#2
This really p*sses off, because it assumes there's some kind of inherent positiveness in having a "minority" president. Because, the dominant ideology plainly and clearly posits that whites must share power in their own (historically white & homogenously white) homelands. Again, to go back at the idea of transnational positivism, this is YET an another avatar of the progressist ideology, which is RACIST again (but with whites as the demonized ethnicity), and which again aims at "deconstructing" society to achieve utopia.
Anyway, the simple fact of having a guy named with a muslim name, who is let's just say "ambiguous" in his relationship with islam, and who is anyway an apologist (cf his goal of an excusatory seech in a big muslim country during the early days of his presidency), elected just 7 years after 9/11 is in itself a very worrying symptom of a sick society, to put it bluntly.
And, no, I still think the USA are less advanced in the deathcurve of civilizational suicide, as compared to EUrope... but you've got to admit, you've got seriously worrying entropic forces at play here.
#3
I suspect we'll have a pagan before a practicing Muslim. After all the US is at war with some Muslims and other Muslims have shown a remarkable indifference to picking sides.
If we do have a Muslim President in my lifetime I suspect he'll be a hero who fought for the US military and thus removed any and all doubts about where his loyalties are. The media is trying and I'm just not seeing a lot of Muslim hero stories, at least not ones that are in the US military so I think it's unlikely.
#5
As long as the president is an American first, I could care less about the rest.
Posted by: Mike ||
11/13/2008 10:23 Comments ||
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#6
That is akin to asking during WWI when "We will have a Nazi or a "Japan uber alles" guy as president? Being Muslim is not being part of a minority but adhering to an ideology. And if it is about minority ideologies how about "When we will have a Republican as President?". Republicans are people (sort of) too!
(1) Main designer of the P51 Mustang a German American. A German Americans got the Medal of Honor fighting Germany during WWI. Their genes could have been German but their minds were as Americans than the one of any "Son of the Mayflower"
Posted by: chris ||
11/13/2008 10:31 Comments ||
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#8
And as regards German-Americans in World War Two - Both Eisenhower and Chester Nimitz were of German descent; Nimitz was the grandson of Charles Henry Nimitz who was a leading citizen of Fredericksburg. I don't think anyone during World War II had any doubts about where those gentleman's true loyalties lay.
Incidentally, CH Nimitz is an on-going character in my soon-to-be-available and hopefully local-niche-best-selling "Adelsverein Trilogy"
'Al-Quds Al-Arabi' Editor Abd Al-Bari Atwan Calls on Obama to 'Impose American Model of Equality, Rights, and Opportunities on All Arab Countries,' Says: In an Arab Country, Obama Would Be Told, 'You Are a Slave'; 'We Arabs Are The Epitome of Racism'
Following are excerpts from an interview with Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan, editor-in-chief of the London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi. The interview aired on BBC Arabic TV on November 7, 2008:
Interviewer: "Is it really so difficult to achieve a breakthrough in the Arab ruling system, similar to what happened in the U.S? Will it take decades or centuries, Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan?"
Abd Al-Bari 'Atwan: "By coincidence, at a time when a black president was elected in the U.S., President Bouteflika amended the Algerian constitution so that he could remain in power for the rest of his life.
"What a paradox this is. In the U.S., not only is the change of power carried out by peaceful means, but there is [now] a black president - [who came] from the lowest ranks of society to the top.
"If Obama was in an Arab country, like Saudi Arabia or one of the Gulf states, they might have required him to have a 'guarantor' [like any foreign worker]. Under no circumstances - even if he died - would they have given him citizenship. They'd say to him: You are a slave, you are black, you need a 'guarantor,' you are a Kenyan, and your origins are unknown.
"I'm sad to say that we Arabs are the epitome of racism. Look at the foreign [workers] in the Gulf - they have no rights. These workers demonstrate, demanding to be placed 10, rather than 20, in a room, demanding to be transported in buses like human beings, rather than in trucks like beasts.
"We are the epitome of racism, and I believe that Obama will demand that these Arab countries carry out reforms: First, to abolish the 'guarantor' system, and then to grant rights not only to the blacks, but even to the Arabs themselves, to the whites. The whites in the Arab world are humiliated. Unless you have the 'holy' citizenship of a certain country - you are humiliated.
"Obama should impose the American model of equality, rights, and opportunities on all the Arab countries."
#3
Blacks in the US struggled for decades to earn their rights. It wasn't something imposed from without. Now that you have seen one of the problems fix it.
#4
I believe that Obama will demand that these Arab countries carry out reforms
Now there's an idea. Remind me, please, how these same Arab countries responded to the second/third most powerful person in the world during the Bush administration, Secretary of State Dr. Condoleeza Rice?
#5
Gutsy editor, but he doesn't understand the American model. Equality cannot be imposed, as it is an attitude; changing the heart changes the mind, resulting in how we view others. As for rights, they are derived from our Constitution, which they are free to adopt. We would all gladly support the reform from within, as fascist Islam is the only ideal we cannot tolerate and survive.
#4
There is a way for Corn making a dramatic contribution to reducing US dependecy on oil.
1) Use it for producing bourbon.
2) People drink the bourbon
3) People are now under influence so they can't drive
4) If they don't drive, they don't use oil.
#6
That mission was accomplished. Iowa, apparently, can now go scratch.
Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats ||
11/13/2008 8:08 Comments ||
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#7
JFM, I regret to say that drinking does NOT prevent people from getting behind the wheel and driving. Here in Wisconsin, we have probably the nation's highest drinking culture, and the accident rates to prove it.
I would love to see a better public transportation system for commuters and shoppers. Unfortunately, the people promoting rail around here have zero grasp of economics, a touching faith in ethanol, and way too much political dogma to make the system work.
#10
Here in Wisconsin, we have probably the nation's highest drinking culture
Interesting choice of words. The brandy Manhattan is high drinking culture? (I say this with great affection to my Wisconsin roots.)
Posted by: Grenter, Protector of the Geats ||
11/13/2008 11:18 Comments ||
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#11
Grenter, perhaps 'Wisconsin culture often focuses around drinking, and we have one of the highest incidences of public drunkenness and drunken driving'.
Because yes, the quantity of say, Boonsefarm or Beast imbibed here on a regular basis does not exactly lend itself to high culture. ;)
However, as a Wisconsinite with good taste, I would like salute JFM's suggestion of more Bourbon. As you say sir, an excellent use of corn.
#12
AlanC from what I have read biodiesel can run in a modern diesel engine with no alterantions of the engine at all. The only issue is that in cold weather some folks need to either cut the biodiesel wtih regular diesel to prevent freezing and/or install a pre-heater in the engine to get it going when things are cold.
#14
Petroleum diesel becomes too viscous in the cold, too. My mother had a diesel in Buffalo, NY some years ago, and had real problems in winter with it.
#15
I know a fix for the winter diesel viscosity problem.
Some years back, filling up I happened to see a Diesel Oldsmobile pull up to the regular gas pump and start pumping, I (of course ) shouted to the drivr he was at the wrong pump, he replied "I know, I always put 2 gallons of regular per fillup, it helps the engine start easier"
Figuring that wasn't healthy for the engine, I asked him how long he'd ben doing that, he answered "for the last 600,000 miles".
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
11/13/2008 20:43 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
