Jul
13
The End of Racism in America?
Filed Under American Politics
By Israel
With the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency last November we were reliably informed by conservatives who had told us about WMD’s, Mission Accomplished, and unanticipated breeched levees that the race war was over, leaving behind them a collection of people who reacted by either walking around open-mouthed, shaking their heads in bemusement/disbelief/sadness/wonder or had their eyebrows raised higher than a desperate, fading Hollywood starlet after her third facelift.
The unilateral declaration of the end of the Race war seemed to cheer up a lot of people on the Republican side who, even though they lost, seemed quite happy with armistice being declared and patted themselves on the back on a job well done even though they either had nothing to do with it or actively tried to stoke the racial fires with the usual slurs, outlandish comments, lying political ad’s and manipulation of voters rights.
Okay, so November didn’t have anything to top the Harold Ford advert from 2006, but the comments and actions at McCain/Palin rallies did give more than a slight inkling of which direction things were going.
So what has actually happened in the six months since Obama’s inauguration?
Well we have seen Gun sales on the increase, in no little part fuelled by both Glen Beck and the NRA with false stories on gun rights being removed, a resurgence of right wing militia groups and an uptick of traffic on sites such as Stormfront, an increase in racial attacks as well as an increased level of racial slurs on right wing websites such as Free Republic which was pretty bad after just the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court but has now reached the event horizon with the racist attacks on Malia Obama as Kos diarists The Halfrican and CatM have brilliantly been monitoring.
Unfortunately it’s about to get worse.
Monday morning see the start of the hearings on Judge Sonia Sotomayor (who Mike Huckabee called “Maria”. Seen one, seen ‘em all eh, mike?), and with the likes of Pat Buchanan (who never met a privileged old white male’s viewpoint he didn’t like to keep as the status quo) and Tom Tancredo (a man who is the child of immigrants himself, but is so dense to that fact that he actually deflects light) leading the charge in the media and being led in the Senate by the Civil Rights hating reject for the Federal Bench Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and the singular walking brain trust that is Sen. Jim Inhofe (R- Moran). Things have the combustible elements included to get ugly. This was before the Republicans decided that New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci should come in as their rookie draft pick choice to help sift through the last two decades of Judge Sotomayor’s legal decisions and give his considerable legal opinions on them.
I actually long for the days when l thought that Republicans would just try to filibuster Judge Sotomayor’s nomination. How the hearings in the Senate go, along with the usual grandstanding from both sides when it comes to these things, will say a lot for the direction of the remains of the Republican party and how they are seen by the people who are still in it, the Democrats who are out of it, the independents who are not sure about them and those who left in droves in disgust at the hypocrisy and the tactics.
This is going to be a very long summer, both with the health care debate and with AG Eric Holder finally looking into the Bush Administration torture programmes as ex officials just won’t shut up.
Racism is in no way dead in the US, it is just sitting in a bar getting wasted. When it reaches the stage where it wants to fight everybody it will be back and will be acting invincible. Hopefully there will be someone there to wrestle the car keys off them and get them to bed to sleep it off without too much damage being done. Unfortunately, looking at things as they are, the chances of vehicular manslaughter are still pretty high.
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30 Responses to “The End of Racism in America?”
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Re the Free Republic Story
Via Gawker
So the KosKids think it’s OK to post hate speech as well, they just happen to be a lot less honest about it.
Are you sure it was Freepers making those comments and not KosKids pretending to be Freepers?
Cabbie:
“Are you sure it was Freepers making those comments and not KosKids pretending to be Freepers?”
Come on mate, you lose respect when you regurgitate stuff like that!!!
Projection is a great trait on the right but we both know that comment is crap.
If Free Republic were as concerned as you say then they would never have put the thread back up after removing it, and they would also have banned those who made the comments.
It’s pathetic to try to deflect what right wing poster said now by trying to claim it was infiltraters from the left who did it.
I know people on the right like to emulate Karl Rove but opponents are a lot wiser to it now.
Cabbie:
PS where on Gawker do they provide a link to what they are saying occured from Chris Perry?
Israel
i was kidding about the KosKids being responsible for the comments – but it isn’t a new phenomenon, I’ve seen regular reports of left wing commentators visiting right wing sites, pretending to be conservative and then making outrageous comments to discredit the right. I particularly remember seeing a report about them pretending to be Palin supporters as a way to discredit her (it was a long time ago and I don’t remember where I saw it so I can’t prove anything). No doubt the right do this too but it’s hardly the high horse politics that you claim for the left.
