[lbo-talk] Ralph: Obama an Uncle Tom

[John Thornton]

James Heartfield wrote:
> John Thornton writes:
>
> "Are you joking or clueless?
> Perhaps as a Brit you don't realize that calling Obama an Uncle Tom is
> hugely ugly?
> Maybe it has different social baggage in the UK?
> Not as bad a ni**er but not too far off either."
>
> Perhaps it is just that I am not victim to the peculiarly American 
> belief that it is words, not sticks and stones that hurt you.
>
> I appreciate that the accepted view on your side of the water is that 
> oppression is an outgrowth of language, but that is your 
> misunderstanding, not mine.
>
> Were Nader's words ugly? Who gives a rat's ass? His meaning was clear 
> enough to anyone who was not waiting to wear his offendedness on his 
> sleeve. As it happens, I don't agree with Ralph, or at least it is not 
> the political point that I would have made, but I really don't care 
> about his language.
>
> Don't be so gay, as we say, over here.

I never claimed oppression was an outgrowth of language so please stick 
that straw man where he belongs.
You'll forgive me if simply because some white guy says being called 
chief or Tonto or having my sister called squaw or worse should not 
bother me that I don't take your pronouncements as gospel.
Uncle Tom = House Ni**er. It's that simple. His meaning was clear. Obama 
is the house ni**er of the corporations.
Why should anyone be offended by that, right?

Some of us here in the US also use gay this way. If you wish to align 
yourself with them be my guest.
None of the Brits I know use the term this way. I'll ask them what they 
think about its use in this manner.
Ask an Eyetie, Mick or Paki if they agree with your pronouncement. Silly 
saes.

John Thornton