It creates suspicion and fear among Americans - not just whether their President is legally their President or not, but that a poll somewhere indicates 40% believe he might not be. It's another one of those media loops that make people look stupid, another device of division and alienation just like bad television sitcoms. It's an extension of shared shame witnessing the behaviour of dupes in 'reality' shows, video footage of men parading in white hoods burning down the homes of frightened black families, or the fall of adored celebrities going out without underwear, getting drunk and drugged.
There is nothing redeeming or intelligent in the video of Donald Trump congratulating himself on his anti-Obama campaign; it is the basest form of racism, as Baratunde Thurston points out, which puts all African Americans back in the defensive position of having to prove they are American.
A nation divided by whipped up rage deposes its leader, and eventually. as dehumanizing rhetoric becomes more inflamed, the war of words becomes war - the ultimate in disaster capitalism. It worked in Europe, in South and Central America, in Africa, in the Middle-East and now its coming to North America. But the only winners will be the arms industry.
Being in the US while this fiasco occurred made it clear that the fears about Obama have been highly 'Trumped' up. One of the fears I heard expressed on a news show was, "Heck, he might even be a Muslim." (pronounced 'Moo-slim')
ReplyDeleteThe remark isn't really 'racist' but certainly 'religionist' (is there a term for this?).
And here I'd thought the US was supposed to be a country based in freedom of religion.
"Trumped" up is an excellent point hg. Thanks.
ReplyDelete