Senator Barack Obama in his speech “A More Perfect Union” invited Americans into a discussion on race. In my last post, I featured E.J. Dionne’s April 4 Washington Post article “When Liberalism’s Moment Ended” and two of the three who commented on the post made some curious assertions.
One who goes by the name “citytroll” said this:
"And since the death of King his dream has been hijacked by the poverty pimps and blacks have been treated in the same manner as the house slaves of old."
And j_g confusedly comments and contradicts herself by saying this:
"the liberal has still kept the black man in his low position in the democrat party and society.
The many that now see that this has always been the case are lifting themselves up and away from poverty and the poverty pimp leadership. They see that being addicted to government handouts and having to rely on the government has done nothing but make their condition even worse."
Curious, isn’t it, that they both use the phrase “poverty pimp.” Must be some new conservative talking point.
No matter. As I thought about their reactions and comments, it occurred to me that both of these conservatives have exceedingly low opinions of Afro-Americans.
They state unequivocally that the Democratic Party has kept the black American down and addicted to government handouts, which have made their condition worse—to the unhappy point of being “the house slave of old.”
J_g purports two opposing things: 1) that “the liberal has kept the black man in his low position in the democrat party and society;” and
2) Somehow while the democrat party keeps the black man low in his position, some of our Afro-American citizens manage to lift themselves up and away from poverty and the poverty pimp leadership. Amazing.
What strikes the reader immediately upon reading these impassioned opinions is the fact that their opinion of the Afro-American population is 1) racist, and 2) very low.
Why? First of all, the Afro-American population is diverse and certainly a good portion of our fellow citizens with non-white skin is very well educated and quite successful—they are hardly “low in…position.”
Both citytroll and j_g rage at how the “Democrat” party keeps our fellow black Americans from attaining the American dream. But that is patronizing, isn’t it. If the Democratic Party were so sinister in keeping large groups of our Afro-American brothers and sisters “down” wouldn’t the Afro-American population notice this? And leave?
The fact that they stay loyal to the Democratic Party can mean only one thing:
THE AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO BELONG TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY FEEL WELCOMED THERE AND ARDENTLY BELIEVE THEIR BEST INTERESTS ARE SERVED BY THIS PARTY.
The conservative Republicans, and j_g and citytroll in particular, engage in awful racism by implying that the African-Americans who stay with the Democratic Party are too dumb to know they are being exploited. What other explanation could there be for millions and millions of citizens to stay with a political party that j_g and citytroll insist is harmful to Afro-Americans’ interests?
Here’s where their patronizingly, Big Daddy Knows Best attitude kicks in. THEY see how terribly treated our fellow Afro-Americans are and don’t understand why they stay affiliated with the Democrats.
I would point out to j_g, that while she asserts that “The many that now see that this has always been the case are lifting themselves up and away from poverty and the poverty pimp leadership. They see that being addicted to government handouts and having to rely on the government has done nothing but make their condition even worse.”
These groups are still Democrats. In fact over 96% (maybe 98%) of voting Black Americans vote the straight Democratic ticket.
Do you, j_g and citytroll, want to tell this huge, diverse group of people that they don’t know what’s best for them and that you do?
4 comments:
I'm pretty certain J_G would say tou are trying to keep the black man down. And I know the Troll would.
Also, I think "poverty pimps" is a Walter Williams talking point.
I'd comment further on this, but I just want to see them come here and tear into you. Then I get to watch you fight back. There's nothing like a good ideological "bloodying up". (Damn, there's that Rush talking point again.)
But as usual, I'll try to be the voice of some reason.
First, their comments are most likely directed at the Democrat party's big government solutions that have, in effect, allowed the black community to degenerate. They are amazed that this stalwart Democrat voting bloc still gives the party the time of day. But they are a little wrong to think this is an attempt of the party to keep blacks down.
I will say that there are far too many people that vote their party without thinking. I observe it in Democrats around my part of the great state of Ohio all the time. These are people that think what I think, believe what I believe, but when you tack a "D" and an "R" on the politicians involved, I find them vehemently disagreeing with me and trying to argue points we otherwise agree on. In the black community, this has been seen as a tendency to vote Democrat by wrote.
I'm just curious, though. Do you know of anybody who's done a survey on political issues in the black community without mentioning party? I wonder which way that would skew?
Patrick,
Don't both political parties institute big government solutions to national problems?
For example, George W. Bush's solution to fighting terror was the Department of Homeland Security.
The largest government agency in the history of the United States.
I will object to your statement that the black community has degenerated.
You fall into the trap of making generalizations about black Americans that are just not correct.
Since the Civil Rights movement, there have been successes in achievements by many black Americans as they join white Americans in middle and upper class social strata.
