I am with AOC, in most nearly all things political. Told her that, basically, when I met her

 Before she was officially a congress critter.  But that was after she won that first primary.  In any case,  the real point here is.  I agree with her about people who use the word "woke."  

And I will go one step beyond.  

Serious people do not use the term "woke," other than facetiously, or quoted, all that.  So it is fair to not take seriously anyone who takes the word seriously, and more the point, themself serious while using that unserious word.  Well, it is not that the word is unserious.  The base of ideas they are resting on and building on, is infantile and witless.  Not serious, inherently.

Few things in the world are as accidentally funny as a self believing, super serious person, spewing infantile and witless drivel.  But there is money to be made doing it.  

I am not going to accuse John McWhorter of selling out. But I will say the obvious.  If you are getting money for what you are doing, you are doing it for money.  And if you are not getting paid?  You might was well be with the loney Black Israelites who preach, time to time, in Herald Sq., and other places where people go to spew infantile and witless drivel. 

I know I am getting harsh.  But the infantile and witless drivel is metastasizing across the land. And that isn't helping anyone but for white supremacists, and people who have monetized shit that helps white supremacists.

How did I say it the other day, following the victory of that white supremacist in the governor's race in VA?  I am not saying there will be a race war.  But I wouldn't be surprised if one starts.  And I know which side I will be on.  I will be fighting motherfucking white supremacists, not helping them!  Fuck that!

Racist With A Pretty Face, Megyn Kelly, Gives Up the Game!

 

I have said it before.  Megyn Kelly is my personally chosen representative for an example of meeting the minimum requirements of being flat out racist.  There are far worse out there, for sure,  But between  Santa is white, and what is the big deal about blackface? She has over the years been a fairly solid protector of whiteness as the default superior value in America.  And that really is all that is needed.  Or to take the issue from the other side. you don't have to be emotionally, never mind actually physically, violently opposed to not white people to be a white  American racist.  You just have to show an obvious bias, that demonstrates a clear preference for whiteness.  That is the core of white supremacy.  You don't have to lead or even just follow the lynch mob.  All you gots to do is honestly think, "Them people need to be more like us." 

Anyway.  

So I was reading some article on some blog/site I despise (oppo research)  and she was quoted from some anti CRT rant as saying . . .

"it doesn’t have to be classical, critical race theory."

What this really is about. What all this anti CRT racist bullshit is about, is a radical, revanchist redefinition of what constitutes racism, as that is the conclusion these white supremacists run to.  That CRT is racist, not white supremacy.  I call this revanchist, as for the most of the history of white people in America, what they like is what is good, and what they don't like is what is bad.  And white supremacists are upset that not white people are getting a say.  Their voices are being heard.  They are part of the narrative, more than ever, in their own terms.  And white supremacists hate that shit.  And they are fighting back!  

So if CRT, or any mere attempt to correct the pro white supremacy faux history of America makes white supremacists uncomfortable, that is bad to them.  That must be stopped, according to them.  That is the 'real' racism.  Making white supremacists uncomfortable is the real offense, not 500 years of white supremacist hegemony, and racist bullshit.  

Life in America for white supremacists is so hard nowadays.  Having to rely on white supremacist bullying tactics, to counter the narrative that white supremacy is everywhere?  So they have to fight the truth that that white supremacy is everywhere, by denying that white supremacy is everywhere.  And in doing so, attempt to preserve and maintain white supremacy, everywhere they can.

It hurts my pretty brain!  Shit.  I need a palate cleanser of sorts. I need me some Anansi!  He knows what time it is!  Oh.  I found this compilation reel from Season 2 of American Gods, featuring the Black gods. Let's go with that.

The Black American Gods. Compilation Reel.

Just When I Ready to Serve McWhorter and Loury Their, "Your Black Cards Have Been Revoked," Notices. This Shit.

 

And to explain, in one of his books, the late, great Professor Derrick Bell imagined a powerful body called the Celestial Curia that pondered the fate and state of life for black and brown folk.  Using that literary device for my own purposes, if there ever was a body that could revoke black cards, they would be it, and I am a Monsignore of that illustrious power.  Meaning, I get to serve the papers.  It ain't real  but I have an agile and fertile imagination.  

