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(no subject)
Apr. 30th, 2010 03:42 pmwith thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
reabhecc for the pointer
A sample of commentary here by Tim Wise.
Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.
And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.
reabhecc for the pointerA sample of commentary here by Tim Wise.
Protest is only seen as fundamentally American when those who have long had the luxury of seeing themselves as prototypically American engage in it. When the dangerous and dark “other” does so, however, it isn’t viewed as normal or natural, let alone patriotic. Which is why Rush Limbaugh could say, this past week, that the Tea Parties are the first time since the Civil War that ordinary, common Americans stood up for their rights: a statement that erases the normalcy and “American-ness” of blacks in the civil rights struggle, not to mention women in the fight for suffrage and equality, working people in the fight for better working conditions, and LGBT folks as they struggle to be treated as full and equal human beings.
And this, my friends, is what white privilege is all about. The ability to threaten others, to engage in violent and incendiary rhetoric without consequence, to be viewed as patriotic and normal no matter what you do, and never to be feared and despised as people of color would be, if they tried to get away with half the shit we do, on a daily basis.
(no subject)
Apr. 29th, 2010 08:18 amAs if to prove that the US does not have the monopoly on hateful, stupid, know-nothing bigots (not that there was any doubt about that...)
BNP would offer non-white Britons £50,000 to leave UK, says Nick Griffin
[far right British National] Party leader says resettlement grants would be partially funded by scrapping 'ridiculous' climate change adaptation policies
(full article from the Guardian)
Notice this offer isn't about illegal immigrants, or even recent immigrants. This is about persuading (and I can imagine what other means of "persuasion" would be used if the BNP were the ruling party) British citizens who happen to be of a race Mr Griffin decides is not "indigenous" to leave their country.
Of course, no one could call Mr Griffin a racist. Goodness no. Despite the fact he's been convicted of distributing racist material and inciting to racial hatred, that his principal criticism of the skinhead racist National Front is that it's too disorganised, and that he thinks black and brown people can't really be British, he tried earlier in his political career to form alliances with Muammar Qadaffi and Ayatollah Khomeini, and he praised Louis Farrakhan at the time. He praises lots of people, in fact; at one point he praised the Nazi Party's Waffen SS. That and his criticism of the RAF for bombing Nazi Germany are a little odd given his recent proclivity for using the wartime RAF as a campaign backdrop (an idea that backfired spectacularly).
BNP would offer non-white Britons £50,000 to leave UK, says Nick Griffin
[far right British National] Party leader says resettlement grants would be partially funded by scrapping 'ridiculous' climate change adaptation policies
(full article from the Guardian)
Notice this offer isn't about illegal immigrants, or even recent immigrants. This is about persuading (and I can imagine what other means of "persuasion" would be used if the BNP were the ruling party) British citizens who happen to be of a race Mr Griffin decides is not "indigenous" to leave their country.
Of course, no one could call Mr Griffin a racist. Goodness no. Despite the fact he's been convicted of distributing racist material and inciting to racial hatred, that his principal criticism of the skinhead racist National Front is that it's too disorganised, and that he thinks black and brown people can't really be British, he tried earlier in his political career to form alliances with Muammar Qadaffi and Ayatollah Khomeini, and he praised Louis Farrakhan at the time. He praises lots of people, in fact; at one point he praised the Nazi Party's Waffen SS. That and his criticism of the RAF for bombing Nazi Germany are a little odd given his recent proclivity for using the wartime RAF as a campaign backdrop (an idea that backfired spectacularly).
(no subject)
Apr. 4th, 2010 09:32 am'Teabonics' protest signs
What's depressing is not just the total failure to grasp the essentials of spelling, punctuation, and grammar (in many cases, lending added irony to the pleas to make English the sole official language of government), but the ugliness of the underlying hatred, fear, bigotry, racism, and bloody minded IGNORANCE of these people. It makes me so, so sad that there are so many people who will not only believe this tripe but go out in public holding (badly worded) signs proclaiming it.
Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cranky_editors for the link.
What's depressing is not just the total failure to grasp the essentials of spelling, punctuation, and grammar (in many cases, lending added irony to the pleas to make English the sole official language of government), but the ugliness of the underlying hatred, fear, bigotry, racism, and bloody minded IGNORANCE of these people. It makes me so, so sad that there are so many people who will not only believe this tripe but go out in public holding (badly worded) signs proclaiming it.
Thanks to
cranky_editors for the link.
is it October?
Oct. 11th, 2006 03:39 pmfrom CNN: American al Qaeda faces treason
Wow! A public announcement of a treason trial! This is important news. Did they just capture him? Did they just find new evidence? Did they only just now find out who he was?
No.
According to the story, the FBI has been looking for this guy since 2004. Yes, looking. He's not in custody. They have no idea where he is. He appeared about a month ago in an al Qa'ida video, calling on Americans to become Muslims, but he's appeared on AQ videos before, so this is nothing new.
So...they don't have the guy; they have no new information on him; they have no new charges to bring. Why announce an indictment now?
Oh, right. It's October.
American al Qaeda spokesman Adam Yahiye Gadahn is to face treason charges, federal sources told CNN on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old California native who has appeared in five al Qaeda videos will also be charged with offering material support for terrorism, the two sources said.
His indictment was to be returned in Los Angeles and will be announced at 4 p.m. ET in Washington by the Justice Department, one of the sources said.
Wow! A public announcement of a treason trial! This is important news. Did they just capture him? Did they just find new evidence? Did they only just now find out who he was?
No.
According to the story, the FBI has been looking for this guy since 2004. Yes, looking. He's not in custody. They have no idea where he is. He appeared about a month ago in an al Qa'ida video, calling on Americans to become Muslims, but he's appeared on AQ videos before, so this is nothing new.
So...they don't have the guy; they have no new information on him; they have no new charges to bring. Why announce an indictment now?
Oh, right. It's October.