You wouldn't judge the entire white community by those whites who never make it and remain mired in poverty and ignorance. Because whites are dominant in this country, there are probably more, as a percentage of the population, of them stuck in ignorance and proverty than the Afro-American population.
But I never hear anyone blame the white person's inability to flourish on the Republican Party.
You obviously haven't read "What's the Matter with Kansas."
In it Thomas Franks examines the enigma of why poor, under-achieving white people continue to stay in the Republican Party and vote againt their best interests.
The past 8 years we've seen Bush destroy our economy and continue to con middle-class and poor Americans into thinking he's helped them by giving tax breaks to the rich, and tax-subsidies to the oil companies who are raking in billions of dollar in profits.
I think one of the reasons our Afro-American brothers and sisters continue to affiliate themselves with the Democrats is because, as I've pointed out, the Republican leadership was not especially sympathetic to the cause of Civil Rights, here and abroad.
Remember Dick Cheney's opinion of Nelson Mandela? The Afro-American population in this country remembers it.
In 1986, Cheney voted againt the resolution calling for his release and labeled him a terrorist.
America prides itself on its just wars. World War II produced what many now call ``the Greatest Generation,'' and the Revolutionary War gave us our birth. But every battle leaves scars, some deeper than others. Even America could not accomplish its revolution without a full-fledged war. Nelson Mandela, through a mix of the violence he loathed and hard-won prison diplomacy, accomplished that. Rather than calling him a terrorist, most Americans consider him a hero of democracy.
Cheny's shameful vote on that and the Republican's being on the wrong side of history have shown our Afro-American population which political party has its interest at heart.
The Republicans made a Faustian deal when they conceived their "Southern Strategy."
They got the white bigot vote, but the Afro-Americans stayed with the Democrats.
As for tax increases? Ronald Reagan instituted the largest tax increase in the history of the United States. Don't you guys read up on this? You call Democrats "tax and spend," and yet Republicans hold the record for the largest governmental agency an tax increase.
Reagan came into office proposing to cut personal income and business taxes. The Economic Recovery Act was supposed to reduce revenues by $749 billion over five years. But this was quickly reversed with the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982. TEFRA—the largest tax increase in American history—was designed to raise $214.1 billion over five years, and took back many of the business tax savings enacted the year before. It also imposed withholding on interest and dividends, a provision later repealed over the president's objection.
What's the matter with you guys?
You always give me a long list to answer with, don't you.
Don't both political parties institute big government solutions to national problems?
Unfortunately, yes. In fact, my biggest problem with the Bush administration is over this. As for Homeland Security, I don't have a problem with the department. But it should have been created by streamlining existing pieces of the government and paid for by cutting things we don't need to spend an assload of money on. I'll save that list for another discussion. Please.
The problem with the black community is perception and the family. The perception we hear far too often is the black mother raising kids who degenerate into drugs and violence, while the father is off doing whatever. What is missed so often is the black families in the middle to upper classes. As for the family, this is a widespread problem (but statistically worse in black families) of single parents with the father absent and the mother in poverty. And the solutions are more complex and would require a separate post or ten.
You obviously haven't read "What's the Matter with Kansas."
Of course not. I blog extensively and I have kids. But it does sound interesting. And it goes back to voting by wrote. I'm sure there's people who vote Republican by wrote as well. I'm becoming less of one, despite my continuing GOP affiliation.
The past 8 years we've seen Bush destroy our economy and...
Bush did not destroy the economy. No President has the power to save or destroy the economy. Do I really have to go into a lesson in macroeconomics here? Right now, we are reaching a natural slowdown in the economy. The last one was in 2001, just as Bush was coming into office. The only danger is the government trying to "fix" the economy, which can only make the problem worse later. Unfortunately, the response of the whole government, Bush included, is to throw laws or money at it.
...the Republican leadership was not especially sympathetic to the cause of Civil Rights, here and abroad.
Especially when the GOP started by getting rid of slavery and was instrumental in pushing the legislation through in 1964. And GOP leaders say the darndest things. You probably would have been better served here to mention McCain's issue with MLK day.
They got the white bigot vote,...
Are you talking about Southern Democrats?
TEFRA is on the list of bad things Reagan did. And it's the tendency for even fiscal conservatives to make these mistakes that has turned me on to the FairTax. So let me say this simply. All tax cuts are good, but the FairTax is the only solution.
The conservative Republicans, and j_g and citytroll in particular, engage in awful racism by implying that the African-Americans who stay with the Democratic Party are too dumb to know they are being exploited.
Very well said. I thought your responses were all right on. I couldn't have said it better.
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