But to explain, I had all but given up on these two negros. Between Loury's knowing better about the reality of white on not white racism in America, but spewing his recycled Booker T.  bullshit?  And McWhorter's knowing language better, and still calling the current Civil Rights movement a "religion,"  and using "Woke Racism," as the title of his new book (doing the white supremacists a solid, and nothing good at all, something really fucking awful to black and brown folk? )  I got fed up with the two of them.  Said simply, the shit they were publishing, viewed broadly in all media, was hurting my pretty brain.  So I put them on mute.

But today I felt like breaking the embargo as one of the segments on their most recent Bloggingheads pods was titled on the idea of authentically black. So I gave it a try.  And I was surprisingly pleased with their output.

Summing up.  Glen admits, by reference to a paper from one his brighter students, taking him to task for what I call his . . . not in any way useful, recycled Booker T. Washington self help ethos, that ya. He is not really addressing the issues of the day for black and brown folk.   And if I heard him right, he is thinking about coming up with better answers, specifically to the question as McWhorter phrased it, how do we dismantle systemic racism?

Since McW.  at least gets that part, he earned a Silver Star from me.  But he said he is thinking that using the word racism might not be the right word to be using. Good for that.  Because I say the word alone is insufficient,  The phrase to go with the idea of the race related problems here in America (and other lands,)  is white on not white racism.

In using and using again, just the word racism, as if it is some kid of . . .  both sides do it, phenomenon, allows the white supremacists, and their adjacent enablers to play the false equivalent game.  And that helps preserve the status quo, and that preserves white supremacy, and all the remaining, related, toxic racist bullshit, as it still exists.  So we must do better at ending that evil and self protecting for the racist Republicans, toxic bullshit racist argument.  

The problem is . . .  how some white people treat most not white people.  Fucking focus people!

Hope the link works.

What, if anything, does it mean to be “authentically black”?

Let Me Cuss Out Another Racist Adjacent Motherfucker (Just My Opinion.)

 

And the motherfucker is William A. Jacobson.  His fucked up blog is called "Legal Insurrection."  And he is one of those motherfuckers who runs around delusionally claiming or at least arguing that CRT, and anti racism are some sort of threat to the American Way of Life.  Which can only be a sincerely held belief if a motherfucker is either an actually white, actual white supremacist, or a not white enough to count person (like he is,) who is, for what ever fucked up reason or reasons, an ally to the actually white, actual white supremacists.

I have been monitoring his shitty blog for years and years.  Mainly because he is one of those actually, professionally, properly educated conservatives, who persists in being part of the forces of evil.  And he is less flat out, goat fucking insane than the really extreme right wingers.   And going back a year or so ago, he got obsessed with opposing  CRT.  And he started a second website devoted to tracking CRT like it is some kind viral threat.  (As a quick aside, motherfucker is a Securities Law professor.  I would argue that it would be a much better use of his time to concentrate on the need for greater enforcement of securities laws.  JMO.)

Anyway, I ran across this quote from one of his "interviews"  with another right wing organ. And this was under the heading on the main page:  

“When you shame white children, you’re actually also shaming black children”

The quote:

“because you’re sending a message to them that somehow in our society they start out less equal, that somehow in our society they don’t have a fair shot, that somehow in our society hard work and dedication is not going to pay off because there’s this systemically racist system that is putting them down…. Their fate in life is to be oppressed. I think that’s about as bad as you can get.”

Now he likely never will see this. But I will publish my response as if I were communicating directly to him, using something of a Katt Williams diction.  Here goes.

Motherfucker!  Motherfucker! Do I have your attention motherfucker?   Now listen up.  You likely have heard about "The Talk" black and brown parents and guardians have with their children on how to avoid being murdered by racist cops.  But there is the other talk.  The one my dad gave, many times.  The short version of that, is it is the, "Them white boys ain't any better than you,"  talk.    (I have already gone tired of the over use of "motherfucker."  I ill speak more plainly  here on and after. Maybe.)

