Ralph Nader was an incredible and tireless consumer advocate who demanded that the products sold to consumers meet standards that protected citizens' safety. In addition, he helped give voice and direction to emerging environmental movement. When he ran in 2000, he engendered a lot of anger on the Dems side but he also helped us understand progressive issues needed to be under the Dem umbrella. In recent years he has become...eccentric, to say the least.
Tonight, I am just done with him. Done.
The term Uncle Tom has no place in our national discourse. Not ever, not now.
Last night, in the face of the uplifting, heartening election of Barack Obama and the possibility of real gains for progressive issues, Ralph Nader told Fox Radio:
"To put it simply, he (Barack Obama)is our first African American president; or he will be. And we wish him well. But his choice is basically is whether he is going to be Uncle Sam for the people of his country or Uncle Tom for the corporations."
And there he is on Fixed News, with Shep Smith, with no backpedaling, no regrets, defending his choice of words. Shep Smith is trying to give Nader some benefit of the doubt, trying to give Nader a chance to realise the full foolish of his words.
But Nader is not having any of it. Why should he? The construct of his statement was quite delibrate.
Male African American leader+power= Uncle Tom.
It's an easy, crappy equation that unfortunately I have heard from quite a few (white) Green party and Independents here in Portland, Oregon.
Well, I am done with it. Done. I am not taking anymore crap from my fellow African American regarding Gays/Lesbians, and I am not taking any more crap from Nader and those of his ilk.
Oh, and here's the video- that's Shep Smith, a deep Southerner no less, trying to school Nader some. Geeze: