racism
mikethemadbiologist | January 27, 2008By way of Amanda, I came across this bit of political 'humor' from a Long Island weekly. I'm not reprinting it, because I don't put racist sewage on this site ("someday I hope people will call me Doctor YoMama" in reference to Obama is just a taste).
I've lived in several parts of the country, and there were enclaves in Long Island that were more overtly racist than anywhere else--and that includes Virginia, where I grew up. Once you get to much of white middle class Nassau and Long Island, it's like (or worse than) the South, but without any of the manners.
denialism | December 31, 2007I see that I'm in good company in my curiosity about why Ron Paul enjoys so much crank magnetism. And his crank magnetism and appeal to racist groups can't be denied. Here for instance, is Ron Paul posing with Don Black, culled from the neo-nazi Stormfront website:
Now, I think its unlikely Ron Paul knew who this was when he posed for this shot, but between this and their endorsement of Paul on Stormfront radio, I think it's pretty well confirmed who their candidate is. Also note, this picture was taken at the "Values Voters Presidential Debate" just as a reminder of who "Values Voters"…
denialism | December 26, 2007I'm so confused. I've got Ed telling us that the neo-nazis are claiming them as one of his own, which I would usually dismiss since they're usually just lying about everything. But then I see Ron Paul supporters blame a Jewish Cabal for the allegations? That, and David Duke coming to his defense? I prefer my brother's explanation better, that Ron Paul is really the Drizzle.
I don't have time to piece this together, I've got to drive down to C-ville today. I want a full report on what the hell is going on with all these cranks by the time I get there.
mikethemadbiologist | December 13, 2007Driftglass describes the racist horror that is the Republican base and which is becoming repellent to some conservatives:
The Base is pro-torture for the simple reason that they are sadists and imbeciles; because unless somewhere some Scary Brown Person is being beaten to death with a pipe wrench in their name, they feel empty and impotent and afraid.
Like their slaveholder great-grandfathers, their Jim Crow grandfathers and John Birch daddies, their entire identity is undergirded by an ideology that says - as hateful, cowardly, ignorant and covetous of everyone and everything as they are -…
mikethemadbiologist | December 4, 2007OK, so my mind isn't as great as Stephen J. Gould's was, but when The Bell Curve was first published, I remember looking at the data appendices, and thinking, "These data are crap." A few years later, I found an essay by Gould in The Bell Curve Wars that made the same point, albeit more eloquently. So why bring this up?
I've discussed the recent resurgence of idiotic statements about IQ and genetics, but something Atrios wrote about Saletan's recent missive bugged me (italics mine):
You know, when Saletan went down his courageous racist road it at first didn't even occur to me to bother to…
mikethemadbiologist | December 1, 2007Until Katrina hit, it had become increasingly fashionable to talk about the U.S. as a 'post-racist' society (and that fashion continues, albeit in abated form). Unfortunately, forced marches of desperate black people have a way of putting the kabosh on that. By way of digby, comes this heartwarming story from Arkansas about 'post-racist' America (italics mine):
The chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas called Wednesday for state Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, to apologize for e-mail comments attributed to the Senate GOP leader by a television station.
....In the e-mail on the…
mikethemadbiologist | November 26, 2007I've written about creationist and convicted felon Kent Hovind's idiocy. But I had forgotten another aspect of Hovind--his ties to white supremacist groups. From the archives:
By way of Orcinus, comes a whole lot of information about creationist Kent Hovind. First, a description of his ally, Michael Marcavage, who invited Hovind to speak in Dover, PA during the trial:
Michael Marcavage, whose Philadelphia-based organization Repent America is sponsoring Hovind's visit, said the accusations of anti-Semitism and extremism are unfair.
"He believes that people are from one race, the human…
denialism | October 24, 2007Or is unintentionally channeling them is my conclusion from reading his latest WaPo Op-Ed entitled, "The Eugenics Temptation". This Watson nonsense has somehow convinced all these conservatives that lurking beneath the surface of every scientist is a seething eugenicist, biting at the bit to escape and kill off all we see who are inferior. I've agreed with Gerson on a thing or two, but this essay is a real stinker.
"If you really are stupid," Watson once contended, "I would call that a disease." What is the name for the disease of a missing conscience?
Watson is not typical of the…
grrlscientist | October 18, 2007I have been following this furor over Nobel laureate Jim Watson's comments about blacks, women and homosexuals and I am astonished that he would walk around, openly spouting such stupid and irrational prejudices when his beliefs are easily disproven scientifically! Has he read anything in the scientific literature that has been published since he won his Nobel in 1962? I would guess not, since he is woefully and inexcusably ignorant.
