How will Charlie Sykes racebait this week?

 

Charlie Sykes, in his 1991 book "A Nation of Victims: The Decay of American Character," (ironically dedicated to Sykes baby mama #2 Diane) wrote:

...To what extent can social tensions be attributed to differing standards of behavior rather than race? Is it possible that the primary and apparently intractable divisions in society are not predominantly racial but rather primarily value based? Is resentment against the politics of dependency a sign of racism or a commitment to individualism?

Charlie Sykes -- whose walking out on two families can apparently be explained by North Shore values -- demonstrated his commitment to individualism last week by:

• Repeatedly griping that the coverage of the inauguration was "racialized." "Have you noticed how racialized the coverage has been?" Examples of said racialization -- or a comparison of how much was "racialized" vs. "issues-based" was not provided.

• Saying that any criticism of Obama was met with the response that "He's the first black president." failing to note that the media covered critiques of Obama aplenty (including this specious line of attack by House Republicans against the economy recovery plan, which was passed along by Sykes as well)

• Flacking a Wisconsin Policy Research Institute study that once again raises the viciously racist lie that Wisconsin was a welfare magnet in the 1980s. "Do you remember when Wisconsin was a welfare magnet?" Charlie asked his listeners.

• Lavished attention on the Baby Mama Drama, the subtext of which is that poor, downtrodden white judges can't make arguably racial comments with impunity. First you can't say thug (though the thug myth is just that -- a myth), now this! (Big pimpin' Charlie Sykes -- who knows from baby mamas given he has three -- condemned the ruling as "limousine liberalism" from "elite women.")

• Bemoaned how the aforementioned ruling tells white men to shut up, which is a shame because the black community isn't talking about personal responsibility. So it needs thrice married men who've gotten ahead through nepotism to tell them about it.

• Made sure his listeners knew that some African Americans are in dire financial straits in this recession -- and some of them seem to think that Obama will deliver them from their woes. Surely this woman in this unverified audio clip is representative of many more! "Is this a reflection of the culture of "responsibility?" asks big daddy Sykes.

• And of course Sykes used the Lowery benediction to gripe that whites are victimized and demonized as racist. Nothing to see here.

And that's just a sampling. In volume at least (obviously the inauguration -- which Sykes says was historic but overcovered, not making plain how much coverage was justified -- is a one-off source of outrage) not an untypical week in Sykes' ongoing tendentious account of race in America.

With Charlie it's not the stories he tells; it's the stories he doesn't tell. The drowning of an African American child drowning in a downtown water park is a story of social breakdown to exploit -- the near drowning of a white girl at a house pool party (an incident that drew an ambulance) is ignored.

How will Charlie racebait this week? Hard to say. Though the Brawler suspects this ruling might get attention. Judges can't say what they want because of the PC police -- and now rap lyrics qualify as a legal brief! Should be good for six calls proclaiming the decline of Western civilization. Or this story -- some first graders' suggestions for Obama -- will highlight the transmission of nanny state values. 

Comments

[Keith Schmitz]

And it's not the stories he tells but also the way he panders them.

What an asset to our community.

[Eric]

Oh whew, I thought there was no outlet to complain about Sykes, I try to on his ALL CAPS posts on wtmj.com but they censor my posts because I don't agree with him. Well written blog here. Please keep them coming!