411 Poltics Fact or Fiction 04.08.08: Week 83

Posted by Brandon Crow on 04.08.2008

Giving you a preview of this week's questions won't do this F or F justice. Trust me, you're going to want to read all of this!!

It's Politics Fact or Fiction, Week 83! You'll want to thoroughly read through this week's F or F. Trust me it's that scintillating. This week's is so intriguing on its own, I'm not even adding any commentary! This week, we have 411 Wrestling's "token Asian," Bayani Domingo taking on Asian reader Amos Cheung. That's right, folks, it's the Asian Invasion…something Crow's been plotting for years now! Resistance is futile. Just sit back, shut up, and learn to love the Asian Domination!

Ding, Ding!

1. The recent controversy surrounding Barack Obama's preacher, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, revolves around comments Wright made that have been deemed extremely unpatriotic by some. The main comment that keeps getting mainstream attention and media air play involves Wright saying, "God Damn America. America's chickens have come home to roost." The criticisms leveled at Wright questioning his loyalty and patriotism to the country are unwarranted and wrongheaded because Reverend Wright has a valid point and is, in fact, right about America's "foreign policy chickens" coming home to roost.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. You know what's great about "Foreign Policy Chicken"? Their mouthwatering blend of 12, yes 12, herbs and spices. That just blows the Colonel's recipe clear out of the water.

I was discussing this issue with a buddy of mine recently and we both came to the conclusion that for the most part a lot of what Reverend Wright had to say was actually true or at least true-ish. The problem is that he started out with saying "God Damn America." After that kind of a statement, anything that follows is just going to be ignored and any cogent or intelligent argument you make is going to be shouted down by the masses. It's like asking a girl out to prom and starting the phone conversation with, "So listen, my first choice for prom date just turned me down…but I figured you probably don't have a date so….?" Yeah, you're pretty much going to end up going with your cousin at that point. Which in some parts of the Deep South may actually BE your first choice.

I think the main argument for Wright's comment was that to many countries American forces are seen as terrorists. We have this long standing policy of "By any means necessary" when it comes to our perceived "enemies" that would make Malcolm X look like Wayne Brady. Reports and documents showing some of our actions during the "Cold War" and various foreign rebellions and coups prove that we have committed some seedy and underhanded tactics when we think that we can gain from political and civil unrest in other foreign countries. I think nothing underscores the fact more than the "Iran-Contra" affair. Not be mistaken for the "Iran-Contra Code", which is: Up, Up, Down, Down, B, A, Select, Anti-Tank Missile. We keep sticking our noses where it either doesn't belong or isn't welcome. There was bound to be some kind of blowback from not only our previously-documented indiscretions but also the current ones we probably won't find out about for another 5 or 10 years. I really do believe that our government really thinks we are the "right hand of God" at times with the way that we seem to force our politics on to the rest of the world.

Now, not to sound unAmerican or in any way that I condone terrorist activities in any way shape or form, but are we really so surprised that America is being targeted? We're like that bully at school that no one really likes, but they suck up to anyways and pretend they're friends with so they won't get a swirly after school. Terrorism and any violent acts which take innocent lives are wrong no matter what cause or in the name of retaliation and two wrongs most certainly don't make a right. Problem is that the US government is a bit cocky in thinking that we're untouchable.

Even when the signs were there that 9/11 might be on the horizon they totally ignored those reports. Bin Laden could have sent G-Dubya a freakin' E-vite with the date, location, and suggestion to bring either an appetizer or dessert and we STILL wouldn't have done anything about it. Not only have the "Foreign Policy Chickens" come home to roost, they've taken a big dump on our front lawn.

Amos Cheung: FICTION. A fundamental problem with Wright's message is that it shouldn't be coming from someone who espouses to be a reverend. Christianity's existence is completely dependant upon our belief in the fact that Jesus died for all sins. Damnation was the prerogative of GOD alone, and He chose instead to find a justification for us. So Wright's comments display a belief that could only be true if the following were true, and I'm pretty sure if you ask him, he would deny the following:

A) That GOD can still damn America. NO, GOD already found justification for everyone who chooses to believe that Jesus blood covered all sins, including what Wright deems including political genocide. To say GOD can still damn America implies that Jesus' death was not all encompassing, or enough. I GUARANTEE you Wright won't want to say that.

