April 16, 2009

Teabaggers misuse Indian imagery

Taking their orders from talk radio, a flock of sheep-like conservatives protested on Tax Day. Dressing up as phony "patriots" and "Indians," they dumped tea to complain about their loss of white privilege government spending and bailouts.

Here's how stupid these protests were:

1) Obama isn't raising taxes except on those who earn more than $250,000. Almost everyone at the protests will get a tax cut, not a tax increase. Stupid #1.

2) The only reason Obama is bailing out the banking industry is because every responsible economist and politician has said it's necessary. It's similar to the bailout of the savings and loan industry under Reagan, which none of these hypocrites protested. Stupid #2.

3) George W. Bush created the soaring national debt, the recession, and the banking crisis with his ignorant economic policies, but none of the protesters noted this. We've rarely been a better example of conservative hypocrisy. If a Republican spends the government into debt, he's the second coming of Christ. If a Democrat does it, he's Hitler incarnate. Stupid #3.



4) Obama continues to enjoy a popularity rating of 60-70%. But Fox News, the PR arm of the Republican Party, gave the impression that most Americans are angry at Obama. Implying that the protesters were more than a tiny minority was a flat-out lie. Stupid #4.

5) "Teabagging" is a kinky sexual practice, so the protesters made themselves into a national laughing stock by calling themselves "teabaggers." Stupid #5.

Since this protest was stupid and hypocritical--again, most people are getting tax cuts and there was no word about Bush's responsibility--you have to wonder what was really behind it.

For starters, conservatives were clearly crying because grumpy old McCain lost the 2008 election to "that one"--i.e., the better man. That much is obvious.

The real question is how much of the protest was based on their fear and hatred of a black man in the White House. A lot, I'd say. If there was a sincere bone in the protesters' bodies, they'd blame the eight-year GOP hegemony, Wall Street, and the banking industry for causing the problems. And not Obama for trying to fix them.

The Indian aspect

A few protesters dressed up as Indians, presumably to emulate the faux Indians at the original Boston Tea Party. They looked even stupider than the other protesters.



If you can't read the text, the slogans say:

"On Warpath Against More Taxes!"
"Paleface Taxes Too High"
"Let Little Brave Keep Wampum"

These protesters are dressed in leathers and feathers like stereotypical Indians. Their slogans are blatant stereotypes. They're stupid in almost every way you can imagine.

Ironically, Indians voted for Obama by something like 9-1. That's because most Indians are Democrats and Democratic values = Indian values. And that's because it's the economy, stupid. Unlike unthinking white people, Indians can look at the economic record and see that Democrats are better money managers.

So it's a double insult to pretend that Indians might oppose Obama in numbers. In general, Indians are more intelligent than that. They know which party cares about people and which cares about profits.

Little chief with big savings

Just as bad is this young dupe protester. One, you don't wear a chief's headdress unless you're an Indian who has earned the privilege from your tribe. Two, there weren't any Plains Indians at the Boston Tea Party. New Englanders didn't know Plains Indians existed at the time.



And three--again--Obama isn't "robbing" any kid unless he earned more than $250,000 last year and kept the money in his piggy bank. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Dressing up as Indians is equivalent to emulating African Americans in blackface. These people don't know or care that they're insulting Indians. They're acting out their racist mindsets.

In short, they're typical conservatives--bitching and moaning about losing the white power they've worked centuries to gain. "Look out! The blacks and Indians and gays and immigrants are coming! Circle the wagons...they're threatening our manhood on the warpath!"

Wrapping it up

Here's a clue, you addle-brained conservatives. If you don't like the way we're running the country, elect your own candidate president. Oh, wait...you had a chance to do that just five months ago. Americans roundly rejected your approach to governance--preemptive wars, faith-based science, giveaways to the rich, etc. They voted for intelligence and humility over stupidity and arrogance.

If you can't wait until 2012, feel free to get the hell out of the country. The US has lower taxes than almost every other industrialized nation, but maybe you can find a lower-tax country somewhere. Heck, maybe you can start your own tax-free country on a desert island or Antarctica or somewhere. But quit whining like whipped curs, you spoiled rotten losers. The majority has spoken and they want Obama to clean up the mess Bush made by pooping in America's pants.

For more on the subject, see The Political Uses of Stereotyping.

Below:  "We're racists and we don't care who knows it!"

18 comments:

dmarks said...

I am glad you crossed out "their loss of white privilege", because there was absolutely no racial aspect about it. Except for this bonehead costume Indians you depicted.

Hal Brown said...

Where teabagging and Indians intersect - I wrote about teabagging in my Capitol Hill Blue column, "CHB's resident sexologist on GOP teabagging and the media" (and am putting a link to your column there).

It also happens I publish a local website about the planned Middleboro Massachusetts' Mashpee Wampanoag casino. I think you and your readers will find it interest: Casino-friend.com, especially the latest "edition".

Anonymous said...

I wrote about, and linked to, your post on my blog.

