More on Racism - I'll make this extra quick, because this will get commented to death. Two phrases have come to my attention that annoy the shit out of me: 'white guilt' and 'white privilege.' And both of them are attached to racist attitudes, all surrounding Barack Obama, who is black. I generally don't give a rats left nutsack either way, but when it gets brought up, I have to mention it.
I spent my Sunday night listening to Allen Hunt, and he was talking about voting for or against a black candidate on race alone. He cited a Stanford University study which shows the extent of racism that may exist in that bastion of equality for all, the Democrat party (to be fair, there was no GOP data, so this is a cheap shot). He also included a statistic that is both sad and hopeful: 3% of people would not vote for a black president based primarily on race. The statistic that cites how many would vote for a black man based primarily on race was not given, but I'm pretty sure it has to be close. I have stated before that this is dumb (especially when it's 'white guilt'), but I do give any black person a little leeway on this subject, due to the generations that did have to eat a gargantuan shit sandwich.
I do take hope that this is a sign that we are finally getting racism out of our culture.
Of course there are those that disagree (and shall remain nameless until they have to chime in) (and they will), citing asinine things like 'white privilege.' The dreck I refer to was, of course, a pro-Obama, anti-McCain/Palin rant. But it misses a very critical point. It tries to compare individual actions of people of one race with stereotypes of the other race as a whole (and stereotypes held by at least a third of Democrat voters), and instead of trying to learn, it sought to numb the mind. Just let it be said that while most of the right (except the true wingnuts) generally don't discuss race, due to the minimal role it has in shaping our opinions and comments, far too many people on the left seem to be ready to blame a McCain victory on racism.
Here's a little info: Republican voters could all be racists. They won't be voting for Obama anyway. If he loses, it will be because of racists in the Democrat Party. Hard pill to swallow when your own party is the enemy, isn't it? Now you have something in common with conservatives.
One more thing: If Obama wins, then I'll declare systemic racism over. And you can take your race warrior bullshit and leave, because I'll just call BS and delete your comment for it.
WTF, W? - I have to run out to the dollar store to grab another reflector pan and some flour on Friday morning (as I have a propensity to start small grease fires) and had my radio interrupted YET AGAIN TO HEAR THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCE ANOTHER FUCKING BAILOUT!!! Naturally, I had to curtail my comments as the announcement came down, being that darling little two-year-old in the backseat was getting good at repeating everything I say (REALLY can't say 'bullshit' when listening to liberals with her next to me). But I was, as you might expect, pissed. And over the weekend, all I heard was the two candidates trying to score points: McCain running down Obama and Obama running down Bush (although maybe he should focus on his opponent).
Now if you hadn't noticed, my biggest problem with the administration is its tendency to throw money at problems like a bunch of crazy liberals. And here we are, with a shaky but functional economy, with a lot of bad debt floating around, and the government is going to throw billions (that's with a 'B' as in 'bitchfist', people) to buy up and "stabilize the economy.The problem here is that every time the government gets involved, they entangle themselves deeper. The case can always be made that "[whatever] can't fail, because the consequences of that failure may be too much for the economy to bear. I just want to know where the line is between promoting the general welfare and nationalizing industries. Because I'm pretty sure we're way the hell across the line.
(Nod to my New Zealand fan base for dropping the cartoons in the e-mailbag)
23 comments:
the pre-election narrative story is in place.
If Obama wins, look how far our country has come. Enligtenment is upon us let slip the doves of brotherly love.
If Obama loses, we are still a bunch of dirty klansmen. Let slip the pitbulls of hate.
And where will that leave Jesse and Al?
One telling headline over the weekend said that the USA was more communistic than China after the bailouts.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26603489/
I read you link Beth, and I think it's just more hog wash.
"America is more communist than China is right now."
Just another stupid conservative montra.
Nothing new there.
Looks like when you have just the left view, you may be quite blind.
and liberals are racist. The belief in the need of affirmative action has the passive smell of, "you're not quite capable of doing it yourself."
let's move forward. Racism exists in ALL races. As long as we succumb to the "fill the blank" -American, the split will exist. It may be cute to be Irish-American or Italian, American, but we are Americans first. Teddy was right.
Beth said...
Looks like when you have just the left view, you may be quite blind.
Well Beth, unless YOU are blind, and you may not have noticed that the country you and I live in has turned into a bit of a mess under YOUR Conservitive president Bush!
Obob: You're almost an oracle. I say almost because I have to reserve that for myself. But I'm sure there's there's bound top be someone who misses our collective wisdom.
Left: First of all, welcome. Having said that however....
Racism is one of the core conservative values.
I'd sure like to see where the source of this incredibly fucking stupid statement comes from. That's as stupid as saying all liberals want to destroy America. Now if you have anything reasonable to add....
YOUR Conservitive president Bush!
One problem with that statement. Most of the problems that can be attributed to Bush (including the bailout, if you missed it) were because Bush abandoned the conservative principles that we got him elected and conservatives expected.
