Believe it is a strident egotistical belief in their own personal superiority - and yes, they are usually exceptional … but like every successful person, they have had some degree of good fortune - some instances of advantage.
But their egos are so intensely bloated that they want to see themselves as having individually & exclusively done it all on their own merit.
So the extension of their delusional view is this absolutist thinking that the playing field must be unwaiveringly neutral - and for some bizarre reason, they think that - in the natural, purest state - society is neutral - devoid of prejudice … and if people would just go about their lives - the cream will rise to the top … as these delusional bastards choose to think about themselves!
By seniority:
Edith Jones (Reagan) – White woman
Jerry Smith (Reagan) – White man
Carl Stewart (Clinton) – Black man
Priscilla Richman (Bush fils) – White woman
Jennifer Elrod (Bush fils) – White woman
Leslie Southwick (Bush fils) – White man
Catharina Haynes (Bush fils) – White woman
James Graves (Obama) – Black man
Stephen Higginson (Obama) – White man
Don Willett (TMFWWNBNH) --White man
James Ho (TMFWWNBNH) – Asian man
Stuart Kyle Duncan (TMFWWNBNH) – White man
Kurt Englehardt (TMFWWNBNH) – White man
Andrew Oldham (TMFWWNBNH) – Pasty White man
Cory Wilson (TMFWWNBNH) – Pasty White man
Dana Douglas (Biden) – Black woman
Irma Ramierez (Biden) – Latina woman
- These assessments are based on pictures in Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.
- Catharina Haynes might be a Latina. I’m not at all sure. Her education (Undergrad at Florida Tech, law school at Emory U) kind of screams White privilege, so I’m going with that.
- Yeah, I know that Latina carries its gender with the adjective. Leaving woman out just looks wrong to me.
- So the final appointing President count is:
a. Reagan: 2
b. Bush pere: 0
c. Clinton: 1
d. Bush fils: 4
e. Obama: 2
f. Orange Menace: 6 (!?!?!)
g. Biden: 2 - In terms of political outlook, it appears to me to be about
a. Conservative: 2
b. Liberal-ish: 5
c. Reactionary assholes: 10. - ETA, re Judge Haynes: A little more digging gives her name at birth as Catharina Jacoba Hendrika Dubbeldam, so I’m definitely sticking with Reactionary Asshole White Woman. She was born on the Space Coast (Melbourne). I can’t dig up any info on her parents, but born and raised on the Space Coast suggests the possibility of a Werner von Braun connection. (Ze rockets go up, who knows where zey come down? Zat’s not my department sagt Werner von Braun.)
I am in debt for you extensive digging into the 5th circuit court’s members!!
No, it’s a term based on science, like fetus and embryo.
It’s not a neologism, like the oxymoron ‘unborn child.’
But not political science, which what I was trying to say. Never said it was a neologism; just that the biological term “race” is not the same as the political science term “race.”
The radical white Christian conservative in America is outnumbered ideologically and numerically and is desperate to stay in control of the levers of wealth and power, to the point they will follow the devil himself to hell for the promise of power and control that they believe they can create their own heaven thru a combination of increased rights and resources for themselves and the deprivation of the majority.
I don’t think it’s productive to condemn the original use of ‘race’ because racists misuse it.
You started this by claiming that there is only one race.
Almost certainly yes, which is why when I summarized the make-up the Fifth Circuit I included appointing President as well as apparent race/ethnic affiliation.
But the bottom line is that the Reactionary Asshole coalition (as I named it) is predominantly White and male. They are the people who go into anaphylactic shock when someone suggests that some diversity of background might be useful in most any setting.
Race (and even more than race, sex) ain’t perfect: there are definitely Turkeys in Favor of Thanksgiving like Senator Tim Scott or Representative Byron Donalds. Or on the Fifth Circuit, James Ho, or on the Supreme Court, Associates Justice Boney-Carrett and Clarence “Long Dong Silver” Thomas.
