Imus the Amazing Whitey

The Racial "Double Standard" - Andrew Sullivan

I'm not particularly fond of Don Imus and the past week of 'all Imus, all the time' has gone beyond the grating point. After arguing about it for nearly an hour with my dad I'm quite ready to break large and expensive items. But Sullivan here captures some of what I'm angry about with the defenders of Imus. The biggest issue with the whole Imus affair is tied to the language-game and how the meaning of words is constructed. Words themselves have no inherent meaning. That meaning is provided by us. So, that is to say, words do have meaning but they mean different things to different people because we provide that meaning. The idea of some sort of racial double standard goes against the nature of language as certain words have a certain meaning to certain people, or in this case, races. For me, it's not simply an issue of race but of culture. Not all black Americans agree that firing Imus was the right thing to do whereas not all white Americans believe that what Imus said was simply a stupid joke. But what gets some people into a tiff is the idea that the rappers and r&b singers of black America somehow get a pass on making seemingly racist and sexist comments while Imus has his head handed to him.
One argument that I've heard is that since Imus is a shock-jock it's simply par for the course that he would make such comments. It's part of his shtick after all. But the same people who make that argument forget to carry the same understanding over to the rappers. Rap is filled with negative comments towards women and it's simply par for the course for a rapper to say those things. But that still gets into the issue of a double standard and I don't see it as a double standard but different standards for different cultures.
The problem is that white culture is the dominant culture so it is expected for the things we see on tv, hear on the radio and read in magazines to display an image of whiteness. It's a question of beauty. What white find beautiful in women is straight hair, clean skin and the weakness of femininity. This even applies to the black women we see in the media with their light brown skin, fair hair and respectable attitude. The black women of the Rutgers team do not fit with the image of white beauty with their tattoos, 'nappy' hair and tough attitude. When someone like Imus makes the comments he did it is not simply to rip on them but to remind a primarily white audience why the Rutgers women are different. They are dirty, loose women who do not deserve the honors they have received.
Within black culture the use of words like 'ho' and 'nappy' are not necessarily meant to show how some people are different. While the sexism of the term 'ho' tends to remain the same between cultures the term 'nappy' does not and is even a term of pride for some. The problem with the term 'ho' and its usage in rap music is that black culture is not the primary purchaser of rap albums. Instead it is white middle class males who propel rap artists to present this image of the 'gangsta' lifestyle. That some blacks perpetuate this image is simply another example of white cultural dominance.
What is most disappointing about the whole Imus affair is that while we have an opportunity to actually discuss race relations in America there are those who seek to use this incident to further their political and cultural agendas. Between Al Sharpton and the right-wing media all we will hear is this noise about how the blacks don't understand and the whites don't understand but nothing about how whites and blacks might find a way to talk about this. The Reverend Sharpton gets to play 'protector of black culture' by pointing to people like Rush Limbaugh and saying "See, Whitey doesn't understand, but I do and I will defend you." So all we get is another moment where white could have seen the light but because of the noise-makers of the so-called black leaders and the right-wing whiteys we lose. Fuck I want a drink.

Surge Merge

Surge Arithmetic - Kevin Drum, Washington Monthly

Via Andrew Sullivan comes a bit about the finagling of troop numbers to maintain the surge. I don't like it personally, but that's because I have two cousins in the Marines, one who just got home from Anbar province, and his wife who just had her fourth kid. Really, why do they have to send them? Can't they find some more 18-year-olds?

Uranium Workers of the World Unite!

Iran "Industrial" Nukes: Yawn - The Danger Room

So apparently the idea that Iran has the capabilities for industrial-scale production of reactor and bomb quality uranium is less than it seems. Call me unsurprised. What I'm more interested in is the few reports I have heard concerning Iran's monetary situation. If Iran is steadily being squeezed by the West financially then we might see the pro-western population, sated with their western products, start to squeeze the government in return. Either way, I think the financial sanctions will have more of an impact than any sort of rhetoric concerning Iran's 'proper' place in the world. Things like Iran's announcement of 'industrial' production of uranium doesn't come as much of a surprise when you consider Iran's need to look tough in the face of such sanctions. The capture of those fifteen British sailors can be considered in the same light. What all this means, I think, is that Iran is feeling increasingly isolated and wants a serious confrontation with the leaders of the U.S., who seem to want such a confrontation despite our inability to actually do anything about it militarily.

