Which Political Thread Will Be Locked First Poll?

[monkeydad16]

Which statements in these clips do you want to discuss?

All of the above......and go,

 

[creecher]

American politics is for Ho-mos.

^^^^^ are gay.

 

[woodsy]

So why is it proving impossible for you guys to stump up some quotes?

https://elections.foxnews.com/2008/...ned-us-role-in-spread-of-hiv-sept-11-attacks/

https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9051.html

https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9051_Page2.html

These took all of about 1 minute to find but I'm sure you've heard all this before...you just refuse to believe it. Looking forward to having you explain away these comments...this ought to be good!

 

[monkeydad16]

If you bet on the McCain shocker thread, you are a winnah!

 

[sladesuperagent]

And McCain is LOCKED! What do I win?

 

[monkeydad16]

So, now do we move to the Obama thread?

 

[monkeydad16]

DOH! Spoke too soon!

 

[sladesuperagent]

Darn, I thought I voted for Buchanan. Wait, what year is it?

 

[devilof76]

And McCain is LOCKED!

Guess again.

 

[monkeydad16]

Darn, I thought I voted for Buchanan. Wait, what year is it?

 

[barbelith]

All of the above......and go,

The only controversial thing he said there is that Jesus was black.

This took all of about 1 minute to find but I'm sure you've heard all this before...you just refuse to believe it.

I believe he said it. I just disagree with the right wing smear machine. Let's take a look.

“God damn America … for killing innocent people."

We do kill innocent people. Wright is right to be upset. I think context is important here. Wright is inverting a popular refrain to make us think about our government's actions (and I shouldn't have to remind everyone that our government is not our country). He's saying "on this score we do not deserve to pat ourselves on the back with another mindless refrain of 'God bless America.'" I don't deny it's heated rhetoric but Wright has been quite clear (not that the right wing propaganda machine will pay attention) that he was not condemning the American people full stop.

“God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans."

We do this, unfortunately.

“God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme.”

I can see how this line sets people off, but I also see what he's getting at. The US basically does whatever it wants and routinely ignores international law and accords - including the Geneva Convention.

“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki. And we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because of stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own backyard. America is chickens coming home to roost.”

This is all true.

“The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”

I believe this is false, but it's a popular conspiracy theory. I don't think this really supports the idea he's a racist who hates America.

“Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary would never know that. Hillary ain’t never been called a ******. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”

All these things are true.

“Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”

I don't know where this is coming from. To be honest it sounds like Wright lost it around the time Obama's campaign really began gaining steam. He probably became self-important, as a lot of these figures do, and began letting his more fringe beliefs come to the fore. Obama has said he's never heard Wright talk like this before, and there's no credible reason to disbelieve that.

Basically I think Wright holds some fringe beliefs that are common in the black community (Jesus was black, the CIA is responsible for AIDS and crack) but there's nothing here demonstrating he's a racist who hates America. I'd stick him in a loony box with Palin's pastor and some of McCain's extremist friends and ignore the lot of them.

 

[Spartan Rex]

You owe me money Sithlord.
I held up my end of the bargain...and I dont want to be paid in expired SS giftcards like last time.

 

[devilof76]

If Wright believes that the problems with this country have something to do with the skin color of the wealthiest, I'm afraid that very much qualifies him as a racist.

And regardless of his reasoning for the epithet, to state "God damn America..." belies a hatred (justified or not).

 

[Spartan Rex]

The only controversial thing he said there is that Jesus was black.



I believe he said it. I just disagree with the right wing smear machine. Let's take a look.

“God damn America … for killing innocent people."

We do kill innocent people. Wright is right to be upset. I think context is important here. Wright is inverting a popular refrain to make us think about our government's actions (and I shouldn't have to remind everyone that our government is not our country). He's saying "on this score we do not deserve to pat ourselves on the back with another mindless refrain of 'God bless America.'" I don't deny it's heated rhetoric but Wright has been quite clear (not that the right wing propaganda machine will pay attention) that he was not condemning the American people full stop.

“God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans."

We do this, unfortunately.

“God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme.”

I can see how this line sets people off, but I also see what he's getting at. The US basically does whatever it wants and routinely ignores international law and accords - including the Geneva Convention.

“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki. And we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because of stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own backyard. America is chickens coming home to roost.”

This is all true.

“The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”

I believe this is false, but it's a popular conspiracy theory. I don't think this really supports the idea he's a racist who hates America.

“Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary would never know that. Hillary ain’t never been called a ******. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person.”

All these things are true.

“Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty.”

I don't know where this is coming from. To be honest it sounds like Wright lost it around the time Obama's campaign really began gaining steam. He probably became self-important, as a lot of these figures do, and began letting his more fringe beliefs come to the fore. Obama has said he's never heard Wright talk like this before, and there's no credible reason to disbelieve that.

Basically I think Wright holds some fringe beliefs that are common in the black community (Jesus was black, the CIA is responsible for AIDS and crack) but there's nothing here demonstrating he's a racist who hates America. I'd stick him in a loony box with Palin's pastor and some of McCain's extremist friends and ignore the lot of them.

The thread with the nonsensical rants has been locked buddy.
Unless of course you want to finally answer my last direct question to you.
I didnt think so either.

 

[RJMacReady16]

The thread with the nonsensical rants has been locked buddy.
Unless of course you want to finally answer my last direct question to you.
I didnt think so either.

I've been tapping that well for 2 days now...

Not a drop.

 

[Spartan Rex]

I've been tapping that well for 2 days now...

Not a drop.

Meh, we come away none the poorer.
Its been great working with you.

 

[monkeydad16]

If you believe that The U.S. sponsors state terrorism against the Palestinians via Israel, then you have drank all the kool aid and are asking for refills! The arabs attacked Israel as soon as she declared her independence (in accordance with a U.N. mandate), and they have continued to attack her since 1948.

So, Wright was way of base with this one. Maybe even anti-semitic?

 

[devilof76]

I still don't see a locked thread anywhere.

Maybe even anti-semitic?

Since when is hating Israel anti-Semitic?

 

[Darklord Dave]

I unlocked that thread and was going to lock this one, but Barbelith's response about Wright has some value.

I would say that he's being a little too easy on Wright, but I'd agree that Wright was using popular public speaking tricks for effect. And I would also agree that Wright got a huge head when he started receiving negative attention and he just went for it, trying to say even more outrageous stuff so he'd prolong his 15 minutes of fame.

It's unfortunate, because a lot of what he said was accurate as Barbelith pointed out. But EVERYTHING he said is undermined because of the bug^^^^ crazy crap like "The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government lied.”

 

[wofford29]

I don't have a problem with Wright's freedom of speech. What I do have a problem with is his lack of respect or tact with a country that provides him such freedoms. By his words he's obviously disgusted with his country and it's people, so why not leave, why not find a better place? I also think it's funny that black men still cry fowl and play the race card about how tough they've got it. As a white athlete growing up I probably had more racial discrimination thrown my way than Obama had growing up and as a white male I face more discrimination in work hiring than any minority including women today. So why didn't he god damn America for giving a half black man the opportunity to run for president? Or god damn America for giving him the life of a bigot preacher who makes well over 6 figures a year? He's soooo oppressed.