B) That terrorists are acting on behalf of GOD. NO, in fact if you ever went to an Arab jihadist and told him he was associated in any way with the GOD of America, I think you would die a slow painful death.

C) That terrorists are therefore justified in their actions against America. Do you want to insult
American soldiers and patriots with this one? There is no justification for what terrorists do, ANYWHERE, America or not. That's why we call them terrorists and not a country we're at war with. They don't abide by the Geneva convention, they are not represented by the populous, they have no code of contact, they have no reasonable means of dealing with prisoners, and they certainly have no regard for civil rights.

D) That America goes into countries routinely to commit political genocide. NO, America goes into countries to quell threats or to keep the peace. I'll be the first to admit we were wrong about the WMDs in Iraq, even though deep inside I believe they were there. But you still have to look at the intent. The intent was never to stick American noses and lives where they didn't belong. If there were weapons we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

I'm not judging Wright to be unpatriotic, but there is an obvious lack of thought in the use of his words. He is under a higher level of scrutiny, because of his purported position; in the church we would call this accountability. And I would have accepted an apology that showed he never intended to espouse these ideas...but he has stood by his comments and therefore you can't forgive someone who is unapologetic.

By the way, the chickens analogy breaks down for Wright and my esteemed opponent. What you're saying is that either terrorist or terrorist actions or violent actions are the chickens that have come home to roost. If that's what you are saying, then you're saying that these belong here, at home, in America. Do you really mean that?

0 for 1.

2. The fact that conservatives refer to Barack Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama" at convenience, and the fact that the Clintons have used race-baiting tactics against Obama throughout primary states in the south highlights the fact that racism is still alive and still a problem in America.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. Is racism still alive in America? Hell, racism is still alive at 411. Mainly in my column, but that's beside the point. I don't think that using the man's middle name in speeches necessarily "highlights" racism; I think the Republicans are basically trying to associate Obama with a man who Americans universally associate with evil. If the Republicans nominated a guy named John "Shakenbaby" McCain don't you think the Dems would use that to their advantage as well?

I do however think they are using his name as a way to make Obama seem less American and more "foreign," so if we're grouping jingoism in with racism then yes they go together. You want to talk about "highlights"? How about the Jena 6? How about Geraldine Ferraro or Glen Beck or Don Imus?
How about "Transformers"? They have one "Black" robot in the whole movie and he's the only guy to die? The hell is that about?

Okay, so maybe I strayed from the point, but back to the topic at hand—YES racism is alive, well, and owning a phat condo in Middle America. I find it hard to believe that there is anyone in America who doesn't believe that at least a small amount of racism exists in this country. Unless they don't know anyone of color they could actually be racist towards. Not to point any fingers but I have never met a person of color who said they've never seen or experienced racism or prejudice before.

I really believe that the Republicans as well as the Clinton camp are using the "race card" as a means of playing off "middle America's" fears and trepidations when it comes to the possibility of an African American man in the White House. While I don't think they are being overtly "racist" I do think they are playing up racist feelings that are either deep-rooted or on the surface of some voters. Then again just like with Wright's comments, they are basically "preaching to the choir". People are going to believe what they want to believe and will find any excuse or reason to validate those feelings. If you believe America is evil then it is, if you believe there is racism then there it, and if you believe Obama isn't the best choice for President then he
isn't. Perception is reality in the minds of many Americans and while we have made great strides since the days of "separate but equal" we still have a ways to go.

Amos Cheung: FICTION. His name is Hussein. So what?!? He didn't choose it and there are Muslims in his family. I don't think for a minute anyone thought this seriously affected his political agenda...an endorsement from Farrahkan might, but not his name. Certainly being a Reagan today doesn't make you a charming Conservative, and being a Clinton doesn't make you a back-stabbing scum sucker either.

But is racism alive, darn right it is. But let's be clear about who is perpetuating racism. I had a discussion with my best friend about the four main races that American Statistics categorize: White, Black, Hispanic and Asian.

What's remarkable to me is that although my friend is more liberal than me, we came to the same conclusion that today's black is not the black of the 60s and 70s. If you talk about a sum zero calculation of whether a race is more a benefit or burden to society, black is probably the greatest burden. Is that a racist remark? Probably. But what's the other side of racism? Statistics and Government expenditures.

