 |
|
Our next president? |
See this man? You should become familiar with him. Many pundits think that he has a pretty decent shot at becoming the next President of the United States. Even though McCain of Arizona seems to be more popular, Allen, currently a Republican senator from the state of Virginia, is more popular with the base of the Republican party and his ambitions are well known. The first thing he has to do however, is hold out against upstart Democrat James Webb who wants to strip Allen of his senate seat.
Today’s Washington Post has an interesting article (thanks for the tip Sanjivani) about Allen’s remarks to a young staffer that Webb had hired to shadow the Allen campaign:
Democrat James Webb’s Senate campaign accused Sen. George Allen (R) of making demeaning comments Friday to a 20-year-old Webb volunteer of Indian descent.
S.R. Sidarth, a senior at the University of Virginia, had been trailing Allen with a video camera to document his travels and speeches for the Webb campaign. During a campaign speech Friday in Breaks, Virginia, near the Kentucky border, Allen singled out Sidarth and called him a word that sounded like “Macaca.”
“This fellow here over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is. He’s with my opponent. He’s following us around everywhere. And it’s just great. We’re going to places all over Virginia, and he’s having it on film and its great to have you here and you show it to your opponent because he’s never been there and probably will never come.”
After telling the crowd that Webb was raising money in California with a “bunch of Hollywood movie moguls,” Allen again referenced Sidarth, who was born and raised in Fairfax County.
“Lets give a welcome to Macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia,” said Allen, who then began talking about the “war on terror…” [Link]
So seriously. What is a “Macaca?” This could hurt me if I ever make it to Jeopardy and I don’t know that answer.
Wadhams [Allen’s campaign manager] said Allen campaign staffers had begun calling Sidarth “mohawk” because of a haircut Wadhams said the Webb staffer has. “Macaca was just a variation of that,” Wadhams said. [Link]
Good to know. Will one of you readers please add that definition to the Urban Dictionary? The etymological debate raged on though:
Depending on how you spell it, the name Allen gave Sidarth means different things.If spelled M-a-c-a-c-a, the term refers to a species of monkeys in the Eastern Hemisphere. “Is he saying Sidarth is a monkey?” Todd [Webb’s spokesperson] asked.
The word M-a-k-a-k-a refers to a town in South Africa. [Link]
<
p>Watch the clip yourself:
I say that South Asian Americans should begin calling each other “Macaca.” Like, “What up Macaca?” Let’s take this word and make it our own, thereby taking power away from the current establishment. Then we can beat the crap of any non-South Asians that use it, especially if they look like they either work for the MAN or might actually be the MAN.
wonder what Bobby Jindal would say.
Bobby Jindal is a House Macaca!
Jumper, I’m with you on the California thing. But it’s especially rich to deride someone for associating with people in Hollywood when you went to Palos Verdes High.
George Allen is still probably gonna win in Virginia because all his constituents are his cousins 😉
No need to counter an insult with another insult. The guy’s getting rammed by a lot of longtime Virginians ( including Republican ones ) all over the blogosphere. Besides I have lived in both rural and urban VA. Lots and lots of good people!
Ahh, but you see, the difference is that I have grown up in the Netherlands and I still live there, and i can assure as an avid newspaper- and forum-reader I have never come across the usage of the word ‘makak’ in any other context than in a biological definition of monkeys.:) Perhaps someone used it once, somewhere, but you make it sound as thoug it is a word thrown around here regularly, which it is certainly not.
And I can assure you, the Belgians and Dutch are nothing alike 🙂
I know I don’t nitpick half as much as most folks in this site do, but I didn’t realise the impression I gave was that bad. 😉
What did Hillary and Biden say? (No one ever tells me anything.)
WTF? Oto Benga seems to have never left the American zoo. And now the macaca got a camera too. The worst thing that came out of colonialism is not neo-liberalism, it is this sort of racism. I hope he shits in his pants
Why doesn’t somebody just ask the Allen what he meant instead of all this speculation and reference to languages and idioms I am pretty sure he knows nothing about. Maybe he garbled something, or it was nonsense, or mis-heard. God knows, after 6 years of Bush-isms we should be used to absurdities emanating from politicians.
