Carter has pills
I read an interesting opinion column in the NY Times today which talked about how we don't need President Carter to tell us that the complaints made against Obama are racist. Hmmm...
You know what, I think we do.
Here's a little something that most non-white people don't know about white people: we know when something's racist. We know it. In many cases, when our black friends are assuring us that something has nothing to do with their race, we hold our tongues, because...well, we don't want to be associated with that kind of racism. We don't want people thinking, hey, the whole white world is against me, since it isn't. We allow the illusion so as to protect the truth I guess.
So, there really aren't too many white people, I think, who didn't know from day one (and I'm talking the election) that a lot of the shit that we saw about Obama being a muslim or a terrorist, or whatever, was motivated by people who basically felt a little held back from simply saying that we shouldn't vote for him because he's black. But then, why say anything? You're not going to change those people's minds, and Obama is going to win the election anyway. So, we kept quiet, mostly.
In any case, there reaches a point where someone has to raise their hand and say, unleash the volley, and that is, essentially, what Carter did. He said, "let's bring race into this because, as we all know, it's part of it and we've been dancing around it." I applaud Obama for saying that it isn't about race, but well...he's wrong. They're basically saying that Hitler's main problem was that he tried to extend universal health care to the Jews. These people are so whacked out by their beliefs about race that...I'd call it Holocaust denial if it made some kind of sense. Instead, it's just crazy talk.
But here's the thing. I think race is something we need to discuss, but I don't think it's actually at the heart of these people's complaints. That is, if Obama were a woman, they'd hate women, and if Obama were a Mormon, they'd hate Mormons, and if his most salient feature was that he was a Texan, they'd pick on him for being a Texan. That's the extent of what they're doing. It's just that making fun of someone for being black carries a heavier weight than making fun of someone for being Texan. You know what I mean.
The real news here is that they don't want Federal Health Care, but the problem is, we'll never really hear why. They're so busy beating the one drum they got that they never say: hey look, the federal government fucks up everything else, why wouldn't they fuck up this? That never gets to be part of the debate because they're too busy drawing Obama as Hitler, the Joker, or Al Jolsen.
I do think we need universal health care. I think its morally imperative, but mostly I think that the 60 million people on record as unemployed and the countless others who are either underemployed or who have fallen off the grid and are no longer being counted in that figure are going to need some health care, especially after they've been allowed to become addicted to Prozac, Ridalin, and Percocet in a country that will allow anyone to buy a gun.
To be honest then, I hope the opposition keeps playing the race card, because they've never played that hand against other white people, and we know how to beat them at that game better than anyone else. If the health care debate wins or loses on whether or not the opposition doesn't like black people, then it will probably get through on that strength alone.
You know what, I think we do.
Here's a little something that most non-white people don't know about white people: we know when something's racist. We know it. In many cases, when our black friends are assuring us that something has nothing to do with their race, we hold our tongues, because...well, we don't want to be associated with that kind of racism. We don't want people thinking, hey, the whole white world is against me, since it isn't. We allow the illusion so as to protect the truth I guess.
So, there really aren't too many white people, I think, who didn't know from day one (and I'm talking the election) that a lot of the shit that we saw about Obama being a muslim or a terrorist, or whatever, was motivated by people who basically felt a little held back from simply saying that we shouldn't vote for him because he's black. But then, why say anything? You're not going to change those people's minds, and Obama is going to win the election anyway. So, we kept quiet, mostly.
In any case, there reaches a point where someone has to raise their hand and say, unleash the volley, and that is, essentially, what Carter did. He said, "let's bring race into this because, as we all know, it's part of it and we've been dancing around it." I applaud Obama for saying that it isn't about race, but well...he's wrong. They're basically saying that Hitler's main problem was that he tried to extend universal health care to the Jews. These people are so whacked out by their beliefs about race that...I'd call it Holocaust denial if it made some kind of sense. Instead, it's just crazy talk.
But here's the thing. I think race is something we need to discuss, but I don't think it's actually at the heart of these people's complaints. That is, if Obama were a woman, they'd hate women, and if Obama were a Mormon, they'd hate Mormons, and if his most salient feature was that he was a Texan, they'd pick on him for being a Texan. That's the extent of what they're doing. It's just that making fun of someone for being black carries a heavier weight than making fun of someone for being Texan. You know what I mean.
The real news here is that they don't want Federal Health Care, but the problem is, we'll never really hear why. They're so busy beating the one drum they got that they never say: hey look, the federal government fucks up everything else, why wouldn't they fuck up this? That never gets to be part of the debate because they're too busy drawing Obama as Hitler, the Joker, or Al Jolsen.
I do think we need universal health care. I think its morally imperative, but mostly I think that the 60 million people on record as unemployed and the countless others who are either underemployed or who have fallen off the grid and are no longer being counted in that figure are going to need some health care, especially after they've been allowed to become addicted to Prozac, Ridalin, and Percocet in a country that will allow anyone to buy a gun.
To be honest then, I hope the opposition keeps playing the race card, because they've never played that hand against other white people, and we know how to beat them at that game better than anyone else. If the health care debate wins or loses on whether or not the opposition doesn't like black people, then it will probably get through on that strength alone.
posted by Monstro D. Whale at
9:41 AM
4 Comments:
Al Jolson? Really?
Great title. Kind of harsh "Leave your comment" text, though.
eh...I'll change it. I'm completely tired of dealing with people who are trying to leave insults randomly on people's blog. It's a harsh world.
And yes, Al Jolson. Some of the comic caricatures that are coming out about Obama and being spread around the internet are just blatantly racist and are being picked up by people who are claiming to be non-racist in their politics. Look for it and you'll find it.
Thank you for writing this. The whole issue makes me exhausted, and living in the only red section of California is a bit taxing on the emotions of a passionate Democratic Socialist. For instance, having to stand in line at the DMV and listen to two strangers commiserate about the ten minute wait, stating that this will be what we have to deal with when we get government health care, makes me wanna punch people in the face and tell them to turn off Fox news and wake up. I am so disenchanted with America and its stupidity. Sigh.....okay, enough of that. This will probably get me in trouble.
Anyway, I love reading your blog! It's been a while.
~Tammy
Isn't it something like an increase from seven billion rounds of ammunition bought on average in previous years to something like nine billion within the past year?
Who the heck needs nine billion rounds of ammo? How many people are in the US? How many of these bullets are realistically headed for squirrels?
I love guns and 'plinking' at cans and targets. However, there is a point where obsession with weaponry becomes a sickness that should be stamped out in all forms.
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