Okay, I've been trying to keep to one large issue per day, but this is too ridiculous and overwhelmingly offensive to save until tomorrow.
As if I needed more of a reason to hate Ralph Nader. His altruistic facade that hides his egomaniacal self-importance has made me want to barf since he duped people into believing him in 2000. This just puts the proverbial nail in the coffin.
Feministe has posted about this Presidential "Hopeful" and all around Selfish Bastard releasing a statement, and then appearing on Fox News, in which he calls President-Obama an Uncle Tom.
Perhaps there was an important point he was trying to make somewhere in his racist bullshit, but it was completely lost in the midst of him trying to reason away his grotesque behavior. Plus, dude, when Fox News is calling you out for being racist, you've got some major problems. I'd like to join Feministe in joining in a resounding FUCK YOU NADER.
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4 comments:
Nader is saying Obama has amazing potential, and that he hopes that he doesn't forget his roots and become an "Uncle Tom", or someone who sells out people who say they will fight for (the middle class), to the people who are oppressing them (the corporations). "Uncle Tom" does not carry the perceived racial weight, it is just that he is speaking about a black man that this seems racist. It is just a commonly used phrase for people who turn their backs on their own people. Fox is just over-exaggerating and missing the point he is trying to make. Ralph Nader is the farthest thing from a racist, and has done so much for this country. Don't base you opinions on him from a misguided interview with Fox News.
I think you raise an important point, Josh, when you point out that Nader may not have meant the term "Uncle Tom" in a racially offensive way.
It's important to remember, though, that the term "Uncle Tom" does carry a substantial "racial weight" in our society. So even if his use of the term was inadvertent, the effect on listeners is probably to equate his use of the term with how it has usually been used in such situations.
I think it's also worth noting that it's very rare to hear a white person call another white person an "Uncle Tom" (or, in this case, to say that he might become one). If it's a coincidence that Nader used this term in referring to a black person, it's an unfortunate coincidence.
I understand what Nader meant, Josh, I just don't agree with you that it was just an unfortunate choice of words. My entire concern with Nader's statements is that any point that he was trying to make was completely lost by the way he said it.
To say that "'Uncle Tom' does not carry the perceived racial weight" just indicates to me how misguided you are. As James stated, the term "Uncle Tom" is not used except when talking about a Black man, and it carries historic racial implications that Nader knew full well of. He has lost my respect completely, and I will no longer listen or care about anything he has to say.
Shouldn't be much of a change for him, considering he garnered approximately 1% of the vote.
Dialogue! This is what blogging is about! Proud.
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