Obama Piece in Washington Times

November 18, 2009



Since when did the Washington Times start to sound like something you would read from David Duke or Stormfront? This piece blasts Obama for his bowing behavior during his trip around Asia, criticizing him for practicing a common cultural show of respect, but also manages to throw in some offensive sentiments as well.

Wesley Pruden writes:

But Mr. Obama, unlike his predecessors, likely knows no better, and many of those around him, true children of the grungy '60s, are contemptuous of custom. Cutting America down to size is what attracts them to "hope" for "change." It's no fault of the president that he has no natural instinct or blood impulse for what the America of "the 57 states" is about. He was sired by a Kenyan father, born to a mother attracted to men of the Third World and reared by grandparents in Hawaii, a paradise far from the American mainstream.

He no doubt wants to "do the right thing" by his lights, but the lights that illumine the Obama path are not necessarily the lights that illuminate the way for most of the rest of us.

Pruden's comments are ridiculous to say the least, in how he denigrates Obama's mother, the non-white men of her life, as well as suggesting that Obama doesn't think like a real American.

The comments after that article also reveal quite a few bigoted opinions, in my opinion. I don't think they are too off the mark in revealing where this country actually still stands when it comes to race, cultural, or religious relations -- not to mention cultural ignorance or superiority-complex. I'm willing to bet that most of those prejudiced commenters have never been beyond this nation's borders.

If you've ever heard the term 'ugly American' and wonder why it exists, I'd point to this article and its comments. What is just as disturbing is how routinely comments like that can be found on other popular US sites, including YouTube.

Contributor: 

Alvin Lin

Blogger

Alvin Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan and hails from New England. He blogs about Asian American pop culture, film, music, literature and politics, as well as relevant news around the world. He also writes for Imprint Talk. Alvin has degrees from Cornell and MIT.

Comments

Comments

I lived in Japan for 4 years bowing is equivalent to Americans shaking their hands. It cowards like Cheney that dodge the Vietnam war, but calls other people weak when they show other countries respect