Re: Generally speaking


Subject: Re: Generally speaking
AntiUtopia@aol.com
Date: Wed Mar 08 2000 - 15:54:27 EST


That's more reasonable, but I still think it's a gross oversimplification. Consider that the South is traditionally Democrat and then ask yourself...where are the racists now? Also consider that the Northeast is probably more racist than anywhere I've ever lived in the South -- it's just that racism up here is deeply embedded for a wider number of minorities and not just directed toward blacks and jews. And, of course, demographically, I think the northeast is largely liberal and democratic.

What I think you're describing is a common perception, but I think the reality is too muddy to be defined in these terms...

I think the elitism behind the Republican party is the elitism of money, not of race or class. But ideologically it is Republican to think Anyone can get ahead, anyone can be a success, anyone can make it to the top, while it is Democratic to think most can't without some kind of help.

The Republican Party put the first woman and the most recent African American on the Supreme court, and I would bet good money they produce the first African-American President (if Bush had any brains at all he'd nab Keyes for a running mate) and the first female president -- unless Hillary Clinton makes it anywhere politically on her own.

Jim

> AntiUtopia@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Regarding the origins of the Republican Party, that's just history, Matt. If
> > you want I can dig up college history textbooks and give you quotes.
>
> You're implying that there's some sort of profound link between the
> abolition of slavery and today's Republican party. That's just silly.
> Of course you can support the idea with quotations from history
> textbooks. My point is that under the "Republican vs Democrat"
> classification system (a nasty can of worms itself), issues are
> generally polarized, and Republicans are generally on the embarrassing
> side of those issues. Which party is more likely to support gay
> rights? Which party is more likely to support minority rights?
>
> If you want to make a connection between slavery and contemporary
> politics, you'll have to admit that "Republicans" come down on the
> uglier side. "The government has no right to regulate personal
> property!" How eerily similar this sounds to anti-abolitionist
> sloganeering. Most avowed racists are "Republicans"--at least, that's
> how they vote. Yes, I'm talking generalizations here. We all are.
> Generally speaking, the Republican party contains people whose social
> politics are proscriptive and exclusive.
>
> --
> Matt Kozusko mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu
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