Leave Clint Alone
There were about 110,000 American soldiers involved in storming Iwo Jima. 700-900 were African-Americans, less than 1% of the aggregate force. The Clint Eastwood films of the battle focused on the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi, where African-Americans were not present, and the caves on the Japanese side, where they likewise were not in evidence.
Eastwood is now damned by the racialist Spike Lee and others for not including African-American faces among generic shots of U.S. forces. Examine the logic of this creepy criticism: from now on, apparently, we are to guess at racial and gender percentages present at historical events. Thus the number of WAVEs, Hispanics, whites, Blacks, Asians, etc. must be guestimated on World War II battlefields, and then actors and cast members in those proposed percentages must be represented on the screen, regardless of the general theme or focus of the film.
Apparently Spike Lee does not believe that it is possible that those on Suribachi who looked down at the invasion force, or those on landing craft who scanned the beaches might well have seen 99% of the force and not any of the 1% minority. One could get carried away with this: weren’t there more percentages of whites present around the Mandela movement in South Africa that appear on films; did civil rights films accurately portray the racial breakdowns present in the movement? And the LA gang genre—weren’t there whites and Hispanics involved in anti-gang activity whose presence was Trotskyized?
This monitoring is rather scary, since it recalls Soviet films, in which, regardless of the topic discussed, class struggle and solidarity had to resonate through the choice of the sets, dialogue, and camera shots.
A modest suggestion? We apparently need a new “Office of Racial Representation” in which a government commissar will monitor all films, and either censor or airbrush each take to achieve the correct racial formula deemed necessary to promote perceived contemporary “fairness”. God help us all if we devolve into a European-Canadian big brother atmosphere of political groupthink.
The Obama Warp
I remember how George Allen was pilloried as a neo-racist for his macaca remark and his fascination with Confederate memorabilia. Why then is James Webb being talked up in liberal circles for a Vice President nomination, given his far more evident Confederate sympathies?
I also thought identifying with a candidate on the basis of race was illiberal. Why then is a 90% or more African-American majority voting for Obama deemed a mere matter of “pride”? And what is so admirable that millions in Africa and the Middle East suddenly inform our journalists abroad that they would change their opinion of American should we elected a person of color, or the son of an African, or somebody who was once a Muslim, or someone with a middle name like Hussein? In other words, why would liberals think it is liberal to favor someone solely on the basis of shared race or religion—a bias that was the traditional enemy of the Enlightenment? These examples could be multiplied, but we are starting to see that when Obama is in question, all previous liberal ideologies are suddenly up for discussion, adjudicated only by the degree they help or hurt Obama.
Rethinking Rev. Wright
The conventional wisdom is that Rev. Wright was a bullet dodged, given the serial losses from Ohio and Texas onward. Perhaps. But note that after the Wright mess, Obama’s resonance in the African-American community radically increased, as his racial fides was strengthened; and former 60% margins consistently peaked at 90% and above. So too abroad: the more Rev. Wright was heard to damn the US, evoke Hiroshima, and dub America a terrorist nation, the more Obama was embraced by millions abroad in Africa and the Middle East as a kindred soul. In other words, denouncing Wright was accepted as genuine by most Americans, but to others as a sort of wink and a nod, pro forma distancing (as Wright himself noted) from a racist critic of the United States who otherwise strengthened Obama’s maverick credentials.
Some simple Sound bites
Energy: Anwr, off-shore drilling, shale, tar sands, liquid coal—none of these will make us energy independent. But they will give us the necessary bridge to new generation fuels, ensuring in the interim that we don’t go broke, enrich our enemies, or hurt the poor until we reach the nirvana of wind, solar, electric cars, biofuels, and nuclear power. What is so moral about refusing to pump oil carefully on our soil, but demanding that the reckless Russians or Saudis drill ever more? And can we rightly suspect that the Left, by its inaction in Congress on energy production and radical environmentalism, welcomes the gas shortage? Note their glee at less burning of fossil fuels, more state centralized control with unionized mass transit, and, as Obama noted, an end to our crass SUV culture. Now if only Nascar would shut down and Winnebago plants close…
Iraq: Al-Qaeda, not us, chose Iraq as the main theater of battle in the war between radical Islam and the West. They went there, lost, disgraced their cause, turned off Muslims and in the process strengthened our hand in Afghanistan and weakened their ability to carry out operations at home against us. We learned how to fight on their home turf and win hearts and minds, they learned how to lose their fight at home—and the population in the bargain. By going into Iraq, Al Qaeda, not us, took its eye off the ball in Europe, the US, and Afghanistan.