I saw a brief shot of some of the protesters and thought I saw some dressed as Indians - but I couldn't be certain. I am now.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

People aren't protesting President Obama's tax cuts. They are protesting what he's doing with the money.

Talk about sheep--you are taking your comments straight from the left wing media.

However, I do agree with the Indian imagery. It's about as asinine as it gets

Native Power said...

You ad hominem appeal is entirely typical of American politics. I appreciate you making the point of the misuse of imagery, although, I do not fully agree with your tactics or post. I have made my statements at my blog: American Indian Policy
www.ndnpolicy.blogspot.com

And I have begun to follow your blog here. Thanks for the attention to Indian issues.

Anonymous said...

The appropriation and misuse of indian dress is disgusting. The tea parties are to protest both the tax cuts and stimulus policies. (The 'tea party' aspect would be completely bizarre if they were not protesting the tax cuts. Now it's only partially bizarre since the original tea party was protesting taxation without representation) I think the conservatives are just trying desperately to couple their anti-tax policy with anger about how the stimulus funds are spent. They really have nothing to do with eachother. I wish we did see more (non-manufactured like these tea parties) protests about how too much of this gov't money is going to line the rich folks pockets. And I sure as hell wish that non-native people at the real protest wouldn't think it's O.K. to dress like Indians.

dmarks said...

Anon: There was nothing manufactured about the tea parties. It was quite "grass roots". As for "line the rich folks pockets" The one I visited had several signs protesting the bailouts.

Several of what Ron says are mere partisan rancor, but where he is the most off-base is injecting a racial aspect (beyond the costume Indians) by saying "The real question is how much of the protest was based on their fear and hatred of a black man in the White House. A lot, I'd say." Everyone knows that the same folks would protest these actions had they been coming from a President Edwards, Hillary Clinton, or John Kerry. It wasn't about race.

I also wonder about the "Teabagging" name. So far, I have seen this name used exclusively by left-wing blogs as a pejorative term, perhaps one they made up. None of the right-wing blogs and sites I have visited that have concerned the tax protest have used the term "Teabagger". So perhaps "stupid #5" is a stupid insult created by the Left.

As for stupid #1, when a Senator, Obama pushed for a "soak the rich" tax hike. It was pointed out the fact that those who would get a tax hike under it would start at $40,000 yearly income. There is good reason to distrust his tax hike promises, based on this, and his major willingness to break promises so far in his administration. Besides, with the weak economy, even the $250,000+ is risky. Especially since it was crafted with the idea of punishing people rather than fixing the nation's financial woes.

Stupid #3? It turns out that Obama is soaring the national debt at a faster rate than Bush was. Also, Bush is out of office. He can't effect policy. The national debt is now Obama's horse, and instead of reigning it in, he is digging in the spurs.

"A lot, I'd say. If there was a sincere bone in the protesters' bodies, they'd blame the eight-year GOP hegemony, Wall Street, and the banking industry for causing the problems. And not Obama for trying to fix them."

Obama was part of the problem that was one of the major roots of this: Fannie-Mae and its bad loans. The GOP hegemony was weak: they tried to reform the Fannie Mae mess, but the Democrats stopped them. Obama has also willingly approved no-strings-attached bailouts to financial institutions, so he has still been part of the problem.

On to #4, Fox News is moderate comapred to CNN. But those who want all of the major news organiations to be left-wing just can't stand it, and even occasionally push to get Fox News censored. As for "Implying that the protesters were more than a tiny minority was a flat-out lie. Stupid #4.", I remember the anti-war protests. They were of similar size. Yet, the left hypocritically called these a grassroots groundswell. I wonder if you gave CNN/etc derision for announcing those anti-war protests. Probably not.

But I do agree with the ire you heap on the costume Indians, Rob. They are beneath comtempt.

I should add that I saw an Indian at the protest I went to. She was an ethusiastic participant, and she was a real Native, not a costumed clown. I wish I had thought to take a picture of her. The protest I saw was civil, civically informed, and the only dubious sign I saw was the one that equated Obama with Hitler.

Peter said...

Interesting observations and justified indignance. I wonder what your thoughts are on the subject of reappropriation by native Americans of imagery and elements taken by other cultures?

Stephen said...

Race doesn't seem to have anything to do with this; you seem to be looking for something to get offended over. And I somehow doubt that everyone in that crowd's conservative, try going a day without that mind numbing dualism (personally I hate conservativism and liberalism). And the term white priviledge is idiotic because:

A. It implies all Caucasians are rolling in priviledges which simply isn't the case.

B. It implies all whites to have a history of priviledge, I wouldn't call the history of Jews or Armenians priviledged.

C. White homosexuals don't exactly have an easy time.

D. The cliche was invented by the weathermen; I think it's a good idea to avoid using words that weren't thought up by terrorists.

Also then there's this gem:

"The real question is how much of the protest was based on their fear and hatred of a black man in the White House. A lot, I'd say."

