Monday, July 21, 2008
focus on racists instead of racism
In "How to Talk to Racists," Jay Smooth from Ill Doctrine clarifies the distinction between the "what they did" conversation and the "what they are" conversation. He's right--this distinction is crucial to understand.
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I, too, agree with illdoctrine's assesment.
ReplyDeleteJust keep the, "You're a racist," thought to yourself. They probably are, but you don't wanna give them that easy way out, I agree.
And he's totally right about blaming it on hip-hop. Remember Imus? Cause that's EXACTLY what happened!
ReplyDeleteAlso, his analogy with the mugging/robbing is great and about the best I've heard on such a subject.
It's all about making sure you stay on message--and your message at that.
Lastly, Jay Smooth is my favorite.
[Restructure, you are of course welcome to email me with your off-topic question]
ReplyDeleteThis is a powerful message to all my most clueless friends (and myself) on how to handle these conversations. Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteI will surely use Jay Smooth's tactics to confront and challenge the racist words I daily encounter.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Macon D! You and your blog are sources of everyday inspiration!
Excellent blog. Off the top, I'm an American born White 46-year old mover of money (investments, trading, gambling, entrepreneurship) who's a Spanish-speaker born to immigrant parents to the US and I now live in Panama.
ReplyDeleteI find myself in agreement with everything you write: EVERYBODY's bigoted to some degree or other. It's absurd for White Americans to say "some of my best friends are Black." It's just not the case. A close friend is someone you call up on the phone to shoot the shit with, to go out and get beers with, to double-date with, to exchange holiday gifts with, etc. All the rest is horseshit.
I have my own problem with bigotry. The word "hispanics". When someone explains to me how a Chilean orthodpedist of Lebanese extraction is the same as a Chuihuahuan trying to sneak over the Douglas, Arizona, border, I'll accept the word "hispanic." WHITE-JEWISH-PANAMANIAN works for me. I'm not Mexican. I'm definitely not Cuban-American. I hate their politics.
But I'm going to put Jay Smooth's doctrine to the test here. Blogging by the way is my only opportunity to write English anymore.
I am going to present some information about deeds and words that expresses great dislike for a Black Afro-Caribbean American. You'll have to tell me if I'm saying racist things or if I am a racist.
I BELIEVE THAT COLIN POWELL IS A REPEAT WAR CRIMINAL AND A MONSTER WHO HAS PERFECTED THE ADOLF EICHMANN DEFENSE FOR THE MODERN AGE. Look at all the wretched things he's DONE: tried to coverup the My Lai massacre, ran a portion of Reagan's Dirty Wars in Latin America, in charge of Operation Just Cause (wow what an ironic name), and lying the US into a war of choice.
It's the last two that really gall me. In Operation Just Cause, which made Colin Powell into a hero in the US, Powell slaughtered 10,000 civilians, made another 100,000 homeless, bombed heavily populated urban areas (at least 1/3of whose residents were Afro-Panamanians!) and set his troops loose to deface churches as terrorize citizens, all in the name of bringing one man up on white collar charges in US Federal Court. The truth about Noriega. He was annoying but far better than the puppet Endara the US installed in Noriega's place.
Was my criticism of Colin Powell racist?
To the extent that you focus on concrete actions on Powell's part, no.
ReplyDeleteTo the extent that you're focusing on Powell to the exclusion of the white men who either acted with or order Powell to do those terrible things, yeah, that's a bit racist. And before someone starts accusations of hypersensetivity, punishing African Americans for the crimes which white Americans commit with impunity is part and parcel of the racism inherent in this country.
As for as the "hispanic" thing goes - I read/heard somewhere that people in Central and South America don't appreciate some notion about Spain. I can't remember the exact details. Something about independence from Spain, or the fact that not everyone had Spanish ancestors, or that they didn't appreciate the subtle subordination to Europe. I think the 3rd one.
Anyway, I use Latin(o/a) unless I know for sure what country or indigenous nation the person is from. I do use the word hispanic on occasion, though.
