Go down Moses, way down in Egypt land

[cyrano]

So Debra Dickerson is on the Colbert Report saying that since Barack Obama (blessed be his name, and also the name of his mother) is not descended from West African slaves brought to the United States, then he's not really Black. He's not really African-American, he's an African African-American.
From my position of White Privelege, I say this sounds like complete bullshit. But I'm also tired and cranky.

Comments

[tnalpgge.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know about complete bullshit, but it's at most 49% bullshit-free.

Not knowing anything about Ms Dickerson, I am inclined to think that she subscribes to the language-manipulation theory of winning debates. If you're not winning, and reasoned refutation of your opponent's points isn't working, then distort meanings and invent new terms until your opponent grows disgusted with your linguistic shenanigans, and then beat them over the head with your new talking points until they quit out of frustration. And remember to smile while you're doing it.

I tend to see it more from the non-left end of the spectrum, but I imagine there are some practicioners on the non-right as well.