Nothing new.
I hate to have to point out the obvious but all of the Obama/terrorist, Obama/socialist stuff is nothing but old racism. In their glory days, the Klan never claimed to hate Blacks/Jews/Catholics because they were Blacks/Jews/Catholics. They claimed to hate them because they were enemies of "America". America being whatever they wanted it to mean at the moment.
And then there's the Sarah Palin "feminism" crap. Besides protecting "America" racists have always been about protecting and "empowering" the flower of the white race: white women. White women weren't just expected to remain passive while they were being protected either. They were expected to take a stand and speak out in defense of their relatively privileged position, a position which they had earned through "virtue".
"Virtue" like "America" means anything the racist wants it to mean, but it usually referred to domestic virtues and sexual purity. Sarah Palin's feminist message is that regular decent and virtuous women are being threatened (by ravening, oversexed hordes) and "American" white men need to rush their defense.
You know, I've lost the ability to frame a decent argument. I've read easily five or six books on the history of racism in America. That puts me five or six books ahead of 99% of my countrymen. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but to anyone who has taken a little time to learn, this stuff is so painfully obvious. I kind of wish that certain elements of the American Right would just admit that they are really White Supremacists and they are following the classic program of the Ku Klux Klan.
Then again, they probably don't know that themselves.
Oh, and if you're white trash, like me, don't go thinking the masters love you. They just find you useful
3 comments:
I know how you feel when you say "I've lost the ability to frame a decent argument."
Perhaps it is a case of too much shit happening right now to properly absorb. I found myself attempting to engage in conjecture on somebody else's site a few days ago - I won't mention where, specifically - and while the point I struggled to make seemed fairly straightforward, I quickly exhausted myself and 'walked' away quite frustrated.
We are all of us grappling with issues on many levels at this moment in time. While McCain is an ass and Palin a vindictive media tart, it is sadly not all black and white.
I'm voting for Obama. I'm happy to be voting for Obama. After he wins, I'll tear into him. As far as black and white goes, McCain's thinly veiled racism is pretty black and white. I'm happy to call him on it, but I don't think his base really minds being called racist. I don't think he really minds either. BTW, the line about having read 5 or 6 books was meant to be a joke. I've been puzzling over the race issue since I was twelve or so. Sometimes I think I have an informed opinion. Most of the time I'm struggling.
Oh, yes. McCain is a a racist. Possibly even the definition of misanthrope. Or sociopath. No doubt about it.
If I were in your shoes - if I had a vote - i'd put an 'x' on the ballot paper next to Obama too. What else can you do.
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