Becuase Everything Else Sucks

Uncle Ralph

By Sam
Published Saturday, November 8th, 2008, 12:17 pm
Filed under: Society/Culture: Racism, US Politics

WPvideo 1.10

Much hoopla has been made over Nader’s remarks on election night as to whether Obama plans to be an Uncle Sam for the American people or an “Uncle Tom” for the corporations.

Wikipedia defines the term Uncle Tom as “a pejorative for a black person who is perceived by others as behaving in a subservient manner to White American authority figures, or as seeking ingratiation with them by way of unnecessary accommodation.”

Nader came on Fox news to explain himself, though as Truthdig notes, “Just as Nader is about to further elaborate, [Shepard] Smith makes it clear that he has entered a nuance-free zone, and thus Nader’s final attempt to explain his statement is cut short.”

Nader had an opportunity to further elaborate on his remarks in an interview with Alexander Cockburn posted at Counterpunch:

Cockburn: What about you calling [Obama] an Uncle Tom on Fox?

Nader: On Fox I said that as the first African American president we wish him well. The question is, will he be Uncle Sam for the people or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations which are driving America into the ground. Fox cut it off after “corporations”.

He is less vulnerable to criticism and harder to criticize because of his race. When I said he was talking White Man’s talk, the PC people got really upset [see my take on this affair here].

It doesn’t matter that he sides with destruction of the Palestinians, and sides with the embargo. It doesn’t matter that he turns his back on 100 million people and won’t even campaign in minority areas. It doesn’t matter than he wants a bigger military budget, and an imperial foreign policy supporting various adventures of the Bush administration. It doesn’t matter that he’s for the death penalty, which is targeted at minorities. But if you say one thing that isn’t PC, you get their attention. I tell college audiences, a gender, racial or ethnic slur gets you upset, reality doesn’t get you upset.

Can Obama speak truth to the white power structure? There’s every indication he doesn’t want to. For example, in February he stiffed the State of the Black Union annual meeting in New Orleans. He’s a very accommodating personality.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the Truthdig editors that “it’s weird to bring race into a discussion about politicians capitulating to big corporations” considering “people’s potential reactions to the term Uncle Tom in particular may make it difficult [for them] to take in the bigger argument….?” Does Nader’s Lebanese ancestry change the dynamics of the situation somehow, given the overt yet still socially acceptable racism expressed by American’s towards people of Arab and Middle-Eastern descent? Are those who express outrage at racial epithets while remaining silent or muted on corporate malfeasance, imperial hegemony, and ecological catastrophe displaying a disturbing lack of priority proportionate to what’s at stake? Will future generations care whether we used nice, PC-language in our day, or will they wonder why we didn’t do something to prevent the land they inherited from turning into a desert or radioactive wasteland unsuitable for human life?

Let me know what you think.

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9 Responses to “Uncle Ralph”

  1. I think everyone gets the point he is trying to make. But obviously using that word is very loaded and will immediately cause people to blank out what you’re saying. Just like any derogatory racially loaded word.

    Alex
    11/8/08 at 5:20 pm

  2. I think it’s a bigger mistake to go on Fox than anything else. People are so detached from reality that when they hear it they will find away to attack the source no matter what language is used.

    bijan
    11/8/08 at 10:54 pm

  3. This is obviously an attempt to discredit Nader, and I’m afraid that it may be successful. In order to do so, they have to focus on style over substance, which is usually good enough for Fox’s typical audience. I find it odd that Fox News acts like they’re so offended all of a sudden, when they’ve been throwing all sorts of shit at Obama throughout his whole campaign.

    Bernie
    11/8/08 at 11:02 pm

  4. Not the best timing or choice of words, but Fox’s feigned outrage here is hilarious. Fox is suddenly sensitive about race? Really?

    More importantly, if I remember correctly, the Uncle Tom of Stowe’s novel was a character of uncompromising integrity, and was portrayed a messianic figure in the book, inspiring others to seek freedom even as he was resigned to slavery himself.

    evmonk
    11/9/08 at 2:38 am

  5. That was both entertaining and saddening. Nader actually did really well under the circumstances. The bully line was great: “I don’t like bullies like you,” and Shepard Smith’s jaw dropped as if he were actually shocked by such an outrageous comment.

    Still, I think bijan is correct that the biggest mistake was going on Fox Noise in the first place — it just gives them a sense of legitimacy that they obviously don’t deserve.

    Andy
    11/9/08 at 9:14 pm

  6. Would Nader have used the same analogy if McCain had won? Very poor choice of words if one is playing in politics. Fox may have been more offended by the suggestion of corporations being mentioned in a negative light. Fox is like comedy Central when it comes to editing peoples comments, difference is they control the comments at the time and original source they are being created..

    Using the Uncle Tom comment was in poor taste, because any way you look at it “Uncle Tom” references race. Especially after Palin firing up bigots and racists during her rallies.

    Personally I do not find it very offensive.

    Nader got a little taste of stepping in his own.

    Pailin

    Leefeller
    11/10/08 at 3:57 am

  7. @ Leefeller

    Good points.

    Sam
    11/10/08 at 10:43 am

  8. I think Nader used some poor words here—not because the analogy isn’t apt, but because of the repercussions with the “PC people”. As he points out, we are quick to get angry over words but sit idly by while minorities continue to face institutionalized violence from the system itself.

    Interestingly enough, earlier in the campaign Mumia Abu Jamal came to Nader’s defense. You can listen to Jamal’s comments here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUalYTU9EWE

    I think irregardless of how one feels about Jamal’s imprisonment, he makes some very astute observations.

    Nader’s own ethnic background is something that doesn’t get a lot of play. I think this is especially ironic given that McCain supporters used “Arab” pejoratively to refer to Obama. Arguably Nader’s own demographic faces negative perceptions that are as bad as those that blacks have to deal with.

    Kimchi
    11/10/08 at 6:32 pm

  9. Good points all, but you have to admit, Nader’s comment was in pretty poor taste. I thought he had more class than that.

    Paul M. Peterson
    11/11/08 at 3:45 am

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