You'll find, if you read, that there are few absolute Bush fans here.
Beth: CNBC still exists?!?!?!
Toad: I don't think it's completely accurate to say that if Obama looses it's because of racist Democrats.
True. However, if it's racism that costs Obama the election, it won't be racists on the right.
As far as throwing racism out if he wins, I would also say that's still a pretty big stretch.
You missed the word systemic. Racism will never end. But at some point, it ceases to be a problem and begins to be an excuse. And THAT'S my point.
And would you stop pretending that only liberals love big government and welfare.
That's the focus of liberal thought, though. Conservatives generally seek smaller governments. Oh, but you're comparing liberals to Republicans, not conservatives. The bailout (and the "stimulus" checks and medicare drug benefits, etc) did not happen because of conservatives, but because the Republicans stopped behaving like conservatives. Please learn the difference.
I can't say I'm thrilled about the bailout. And GW is anything but a conservative with this action.
Left: On checking out your blog post on the same subject, I do want to clarify that I'm challenging your statement, and not you personally. What I read there vs the comments you left here on the same subject come off very different.
Had some issues with other people misunderstanding this the past two weeks, so I figured I'd state that explicityly.
Patrick, I would love to jump in but you have really put too much on the plate for one blog.
However, I will say this on the racism thread.
One of the blind spots for many people is an inability to notice that while yes, people are equal, some, rather many, people are starting out farther ahead.
It is the equivalent of two people running a race of 400 meters, but in reality, one of those guys only has to run 300 meters.
They are both equally fast. They are both running to the same goal.
But because one of them is starting ahead, he will invariably win.
So here is where I see the analogy hitting home. We have a system that while arguably, is not now systemically racist, has been built on systemic racism and the denial of opportunity, access, and equal rights for over 200 years.
In a country where much wealth has been accumulated over the years through property, and then that wealth passed on, how could people who were systemically denied that right, get in on the party?
For us to them say it is about people not working hard enough is just ludicrous, to quote Mike Tyson.
So I'll leave it at that and wait to get hammered by my conservative or republican, I hope friends.
Aren't you getting tired of the mainstream media meme that if you're white and you don't vote for Barack Obama it's because you're a racist? Or that if John McCain wins, it's because he's white and Obama isn't?
What a crock of ctap that is. Yet the MSM repeats it over and over again.
I am so happy to see that other people feel the way I do. I think Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air to the trashy and garish Hollywood left. We need a return to some basic human decency. I live in a very conservative neighborhood where most everyone is a Republican. My husband and I are respected and loved by most everyone. I’m not so sure this would be true in some more liberal neighborhoods. Let me say that the whole backlash against Palin has cemented my disdain for the left and their hateful ways
Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent," responsible for their own troubles.
Patrick:
But racists on the right are the ones spreading lies that he hates white people, hates America and is a Muslim and that influences the people in the center.
Yes, Republicans are not small government fiscal conservatives. If that's whay you seek, stop voting for them. Voting Libertarian and loosing states like Ohio and Indiana will send a strong message to the Republicans that they are doing it wrong.
One problem with that statement. Most of the problems that can be attributed to Bush (including the bailout, if you missed it) were because Bush abandoned the conservative principles that we got him elected and conservatives expected.
Sorry. Doesn't excuse the Republicans. They've been screwing the public on these issues for years--all the way back to the S&L bailout, then the Enron debacle.
It is something the Republicans believe in. Scam the public, take the money, then make the public pay.
Just look at who was involved in the S&L scandal (McCain) and Enron (Ken Lay, Bush's best boy), and now this scandal.
Don't give me this crap about "not acting like conservatives." This is a pattern of conservative malfeasance.
And if government is the problem, not the solution, why in god's green teeth do the rollers and shakers on Wall Street look to government to give them a solution? And why does a Republican/conservative administration want the government to give the US a solution.
Stop with the "not acting like conservatives." This is how conservatives have been acting for years.
Shaw, they are not acting like conservative when they abandon conservative principles. Many Republican leaders have abandoned the conservative principles! Bush is the ring leader in this respect, totally!
Dave: No hammering here. But there's one problem with your analogy. The race never ends. It's kind of like a perpetual relay. Now I won't say everybody starts out exactly the same, but race alone is not the primary determinant of that anymore.
And since you mentioned Mike Tyson, here's the perfect example of someone starting the race behind, excelling, getting great opportunities, and squandering those opportunities by his own actions. In addition, he was so damned stupid as to give real racists ammo for their racial superiority bullshit.
Sandy: Welcome. Actually, I stopped watching the MSM long ago. Keeps the blood pressure down.
I will say also that, liberal or conservative, good neighbors are good neighbors. And some of the liberals who spew their opinions here are very nice people. Nucking futs, but nice.
Bob: Democrats, gotta love 'em.
Toad: But racists on the right are the ones spreading lies...
