Nadari

Member since: Jul 26th, 2006

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The Greatest African American (News Bloggers)

Jan 20th 2008 12:42PM Booker T. Washington and WEB Dubois debated solutions to problems, not origins. They did not fundamentally disagree on the impact of slavery, white racism, white brutality on the lives of African-Americans, they disagreed on the response. Booker T. Washington did not believe in the push for political rights - the idea of changing white minds - he believed in a focus on economic security. There is value, and need for both arguments.

Booker T. Washington did not believe black people were criminals, resistant to education, and all this other trash that D'Souza attributes to him. He believed they should take a course of action in response to the racist system they lived in.

Certainly, Booker T. Washington did not believe - as does D'Souza - that blacks are genetically inferior to white people (and other races), that blacks are culturally backwards and that, not racism, is the cause of their enslavement, and racism against them.

D'Souza is a degenerate for presenting the idea that to any extent Booker T. Washington would agree with his ideas. And how valuable is the opinion of a racist, with clearly articulated views of the inferiority of black people, about the "The Greatest African American?" -- How then would we value a list from Hitler of the greatest Jewish people?

D'Souza is deliberately distorting the viewpoints of both men to fit his own racist beliefs -- and depending on the ignorance of the audience to agree with his premises automatically - leaving only a debate about his text. People need to directly read the words of these men, and don't let them be twisted, manipulated - filtered through the racist mind of D'Souza.

If D'Souza thought it would work, he'd be telling us the Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated black criminality, and that his "I have a dream" speech was about advocating drug use.

Crimes rates too high? When Booker T. Washington was born, for a black person to escape slavery was a crime. To learn to read, or teach another black person to read, was a crime. To assert your freedom as a human being, was a crime. To refuse to be a slave was a crime. Post-slavery, to try to vote was a crime in most places, to "disrespect' white people was a crime. Black people were actively being lynched for a whole host of 'crimes' that were only crimes because they resisted a racist system and exploitation. Many black women were jailed as 'criminals' for resisting rapes and attempted rapes. Broken families? How many slaves had control over their families being broken? When their mothers, children, spouses, could be sold away -- and they weren't even able to control their 'marriages' and 'births' anyway? After slavery ended, people wandered unable to even identify where their relatives had gone -- and slavery ending didn't mean the country was not the same hostile place that it was under slavery. Respect for educational achievement? Every black person who got an education contravened a system that refused them even equitable access to education. In some places you could build a school, in other places you'd be killed for trying to gather under a tree to even teach black students. Savings rates? People were struggling to survive, and those who could save, did -- as evidence by the many black towns, business, etc. that sprang up. But these were done against a system that stifled them. It wasn't black culture that held them back.

D'Souza is an ignorant racist - who willfully depends as much upon the similar ignorance of his audience, as he does upon similar racism. Most readers have little idea of Dubois or Washington, and certainly don't know what they actually said or wrote. These readers don't even have a grasp of the time period, the laws and existing conditions of life which controlled African-American life. Lynching was a common crime -- and please don't speak to me about African-American cultural disadvantages during a time when the White-American cultural disadvantage was that they still could not decide it wasn't okay for a black person to be dragged behind a horse, beaten, castrated, hung from a tree and burned to death, simply because they didn't say "Sir" to a white person, looked the wrong white at a white person, resisted some manner of racist brutality, or simply owned property that a white person wanted. Research the history of the town of ROSEWOOD, to see what happened to black towns that thrived from black cultural strength.

Had D'Souza lived during those times, he'd be the one writing passionate articles about why africans should remain enslaved, why they were unfit to own property, unfit to vote, why they should not be allowed schools, etc. I am sure he'd be flush with excitement, probably to the level of arousal to watch a lynching, to see pregnant women whipped to the point of miscarriage, and he'd still be arguing that all of these were justified to the black racial - cultural disadvantage.

In 2008, D'Souza desperately wants to see the U.S. impose a racial caste system, and if he can't get it back into law, he wants to get it back into social acceptance. The only thing he'd want more is to look into the mirror and see blonde hair, blue-eyes and skin fair enough to pass for white.

