Bill in NC – You asked Why? …Started reading Wretch cos I appreciated his angle on what was happening in Iraq. Started posting here regularly when I thought he was traducing Obama. That bothered me bigtime because I believed Obama’s campaign promised to help all Americans overcome the legacy of white supremacy. The notion that a foreigner like Wretch would repeatedly trash a candidate who was calling out to Americans’ better angels seemed pretty outrageous. Figured I was only one (on my side) who was alive to this little bit of meanness in the world so I was duty-bound to push back on behalf of the imagined community in MLK’s Dream. Especially since I’ve seen it realized at Obama’s rallies.
Once I engaged Clubbers, the discourse seemed worthy – something like democracy. A lot of abuse but some light too. I learned stuff from some posters and (occasionally) seemed to connect with certain folks even though they didn’t share my politics. I’m not a natural-born flag-waver, but I feel patriotic when I post here. It’s hard for me to separate the national from the personal right now as I’ve got a five-year old African American son. I sense how much O’s presence has done for him already. And the future is unwritten…
“Dream big Dreams” O wrote on the pic of my boy that I brought to a book signing for the re-issue of his “Dreams.” When I write here, I’m often convinced I’m fighting for my little boy against an intelligent foreigner who’s “running down our country” (as Hag once had it).
Peterike said – “you’re a well meaning guy and no slouch” – Jesus man – that’s high praise compared to what I’m used to hearing from academic leftists pissed at my defense of OIF …- I’m going to go look at the “The Confidence Man” – have to admit I never got through it…A sign of my essential American beamishness?? Maybe, but – just so you know – I was NEVER a sucker for the Man from Hope. Takes a better actor to make me come!!!!
Andrew – if you’re going to RE-up, you gotta nail it. Check Wretch’s tone one more time – “there are precious few journalists” who can “claim” to be Harvard Grads etc… All caveats in place, Wretch spoke of Bush’s graduating from Harvard w/o contempt. Yet this time around, he’s all disdain for his old institution…
If you’re interested in a writer who has the intellectual chops, gravitas and wit to blow up conventional academic discourse in the post-9/11 era w/o giving into Buckleyism or indulging in mucker posing, try Charles O’Brien’s work. There’s a lot of his stuff available online at Firstofthemonth.org.