Those aren't necessarily racists, just the wingnuts. And those kinds of idiots on the left (the monnbats) are the ones saying ridiculous things about Sarah, things that are either mostly or totally untrue, and are hurting their own candidate with the independents.
Usually we just unleash some derision toward idiots like that.
Shaw: If you missed it, it's been both sides that have been contributing to this problem, Democrats and Republicans. Although this confusion you seem to have about conservatism and the GOP is getting tiring.
The government (and the GOP) needs to get out of the habit of bailing out stupidity. The fact that it became habit for companies to look for relief from the feds means we're in real trouble.
I am hoping that the Democrats will keep bickering over this stupidity and kill the bailout though. Of course, the hit to the economy will be bad, but we're way overdue for it.
Beth: Any way we could get a do-over in the 2000 primaries?
On the subject of racism--what in hell is Limbaugh trying to establish in his latest rant?
Limbaugh baselessly asserted of Sen. Barack Obama: “Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood?” Limbaugh continued: “He’s Arab. You know, he’s from Africa. He’s from Arab parts of Africa. … [H]e’s not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American.”
From the September 22 broadcast of the Limbaugh Show:
LIMBAUGH: These polls on how one-third of blue-collar white Democrats won’t vote for Obama because he’s black, and — but he’s not black. Do you know he has not one shred of African-American blood? He doesn’t have any African — that’s why when they asked whether he was authentic, whether he’s down for the struggle. He’s Arab. You know, he’s from Africa. He’s from Arab parts of Africa. He’s not — his father was — he’s not African-American. The last thing that he is is African-American. I guess that’s splitting hairs, I don’t — it’s just all these little things, everything seems upside-down today in this country.
I've always maintained that Limbaugh is stupid, and I stand by that assertion.
Obama's father was born on the African continent. Not on the Arab peninsula.
If someone were born in a very, very heavily Arab populated part of America, say in certain parts of Detroit, Michigan, that would NOT make that person ARAB. That person would be an American first, and also considered a North American.
I can't imagine how Limbaugh and other conservative blowhards can twist that fact to say Obama has an Arab father. (Of course we know what Limbaugh is trying to do--plant the fear in his listeners' minds (?) that Sen. Obama is a SECRET MUSLIM!!!!!!
In any event, Limbaugh is hoping his fan club will be too stupid to understand that Sen. Obama was born in America, and is as American as he is, and that is all that matters here.
I wonder why Limbaugh continues to beat that dead horse.
It wouldn't be to stir up racial doubts would it?
Naaaaaaaaaah! Limbaugh would NEVER do that!
Shaw: I did actually hear that part of the show yesterday. You forgot to mention that it started with the study about racist Democrats. It was a parody of the probable arguments within the post-King black leadership, trying to decide if Obama was "black enough" to bring the brothers to the White House.
You've obviously missed the parts where Rush has his Official Obama Criticizer, Bo Snerdly (who I found out was black after only 2 decades of not caring) go off on Obama in both English and Ebonics.
Can you tell when someone is actually laughing at you and your ilk?
Trust me when I say that his audience does get it.
But Patrick, there will be people who will repeat that stuff as Gospel.
I know that we can't reasonably expect others to always get it, but knowing it will be repeated as fact, even if by idiots [not you Shaw], is a dangerous place to be.
You can bet that over the next few weeks, people will start to mention that Obama is not black but Arab because of this.
Did Limbaugh really say Obama was Arab and not black?
If you want to say he isn't "african american" you could get away with it even though he is half African and half American but to say he's and Arab? Wow, just goes to show you that he really doesn't know what he's talking about. Next he's going to try to say that Iranians are Arabs too.
See, if he wants to talk about the virtues of drug abuse, divorce, or hating poor people or Liberals, he's got the market cornered but he just isn't worldly enough to talk about serious issues that matter.
I had a relative who used to say the most vile things about member of his family and non-related people--that someone was a hag-nosed witch, or someone was a pervert and a drunk, or a lazy n-word, then, after getting off his insult or name-calling, he'd smile and say:
"Just kidding."
And everything, he believed, was okay. No hurt feelings--just kidding.
But we knew exactly what the weasel was up too. He was too cowardly to take responsibility directly for his poisonous epithets, so he made them respectable by saying it was only "parody" or "a joke."
He spread his crap around and got away with it, because, after all, it was just a joke.
We saw right through this ruse and knew exactly what kind of a creep he was for using it.
Dave: All I can say is that there will be people that vomit out such garbage on both sides, and there will be idiots that believe it. It's the reason we have such sad incumbents holding onto their offices. All I can do with facts.
Toad: I'm sure you have an ideologue that you leech some intelligent things off while ignoring the bluster.
Shaw: There's a difference. Compare Rush Limbaugh with an hour of Michael Savage and you'll see why I don't really listen to the latter.
Besides, you often hear anger and vitriol where there is none. Next you're going to be defending those Spanish Obama ads that feature Rush Limbaugh taken woefully out of context.
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