Respect for education? D'Souza has no respect for education because he is writing lies that are based on the idea that his readers will not be educated enough to refute those lies.

Facebook banned in United Arab Emirates? (Download Squad)

Oct 1st 2007 7:21PM What? UAE? With Dubai serving as its prayer center to the religion of greed, the superficial, conspicuous consumption, shallow thinking, worship of anything gucci, vuitton, chanel -- any 'luxury' name from the west, UAE wants may ban facebook?

Ethics? Religion? Unless it is for sale in a mall, it isn't guiding UAE national values.

Mandy Moore likes candy (Stylelist)

Jul 12th 2007 10:20PM Effectively,

We can agree that Lauren Messiah is like (or desperately wants to be) plastic on a stick with a wig, as are the friends recruited to add comments to defend her vapid and petty "article" on Mandy Moore. Her thinking is twisted, and she is expecting a twisted audience to applaud what she obvious thought was a 'cool' blog post.

The outraged responses are great because it reminds all of us that sanity still exists, despite the appearance of trash like this. Let's all make a point to avoid her writing, and that of other people who promote behaviors and body image perceptions that causes so much self-destructiveness among young women, and young men.

Mandy Moore likes candy (Stylelist)

Jul 12th 2007 10:09PM How old is this idiot "Lauren Messiah?" "She" sounds like an empty-headed Paris Hilton type. Better question - is s/he getting paid to write this trash and promote anorexia? What sane woman goes to the beach with makeup and with her hair 'done-up'? Mandy Moore likes great; like a normal woman enjoying herself at the beach. Lauren, save your ignorance for a more suitable audience -- should you be focusing your efforts on brainwashing teenagers into starving, purging, plastic surgery, botoxing, tanning till they leather, and spackling on the makeup at every opportunity? What kind of person are you? Nevermind, you just answered that for all of your readers!

I am certainly never glancing at this trashy blog again.

'Right Wing Hit Job' (AOL Elections Blog)

Jan 22nd 2007 10:52PM Some of you complain that the muslim religion doesn't think highly of christians?? But it is okay that you don't think highly of muslims. And don't worry about some other religion calling you heathens, because your biggest issue is that you truly are racists. You'd be lucky to just be heathens.

Hated from muslims? How much hate is coming from of all you for a man who is fully American, and doesn't have to excuse his background any more than those of you with parents, grandparents, great-grandparents that fled europe.

And in the Islam, Jesus is a revered figures, as is his mother Mary. Again, the ignorance of the American people will destroy the country.

Indonesia? How many of you could find Indonesia on map without a big label to guide you? You image what indonesia is like, what a madrasa (school, in arabic) is, and have racists fantasies of how life must have been in such a school. The school has christians, buddists, hindus, muslims, etc. but that fact doesn't satisfy your racist imageries.

Many of you are likely old enough to remember how freely folks in this country used those same racist fantasies to imagine all the reasons why black people should be lynched and kept as slaves. Drooling, addled brain racists then, and still that way now.

It is sad.

'Right Wing Hit Job' (AOL Elections Blog)

Jan 22nd 2007 10:44PM Madrasa is just a word for school -- and it is being used to appeal to ignorant people. He doesn't have to renounce any religion to be 'good' enough for religious bigots. If he were Jewish in background, would he have to renounce that to be acceptable?

All this rabid concern for christian leaders. Do you care about the poor? About those who suffered in New Orleans? Do you advocate to end homelessness? Do you advocate for health care for all? Since when is christian so important to any of you, except a pretense to be bigoted?

You are vile, ignorant, small-minded people!

'Right Wing Hit Job' (AOL Elections Blog)

Jan 22nd 2007 10:40PM Virulent racists and religious bigots cannot stop the idea that someone who doesn't fit their prefered definitions dares to think he could be President. His name? If one wants to be ignorant about it, why not include comments about all the german nazi names, italian fascist names, and so on?

He can be christian, muslim, believe whatever aspects of either he chooses. And why should he have to prove he is 'white enough' or 'american enough,' or that he hasn't had 'too much interaction' with what some of you consider the wrong kind of people? He has a caliber of intellect that most of his critics could not come close to having -- but because he doesn't fit your racial or religious preferences, you question his ability?

