Trying to explain a rainbow to a blind man

[Brewman_Jax]

Here's the rant of the Ugly American by e-mail exchange:
(names have been changed to protect the guilty, no words have been changed.)
_________________________________

No argument about that but this does not make them Saints either. I have already vented my disgust at our policies quite often and I retain the right to also be aghast at them as well. For those who sanction our policies, I will agree with you but I am not one of those people. I do not think excusing their behavior is any better than excusing are own. On that I disagree. I whine about just about everything and I am not going to exclude these assholes either.

We are on the same page with regard to the USA and it is terrible that we allowed our scumbags to be submissive to the scumbags over there.

We have Hillary, and Dick Edwards who voted for the war. Even Bill sanctioned as he said on TV that he supports our action over there. I saw it about a year ago. Bill Clinton was for the war and as he opened his remark..."this may come as a surprise to people but ...."

I always wished we would have opted to become energy independent long ago and isolate the Middle East and let them have it. I am not a fan of those idiots in Saudi Arabia. I have never been a fan of the idiots here. We really are on the same page but I never express myself I guess in a way for you to know this. Let's not excuse one group of assholes for another looking at it from either direction. The Middle East will continue to be a problem for us and the world even if we did have a paragon of virtues I think. I think if we do not recognize evil everywhere then we are being disingenuous and I try to be fair about it. I think it takes one to know one and it is not surprising that Bush and the Saudis are great friends. And all those people who are against the Middle East but do not understand how we made it all worse are even more disingenuous.

Placing people in jail and torturing them because they had a beer and danced among themselves is not to be excused despite our mutual feelings about our own policies. I guess my vision of them whipping people which may include women made me sick. Did we not defend Saudi Arabia from Saddam invading them? It’s a valid perspective to be pissed at them despite our failed policies. So they wanted us to defend them and financed it but whip us for drinking and dancing! Didn't the slave masters whip people? How would you feel if you saw a Saudi whip a black man or woman? I make the point only in that I think it would look similar to what the terrorist whites did to blacks. Color or ethnicity does not really matter here. Our failed policies do not really matter. It is simply disgusting for people to be whipped for drinking a beer or dancing among themselves period. No excuses for them.

Just making a counter point only because I know you would appreciate a good counter point from me!

On the Super Bowl. Great game! I saw it at the Korean bar. They have the best TV in town but no one outside of the Koreans knew that so they had little business that night. If they wanted to, I told them beforehand that they could pack the place with Americans but opted not to do so. They love soccer. I told them about you and how we went to soccer games. When they played the world cup, they really get excited. Then, their place is packed. Its fun to watch Koreans get into soccer. The bartender had his birthday that night and I doubled my tip. I explained some of the football protocol during the game so he could understand some of the finer points of football. The commercials were great. The few Koreans who did come to watch did enjoy the game. Sad to see such a huge screen go to waste when other places were packed. It is a theater size screen.

Most of the time, I am the only non-Korean there. I go there because I can't stand stupid redneck white people and we have them up here! Trust me, we are on the same page! I am impartial about all assholes regardless of color, creed, or nationality! I hate all assholes equally!


----- Original Message -----
From: _Argyle
To: D.
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 12:41 PM
Subject: Re: The Middle East


G'day, D.,

I took the day off after the Super Bowl.

Why do so many want to whine about how bad those idiots in Saudi Arabia when the US is hardly a paragon of virtue. Invading countries on fabricated pretenses, voting irregularities http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/01/25/front/147062.txt, to name a few.

There's plenty to lament here without having to look across the oceans.


In a message dated 2/5/2007 10:50:23 Eastern Standard Time, D. writes:

Hi _Argyle,

Reading this below just galls me.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16978938/?GT1=9033

Madeline told me of what Gov people say: "fubar"

Meaning: "fucked up beyond all recognition". We will talk.

Best Wishes,
D.
___________________________

You can read the exchange. He proved my point, and the point of most readers here: most white people don't get it, and will argue the point to death. What counterpoint? :eyes: The standard ugly American view that the USA can dictate terms to the rest of the world, and not look at the problems here.

The bad thing is that I can't get through to him, and I've know him for years. He a good man, but he thinks he's "diverse" because he has a good friend who's black and he hangs out in a Korean bar. As you can see above, the standard white American arrogance shines through.

I'm tired of trying to explain a rainbow to blind man who insists he isn't blind. I guess that our conversations, when we have them, which is me listening most of the time, will have to stick to the weather, local politics, and how he's doing home in N. VA.

The killer question I'll ask: Did you know about the vote rigging convictions in Ohio? I doubt it.

[SemperEadem]

1. many of those like him

have learned to live with what they can't rise above, hence is inability to consider any other point but the one he has.

the reason why he can't see the rainbow is because of the inculcation he's received all throughout the formative years--- from his in utero days through his infancy, toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence and young adulthood-- from adults in his immediate family who stubbornly insisted upon remaining blind.

[Brewman_Jax]

2. I was actually asked, IRT the Imus incident...

"Why was what Imus said so bad?" by one of my regular trivia opponents at my regular watering hole. Before you ask, yes, the asker was a standard white male. "Standard" in the sense of oblivousness of his privileged status as a member of the highest caste in a racial caste society. I doubt that any answer would actually cause him to actually think deeply about the unfairness of it all. The worse thing about the question is that he was sincere. :(

[Brewman_Jax]

3. Here are some kids that do understand

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9591764 White Youngsters gather to talk about race.