If you think Senator Allen needs to apology sign this petition
Jumper and Sapna,
Sorry, I was actually just being a bit sarcastic — there’s a funny irony when juxtaposing Allen’s “mohawk” explanation with his “welcome to America comment.” I guess I just ended up being obscure. (And Jumper, I certainly wasn’t disagreeing with anything you said, just picking up on your comment.)
Risible,
Allen has tried to explain what he meant. What do you make of that explanation?
Story is now on CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/15/allen.volunteer.ap/index.html
Fact remains that the definition of a slur is not whether or not you’ve heard it before, and it’s not whether or not it’s used all the time. A slur is a slur. It’s a bit like porn: you know it when you encounter it.
Wait a second, do I detect a note of defensiveness here? Do you object to the actual notion that there might be a vein of xenophobia in that famous Dutch tolerance? Ooh, are you going to send me to…the…comfy chair?
I’ve atually spent quite a bit of time in both countries and I know the differences well. But I also know the similarities, and they may be a bit more profound than you’re willing to admit. It’s not like you cross over from Antwerpen to Rotterdam and suddenly no one knows how to say “makak.”
(But I’ll grant you this: I’d much rather live in Rotterdam than in Antwerpen.)
Although, apparently, once certain people cross over from California to Virginia and decide to play for their base, they suddenly don’t know how to say “mohawk”. Much less recognize what one looks like.
.
besides the porn argument, it appears in the official list of ethnic slurs.
Dude, I know. That’s my whole basis for sinking Allen’s presidential aspirations. I might not have been the first to say, “Macaca sounds like macaque”, but I was surely the first to point out that this is an actual term used to denigrate browns: “Makak (Belgium & the Netherlands) a Moroccan; derived from macaque.”
Man, if I don’t get credited for this on CNN, I’m going to be pissed. I coulda been Bernstein, I coulda been Woodward…
Ah! So u were the 1st, with a time-stamped post to prove it. But does the first person ever get credit in history? It’s always the opportunists. Isn’t Siddhartha scheduled to be on Anderson Cooper tonight?
You just delivered us Romney vs. Gore.
Manju (whose right-winger comments often bewilder me – homegirl, here’s a rupee – or 50 – buy a clue) says: “You just delivered us Romney vs. Gore”
The evangelical posse will never vote for a Mormon like Romney – we’ll see how THAT matchup fares.
Regarding Mr. Siddarth – the kid does NOT have a mohawk, a mullet or anything even close. Where’s the issue??
This bit of bigoted spewing by old George Felix Allen is so bloody transparent, there’s not much to debate. I always crack up when I see the desi doctors, etc. who line up to host GOP events and donate heavily – clearly a wallet driven passion, with a little hindu “no sex and drugs, yaar” thrown in for good measure. Here’s what they REALLY think of you when the money stops flowing Uncle-ji.
“Conservative” principles are one thing, and many are very solid – but this current party dudn’t represent too many of them as I see it, they spend like drunken sailors and try to impose morality (hands off my wallet, but hands off my bedroom and phone calls too, ai-ight?).
I not sure. don’t really know any evangelicals but I’m always suspect about broad generaliztions–though they usually have some basis in reality. I guess i look at them w/ vague suspicion, the way Allen looks at Macaques. orren hatch is mormon and i didn’t see an uproar over him.
anyway, maybe we should gear up for lieberman vs. gore…now that mr k’s damage is done.
there’s a link on Sen. Allen’s website where you can email him. I wonder if he’ll (actually, his staff) actually read these if enough people write in tellng him what an ass— I mean, idiot he is for his choice of words.
You have to include your name and address when you email, though (going to look up a Mickey D’s in Va, as I am in California and not one of his unfortunate constituents)
Manju, OrrIn Hatch is a Senator, running for the Senate – in UTAH at that – not for president. And having known plenty of evangelicals, I seriously doubt they would vote for a Mormon.
