Collectivist Senility or Argument From Intimidation?
How can one distinguish such similar manifestations of irrationality?
Our media has yet again dug up the wearisome bastion of pragmatist irrationality to enlighten us with more of his wholly predictable socio-political analysis.
“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American,” Carter told “NBC Nightly News.” “I live in the South, and I’ve seen the South come a long way, and I’ve seen the rest of the country that shares the South’s attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans.”“That racism inclination still exists, and I think it’s bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people — not just in the South but around the country — that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It’s an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply,” Carter said.
Being as collectivist as they come, Carter cannot begin to grasp the abstract concept that some people don’t view man in terms of groups - let alone on such a crudely obtuse metric of assessment as a man’s race. We have no way of knowing if Carter’s racist charge is an honest (yet debilitated) assessment, or if he merely intends to obfuscate and undermine any opposition with the time-tested art of smearing.
” He grouped Wilson’s shout of “You lie!” during Obama’s speech in that category, according to AP. “I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president,” he said.
According to whom? Or is this just Carter’s projected hunch? There may be a sliver of mindless brutes who’d utter such nonsense, but I’d be shocked if a staunch, charismatic republican who happened to be black would not have received the same percentage of the country’s vote as did McCain.
This conflict is predominately about ideals, not skin color. Granted the ideals in opposition are seldom to be explicitly defined, the lingering sense-of-life rooted in freedom and rights, retained by a portion of Americans, is what’s fueling this rebellion. I think it goes without saying I’d vote for a candidate who promoted Capitalist ideals regardless of his race, sex, religion, age, where he was born, how many wives he has, how many cats he has, how many guns he has, where he lives, where he wants to live, what he drinks, what he smokes, what he snorts, or any other imaginable attribute - so long as he understood individual rights and the proper role of Government, he’ll have my adamant financial and ideological support.
It’s an insult to all Americans for Carter to insinuate that they’re incapable of separating a candidate’s genetic lineage from his political philosophy.
Again, is this the honest opinion of a senile collectivist, or an argument from intimidation?
Next, we get this inspiring bromide from Jimmy.
“The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect.”
I suppose Carter would also prescribe Jewish citizens being hauled off to Nazi gas chambers by the Gestapo afford Hitler the same respect?
Respect is a form of esteem granted to another individual based on shared values and in appreciation of his character and integrity, not a automatic and causeless emotion granted by hierarchy of command, and certainly not a permanent emotional blank check immune to continual scrutiny, and covering any tyrannical whim. Respect and obedience are two entirely different concepts. Respect is earned. Obedience is volitional.
The other noteworthy tidbit in this piece is this quote by Michael Steele, chair of the Republican National Committee (whom the group-think author very quickly identifies racially).
“Injecting race into the debate over critical issues facing American families doesn’t create jobs, reform our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges facing our nation,”
For some reason, I’m guessing the solutions Steele alludes to don’t include complete deregulation of health care, abolishing the welfare state, and establishing a strict separation of Government from our economy as a whole. When one party’s play of the “race” card is met with the other playing the “create jobs” card, we’re in bad shape.
Related Reads:
Is Disagreement with Obama Racism?
(edited 09.29.09 to add related links)
September 16th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
iIt’s intersting how the author has completely danced around Carter’s point as if none of us saw the signs saying “Half-breed” and “Kenyan” and the “Lyin African” . We’re not stupid. Many of us were raised in racists househlds and know all the shorthand.
September 16th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
According to whom? Or is this just Carter’s projected hunch?
No, it’s Carter’s observation. Just watch any coverage of the 9-12 tepaty and see the signs many were caryying. ” Lyin’ African”, ” Half-Breed” “Kenyan”. Unless you’re completely clueless, you’ll regognize just a smidgen of racism out there.
And a “Staunch Charismatic Republican who happened to be Black” is an oxymoronic joke.And what exactly is a “collectivist”? I haven’t hear that term since the 60’s when the Birchers were howling at the moon.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:40 pm
@bucky, given the general state of our culture (largely due to the progressive mangling of our educational system), I’m sure there *is* a segment of racially motivated angst against Obama, there are mindless idiots in every crowd - but is *race* the essence of the “tea party” momentum?
Of course not.
The essence is a wholly justified awareness that America’s defining characteristics, freedom and individual rights (which are the source of our unprecedented prosperity), are under systematic attack. To varying degrees, ranging from a vague awareness knowledge based on explicit historical precedent, people sense that the same time-tested collectivist poison that led to unparalleled misery for the past two centuries can achieve nothing but the same in America today.
To dismiss the legitimate defense of America’s founding principles as merely a racist uprising is an insult to any individual that values freedom and rights.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:33 pm
“And a “Staunch Charismatic Republican who happened to be Black” is an oxymoronic joke.”
A man’s political views are based (at least implicitly) on his values. Knowledge is the basis of man’s values. His genetic lineage imparts no predetermined conceptual knowledge. Man’s values are chosen. Nothing inherent to being black would preclude an individual from promoting any particular set of ideals.
“And what exactly is a “collectivist”? I haven’t hear that term since the 60’s when the Birchers were howling at the moon.”
A collectivist is someone who attributes superior value to a group (a tribe, a race, a class, a collective) over the individuals that are part of it. Collectivism is the underlying ideology of Communism, Socialism, Fascism, and unfortunately the irrational basis for most of America’s domestic and foreign policy since the late 19th century.
You can learn much more here.