Gawker link
Israel
I was planning a post on race in America based on this Ta-Nehisi Coates article.
This whole racist meme from the right is a sick joke that idiot Tom Tancredo employs real racists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQAh6XE7gO4
His staffer Marcus Epstein beat up a black woman and called her the N word.
Conservative Cabbie,
Whose blog is this? Yours or Israel’s? If I wanted to read all this leftist racial crap, I could go to other left wing blogs…
Oh dear…the dreadful ‘N’ word…what about a whitey being called a honkey all the time? Why are blacks allowed to mock whites in movies but the reverse is rarely seen?
Racism will be dead when affirmative action ends and quoting Israel:
Racism is in no way dead in the US, it is (black folk – O/T’s insert) just sitting in a bar getting wasted. When it reaches the stage where it wants to fight everybody it will be back and will be acting invincible. Hopefully there will be someone there to wrestle the car keys off them and get them to bed to sleep it off without too much damage being done. Unfortunately, looking at things as they are, the chances of (muggings – OT’s insert)vehicular manslaughter are still pretty high.
Racism will be dead when a white man can drink in a totally black bar without being cussed, threatened or killed.
Racism will be dead when black guys dressed in berets and wearing sunglasses dont intimidate white folk at voting booths.
Racism will be dead whe the folk on death row equal the percentage of the population they represent (ie. there should be 80% whites on death row and 20% from minorities) and not the other way around.
Racism will end when people finally realise that not only whites are racist.
I daresay this post was put on here by Israel to wind me up??
Racism will be dead when there is an American holiday that does not read ‘Black history day’
What about an ‘American history day?’ As long as groups are identified by colour, the end of racism and jealousy will never come.
An American/ Original Tony
I’m very happy to have Israel post here, the aim of this blog is to be open to all views and allow debate accordingly. Being black, Israel is in a position to offer a perspective that the rest don’t have. Having said that, I strongly disagree with his contention that the right are de facto racist. I think a more important debate about race in America would focus on the sociological issues involved (a post I’m writing at the very minute).
Israel is right to confront some of the disgusting statements made about Malia in The Free Republic last week. We cannot condemn the attacks on Palin’s children in one post and then criticise Israel for pointing out right wing commentary that not only attacks Obama’s 11 year old daughter, but does it in a racial context. But by projecting those comments on to a whole party, Israel, I believe, has diminished his argument.
Further to my defence of Israel’s right to post.
When I initially asked for other posts from you guys, I determined then to have a very very light editorial approach. You have all been incredibly loyal and supportive to this effort, something for which I am amazingly grateful. I don’t think of this as my blog but ours. And for that reason, it would be wrong of me to reject a post (there are certain conditions in which I would).
Ok Cabbie, fair is fair. I did not hear what these guys said about Obama’s daughter and I would not support that behaviour from anyone. I hate racism believe it or not.
Also, due to the long hours in my job I cant get access to all the stories you guys frequent so I am often a bit in the dark with topical items, like the Malia/Free Republic incident.
Where I will dig in my heels though is where only whites are portrayed as racist. That really gets my goat steaming hot. I lost my Zimbabwean citizenship (my place of birth) because I am white so I fel very strongly about this aspect of racism. Plus the fact that jobs are reserved for blacks only in S Africa…my how the wheels have turned…but we will be told that’s affirmative action. To me it’s just pure racism.
C. Cabbie,
So, let me get this straight. I’m suppose to listen to Israel who is black, born in Sierra Leon and a UK citizen and a socialist extoll on race relations in America? You are kidding… right?
O. Tony,
It is pure racism and in their minds…its payback, which makes it ok.
We now have a black US president and his wife who hate America and everything that it stands for.
I won’t be surprised if we end up with a race war on top of everything else that is falling apart under Obama…when you see how blacks are behaving with Obama’s win.
Recently, a large group of young black men beat up a white family in their front yard, women included…the father was hospitalized. Their parting remarks were about them being in ‘power’ now. We have black kids in uniform marching and pledging allegiance to Obama on the YouTube…on top of the incidents you’ve mentioned.
I am sick to heart for what Obama has brought to this country…he has opened a racial wound to empower himself…
I’m not sure why Israel’s opinion is less worthy simply because he is not an American?