Dream Whip Pie

They ate the last of the dream whip pie. I have to wait until Easter of next year before I get that pie again. Screw family, screw Zombie Jesus, Easter is all about that pie. I guess this means I have to kill another son of God to get another Easter on the calendar.

An Oversight

Congress Nudges an FCC on Hold - WaPo

See, this is why a little oversight is a good thing. Now, I might not necessarily approve of all the actions of the Democratic leadership in Congress but if they can get the federal agencies to act in the way they are supposed to act then I say more please.

The Article

Hostage Letter Written by Tehran - The Danger Room

What interests me here is the appearance of a tit-for-tat kind of action on the part of the Iranians for U.S. actions against Iranian agents in Iraq. I don't have a problem with the U.S. acting against Iranian agents in Iraq since their presence there indicates something marginally underhanded at the very least. But this kind of call-and-response is troubling. I sincerely doubt that the U.S. would act militarily against Iran in the next two years but one never knows sometimes. Still, the hostage crisis is worrisome.

DDG-1000

Stormy Seas for Stealth Destroyer - The Danger Room

While the ship looks damn cool it sounds like a terrible design, particularly if the Navy is going to fill part of its fleet with this kind of ship. It seems that the design is prone to flooding and capsizing. A ship of this design might work well in coastal operations but even there I imagine there is some serious concern. I just wish the Navy would spend a little less money on these 'advanced' designs and concentrate on building ships that will have a role in the 21st century.

300mph

"Knight Rider" Ride Up for Sale - CBS News

It's a little disappointing that KITT isn't street legal. Then again, most of these TV cars aren't the most comfortable rides.

The Foreign Policy Trap

A Lazy Post - Matt Yglesias


I think Yglesias sort of gets it through his reprinting of Tony Smith's article on current foreign policy doctrine and the presidential race. They both note how difficult it is to produce a workable foreign policy doctrine. The myriad of competing interests in the U.S. alone make it a headache. But, and here's where I think Yglesias only sort of gets it, the problem is not with how difficult it is to produce a foreign policy doctrine but how difficult it is to get such a doctrine to work for more than a couple of years. Domestic politics tends to move slowly and so a domestic policy can last for a decade without need for serious revision. But foreign politics tends to move far more quickly. Simply put, a foreign policy doctrine cannot adapt quickly enough to remain relevant.
The solution I think, if there is a solution, is not to have a foreign policy doctrine but a foreign policy attitude. What a doctrine does is inform, if not dictate, the shape of the policy when, more often than not, good policy is shaped by events on the ground, so to speak. An attitude simply puts forth a direction for that policy to move in. Democracy-promotion is a reasonable example of this idea as one can promote democracy through their foreign policy without subjecting that policy to a series of required actions. The one instance where military action is required would not mean that military action is required in every instance. This is not to say that we should all bow before the alter of Realpolitik. Instead, it simply means that we must not rely solely on theory to determine our responses in foreign affairs.

Unity08

Growing a Third Party - David Broder, WaPo

While I appreciate the attention someone like Broder gives to the idea of a third party he's asking the wrong questions. He does note the selection process that Unity08 is presenting:
In a few weeks, they will outline provisional rules for their own nomination process, determining how candidates will qualify and how the voting will be conducted. The goal is to pick either a political independent for president or to form a ticket with both a Democrat and a Republican. Feedback will be welcomed before the rules are made final, he said.
But Broder doesn't dwell too long on this idea or even go into greater detail. Basically, the article is simply a cover piece of Unity08, bringing it into the public consciousness. Beyond that, there's nothing more. I would expect something better from a pundit like Broder but there you go.

My personal take is that something like Unity08 doesn't bring anything new to the table. Sure, it's a novel idea but it doesn't actually attempt to solve the problems of partisanship or getting genuine candidates elected. And to shoot for the biggest prize of all in politics, the presidency, when you have little to no public acceptance is absolute folly. It's a sure way to loose a lot of money and reinforce the idea that a viable third party will never be had. Now someone like Ross Perot was able to parlay his presidential run into a wider party. And the Greens and Libertarians have become mainstays on public ballots. But none of these parties are actually trying to change the way a party works. In order to make any serious gains as a third party you must break into the system first. But this is a Catch-22. If you can't get yourself elected then there's little chance of you changing the way the political system works. And if you can't change the way the system works then you can't open it up for future parties. So, the solution is, instead of breaking into the system, you must break the system. Aiming for the presidency first isn't the way to build a party, visibility perhaps, but not a party. To build a party you have to break into the local councils, state houses and school boards. The ways elections are held are primarily determined by the states, not the federal government. To break the system you have to start from the ground up. So something like Unity08 is a non-starter and while Broder doesn't come out and say it, the tone of his piece suggests that.

