Stupidwatch 2007

[sabotabby]

Today's run-down of total idiocy:

Cops are spending your tax dollars to crack down on khat.
Why it's stupid: Khat is basically like caffeine, in terms of effect and addictiveness. It's legal in most countries, and the only reason why it was banned here is because the state needed yet another excuse to persecute the Somali community.

Set phasers on "OMG OMG HOLY FUCK I'M BURNING TO DEATH!"
Why it's stupid: "Non-lethal" weapons are not a substitute for lethal weapons. In a life-or-death situation, you don't fuck around; you shoot to kill. "Non-lethal" weapons are used to increase the level of sadistic force in situations where cops or soldiers are not at risk of death: crowd control, strikes, arresting unarmed homeless people, and probably, busting Somalis for growing khat.

Ontario Finance Minister says that the government can't afford to raise minimum wage to $10/h.
Why it's stupid: Sure it can. It just doesn't want to.

Ontario's government thinks that it can embarrass deadbeat parents into paying child support by posting their pictures online.
Why it's stupid: a) Who reads government websites? Besides me? b) How about, like, a national strategy, so like, deadbeat parents don't just move to another province like my father did?

The Conservative chair of the aboriginal affairs committee replies to controversy over his racist comments with "some of my best friends are..."
Why it's stupid: Let's face it. Everything having to do with the Conservative government is stupid.

Tom Waits wins suit against car manufacturer for imitating his voice in an ad; will donate the money to charity.
Why it's stupid: As if Tom Waits would sell out enough to do car ads. Who did they think they were fooling?

Comments

[dubaiwalla.livejournal.com]

I never figured out why the use of the line "Some of my best friends are..." seems to automatically make someone racist in the public perception. (I don't know anything about this particular guy, so let's leave aside his individual case.) Also, is there any good way for a public figure to defend themselves from such an allegation?

[sabotabby]

It's a cliché defense; it redirects criticism of a racist statement (or policy, or mindset) to the individual's personal life.

For a concrete example, Dick Cheney's daughter is an out lesbian. Lesbianism, as far as we can tell, isn't contagious, and she hasn't spread teh ghey to him. Regardless of whether he has no lesbians in the family, one lesbian in the family, or every one of his family members is a lesbian, his government's policies are objectively anti-gay.

Similarly, a white dude with a ton of friends who are people of colour can still be racist, or so blind to his own privileges that his words and actions are racist even if he himself doesn't see it. Perhaps he's more likely to be sensitive to racism than someone whose friends are all white, but that really depends on how much of a clueless moron he is, and whether his friends are willing to call him on his privilege.

Also, is there any good way for a public figure to defend themselves from such an allegation?

Sure. Instead of going immediately on the defensive, he could examine what he said and wrote and actually listen to the criticisms that people make. And then apologize.

[dubaiwalla.livejournal.com]

Your analogy isn't quite perfect, becuase you choose your friends in a way you don't choose your family. And if you really do have friends in community X, then at the very least, people in that community don't find you so egregiously offensive that they dissociate themselves from you. This doesn't necessarily mean you're trying hard to rid yourself of all discriminatory attitudes, but does indicate fair likelihood that you don't intend serious malice to people in that community, at least of the sort that would land you in trouble in the press in the first place.

examine what he said and wrote and actually listen to the criticisms that people make
How reasonable is such a course for a public figure? For a president, minister, or senator to have to endure a week (or even 12 hours, given the way television and the Internet work) of headlines that read '[Name] seriously contemplating possibility s/he is a racist' could well mean political suicide, even if the allegation was blatantly false. An immediate response and explanation is necessary.

Addendum

[dubaiwalla.livejournal.com]

The difficulty of defending oneself from allegations of racism seems to me to have led to a situation where people hardly ever discuss race for fear of saying something that will be misperceived and/or taken to be offensive. And that means you can't address a lot of problems.

Re: Addendum

[sabotabby]

You choose your friends, but in statements like "some of my best friends are..." I tend to wonder how the individual is defining friendship. In one particular discussion I remember where a girl made an outrageously racist comment and then defended herself by saying that her friend was black, the friend in question was actually her employee.

There's also the possibility that if some of my best friends are black, I can still have racist attitudes about First Nations people.

I think a lot of the problem is the way we (in the West) conceptualize and talk about racism—as though racism (defined as "prejudice" or "bigotry," rather than as a system with deep roots that affects absolutely everyone) is something that is either on or off. The defense, when one has made a racist comment, is not "but I'm not a racist!" Someone who has spent a lifetime analyzing white privilege, deconstructing her own attitudes, and actively fighting racism is still capable of making a racist comment. That doesn't make her an irredeemable cross-burning KKK member; it means that she has issues that she needs to address.

