Obama Is a 'Global George Zimmerman'

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In the wake of President Obama's speech about the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, Democracy Now talked with outspoken Obama critic Cornel West on Monday to get his thoughts on the president's comments, the Huffington Post reports.

The professor cited the killing of innocent people during U.S. drone strikes and called the president a "global George Zimmerman." He also criticized the president's morality and his tardiness in speaking out against the inequalities in the justice system.

On Obama's remarks comparing himself to Trayvon Martin, West says: "Will that identification hide and conceal the fact there's a criminal justice system in place that has nearly destroyed two generations of precious, poor black and brown brothers? [Obama] hasn't said a word until now — five years in office and can't say a word about a 'new Jim Crow.' … Obama and [Attorney General Eric] Holder — will they come through at the federal level for Trayvon Martin? We hope so — [but] don't hold your breath. There's going to be many people who say, 'We see this President is not serious about the criminalizing of poor people.'"

West continues: "I think we have to acknowledge that President Obama has very little moral authority at this point, because we know anybody who tries to rationalize the killing of innocent peoples, a criminal — George Zimmerman is a criminal — but President Obama is a global George Zimmerman," pointing to Obama's attempt to rationalize the killing of innocent children in U.S. drone strikes.

Read more at Democracy Now and the Huffington Post.