Let it be known, I'm also talking about the 1 sigma percentage of blacks I've observed, not all blacks.

Let's consider that in black vs white crime, a black man is 150+ times more likely to rape a white woman than a white man is to rape a black woman. Blacks make up 16% of the population, but probably 3-4 times that percentage in jail. Something like 70% of black babies are born without knowing who their fathers are.

As for personal observations, Al Sharpton was all over the Rodney King story, but where was he when the black DC Sniper was instilling fear in all colors? When I go to the DMV, 80-90% of the employees are black, and I can't remember ever going there without my application being delayed because of a personal conversation going on. I work for an aerospace company, where blacks are rare on the engineering floor, but there's plenty of them talking during their maintenance jobs, which are by the way, being paid by the hour.

What color is predominant in suburban crime of any major city? What color is predominant standing at the welfare line? What color, even though they have traditionally lacked education, would rather take a government pay out than work jobs like Hispanics do, who have the same lack of education?

And frankly, get over the slavery thing! Do you know that some blacks were treated so well during the slavery era, that they became land owners? Do you know that there were Chinese coolies that faced similar treatment during the building of the railroads? Do you know that Chinese faced more torture from the Japanese, and more were killed than Jews killed by the Nazi's? Do you see Chinese people standing at the Japanese public offices asking for hand outs?

No we just shut up, work hard and move on. That's why you don't see as much racism towards
Asians—we're not perceived to be whiners. In fact, in Aerospace, it's just the opposite. I think white people actually like Asian workers because they don't complain about pay and work amazing hours without complaining.

Yesterday's Blacks fought for the country at sacrifice of life and family. Today's black fights the government to pay for their families, so they don't have to make sacrifices. People like Bill Cosby who try to be the voice of accountability are ignored and criticized by the black community.

There were great African Americans like Charles Houston that we don't talk about. He was an amazing attorney that fought for black education at several levels, and won. It was his victories that eventually lead to the Brown V Topeka Board of Education decision. But all the blacks we seem to remember are the sports and celebrity greats, whom I don't deem to be heroes at all.

So does racism exist? Damn right it does, and it will continue as long as blacks like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson continue to perpetuate the idea that blacks are somehow different, and incapable of competing on their own strengths, needing the assistance and hand outs from the government. And that the perpetuation of crime being linked to the lack of having a father, is somehow linked to slavery, a topic that these idiots didn't even stay in school long enough to understand.

0 for 2.

Switch!

3. Hands down, John McCain would make a better and more appropriate president for the United States than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama at this point in our history.

Amos Cheung: FICTION. Although I am further right than a moderate Republican, I cannot say that hands down McCain would make a better and more appropriate president than Obama. Of course McCain stands for more of the values I espouse, and is the best of the three candidates to reduce government in domestic fiscal decisions, to be fair, I'd have to re evaluate this question dependin on who he chooses for a running mate. If he chooses a Democrat, or a severly left leaning Republican, I might as well choose Obama, because if I'm going to wind up with a Democratic administration, I'd rather vote for one who honestly represented himself as so. But I also would choose Obama because I most appreciate how he owned up to diversities in either his past or his associations during this whole sermon sound byte fiasco. That his previous reverend is a racist, yes a racist, doesn't take away from the fact that Obama attended this church for 20 years. If a pastor at a church I attended behaves like that, I would leave after a couple of sermons, not 20 years. But back on point, I can agree that a couple of sound bytes does not a preacher make...meaning, I can understand if this was one of his reverend's off days.

So I give Obama all the credit for owning this one...for not backing down from the race issues, for not leaving the side of someone he didn't necessarily agree with although loved very much, for embracing the criticism, yet pointing out that there are still problems that the black community also has to tackle, meaning this is not ALL a racist white problem.

When I try and analyze what makes a good president, sometimes it's not what stance you take, but who can unite the country. I have just enough faith in believing that if Obama was elected, if his decisions were so bad that conservatives could find nonpartisan reasons to disagree with him, such a unity would not exist. But I do believe he could be moderate enough to make a good president, make decisions that can be bi-partisan, has the charisma to charm several segments of the population, and on a side benefit, Obama's rise would signal the down fall of those two idiotic racists Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who insult the title reverend.