Truth is, as I said a few blog posts back.  No black or brown person in America will be surprised to hear they are oppressed, in some way or another (although a few deny it.)  That is taught to us by our elders already.  And most of those elders also tell us to act accordingly.  That whole, "You gotta work harder to prove you are just as good," thing?  Yeah.  Nothing new about that.  And I find it even more revolting than it is mendaciously insane whenever anyone, be they actually white, or black or brown, or some other "less than actually white actually," status, argues like the idea of black and brown people being exploited or abused is going to be news to any black and brown person, and we need to be protected from that idea?  Fuck that, bitch!

I am not going to say that William A. Jacobson is dedicated to seeing the maximum amount of black and brown children fail in life.  I don't know his mind.  However, I do know for a fact that if you were to tell black and brown children that everything is fine here in America.  All the white people will and do think you are just as good and deserving of all the good things in life as their white children.  No extra effort is needed?  Then you are setting them up to fail.

We are far away from that version of America!

I repeat what I have had here on my blog as a general disclaimer, for years and years.  All original content is just my opinion.   And hardly anyone sees my shit.  Truth be told.

For All You Ignorant, Racist Adjacent and Aiding, Idiotic Motherfuckers Who Deny Systemic Racism? And I Am Not Naming Names? This Instructive Lesson.

Heartbreaking Moment When Kids Learn About White Privilege | The School ...

The First Rule. Don't Aid or Abet The White Supramacists!

 

While the thought is in my head.  Wokeness?  Wokeness does not exist as a thing in progressive, liberal thought.  However, it seems to be a catch all rhetorical cudgel that right wingers have taken to using as a default weapon against any ideas, politics, and or cultural element they don't like. It is often, but not exclusively used by the anti anti racists against the actual anti racists, and any proposal or program who's intent is to diminish and eventually eliminate white supremacy.  And I sort of repeat myself in saying there is nothing new about well meaning folk working to eliminate white supremacy. That not only dates as far back as the beginnings of the CRT school, but the beginnings of the American Civil Rights Movement.  And even before that, back to 1619, when the first small boat load of African's sold as slaves arrived in Virginia.  But according to my Cape Verdean ancestors, back to the mid 15th century, when Pre Imperial Portugal started enslaving Africans.  

The frequent and oppressive (as noise at least)  use of the term wokeness, and it's variants, by right ring white supremacists as a criticism of liberal, progressive politics and culture is easy to understand as a socio-political tactic.  They have always done that shit.   They  have been using bullshit as defined by Professor Harry Frankfurt, as a tactic since the 19th century.  But what about middle of the road, alleged centrists?  What is their fuck?  What is their excuse?

I doubt he will ever see this.  But the ideas I would love the chance to convey to John McWhorter are as follows:

The First Rule is, don't aid or abet the white supremacists!  If you buy into and/or promulgate the bullshit that wokeness is a thing, never mind some bogeyman threat to society, you are aiding and/or abetting the white supremacists.

Also, don't advance by action or word the toxic concept that mere socio-political differences are to be treated as some bogeyman threat to society, even if the issue isn't the bogus issue of wokeness.  Remember how a few years the right wing white supremacists were all ass sore and cranky over the idea of SJWs?  It's the same technique, and evil intent.  And give it a couple years.  They will have a new name for the bogeyman that is thoughts and ideas they do not like. (Sometimes shit is that simple,)

And don't be so fucking lazy.  Really.  Don't be so fucking lazy.  If you have problems with the discrete ideas and positions taken  by someone else, criticize those discrete ideas.  Don't play the bullshit game of rolling them and a bunch of other ideas and people under some bullshit category, and  further the bullshit,  rhetorical intellectual failure of effort and fairness of using some Frankenstein mash up of a red herring, straw man, scapegoat all in one.  Bad form speaks loudly!

