Nutjobs Ranting About Politics.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I have a different take. My black friends don't refer to themselves as African American. Their position is that they've never been to Africa and don't relate to that as a descriptive term. They like to be referred to simply as black, if necessary, but really just as friend, or attorney, or whatever.

I didn't interpret Not Me's post to invite an argument about the superiority of "black" versus "African-American"; I read it as an argument for unilateral disarmament on the part of black Americans in the cultural debate over what they should be called. Because let's face it, white people need to call black people something, and Not Me would just prefer that black people shut up about the whole thing and let us go back to calling them what we called them before the advent of the "divisive" term, African-American.

ETA: The black people I know don't mind being called black. The Carribean-Americans feel strongly against "African-American" as inaccurate vis-a-vis them.

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
let us go back to calling them what we called them before the advent of the "divisive" term, African-American.

What, black person? WTF is wrong with black person?

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
I didn't interpret Not Me's post to invite an argument about the superiority of "black" versus "African-American"; I read it as an argument for unilateral disarmament on the part of black Americans in the cultural debate over what they should be called. Because let's face it, white people need to call black people something, and Not Me would just prefer that black people shut up about the whole thing and let us go back to calling them what we called them before the advent of the "divisive" term, African-American.

I don't think that was here point at all, and I think you have a bad habit of suggesting people are racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. without any basis.

[SlaveNoMore]

Atticus Grinch
I just read on the BBC site that Médecins Sans Frontières is pulling out of Afghanistan because of poor security.

Wonderful. What a success story that has been.

Shocking. Here's Sullivan from a mere 5 hours ago:

From rising star, Ryan Sager, we get the following information about an independent poll in Afghanistan:
With the situation in Iraq seen by many as a mess, Afghanistan has a constitution, is registering voters and is moving toward holding a presidential election in October. And the survey of 804 randomly selected male and female Afghan citizens, commissioned by the Asia Foundation notes that:

• * 64 percent say the country is heading in the right direction.
  * 81 percent say that they plan to vote in the October election.
  * 77 percent say they believe the elections will "make a difference."
  * 64 percent say they rarely or never worry about their personal safety, while under the Taliban only 36 percent felt that way.
  * 62 percent rate President Hamid Karzai's performance as either good or excellent.

This is Bush and Blair's legacy. And they deserve every credit for it. Then in Iraq, in the New York Times, we read the following about preparations for a new assembly:

• The biggest problem so far, organizers say, is that among the groups that want to take part, there has been an almost unmanageable number of candidates. In Kut, a Shiite city south of Baghdad, 1,248 people competed for 22 seats. In Najaf, a city considered sacred by Shiites because of its shrines, there were 920 candidates for 20 seats, prompting complaints from Mr. Sadr's group and other leaders that the process was not inclusive or democratic enough.

The Arab world not ready for democracy? When candidates outnumber seats by four to one? This is a deeply encouraging sign - and it is Bush's and Blair's achievement as well.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Many bloggers recently have been telling a different story. Instapundit, for example, had a long series of links recently that may change your mind.

The BBC article isn't available yet, but the MSF website has an article about how Coalition forces are leafletting the rural areas, telling Afghans that the continued provision of humanitarian aid depends on their cooperation in identifying militants and insurgents. MSF says this makes them a target and discourages people from seeking aid.

Say what you will about MSF/DWB, but these guys aren't exactly pussies --- they go to dangerous places.

[SlaveNoMore]

Best line of the night, by David Frum:

Ron Reagan’s appearance tonight just underscores one more resemblance between Ronald Reagan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt: They both had worthless children.

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I don't think that was here point at all, and I think you have a bad habit of suggesting people are racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. without any basis.

I have no idea what motivates Not Me's argument against "African American." I only know that it is stupid, short-sighted, and profoundly ignorant of the realities of racial self-identification and cross-racial discussions.

I judge people based on what they post here. "You don't know her IRL" is kinda a stupid defense of her, especially given whom we're talking about.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
I have no idea what motivates Not Me's argument against "African American." I only know that it is stupid, short-sighted, and profoundly ignorant of the realities of racial self-identification and cross-racial discussions.

I judge people based on what they post here. "You don't know her IRL" is kinda a stupid defense of her, especially given whom we're talking about.

I won't make her argument, but I'll make mine. I find the hyphens incredibly devisive. It reminds us of all the ways we are different, rather than all the things we have in common. I understand the need for identity and, perhaps, if we didn't live in a country charged with racial politics it wouldn't bother me so much, but we do. Are you going to suggest that I am a racist as well?

In other news, I heard on the way home last night that a judge ended SF's affirmative action program for government projects as violating Prop 207 (or is it 209).

[SlaveNoMore]

sgtclub
I won't make her argument, but I'll make mine. I find the hyphens incredibly devisive.

Which is why THJ*only refers to herself as an "African American" (no hyphen).


*That was perhaps the_worst_speech_ever. Like watching paint dry.

[sgtclub]

Regarding the Kerry NASA Pictures:

SELF-REFUTING SPIN: The goofy Kerry NASA photos have drawn this response: "Cahill, asked by FOXNEWS whether it was a dirty trick, said: 'Well, what do you think?' No photos were supposed to be taken, she said."

But if you follow the link, you'll see Kerry obviously posing for photos. His campaign folks blew it, and now they're only making it worse.

UPDATE: How out of touch is the Kerry campaign? A bunch of these pictures were made public on the Kennedy Space Center website. As reader David Mayer emails: "Just scroll on past the (pretty cool) MESSENGER stuff, and there's a series of official Bunny Senator photos. It's pretty hard not to look dumb in a suit like this; that's why few people have them in their wardrobe. But pretending that it's all a dirty trick is very avoidably stupid."

Same M-O.

eft

[Not Me]

ROFLMAO!!!

[Not Me]

Originally posted by Not Me
ROFLMAO!!!

She has gone from her rich daddy's house to her rich hubby's house to financing her gigilo hubby's campaign. I am sure her dead rich hubby is rolling in his grave right now. SHOVE IT!!!!!

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

So, three years into it, Bush's administration has about 1/12 the number of soldiers in Afghanistan as in Iraq, even though the populations are similar, Afghanistan has a more difficult to control terrain, and Afghanistan remains the home of many of the terrorists who played a direct role in 9/11 (as well as the home of a resurging Taliban -- and no one ever needed to justify the connection between 9/11 and Afghanistan).

And the result is that Afghanistan is so unsafe from terror that an organization that has no qualms about undertaking humanitarian relief in some of the worst war zones in the world is withdrawing because it is impossible to be effective given the instability. Link

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
I didn't interpret Not Me's post to invite an argument about the superiority of "black" versus "African-American"; I read it as an argument for unilateral disarmament on the part of black Americans in the cultural debate over what they should be called. Because let's face it, white people need to call black people something, and Not Me would just prefer that black people shut up about the whole thing and let us go back to calling them what we called them before the advent of the "divisive" term, African-American.

ETA: The black people I know don't mind being called black. The Carribean-Americans feel strongly against "African-American" as inaccurate vis-a-vis them.

Amazingly, this is one area where I'm short and to the point. I use "black". If somebody gets bent about it, I'll politely change to "African American". And I'll usually find the first excuse to end the conversation, because I find that I don't do too well with "sensistive" or "high maintenence" sorts who give a flying fuck about such inconsequential shit.

We're all just "Americans". Get over yourself.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Oh, forget it, I didn't read Atticus' earlier post. But he makes a good point.