re: #222 OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin

The “Manichaeian” comment was in response to something you brought up on your own, in your own words a “crude” north/south difference on racial attitudes. Manichaeian is a nice term. Lazy thinking is a better one.

Er, then you don’t understand what Manichaeian means. It’s not just about any division; it needs to relate to a (heh) light/dark division, a necessary and twinned struggle between dually matched, cocreative forces. It doesn’t just mean any two things that you’re comparing.

You have a background in northern CA yourself, where your father was discriminated against. So I see no reason for the disconnect.

Grandfather.

When you are that “someone” they do it to, it’s not a separate issue from “when you can get away with it” at all, not on a personal level, and not regarding any other numerical minority, either.

Really, that sentence doesn’t make any sense no matter how many times I read it. I’ll assume the problem is me.

All I’m saying is that tolerance of racism in the public venue has increased. That doesn’t at all relate to individual acts of racism. It really is a separate issue, since the racism in the public venue isn’t actually directed against people in particular.

I’ve certainly experienced my share of anti-Jew racism, even though I ‘pass’ just fine. But Glenn Beck’s propagandizing of anti-Semitic authors is a lot more worrying to me than an idiot in Southie calling me a Jewboy.

Moreover, the anti-Arab racism is certainly at a new, vicious height, one higher than it’s ever been, even immediately post 9/11. Anti-Muslim, as well, of course.