Lastly, remember.  Most motherfuckers don't read.  There are thousands of fucking assholes out there misrepresenting your views on race because they haven't even listened to enough of your interviews to know you actually have some nuance there. (I have, but honestly, I have this bullshit aversion.  I have to shut shit down a lot.)  So remember before you make an exaggerated point and publish it, fucking remember.  That is all those motherfuckers will ever know about what you think.  They are not going to buy your books, and understand you are not so much opposed to ending white supremacy, but have your own axes to grind, and shit to complain about.  And unlike me, you are not a member of the CRT school.

I will end there.  I am weary.  I am so fucking weary. I am almost worn out. I need a vacation.  Or to finally take that trip to Cape Verde.  America is not good to me.  It is toxic.  So please.  Don't add to that!

For fuck's sake, McWhorter. Didn't you learn this yourself before you were 9 y.o.?

 Currently watching Professor McWhorter's taped segment with Margret Hoover  from her show, firng Line, off Youtube.

I accuse McWhorter of  the most unforgivable of self owning;  magical thinking.  For reference, I spent three years doing juvee crim. cases at Philadelphia Family Court, back in the mid 90s.  I represented some ding dongs who go caught up in slinging crack in da hood.  You are right in a minimal way, that the war on drugs is a bad thing, and we should end it.  But negro please.  If you eliminate crack selling on street corners, that is only going to take care of  about 1/365th of the problem.  Admittedly an exaggeration, but it is magical thinking to believe if we fix only one non causative factor in the vast and complicated equation of social problems for  poor black folk, that is going to fix much.  

If you have read Derrick Bell, you should know that not only have successful cases like Brown v. Board of Ed  not proved to be the great fixes.  But even the grand legislative plans have only done so much.  Before you dismiss teaching white people to be less racist, please refresh yourself on the actual limits of progress and the failure to solve the many problems remaining.  IF you really think ending the war on drugs will end the school to prison pipeline?  Send me your email addy.  I will see if I can get you permission to sit in on one of my step cousin's Sociology lectures down the road at John Jay  (I know you don't have to leave the Columbia campus for that kind of lecture!  I am just having some fun here.  And under that scenario I can assist in the lecture!)

And I stopped the vid after McWhorter decried the idea (not strictly  CRT  actually)  of teaching black kids that black folk are oppressed by white folk.  And white kids  need to be taught not to do that shit.

Where the fuck did you grow up where you did not know that your damn self  by the time you were 9 y.o?  I leaned that back in 4th grade when some racist kids in my school threw a rock through my window,  Lucky for me I wasn't there. 

Negro please.  As Cher says in that movie, "Snap out of it!"

And We Yet Fight.

 From a very educational explainer post about the Confederacy. The writer is said to be an AP History teacher.  This was the end of it:

You Must Be Crazy, Negro! People Pay Me Money to Tell Them, "You wrong."

To explain, I re watched some of John McWhorter's latest  . . . adjectives are lacking to describe it, near total misunderstanding of CRT, as published in his latest vid with Loury.  I had just enough wine tonight to think I should give him some instruction on his Substack space.  But only subscribers can comment,  there. Hence, my title, here.  

So here goes something.  I posted it on my FB wall earlier. Hope I don't need to tweak it.  But for the record, the blogger I refer to is Ann Althouse.  Even if she is not a Republican.  She really needs to follow my rule for white Republicans commenting on any issue having to do with black and brown folk, as such.  Just stifle it!  (Archie Bunker quote deliberately employed for emphasis and irony.)  Here goes.

So much to pack into one post. Firstly, some teacher got fired for exposing some white childr'n to this poem. White supremacists once again proving that CRT and the other anti white supremacists are clearly on to something.

Secondly, at the blog where I found the story and the poem? I usually hold back on calling the blogger there a racist. But she is so fucking tone deaf about race that she . . . .

how much????

She is one of them fucking idiots who thinks she passes the I'm not a racist test for not allowing posters to quote the ennn woid. But she posts racist shit like this from her racist fan bois. This is in reply to her post about the story/poem. And all the comments are pre moderated before she posts them. She chose to post this racist shit:

""Separately, I feel sorry for this woman. She has so many negative half takes in her mind that she seems emotionally crippled. I’d like to see the class break down each line in her poem to show her how she is portraying only the negative side of every thing she speaks of. Someone who only sees the negative side of life will drive themselves crazy whether they are black, white, brown, or green.""