How many of you people voted for Bush? That's the kind of quality candidate you select?

Has Bush proved he is a 'good' christian by how he shows concern for the poor? This country would be a much better place if it wasn't full of racists.

Cop the Parisian Attitude (Gadling)

Jan 11th 2007 4:02PM >> And sorry to say, Nicole, I think you might have some anger issues you need to work out. Your post was extremely well-spoken, made many good, valid points, but was very angry. Take a deep breath, enjoy the sunshine, and know that the whole world cannot be as perfect as you are. The bad must be taken with the good, and we all feel sorry for those who make matters worse for the rest of us who REALIZE what ignorance is...

Leaving Detroit - Buh Bye! (Gadling)

Jan 11th 2007 1:10PM "White flight" is a catchy term, and does mention the often racial component, but it leaves out the fact that many wealthier non-white people leave too, and many middle-class whites, who can't afford to leave and who aren't immediately afraid of not being in the majority, stay. Isn't it curious how the American mass media doesn't tend to show poor white people or middle-class/wealthy black people(unless they are entertainers.) Brazilian media is even more skewed in that way.

I think it is embarrassing for both Brazil and the US, how urban life reveals so much about how the society truly functions.

Brazil also had great issue of racial stratification, a legacy of racial marginalization, and a social structure that reflects whites on top, and non-whites on bottom. Brazil has the largest population of black people in the Americas, hasn't as successfully killed off their indigenous population, and has an even narrower population of white elites to hold control and populate the successful face of its cities.

It often seems that the more the "face" of the rich in a society matches the face of the poor and troubled in a society, the more effort is given to make a society inclusive and supportive for all. Few countries try to break historical patterns of racial and ethnic stratification. Both the US and Brazil are societies built upon the enslavement/cheap labor of specific groups of people, and when the economic engine of a society moves away from manual labor dependence, the former 'laboring' groups aren't merged into the upper levels, they are pushed to the side economically.

As the poor migrate to a city searching for services and opportunities, the wealthy and middle-class migrate outward in waves. The middle-class wants to live as rich as they can fake it, and the rich want to stay among the rich. People are status seeking, and while a mixed is great on paper, it doesn't fit the mental of people who are generally elitist, racist and materialistc.

Regardless of race, the political and economic elite often share the same mainstream indoctrination about just who to care about in a society.

Sao Paulo, Rio, Detroit, etc. will continue to suffer stratification, degeneration, until the national value becomes one that attends to the well-being of all kinds of people in society, rather than just reinforcing a particular minority, elite group.

I wish that it wasn't just the attracting tourists that weighed so heavily. I think that any investment in making a city interesting and livable for all of its residents, will automatically draw in tourists (and their money). Focusing on tourist and occasional suburban visitors, will just mean a constant focus on policing, restrictions, structures that protect them from the disaffected residents.

I think one of the good things about traveling is that you have a great opportunity to understand beyond the 'postcard' image of a country. To see beyond inherited stereotypes, accepted norms and convenient fields of visions It is easy for some of us to live in a bubble at home, but sometimes when we travel we find ourselves unable to maintain that same insulation from social issues.

I hope that people go to places like Sao Paulo, see the poverty and despair there, then go back to their own cities, countries and see the poverty and despair they might have been taught to overlook. Then, make a personal value to contribute to change at home and abroad.

Happy Traveling!

Cop the Parisian Attitude (Gadling)

Jan 11th 2007 11:53AM How about being nice to people if they are nice to you, regardless of what language they speak fluently or not, regardless of their national ethnicity?

What if they don't deserve that stereotypical American label you place on them? (Stereotypes are often less about the people stereotyped and more about the people doing the stereotyping, and how they want to see the world for their own benefit.)

What if it is their first trip to your country and they aren't experienced world travelers? Maybe they didn't have parents who took them on vacations to Paris (and other places) as a child, didn't spend a semester abroad during college, didn't have a French roommate in graduate school, and don't have the money, time to take overseas vacations whenever they feel like it? What if they didn't go to college, what if they can't spend hours on a computer scouring websites to learn all the cool and useful stuff? What if they are just nice people, trying to make a way in this world, and aren't floating on clouds of comfort and privilege with lots of disposable income and free time?

