I saw that thing and had no problem with nader's 'uncle tom' remark. it was a common complaint against black entertainers in the civil rights mvt. "he's just uncle tomming," cowtowing to the establishment.
people who are too young to remember. they think it's like using the N word. it's not. I thought shephard (?) smith blew that all out of proportion, was incredibly unprofessional in his language with an internationally famous political figure and was obviously ignorant of the history and meaning of nader's remarks.
having said that, nader may be simply too old to keep up the fight any more. or, Maybe, his priorities will begin to resonate and he'll be championed for his keep it realness in such issues as the environment and honesty in public policy. the things he's been talking about for years are priorities obama got elected on.
interesting times. I hope it doesnt blow up in our faces these next few years.
2 comments:
i was wondering what you thought of that. black and white thinking on both their parts was what it sounded like to me. shepard's point was that, can't you even let him have one day without raining on his parade? but you know nader's like an eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeassssy target for shep, who's sitting pretty in the midst of the Fox Establishment Cheerleaders.
i found him smarmy and self-righteous and i fucking hate self-righteousness with every cell in my being. any time you catch me doing it, because i tend to, SLAP ME upside the head. maybe i'm doing it right fucking now. but ya know, he just had to take every opportunity to insult nader, mock him, show him how fucking cool he is, and yeah, it's uncool to be staring lividly into the TV screen with all the outrage you can muster, while the person on the other end of the exchange can't even see you. i think that is bullying.
because you know old shep's not going to say thing one when all the righties that surround him, start doing all they can to get between obama and those who can help him move agendas forward. it's going to be uphill all the way and if shep's so outraged against Obama getting put down, well, by golly, he might start looking right around him because yeah, those types will let obama have that one day, AND THAT ONE DAY ONLY. all the rest are going to be a hatefest and unless he's a total idiot, he knows it.
on the other hand, it is a shitty thing to say. it makes nader seem like a sore loser. shep rubbing his face in that is repulsive, but grudging your opponent so bitterly in the face of their victory, which really is a victory for the good guys, says something else. maybe nader's ego felt bruised, maybe obama ignored him totally and he feels dissed by that.
nader strikes me---unfortunately---as a person with good and important ideas, who, if he wants to go into government, should get into politics at a lower level first, and pay his dues, like more politicians. he can't run for city council? or any other kind of public representative position, first? it's one thing to be a critic, and the world needs critics. but unless you do something positive, something that builds solutions or brings people together, you're not going to be trusted right out of the gate with the highest office in the land.
watching nader's reaction he strikes me as someone i would not want in charge of our country's relationships with other countries. my guess is maybe he can't help himself. some people can't.
he's like michael moore. he's got good ideas and excellent contributions but at some level doesn't freaking respect himself enough to manage self-respect, which is admittedly hard, but if it's a challenge you can't face, i don't want him facing all the other challenges the world's going to throw him. we need someone savvy and strong, and obama does strike me as that--being strong without being belittling and mean.
Post a Comment