Like I said, fucking tone deaf!

Thirdly? I am running out of steam. I wanted to crank on these two black Ivy League professors, one conservative one a Democrat, who demonize CRT. And I re watched some of a dialogue vid they did (the black guys at Bloggingheads.TV.) My rant in summation.

I will tell you the open secret about CRT. They might have invented some new terminology, but none of their/our (I am a member of that tribe) ideas are new (even if you are not lumping all the anti white supremacists under one column.) I am Cape Verdean. Arguably some of my mainland West African ancestors were enslaved by the Portuguese even before Cristóbal Colón got lost and ended up in the Caribbean. We don't have a family oral history. But I am pretty sure the original stolen ones, finding themselves stolen and moved by force to the Cape Verde Islands had thoughts like:

"Who the fuck are these white devils? Why do they think they are better than us, and have a right to force us to work for them for free? We need to end all that shit!"

Yup. CRT was invented in the mid 15th Century, if not earlier. And that is at core what CRT and all the anti racist splinter movements are about. Ending all that shit.

I will stop there. for now.

______________________________________ New content after my self quote. Even If I got McWhorter to see that, I don't expect him to have an epiphany and take back all the silly, un founded, sub high school debate team shit he has said about CRT/anti white supremacy even fucking even even if I pierce that part of his African American Mind that has pretty much known, all his natural life, that it is all the fucking same anti white supremacy movement. And the goal has never changed. The movement is more than 600 years long and running. The labels of the flavor du jour really don't mean shit. And even if not especially if one is a linguist? Don't get blinded by the terminology. What matters is the idea being communicated. And as far as I say it, the idea is . . . and I repeat myself supposing what my first stolen ancestors would have thought, said:

"Who the fuck are these white devils? Why do they think they are better than us, and have a right to force us to work for them for free? We need to end all that shit!"

If I wanted to make a harsher point

 

I would say the anti CRT/1619 Project people are just perpetuating the terrorism of race based slavery, but short of being violent about it.  It always comes down to the same sick shit.  The wrong kind of white people deciding what should be the norm for the rest of us.  

I know there are some not white people in the lynch mob.  Sadly misguided folk.

Don't listen to Loury or McWhorter. They don't know shit. Listen instead to Chris Rock: Who Wants To Change Places? | HBO

No Bitches! Fuck No!

 Worst anti CRT argument, courtesy of the black guys at bloggingheads.com; Loury and McWhorter.  

There are more white people in America, and if they start thinking of themselves as white you might radicalize them into being pro white radical agents, some shit.

Remember.  The premise of CRT is the deck is already stacked in favor of white people.  And the idea expressed by McWhorter that these white people are not aware of being white is the most fucking ignorant thing I have heard from an ivy league professor. But compared to what the average white Republican Racists usually say? Ok.  Not that unusual.  I have never met an adult white American who did not know they are white and actually on some level know there is status to that. I have met and know of some who deny it. But some bitches lie.  Every one knows that.

Cutting to the chase. CRT isn't going to radicalize a statistically significant number of white people to become white supremacists, by itself.  Firstly there are millions of them already. Most of the 70 more million people who voted for Bozo the second time either are white supremacists, or at least are willing to vote for a white supremacist pushing a white supremacist agenda.  And it is Fox News, and it's copy cats, and other white supremacist sources deliberately doing that.  And they were doing a bang up job of that before they got on an anti CRT bent.  And they will recycle some old talking points when they feel it.  And they might come up with new talking points, as well.

CRT is just their new favorite shirt.  Don't be a moron.  Don't buy the talking point.  Tucker Carlson and many of the other white supremacist really are more worried about replacement theory. But they get loads of shit for talking that shit. 

But if you really want the easy to follow version?

Without getting into theory, and all that academic stuff.  

How about the reasons CRT needed to be invented?