Bayani Domingo: FICTION. Although I'm more left than your average moderate middle class wrestling writer of color I can not say that John McCain is "Hands Down" the best candidate. I actually believe that the following people would be better presidents today: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, OprahWinfrey, Morgan Freeman, and Bill Pullman, basically because he did such a KICK ASS job battling those aliens in "Independence Day". For me it comes down to not just potentially having the OLDEST president in history ascending to the oval office, but also we have given the Republican administration 8 years to get this stuff together and right now the country feels like a "Three Stooges" film: G-Dub, Condi, and Dick. At this point the country needs a little "Do Over" and get a new administration in to see if we can't dig ourselves out of this hole.

If nothing else I think Bush has been a real trailblazer and pioneer in that he's broken through
that stereotype that "Republicans bring war, but Democrats bring Recession". I'll be damned, but he's been able to bring both. Congrats!! G-Dubya is the Rosa Park of f*ckin' up the country. This has less to do with what McCain can do and rather what his administration will advise him to do and I just have no faith in the Republicans at this point. On the note that Obama should be praised for dealing with the whole Rev. Wright situation, I think he did a great job because he didn't just throw his Reverend and spiritual advisor under the bus and walk away.

While I think Wright did say some very controversial and inflammatory things, I can't help but think that if people are going to shy away from Obama because they're afraid the delicate balance of the "racial harmony" we have now may be at risk, then they are idiots. Racism exists in America, a Black president isn't going to change that in 4 or 8 years. To think that somehow people are afraid that the leftist Black militants are going to take over and we're going to be living in an age of "reverse racism" then that is as stupid as a sitcom based on a commercial about cavemen and car insurance.

In terms of Obama replacing Sharpton and Jesse Jackson as the new "Black Voice of America" I actually agree. Not so much because I think Sharpton and Jackson are "dangerous racists", but because we need differing points of views when it comes to important racial issues. You need the "extreme" as much as the "moderate" because when you can find a compromise in between is where you find the best ideas. On the point that "Racism isn't ALL a White issue", White folks really kind of invented it in this country. Not to say that anyone of any color can't be racist, but let's not forget that since the days of Dr. King the Black community hasn't had a really strong leader and the fact that there is at least a vocal leader such as Rev. Jackson at least provides a voice where otherwise there would be none. That being said, there definitely has to be a better voice for the community, problem is that every time a Jena 6 or "Rutgers" happens the media seem to snoop out Jackson and Sharpton as quickly as they can find the media. While I don't always agree with what those two say, it almost seems that a bi-product of their philosophies has helped Obama as he has been seen as the "safer alternative". Weird, but true. I'm still waiting for someone to actually use the words "he's so well spoken" on FOX News.

When I think of who I want leading the country I live in it is Obama. I think that as cliched as the whole "Obama = Hope" campaign has been, it truly is what America needs right now. We're living in sad and desperate times where people have lost faith in the war and have forgotten what we're even fighting for, the economy is in the shitter, and gas prices are now rivaling the cost of a car. Regardless of what you feel about experience, race, or strength of character, I got to think Obama is the one man who could unite the country. Now if he could get an Asian dude as his running mate I'd be out there with campaign buttons and straw hats, cuz' you just KNOW at some point that guy is going to become President within 2 or 3 years. What? Hey, I'm just sayin'.

1 for 3. I tend to lean Vinay's way on this one. Ferraro's comments, I believe, were not necessarily racist in origin, but more so politically designed to be tinged with some racial entonations so as to get people thinking about and questioning Obama's ability to be president.

4. On Monday, 3/31, the Olympic torch arrived in China to loud cheers, large crowd adulations...AND, widely visible protests from Tibet. Protesters called for a boycott of the Beijing games for China's human rights violations in Tibet. China's government called the Dalai Lama a liar, and blamed him personally for inciting the riots. The Chinese government is out of its mind as well as desperate to cover up its own dereliction and infamy.

Amos Cheung: FACT. This is a tough one. I do think China has some human rights issues to deal with, but I don't think boycotting the Olympic games is the way to deal with it, nor is it the correct forum. In fact, I believe the Olympic games are the one international arena
where politics should be completely set aside.

I would not go so far as to call the Dalai Lama a liar. I think he's a very influential politician, who should know better than to allow his followers to protest this way. This is not the way to endear yourself to the Chinese government, whose wrath is already considered quite irrational and without regard to human rights.

