White Privilege

Pam's House Blend has posted quotes from Tim Wise of AWARE, a group based out of Nashville , TN. With liberals so bent on understanding nuance and the many shades of gray in this world, I particularly enjoyed this quote.

'And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.'

This analysis is so very insightful. I am glad we have reduced the personalities and issues in this campaign to the issue of white privilege.

First, I acknowledge that the Presidency has a unique role in guiding this country. However, with an approval rating of only 20% for Congress, something is clearly going wrong. To claim that Bush has the majority of responsibility for unemployment, housing, and inflation is ridiculous. There is fault from congress, the president, and the market in general. It is not the government's job to protect people and corporations from stupidity and bad investments. There should be regulation, yes, but a huge oversight committee would not have avoided this crisis.

Second, he claims that America is isolated from world opinion. This is a blanket statement which is in itself neither good nor bad. I think America should listen to the opinions other nations, but itself remain independent. Every decision aligned with world opinion is not necessarily good, and decisions that are at odds with the world decision are not necessarily bad.

The claim that it is only white privilege guiding this election is sickening. Disregard beliefs in a free market, globalization, promoting life and reducing abortion, and promoting innovation. Completely ignore disdain for 'progressive tax codes' which support wealth redistribution, for government intrusion into our work, our bank accounts, choices for health care, our choices of schools.

And Tim Wise while pointing out 'hypocracy' in the 'preferential' treatment of Sarah Palin and John McCain, he is mocking each of them with the same attacks he accuses whites of committing against minorities.

Lastly, he is mocking the claim that change is too ill defined. That anything has to be better than what we have now. The liberal platform is largely anti the Bush administration. It requires and is defined by the 'other.' It does not stand on its own, but is based on being against the platform of conservatives. As such it is required to consistently tear down the other platform. The country thought Bush was leading us wrong, but did not run to Kerry, because there wasn't a platform to run towards. This seems to be happening again. Change is defined by what it is not. Not on its own foundations.

To the liberals, I want to remind you that burning down your neighbors house doesn't make yours look any better.