Maybe they finally got a chance to make the trip, booked the flight, tried to learn what they could, but still arrived in Paris not knowing EVERYTHING they'd need to know or like to know. Maybe they got a french phrase book, but they are too shy or embarrassed to try to speak. Maybe were afraid to go without knowing the language, but hoped they'd meet people who knew English (just like you figure when you go to Ghana, or Vietnam, or Egypt, etc. that you'd meet people who'd speak English or French well enough to help YOU, because your list of local language phrases printed from the web, your in-class and passed the test language study, and your $40 language book still don't make you conversant in the language. The natives just smile, treat you nicely and you go away feeling proud that you tried to speak. But really you relied on their knowledge of YOUR language to communicate, and you still acted arrogant in your Angelina Jolie way.)

Maybe they hoped or expected to meet decent human beings who would smile and help them learn? Maybe you could still treat them friendly because they are friendly with you, answer their questions helpfully, and wish them an enjoyable stay -- without looking down at them?

Would that be terribly un-cool that you couldn't possible allow yourself to do it, especially in public? Is being rude and demeaning to others a big part of why you (think you) are so hip?

For those Americans who proudly declare that they aren't 'one of those Americans' and then proudly outline why you are so special....

Maybe you DO fit the stereotype (which can apply to many nationalities) of a class-elite, racist (because you still think white is better and the standard to judge everybody else against), arrogant, shallow-minded, pseudo-egalitarian person who uses a very thin veneer of 'worldly' -- you have a friend from China, you read a blog from lebanon, you hang a kente cloth on your wall, you wear a ring from indian, took a photo with villager in ecuador, studied vietnam in college, blah blah --- to cover the fact that you are the same white person as those Walmart shopping, Bush supporting (you just love white DEMOCRATIC elites),uneducated, untraveled, suburban-bound, rural-raised,non-anorexic, non-blogger, manual-laboring,works at the local department store, doesn't read Gadling,(etc.) - 'uncultured' American you laugh about.

For the French (and the rabid francophiles) -- the fact that France has been so successful in colonizing and that you can take less than a day's train trip to many other countries, does not automatically mean you are more cultured than all or most Americans.

Consider Franz Fanon's take on the French perceptions of themselves in relation to other people, and you'll find that you can be racist and still know the capital of Senegal. Perhaps you'd consider that knowing about another culture isn't the same thing as respecting that culture and believing that the people of that culture are human beings equal to you. People who deserve the same respect and kindness that you believe you deserve, and that you hope to get from other people. (Oh but you don't expect people from Tanzania, Bolivia,Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, etc. to look down on you do you? You expect them to cater to you and fully appreciate when you step down off of your pedestal to acknowledge them and interact with them. Look, a white person walks among us! We are blessed!)

Perhaps you'd consider that your hostility to English isn't about the English-speakers arrogance, but about your FRENCH-arrogance and resentment that a few colonies escaped the imposition of the French language. Consider how France has continually worked to maintain cultural allegiance from its 'former' French colonies, how you treat immigrants from those countries and resent them coming to France even after France PLUNDERED their countries to enrich "Mother France" and still continues to coerce economic and political policies that impoverish and politically enslave those countries to benefit France.

The U.S. in Iraq? The French in Algeria. Maybe the US isn't different, just slow in following the French path. It hasn't already enshrined its colonially control yet, so the process is still messy.

Maybe the French, and other Europeans, aren't just these world-loving folks resentful of American arrogance and policies? Maybe they are just very bitter about the US infringing upon their established world dominance?

Instead of these constant back and forths, replete with hypocrisy, why don't you all take the needed time to examine yourselves? Consider how you treat people in your own country who don't fit your exact demographic as part of just how 'worldly' you are. Don't lean so heavily on stereotypes designed less by truth and more by your own issues/need to be above other people. Include such things as necessary to your quest to be the 'most cultured' in the room.

You'd do us all a favor!