Do charges of racism towards Arabs sell?

[underpants]

Over the weekend the limited news blather that I caught contained some mention of how the whole port deal political fiasco was the result of "racism towards Arabs". I heard this mentioned every single time. It must have been the talking point coming out of the White House.

My reaction to it is the same as it was the first time I heard it.

Do they actually think this will turn anyone towards them?

I really doubt that Arab- Americans are going to rally around Bush anymore than they have. There are surely those who thank him, personally, for Freedom being on the march. I have no idea what the breakdown is but there are probably more Arab-Americans who aren't to keen on HIS open racism and "us or them" march towards war. I would guess.

More specifically right after 9/11 all the Bubbas I know who instantly started not trusting Arabs or anyone who looked like an Arab MORE than they had before 9/11. I don't think they are going to put much weight on this charge of racism. They have no problem with the way the sides are drawn and frankly W appears to be cozying up to "MOhammed" with this sort of wishywashy nambypamby nicety crap (read: PRE 9/11 thinking).

Lastly the only audience with whom this could possibly hope to be effective-the independents. I don't seem them being pulled over to Bush for any actual reason right now anyway.

For the most part this was just something thrown out to kill time and they have a lot of time to kill ....45 worth at least.

[fasttense]

1. There are a lot of red necks here in TN who blame all

Arabs for 9/11 and don't make a distinction between the rich and poor ones, I mean the good and bad ones. Bush* has stirred their hatred to a boiling point and now he's telling them don't be prejudice. It ain't selling here.

[ingac70]

3. I know! LOL...

All those years of the RNC talking point spread on RW radio about political correctness being "uncool" is certainly biting them in the ass!

[murray hill farm]

2. It does not matter....and it may help!

If the "racism" issue takes hold, it may be that we are called the name, racist....but it is the far right that most feels that racism in their hearts..and the more it is out there, the more that racist, right wing flame of racial hatred will be fanned. They call us their "middle name" as my grandma used to say, but it is they that really feel it.

[mattclearing]

Not from this crowd, it won't.

Bush and his ilk will never be taken seriously on this talking point. With the use of code words and guilt by association, not to mention their indiscriminate detaining and interrogation policies, they are responsible for racism against muslims/arabs more than anyone else in the world.

[JuniperLea]

4. This race card deal really pisses me off

I don't care who runs all those ports as long as it wasn't a private company, or a "state owned" company from a country who facilitated terror attacks on the US!

I hate that RWNut reporter Coulter even more after she called them "rag heads". That is equal to using the "N" word in my book.

Furthermore, I would be insulted if I were a British citizen right now, after Bushie asked what the difference is between a British company running the ports or a UAE company. We haven't battled with the British in over 220 years... it's only been five since 9/11/01.

This is a nightmare and I can't wake up!

[sui generis]

8. Funny thing is not just muslims wear head gear

ask any bouquet-head gospel mama what that hat thing is on her head, but whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH IT.

Also, Sikh, and even secular Arabs wear some form of traditional winding on their heads.

Bottom line - I hate the coulter-creature right there with you. If there was a female version of gollum - that would be her.

[magellan]

9. Actually, we last battled the British in the War of 1812

...when they burned down the WH.

Think we can talk them into doing it again? :)

[sui generis]

5. talking point and our media is just mindlessly repeating it as usual

without sourcing it or questioning it, as usual.

It's not racism - it's distrust of someone associated with the very terrorist crime that got us down the road into this dumbass war we're in.

The ironic part is that the very people who ARE racists have half a nad to even accuse us of racism.

[BOSSHOG]

6. More right wing lunacy

rove's latest attempt to make the base rollover and take a bone. Religious zealots who hate in the name of Jesus Christ and kkk members, who make up large part of the "conservative" base are now being instructed to hate liberals and blame them for being racists. A free daily show of a barrel full of monkeys. I buy that like I buy the line that bush is a man of his word.

[MADem]

7. How about DISCRIMINATION AGAINST DESPOTS?????

That is the issue, and anyone who cannot see that ain't LOOKING. This "meanies against Arabs" horseshit is simply a canard:

Freedom and democracy for Iraqis (last time I checked, they are ARABS), by the point of a gun, is GOOD!!

Voting and political parties in Iraq, whether they asked for it or not, is GOOD!!!!


Now let's have a look at the UAE:

Seven clowns who inherited their jobs as DESPOTS/ABSOLUTE MONARCHS:

--Own everything
--Make all decisions
--Have absolute control and authority over everything and everyone

Number of political parties in the UAE: NONE
Number of elections in the UAE: NONE

Is it just me, or is there a SHITLOAD of cognitive dissonance going on here?????

[underpants]

12. On top of that-I had a conversation about the port thing with a friend

we were talking about it and I mentioned that they recognized the Taliban-he made my next point-->they still refuse to acknowledge Israel as a country and government.

We both agreed that the spew from Washington has lost its connection with the old spew. It doesn't make sense.

[LynneSin]

10. I think Bill Maher summed that one up best on Friday night

if we're so worried about racism towards Arabs shouldn't we do something about Gitmo and Abu Grahib first? (I'm paraphrasing him - I don't recall his exact quote).

But I agree. We have people horribly abusing Arabs in prison, many times using methods that violate the culture of Arabs and yet MSM is screaming 'racism' over the port deal

Pul-lease!

[ewagner]

11. Remember how

the right wing belittled us every time we spoke about racism?

Remember how they used the code word, PC , or Politically Correct ?

Remember how "PC" is a term of derision?

Now REPUBLICANS ARE BEING "PC"! This is too rich....

[underpants]

13. Actually the New PC is that you can't criticize Bush

they started that about the same time they started looking for connections to Iraq. Suddenly you hated America if you dared to say anything AT ALL negative about Bush or any of his cronies. It was said at the time that Bush had just won his second term well I don't think he won either but the new PC (just like the New Truth) was rolled out and they started hammering it.

Now they have actually upped the ante, you can't "politicize" or "play politics" with any ...uh....politics if it is bad for W (what isn't?)


It is the new PC.

[sendero]

14. The Republicans have adopted..

... the rhetoric of the defense attorney, taking positions they know are bullshit and hoping against hope they stick.

They simply have no argument here. They have nothing other than "we checked this out, honest, and not only that, they are going to check it out again, honest!.


When you know your client is probably guilty, you are still obligated to mount the best defense you can. They just have nothing to work with here, so they are playing like they're on the other team. It's hilarious to watch, and quite puzzling that they think so little of the electorate that they think they can shift sides on a daily basis and nobody will notice.

(Actually, what they are doing is giving the faithful an excuse-nik on which to hang their ill-arrived-at opinion, that the king can do no wrong)