Do you have any evidence apart from a hunch that anti-Black racism is a key factor in those protests? If not then shut yer trap. (However I do find the Indian get ups to be racist.) Labelling them 'racist' is a tad childish.

dmarks said...

Good points, Stephen. Especially the last paragraph. Nearly half of the US voted against Obama. This is pretty much the same group that also voted against Al Gore and John Kerry. If they voted against Obame because he was black, then it must logically follow that they earlier vote against Kerry and Gore because they were white.

President Obama won less for the hard-left reasons named by Rob (even though they were a factor) and more for the fact that a tired old man with a bumbling campaign organization was running against him.

dmarks said...

Also, Rob said: "The majority has spoken and they want Obama to clean up the mess Bush made by pooping in America's pants."

MSNBC (a network generally on Obama's side) projects that Obama's budgets will product am amount pushing $10 trillion. This is close to double what George W. Bush added. To use Rob's analogy, they are going to have to change the diapers twice as fast under the new administration.

And wouldn't you know, the tax protesters, who frequently mentioned the debt, are the ones speaking out against this.

(I've seen other estimates for the cumulative total for the national debt amount that Obama is already accumulating entirely on his own at a faster rate than Bush did. Some of these are as low as the amount of Bush debt. And that is the low limit. So Obama cleans up Bush's mess by making it at least twice as bad?).

Yellow Hammer said...

I agree with most of your comments, however I hope you don't believe that Indians actually did the Boston Tea Party,(Mountian Medows etc.) these were white men dressed up as Indians, another false flag operations. 70% of the Indian massacres were the result of flase flag operations. "Iron Eyes Cody is a perfect example of false flag actors and we know who owns and controls hollywood!

Stephen said...

"In short, they're typical conservatives--bitching about losing the white power they've worked centuries to establish."

Apart from the weak and baseless accusation of racism (which is just as silly as saying that you're sexist for being against Palin) it's a tad sexist to use words like 'bitching' it's the equivalent of the word 'niggardly'. Also you're fooling yourself if you think only conservatives are guilty of racism; leftists have made racist comments (and at least one racist cartoon) about Cuban-Americans for example.

"They voted for intelligence and humility over stupidity and arrogance."

How about we wait and see before hailing obama (who's just as arrogant as Bush) as a hero? Yes his election has been a good pr job for us, but I'm not convinced that he's messiah his sheep like following makes him out to be.

Stephen said...

"Below: "We're racists and we don't care who knows it!"

Also that hitler sign isn't racist; it's an example of godwin's law but it ain't racist. Personally I think it's funny even if it's a trite comparison. And thanks for the compliment dmarks.

"Good points, Stephen. Especially the last paragraph. Nearly half of the US voted against Obama. This is pretty much the same group that also voted against Al Gore and John Kerry. If they voted against Obame because he was black, then it must logically follow that they earlier vote against Kerry and Gore because they were white."

Exactly there were plenty of reasons not to vote for Obama (although I didn't vote for anyone I couldn't find a candidate that I didn't despise).

dmarks said...

Stephen: "which is just as silly as saying that you're sexist for being against Palin"

I've seen many sexist comments about Palin. Many about her being a mother (would they bash any father?), and many about her looks and clothes. Almost all of these from the Left. For the most part, it seemed quite sexist.

"Also you're fooling yourself if you think only conservatives are guilty of racism"

Very true. Affirmative action, where it involves hiring quotas/goals/preferences, is explicitly racist (just like segregation and any other policy that identifies people by skin color and shoves them around based on it), and is more of a liberal program than a conservative one.

In regards to your comment on Rob's ""They voted for intelligence and humility over stupidity and arrogance."

McCain's IQ might be higher than Obama's, and I can't see how anyone could have seen him as being more arrogant than Barack Obama. Maybe their arrogance is similar, but McCain is certainly not worse.

"Also that hitler sign isn't racist; it's an example of godwin's law but it ain't racist"

A perfect point, and the use of the Obama = Hitler image is no more racist (0%) than the common use of Bush = Hitler images by anti-Bush factions during the previous administration.

Also, I have personally run into people of different political stripes who voted for Obama because he was African-American. I have yet to meet any who voted against him because he is African-American, online or in the real world (except for Writerfella, who probably counts in this). That's my personal experience.

---------------
Yellow: I see your point, but I don't think that Iron-Eyes Cody's "crimes" belong in the same breath as the murderers you mentioned.

Stephen said...

"Also, I have personally run into people of different political stripes who voted for Obama because he was African-American. I have yet to meet any who voted against him because he is African-American, online or in the real world (except for Writerfella, who probably counts in this). That's my personal experience."

Excellent point (and I have a hunch that writerfella's just a troll who only pretends to be that way.)

dmarks said...

I'm not sure I would have counted Writerfella as a troll. But he seemed convinced that Barack Obama had it in for Indians, on the basis of Barack Obama being a black man.

The Local Crank said...

I'm frankly more bothered by the children. What kind of parent dresses up their kids like that and has them display signs with faux-pidgin "Injun talk"? Can anyone be that clueless?