I'm diggin on this article at the Religious Dispatches website, written by Peter Laarman, on the "religion of whiteness." HA!
A highlight on nostalgia: A time when white men [could] take certain things for granted, like the right to be ill-informed and obtuse but still receive deference and some degree of social privilege.
Go. Read.
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thank you, Dave Matthews
In an interview with CNN, Dave Matthews has something to say about racism and American politics. Here is the main highlight:
CNN: President Carter said he thinks that a lot of the animosity directed toward President Obama is race related.
Dave Matthews: Of course it is! I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid. But when I went back to South Africa, and then it's sort of thrust in your face, and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere. There's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he's black, even if they don't say it. And I think a lot of them, behind closed doors, do say it.
Maybe I'm paranoid about it, but I don't think someone who disagreed as strongly as they do with Obama -- if it was Clinton -- would have stood up and screamed at him during his speech. (Shakes his head) I don't think so.
CNN: Everything has gone to such a frenzied pitch.
Matthews: I think a lot of it has to be on the press. We give the podium to a lot of people who shouldn't have the podium. The message that's delivered the loudest and in the most entertaining way is the one that we're going to put on because that's what we want. We want ratings more than we want to deliver information. That's just where the culture's gotten.
There's no way that Walter Cronkite, as a young journalist, no way Ed Murrow would be hired to do news today. Not a chance.
CNN: Because they're too low-key? Because they're not bombastic?
Matthews: Because they're thoughtful, and they're patient, and they're tying to tell you a truly balanced story. They're trying to impart information. I don't think that's the goal [now] because it's not a good business plan.
Everyone's outraged all the time. Why are you outraged? There's war -- there's always been war, as long as most of us have been alive. There have always been people being abused, there's always been horrible things in the world. Why are we outraged? We should just be quiet and figure it out, and work it out together. ... There's no solution in Washington as long as people are shouting like that. [END]
The Dave Matthews Band is probably touring in support of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
CNN: President Carter said he thinks that a lot of the animosity directed toward President Obama is race related.
Dave Matthews: Of course it is! I found there's a fairly blatant racism in America that's already there, and I don't think I noticed it when I lived here as a kid. But when I went back to South Africa, and then it's sort of thrust in your face, and then came back here -- I just see it everywhere. There's a good population of people in this country that are terrified of the president only because he's black, even if they don't say it. And I think a lot of them, behind closed doors, do say it.
Maybe I'm paranoid about it, but I don't think someone who disagreed as strongly as they do with Obama -- if it was Clinton -- would have stood up and screamed at him during his speech. (Shakes his head) I don't think so.
CNN: Everything has gone to such a frenzied pitch.
Matthews: I think a lot of it has to be on the press. We give the podium to a lot of people who shouldn't have the podium. The message that's delivered the loudest and in the most entertaining way is the one that we're going to put on because that's what we want. We want ratings more than we want to deliver information. That's just where the culture's gotten.
There's no way that Walter Cronkite, as a young journalist, no way Ed Murrow would be hired to do news today. Not a chance.
CNN: Because they're too low-key? Because they're not bombastic?
Matthews: Because they're thoughtful, and they're patient, and they're tying to tell you a truly balanced story. They're trying to impart information. I don't think that's the goal [now] because it's not a good business plan.
Everyone's outraged all the time. Why are you outraged? There's war -- there's always been war, as long as most of us have been alive. There have always been people being abused, there's always been horrible things in the world. Why are we outraged? We should just be quiet and figure it out, and work it out together. ... There's no solution in Washington as long as people are shouting like that. [END]
The Dave Matthews Band is probably touring in support of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Bob Greene Sez, Don't Play Chicken with Politics
In this commentary for CNN.com, Bob Greene joins the list of public figures asking for more civility in our political discourse. That won't happen, and our "political atmosphere" will remain turbulence-filled. Still, this commentary is interesting if for no other reason than Greene's recollection of an experiment he tried during the Barack Obama-John McCain race last year.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Dr. Toby Cosgrove of the Cleveland Clinic is an Asshole
Truthout published an excellent call-to-arms essay about obesity by Connie Shultz. People believe that there is a brewing war on obesity, which has manifested itself in obsese people being discriminated against in employment and in public access. That war is not brewing; it boiled over a long time ago.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
George W. Bush's Best Day Ever - The Anniversary
Truthout writer, William Rivers Pitt, takes a look at September 11, 2001 as the best day of former President Bush's life and at how it turned out to be train wreck for practically everyone else in this column. I agree.
Eight months into his presidency, many people were probably betting that Dumya...err...Dubya was a one-term Commander-in-Chief. It took four airplanes to give Bush the shield that would protect him from his political enemies, his deserved fate (marginalization), and, for a long time, criticism. Worse, he gained unprecedented power to wage war abroad and, in some ways, at home.
Eight months into his presidency, many people were probably betting that Dumya...err...Dubya was a one-term Commander-in-Chief. It took four airplanes to give Bush the shield that would protect him from his political enemies, his deserved fate (marginalization), and, for a long time, criticism. Worse, he gained unprecedented power to wage war abroad and, in some ways, at home.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
"I'm getting into spanking her"
You don't say, California Assemblyman Mike Duvall!
Yes, another "family values," conservative Republican goes down because he went down and/or his pants were down. The 54-year-old state lawmaker from Orange County resigned Tuesday, September 8th amid growing outrage because he was caught on videotape bragging about not one, but two affairs.
According to the AP article posted at AOL, Duval was overheard during a break at the State Capitol this past summer bragging to another lawmaker about having sex with two lobbyists. He didn't realize that a nearby microphone was live. Conservative groups reportedly gave Duval, who is married with two grown children, high marks for his "pro-family" legislation.
Yes, another "family values," conservative Republican goes down because he went down and/or his pants were down. The 54-year-old state lawmaker from Orange County resigned Tuesday, September 8th amid growing outrage because he was caught on videotape bragging about not one, but two affairs.
According to the AP article posted at AOL, Duval was overheard during a break at the State Capitol this past summer bragging to another lawmaker about having sex with two lobbyists. He didn't realize that a nearby microphone was live. Conservative groups reportedly gave Duval, who is married with two grown children, high marks for his "pro-family" legislation.
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