Rearing its ugly head

Just in case you haven't seen Pat Buchanan's latest diatribe, you should check it out (among other places it's on the Creators Syndicate website at http://www.creators.com/opinion/pat-buchanan/tribal-politics.html.) It's titled "Tribal Politics", which should tell you a lot about how Buchanan views Powell, Obama, and all other African Americans (even Jamaican Americans like Powell, but what the hell, he's still a Negro): that they are a "tribe," perhaps the most primitive and least sophisticated terms for a group of human groupings other than the family and clan. Not a people, or an ethnic group, or a race, or a community, or any of the words used to describe white peoples' groups, but a "tribe," as reserved for Injuns, Nigras, aborigines, pygmies and all those other lost, benighted clans in the rain forest jungles and the deserts south of the equator.

Buchanan uses his column to rant about how Powell was "rendered extraordinary honors" by three Republican presidents who "raised him from Army colonel to national security advisor," "named him chairman of the Joint Chiefs", and "made him the first African-American secretary of state." At the time these appointments were called well-earned votes of confidence in an extraordinary military and civilian leader -- from three extremely very ordinary men, two of whom became president for no other reason than the color of their skin and the last name on their birth certificate, and third of whom confused making films about World War II with actual service in the armed forces.

Maybe, just maybe, Powell's success had as much to do with his own intelligence, hard work, determination, competence, and talent as it did with being helped up by wealthy white guys. But really, what an ingrate the General must be not to say "Yawsuh" and "thankyou massah" for those extraordinary honors. How dare he decide for himself whom to support, endorse, and vote for!

Yes, Pat, we understand exactly where you're coming from. What we don't understand is how anyone in the mainstream media can continue giving you a public platform for your voice, which has not had anything of value to add to the conversation for at least twenty years.

Sorry for the short posting; I have to go be sick.