On the night that America voted to make history, voted Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States of America, Ralph Nader ended his career in a spectacularly disgusting fashion by calling Barack an "Uncle Tom":
I never ever want to hear from Ralph Nader or his followers ever again. Truly disgusting.
Watching this made me feel better:
Thanks Benjamin Sarlin!
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4 comments:
Truly disgusting, can't believe he would say that.
I am by no means a huge Nader supporter, but I think his comments are being miscontrued here (probably to the happy delight at the people on Fox). Given that, for better or worse, he's dedicated his life to the interests of the poor - including all minorities - I can't believe that his racism would not have come out before now.
First, he didn't actually call Obama an Uncle Tom, he said that there was a choice to be made. A semantical point, but it's there.
Second, I know the racial connotations of "Uncle Tom", but they are not necessarily all racist - Uncle Tom was supposed to stand for people who act against their own class's interests. I think that's what he meant here - would Obama stand up for all people or would he cow to the interests of giant corporations, against his own class - blacks, middle-class, however you want to characterize it - which has played quite a role in our economic downturn?
I think it is interesting to note that at one point, when he's trying to do some damage control, he starts to ask if Shepard knows the historic meaning of Uncle Tom, but is cut off. So, we get this interview and a lot of bad fallout.
I wasn't really offended by this.
I was more offended by Kevin Roderick and his implication of black people's homophobia on his blog owing to a lie and then having my people being called all kinds of nasty names owing to a lie (on many mainstream blogs). And then that lie went all the way to the BBC along with plenty of commentary and everyone believed it and thought it was totally ok to make stereotypical comments about black people.
I found that way more offensive than Ralph Nader who I view as a friend to the average working man and woman regardless of race.
http://laeastside.com/2008/11/aha-more-on-prop-8/
When was Fox News all that concerned with black people anyway.
Browne
Whew!
Good thing I don't turn to a Fox reporter when I need literary analysis of a work of fiction.
Nader's track record has demonstrated where his heart is. Don't be foolish into thinking he's using a literary reference thoughtlessly, a reference that occupies a multitude of readings.
Now if only we defended ALL marginalized people with the vigilance that we do when race is called into question.
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