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The GOP's Blatant Racism

Fighting lies and prejudice

The battle to unseat President Obama commenced shortly after his inauguration, and the tactic of appeal to basic prejudice was resorted to early in the game. To sum it up: Obama was a Muslim, Kenyan-born socialist with Nazi tendencies, married to an uppity black woman who did not disguise her hatred for whites. The constant drumbeat of these blatant falsehoods worked; they helped spawn the Tea Party.

The GOP candidates are actually bereft of real ideas for job and economic growth: as US corporations are sitting on trillions in unspent profits, cuts in either taxes or regulations will not spur growth.

The candidates know the president’s race is an electoral vulnerability as the result of the inherent prejudice of their constituency. They have obfuscated the truth in several areas to manipulate the opinions of their minions.

Gingrich, the alleged intellect among the group, who gets high praise from the press coverage of his debate performances, is the master of racist double-speak. First it was black kids, who then morphed into all poor kids, who should be given the opportunity to relieve janitors (portrayed as overpaid) of their livelihoods so they could earn money and develop a work ethic. This concept, loudly applauded by the mob, is so evil on so many levels, it would require an article by itself to do justice to its racist stupidity.

All the candidates deride Obama as the “food stamp” and “unemployment insurance” president. Again, this appeals to the underlying belief that the poor and minorities are lazy and would work if the government did not coddle them at the expense of everyone else.

The payroll tax cut is also derided as an increase in the deficit and  ineffectual in job creation as measured by the fact that there is still high joblessness.

So now hear this, GOP candidates and their constituents: food stamps, unemployment insurance and the payroll tax cut have done far more to keep our economy alive than the job creators whose incomes continue to soar and corporations, who sit on immense cash reserves.

The fact that there exists consumer demand at all is a credit to the payroll tax cut; and the current holiday sales figures testify to that fact. The proceeds of food stamps and unemployment insurance flow directly into the economy.

These programs have kept millions from economic ruin and starvation; most of those suffering and who have been helped by the president are white; the Republicans can cut these programs only at everyone's peril.

The president will be able to make the truthful case that he has helped alleviate economic suffering for many and kept the economy alive for us all. The Repubican candidates debate in the insular world of racist appeal to their prejudiced base.

Asher Fried

Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Jan 17 2012 - 12:45pm

The GOP's Blatant Racism

Benefit of the doubt

We know that Obama had a twenty-year association with a pastor who publicly called on God to damn (white) America. We know that Obama made a comment about (white) Pennsylvanians painting them with the same brush. We know that people generally gave Obama the benefit of the doubt as to whether he had evinced racism. In the cases here, I'm sure people of good will and sense will do the same. After all, there are much more important matters needing attention than perfectly catering to everyone's vanity.

Chris Hollins

Charlotte, NC

Jan 14 2012 - 10:16pm

The GOP's Blatant Racism

Screwed

If the GOP/whites etc., are as racist as Mr. Younge asserts and the Democrats are the black community’s guarantors of its social, economic and political interests, the black electorate is screwed. Worse yet, the global community of the twenty-first century is not particularly interested in the aspirations of American blacks or the lack of “social justice.” The documented historic racism of the Democratic Party may be beyond the reach of Mr. Younge, but not of those inclined to review the evidence.

The decimation of the black family, skills, education did not happen by magic. Its authors, philosophies, policies are easily discovered. At this stage of our collective descent into blatant oligarchy, assigning blame is a meaningless parlor game. I have long thought that what the black man needed was for the white man to get his boot off his throat and black industriousness, ingenuity, intellect, ambition would carry his/her interests. One thing we know for sure is that the good intentions of Democrats have been disastrous.

Brad Lena

Pittsburgh, PA

Jan 13 2012 - 2:01pm