Immigration: Close the border. All the other acrimonies can be then worked out, once hundreds of thousands cease coming illegally across the border.
The War on Terror: it’s hard to cite freedoms lost by everyday Americans due to government action; it’s easy to cite liberties lost by our collective fear and political correctness—whether it is a matter in the West of producing a novel, cartoon, opera, film, or papal commentary.
The Mortgage Crisis: 96% of monthly mortgages are met. Speculators and investors got hurt when home prices fell to their 2002-3 levels; first-time, entry-level buyers are being given a windfall.
Taxes and Spending: Tax cuts raised more revenue; but excess federal spending squandered the additional income. The solution, then, is to keep tax cuts, cut federal spending, and use the ensuing surplus to pay down the debt.
Here is the argument I wish the Republicans would make about energy. Do you honestly believe energy consumption in the US will or has gone down? If not why not tap our resources and investigate nuclear power (we’ve not built a reactor for power since 1977, and France, the paragon of healthcare virtue, derives 80% of its power from nuclear reactors). If you really care about the environment, then why not champion energy development here, where you have an input on the matter. For if it is inevitable that we are to require more and more energy, who do you trust as a better steward of the environment, the US or Nigeria, the US or Russia, the US or Saudi Arabia, the US or Venezuela?
Additionally, why is that fuel efficient vehicles built in the US cannot be sold in the US. Chrysler/Jeep builds numerous diesel vehicles in the US for sale in Europe. They are not sold here. The Jeep Patriot Diesel has a combined fuel economy of over 35 MPG. The VW Polo TDI Bluemotion Diesel has a documented highway fuel economy of over 70 MPG (eat that, Prius). But, due to environmental and safety regulations, you will see none in a US showroom. If they are clean and safe enough for Europe, aren’t they clean and safe enough for us?
Taxes. If you look at the historical tax revenue as a percentage of the country’s GDP, you will see it hardly waivers, despite drastic changes in tax rates. What does this mean? When you raise taxes, income is not generated or is sheltered. When you lower taxes, income is created and not sheltered. The simple deduction? Raising taxes is not going to increase federal revenues. It will only punish economic achievement.
Professor, I greatly appreciate your writings. I am reading through “Culture and Carnage” at the moment and have learned a great deal from it.
Iraq: the elder von Moltke opined that “A clever military leader will succeed in many cases in choosing defensive positions of such an offensive nature from the strategic point of view that the enemy is compelled to attack us in them.”
That is what Bush has accomplished in Iraq. When the irrelevancies of current politics have passed away, that is what historians and analysts will remember him for. He became the first leader of a nation-state in modern history to maneuver a guerrilla force into fighting a pitched battle for territory — and thus rendering itself vulnerable to defeat.
It doesn’t even matter how advertently this was done. It is the crystalline lesson from the Iraq conflict in the GWOT. We can all learn from it. It IS possible to make stateless, “position-less” terrorists defend territory; to make them “defeatable.”
Formulating this achievement as “Al Qaeda choosing where to fight us” tends to obscure the role of our — Bush’s — strategic choice in bringing that about. We learn less from the whole situation by looking at it that way.
Prediction – Jim Webb will get the tobacco lobbyists in his state to give Obama a lifetime of smokes, thus insuring a veep spot on the ticket.
I honestly don’t see Obama choosing Webb because he would set the repubs up with an easy left hook (a woman veep), while Webb spends his time apologizing for – saying in 79 that the only women in the military were there for sexual reasons, or having his bodyguard show up in the senate building with a loaded pistol (that’s the way they do it in appalachia). I liked Webb’s book “Born Fighting” but it seems to me that he has the potential to be more of a maverick in the dem party than McCain ever was in the republican party.
