"House Negroes"? Is al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri a Rush Limbaugh Fan?
I'm guessing that heads are exploding all across Deep-Red America today, following the release of the latest al-Qaida video rant in which Ayman al-Zawahri refers to Barack Obama, Colin Powell, and Condeleeza Rice as "house negroes." From the article in today's Huffington Post:
CAIRO, Egypt -- Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader used a racial epithet to insult Barack Obama in a message posted Wednesday, describing the president-elect in demeaning terms that imply he does the bidding of whites.
The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies. Ayman al-Zawahri said in the message, which appeared on militant Web sites, that Obama is "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American rights leader.
It strikes me as being somewhat ironic that an extremist fundamentalist Muslim terrorist takes delight in using the same kind of hate-filled language as some of our own well-known right-wing fundamentalist extremists. After all, hasn't Rush Limbaugh been refering to now President-elect Barack Obama as "Barack the Magic Negro" for over a year now?
What must it be like, to be such a proud, chest-thumping American, and to find that those who you proclaim as your most hated enemies, share the same, hate-filled thoughts and speech as you do, and hate the same people as you do? I wonder what it is like for these people to look at themselves in the mirror, and see the face of Ayman al-Zawahri staring back at them.
Isn't it ironic?
November 19, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful point, Astral! :)
It's not clear to me exactly who this dude is trying to impact with this statement. AQ doesn't do racism well - and certainly doesn't recognize that we've been there and seen that.
November 19, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The dude lives in a cave and he's calling Obama a house negro?
November 19, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ha! Now that's funny!
November 19, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's more likely to be invoking Malcolm X.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQe9nUKzvQ
November 19, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Astra.
House Negro and magic negro are not the same things. I am still grappling with how house negroes is a racial epithet. How is that? I think the interpretation of this message in terms of race is wrong.
Calling a black person a house negro is not a racial epithet like callign them a n.g.er...first off, house negro refers to an acquiese to 'masters wishes' vs. what is humane collectively as a person of color...so epithet does not fit here.
Secondly, most individuals who rise to Obama's level are very use to being called house negros. In short, this is like 'brush your shoulders off' for Barack...he has been there, done that. House Negro is not necessarily a slur, depending on what action it is attributed to. So Obama is not riled up by this connotation.
Third, the term House Negro, is misleading in terms of its historical context, which Obama probably knows as well. House Negro is used to say that the sycophant easy labor House Negroes sold out to master and did his wishes vs. the rebellious manual laborer 'field negro' and yet history repudiates that. Any student of history, which assuredly Obama is, knows that it was the House Negro who was more rebellious with courage of conviction vs. the beat down obsequious fearful field negro!
November 19, 2008 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Who says? Try calling any black person that and see what the reaction might be. You might just get educated. You might also get a justified punch in the kisser!
Can you give a citation that shows that Barack Obama is very used to being called a "house negro?" I'm not buying what you're selling.
Well, from what I've seen of Obama, you're probably right about him not getting his feeling hurt about the AlQaiday #2 calling him names, but 'not necessarily a slur?' What are you smoking?
Yeah. Sure. It was actually a compliment. Riiiiiiight.
November 19, 2008 8:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now that we have a "report abuse" button, I'm wishing we had a "report thinly-veiled racist bullshit" button, but alas...
November 19, 2008 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, your comment could hardly have revealed you to be more clueless. For example:
I am still grappling with how house Negroes is a racial epithet. How is that?
Really, try opening a Websters and look up the definition of epithet.
I think the interpretation of this message in terms of race is wrong....Calling a black person a house negro is not a racial epithet like calling them a n.g.er...first off
Are you stupid, or just ignorant? Of course its racial. The historically correct expression is not "House Negro", it IS "House Ni@@er". Even absent this correct historical usage the somewhat less offensive use of the term 'Negro' still defines this as a RACIAL epithet.
...house negro refers to an acquiesce to 'masters wishes' vs. what is humane collectively as a person of color...so epithet does not fit here.
Again, look up the definition of epithet. The comment clearly is intended as an insult to Obama. It's calling him a racial traitor.
Secondly, most individuals who rise to Obama's level are very use to being called house Negros.
What in the hell are you talking about? So, Ronald Reagan, Clinton and both Bushes are used to being called Negroes? Surely, you are an insane Freeper who's browser has lost the Free Republic bookmark.
How would you know what most successful In short, this is like 'brush your shoulders off' for Barack...he has been there, done that.
You, of course, have no idea where Barack Obama has 'been' or 'done'. You're talking out of your ass, again.
House Negro is not necessarily a slur, depending on what action it is attributed to.
Yet more racist insanity.
Third, the term House Negro, is misleading in terms of its historical context, which Obama probably knows as well. House Negro is used to say that the sycophant easy labor House Negroes sold out to master and did his wishes vs. the rebellious manual laborer 'field negro' and yet history repudiates that. Any student of history, which assuredly Obama is, knows that it was the House Negro who was more rebellious with courage of conviction vs. the beat down obsequious fearful field negro!
Maybe you should read a genuine history book sometime instead of whatever KKK tripe you have been reading. House slaves didn't 'sell out', they were selected. They were not sycophants (again, buy a dictionary). They faced the terrible choice of accepting a marginally less nightmarish existence in exchange for their cooperation. Theirs was not a freely entered in to agreement. It was a situation wholly coercive, in the extreme. They were STILL slaves. If they were a woman they were most certainly raped, at will. There were no good choices only the merely abominable versus the even worse ones. The whole horrible situation was created and sustained by white slave owners and racist American states. Entire responsibility for the situation lied not with ANY slave but with the slave owners and the states giving legitimacy and power to such ownership.
So, stop talking about matters of which you obviously know absolutely nothing.
November 20, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the assist, new10. This is what I get for putting Rash Lumpbutt's name in my title, usually the wingnuts only click on posts whose titles that have some of the few words they are able to read. Ha!
November 20, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh crap this coming from a guy living in a cave? Classic. We are coming for you, before Obama leaves office you and your ilk will be CRUSHED once and for all.
November 19, 2008 11:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why al-Zawahiri is Completely Out of Touch With His ‘House Negro’ Remark
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=4900
November 20, 2008 9:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama has been called worse names on the basketball court.
November 20, 2008 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink