Food for Thought by Alexis at The Belmont Club
Alexis writes:
Barack Obama's candidacy for President exemplifies the worship of exoticism in America.
If there is one constant defect within American culture, it is a disinclination to accept the beauty of one’s self, seeing it only within other people. When I grew up, I noticed how white women would get permanents and black women would make their hair straight. In America, there is a tendency to reject one’s own culture, history, body, and hair in order to embrace weird ideas from exotic peoples.
Barack Obama appeals to those who worship the exotic. They can exalt him as a guru, confident that his exotic family tree will bestow congenital wisdom upon him. The worship of the exotic shaman as the fount of wisdom appeals, to quote the immortal words of Tom Lehrer, to “a hard core who seem to equate authenticity with artistic merit and illiteracy with charm”.
The worship of the exotic is hardly new. Ancient Romans worshipped in mystery cults; Roman women would buy the sweat of gladiators and imitate the blond hair of German barbarians. One century ago, the exoticism of Mata Hari swept men off their feet (and into her bedroom). I sometimes think of postmodern exoticism as the love child of Martin Heidegger’s philosophical worship of authenticity and his erotic worship of exoticism in the avatars of Hannah Arendt and Elisabeth Blochmann.
The worship of the exotic is coming perilously close to becoming a state religion. Variously called “diversity” or “political correctness”, the worship of exoticism presumes that a culture will always be enhanced by the addition of a strange-looking person with an exotic background. This state religion assumes that only ethnic minorities have anything to culturally contribute to the greater good. So, Barack Obama confidently rattles off his supposedly exotic family tree, knowing it will be seen as proof of his good judgment as he descends from Olympian heights to save America from itself.
But does Barack Obama really understand other cultures? I doubt it. I doubt he even understands himself.
Exoticism is overrated. That which one generation regards as exotic becomes normal to the next generation. In any case, every person is exotic to somebody. America is exotic to much of the rest of the world. That which you regard as normal may be something people in far-off places marvel at. It may not seem exotic to shop at a supermarket, fill up at a gas station, or go to a modern bathroom, but each of these experiences would be exotic to some people. There are some places where a grilled cheese sandwich would be perceived as exotic; get used to being seen with fascination by somebody.
Far from being attuned to the feelings and emotions of far-off peoples, Barack Obama appears to be blind to the contradictions of his own heritage. For one thing, if there were any reparations for American slavery, the money would come from his own pocket. His ancestors owned black slaves, yet none of his ancestors was ever owned by a New World slavemaster. Never mind that any proposed slavery reparations would combine the sins of racist taxation, collective punishment, and ex post facto law; Barack Obama endorses reparations.
Barack Obama’s endorsement of Dorothy Tillman is no accident. Given her tireless crusade to institute slavery reparations, his endorsement could lead one to reasonably infer sympathy for what she stands for. Barack Obama said, “I think the reparations we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example, in our schools.”
Good schools for all children would be part of basic fairness. We are one nation. As a matter of basic decency, we should care about the welfare of our neighbors and ensure opportunity for all of our people’s children. As one nation, we must not base any policy decision upon an inherently divisive ideology of reparations. Reparations effectively means a system of race-based taxation much like what the State of California instituted against Chinese Americans one century ago. Barack Obama’s rhetoric is not merely racist, but a clear signal of intent to institute a new regime of American apartheid based upon the principle of one race sending tribute to another race.
Is Barack Obama prepared to embrace his white heritage? Is he prepared to embrace the fact that his Kenyan father was culturally very different from American blacks? Is he prepared to embrace the fact that some black Africans are very proud of their slave dealing ancestors and sneer at the American descendants of slaves, saying, “We didn’t send our best over”?
Does Barack Obama’s seemingly multicultural heritage truly give him any insights into the mentalities of Dutch farmers, Romanian nurses, Russian soldiers, Japanese office workers, or Bolivian silver miners? Does he even understand the lives of supposedly “ordinary” Americans? Can he understand any grievance that does not base itself upon hatred of white domination? Can Barack Obama comprehend any grievance other people may feel against him? I have my doubts.
Barack Obama is neither as exotic as he appears nor is he as profound as his supporters may imagine. He is an educated and intelligent man with both the advantages of affluence and a pedigree that appeals to tokenism. He is also a deeply conflicted man who pines for the father who abandoned him and carries himself with the confidence that Islamic schooling gives a man, a man who has not fully reconciled himself to his heritage on his mother’s side of his family.
Empathy from a president isn’t enough; a president needs toughness and courage. Barack Obama may be a great professor to take a class from in college, but I wouldn’t want him guarding my back in a knife fight.
