Deep enough...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The curious case of Barack Obama
There are many odd things about the gap between the way Obama governs and the way he speaks. Before he took office there was some speculation as to the type of people he would appoint to his cabinet. Obama was a community organizer and would probably bring other organizers with him to Washington. Would he give Cornell West a cabinet position?
But you'd think Hillary Clinton won the election by looking at the cabinet of the current administration. The Obama administration is to the Clinton administration as the Bush Sr. administration is to Bush Jr. DeJaVu you can believe in.
Perhaps, if the speculation was right that different voices would be in the White House, things would be different in DC. Perhaps Republicans would have acted differently if they thought the other side would be different.
The reason I think the more we elected change the more things stayed the same is because Obama choked. Instead taking up the challenge with fresh eyes, he deferred to the old guard.
But you'd think Hillary Clinton won the election by looking at the cabinet of the current administration. The Obama administration is to the Clinton administration as the Bush Sr. administration is to Bush Jr. DeJaVu you can believe in.
Perhaps, if the speculation was right that different voices would be in the White House, things would be different in DC. Perhaps Republicans would have acted differently if they thought the other side would be different.
The reason I think the more we elected change the more things stayed the same is because Obama choked. Instead taking up the challenge with fresh eyes, he deferred to the old guard.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
oppression of language
Have you noticed how crappy movies are bundled together on DVD? They don't always fit together either. What if someone sees a movie they like but don't want the movie it's bundled with?
There is this bullshit definition of racism that attempts to bundle it with oppression. The two may often go together but most of us define racism as
But I have been recently reminded that there is another definition that goes something like
What they are doing with this definition is trying to bundle race and oppression. The two are often bedfellow, but trying to making them interchangeable is wrong. First because there are people who are oppressed but not because of race. Secondly because this is a lame attempt to exonerate racists that are not white.
In every encounter I have had with the latter definition it was someone attempting to justify the same kind of rationale they were criticizing. You see the convenient thing about that definition is it implies that those who are being oppressed are capable of being racist. By that definition it is impossible for a black person to be a racist.
Changing the definition of a word is a masturbatory way to win an argument. Beyond that it is a disservice to progress for several reasons(I like lists okay):
1. It creates a scalability flaw in the logic. Can a white family be racists if they are being oppressed in a black neighborhood?
2. It ignores the fact that there are more than one race. The definition makes it impossible for there to be hate crimes between people of color who are being equally oppressed by white society.
3. It ignores the fact that the most racist people in America are not in an economic status to oppress others and often live where there are no minorities to physically intimidate or otherwise oppress.
4. It implies that one is only racist while actively oppressing others.
5. It denies the possibility of reverse racism
The last is a sticking point with me. I do not being judged by my race. It's confusing to be because I knew my great grandfather who had grown up on a reservation and was always told growing up that we have gypsy blood in our family. Even though I know as a (hopefully) rational adult that I am basically the standard euro mutt, the mythology of my childhood is still part of my racial identity. And I am far from alone. Part of the compelling thing about the plight of native people in America is how many of us 'white folk' have a stake in both sides.
When kids used to play Cowboys and Indians, I'm sure there was no shortage of Indians, because everyone I have ever met with a sliver of American Indian practically thumps their chest when they tell you what tribe they come from.
The other reason it is important to note the American Indians (not the pc term but I am lead to believe it is the preferred term) when talking about race is that most people do not know that American Indians were often slave owners. The actor Don Cheadle is the descendant of American Indian slaves.
Racism is often a defense mechanism to justify the mistreatment of others but it isn't the only form racism takes on. And that defense mechanism can run both ways. There are probably people who see me and assume by the lightness of my skin that I am oppressing them and they resent me for it. And I'm sure that resentment plays a part when the minority of that minority take back what they can by whatever means they can.
It is wrong to assume that one group of people of people is inherently better or worse than any other group. Your religion(or lack there of) does not automatically grant you moral superiority. Your race doesn't mean you are born with more or less 'sin' on you.
PS
I am highly suspicious of the women who seem to favor the definition of racism that bundles oppression. Just because white women don't have as much power as men in our culture, they do not get to pretend that they are any less white than the rest of us. Nice try.
