White for just one day

Were I White For Just One Day

--Thinking about that, particularly from the perspective of a "post modern neo white abolitionist" (don't ask me, I literally just thought that one up) what would I do with it. Going back to my thesis on whiteness, what does it mean, for me thinking about that, I would have to go back to notion of invisibility. Being white, in America, means one has a cloak of invisibility and a stamp of normalcy. Being white means that I have complete access to resources and can go places as calm as I please. Being white means I am able to drive my car with the vehicle registration plate expired and not have to have heart palpitations when a police officer drives behind me. Being white means I'm not suspect. It's an invisible power that political, social, economical, legal and even sexual ramifications. Lets dissect this thing for a second or so. DuBois stated at the turn of the 20th century that the biggest issue facing America was the issue of color. Color, in the context of the United States, operates on a caste system of sorts. The color white has been placed at the top of the color hierarchy. If an inanimate object is white, it's virgin, pristine, positive. The antithesis of course is not white or more common black. To be black is to be vile, dark, sullen, negative. Exploring the politics of color and caste, the black white binary has power through its long history in American popular culture. Because of the gross miss association of white and positivity, this misnomer becomes historicized and ultimately normalized through various structures which in turn feed into a cultural capital. This cultural capital I would like to refer to as simply propaganda, which Chompsky discusses. Examining how media inundates an uncritical audience to the nuances and power of the politics of the color discourse, we find that those who are in power have absolutely nothing to gain by challenging the current operation of business. To challenge a structure that that is self promoting would be sociological suicide. Just as in critical race theory, there no meritocracy in white supremacy. Oppressors simply do not stop oppressing just for the sake of goodness and humanity. It would erode the power base and simply put, using Mylesspeak, "it would be too much like right." No to be white for one day is what is sold to African Americans, Latino Americans, and others who are not in model minority status.

To be Continued..

Teflon Johns

Cheating in the next room

My God, this must be the season for stupid moves by the democrats.  John Edwards, whom I thought would be a good running mate for Obama got caught with his hands in the cookie jar.  Can we get music ready and the flashing lights going again... Here we go, DAMN!!!! I'll be the first to admit that the probability of me running for any type of elected office is slim.  That said, discretion is the key.  If you know you that you have a checkered past, why run for the top office in the country, especially when our country is so desperately in need of change.  Cheating is cheating and if you are married, you have singed on to be monogamous which means no indiscretions, no liaisons, and of course NO CHEATING!!!!  That said, many skirt around the rule which pretty much explains why marriage counselors and divorce lawyers are still in business.  Many of us won't have careers which will be public i.e. public servants.  But, the power of whiteness prevails hence why we have the Teflon John syndrome. Because I am a white man, with power, with money with social status, I am Teflon John which translates into, I can get out of anything.  What is ironic about this is how Edwards was busted.  Not the Washington Post, the New York Times, not even the Daily Planet, but the National Enquirer, America's smut rag number 1.  The National Enquirer, a tabloid who has a history of capricious, notorious, mind numbing fodder journalism cracked the case!! DAMN!!!!  This is irony at its best.  The national enquirer who has been the target of numerous lawsuits for over the top libelous stories and crazy paparazzi actually scored one of the biggest stories of the year.  This is the type of stuff I would on cheaters or Maury Povitch.  When we think about cheating itself, it's the thing has I guess has some type of a class status to it.  We (as a public) really don't expect our top officials to do it let alone get busted by the National Enquirer.   The people we are used to seeing get busted are those who represent the lower economic class status.  These would be the same people we see getting busted on cops.  But Edwards got busted in the process of creeping w- a possible love child.  All that aside he will pay a high price in the court of public opinion.  Like I said, it had the potential to do great damage to the democratic party.  Getting back to my case on the Teflon John-- he obviously didn't get away with it but the shear arrogance that was displayed not only by him, but others who have walked this road suggest that these actions represent more than a set of isolated cases.  "I'm large, I'm in charge," represents a philosophy that is inbred.  When you have money, these aren't problems, but more so just the cost of doing business.  If I creep, I'll just go to my cheating account and pay the person off.  This could be argued as a means of expressing masculinity.  In actuality, at least from this POV, its tacky.  Just be a man about it and tell your wife, I want to creep (if you are that bold).  Better yet, ask for divorce or why not stop the trouble before it starts and not get married.  If you do get married, do what it takes to stay married, be the person your spouse fell in love with from the jump and eliminate the middle man or woman all together.  It's idealistic and not realistic and I know this.  I have to give credit where credit is due; Bernie Mac God Rest His Sole stayed married for 30 years.  Now I know they may have had beef, but the beef never made the public streets. 

None of us are saints which is why there is the hope of salvation but damnit, don't test the boundaries all the time. Maybe we need to have a show Cheaters, the Celebrity Edition or Baby Mama Drama the capital hill files with Host Bill Mare.  Or better yet why not do something that is just really intelligent, if you are a public official, you have to sign a morals clause which states you can be removed from  your position for various causes without question.  I'm sure if that were the case, Capital Hill might have quite a few vacancies