Barack Obama's candidacy for President exemplifies the worship of exoticism in America.
If there is one constant defect within American culture, it is a disinclination to accept the beauty of one’s self, seeing it only within other people. When I grew up, I noticed how white women would get permanents and black women would make their hair straight. In America, there is a tendency to reject one’s own culture, history, body, and hair in order to embrace weird ideas from exotic peoples.
Barack Obama appeals to those who worship the exotic. They can exalt him as a guru, confident that his exotic family tree will bestow congenital wisdom upon him. The worship of the exotic shaman as the fount of wisdom appeals, to quote the immortal words of Tom Lehrer, to “a hard core who seem to equate authenticity with artistic merit and illiteracy with charm”.
The worship of the exotic is hardly new. Ancient Romans worshipped in mystery cults; Roman women would buy the sweat of gladiators and imitate the blond hair of German barbarians. One century ago, the exoticism of Mata Hari swept men off their feet (and into her bedroom). I sometimes think of postmodern exoticism as the love child of Martin Heidegger’s philosophical worship of authenticity and his erotic worship of exoticism in the avatars of Hannah Arendt and Elisabeth Blochmann.
The worship of the exotic is coming perilously close to becoming a state religion. Variously called “diversity” or “political correctness”, the worship of exoticism presumes that a culture will always be enhanced by the addition of a strange-looking person with an exotic background. This state religion assumes that only ethnic minorities have anything to culturally contribute to the greater good. So, Barack Obama confidently rattles off his supposedly exotic family tree, knowing it will be seen as proof of his good judgment as he descends from Olympian heights to save America from itself.
But does Barack Obama really understand other cultures? I doubt it. I doubt he even understands himself.
Exoticism is overrated. That which one generation regards as exotic becomes normal to the next generation. In any case, every person is exotic to somebody. America is exotic to much of the rest of the world. That which you regard as normal may be something people in far-off places marvel at. It may not seem exotic to shop at a supermarket, fill up at a gas station, or go to a modern bathroom, but each of these experiences would be exotic to some people. There are some places where a grilled cheese sandwich would be perceived as exotic; get used to being seen with fascination by somebody.
Far from being attuned to the feelings and emotions of far-off peoples, Barack Obama appears to be blind to the contradictions of his own heritage. For one thing, if there were any reparations for American slavery, the money would come from his own pocket. His ancestors owned black slaves, yet none of his ancestors was ever owned by a New World slavemaster. Never mind that any proposed slavery reparations would combine the sins of racist taxation, collective punishment, and ex post facto law; Barack Obama endorses reparations.
Barack Obama’s endorsement of Dorothy Tillman is no accident. Given her tireless crusade to institute slavery reparations, his endorsement could lead one to reasonably infer sympathy for what she stands for. Barack Obama said, “I think the reparations we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example, in our schools.”
Good schools for all children would be part of basic fairness. We are one nation. As a matter of basic decency, we should care about the welfare of our neighbors and ensure opportunity for all of our people’s children. As one nation, we must not base any policy decision upon an inherently divisive ideology of reparations. Reparations effectively means a system of race-based taxation much like what the State of California instituted against Chinese Americans one century ago. Barack Obama’s rhetoric is not merely racist, but a clear signal of intent to institute a new regime of American apartheid based upon the principle of one race sending tribute to another race.
Is Barack Obama prepared to embrace his white heritage? Is he prepared to embrace the fact that his Kenyan father was culturally very different from American blacks? Is he prepared to embrace the fact that some black Africans are very proud of their slave dealing ancestors and sneer at the American descendants of slaves, saying, “We didn’t send our best over”?
Does Barack Obama’s seemingly multicultural heritage truly give him any insights into the mentalities of Dutch farmers, Romanian nurses, Russian soldiers, Japanese office workers, or Bolivian silver miners? Does he even understand the lives of supposedly “ordinary” Americans? Can he understand any grievance that does not base itself upon hatred of white domination? Can Barack Obama comprehend any grievance other people may feel against him? I have my doubts.
Barack Obama is neither as exotic as he appears nor is he as profound as his supporters may imagine. He is an educated and intelligent man with both the advantages of affluence and a pedigree that appeals to tokenism. He is also a deeply conflicted man who pines for the father who abandoned him and carries himself with the confidence that Islamic schooling gives a man, a man who has not fully reconciled himself to his heritage on his mother’s side of his family.
Empathy from a president isn’t enough; a president needs toughness and courage. Barack Obama may be a great professor to take a class from in college, but I wouldn’t want him guarding my back in a knife fight.
posted by 3Case at
10:33 AM
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