be a jew, or a born again nut. Your post is a bunch of lies. China didn't steal Tibet, it is part of China. Israel stole everything it has. These parallels are ridiculous as is your post. I know you won't change. You are in very deep denial trying to preserve your twisted values. All you care about is you and yours, whoever they are. Your position is inhuman.

The most uimportant mission for an American is to get other Americans to understand the true history of the United States and its junkyard dog, Israel. These two countries are a danger to the whole world. The US has a history of murder and pillage that is unique. Only its ally, Britain, even comes close. We must make everyone aware of what the US has done if we want to change the American attitude.

Thanks for this great article about a great interview. Rev. Wright calls it like it is and that's why he has been getting death threats, just like Malcolm X and Ward Churchill have.
Anyone who missed this interview, missed one of the greatest speeches of our time.

America is bad! America is bad! Piss on America! There, I have given one of the greatest speeches of our time.

obama dismissed rev.wright's words as not his own......just because he went to his church for 20 years does not mean he agrees with everything that rev.wright siad...obama CANNOTt CONTROL REV WRIGHT.....just like hilliary CANNOT CONTROL BILL'S MOUTH ALL THE TIME.....when was the last time hilliary denounced something bill said > (anyone ?)

Massud lends credence to the possiblity that a few cretins might have tuned into to Moyers' interview of Rev. Wright.

Later that same night, Tavis Smiley interviewed Phil Donahue on his new DVD, BODY OF WAR. Two very powerful exposures of the ignorance of Corp Media and the people that buy it.

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

I was especially proud of the Rev. Wright's spirited defense of Louis Farrakhan in the face of Moyers's attempt to put a ritual denunciation of Farrakhan in Wright's mouth.
It was Hillary Clinton who has led in the demonization of Farrakhan. And 10,000 Hillary Clinton's are not worth a Louis Farrakhan or Jeremiah Wright fingernail.

America was founded by the norm of the times. There were Ugly acts, and you have forgot some history. It was the whites of the US and the UK that stopped the slave trade.

Rev Wright's words are not harsh truths of today. They are word trying to force people to live in the past, and instill hate in the minds of black America.

Here is the transcript of these two superb progressives, Moyers and Wright:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/transcript1.html

You have to be impressed by the choices presented in this election cycle. The voters, as usual, have a choice between being informed and swallowing prepared lies. They have a choice between the status quo and change, between piracy and morality, between the reptilian and the cerebral, maybe even between the phony and the not-so-phony. The candidates themselves are making choices, Machiavellian choices to be sure, but tempered by the uneasy knowledge that not all the voters are as easily fooled or as uninformed as their campaign ad makers would like to think. How far should Obama distance himself from Pastor Wright? He's trying to calculate how many Indiana and North Carolina voters have seen the Moyers interview, how many will buy the BP Media version? Watching this fairly transparent dilemma play out on reality TV is very interesting. How much truth can you tell? How many votes will it cost you? If the consensual dream of America is a fabric of lies (we are not racists, we are not terrorists, we are not in a recession, our health care system is just fine), then either of the two possible outcomes will be ok. Either a painful awakening will begin to occur, or we will continue deeper into the self delusion and misery we collectively deserve.

The Reverend Wright knows what Barack Obama knows: One is a religiious minister, the other a politician. They live and work in different circles, but intersect each other's circles where it comes to their faith and core beliefs.

I noted no rancor in Wright's voice when he talked about Obama's choice to play the politician's role. He even came out and said that they each had a role to play, and that was what they were doing.

I wish Obama had stood his ground just a bit more, but I am not Obama. He had his own reasons and since my crystal ball is still on the fritz, I can't clearly see what they were. I will say that if he attended so many services that Wright gave, and considered Wright his pastor and mentor, then in his core, he agrees with Wright. If he agrees with Wright, then he has something that is worth supporting and letting play out during his tenure as president.

Bill Clinton had charisma, smarts, and some real-world experience. Yet, for all that was invested in him, he turned out to be a rather slimy character, all too willing to use anyone he could to advance himself. Obama, for aligning himself with Wright, seems to have something that Clinton didn't have - character. Knowing what I now know, I think I'll take character over all other personality traits in my next president.

"I agree with Barack Obama that the United States is at a very dangerous intersection"

Actually. Obama, who dumped the truth speaking Wright at the first sign of controversy, will take us straight down the highway to hell.

http://www.deepjournal.com/p/2/a/en/1427.html

"The United States is in the grip of a soft coup, the Brzezinski faction has won over the power elite, and the neo-cons are already lame ducks -- since last fall, says veteran political analyst Webster Tarpley. He finds that "Zbig" also controls two of the three front runners for the presidency -- Barack Obama and John McCain, but that Obama is the elitist favorite for a facelift to the tottering empire.

Author Tarpley paints Obama as a Brzezinski protegé who has been scripted in the role of messianic figure, a key ingredient in the planned hysteria of the "people power" coups perfected by the CIA and its NGO's in Eastern Europe, and now brought home to short-circuit America's political process.