And as far as "I have black friends" goes. True story - just can't remember exactly where I read it - but a sociology professor once asked his class how many of them had friends of another race. All the white students raised their hands. None of the black students raised their hands. And often, on farther questioning, researchers discover that white folks are counting the few black people they greet everyday as "friends," though, like you pointed out, a "friend" isn't just the person you say "hey" to.
kelso's nuts wrote: Was my criticism of Colin Powell racist?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: No. You criticised his actions.
My only criticism of your criticism is that you have only criticised Powell, thus crediting him with far more power than he ever had. The only power that Powell ever really had was the power to say, "No" to doing the dirty deeds of his masters, who controlled the reins of power. He also had the power to expose the lies. A powerful move on his part, when he was before the UN, telling the reasons for why the US needed to attack Iraq, would have been to put the charts aside and have spoken truthfully that Iraq was not a threat. So, to me Powell is a coward. He is a pawn on the chess board. Yes, he should be punished for his crimes, but he is not the only one who should be.
Also, to me, a bigger crime that is being committed is that of Nancy Pelosi protecting the Criminal-in-Chief by taking impeachment off of the table. And, the crime of the Democratic Party controlled Congress continuing to fund the occupation of Iraq. Every time Bush asks for more money to fund this illegal "war", their only question is: "How much?" When their only action should be: "We ain't giving you one more dime."
"I have black friends"
ReplyDeleteYou can quote Tim Wise on that too:
Of course, I hardly expect the facts to matter much, as an awful lot of white folks seem impervious to them. When it comes to racial realities, the levels of ignorance are so ingrained as to be almost laughable. Perhaps that's why 12 percent of whites actually say blacks are a majority of the nation's population, and why most whites believe blacks are a third of the nation's population, instead of the thirteen percent they actually represent. We seem to see black people everywhere, and apparently we see them doing quite well.
Apparently, we even see them as our buddies. 75 percent of whites in one recent poll indicated that they had multiple close black friends. Sounds great, until you realize that 75 percent of white Americans represents about 145 million people. 145 million who say they have multiple black friends, despite the fact that there are only 35 million black people to go around.
Which means one of two things: either whites are clueless about black people, friendships, or both; or black folks are mighty damned busy, running from white house to white house to white house, being our friends. In which case, we can put away all that nonsense about blacks "taking our jobs." After all, how could blacks have time to work at all, what with all the backyard barbecues they're attending at the houses of their white pals?
no1skate: No, I don't think that Powell was "worse" than Pik Botha, Hitler, Stalin and Milosevic.
ReplyDeleteBut very very small numbers of white people in America glorify Botha,Hitler, Stalin and Milosevic.
Powell, however, is a fixture during Black History Month and is beloved by Black progressives, liberals and even a socialist or two.
I can't even say Powell is morally "better" than Bush, Cheney or Rumsfeld. I think he's worse because he executed the plans crafted by civilian rookies and he did it with pleasure and elan. And it's a pattern with him. He wouldn't keep doing it if he didn't dig it.
I'm an asheknaz by extraction and I don't tell my son, "pue' mira, si estudias super-duro y te apliques a las tareas tal vez un dia serias como el tipo ese Senor Don Henry Kissinger"
Gee whiz, I only wish I had the POWER to punish Colin Powell!
Redcatbiker: Agree with you completely about Nancy Pelosi! And Harry Reid as well. I thought the clear choices were Frost and Dodd but what do I know?
ReplyDeleteBut the "pawn on a chessboard" is the Eichmann defense. And given Powell's unique skill at and enjoyment of this role and repeated offenses, there's no doubt in my mind he belongs behind bars. Otherwise, he'll keep showing up like a bad penny.
No one need follow an illegal command by a superior officer. It's there in black and white.
But let's say you're right and Powell is merely pathetic and a coward. Fair enough, then. If my son is watching the history channel in February and there's this local boy makes good thing about Powell, I tell him to put on cartoons because we don't celebrate cowardice in this house.
Powell, however, is a fixture during Black History Month and is beloved by Black progressives, liberals and even a socialist or two.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right...
