Reverse Minstrelsy

The moral and political significance of the imperial games currently taking place in our hallowed capital city is altogether shocking and horrifying, but from a different perspective, these charades of, by and for the morally insensate have a certain comedic value:

Both Reid and Durbin stressed during their press conference that Burris had played down the race issue. Burris would be the only African-American in the Senate, and when his appointment was announced Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush suggested that senators would not want to oppose him for that reason.

"A lot of people tried to make this a racial issue, but Roland Burris has not, and will not," Reid said.

"He obviously is a very engaging, extremely nice man. He presents himself well," added Reid, who met with Burris for the first time this morning.

Thank the merciful gods that Burris "presents himself well" -- unlike, just f'rinstance, an idiotic, laughably stupid old white guy. Now, that's not racist. Reid isn't an ass because he's white. He's an ass because, well, he's an ass. I am inordinately pleased to report that I have met many asses in my life that presented themselves very well indeed. Reid is not among them. Shucks.

Where is that other idiotic, definitely unpresentable white ass when you need him? Oh, yes: he's going to be vice president now. The ass rises in the East. O, horrifying prospect! Funny, or nauseating? We report, you snicker or regurgitate as you choose.

But white America, including all those superswell white liberals and progressives who are Obamaniacs in varying degrees, can rejoice in having dodged a nasty bullet. Unless he decides to undertake a self-punishing, self-loathing skin bleaching program of the kind Michael Jackson appears to have undergone, the United States could not possibly have a whiter black man as president than one Mr. Barack Obama. See here, too.

And to think that all those nice white liberals and progressives who voted for Obama actually could have voted for a decent human being. Oh, no!, they cry, aping the establishment they claim to criticize so vehemently. She's crazy! She's not serious! No, of course she isn't. Opposing institutionalized racism and homicidal slaughter isn't "serious."

Thus does the pursuit of power transform those who claim to oppose the murderous operations of Empire into Empire's pawns. Thus do many (most) of those who criticized the Bush administration so strenuously render themselves irrelevant into the foreseeable future.

At least, it clears the way for those few individuals who work toward genuine systemic change, however impossible of achievement that goal may now appear. I understand a reception will be held in the near future for those people who fall into this category. I very much look forward to meeting the other 13 of you.