Thus the title of the just-released exposé, "Obama The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate." It depicts Barack Obama as a deeply troubled personality, a megalomaniac front man for a synthetic revolution by intelligence agencies using fake polls, mobs of swarming adolescents, super-rich contributors, and an orchestrated media honeymoon, to seize power.

Tarpley names Obama's close links to the Ford Foundation. He avers that Obama has never won public office in a contested election; that his guru and controller is Zbigniew Brzezinski, the "deranged revanchist and Russia-hater who dominated the catastrophic Carter presidency;" and that all indications are that Brzezinski recruited Obama at Columbia University a quarter century ago.

"Obama - The Postmodern Coup" advances the thesis that Trilateral Commission co-founder Brzezinski is seeking a global showdown with Russia and China, which is far more dangerous for the United States than the Bush-Cheney Iraq adventure. Obama's economics are seen as pure Skull & Bones/Chicago school austerity and sacrifice for American working families, designed to bail out the bankrupt Wall Street elitist financiers who own Obama. "

Hillary would simply give us a mix of the neo-cons and Zbig factions, so we still end up at the same place, on the bottom. No change with these 3 choices.

Alot of us on the left saw 9-11 as blowback from a world in which decades of malevolent U.S. meddling has created WAY too much sorrow and hatred and WAY too little true democracy, freedom, and peace.

But MOST of us knew better than to express such sentiments while the blood of the world trade center was still drying. A more immediate, more empathetic emotion drew us to recognize the suffering and heroism of our fellow citizens on that day. Tragedy on that scale deserved no less.

Rev Wright preached 5 days after the massacre that he agreed with the sentiment, expressed elsewhere, that Americas 'chickens were coming home to roost'. He then recounted a litany of shame of American transgressions over the years, all unjust and all true. And ALL completely irrelevant to the pain and sorrow being experienced by his fellow Americans in those days.

I saw the Moyers interview. I left convinced that Rev Wright is a deeply committed, deeply intelligent source of good in America, and HAS been for decades. He's walked the talk in his community in ways too many Pastors refuse to do in any but the most perfunctory manner. He certainly doesn't deserve to be judged on a sound-bite. Yet, he owes his fellow Americans an apology, for choosing, 5 days after the 9-11 tragedy, to focus on blame. The focus, five days after 9-11, should have been on sorrow. Monumental, unaccountable sorrow, of the sort that can never be fully explained or encompassed; not in a sound-bite, not in years of therapy.

Time enough for the blame sermon later.

I definitely think he's secure enough in himself to give that apology and move on. People who care enough to make a difference occasionally make mistakes. Indeed, they are the only ones who do.

I am an atheist, but fully appreciate Reverends like Jeremiah Wright who speak truth to power, and have to face down the consequences from the ugly side of America. His compassion and love of humanity shines through in this interview beautifully. Bill Moyers is also one of the last remaining people on TV who have any shred of decency and integrity.

Unfortunately, there seems to be too many white Americans who INSIST on being fooled by the corporate media, just so that their resentment and bitterness can have a convenient outlet. It has always been easy to work on the prejudices of this segment of the population. Sadly, they have the power to keep empowering the military and corporate elites that have been pillaging and plundering the Earth for five centuries now.

Also an answer to the sodomy issue, Wright's church is at the forefront of embracing gay and lesbians in the community. He has made an extra effort to include them, especially difficult in a congregation that may not understand why. The sodomy reference is actually about police brutality if you read it carefully enough (like what happened to Abner Louima).

Wright is right on so many things. It is sad, but indicative of the overpowering of the corporate media to define and frame the public sphere, that Obama had to reject him.

http://wrightisright.wordpress.com

"Yet, he owes his fellow Americans an apology, for choosing, 5 days after the 9-11 tragedy, to focus on blame. "

Why? Wright was warning against exactly what happened, that America would avenge this injury ten-fold and even a hundred-fold. Why shouldn't America reflect on the hidden history of the US role in the world, especially to a CONGREGATION, to explain the revenge is a very dangerous place to be? His sermon was perfectly timed.

It's just telling that some Americans would rather lapse into solipsism. Reverend Wright was brave to warn against meeting terror with terror. Too bad, the country can't listen to this.

Voxclamantis, iammyself and ceti, thank you for your excellent posts.

I believe that Obama is at once truly patriotic and aware of at least some of our past and present errors. Whatever his shortcomings, he strikes me as cerebral, sincere, progressive and conciliatory. Hillary Clinton is intelligent, but she is a lying, triangulating, Machiavellian narcissist who would bring nothing but bickering and hardball politics to a presidency which will face unprecedented military, foreign relations, economic, constitutional, environmental and healthcare crises. The aptly named Jeremiah Wright may be a bit strident, but sometimes one has to be to make an unpopular but necessary point. Socrates, Jesus, Gandhi and King could be strident, too, and got killed for their efforts.

Yes, Laurie. Let us thank Bill Moyers for presenting an opportunity to listen to Rev. Wright to actually understand where his passion comes from. I really fear that my USA is moving away from the ideals of pluralism, freedom of speech and thought and religion. Bill Moyers is almost alone in holding back the flood waters of facism in my opinion.
Without a citizenry who are educated in humanities, who are capable of understanding nuance and paradox and dissonance, I really worry that we cannot sustain our democracy.