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

"For a concrete example, Dick Cheney's daughter is an out lesbian. Lesbianism, as far as we can tell, isn't contagious, and she hasn't spread teh ghey to him. Regardless of whether he has no lesbians in the family, one lesbian in the family, or every one of his family members is a lesbian, his government's policies are objectively anti-gay."

>>>>> It's fuuny you mention this because he just went off on Wolf Blitzer when he ask him about his daughter having a kid and the Family Rescearch Coucil (U.S. christian bigot organization) denoucing her for it. He says that it's invading his family's privacy asking about it.

But I don't think that's true bcause

1. She's an out lesbian

2. She has done paid work on his campaign, the whitehouse and the republican party.

3. When you fuck with peoples families with pushing things like anti-gay marriage amendments, I don't don't feel real guilty about dragging thier families in to it, especially when the family member in question is active in politics herself.

[sabotabby]

If she'd spoken up, just once, about the Republican Party or her father's anti-gay shit, then I'd say yeah, give the woman her privacy—and my sympathies.

As is, she's a fair target for discussion, and Darth Cheney's hypocrisy when it comes to believing in one set of rules for his daughter and another for every other queer person in the country needs to be brought up as often as possible.

[frippy.livejournal.com]

I tend to hear an implied but in that line. It's like saying "I don't hate all [fill in whoever you systematically hate], there's a few good ones... BUT, even still, you can't deny that the bulk of [same group as before] are [derogatory description based on stereotype dating back to the Bronze Age]."

But my ears have a liberal slant.

[dubaiwalla.livejournal.com]

And sometimes there is that 'but.' Heck, sometimes it's explicit. And such a thing should be condemned.

However, that doesn't mean that the person speaking always intends for there to be a 'but,' or is racist.

[frippy.livejournal.com]

It also makes a lousy first line of defense, rather than confronting the potential misunderstanding head-on. You can be a nice person and say something that sounds really crappy and if the crappy thing you said raises the furor, you need to tackle that, not the fact that you're a well-intentioned, nice guy.

[frippy.livejournal.com]

Not to say that everyone who ever uses the line promotes it as their first or only defense against being accused of being racist. And obviously, it sounds worse coming from a white supremacist than a well-intended but somewhat out of touch grandmother.

But still, at best, the line reads like when my mother would say, "I worked with a lesbian once and she was so nice -- she NEVER hit on me!" I mean, my Mom didn't intend to offend, that was probably the closest thing she could give to a compliment for a person whose sexual orientation made her nervous, but I still cringed at it.

[apperception.livejournal.com]

I would like an active denial system for my automobile.

[sabotabby]

I don't have an automobile, but if they come equipped with lasers that make people feel like their flesh is burning, I might have to consider sucking up my environmentalism and getting one.

[apperception.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna get one for my ass pucker.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Remember this?

[sabotabby]

*shudder*

[apperception.livejournal.com]

Remember it? I had one installed on my daughter's hoo-hah to preserve her virginity!

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Gives a whole new meaning to describing a woman as "smoking hot"!

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Raygun: at least the guy is honest: "Nonlethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in."

[sabotabby]

I wonder if he meant it to come out that way?

[frippy.livejournal.com]

I think, after this lawsuit, advertising execs MIGHT figure out that using music that sounds a lot like Tom Waits isn't a smart idea. This isn't the first case he's brought against a company. I recall him going after Audi once and, back in the 80s, Frito-Lay. Which makes me wonder: what aspect of Tom Waits' music is so perfect for selling potato chips that they had to attain it at any cost? Did the ad feature some labor-broken, stubbly, gin-sweating barfly slumped on his stool, shovelling Fritos into his mouth?

Fritos taste innocent when you dream.

[sabotabby]

Yeah, I don't get it. And cars? Buy this car, and it'll rust, and then it'll break down, leaving you stranded by the road, and you'll leave it there and just go to a bar. WTF?

[gabski.livejournal.com]

khat in somalia bad... heroin in afghanistan ok.

[sabotabby]

Pot in Afghanistan is evil, though.

[apperception.livejournal.com]

Remember when they tried to burn it "with undesired consequences"? That was great.

They should send me there.

[gabski.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

[realcdaae.livejournal.com]

Dude, me too.

Reminds me of a study I read about using ketamine for people with long-term, treatment resistent depression, which mentioned that a "possible side-effect" was euphoria.

Oh noes, not euphoria!!

[apperception.livejournal.com]

There are other "possible side-effects" besides euphoria, though. When I took it, I began acting like a silver back mountain gorilla.

[theoldanarchist.livejournal.com]

Why it's stupid: As if Tom Waits would sell out enough to do car ads. Who did they think they were fooling?


This has happened so many times now, I can't believe advertisers still think they can get away with it! This is at least the 4th time he has sued over such issues. Got Tom!

[sabotabby]

I especially love that he's donating the money. It's a great fuck-you.

[frippy.livejournal.com]

Active denial system? I think PWNING RAY would be a better name for the weapon.