VDH:
As usual, good post. We need more Spike Lees between now and the election. A preview of what we’ll get with that “Conversation on Race” Obama promised us if he’s elected. Jim Webb may have a thing or two to add to that conversation, but I don’t think the Dems will want their VP expounding on the importance of his Scotch-Irish ancestors. They don’t want anyone to rain on the black candidate’s parade to the White House. Maybe Spike Lee is bucking for VP?
It never ceases to amaze just how quickly the ideals of equality are thrown overboard for political expediency. Whereas we once thought in terms of “Justice for all”, we are now encouraged to think of “Social Justice”, a far more flexible term.
A reliably amusing parlor game is to think of the logical extremes of all the racial-balancing demands – if all of society is supposed to have a particular breakdown according to race which reflects population, then we must accept affirmative action to place short whites on basketball teams, more blacks, whites, and Asians on Telemundo, more blacks – but not too many – in historical dramas about Europe, and every other absurd configuration that can be dreamt up.
Obama’s supporters will waste no time denouncing the U.S.A. for its “Racism” if he loses; never mind Obama’s legislative history, views on war and terrorism, and plans for new and higher taxes – if we don’t get with the program, well, then, it’s clearly a racial matter – no ifs, ands, or buts.
Spike Lee, Jeremiah Wright…and to an extent, even Sen. Obama…engaging in the Dance of the Seven Veils. At the entrance to each new gateway, there is another veil dropped revealing a new racialist message…I imagine when we reach the last gate, we shall be faced with naked racism, in its purest form…posing as ‘deserved retribution’.
One must be willing to live in suspended disbelief to absorb the fairy tale of racism causing the absence of blacks at the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima (or I suppose in a story about the British monarchy) and equally in a fable about the invention of AIDS as a weapon of black genocide.
Sen. Obama has this neat trick whereby he hurls away his associations with a mighty heave for all to see only to watch the object of his Herculean efforts returning to him…Goolsby, Brzezinski, Wright, Pfleger, Ayers…as if some gravitational inertia forces them back into his orbit. Human Obamarangs, I suppose.
The gravitational pull of extremists from the black separatist/leftist counterculture is a fascinating bit to observe. One can’t help but wonder about the result of all these destructive forces hitting the mainland at once, though. .
What we learned from the OJ trial, is that viewing the world from an entirely different prism can be magnified… directly along black/white racial lines. Jumping with glee and clapping at an overt attack on “white” society, is acceptable..if it is couched in the right terms, packaged in the proper framework, delivered in the familiar style. (even badly, humiliatingly so…as evidenced by the horrifying spectacle put on by Michael Pfleger).
But here’s the point of it…this is the same trick, with a mirrored effect. On the one side we have the “gilding the lily”…where the newly canonized saint remains pure and above the fray, casting off the demons of divisiveness with a mighty hurl. It’s quite a show. And all around can kneel and bow before him, the great “unifier”.
But the Obamarang was always intended to return. Because the reverse side of gilding the lily, is “guilting the lily whites”. This is a game, in which higher and higher points are scored…for trying to make the most ridiculous charge of racism stick to people with white skin. If it sticks, the saint remains silent. If it meets significant pushback, the saint hurls the Obamarang yet again….saying “See the distance I put between myself and that comment?” (and possibly, not always…the person who uttered it)
The white man created AIDS to kill blacks. (hurl the Obamarang)
Clint Eastwood didn’t put blacks in a picture about 1950′s professional hockey. (silence)
“Judaism is a gutter religion”. (hurl the Obamarang)
“Nafta is bad (just kidding Canadians)” (hurl the Obamarang)
Pushback has to reach critical mass in order to get a throw hurled, but…eventually…it comes round back to the hurler.
Essential vdh
Your writing and thoughts over the last few months have become more specific and focused on issues and resolution of those issues in a more no holds barred direct way. Pleasing to some of us.
