Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Geo the Sarge]

FWIW, I agree, he's black, I wish they would just say black, it's not an insult.

Geo

[MANTIS01]

Mantis, everyone in America has a duel nationality really.  They're a nation of immigrants, that's why the country was founded in the first place.  Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans etc etc.  The reason they keep mentioning that Barack Obama is the first African-American President is obviously because their history is steeped in the slavery of Africans.  The Irish weren't slaves, neither were ginger haired people or women (unless they were African) or Catholics etc etc.   While they're celebrating the fact that this is progressive and obviously an incredible moment for all those people who were involved in the civil rights movement, I'm pretty sure America isn't asking for a cookie or a medal from the world because they finally voted in a black man.  I'm pretty sure while they are celebrating, they're celebrating because they finally have a leader with some intelligence and a real man of the world who has an appreciation of the value of human life, not just because they're proud f themselves for voting in someone who wasn't white and 50 years old....I think they're still ashamed of their past and fully aware that this doesn't erase the past - particularly when they had to wait until the country was in it's worse state for a century before they were prepared to ignore a Presidential candidates ethnicity before they voted for him and his opponent was 120 years old too.  I doubt anyone in America is under any illusions that race isn't an issue in parts of their society still, but their constant referral to Obama as an African--American is down to the historical connotations not because he's not considered a 'real' American.   

OK, let's break it down another way. We've got this whole war on terror thing going on at the moment, this is where the major problems and the balance of power are. We are seeing the evidence of this in Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran etc. The way America sells it's stance to the world is kinda a good vs evil, freedom vs tyranny type affair so they get support. I reckon a lot of people see the conflict as the west vs Muslims. So if America can trumpet the fact they have a black president they show they were the goodies all along and thus get that support. World opinion and those marginal gulf states is where all the power is. So it's a real foreign policy marketing coup that Obama is black. Do we really think America wont ask for a cookie from the world? I bet they will ask for a whole jar of cookies from the world. If Obama's term is beneficial to black people then fair play, but I would like it to be because he was a good president and a good man rather than cos he is black.

I am stunned that people are surprised by him being called "the first black president"...I am even more surprised that people don't understand why they are going on about it.
This is momentous; in a country where the majority of black people still live with racism. Where 50 or so years ago Black people couldn't sit at the front of a bus. There were riots when schools were desegregated.
This is a truly historic day for America and American politics.

Will he be judged as the first black president of the USA when he's done? Probably not, he will be judged by how he performed....but to now say that you don't understand why people "bang on about it" or even imply that it's a marketing ploy shows that you have no quite grasped just how big a deal this is for black people in the States.

One question. If Obama was gay would we refer to him as the first gay president? And what would his appointment mean to gay people living in the US? Gays have been persecuted through the ages by society and stuff.

[WarBwastard]

Mantis, everyone in America has a duel nationality really.  They're a nation of immigrants, that's why the country was founded in the first place.  Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans etc etc.  The reason they keep mentioning that Barack Obama is the first African-American President is obviously because their history is steeped in the slavery of Africans.  The Irish weren't slaves, neither were ginger haired people or women (unless they were African) or Catholics etc etc.   While they're celebrating the fact that this is progressive and obviously an incredible moment for all those people who were involved in the civil rights movement, I'm pretty sure America isn't asking for a cookie or a medal from the world because they finally voted in a black man.  I'm pretty sure while they are celebrating, they're celebrating because they finally have a leader with some intelligence and a real man of the world who has an appreciation of the value of human life, not just because they're proud f themselves for voting in someone who wasn't white and 50 years old....I think they're still ashamed of their past and fully aware that this doesn't erase the past - particularly when they had to wait until the country was in it's worse state for a century before they were prepared to ignore a Presidential candidates ethnicity before they voted for him and his opponent was 120 years old too.  I doubt anyone in America is under any illusions that race isn't an issue in parts of their society still, but their constant referral to Obama as an African--American is down to the historical connotations not because he's not considered a 'real' American.   

OK, let's break it down another way. We've got this whole war on terror thing going on at the moment, this is where the major problems and the balance of power are. We are seeing the evidence of this in Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran etc. The way America sells it's stance to the world is kinda a good vs evil, freedom vs tyranny type affair so they get support. I reckon a lot of people see the conflict as the west vs Muslims. So if America can trumpet the fact they have a black president they show they were the goodies all along and thus get that support. World opinion and those marginal gulf states is where all the power is. So it's a real foreign policy marketing coup that Obama is black. Do we really think America wont ask for a cookie from the world? I bet they will ask for a whole jar of cookies from the world. If Obama's term is beneficial to black people then fair play, but I would like it to be because he was a good president and a good man rather than cos he is black.

I am stunned that people are surprised by him being called "the first black president"...I am even more surprised that people don't understand why they are going on about it.
This is momentous; in a country where the majority of black people still live with racism. Where 50 or so years ago Black people couldn't sit at the front of a bus. There were riots when schools were desegregated.
This is a truly historic day for America and American politics.

Will he be judged as the first black president of the USA when he's done? Probably not, he will be judged by how he performed....but to now say that you don't understand why people "bang on about it" or even imply that it's a marketing ploy shows that you have no quite grasped just how big a deal this is for black people in the States.

One question. If Obama was gay would we refer to him as the first gay president? And what would his appointment mean to gay people living in the US? Gays have been persecuted through the ages by society and stuff.