As for Lieberman vs. Gore – PLEASE (insert your deity here) let that happen!!
I wasn’t able to see the video earlier since they blocked YouTube at work. Now that I’ve seen the video, it seems the “Welcome to Virginia, Welcome to America” was referring to Webb and not the kid (constrasting with Hollywood). Can’t say for sure? But still what in the hell? What kind of brain damage do you need to have to do that publicly while the camera is trained on you? The Mohawk excuse is utterly ridiculous. He just seems smarmy kind of like Clinton, like he thought he could just throw out macacaw because nobody in the audience would be familiar with it.
Apu says:
Orrin ran for president in 2000.
Apu_is_innocent
hatch ran for the repub nom for prez in 2000.
yes manju, and Hatch lost big time.
How utterly beyond disappointing. Vile, really. Unscripted moments tell you a thing or two, don’t they? r I’m with KXB: Unless it’s Guiliani or the like, I’ll be sitting out 2008. I’m not a McCain fan, nor a Hillary fan. God help us all…… Aup_is_innocent: my take on reading right of center blogs is that evangelicals like Romney better than the other potential candidates.
Saheli: Ye olde Instapundite is a fan of Webb’s writing and has got a lot of posts up about the ScotsIrish vibe if you search his site. Which, I assure you, won’t give you cooties or anything 🙂
MD – you mean i have to actually read right-wing blogs?? ;-)) I admit, I read them and generally get nauseous – it’s like gawking at the freeway accident.
Though “God” does not enter my equation on who can help us, I certainly hope Gore / Clark / Feingold (or some combo thereof) can get their collective shit together.
Reading SM sometimes (well, some of the commenters that is), I wonder out loud how so many of our brown peeps can be republican or at least wishy-washy moderates in the current climate. Someone please splain this to me…beyond wanting tax cuts, no sex, and/or dissing those “lazy blacks/etc.” who supposedly never endured the hardships their immigrant parents did (an iffy argument at best). Sorry, I am ranting, but I feel out of my brown skin sometimes.
Apu_is_innocent: the thing is, both parties are so huge that you can’t help having some really dum-dums in either one. So, you have to go with the general principles and the general principles on the right appeal to me more. Of course, it means I have to endure the dumbery of the right. When I was a democrat, I had to endure the dumbery of the left. it’s just part of the reality. Also, I encourage you to read both right and left blogs if you are into the political stuff. Me? I’m burned out on it all. I prefer the Sartorialist. Fashion blogs rule.
Anyway, the more I read about this incident, the angrier it makes me. Mr. Allen, for shame.
MD – no doubt there is “dumbery” to go around, but the current right’s dumbery is far more dangerous to me than that of the left. Please spell out the imminent danger of the left’s problems – leaving out the fringe wackos, of course. I think you are getting too frustrated and throwing in the towel too quickly. Also, as I said in an earlier post, many principles of conservatism are not at all observed by the current ruling party.
Look, I benefit greatly from all the tax cuts and giveaways of the right, but it ain’t just about me – I do believe in giveback to the least fortunate and for equality in matters like education and healthcare. Also, as a businessperson who caters to consumers, my customer’s long-term economic prospects matter. If the middle/working classes are doing well, I do well. There’s a big difference between capitalism and CRONY capitalism, and the current schema supports the latter. Fuck the DLC Democrats, but let’s not throw out the baby with the proverbial bathwater.
Apu_is_innocent: actually, I prefer the DLC democrats to the other stripes.
As for this group of congressional republicans? Disappointing and forgetful of principles. But they are policiticians and politicians first, so you can forget principle, there.
