Oh…and nice drop about your deployment in 1984…I’ll think about it the next time my convoy gets hit with an IED.

So you’re comparing the abject poverty of another nation to state comparatively we aren’t that bad off? The statements you’re making about materialism are an AMERICAN issue and not limited to one section of our populace…that barge was filled with American garbage correct?

As far as all the rest…you are telling me what black women, as a whole, have done. I, as a black woman, disagree. I think there can be no further discussion honestly as you are set in your opinion and I in mine. Your opinion is just…I would call you a misogynist but I realize your point was intended to be more subtle than that…though your earlier comment on receiving the “lion’s share of the booty” does take away all the depth you are trying to create in your later posts.

Not obtuse or oblique, but truthful, which goes far beyond the consensus of our reality.
See, success is a perception, that most of us seem to agree is based on a person’s ability to acquire and enjoy material trappings and social status, but has little to do with what brings us joy. All the spiritual, moral, ethical and collective socially beneficial elements a person may possess are generally made tertiary, if not completely thrown out the window.
We’re not talking about survival or even living well here, we’re talking about vanity. A kind of ministry of material possessions, including mates, as a sign that one is blessed by God. Still it has little to do with the intent to know and share a better living with anyone, just self.

Black Women in general (none specifically) and the exceptions are both rare and easy to point out, have given up [our] ability to be of beneficial influence to the generations that follow in exchange for prestigious jobs and cheap overpriced, fleeting, trendy, material things that don’t appreciate in value or add to the quality of our lives. In addition, Many of my poor sisters have been seduced into believing that “The powers that be” have the best plans and intentions for us and our children. And if they follow the plan, they will be able to fix our collective problems, then when they realize they were wrong all the faults point everywhere but inward.

Most heterosexual men, chase after the things that women want, so that they can compete to attract women. Often times losing the joy of their passionate avocations and the desire to experience outside of the scope of the women they are conditioned to find attractive and attainable.

Those Black Men that successfully survive both, the conditioning of the hood and beyond 25 (roughly the nation average life expectancy of a black man) usually find their way back to the things that bring them joys, that don’t require great sacrificial sums of money. Sometimes they learn that what they enjoy, involves the production of things that generate income. Sometimes they learn that women once they’ve attained a level of maturity beyond being “Grown and Sexy” find what these brothers do for pleasure to be things worthy or developing interests in. But more often than not, women of other cultures that share similar interests will be found in greater numbers. Thus causing a dilemma, and that being, cultural obligation.

Okay, so you’re being deliberately obtuse about the reality of black society today. Instead you turn to a soliloquy on materialism that as nothing to do with the poverty and lack of upward movement that a majority of the black population is facing.

See I live in reality…the one were people have children they can’t afford, live in poverty their entire lives, lose children to street violence, are victims of violence themselves, don’t get an education, and pass that on to the next generation.

I choose to live in that reality and try to help though my regular life would NEVER intersect with it.

I actually live in a reality where my next deployment I may not return from. So your generalizations on the delusions of black women, while amusing, are ultimately because you live in a reality where you don’t have to deal with any of those things.

Did you really type hair costs as much as an abortion? The ideal would be abortion prevention via birth control and planned parenthood so that shows the mindset is not where I need it to be anyway. Particularly your notation on “getting the lion’s share of booty when you’re older making marriage pointless.” If it makes you happy darling…have fun.

I like your thinking

The idea of the harem being a closed matriarchal social construct, designed around the benefit of a group of women and their offspring. It might be logical to ponder this concept.

But logic has nothing to do with Black woman, thus justifying my vote for delusional.

Thank you.

If you don’t inspire it, design it or make it, you get what someone else sells or gives you.

I’m not ignoring anyone’s experience, but since we’re on the issue of how a sister’s hair do and an abortion cost about the same amount of money…
… Or rather why people are willing to pay upwards of $35 for a $2.00 t-shirt (price after screen printing)…
…Or rather why people would be willing to spend $250k for a VW Passat with a Bentley sticker on it…
…Is these things impress people that are
not as bright as they are.

For people to believe and instill in their children the belief that the things they purchase, where they matriculated, where they live, what jobs they have, how much they spend (or saved) for their cosmetics makes them better and therefore more attractive to the people they are attracted to becomes a problem that distracts potential mates from beneficial pursuits.

You don’t learn that until your job goes to someone in another country.

But on average, nerds tend to live longer than ballers.
So, we get the lions share of booty when we’re older.
Which makes marriage rather pointless.

My brother…you’re generalizing the entire population of black women as delusional?

I’m not going to ask about the details of your past marriage unless you volunteer them but honestly I would like one of ya’ll to explain your reasoning behind your delusion comment or vote. As I mentioned earlier…black women are dealing with some serious realities that ya’ll are ignorning…possibly because they aren’t within your experience.