Left morality
Over at Wizbang blog there was a post about the most beautiful person on Capitol Hill. The winner was a woman of Guayanese orgin, specifically, mixed East Indian (that's what they call brown down there), African and European. The comments started out crass, no big surprise. Someone expressed the opinion that the winner was butt ugly, while others disagreed. Par for the course in "guy talk." But then this comes up, "I haven't noticed Kos postings as being racist." Now, there was a crack about affirmative action earlier, but the general tone is just one of crass sexism and objectification. Now, myself, I do objectify women quite a bit, it is a personal pleasure of mine. Though I admit that women are more than eye candy, but who can't enjoy a little sugar now and then?
The only reason I post this is that I was waiting for someone to call any criticism of the young woman's appearence racist. The problem with a segment of the modern Left is that it channels the Puritan impulses of the social conservative Right, but toward different ends. Where the Right seems "immorality" and "sexual license" and the Left seems "racism" and "sexism" under every bed. Dennis Prager's story that radio focus groups excluded blacks because it tended to distort how whites reacted is also part of the same dynamic, race distorts all normal discourse between objective citizens. It maybe that the sentiments about Michelle Persaud's appearance were racially motivated, but by applying a broad brush and being overly sensitive we separate her out and elevate her race about her individuality. Just as one can criticize Israel without being an anti-Semite (and be pro-Israel and and anti-Semite!), one can be crass and negative about non-whites without be racist.
The only reason I post this is that I was waiting for someone to call any criticism of the young woman's appearence racist. The problem with a segment of the modern Left is that it channels the Puritan impulses of the social conservative Right, but toward different ends. Where the Right seems "immorality" and "sexual license" and the Left seems "racism" and "sexism" under every bed. Dennis Prager's story that radio focus groups excluded blacks because it tended to distort how whites reacted is also part of the same dynamic, race distorts all normal discourse between objective citizens. It maybe that the sentiments about Michelle Persaud's appearance were racially motivated, but by applying a broad brush and being overly sensitive we separate her out and elevate her race about her individuality. Just as one can criticize Israel without being an anti-Semite (and be pro-Israel and and anti-Semite!), one can be crass and negative about non-whites without be racist.
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