Also in identifying BHO for what he really is. A product of the race bating affirmative action PC movement based on studied and needed historical ignorance that hopefully has reached its high water mark and will now recede when it is now identified in all its “glory” each time BHO opens his mouth– My emphasis.
I love this blog.
‘The Gauntlet’ and ‘Outlaw Josie Wales’ are my 2 favorite Clint Eastwood movies.
‘I got this badge…I got this gun…and I got the love of Jesus in these sweet green eyes’, ‘We whooped ‘em didn’t we Josie?’, ‘Shockly…you’re a loser.’, ‘Endeavor to persevere.’, ‘…a gauntlet, if you will.’, ‘I got me Josie Wales.’
I just can’t believe McCain keeps talking about the pristine beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. I want to vote for him but it’s like he’s slapping me in the face.
‘Bronco Billy’ gets an honorable mention.
Obama is just plain scary.
Bush is punch drunk.
NASCAR forever. 20…24…88 Look it up.
I know people who should have lost their houses but they haven’t lost their houses.
I’m happy about Iraq.
:- )
Spike Lee’s commentary is nothing more than self-promotion. It’s abuse of civil rights rhetoric for the sake of getting attention for himself and his films. It’s working for him. The fact that he initiates a polemic with an icon in film whose stock is currently very high lends him increased stature. I liked Clint’s comments, but think he would be right to ignore the jerk. -Incidently, Eastwood’s ‘Bird’ was a movie that dealt with racism in a poignant and sympathetic manner that Lee could never match. Lee is an accomplished film-maker but he is wrong to attack Clint.
I also think you are right on target with your comments about domestic drilling. I can’t understand how anyone can justify outsourcing the extraction of oil to countries that have low environmental standards while maintaning that by refusing to handle it ourselves we are somehow better stewards of the planet. It makes no sense.
By the way, this morning I noticed a report that the supreme court has ruled that gitmo detainees will have access to the u.s. court system. I would like to know your thoughts on this and to ask this rhetorical question: -If Bin Laden were caught alive, what specifically would he be tried for in a criminal court, and how hard would it be to obtain a conviction in that venue?
When will McCain start campaigning? The Left is all over the web, on nearly every blog (many not related to politics).
An opportunity continues to be squandered. McCain, with his awful combover and zzzz’s-inducing grunting is a horrible contrast to a well-spoken Obama, who exchanges emails with Hollywood hotties.
Jesus, John, where is your web campaign? You’re NOT getting the message out!
To J.E. Dyer,
You are correct. IMHO, the Iraq campaign will be seen as a real turning point in counter-insurgency tactics. I would only add one thing. GWB knew exactly what he was doing. He repeatedly said that it was better to fight the enemy on their territory than on ours. Tying up Al-Qaeda in Iraq was exactly his strategy.
DD — I agree, actually, about Bush have prior intention, although I don’t recall Bush couching the strategy in von Moltke’s terms. Tying Al Qaeda up overseas is one thing — forcing guerrillas into pitched battle for territory is another. The former may be an attrition strategy, but the latter creates the opportunity for identifiable, decisive defeat.
It’s the latter — channeling guerrillas into defending territory where they can be annihilated — that we need to take away from this. Territory matters (and I say that as a career Naval officer). You hold territory, you hold people: you offer them hope and give them a chance. You change their hearts and minds.
It takes political aggression to induce a guerrilla force to attack you in key territory, and try to wrest it from you. You have to go on offense and choose the territory yourself, instead of trying to meet the guerrilla force symmetrically, in its territory and on its terms. Bush did that, and finally found Petraeus to execute the policy effectively at the tactical level. We can learn as much from the Bush strategy as from the Petraeus tactics.
Great article as usual. But I wouldn’t say that everyone in Africa is thrilled by Obama or his pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright. If anything most are mystified that Clinton didn’t win.
There are not a lot of positive associations with Luo leaders. Raila Odinga, Joseph Kony, Milton Obote, Idi Amin just to name a few. And there is a long tortured history of Muslims in Africa. It’s Black Americans who mostly engage in the “blame whitey” victim mentality as exemplified by Jeremiah Wright and his fake Christian church.