And while I disagree with the way the Chinese government is dealing with these things, it is not for the US to say that they are out of their minds. I do appreciate the opportunity to freely speak my mind about political issues, but that was always the true intent of the founding fathers. Our fathers never meant for civil rights to involve polygamy, pornography, slander, the KKK, reverse discrimination AKA affirmative action, homosexuality, and government completely absent religion.

These were never the intent of the first amendment, nor the bill of rights, nor the founding fathers, so I don't think we still have the moral fortitude to tell anyone how civil rights should be administered, because we've failed in the other direction.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. China knows exactly what's going on. They wanted to host the Olympics because of the windfall of tourism, but figured they could sweep the whole Tibetan "incidences" under the rug. It's like hosting a dinner party, throwing all your junk in a closet, and hoping no one has to put their coats away and opening the door to be buried in a pile of old porn mags and dirty sheets. I don't believe boycotting the Olympics is the answer, but then again I do think that the Olympic selection committee should have done their due diligence in really finding out if there are enough human rights violations to warrant not "rewarding" China with an Olympics. I also do agree that the Olympics isn't about politics. It's about MONEY. It's about the sponsorship, the tourism, and the almighty dollar.

I would not call the Dalai Lama a liar at ALL. Who am I to start throwing stones at the Dalai Lama? I honestly think that if I'm the Dalai Lama, I would probably tell my followers not to get in trouble, not to get killed, but don't stop protesting and trying to draw attention to the problems they face every day JUST to do the Chinese government "a solid." It's not like Tibetan Monks were endearing themselves to the Chinese government anyways so why worry about pissing them off now. It's like having your girlfriend's friends hate you already and worrying that you aren't wearing the right kind of shoes to one of their parties. Hell, I'll go in flip-flops, and if that bitch don't like it, she can suck a ...sorry, don't know where that came from. But, do you know what's even crazier than my rant? The Chinese have banned YOUTUBE in the country. So how the hell are the people going to show the injustices of their government, let people know about their plight, and watch fat guys eating hotdogs rolling down a hill into a lake? Now THAT is cruel and unusual.

I don't think the US wants to start pointing a finger at anyone else's domestic politics because we have more than a few skeletons in our own closet. This isn't about holding the games in a purely democratic country because that would be folly to think that only democratic countries lead to the eradication of human rights violations, it's about just doing some research.

I think "Free Speech" truly is one of the few things that America can point at and feel some sort of "moral superiority" over a number of countries but I have no idea what my counterpart, Amos is talking about. I don't see how you can group homosexuality, the separation of church and station, and Affirmation Actions in with the KKK and polygamy. The Bill of Rights is one of the most misquoted documents in the history of this country. "All men are created equal…" unless you're a Black slave, a woman who wants to vote, or a Japanese American during the war. Yow.

I especially don't agree with porno being one of the failures of this free country. I have put hours upon hours of research into pornography and I see nothing wrong with enjoying some "adult entertainment." Then again, my vision has taken a serious downturn in recent years. Inexplicably that is. As far as "Affirmative Actions" being some form of evil "reverse racism" I think the theory was great but the practice and the execution was horrible. Why put the time into setting up and enforcing a policy that was almost immediately sabotaged by the forces expected to utilize it? We're not talking about "a leg up" we're talking about an "invite to the dance".

To say that our founding fathers hundreds of years ago had the right idea for the direction our Nation should go in this day and age is absolutely ridiculous. The one principal I think we forget too much is that the government is here to serve its people, the people aren't here to serve the government. It is our government's duty to protect the rights and ideas of its people so long as those ideas and actions do not infringe on the rights of others. Without the diversity of thought, culture, and religion in this country, we might as well be a communist state. Wait a sec...oh....how deliciously ironic this question truly is.

2 for 4.

These two verbose but loquacious men go 50/50 this week. Thanks to Amos and Bayani, two Asian brothers, for putting up probably the longest, most detailed and most comprehensive responses in the history of this column. And guess what? They're Asian!

And they did it all in English! Perfect, grammatically correct English! So, for those of you haters and closet racists out there…you know who you are… it's time to put that Long Duc Dong, Sixteen Candles stereotype behind you now. Go Asian Power! Heh, heh…

Alright, Asian pride aside, Week 83 of Politics Fact or Fiction is done. I told you it was worth the read! Would Crow lie to you? No, really.