Equal Parts

Let's Dialogue - Matt Yglesias

I do so love the pundits who like to trot out the fascist analogies and predictions of an on-set of neo-fascism. It shows a basic misunderstanding of what fascism is and was. If anything, one would expect to see European Muslims, not Christian Europeans, mimicking fascism. Fascism, in one sense was a virulent form of ultra-nationalism. But even in that case you wouldn't see a true fascism arise. Fascism, at its heart, was the sacralization of politics, the turning of the state into God. It's not the same as a theocracy, even if in action they look similar. But that's like saying the common cold and Eboli are the same since they are both viruses that can kill us. Fascism does not equal communism or a theocratic government. Yes, all share elements of totalitarianism but that does not make them the same thing. It's this kind of fast-and-loose punditry that worries me since it represents a lack of appreciation for some of the most dangerous ideologies of our time.

Napping Our Way to Victory

Study: Napping Regularly Fights Heart Disease - WaPo

I've long touted the benefits of naps. I regularly take a nap after work and it has proven quite refreshing after a long day. More to the point, during the heady days of thesis writing naps were an essential part of the process as by the middle of the afternoon my brain was feeling a bit mushy. Just a twenty or thirty minute nap can keep you going for a lot longer than something like an energy drink can. It's just a matter of letting the body and the mind rest for a moment.

Zune Zune Zune

Jobs seeks online music shake up - BBC

This first popped up on the Inquirer a couple of days ago, but the BBC has picked up on this now. Apparently the recording industry is on the verge of ditching their DRM schemes as it has begun to drag down online music sales. After conducting a brief experiment where DRM-free mp3 files were placed against the standard DRM files it was found that consumers preferred the DRM-less ones. No big surprise there. But even the mere idea that the RIAA would consider dropping anti-piracy schemes like DRM is a surprise. What I find more amusing about this situation is all of the grief Microsoft has received over its own built-in DRM in Vista. For Microsoft, DRM has become something of a black hole as it has caused a lot of driver problems, particularly with companies like nVidia and ATI. From what I can gather, each new graphics card will need its own independent driver. This goes against the philosophy of both ATI and nVidia who have sought only unified drivers as a means of keeping everything simplified. Vista's DRM prevents the use of unified drivers and thus will slow the adoption of new graphics cards, thus pissing off the gamer class. When you piss off the gamers you lose a good chunk of the market.
In a roundabout way, the RIAA will have screwed Microsoft if they do ditch DRM. More importantly, they will have given Microsoft's most visible competitor, Apple, a huge victory in the music market. With Microsoft's own homegrown player Zune just now getting on its feet, such a move on the RIAA's part would throw their whole game plan into a top hat.

"Breathing Room"

I've heard a lot of talk over the last year or so about the apparent lack of options between political parties. And I've heard a great deal of dissatisfaction over the current state of our government from moderates, Republicans, Democrats, you name it. By now, I'm sure you know where this is all heading--we need a new political party. I want to start a new party, the Realist Party, in an attempt to do what our current political leaders won't do and what our current political machines can't do. I think a good part of the problem with our party system derives from the fact that the framers of the Constitution never incorporated a party system into the document. I'm not hear to asses fault for that omission, it was well over two hundred years ago and we've had more than a few big events occur in the interim. The party machines we have now are the product of decades of campaigning and governing and however they originally started is not the issue, or at least not the whole issue.
So the methods by which we elect candiates is broken. Not that our votes are not counted (barring some notable cases) and it isn't as if who gets elected radically differs from what the continuing stream of polling numbers say (again, barring a few notable exceptions). What I mean when I say that our electorial system is broken is that the way candiates are chosen, presented and campaigned is broken. Too often we see only the candiates who can win and rarely the candiate who should win. And too often do we see candidates who selectively target a certain audience in their district to the disadvantage of everyone else, whether that is their electorial base or special interest groups.
But I recoil at the suggestion that we should legislate our ways out of this mess. Even discounting the pratical obstacles of forcing those who's political careers depend on the current electorial system to change it, I don't think this is necessarily a legislative problem. What I am suggesting is that if a genuine third party can rise up based on the idea of presenting candidates who should get elected, holding elected officials to a higher standard of intelligence and conduct, and limiting the amount of vitrol spilled by the punditry then we can repair the electorial machine. While all of this sounds very high minded I do believe it is not only possible, but greatly desired.
What such a party takes to exist, much like any party or any business for that matter, is a lot of hard work, committed people and money. The difference lies in the purpose behind these elements. It isn't that the means are wrong or even the ends are wrong. It's the intent that is wrong. The purpose of most political machines is to get people elected, naturally. You can't hope to change things as an elected official if you can't become an elected official. But when the sole purpose of a political machine is to get people elected then you see the depth of our problem.
So what we are left with is the dilemma of any third party--how can you attain a sufficient number of people in elected office to effect real change without becoming just as broken as the other two major parties? I'm willing to take suggestions.