If tax cuts help stimulate an economy, then I see it as a giveback and not just about me. This, ideally, should be coupled with cuts in spending (not a Republican or Democratic strongpoint. Politicians. especially those who are incumbents, will aways want to buy votes, remember?). I believe in a strong, creative, proactive defense and have no problem with the level of military spending. I don’t believe the US or the West is the root or source of the most of the great problems of our time. Supporting the teachers unions first and foremost does not lead to equality in education. As a physician, I am pessimistic about the future of healthcare. The government will take over, spend even more money, spend it badly and be horribly inefficient about the delivery of health care. On paper it will look good; the reality will be something else. What you can charge is already dictated by the government and the charges are in no way related to the costs. It leads to some real weirdness and chances are some wonky wonk will think he/she can wonk us out of the fundamental problem set up by lack of relation between costs and charges, but you can’t wonky wonk.
Okay, enough for today 🙂
I find it doubly appalling that many in the Allen audience laughed at the slur. I wish that at least one person had booed.
Oh, MD – we can go on for a while on your postulates. As for tax cuts stimulating an economy, it depends on who is getting the tax cuts – find me evidence of “trickle down” working.
As for proactive defense, why don’t you look at the ROI – our current endeavors are not proving such a high one. And one should look at the West’s machinations in the past leading to the current crises in the middle east and elsewhere, otherwise you are burying your head in the sand, pun intended.
And I’d look at the VA and at some other 1st world countries regarding the success of universal healthcare. The charges by most private hospitals, which are then summarily slayed down to size by most insurance companies, should tell you about how much charges are really related to the costs.
But, you are right, enough for today. 😉
Apu_is_innocent: “Here’s what they REALLY think of you when the money stops flowing Uncle-ji”
Right on! The green does make them only temporarily color blind.
MD: “So, you have to go with the general principles and the general principles on the right appeal to me more” The problem with going with the general principles is that you are overlooking the very specific actions of the people you are voting for.
Ok, having too much fun with these. Check out my Macaca t-shirts and bumper stickers
http://www.cafepress.com/macacashop
More designs are on the way. To make it interesting, I’ll donate 30% of the profit to Democratic challenger Jim Webb.
HAHAHA – was just watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When asked by Stewart “Where IS Macaca?” Rob Corddry responds, “Next to Your Pee Pee”…hahahahah..
good one.
I lived in Belgium for two years and no one ever called me a macaca. But now that I think about it, every time I ordered ‘a Hoe-Garden, asheblief’ or said ‘Hoey-Dag’, the stifled ‘hahaha’ sound I heard may have actually been ‘macaca’…
Salon’s article on the macaca debacle: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/08/16/allen/
From the lapdog Indian American Republican Council, via DailyKos:
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Indian American Republican Council issued the following statement from its Chairman Dr. R. Vijay:
As a former candidate, I’d like to try to focus on what is what is needed. ACTION.
I ask you to do a few things in order of importance.
(1) Make a financial contribution to James Webb’s senate campaign right now. Never mind that Webb is a fantastic, distinguished candidate: war hero, best-selling novelist, former Secretary of the Navy, a former Republican who finally had enough. Because there are lots of great candidates. Webb is your best weapon for punishing Allen and sending a message right now to those like Allen that we “Macacas” are the “real America.” Whether it’s $25, $250, or $2,100 (the individual maximum), a lot of us doing what we can gives Webb the resources he needs to put a bully in his place. Webb needs resources. If you don’t take this simple step (every reader of this blog can afford SOMETHING–I just plunked down $200 and I’m broke after my own campaign), you are basically saying you don’t care if Allen wins. Seriously.
(2) Get your friends (South-Asian-Americans and non-South-Asian-Americans alike) and family to invest too–contact them by email and follow up by phone to make it work.
(3) Contact the mainstream media (ESPECIALLY Virginia newspapers, NY Times, Washington Post, your local paper, talk radio, CNN, the networks, local TV) and ask why they aren’t giving this issue at least as much coverage as Mel Gibson’s recent antisemitic remarks. Ask why they won’t report what the word “macaca” really means, as well as Allen’s French Tunisian heritage, which would acquaint Allen with the offensive term.