As an Independant Moderate who post at DKos because I don’t get banned for expressing a moderate or more conservative opinion on certain subjects, and an Ex-Pat, its obvious to any reasonable individual that Free Republic has become a hate site. Its not good for the Republicans as I believe that a viable Republican party is healthy for the U.S., not good for the Democrats and not good for the U.S. as a whole.
The thread was disgusting. Screen shots are out there. Most of the posters are long-standing members of Free Republic, and a free-for-all of disgusting comments was had regarding an 11 year old child.
Free Republic is, I believe, the most active conservative blog out there. Its going downhill fast and the Republicans need to do better.
Morgan,
I wouldn’t be surprised if those nasty comments on the Free Republic weren’t planted by leftys…they are good at that kind of thing…Suffice it to say, they should have edited the comments from their blog.
An American
I was born in Cyprus, educated in the Isle of Man, live in England and have spent a grand total of two weeks in America. You allow me to comment on America. I’m not sure there’s a difference. I don’t agree with what Israel said, but as someone who thinks that freedom of speech is important, I say that he has a right to say it. By all means question his qualifications and more importantly, question the content, but surely as a person who loves freedom, not his right to say it.
The strength of this blog is that Americans and Brits are able to discuss what is happening in America. As Brits, there are cultural holes in our knowledge that, no matter how well read we may be, we cannot hope to fix. That is why we rely on you and shoxkwaver to give us that perspective. And hopefully, I speak on behalf of my fellow Brits in saying that we are grateful for, and respect that help.
Unfortunately you don’t have that option. It was a long standing member who posted the thread, and numerous long-standing members participating…in the most vile manner.
C’mon..its comments like that that caused me to become an Independant. Both sides need to discuss their strengths and call-out their weaknesses.
Free Republic is a cesspool and the number of other Conservative or Moderate blogs that want nothing to do with their message is significant, and a sign of hope for the GOP.
Great…we have another chameleon on this blog now. Anyway, he’ll keep Ronnie company
C. Cabbie,
You can defend all you want…but I came over to your blog because it said ‘Conservative’ Cabbie and was about American politics. It did not say ‘Liberal’ Israel.
I do appreciate that you are busy and have a job that must come first…and it’s fine for a variety of people to express themselves on occasion, but I hope you will be able to keep it balanced…your blog seems to be tipping left.
Morgan,
No offense…but Independent Moderates are what got the US into today’s mess.
An American:
I would respectfully disagree with you on that assertion though I would entertain listening to your reasoning.
My gardener is here right now and I have to go outside for a bit but promise to check back in. I’ve bookmarked the site.
Morgan.
Welcome.
I would contend the fact that you can conflate the Free Republic and the GOP, the more establishment blogs that I read would go nowhere near Malia or Obama’s race as a negative. They may discuss his own use of his race as a divisive element within American society, a legitimate point, but they would not use race alone as a weapon.
An American
I’m working on a couple of lengthy posts at the moment, one of which will be up soon, which will hopefully tip it back to the right again
Conservative Cabbie:
You may have missed this part of my post:
“Free Republic is a cesspool and the number of other Conservative or Moderate blogs that want nothing to do with their message is significant, and a sign of hope for the GOP.”
An American who want’s to debate with people you agree with that’s so boring.
I ended up The Spectator & Con Cabbie because I want my assumptions tested.
We should have less boilerplate and more debate about issues.
Oh and hello to Morgan You’re very welcome, have you just discovered us or have you been lurking for awhile?
Morgan,
It was Independent Moderates…some would call them ‘Camouflage Left of Center’… that voted for Obama that helped him win the election.
Did you vote for Obama…just curious.
Morgan
I did see that, but then stupidly forgot it as I replied – a well made point. However, if as I suggest and you sort of agree with, FR is not representative, surely that wouldn’t have been sufficient motivation for leaving the party. I disagree with An American on moderates, the GOP needs to appeal to them. However, and your views on this would be interesting, that can be achieved by a change in tone, not necessarily in policy.
As I said you are very welcome here. Please don’t judge this blog by the posts, I am very much an amateur. The quality of this blog is the debates in the comments. Diversity in views and personal history and sometimes very vociferous debate but ultimately always respectful.
Morgan,
Gosh…you’re going to have to toughen up. My statements were tame compared to some that I’ve received…Hope you’ll continue to give us your take on events.