There is this bullshit definition of racism that attempts to bundle it with oppression. The two may often go together but most of us define racism as
rac·ism (rszm)
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.-http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racism
But I have been recently reminded that there is another definition that goes something like
rac·ism (rszm)
n.
1. Oppression AND prejudice based on race.- some liberal douche bag/racism
What they are doing with this definition is trying to bundle race and oppression. The two are often bedfellow, but trying to making them interchangeable is wrong. First because there are people who are oppressed but not because of race. Secondly because this is a lame attempt to exonerate racists that are not white.
In every encounter I have had with the latter definition it was someone attempting to justify the same kind of rationale they were criticizing. You see the convenient thing about that definition is it implies that those who are being oppressed are capable of being racist. By that definition it is impossible for a black person to be a racist.
Changing the definition of a word is a masturbatory way to win an argument. Beyond that it is a disservice to progress for several reasons(I like lists okay):
1. It creates a scalability flaw in the logic. Can a white family be racists if they are being oppressed in a black neighborhood?
2. It ignores the fact that there are more than one race. The definition makes it impossible for there to be hate crimes between people of color who are being equally oppressed by white society.
3. It ignores the fact that the most racist people in America are not in an economic status to oppress others and often live where there are no minorities to physically intimidate or otherwise oppress.
4. It implies that one is only racist while actively oppressing others.
5. It denies the possibility of reverse racism
The last is a sticking point with me. I do not being judged by my race. It's confusing to be because I knew my great grandfather who had grown up on a reservation and was always told growing up that we have gypsy blood in our family. Even though I know as a (hopefully) rational adult that I am basically the standard euro mutt, the mythology of my childhood is still part of my racial identity. And I am far from alone. Part of the compelling thing about the plight of native people in America is how many of us 'white folk' have a stake in both sides.
When kids used to play Cowboys and Indians, I'm sure there was no shortage of Indians, because everyone I have ever met with a sliver of American Indian practically thumps their chest when they tell you what tribe they come from.
The other reason it is important to note the American Indians (not the pc term but I am lead to believe it is the preferred term) when talking about race is that most people do not know that American Indians were often slave owners. The actor Don Cheadle is the descendant of American Indian slaves.
Racism is often a defense mechanism to justify the mistreatment of others but it isn't the only form racism takes on. And that defense mechanism can run both ways. There are probably people who see me and assume by the lightness of my skin that I am oppressing them and they resent me for it. And I'm sure that resentment plays a part when the minority of that minority take back what they can by whatever means they can.
It is wrong to assume that one group of people of people is inherently better or worse than any other group. Your religion(or lack there of) does not automatically grant you moral superiority. Your race doesn't mean you are born with more or less 'sin' on you.
PS
I am highly suspicious of the women who seem to favor the definition of racism that bundles oppression. Just because white women don't have as much power as men in our culture, they do not get to pretend that they are any less white than the rest of us. Nice try.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Where the jobs at?
Improved trade with China is not a cure for our unemployment numbers. Definitely won't hurt. But if we want American jobs that are not going to be given to robots or moved overseas and over borders we have to start thinking about things differently.
Infrastructure
We (at least partially) spent our way out of the Great Depression by investing in infrastructure. At 14 my grandfather and his brother went off to join the CCC where they were taught a trade and put to work renovating state parks and other public properties. Obama promised this but I'm not seeing the profane devotion to infrastructure I expected from him. Remember when the right was worried Obama was going to give all the poor cushy government jobs to cement Democrats in office? I didn't see that happen.
Unions
I have mixed feelings on Unions. At their best Unions protect workers from abusive employers from screwing over their employees. I would have grown up without knowing my grandfather if it wasn't for the Carpenters Union providing him such excellent healthcare (Throat cancer from chewing tobacco).
On the other hand unions are another bureaucracy that don't serve those who don't know how to work the system and they bully business's into forfeiting control of their own companies.
What we need is an investigation into Unions that result in a guide to running a union as symbiotic to business not a parasite. I have a couple of ideas but I need to do some research before I throw them out there.