Kelso's Nuts wrote: No one need follow an illegal command by a superior officer. It's there in black and white.
ReplyDeleteReally, Kelso, how many "good soldiers" ever really say, "No," to an illegal command. The army is all about breaking you down, taking away your power to think critically and morally, so that they can build you up into being a mindless fighting machine.
Those soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan now, they know that they are doing nothing but harming civilians. They know that what they are doing is wrong. But, how many of them are putting down their guns and standing up against war? How many? Not enough to stop this thing. How is it right that a mother, a father, leaves behind her/his children to participate in the death and maiming of thousands upon thousands of Iraqi children? It is not right. You think the soldiers don't know what they are doing is wrong? They do, but loyalty to country, to the armed forces, trumps the moral fortitude one needs to stand up against war. All soldiers operate on fear--fear of authority.
It is the same reason why over 90% of black Americans who voted in the Democratic Party's primary voted for B. Obama--because he is black.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a bold-faced lie.
October 19, 2007
According to the CNN poll, Clinton leads Obama among black registered Democrats, 57 percent to 33 percent. Black women are backing Clinton to the tune of 68 percent compared with 25 percent for Obama. Black men favor Obama 46 percent to 42 percent for Clinton.
Colin Powell absolutely does not have that kind of reputation among Black progressives, let alone anyone further to the left.
ReplyDeleteShow me something in Black Commentator or The Black Agenda Report that paints either Powell or Obama as "beloved" among such progressives/leftists.
You can't. That or you have no idea what a Black progressive is.
@Kelso
ReplyDeleteI am going to present some information about deeds and words that expresses great dislike for a Black Afro-Caribbean American. You'll have to tell me if I'm saying racist things or if I am a racist.
you get the video wrong. It wasn't about if somebody says racist things or is racist, it was about how to approach statements. So it was not an encouragement of a training "what can I say until I sound racist".
For the last damn time, 90% of black people are not voting for Obama because he's black. If that were the case, how come Alan Keyes, Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson aren't former Presidents? Or Shirley Chisholm? I didn't realize Al Gore was black...he must be since 90% of black voters voted for him.
ReplyDelete"To the extent that you're focusing on Powell to the exclusion of the white men who either acted with or order Powell to do those terrible things, yeah, that's a bit racist. And before someone starts accusations of hypersensetivity, punishing African Americans for the crimes which white Americans commit with impunity is part and parcel of the racism inherent in this country."
ReplyDeleteThat's what I said. I said nothing about Stalin or any other European evil dictator. I thought it was obvious that I was talking about Bush, Reagan, Oliver North.
For the record, Colin Powell doesn't have that much love. The love he does have is based on the respect for a black man who was so successful.
And no, 90% of blacks aren't voting for Obama just because he's black. I wish everyone would stop accepting the notion that black people are driven by identity as opposed to policies. Ask Michael Steele how that works. And yes, to think that black people are only voting for Obama because he's black is racist. The idea fosters the notion that black people can't do analytical/complex thinking. That's a racist lie. Plain and simple.
On July 22, 2008 9:23 PM, I posted a comment in response to one of the comments posted by someone else on this board. It was a few hours later that I decided to delete that response-comment. After some thought, I realised that I had only skimmed the comment to which I had replied, that I had not fully comprehended it. Consequently, my response was hastily and thoughtlessly written. Unfortunately, a few commenters here have responded to the comment that I deleted, which seems to have set off a mild controvery in this section.
ReplyDeleteI want to offer my apology to the blog owner, Macon D, for the fact that, given time constraints, I shalln't be posting any comments to defend the comment that I deleted. Also, my apology to the other commenters on this board who want me to explain, defend, my deleted comment.
Good day,
redcatbiker
I loved this video. Jay was on point!!!!! It does always seem that whenever there is some racist incident in the media (Michael Richards, Imus), we always go back to blaming hip hop, like hip hop created the word nappy or the n-word. Like discussing lynchings was a result of a WuTang song.
ReplyDelete