Tonight on "Hardball," Chris Matthews asked Obama how it feels to be the son of a white mother, and Obama said, "We’re a melting pot." He went on to talk about all the mixed race individuals in his family, including his half-Indonesian sister. Some people in his family look like Margaret Thatcher, others like Bernie Mac. This background gives him a "broader perspective." Everyone really is the same. But our politics are worst when they are drawn "along tribal and ethnic lines."
Thirty years ago leading sociologists declared the melting pot model over. Human tribes were essential elements of our society; identity politics came in. A rabbi in Florida said to me last year, "Difference is good. We’ve gone from the melting pot to the
mosaic." It went too far. Mosaics are confining.
This is as much as anything why I’m for Obama. His wife seems to me to contradict the lesson at times–she’s so black–but I feel he’s on to a universal understanding of human rights and gifts. The effect on parochialisms is merely shattering.
I can't vote for Obama, as much as I believe he knows better, because he won't throw off the straitjacket his party and its masters make him wear when it comes to actual policy.
In "Foreign Affairs" last year, for example, Obama actually called for an INCREASE in the size of the US military, when in fact that anachronistic and extravagantly expensive institution needs to be gutted.
"Mosaics are confining"?
A melting pot is mush. I find that confining.
Phil, if this is your idea of how leading sociologists talk and think, you have never read a sociology textbook.
Must point out the sentence fragment about michelle obama – "she's so black"! was that a Freudian slip?
Let's face it – Obama looks more caribbean than african american – makes me curious to see what his half siblings look like. But more than anything – let's admit the obvious – he is darn handsome – in a film-star kind of way. Even back 1 year ago (when I started backing him) I'd say – whenever people would challenge me with statements (of which we have seen and still see many) that Americans will not vote for a black man to be president – that "handsome trumps black" (at least in America). Infact, i found an old post of mine to that effect on haarez TB's from september….responding, I guess to Rosner's silly factor, which had obama somewhere near last place (with Giuliani in fiirst – anyone remembers that?) Personally, I always thought that this is part of what made Obama seem so comfortable in his own skin and so at ease – people are nicer to those who're looking good (as research keeps showing) and that tends to file away whatever edges of bitterness there may be. Of course, being smart and having a sense of humor doesn't hurt. And it doesn't detract from his accomplishments (after all, many a handsome dude ended selling surfboards on the wrong side of the tracks in venice california….).
As for michelle – I have seen speak and she is a very good speaker in her own right – no doubt she's a plenty smart and has her feet firmly planted on the ground (I imagine that's one of the secrets of their relationship – which seems to be – to all appearances in excellent working order). But she does come from a ore traditional African American background, which, by definition means that she cannot totally hide that little pocket of furtive anger. Michelle does have that slight edge – which is what we always perceive, but can't call it by name – except that you just did. I am not black, but somehow I came to understand (kind of – more feel than understand, I think) what it means to be black – the thing one can never hide from – because it's there always on display (I'm not implying – heaven forbid – that she is not a fine looking lady – am totally looking forward to he decorating every women's magazine in no time…).
So, what do you think of my theory that Obama – who seems virtually free of that edge (I mean, it's really absent) – awes a debt of gratitude to his unusually good looks (which from the pictures seems like he always had)? I really think it shielded him from a lot more than even he may realize. Whether his relatively easy going manners were a result of that or part of the overall lucky package he inherited – that i cannot say.
PS it's an interesting exercise to consider some of the other 'black' personalities who have had seemingly spectacular success in their public life, and seem to sort of have that same feel of comfort zone. yes, I'm thinking oprah, tiger woods, beyonce, powell, rice etc. Anyone sees some commonalities?
PPS hope people don't mind these little thoughts for the day – inspired by your three words (no, not really…been thinking that for sometime. said it too. Seems to make people a bit people uncomfortable., not too surprisingly…no be mad at me now….he's still good for the Jews – as is Michelle…)
Zionist ideologues have never bothered with petty issues like democratic support.
Israeli "democracy" depends on ethnic cleansing and genocide.
Birthright Israel/Taglit justifies itself with only a 5% capture rate because Israel advocacy does not require a very large management team.
http://eaazi.blogspot.com/2008/03/its-not-only-about-palestine.html
Among religious, leftist, and right wing ethnic Ashkenazim there has long been a current of thought that Jews are safest in alliance (or better in dominating) an undemocratic government. Thanks to the Patriot act and other actions of the Bush administration, the undemocratic Zionist future is coming into being right before our eyes, and McCain looks like the most likely of current present candidates to bring about the fulfillment of the ultimate globalized Zionist dystopia, but Zionists throughout the political system are poised to influence any other possible victor except Ron Paul, whom Zionist facilitators and gate-keepers in the US media are trying to starve of media attention.
The "melting pot" concept was what made America actually "work" as a "union".
The problem with tribalism as we see in the Jews and racism as we see trying to rear it's head in the black -white thing in this election is that sooner or later the largest tribe decides it's going to put it's foot down on all the lesser tribes.
the largest tribe is fast becoming much less so, volunteering its own suicide
I'm sorry, explain to me again why it's okay to say "she's so black" as if that's a criticism? I don't get it.
If I said of Ayelet Waldman that I don't like her, she doesn't seem to be multi-cultural enough, because she's so Jewish – wouldn't that be a racist, anti-semitic thing to say? I think so. Whatever it is that makes Ayelet Waldman (for instance) "so Jewish" and Michelle Obama "so black" – I appreciate those qualities and I don't see them as negatives. We Americans come in all flavors. Some of us are really "mixed" and others of us appear to exhibit more tribal markers of personality, looks, cultural preferences. So what?
Reading what you wrote again. You say that her blackness seems to contradict the lesson of Obama's mixed self. Why?
I married a WASP/Jew. One of my (mixed) African-American friends ended up dropping me because his family is "so white." Yep. And members of my family are so white. And members of my husband's family are also "so Jewish." My husband vibes really white. So I don't get to be multi-culti because my husband is so white? Or somehow I am not true to my mixed self because the mixed guy I married has a WASP surname and vibes white? What if I'd married an Arab with dark olive skin and a black mustache – would that meet your approval, Phil?
THink about what you're saying Phil. Yuk.
Eva Braun and her older sister would understand you Leila. They use to fight all the time, Eva devoted to Hitler, and her sister, devoted to her boss, the Jewish doctor.
I can not deny, I am enjoying the decency of Leila, and hate the indecency of Phil, who is too controversial for me. A derailment of humanity. His words sound hollow and disingenuous. A Rush Limbaugh on a mission.
Phil is hurting all decency in Jews, Christians and Muslims.
I am beginning to feel dirty just by visiting this blog.
Phil can't be the man he is playing here.
Change and return to decency.
I think the more significant fact about Obama's now-deceased mother is that she was employed by the U.S. embassy in Indonesia a few years after it was involved in setting up the brutal Suharto regime in an October 1965 coup. With the aid of U.S. diplomats and CIA people at the embassy in Jakarta, Suharto's army and right-wing death-squads apparently then slaughtered between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Indonesian leftists and civilians. If I remember correctly, wasn't there a movie called "The Year of Living Dangerously" that dramatized what happened in Indonesia during the 1960s but failed to mention very much the U.S. Embassy's role in those events?
I think phil has got something right, even though I personally think that he doesn't yet know WHAT exactly he has got right.