Lazarus

So I'm going to revive this blog after letting lie fallow for over a year. Check back here later to see what, if anything, I have done.

Opal City

Gaudi

Much like Robinson's "Starman" series, Lapham's "City of Crime" in Detective Comics and even Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere", Grant Morrison's uses the city itself as a key character in his writing. Not only does his current "Manhatten Guardian" series play up the idea of the city as a living breathing organism but his "The Invisibles" uses it as a vital theme to introduce the series. "Starman" in particular uses the city not just as a setting but as motive force for the actions of its characters. While "Starman" does share the sense of sheer awe over modern archtecture that "The Manhatten Guardian" does, both "City of Crime" and "Neverwhere" play around with the thriving city beneath the city as does "The Guardian" as well.

General Amnesty

Blah blah blah, required apology for absence, blah blah blah, too bored, too busy, too annoyed, blah blah blah, you'll all be against the wall when the revolution comes, blah blah blah

China, Japan and the Historical Narrative

Textbook

The protests and rioting in China is one of the clearest examples of the need for proper representation of history. While you cannot over-dramatize the events, no matter how harsh the event might be, you cannot marginalize or mitigate the event either. The Japan that produced such horrors as the 'rape of Nanking' is not the same Japan of today. Even so, recognition of one's past is the only way to prevent repeating that past. The difficulty, especially in the case of grade school textbooks, is in how the meaning of the event is conveyed. History is as much a narrative as any novel, the only difference being that historical narrative is based in evidence. But the meaning and impact of that evidence is a part of the narrative. When the evidence is given little attention or otherwise shuffled off to the side, the meaning is changed. Our own past of action against the Native Americans is representative of such marginalization in history.

Genres

Sin City

It's hard to get people, especially adults, to understand that comic books can be more than just four-color superheros and pirate tales. While most of the market is still dominated by the superheros there are many other tales that don't feature brightly-clothed and moralistic heroes as the main characters. Frank Miller started out in superhero comics with Daredevil and Batman and after making his mark on the field he moved on to tell a story that he always wanted to write. Neil Gaiman was allowed to write a comic book that has become a highlight for those, like me, who argue that comics are a genuine and worthwhile literary genre. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Brian Vaughan and others all represent comic writers who both can write a good superhero tale as well as stories that go well beyond that sub-genre.

The Splintering of the Right

Process Conservatives

It amazes me how quickly the Republican party violated their own traditional platform of state's rights in order to promote the right to life. This case is about quality of life and no matter what the radical conservatives claim, they are playing political football with a woman's life. More than that, the Republicans have also derailed any agenda to push a gay marrage ban and their own anti-abortion plans. By forcefully stepping into a state's rights issue the Republicans jettisoned a fundamental tenet of their party. Additionally, the previous platform that advocated smaller, less intrusive government, as well as the belief that people know best how to live their lives, is no longer viable. What I find amusing, if one can be amused in this grotesque charade, is that by departing from the Lockean idea that the individual knows best how to live their life, the Republicans has attachted themselves to the Rousseauean idea that the government has a right to dictate how one should live. That very same idea was later taken up by such illustrious figures as Marx, Lenin, Mao and Stalin, not to mention Hitler and Mussolini. So either the Republicans have decided their party will now become a socialist party or they have indeed turned toward a fascist-style of government.