[sabotabby]

Ever considered a career in marketing?

Erm. Already got one?

[frippy.livejournal.com]

My title at work is "Marketing Assistant." :(

Re: Erm. Already got one?

[sabotabby]

How did I miss that?

Re: Erm. Already got one?

[frippy.livejournal.com]

I don't really brag about such a thing.

Also, I don't come up with marketing ideas or anything. I just make designs.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

When Chumbawamba had a popular album around 2000, rather than fight imitation and go to court and stuff, they decided to accept to sell their music for commercials, and gave the money to some social groups in the areas where the ads were being displayed.

[sabotabby]

That's also an interesting strategy, although it pretty much ruins a song for me when I hear it in commercials. I don't know if other people have that reaction.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

F has the insta-muting reflex when commercials come on, so I don't get to hear much commercials. I actually have to struggle to hear a commercial that I'm curious about :P

some of my best friends are ...

[talyxsaunt.livejournal.com]

a couple of observations:

1. It is not possible to deny racism without sounding racist. No matter what you say, it sounds like a stupid defense.

2. If someone of a different race than you finds what you said racist, even if you were unaware of any racist content, apologize for your ignorance, if for nothing else. Saying anything in your own defense will sound bad. [See item 1 above.] Also, you are probably not in a very good position to judge. Your own perception of what is racist is conditioned by what happens to _you_, not what happens to someone of that other race. I am European-American, and I know that if I walk down a street with an African-American, they will see many more instances of racism than I will. I'm not sensitized to it in the same way.

Re: some of my best friends are ...

[sabotabby]

I can see denying it when it's clearly a misunderstanding on the other person's part (saying "niggardly," for example), but in general, I agree.

Responding with a defense that's so common it has whole websites devoted to it is even worse.

[esizzle.livejournal.com]

I try to make one best friend from every race, that way I'm not racist.

PS, I'm kind of glad they won't raise the minimum wage more than 8$. I think there are welfare programs that could increase the income of the working poor more efficiently. When it comes to minimum wage laws I get the image of some teenager being able to buy his new ipod much faster. Maybe I'm wrong on this, but besides, 10$ minimum wage is still not enough to pay rent and raise a family, thats what I'm making now and I can't imagine a family being able to live on that income, neither single parents or two earners. Actually, wouldn't it be just enough that they wouldn't be able to qualify for welfare benefits anymore?

[esizzle.livejournal.com]

Oh and when somebody calls me anti-semetic, I say "Some of my favourite blogs are written by teh Jew" sometimes, I follow it with "but..."

[sabotabby]

They're not even returning welfare to what it was at ten years ago, let alone what it should be to keep up with the cost of living.

A lot of people work for minimum wage besides teenagers. I'm amazed at how some people I know are able to survive—you have to pretty much live in a crap area and pray nothing happens to your teeth. There should be some supplement so that if you're surviving on that little, you qualify for some welfare benefits.

[esizzle.livejournal.com]

No disagreement on that much from me. I totally realise that even a 10$/hour minimum wage would still be under the low income cut off for a full time full year job. You don't have to tell me, I'm living it. But I can't complain cause I can leech of my family like it was monsoon season. All I'm saying is if it were upto me I wouldn't increase the minimum wage because there are better ways to raise the standards of living for those under the poverty line. I'd love to pay more taxes and see some welfare reforms and child subsidies, or better yet, not raise taxes and just see some reforms. But incrasing the minimum wage to 10$ is in my mind the worst way to fix this. Then again, it is better than nothing at all :(

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

I'm unveiling my new and improved Frank Miller rant. (Now with Orwell.)

Of course, the real reason for doing so is to draw attention to seanmonster's hilarious link in the comment threads. It turns out that Miller has actually written something worse than 300. It is truly MST3K-worthy and the i-mockery review rises to the challenge.

Speaking of seanmonster's LJ mentions, have you seen World War Z?

[sabotabby]

"I am the Batman!"

*dies*

People keep on recommending World War Z to me, but no, haven't seen it.

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

"Are you retarded? Who the hell do you think I am? I an the goddam Batman."

The smaller the cock, the bigger the batmobile.

[ocicat-bengals.livejournal.com]

'Khat is basically like caffeine, in terms of effect and addictiveness. It's legal in most countries, and the only reason why it was banned here is because the state needed yet another excuse to persecute the Somali community.'

Looks like its banned in most of Europe except the UK.
'Smuggling of the plant known as Qhat (khat) is the main reason British nationals require consular assistance in Canada.'
Opps.

Definitely sounds like something interesting although I'm wondering
about this psychosis part. My hub described for me someone on it when he was in Yemen, and it sounded freaky like acid.

[sabotabby]

Are you sure the guy wasn't already psychotic? From what I've heard, it's not remotely a bid deal. Granted, I've never tried it myself, but it used to be really common here before they banned it.