The US sure can be strange about race:
An African-American from the conservative South could be appointed to the US Senate for the first time in more than a century this week. However, that would be no cause for celebration, according to civil rights leaders.
When a Republican senator from South Carolina unexpectedly resigned last week, Tim Scott, a black congressman from Charleston, emerged as the favourite to fill his seat.
Brought up by a single mother in abject poverty, Mr Scott has dismantled a series of cultural barriers in the state that first revolted against a ban on slavery. He made history in winning election to the city council in Charleston and has continued to rack up firsts in a remarkable political career.
He is unlikely, however, to take up a prominent place in the civil rights pantheon. “I would acknowledge the fact that he was the first senator of colour, I would not really consider him to be the first African-American senator,” said the Rev Joseph Darby, a prominent black leader in Charleston, the city where the civil war began. Mr Darby added that Mr Scott’s political views did nothing to help the African-American community. In short: he is a conservative Republican.
Reminds me of 5 years ago. Barack Obama wasn\’t really an African American. Because, despite being both African and American, he just wasn\’t, you know?
Martin Luther King did not fight against segregation so that some blacks could tell other blacks how they MUST vote.
These people really should read the text of “I have a dream”.
Don’t they know who abolished slavery? It wasn’t the Democrats.
Once again we see the reality of racial politics in the USA. Its not about civil rights, or representing the Black voter, but its all about rent seeking for a certain elite section of the community.
If blacks started voting Republican in large numbers, that could spell the end of an era where the black community can be completely screwed by its leaders, in the name of social justice.
They hate him for the same reason they hated Condoleeza Rice and the British left hate Thatcher: as successful minorities, they should have been on *their* side by default. Subscribing to different political views is seen as a betrayal.
PaulB says it would not be ‘decent’ to vote for Tim Scott.
I say it’s not decent to vote for pro-torture candidates. I’ve never commented on Tim Scott, and I don’t know what his views are on the issue. Perhaps James has some information about that.
PaulB says it is ‘decent’ to vote for people who send drones into Pakistan to kill children.
Blacks who vote Republican clearly have no soul:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZRePZ1OqQE
James, perhaps you would let me speak for myself. Or if you feel aggrieved about something I’ve said, perhaps you would quote it.
That’s why they call it “identity politics”.
Why is anyone surprised about this? Much of Black American culture is stupidly self harming, but it is designed to be the opposite of whatever Whites do or want. Acting White is unacceptable even if it means condemning yourself to a life of poverty. Hatred of White people drives a lot of identity politics.
So someone takes politics to be about politics? Someone doesn’t think it is about revenge? Someone is crossing the colour line? Can’t have that.
The government exists to take things from White people and give them to Black people. To vote otherwise is treason of a sort.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard Thatcher described by the left as, “not a real woman”.
If anyone reads the works of Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder or Ward Connerly (to name just a few) they are often derided as ‘Angry Oreo’, ‘Uncle Tom’ or ‘House Nigger’ (that’s the pleasant end of the wedge) by those whose livelihoods are dependent on creating large bodies of dependants and then obtaining public fiundimg ad nauseam to maintain that empire rather than solving the issues. This comes as little surprise.
It’s all about the tribalism.
‘James, perhaps you would let me speak for myself. Or if you feel aggrieved about something I’ve said, perhaps you would quote it.’
PaulB: ‘If you’ve got a vote in this election, the only decent thing to do is vote for Obama.’
https://www.timworstall.com/2012/11/06/on-this-american-election-thing/
Obama’s drones kill babies. You think voting for him is ‘the only decent thing to do’.
Does this help you?
We’ve just seen Col. Allen West ballot-rigged out of the House of Representatives for the same offence; holding the wrong views for a black man.
James: you’re right, I should have mentioned that there was a case for voting for Jill Stein. If you’d like to discuss this further, I suggest you comment here rather on this thread, which is about US racial politics, with reference to Tim Scott.
On the other hand, if you want my advice about whether to vote f0r Tim Scott, please direct me to a statement of his views on torture, and I’ll be happy to assist.
James>
It certainly helps me to know to ignore your posts. Is that what you were aiming for?
Round here we tend to take nonsensical criticism from idiots and cretins as a sign that someone’s got something right.
“Because, despite being both African and American, he just wasn’t, you know? ”
I reckon that’s not so dumb a statement. I loathe having to fill out those forms where the government racially classifies you as its a completely unscientific. Any biologist will tell you there’s no such thing as race in the modern usage of the word.
The term African American seems to imply that there’s a neat little system that has ethicity as a pre-fix and nationality afterwards. I must admit that I’m not sure how the US government classifies its citizens but does that system exist? Like Thiery Henry writes African Frenchman and David Beckham writes European European. Otherwise its just a PC term for a cultural group that he doesn’t have alot in common with
‘On the other hand, if you want my advice about whether to vote f0r Tim Scott, please direct me to a statement of his views on torture, and I’ll be happy to assist.’
I would not seek the advice of a man who cheerleads for a regime which murders children by use of drone (or any other means).
You disgust me.
‘It certainly helps me to know to ignore your posts. Is that what you were aiming for?
Round here we tend to take nonsensical criticism from idiots and cretins as a sign that someone’s got something right.’
Dave, you’re a fool.
It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Tim Scott doesn’t consider himself to be african-american either, just plain-old american.
This “african”-american thing is a joke – there’s more different types of african ethnicities and cultures than there are european and you don’t see the rest of us claiming to be “european-american”. Anyone who did would be looked at as an idiot since the term is effectively meaningless.
MakajazMonkee // Dec 10, 2012 at 3:50 pm
The main racial classificication the US federal government uses are
White
people from sweden all the way down to souther Italy – includes those from the middle east (arabs, and persians among others).
Black or African-American
Lumps australian aborigine in with *all* of the diversity of africa
American Indian or Alaskan Native
This one gets confusing as it includes those from the original people of north and south america – even though those from Mexico and points south wouldn’t consider themselves as “indians”
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
Hawaiians to Philipinos
Asian
Chinese, Japanese, Thaiwanese, Dirty Knees.
People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.
As you can see the categories are pretty broad
It’s a pity they dont remember Teddy Roosevelt’s comments about hyphenated Americans. He reckoned they weren’t real Americans.
MakajazMonkee – “Any biologist will tell you there’s no such thing as race in the modern usage of the word.”
That depends. Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza certainly used to write about races being a real entity. Then he went to America and was bullied out of it. So the question is really whether or not the biologist in question has been exposed to the full force of PC science.
James: I note your disgust. I’m delighted to discover an ardent supporter of the Green Party candidate on this forum.
“African-American” has a specific historic meaning in the US, referring to the descendants of African slaves. Who, despite their ancestors coming from all over the western part of the continent, do share a broadly common and coherent culture, because slavery largely erased those distinctions.
In that context, it’s bloody stupid to say that Tim Scott isn’t African-American – he is from that cultural group. But it does make sense to say that Obama isn’t, because he isn’t. Obama is black, but he does not come from the cultural group traditionally referred to by ‘African-American’.
(in much the same way that somebody can be antisemitic despite loving all Semites who aren’t Jews)