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The Almighty
Yes, I understand the whole welfare queen thing. But explain how the comment that 49% of the population doesn't pay taxes is 'code' for something.
Melissa Harris Perry Says Stating 47% of American's Don't Pay Income Tax is Racist
- Thread starter cawacko
- Start date
Yes, I understand the whole welfare queen thing. But explain how the comment that 49% of the population doesn't pay taxes is 'code' for something.
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Darla
Because she's speaking with a racial consciousness in a historical context. Historically, in this country, demonization of the takers, or society's leeches, (as compared to the producers), has always been racial. Another example being Affirmative Action. The single biggest beneficiaries of AA have always been white women. How did they demonize AA? By putting your sister's picture on it? No, by putting a black face on it. All of this is in our collective consciousness as a nation. Reflexively, many whites put the black face on these kind of narratives out of habit.
That is some of what she's saying. Frankly, the woman is a genius with advanced degrees and while I understand a lot of what she is referencing, I'm sure I'm not qualified either to give all the nuances.
Anyone can disagree with her, but to call her stupid? To dismiss her as an idiot speaking "victim"? That's absurd and obscene. The woman is a genius and an expert on racial history.
icedancer2theend
Verified User
You mean 47% of the country isn't black? </sarcasm> Injecting race into the argument is old and tired and proof that the democrats are weak going into the 2012 election.
Race doesn't need to be injected into politics. It's already there. You have to be special sort of oblivious white person to believe otherwise.
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The Almighty
As I stated, calling this racism is absurd. I did not say she is absurd on the whole. Speaking about the tax code and the fact that almost half pay no federal income tax is not racist. Not in the least. I don't disagree with most of what you wrote above, but this is taking that to an absurd extreme.
icedancer2theend
Verified User
No you only need to be a desperate democrat going into this election cycle.
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Darla
Well, since you accept most of what I wrote, then what we have is a case of a white, right-of-center male, and a black, left-of-center woman, starting with a similar set of facts, and reaching two different conclusions. Not surprising at all. You have two very different perspectives.
I have disagreed with some of what she says, but not about this. I have had problems with her opinions of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic primary. I have struggled to truly see it from her perspective. I am not always successful.
Perspective always differs. All I'm saying is if you can understand her initial premise, then disagreement isn't dehumanizing. You're not dismissing her as a black idiot with a victim complex. That's really all that matters. Of course we're all going to reach different conclusions.
cawacko
Well-known member
Now is the racist part because Bachmann singled out that more of the 47% who don't pay federal income taxes should?
Because for example, if I am not mistaken, the budget the Progressive Caucus proposed would eliminate all the Bush tax cuts and put all tax rates back to 2000 levels. That included the lowest bracket which took a number of people off the tax rolls. So they would have been raising taxes on the poor (along with everyone else obviously).
The attempt to make inconvenient facts into "politically incorrect code" is an obvious effort to stop people from speaking about them, there is nothing racist in 47%. It's inconvenient to the "fair share" argument, I understand that, but it isn't "racist" that is just stupid. She's not "talking" to me, because I refuse to reject factual information because somebody wants it to mean something it doesn't.
Trying to force meaning into something doesn't make it "deep", this isn't a "different perspective" thing. She takes somebody stating facts and says they are racist to do so. That's absolute rubbish. When you make it "evil" to list factual information the only information left to use is what?
I didn't call her stupid. I called what she said stupid. It is stupid to dismiss facts for any reason, but especially when you twist it into a racist "attack" so that nobody would be willing to discuss the facts.
She literally says we cannot speak of actual facts. That is nonsense, it's babble. Really smart people can say incredibly foolish things, and do so regularly. You speak of her perspective. What perspective is it that makes simple factual information, given as simple factual information, into racial epithets?
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Darla
They'd have to actually pay first in order to pay a higher effective rate than "most millionaires"...
It's like you can't comprehend what is stated here. She isn't arguing that 47% of the nation pay taxes and they are incorrect factually, she's saying that pointing it out means you are racist. Basically assuming that it is "code" for something... "Those" people don't pay taxes. Apparently 47% is an ethnicity of which I was unaware.
That's just stupid. I have no idea what ethnicity she may be part of, but I do know that saying stupid sh*t is one of her subsets and that you are trying real hard to fit in there too.
"I didn't call her stupid"
Oh, okay. I'm so literal when someone says "she's just stupid" i take it to mean, she's just stupid.
Minister of Truth
Practically Perfect
My dad physically saw his place of occupation during the 80's hire white women as a way of meeting AA quotas, realized the level of racism inherent in the hiring decisions, and turned sour to AA. There's someone who didn't need a black face on AA who saw the system as failing from being there and experiencing it.
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The Almighty
just an fyi... this same 'race expert' declared white liberals to be racist as well for not supporting Obama for if Obama was white they would be sticking with him. So essentially to her, if you are white and speak, you are a racist. (yes, this is an exaggeration... just making a point)
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
They pay it in different taxes than the millionaires pay. If you look at the general picture, the upper class have the lowest rates out of anyone.
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Darla
She is radically supportive of Obama and views Hillary supporters in a way I am not comfortable with. That doesn't negate what she said about this new narrative that almost half the country are freeloaders, which is factually untrue, and definitely loaded down with past "blackie wants what's yours" right wing narratives.
I said "that is stupid" not "she is stupid" please be actually literal if you are going to pretend to be literal.
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The Almighty
Right... sure... gotcha... can't mention a FACT, because someone has decided it is racist. It is blatant nonsense to equate discussing half of the US population's contribution to federal income taxes as racist when the topic of discussion it forcing the rich to 'pay their fair share'.