If one actually reads or listens to Obama's Philadaphia speech, one would not likely say that he 'dumped' Rev,Wright. It's true his 'clarification' of his relationship with his pastor was rather political, but he was also very specific about not disowning him. I am sorry that Obama was unable to publicly agree with his pastor's views,(as I do) but given the way it all will be managed by the corporate media and the Republican slimers, there is no way he could do so. His speech was already more complex, nuanced and truthful than most Americans can tolerate-given their problem with Attention Deficit Disorder. If Obama had tried to explain the Reverend's views as the pastor was able to do with Bill Moyers, he would have been politically lynched. The 'Good America' mythology seems to be all that too many folks have to sustain themelves...sort of like religion and guns...and revealing the blood in the gullies of America the Beautiful is too much to take.
That Philadelphia speech gave me a hopeful feeling that his desire for unification may in fact be about real truth and conciliation rather than the usual wimpy 'bi-partisanship' which is just another word for giving in to the Republican bullybrats.

The interview was great. It should be an eye-opener to the American Bible-thumpers, flag-wavers, death-chanters, and those who believe "ignorance is bliss". In a short time Rev. Jeremiah Wright has demythologized some of the American myths. He is right that mis-education in America (both at home and in educational institutions) is one of the major causes for the ignorance that has resulted in arrogance and self-righteousness. The foreign policies of successive American governments manifest this arrogance and self-righteousness. I wonder how many Americans have read Howard Zinn's "People history of America"? Only such books and writings will redeem Americans from their ignorance about themselves, their country, and peoples around the world.

His words "Different does not mean deficient" strike at the very root of racism, classism, casteism, and sexism.

People, The problem is the right wing lie machine.

Their truth is different from our truth. We know that the USA has had a long bloody history of imperialism and violence. We know that capitalism is based on the ideology of Social Darwinism and might makes right. We think in an entirely different way from right wingers.

Right Wingers say clearly that our truth is false. They claim violence and competition is the only good and cooperation based societies are evil or irrelevant. These are irreconcilable differences. Only violence will solve these differences. Right wingers need to be killed. Jefferson understood this. That is why he called for frequent revolutions.

And MY Jewish friend who only worries about Jews and who presents one lie after the other. Shame on you and may your head be fitted to an appropriate size guillotine.

As George Orwell so eloquently and presciently stated in the book, "1984" -- "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."

mcmackle, it must feel great to be sooo smart. You see things so clearly, unlike the other folks here, or is that what Rush
said on his show?

Wright, in the transcript: You can't be whatcha ain't seen. And so many of our young boys haven't seen nothing but the gangs and the pimps and the brothers on the corner. They've never sat and talked to lawyers, they've never sat and talked to a man, a black man, with 2, 3 degrees!

Ok, that may be true, but it doesn't have to be, and it shouldn't be. It is a cultural defect in the US that the socioeconomic stratification is enforced with the zero-sum, king of the hill, every man for himself "American Way". It's rotten, it's a rotten foundation to try and build a society on.

There are two elements to the solution: First, we get rid of the institutionalization of the socioeconomic stratification, then what remains of it is dealth with by bringing members of the different occupational sectors to the town hall and have them talk to the kids, the young adults, to their parents, members of their communities. This is the kind of thing that successful societies do. Get used to it. And tell the news to that "guy you'd like to have a beer with" in the oval orifice.

Folks, please ignore mcmackle. Only wants to stir up the pot and wreck a very thoughtful discussion. Sad that trolls have too much time on their hands these days.

People can't get away from religion because they cannot get away from belief. Our parents, educational system, and churches all teach us to worship belief. Just believe, they say, no need to test it's validity. If you don't believe, you will go to hell. Do we really need to believe at all, or do we believe because beliefs give us a sense of security, false security? One of the silliest lines is one I remember from the movie, 'The Polar Express,' "Seeing is believing, am I wrong?" No, seeing is seeing, you do not have to believe in anything you see for yourself.

Rev. Wright hasn't said God D##N America as many times as I have myself. Sound bites, phffff, no thinking human being would misconstrue and delve deeper to hear what more there was to his sermon that day! I do part ways re; Louis Farrakhan, NOI MURDERED Malcolm X, he espouses the wearing of niqab and abaya for women, he is a Fundamentalist in regards to al-Islam, for these reasons myself knowing al-Islam he is wrong, Farrakhan not Rev., we all have persons we find a kinship with that are not perfect, hmmm, humans, huh??? If only the Murderer in Chief would comprehend such things. Humanity, is to what I refer, laughable of course, bush and the EVIL-DOER will suffer great hardships until, in the EVIL-DOERS case doubtful, death. If only sooner, it would be greatly appreciated by many.

Hillary and I may be "ONE" at an ethereally ineffable place, but … … …

My vote will not be limited by DIEBOLD, as it is cast from BEING'ness, nor by false choices AS IF any mere ballot can HOLD my prescription for ( unprecedented & universally everlasting ) _ C H A N G E _.

But then, I'm still intent on
___ I M A G I N E ___ and
_ D R E A M I N G _

¿ … perhaps you can join me, too … ?