Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Condi Rice vs. the Washington Post
I read "Nobody's Archetype" by Eugene Robinson today. In the article, Mr. Robinson lists all of the various sterotypically downgrading views of black women and says, "Nope, Condi doesn't fit that view." Robinson gives Condi Rice strange praise by saying she's not angry, like so many other black women, she's not a Jezebel like Josephine Baker was, she's not an "Earth-Mother" nanny type, and she's not a rich, black princess (quite) because she likes football as well as playing the piano. Robinson, letting his low-life imagination run, hints at sexual tension between President Bush and Condi Rice but blames his mentioning it on others' snickers. He goes on to complain that her policy views are not "black" views:
What a low piece. I'm sure Robinson is let off the hook by the Post because he, too, is black. He couldn't, for example, get away with writing the same piece about Paul Wolfowitz: listing all of the various stereotypes of Jewish people and then saying Wolfowitz doesn't fit that mold. I'll bet the Washington Post wouldn't approve an article by Robinson on the Pope if it was full of Polish jokes and Catholic caricatures, either, just so it could conclude that John Paul II doesn't fit those molds. No, the Post stoops down to a black, liberal man and gives him reign to insult black, American women.
The news has just broken that Condi Rice just presided over a cease fire between Israel and the Palestinians. Here, in America, one of the papers of record reports:
Update: "Condi Urges new Chapter between U.S. and Europe"
Condoleezza Rice is nothing if not different. She's not a Democrat, though most African American women are. She's certainly not a liberal. She obviously is race-conscious, but she puts that consciousness into a box that's more deeply hidden than the one most of us African Americans use to store race when we're on the job.If you read this article and remove all the offensive caricatures, you are left with something like this: Condi Rice is surprising to the bigots of the world, but that doesn't mean her policy views are correct.
What a low piece. I'm sure Robinson is let off the hook by the Post because he, too, is black. He couldn't, for example, get away with writing the same piece about Paul Wolfowitz: listing all of the various stereotypes of Jewish people and then saying Wolfowitz doesn't fit that mold. I'll bet the Washington Post wouldn't approve an article by Robinson on the Pope if it was full of Polish jokes and Catholic caricatures, either, just so it could conclude that John Paul II doesn't fit those molds. No, the Post stoops down to a black, liberal man and gives him reign to insult black, American women.
The news has just broken that Condi Rice just presided over a cease fire between Israel and the Palestinians. Here, in America, one of the papers of record reports:
People see her walking next to President Bush and there are ugly snickers of the Jezebel sort.And journalists want to be taken seriously.
Update: "Condi Urges new Chapter between U.S. and Europe"
European diplomats, especially after January's elections in Iraq, have welcomed US overtures to mend the partnership.
And they have praised Dr Rice for leading a renewed US peacemaking role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is probably Europe's top foreign policy priority.