Yes they probably would refer to him as the first gay president.  As they would have referred to Hilary as the first female President.  But the prejudice gay people and women have suffered doesn't compare to the plight of African Americans does it..it's also not unique to America.  Those prejudices are evident across the globe, but enslaving Africans is not and the segregation of an entire race of people is not.  They didn't round gay people up from another continent and force them to work as slaves in cotton fields.  This isn't a marketing coup or a PR exercise, the good v evil thing is a republican doctrine..you can blame Reagan for starting that.  The race issue though expands the entire history of the nation it's a blight on their past.. so this is simply a very historic moment.  Just as Nelson Mandela's inauguration was in South Africa and if there's ever a Jewish Chancellor in Germany that will be examined just as closely and considered as much also.

[boldie]

Mantis, everyone in America has a duel nationality really.  They're a nation of immigrants, that's why the country was founded in the first place.  Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans etc etc.  The reason they keep mentioning that Barack Obama is the first African-American President is obviously because their history is steeped in the slavery of Africans.  The Irish weren't slaves, neither were ginger haired people or women (unless they were African) or Catholics etc etc.   While they're celebrating the fact that this is progressive and obviously an incredible moment for all those people who were involved in the civil rights movement, I'm pretty sure America isn't asking for a cookie or a medal from the world because they finally voted in a black man.  I'm pretty sure while they are celebrating, they're celebrating because they finally have a leader with some intelligence and a real man of the world who has an appreciation of the value of human life, not just because they're proud f themselves for voting in someone who wasn't white and 50 years old....I think they're still ashamed of their past and fully aware that this doesn't erase the past - particularly when they had to wait until the country was in it's worse state for a century before they were prepared to ignore a Presidential candidates ethnicity before they voted for him and his opponent was 120 years old too.  I doubt anyone in America is under any illusions that race isn't an issue in parts of their society still, but their constant referral to Obama as an African--American is down to the historical connotations not because he's not considered a 'real' American.   

OK, let's break it down another way. We've got this whole war on terror thing going on at the moment, this is where the major problems and the balance of power are. We are seeing the evidence of this in Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran etc. The way America sells it's stance to the world is kinda a good vs evil, freedom vs tyranny type affair so they get support. I reckon a lot of people see the conflict as the west vs Muslims. So if America can trumpet the fact they have a black president they show they were the goodies all along and thus get that support. World opinion and those marginal gulf states is where all the power is. So it's a real foreign policy marketing coup that Obama is black. Do we really think America wont ask for a cookie from the world? I bet they will ask for a whole jar of cookies from the world. If Obama's term is beneficial to black people then fair play, but I would like it to be because he was a good president and a good man rather than cos he is black.

I am stunned that people are surprised by him being called "the first black president"...I am even more surprised that people don't understand why they are going on about it.
This is momentous; in a country where the majority of black people still live with racism. Where 50 or so years ago Black people couldn't sit at the front of a bus. There were riots when schools were desegregated.
This is a truly historic day for America and American politics.

Will he be judged as the first black president of the USA when he's done? Probably not, he will be judged by how he performed....but to now say that you don't understand why people "bang on about it" or even imply that it's a marketing ploy shows that you have no quite grasped just how big a deal this is for black people in the States.

One question. If Obama was gay would we refer to him as the first gay president? And what would his appointment mean to gay people living in the US? Gays have been persecuted through the ages by society and stuff.

Yes they probably would refer to him as the first gay president.  As they would have referred to Hilary as the first female President.  But the prejudice gay people and women have suffered doesn't compare to the plight of African Americans does it..it's also not unique to America.  Those prejudices are evident across the globe, but enslaving Africans is not and the segregation of an entire race of people is not.  They didn't round gay people up from another continent and force them to work as slaves in cotton fields.  This isn't a marketing coup or a PR exercise, the good v evil thing is a republican doctrine..you can blame Reagan for starting that.  The race issue though expands the entire history of the nation it's a blight on their past.. so this is simply a very historic moment.  Just as Nelson Mandela's inauguration was in South Africa and if there's ever a Jewish Chancellor in Germany that will be examined just as closely and considered as much also.

this.

[Robert HM]

You know what Obama should have done to mark this leap forward? He should have said I'm not African American, I am the 44th president of The United States of America, I am the leader of the free world, and I am American, and I want to look forward to unity rather than back to division.

"Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America." Barak Obama

[rex008]

I don't care that he's black.

But he's a lefty, ffs, a southpaw!

Weirdo. Don't trust 'em.

[WarBwastard]

I don't care that he's black.

But he's a lefty, ffs, a southpaw!

Weirdo. Don't trust 'em.

Actually left handed people are up to 30% more awesome than right handed people. He does write weirdly though. 

[Laxie]

Learned something new this evening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce

[MANTIS01]

You know what Obama should have done to mark this leap forward? He should have said I'm not African American, I am the 44th president of The United States of America, I am the leader of the free world, and I am American, and I want to look forward to unity rather than back to division.

"Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America." Barak Obama

I never heard that. But there you go you see, the dude's off to a good start already. He's got the same president of USA strat as me. Tikay did say he wanted political debate right? But I would like some poker hands and train stuff now.

[Colchester Kev]

Learned something new this evening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce

You were educated in America right ?

[TightEnd]

tikay was Compo'd tonight. I estimate the hand will be replayed on here at about 2.47pm tomorrow

[Laxie]

Learned something new this evening

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilberforce

You were educated in America right ?

Aye, but they were busy teaching us American history.  Never were too bothered with the rest of the world. 

[kinboshi]

Obama dances like a white man though.

[Ironside]

Obama dances like a white man though.

which one

if its me he is shit hot if its you just forget the hot

[Dingdell]

'In poker' with Tikay and Compo tonight on sky 8.30 pm.