Racist Warmongering WaPo Style

Who knew? Well, all of us if we think about it. I'm just going to cite a couple of bits from the article and let you read the rest; article is here:https://www.quixote.org/governing-by-trope-boat-people-and-biden/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=bf29b457-1850-4fc1-a34f-97a85a3ed66a

So --

Back in June, the Washington Post’s editorial board warned of a looming crisis in Haiti, and argued for a more “muscular” United States response. They wrote, “There is now a real prospect of full-blown anarchy, and resulting waves of boat people fleeing to safer shores. The United States, France, the United Nations, the OAS and other influential parties must act before that happens. Mr. Moïse must go, and be replaced in free and fair elections.” Since Jovenel Moise was assassinated, the Washington Post has continued to opine for an international intervention led by the United States, invoking once again the threat of “boat people.”

To me, given the history of Haiti, The US, France, The OAS and other influential parties (like the CIA perhaps?), that is a pretty clear call for the assassination of Haiti's leader from some of our yellow press.

The use of the phrase “boat people” stands in a long line of racist imagery that Gregory Lee places under the broader framework of the “inundation” metaphor. Lee’s original research focused on the use of words like “flood,” “pouring in,” and “waves” in media accounts of Chinese immigration in the 19th century, arguing that the phrases became key to popular discourse in the build up to the Chinese Exclusion Acts. “Boat people” follows from the same linguistic pedigree, utilized to describe and dehumanize refugees from Vietnam and later Haiti.

I'll leave it up to you to read the rest - It's a good read and well worthwhile.

be well and have a good one

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of "the other" within the population (or at least DC in the USA), warmongers could never get their wars on. "The other" can be labeled by race, creed, and/or governmental and business structures. Anti-immigration has been a feature of US society since before there was an US and people from any other country can and have been described racially. Can't get any whiter than the people of Ireland, and yet:

The refugees seeking haven in America were poor and disease-ridden. They threatened to take jobs away from Americans and strain welfare budgets. They practiced an alien religion and pledged allegiance to a foreign leader. They were bringing with them crime. They were accused of being rapists. And, worst of all, these undesirables were Irish.

I don't know that it's helpful to label all irrational fear of "the other" as racist. Yes, racism (skin color, religion, non-English speaking) beats on in the hearts of Americans, but it's an instilled vulnerability (paranoia) that those in power can exploit to get what they want.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Marie

grandpa came over. Know a lot of those stories, heh. Yeah, "racism" is both too broad of a brush and, then again, to narrow, but it is a weapon that the elites know how to use, and so they use it early, often, and well.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris
Mr. Roche, Irish despite the french sounding name, had a scrapbook that he showed us. There were newspaper clippings from the '30s. Prominently the Help wanted ad from the Chicago tribune prominently declaring "No Irish need apply". The Trib should have rejected the ad, but ... the Trib was always a Republican newspaper.

Lots of the kids,probably most, didn't like Mr. Roche. He made us think and most people don't like that.

It was a Republican Suburb. I once mentioned Democratic vote stealing in a paper (This was during "Boss" Richard J. Daley's reign). Mr. Roche just wrote across that paragraph in longhand "A particularly nasty vice. Downstate Republicans are good at it too.")

Have i mentioned a classmate's mother's voting system? Dick was also Italo-German but the other way around. His father was German and his mother Italian. She told me that she scanned the ballot, voting for all the Italian names (many were (R)). Thn she scanned it again voting against all the Irish names. Finally, on the last past, whatever was left, she voted (R).

My Dad glad-handed all the Republican poll watchers then went in the booth and votes straight (D). Mom never mentioned how she voted, but when I was little and afraid of a thunderstorm, she would sit on my bed and tell me about the Great Man who said, "We have nothing to fear, but Fear itself."

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I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.

and caravans of M-13....fear mongering and war are profitable

any excuse will do

Defending Afghani girls from the Taliban....

If Afghanis want to come here it is another tale we will be told about the danger they pose.

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NYCVG

lotlizard's picture

@NYCVG  
In Germany in 2016, a young Afghani used an axe to attack a Chinese family from Hong Kong.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1991626/two-hongko...

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enhydra lutris's picture

@lotlizard

a while. Thanks for reading.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

lotlizard's picture

@enhydra lutris  
have passed away (of causes unrelated to Covid), just in the past few months. Ask not for whom the bell tolls… It’s been a rather somber time.

One of them, “Reverend LeRoi,” had had a long career as a prominent pillar of the community.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/leroi-simmons-germantown-died-74-20210513....

Over here it seems in public life, the “rule of law,” or “the forces of good,” or “the upholders of civilization,” or whatever you want to call ’em, have recently been taking it on the chin rather hard from the forces of Chaotic Evil. A leading Dutch investigative journalist and reporter on organized crime was gunned down in broad daylight by a Moroccan crime lord’s organized network.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/video-of-reporter-peter-de...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridouan_Taghi

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enhydra lutris's picture

@lotlizard

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --