M2RB: Pink Floyd
The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path
By Daniel Sterman
As is well known, Republican politicians and pundits frequently use words like “European,” “Chicago,” “golf,” “skinny,” “angry,” and “welfare”
to subtly remind voters that President Obama is black. This leads
people who would otherwise support President Obama to oppose him.
Perhaps the best example came during the Republican presidential
primary, when Rick Perry described the national debt as a “big black
cloud” hanging over America. More recently, a Romney aide called
attention to the president’s race by referencing America’s “Anglo-Saxon
heritage.”
But in his acceptance speech at last week’s Republican National
Convention, Mitt Romney went even further, delivering a shockingly
racist address. Below I will enumerate some examples (follow along with
the transcript here):
“Mr. Chairman”: This is a reference to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.
Just two years ago, Priebus replaced Michael Steele, an
African-American, as RNC chairman. By mentioning the current RNC
chairman, Romney is reminding voters that Priebus is not Steele, and
therefore not black, which reminds voters that Romney is not Obama, and
therefore not black.
“delegates”: Next, Romney mentions the convention delegates, a reminder that most of the delegates are white (unlike Obama).
“I”: The word “I” reminds people of themselves. Racists, upon hearing
the word “I,” are reminded of who they are — which reminds them that
they are white, which reminds them that Obama is not. Critics may claim
that Romney is talking about himself here rather than about the
listeners — but Romney, too, is white, so a word like “I,” urging voters
to focus on Romney, also reminds them that he is white and Obama is
black. The shape of the word “I” also recalls a tall, thin person, and,
as mentioned earlier, “skinny” is a well-established racist dog whistle.
“accept”: This word sounds just like the word “except,” which evokes
the idea of exclusivity. Blacks are excluded from white-only country
clubs.
“your”: Like “I,” this word asks voters to think about who they are — i.e., white.
“nomination”: Two people are being nominated for president on
major-party tickets this year. One is black. By referring to the
nomination, Romney is reminding people which one they shouldn’t vote for
— for racial reasons, of course.
“for”: This word is a reference to the Gettysburg Address, which
began with the word “four.” This is a cynical use of Civil War imagery,
particularly in light of the fact that the convention was held in
Florida, which was part of the Confederacy.
“President of the United States of America”: This reminds voters of the current president — and his race.
“I”: see above.
“do”: This is one of the most obscure racist allusions in Romney’s
speech, but it appears to be a reference to the song “Do the Conga,”
which was performed by the British band “Black Lace.” This is doubly
racist: not only does it remind people that Obama is black, it also
recalls Great Britain, suggesting to people that Obama was not born in
America. (Though no one thinks Obama was born in Great Britain, an
effective racist dog whistle is subtle and involves misdirection.
Anyway, Kenya is a former British colony.)
“so”: While Romney was giving his speech, Hurricane Isaac was
ravaging New Orleans, on the anniversary of the end of Hurricane
Katrina. In that context, the word “so” reminds people of Wolf Blitzer’s
famous description of Katrina’s victims as “so poor [and] so black.”
“with”: Any word that means “together” is a call for white racists to stick together against the black outsider.
“humility”: Another reference to a foreign band, Humble Pie (again,
British), who were known for their cover of the song “Black Coffee.”
“deeply”: Everybody knows the phrase “Beauty is only skin deep.”
Therefore, the word “deep” is associated with the word “skin,” which
reminds people of Obama’s skin color.
“moved”: This word asks racists to recall how upset they are over black people moving into their neighborhoods.
“by the”: When hearing these words, one immediately thinks of the
song “Down by the Bay,” whose next words are “where the watermelons
grow.” Here, Romney is evoking the stereotype of black people eating
watermelons; it’s a very underhanded tactic.
“trust”: MSNBC recently proved
that Republicans are trying to link Obama in voters’ minds to the
philandering ways of Tiger Woods. The word “trust” is an overt and
reprehensible callback to that theme.
“you”: See above.
“have”: The GOP caters to the haves while ignoring the have-nots. As
with “welfare,” this word is strongly associated with the racial aspects
of income inequality.
“placed”: The two most important flatfish in Europe, according to
Wikipedia, are the plaice and the sole. Romney is asking Republicans to
think of themselves as the former, while the latter is obviously meant
to represent black people, as it recalls soul music (clearly
intentional, given the musical theme of the speech established by the
earlier references to two British bands and a children’s song).
“in me”: Continuing with the musical theme, this references the song
“The Revolution in Me” from the rock group Black Country Communion.
Though the band is American, its name is a clear shout-out to the
so-called “birthers” in the audience. “Communion” is also reminiscent of
church and the president’s former association with Rev. Jeremiah
Wright.
I’m running out of space, but I think I’ve made it clear that Mitt
Romney’s acceptance speech was full of racist dog whistles. There are
simply too many of these code words in the speech for all of them to be
unintentional. If you look hard enough, you’ll find even more examples
in the rest of the speech. I know I did.
Now, if you aren't into racist dog-whistle double-secret decoder rings and tinfoil hats and want to see real racism, which will not be covered on MSNBC,
Ta da....
Ta da....
In West Hollywood...on an apartment building...next to a huge Obama "Hope" poster...
Brain Damage - Pink Floyd
The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paper boy brings more
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forbodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'till I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon
"I can't think of anything to say except...
I think it's marvellous! HaHaHa!"
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