You misread me then. I should have said more clearly that there is only race for political society and that biological terms for race are irrelevant to the proposition that all humans are created equal in the eyes of the law no matter how a biologist would use that term “race.” I think you said as much as well. If I misread you, let me know. I did not start anything unless you have an issue with equality under the law not being defined by any concept of race. I did not condemn it, whatever that means. I do intend to say it is not a useful concept when it comes to legislating and enforcing sovereign laws to govern us. Because racists misuse it, then its misuse is reason for it to be irrelevant in the first place. Peace.
Thanks much for putting this comprehensive list together. One probably smallish divergence: the definition of white privilege. Note that the current Black proportion of enrollment at Harvard is now at 18%, quite a bit higher than the percentage of Americans who are Black, ~12%. “White privilege” is not the denial of rights to non-whites; that’s just, well, the denial of rights to those who deserve those same rights. It’s more along the lines of the attitudes of Naderite / Stein / the '16 disgruntled Bernie Bros. - almost entirely (a) white; (b) born and raised in comfort. “Heighten the contradictions” and “Maybe it has to get worse before it gets better” (for thee but not for me) are other examples of white privilege. You’ll never hear those utterances among Black folk. Thanks again.
White privilege was a smart-ass remark I tossed in.
On the other hand, someone who graduated from Florida Inst of Technology with a bachelor’s in Psychology at age 19 and from Emory U with a JD at age 22 is a child of some sort of privilege. She’s clearly smart in ways the education system recognizes and beyond that must have had a figurative fire hose of childhood enrichment opportunities.
ETA: and while I’m ragging on Judge Catharina Haynes, nee Catharina Jacoba Hendrika Dubbeldam it was not lost on me for a moment that her given names are all feminized Central European mens’ names.
Ha!
ETA: Cornell West graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard in three years, just before turning 21. Freaking brilliant, and nuts.
CJH Dubbeldam went summa at FIT, and #2 in her class at Emory Law.
Had a neighbor like that: an otherwise intelligent, logical fellow absolutely convinced he had to be prepared for mobs of armed blacks invading our predominantly but not exclusively white neighborhood with mayhem and looting on their minds. I couple times I asked him if he could base this on an actual event somewhere (other than white mobs doing that kind of thing in past centuries) and of course he couldn’t but he remained convinced his thesis was correct none-the-less. I eventually became convinced this was less a matter of racial guilt and more a matter of rationale for unacknowledged racism and didn’t pursue the acquaintance after we moved to another neighborhood nearby.
Peace to you too.
I disagree with the sanctioning of affirmative action. Racial discrimination is something that must be fought, not ignored. And I know that racism is real, coming from a mixed ancestry (another word that communicates our meanings in a more neutral way) family. While all my traceable ancestors come from Europe, that’s not the case for all.
May we agree that all humans are of the same species? That claim does sidestep the label of race. The one species line is positive and absolutely correct. The one race line is negative, incorrect, and gives more attention than is warranted to mentions of race. We agree that rhetoric is critical of course.
Thanks for your discussion here… After a rough start, we’re now talking about important yet difficult stuff and others are listening and learning, as we are.
When I talk abut ancestry, I note that my ancestors are all European, a far as I can trace.
Another family member has ancestors from North and Central America, Africa, and Europe. Referring to continents sidesteps mention of race. It also highlights the structural dominance of US folks with Euro ancestries.
I also try to avoid distinguishing US folks from our fellow Americans in the other 34 American countries. Maybe that is another day.
But that’s only because written records don’t go back nearly far enough. If you go back far enough in the hominim line, we’re all Africans. Africa is the center of hominin diversity, and the center of human diversity even today. Africa is the cradle of our biological clade.
With tickets for two seats on the plane.
That’s right, fat shaming, everybody.
I appreciate the response and the nuance therein. I just have to say I agree.
I will continue to assist voters by working for the local Board of Elections, but I don’t make any suggestions there. It’s up to the voter…