Job Corps
Instead of throwing a bunch of money at a stupid border fence we should be putting that money into Job Corps. If we flood the labor market with young workers there will be less jobs for illegal immigrants. I never heard of Job Corp until I was almost 30. High Schools should be presenting it as an option to everyone struggling in the education system instead of pushing college on everyone.
Internal economy
I don't have a problem with global trade but we have to have a healthy internal economy in case we piss off the rest of the world. Actually it is too late for that and Hu (our president's guest from China)was blatantly expressing his interest in seeing the end of the US dollar as global currency (I blogged about it last year).
The problem with our economy is that a very big chunk is out of circulation (rich people not spending it) and those who do spend it can't afford to buy American goods or local produce.
New Tax Status
I'm not sure about this one because I'm not an accountant, but I wonder if we need a new tax status for generous employers and/or altruistic businesses.
Stacking the Deck
As I expressed in my 2010 congressional campaign we need to end corporate welfare. I'll never get why people are more concerned with redistributing the wealth than they are tax money being used to stack the deck against small business (aka where most jobs come from).
Bulldozers and yachts
I'm keeping an eye on bulldozers and yachts over cars. These large vehicles are probably not going to be made by robots anytime soon because the production numbers are not high enough. Bulldozers are being made in Illinois and Yachts in Wisconsin.
Infrastructure
We (at least partially) spent our way out of the Great Depression by investing in infrastructure. At 14 my grandfather and his brother went off to join the CCC where they were taught a trade and put to work renovating state parks and other public properties. Obama promised this but I'm not seeing the profane devotion to infrastructure I expected from him. Remember when the right was worried Obama was going to give all the poor cushy government jobs to cement Democrats in office? I didn't see that happen.
Unions
I have mixed feelings on Unions. At their best Unions protect workers from abusive employers from screwing over their employees. I would have grown up without knowing my grandfather if it wasn't for the Carpenters Union providing him such excellent healthcare (Throat cancer from chewing tobacco).
On the other hand unions are another bureaucracy that don't serve those who don't know how to work the system and they bully business's into forfeiting control of their own companies.
What we need is an investigation into Unions that result in a guide to running a union as symbiotic to business not a parasite. I have a couple of ideas but I need to do some research before I throw them out there.
Job Corps
Instead of throwing a bunch of money at a stupid border fence we should be putting that money into Job Corps. If we flood the labor market with young workers there will be less jobs for illegal immigrants. I never heard of Job Corp until I was almost 30. High Schools should be presenting it as an option to everyone struggling in the education system instead of pushing college on everyone.
Internal economy
I don't have a problem with global trade but we have to have a healthy internal economy in case we piss off the rest of the world. Actually it is too late for that and Hu (our president's guest from China)was blatantly expressing his interest in seeing the end of the US dollar as global currency (I blogged about it last year).
The problem with our economy is that a very big chunk is out of circulation (rich people not spending it) and those who do spend it can't afford to buy American goods or local produce.
New Tax Status
I'm not sure about this one because I'm not an accountant, but I wonder if we need a new tax status for generous employers and/or altruistic businesses.
Stacking the Deck
As I expressed in my 2010 congressional campaign we need to end corporate welfare. I'll never get why people are more concerned with redistributing the wealth than they are tax money being used to stack the deck against small business (aka where most jobs come from).
Bulldozers and yachts
I'm keeping an eye on bulldozers and yachts over cars. These large vehicles are probably not going to be made by robots anytime soon because the production numbers are not high enough. Bulldozers are being made in Illinois and Yachts in Wisconsin.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
You go girl! Seriously, just go...
So my friend wanted to know how I felt about Palin's speech or whatever it was, but I didn't have one because I didn't watch it. He couldn't believe that I didn't bother.
I am over Sarah Palin. She's predictable which makes her boring. She has nothing interesting to say. I'm glad I'm not alone...
I am over Sarah Palin. She's predictable which makes her boring. She has nothing interesting to say. I'm glad I'm not alone...
The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Mika Brzezinski Experiences Palin Fatigue | ||||
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