(4) Contact your senators and member of Congress and ask them to introduce a resolution rebuking Senator Allen and stripping him of any leadership post.
(5) Email the Indian American Republican Council and tell them you are disappointed with their decision to blindly support Allen despite his actions. Urge them to cancel their reportedly planned fundraiser for Allen in New York City (and if you live in the NYC-area, get a bunch of friends and go protest it).
(6) If you live in the D.C./Virginia area, find out from the Allen campaign his public schedule and go protest.
What would happen if Allen had made a similar demeaning comments toward a Jew? What would the Jewish community nationally’s response would be?
The reaction would be swift and decisive, fitting for a people who have been threatened throughout history. Republican and Democratic Jews alike would rally and anhiliate Allen politically. And in so doing, they would remind everyone of their political power. And then the worms would crawl back into their holes.
Let’s make sure the George Allens of the world and their patrons know that the macacas are coming and we’re here to stay.
Wow, what a zinger. I’m so intimidated now.
I know better than you or anyone else on this site that there certainly is a strain of xenophobia in the ‘famous Dutch tolerance’ (they certainly aren’t more tolerant than any other country). But, you’ve spoken like a true Indian American, and I’ve followed discussions on this site enough to know what sentiments dominate against the European countries. Everything from “the French are a bunch of racist scumbags”(this is a literal quote) to “all Danes are xenophobic and disgusting” (the gist of a certain post from someone who’d spent a few months in DK).
Anyway, you’ve spent quite a bit of time here? What, 3 months? grin
Incidentally, I’d hardly recommend Rotterdam if you want a taste of that ‘famous Dutch tolerance’. Oh wait, you probably didn’t know that, did you?
Meena:
aye, but there’s the rub… what makes Mr Kobayashi a “true Indian American,” in your view?
Chère Madame,
J’ai l’honneur de vous informer que le site Sepia Mutiny est officiellement d’orientation europhile, et francophile en particulier. Les discussions sur Internet étant ce qu’elles sont, il conviendra d’apprécier àleur juste, et minime, valeur les commentaires extrémistes ou ignorants qui s’affichent parfois de la part de lecteurs du site. Ceux-ci ne représentent en rien la disposition d’esprit, ni l’expérience vécue du groupe qui vous offre ce site.
Afin d’avancer vers une communication toujours plus ouverte et une communauté toujours plus active et informée, aussi dispersée soit-elle, nous avons depuis longtemps appris àne pas nous laisser déranger, encore moins distraire, par les élucubrations nocives de certains, et nous vous invitons vivement àfaire de même.
Vous remerciant de votre fidélité au site et de votre participation aux débats, je vous prie de croire, chère Madame, àl’expression de mes sentiments desis, macaques, et dévoués.
Meena, I’m afraid you’re much too humorless for me. I’m stopping my end of this dialogue right now. Perhaps we’d communicate better if you could see the wicked glint in my eye. The internet, sadly, does not permit that.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
I was born in DC and raised in Fairfax County. Er.. the part of Fairfax county that is majority minority (Baileys Crossroads), if you know what I mean. Let’s start an organization of South Asians born and raised in Fairfax County. We’ll call it the Fairfax Macacas…
Actually, the local US House Rep for VA’s most diverse area, Tom Davis (R) http://tomdavis.house.gov/ , is ironically one of the most pro-diversity local Republicans in VA. I wonder what he has to say.
If something even half-serious can get started using the Macaca label, you could probably get a Wonkette item pretty fast. If something fully serious got started, you could get the big political blogs to pick up on it. If you can make it bipartisan, then even better.
The Daily Show’s take on all this can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n50UIRItqWY Best line: “I don’t know what Macaca is, but it sure as shit sounds racist.”
Speaking of racial insensitivity in politics, I came across this article today:
The t-shirts already on Wonkette.
Language Log continues the etymological debate.
That language log piece is brilliant, Abhi. Well reasoned, and extremely literate.
allen denies he was racist… umm…yeah…and jindal is a doctor…