It is a good article, and the kids on it do get it. They also understand that it is up them to help change their fellow white people. Experience has shown time and again that most white people don't think black people know anything about racism.

[Brewman_Jax]

4. The same blindness is not limited to men

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0516parkermay16,1,6558535.column?coll=chi-living-front (On Imus)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0704100427apr11,1,6552374.column?coll=chi-living-front (Whites subjected to racial hostility)

These 2 columns show that women are just as blinded by the white (phrase thanx to Tim Wise) as their male counterparts. In her defense of Imus, Ms. Parker follows the same tired meme, whining that Revs. Sharpton and Jackson called for Imus to be fired and it's the fault of those damned rappers and rap music (Imus listens to rap like I'm blond :eyes: ), and it's okay, it's all in fun, Imus should be forgiven. As usual, said forgiveness CANNOT be extended to Sharpton and Jackson because they dared take on the white racist social caste system and held its hypocrisy for the world to see.

In the teacher case, I'll borrow from Peggy McIntosh: "I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group." That environment--hostile, yes; racist...read for yourself.

I thought about a long post, but that wouldn't do much, so I skipped straight to the end. You can read the articles at your convenience.

The Imus incident in 2 sentences--Before his lame rap defense, I'll bet that Imus couldn't name a single rapper much less a rap song that had the phrase he used in it--and the good reverends didn't make him say it. Also, he went on Sharpton's radio show voluntarily.

The teacher case in 2 sentences--When black people can limit your rights, choices, and opportunities AND hurt your feelings, that's true racial hostility. The teacher can take her court settlement, go on vacation, come back and get a job at a "better" school, and not look back.

There is something wrong in a society where a white male with a criminal record and a GED has as good a chance of getting a job interview as a black male with no criminal record and a college degree.

[Brewman_Jax]

5. Not limited to white people

at karaoke on Saturday night, there a group at a table a couple of rows from my group. One of their members was black, very dark skinned, kinda like black people from sub-saharan Africa. (he had no foreign accent, I heard him speak) Later in the night, conversing with the other people (BTW, all white), he lifted his shirt to show a large belt buckle with the Confederate battle flag. Having studied and researched the American Civil War, IMO, there is absolutely NO reason that anyone black in America should wear anything acknowledging the confederacy. The only reason for the confederacy was to continue slavery and the money and way of life it created. So, sentimental value or gift not withstanding, for anyone black in America to wear that shows an extreme level of ignorance and/or stupidity. (J.J. Edgerton not withstanding, but he's obviously a paid lawn jockey. A few hours of research would show that there were NO black combat units employed by the confederate army. The confederate congress authorized the creation of said units a month before Lee's final surrender at Appomattox.)

Why was he wearing it? I don't know, and don't want to know. Severe stupidity should not be acknowledged nor justified. The bumpersticker is correct--don't argue with someone stupid, people watching won't be able to tell the difference.

[Brewman_Jax]

6. Zogby poll

shows that racism is alive and well in the US, but most whites don't believe it. Here's the article with link to Zogby report http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=310&Itemid=33

[Brewman_Jax]

7. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=225x1317 #3

I think the poster was sincere, but, like most white people on issues of race, comes across as the bumbling "I don't understand why you don't agree with me 'cause I'm right" overbearing statement.

That grates on me 'cause I've had that happen on a few occasions. What one viewer thinks is beautiful isn't always shared, race not withstanding. Also, it comes across as, "you're black, she's black, why aren't you going out with her?"

[Chovexani]

8. To go on a comics rant

This is EXACTLY why as a lifelong Storm fan I despise the current Marvel storyline that threw Storm and Black Panther together seemingly for no reason other than they were two black Marvel superheroes. Marvel basically admitted to pandering with it too, that they just did it to increase readership among blacks and women.

Because, you know, black people would NEVER read a romance storyline that paired Storm with someone she has a history/chemistry with regardless of race. Then again this is probably just the bitter Storm/Logan 'shipper in me talking...

[Brewman_Jax]

9. Those damned rappers

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3511062#3511283 #34

I can cite articles and reports of the damage done to black people by a white-centered racial caste system. Black people suffer routine discrimination in housing, mortgage application, insurance, employment, unemployment, education, crime and justice, medical care and treatment, news coverage, etc., and there's always some short-sighted ignorant idiot that follows the RW racist meme of blaming the "culture" or "those damned rappers and rap videos". If the above poster were actually knowledgeable, rap and hip-hop, like most art forms, reflects the life of the artist, not the other way around.

[psychmommy]

10. you know what is really sad lurk

these folks are soo concerned about rap destroying the black youth that they are not looking at their own kids. i work with people that have walked on the other side of the law. there are some many white youth coming through with heroin addictions. at least 2 have died of overdoses, clueless parents still making excuses. the heroin, meth and pcp are really affecting their youth. they need to stop looking in our backyard and start taking care of home. it isn't raps fault that their kids are addicts. hey thanks for lurking and bringing it back for us.