Ann Althouse isn't following my advice. So why should anyone follow hers?

Truly lousy argument there, I confess.  So I negate the sin by admitting it, and chalking it up to a using a literary device.  Headlines.  You can try to grab attention by making them tricksy.  Anyway . . . 

Althouse isn't following my advice to shut the fuck up about anything racial, and posted about an essay about Critical Race Theory.  She did not go long on analysis, as per usual.  So honestly, I really am not sure yet where she really falls on the issue of the validity of CRT.   All I can say is I never see her at the annual Derrick Bell lecture at her law school alma mater.  But I confess yet again.  That is not a fair metric.  And if I ever ran into her at the post lecture reception, I might spill my cup of wine a little out of the shock of seeing her there.  Although the line is there in my head, I would be presumptuous to say I could after that introduce her to Professor Bell's widow.  Because for all I know they have met already, multiple times.  I assume that she has at least met Professor Bell, as law professors run in law professor circles.  Sometimes they bring their spouses for the trip.  So let's not go there!

But here is the weird part she says:

"I challenge proponents of Critical Race Theory to speak to ordinary people in terms they can understand and explain the theory, why it's a theory, and what is meant by "critical." "

Speaking of tricksy literary devices. The challenge part is weak.  Her  merely saying it makes it as likely to cause it to happen as for me to get her to shut the fuck up about race related issues!  But I really don't expect my wise counsel to be followed.  Anyway, here is the  "critical" part.  If you were to google Critical Race Theory, or even better, plug it directly into the Youtube search bar a year ago?  Specifically  if  Youtube, your first few hits would have been academics  explaining  CRT.  Whether or not any of those academic lessons would meet her mark for sufficiently tailored for "ordinary people in terms they can understand," is a subjective value for her.  For my part, the theory is as easy to get as feudalism.  

This small group of people with state of the art weapons and combat skills had more power over the larger group who didn't have state of the art weapons and combat skills.  Class dismissed.

But if you were to type "Critical Race Theory" into Youtube now  (I will, I shall,) it turns out to be a mixed bag of hits.   Top is a clip of a news report about the Florida ban.  Next is a FNC clip of a black lady who is against CRT.  And because of the way they fold the page, you will see a vid from Education Week.  And if that vid is like the article I read on their website over the past few days, it is fair and objective.  Seems to me you will get the hit from bigoted, white supremacy loving Heritage Foundation before any actual CRT adherent.

And that leads to my point. Once the right wing, white supremacist noise machine decided to adopt the issue as part of their looney tunes culture war, the market place of ideas and multi media publication was swamped with anti CRT propaganda.  And now I reference what  the essay writer said about how most people don't really have an idea what CRT objectively is.  I am not shy about talking down "people."  And even the experts who research this shit say.  If the first someone learns about a matter or issue is bullshit or flat out false? Good luck actually changing their minds with facts!  Odds are against it. 

So Ms. Althouse. Yes it would be great if we  could distil even further the essence of CRT, even if only as a matter of housekeeping  (start a settlement, colony, nation with race based slavery and that will infect every possible nook and cranny of that society.)   But good luck changing anyone's mind who has already chosen to oppose it.  Because a large chunk of the American people are already predisposed to that kind of thinking.

And that basically, and disturbingly proves the core premise of  Critical Race Theory.  How did Professor  Bell say it? Racism is persistent if not permanent in America.  And adding my brutal nuance, swap out the word racism and insert the phrase white supremacy.

As a matter of literary tricks, I would have liked ending on that note.  But one more point.  Critics of CRT and related ideas call out the alleged circular logic.  Now on one end of the scale we have ipse dixit logic, and on the other end, essentialism; water is wet. Wetness is a quintessential quality of water.  And we CRT campers say white supremacy is still a quintessential quality of a society and nation that was founded and greatly dependent on lawfully and socially defended race based slavery.  And that still is far too greatly the case, 160 or so years after that was specifically outlawed.  It doesn't have to be though.  All we need to do is eradicate every list vestige of white supremacy.

Who's side are you on?