In view of his fresh onslaught of unabashed racism, sexism and homophobia (this isn't the first time he has openly blasted anyone who is not a priviledged white…
mikethemadbiologist | October 16, 2007Once again, the science framing wars have flared up. While I'm not allergic to the concept of framing as some are, one of the major reasons why I'm not a big fan of dwelling on the topic is that obsessing over language reminds me of the late 80s and 90s when the Left won the battle of words, and the fundamentalist Uruk-hai took over the damn country.
I've been doing some thinking about the 'progressive' concern with media communication (including my own)--and it is important, no doubt about it. But, as the 2006 elections have shown, if words aren't turned into the exercise of power, there…
mikethemadbiologist | October 10, 2007In one of the more controversial posts I've written (or at least one that got me a lot of hate email), I described how "hatred is the Republican base":
The Washington Post recently reported about the failure of the anti-segregation amendment to pass in Alabama (it was essentially 50-50). According to the CNN exit poll, 73% of Alabama voters were white. Assuming that the vote to keep the segregationist amendment was negligible among non-whites, this means that 68.5% of whites voted against the anti-segregationist amendment (or for segregation).
One of the lame excuses given was that some…
mikethemadbiologist | September 25, 2007
And there's still a long way to go.
(poster by Norman Rockwell)
scientificactivist | September 20, 2007While thousands march today in protest of modern day racial injustice, it's pretty difficult to not be aware of the Jena Six. Certainly all of the Democratic presidential candidates are.
Apparently, though, staying up to date on current events isn't a prerequisite for the Republicans.
Asked about the Jena Six case today on his way into a San Antonio fundraiser, [Fred] Thompson said, "I don't know anything about it."
Thompson's comments come as he and his Republican colleagues are taking increasing flack for ignoring minority voters, particularly for skipping out on forums aimed at black and…
mikethemadbiologist | September 3, 2007...or too much of anyway. One of the most eloquent speeches that I have ever heard was by Martin Luther King to striking sanitation workers. What's sad is that, while the particulars have changed somewhat, the overall picture remains the same. From a speech he gave to striking sanitation workers in Memphis on March 18, 1968 (italics mine):
My dear friends, my dear friend James Lawson, and all of these dedicated and distinguished ministers of the Gospel assembled here tonight, to all of the sanitation workers and their families, and to all of my brothers and sisters, I need not pause to say…
mikethemadbiologist | September 1, 2007One of the most shameful things about the destruction of New Orleans was the attempt to blame the victims.
Too many Americans--disproportionately Republican--could not rationalize two beliefs:
Americans and George Bush are good people.
These same good people deserted other Americans and left them to die.
So they blamed the victim, rather than accepting responsibility for electing what might be the most incompetent--often by design--administration in U.S. history.
Shameful.
denialism | August 10, 2007What is it about "family" organizations and bigotry? That's some definition of family they've got there. The latest comes courtesy of the American Family News Network, and features the lovely hate of Congressman Bill Sali.
"We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes -- and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers," asserts Sali.
Sali says America was built on Christian principles that were derived from scripture. He also says the only way the United…
mikethemadbiologist | July 15, 2007Actually, that's not quite accurate. I'll let this picture explain why:
(Ricardo Thomas/The Detroit News)
I should have written Republican candidate, since Rep. Tom Tancredo was the only Republican presidential candidate to show up. And Ken Mehlman wonders why the Republicans aren't doing better among black voters...
Update: Amanda has more.
mikethemadbiologist | June 9, 2007..."Fellow liberals, never forget that fifty years ago, this man would have been lynched. Progressives and liberals are the reason he isn't lynched today", the picture below is exactly what I was talking about:
(larger image here)
denialism | June 6, 2007Fox news is pathetic. When discussing footage of Congressman Jefferson, the crook with the 90k in his freezer, Fox news chose to show John Conyers.
Now could this be a simple mistake of showing the wrong footage? Or did are they really incapable of telling the difference between two black congressmen?
Honestly, they couldn't tell the difference between this guy
and this guy?
If I were a conspiracy theorist I'd say it's because the right-wing Fox news doesn't like Conyers investigating Republicans. Luckily I'm not, so I'll just settle for calling them ignorant morons.
mikethemadbiologist | May 19, 2007In all the recounting of Jerry Falwell's life, almost all of the focus has been on Falwell's 'religiously' motivated positions. But this ignores Falwell's first political activity: to defend the system of American apartheid known as segregation. Racism, not abortion or other 'religious' issues, was what gave rise to the 'religious' right. Max Blumenthal reminds us of this:
Indeed, it was race-not abortion or the attendant suite of so-called "values" issues-that propelled Falwell and his evangelical allies into political activism....
Falwell launched on the warpath against civil rights…