Is McCain being sabotaged by his own campaign managers? A political pogrom may be in order to eliminate whoever ran PR for his speech on June 3rd. Like George Will said, it’s pure torture watching him read a tele-prompter, especially on a night when his speech was guaranteed to be compared to Obama’s. And as Nick B points out, where’s the web campaign? I don’t judge a candidate based on how slick his web site is, but this is self-defeating. McCain should know it’s not just the Millennial Generation that uses the web to get information about this election. It’s all of us, and he needs to get with it.
That said, McCain can probably write off the Millennial vote. They’re never going to vote for anyone above age sixty, unless that person fits into some sort of Identity category. Americans have been fixated on youthhood for decades, but to truly understand the political viewpoint of the modern twentysomething year old crowd that worships Obama, you have to look at what they grew up reading (at home or in school). The most popular books for kids/teenagers the past 10-20 years are all about make-believe worlds. Harry Potter, Ender’s Game, et alia — fantasies where a teenage “genius” or wizard saves us from darkness or evil. I don’t recall ever reading a novel as a kid where young people ruled anything more than their stretch of the Mississippi River. Once you’ve discussed one of these modern kid books with your kids, you realize they do not consider it inconceivable that a youngster with suitable “powers” (oratory?) or intelligence could rule the world. Age and experience are irrelevant, when new paradigms are the norm. And I doubt their college educations disabused them of these notions.
TLM…
I tried to get something going in St. Louis and the guy with all the lists who first called me…never called me back. I’ve got time. I wanted to help. I bought precinct maps with my own money. I’m a telemarketer. I’m cool. Somebody dropped the ball.
It seems to me that organization itself isn’t a priority. I saw a ‘I don’t like war’ McCain ad on Oprah today. Somebody was watching TV at work. We would hope that he thinks he’s got right wingers already and is targeting the left.
We would hope there’s a method to this madness. Waiting to pounce. Keeping their powder dry. Letting the enemy get in range.
We would hope.
Ron Kean:
That ad’s OK for Oprah. Needs to run another one saying “I don’t like losing a war.”
You should contact McCain’s national campaign staff. If they turn someone with your background down at least we’ll know there’s a conspiracy at the highest levels. McCain should hire some of Hillary’s people. They may have more of a vested interest in him winning.
By the way, any of our Northern neighbors out there want to comment on the Steyn trial? Your Human Rights Tribunals can’t bust you for what you say on this site.
Posted from the “Live Free or Die” state.
The fact either of these guys has a shot to be President says alot not only about our electorate, but that the quality of our candidates. The Presidency has gone the way of professional boxing. The big names are garbage and less people care. This country needs leaders, but the smart ones would rather run a business then a country. I just want to be a capitalist, pay as little tax as possible, and know that my leaders will make us safe and not be afraid to fight a war. Why would anyone want to live in a socialist society where they have no incentive to be or do anything and have their government be afraid of threats that generations ago we would crush without thought.
The next twenty years will show that George Bush knew what he was doing when it came to fighting terrorists. He catches a lot of crap now, but time will prove him right.
Even Spike knows the accusations are bullsh** to sell his doomed picture. Look at the video, he is bored beyond words. He used to hurl his nonsense like he really believed it. But now, middle-age seems to have finished him. In many ways, Lee seems older than Eastwood.
I saw him speak at a local college a few years ago. His speech and speaking style was detached, unfocused and slurry. Then he took questions from the audience, who were almost exclusively white people. The white kids were ridiculous, the old white lefties were absurd and every single question was “get whitey.” Lee must have really needed that appearance fee, he almost fell asleep on-stage.
I almost felt sorry for him…
Sen. Webb, the great author, was quizing a general the other day and asked him about weapon “cachets.”
The general didn’t correct him, but did say it correctly: caches.
Webb is a clown.
He’s the same guy who got caught with a gun in his briefcase.
How do such people get elected?