Reality or not, Bush would be wise to address the concerns brought up by Kanye West, because I think they are representative of the opinions of a lot of people. I don't think that Bush hates black people, but it's good that he and his team know that the perception is out there that he does. . . West did him a favor in that respect, and Bush should capitalize on it.

And though I think he's wrong, I don't think West is stupid or ignorant.
Jason Latshaw | 09.12.05 - 8:29 pm | #

So you think that he is just ignorant or just stupid? Or does he strike you as both highly intelligent and knowledgable?

There is a perception out there. Why is it there?

The African American Left already associated Bush with men who tied a chain around a black man and drug him to death behind their pick-up. When people reach a certain level of stupidity and ignorance combined with hatred there is nothing left to do or say. Perhaps they will listen to the Thomas Sowells, Bill Cosbys or Alan Keyes of the world or perhaps they will continue cling to the Left even as it corrupts them.

I can see the headlines in the Old Press now though, "Seeking to Change His Racist Perception, Bush Invites Al Sharpton to the White House" I could probably spin that better, or you can make up your own.
mynym | Homepage | 09.12.05 - 9:38 pm | #

When people reach a certain level of stupidity and ignorance combined with hatred there is nothing left to do or say.

...who's to say where there is no hope of reconciliation?

What does a question about identity/"who" have to do with anything?

I do know that Kanye had a point when he talked about coverage of the looting – white people looting was called "searching for supplies to survive," black people looting was called "looting."

What specific example are you using?

Anyway, the man's definitely not stupid.

He may not be stupid in the descriptive or quantifiable sense of having a low IQ, although the way he comes across he may be stupid in that sense. I meant the term in a more normative sense as in stupid defined by making stupid decisions, e.g. lacking the ability to decide against an ignorant rant that might harm Red Cross fund-raising...while supposedly being there to help fund-raise. That's stupid.

Ironically, West and artists like him probably have more to do with the problems of urban African America culture than Bush does, e.g. his recent song Golddigger which shapes the culture toward the fatherlessness that causes the crime typical to bastards. The term "bastard" is often used to describe an immoral person or a criminal because of the clear associations and correlations involved. Lessening the number of bastards is a cultural issue, not a presidential issue. It is artists like West that do more to shape the culture than presidents.
mynym | Homepage | 09.13.05 - 6:07 pm | #

Specific example?
http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/818

The originals are now taken down by an embarrassed media, but I saw them at the time they were running, I'm sure you could find them too.

As for Kanye, I don't know any of his songs except for Jesus Walks and Diamonds are Forever, or whatever that is called, so you could be right about his lyrics contributing to a culture of fatherlessness.

I doubt Kanye's remarks hurt the fund-raising. In fact -- I might even argue that the media coverage of the disaster intensified after that outburst? But again, I'm not really defending him, just making 2 observations. 1.) He's not stupid. and 2.) Bush would be smart to do something about what Kanye said.
Jason Latshaw | 09.13.05 - 8:56 pm | #

That's the sole example I've seen past around many a Leftist blog as well. The "many other" examples are too obvious, like an African American man floating a container full of Heinekens being labeld a looter in the Old Press. It is an interesting idea, yet I don't have access to any news databases that carry pictures to check it out.

"In fact -- I might even argue that the media coverage of the disaster intensified after that outburst?"

No matter the amount of coverage, if the people of New Orleans come across as petulant, demanding and paranoid then others will be less inclined to help. How much funding is going to flow to New Orleans from urban African Americans with Leftist tendencies? The numbers just will not add up, West is paranoid (Now they're just going to shoot all black people or somethin'!) about the very people that he alienates with his nonsense.

Another example, Kanye's anthropological and linguistic theories:

The JESUS WALKS rapper - who recently charged that US President GEORGE W BUSH "doesn't care" about African Americans - believes that certain slang words should only be able to cross racial barriers when they're no longer in style for black people.

He says, "I think white people are allowed to say 'bling'. They are allowed to say old-school black slang, like 'hottie' and 'homie'.

Hmmm...we're a long way from MLK.
mynym | Homepage | 09.14.05 - 5:10 pm | #

I don't really think anybody should say bling and homie and hottie except me cuz i made that up.
Jason Latshaw | 09.15.05 - 1:44 am | #