Kind of odd no one is talking about Kanye West and Trump meeting

[TheBear]

Which one of you straight ticket Republican Trump supporters around here want to defend this: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2018/10/11/trjust ump-kanye-meeting-hurricane-michael-cooper-kth-ac-vpx.cnn

Wow.

Just when I thought CNN couldn't stoop any lower, we get this video production, cheap-shot hit piece. Wow. And, Anderson Cooper of all people?? Wow.

ETA - Maybe that's why it isn't getting too much talk. Most people see it as tabloid trash talk and move on.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I don't see where she was being exploited by the President and I seriously doubt Obama needed any help with the black vote.


I also don't see that as a necessary sign of mental illness considering everything else that gets posted to YouTube for likes and ad revenue but I see your point. I'm glad we can agree Kanye and this YouTuber lady probably aren't the best people to hold up to the country.

Just to give you an example...here's a piece Vox wrote in 2016. Kanye's MTV award show speech...

MTV gave Kanye 4 minutes at the VMAs to do what he wanted, and he did ... this

I'll be honest, at least they didn't use it as an opportunity to push a leftist narrative too much...but its obvious they have no problem with a rambling incoherent Kanye making a fool of himself as long as they can spin it in their direction. I'm not really a fan of his, and I watched when this year alone....he released a song with the lyrics "poopity scoop" and all sorts of media outlets were looking for all sorts of thematic nuances in it lol.

It's hard to take these cries of exploitation seriously when no one cared before. No one cared at all. Now I'm supposed to believe this is an issue for the left? It's not. Mental health care isn't even on their racial narrative radar.

Speaking of which, what does it say about "white privilege" when a black, mentally ill, college dropout, from a "not so good part of Chicago"....has already made more money in his life than 99+% of white people in 50 lifetimes?

At the very least, you'd say it's completely negligible....right?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Speaking of which, what does it say about "white privilege" when a black, mentally ill, college dropout, from a "not so good part of Chicago"....has already made more money in his life than 99+% of white people in 50 lifetimes?

At the very least, you'd say it's completely negligible....right?

I'd say that it means you don't appreciate how probabilities work....

Also note that that black, mentally ill, college dropout and was sitting across the table from a white billionaire who achieved much of his wealth via inheritance, tax evasion, shady business deals, and bailouts from his father, and achieved his office in spite of personal and moral failings that would've tanked most other (particularly minority) candidates.

Kanye, for all his flaws, at least succeeded on his own, whereas Trump had a successful business and a sizable fortune handed to him essentially at birth. So yeah, I'd say that this really is a good snapshot of white privilege:

 

[SolomonVII]

There is a horror film called Get Out that is all about white liberals taking over black bodies with their white liberal minds. The horror genre did not disguise the social commentary involved.

To take the movie seriously is to take note of how many people presume that Kanye West has mental problems when he stops sounding like the group speak of your typical white liberal.
Kanye West is concerned about blacks being incarcerated at high rates. We all should be, even presidents should be. His discussion of the problem does not zero on typical liberal talking points, but also takes note of his own upbringing without a father, and the mental and social problems that arose as a result.
There is nothing crazy about that. It was a central theme of Obama’ s personal writings too.
Just because Kanye West has mental problems does not mean that he does not have anything worthwhile to say to a president.
Trump has higher approval ratings among blacks than any other Republican president or president candidate has had. It is good to see that maybe 30 percent of blacks are breaking away from sounding like white liberals that has had blacks voting Democratic in the high 90%s. It is good to see Kanye find his own voice that sounds nothing like that.
Unshackled is not necessarily unhinged. Nuance is everything.

Of course there will be plenty of people with their white liberal memes that dismiss him as an Uncle Tom. But, for anyone who has watched the horror flick Get Out, it is not hard to imagine where there heads are at.

 

[variant]

Just because Kanye West has mental problems does not mean that he does not have anything worthwhile to say to a president.

You did hear him speak right?

Rambling incoherence would be my characterization.

 

[jardiniere]

I was responding to this: Do you agree a person with mental illness probably shouldn't be exploited by the President of the United States to try and curry favor with the black community?

No, but a women swimming in milk while eating fruit loops that float by, and drinking the milk all her nasty parts is touching is a bit crazy. Just saying, mental illness is a thing. I dont think Kanye is the best candidate.

Women don't have nasty parts. I've no idea where you got that tidbit, but rest assured, it's totally wrong.

 

[Ana the Ist]

I'd say that it means you don't appreciate how probabilities work....

And I'd say you're talking out your backside.

Unless you've got some "probabilities" for "white privilege'...then you'd be better off leaving probabilities out of it.

Also note that that black, mentally ill, college dropout and was sitting across the table from a white billionaire

Is he a billionaire?

who achieved much of his wealth via inheritance,

That's a wealth privilege. Black people inherit money as well....so it's got nothing to do with race.

tax evasion, shady business deals, and bailouts from his father,

If you've got evidence he committed a crime I'm sure a lot of people would like to see it.

and achieved his office in spite of personal and moral failings that would've tanked most other (particularly minority) candidates.

This is a dumb claim. Ever heard of Marion Barry? The black mayor of DC who was elected after being convicted of crack possession?

This hypothetical nonsense is exactly what I'm talking about. You've offered nothing to support the idea that being white has anything to do with it. The whole "a minority candidate wouldn't get away with this" shtick is garbage....minority candidates have "gotten away with" far worse and still got elected.

Thanks for proving my point though.

 

[SolomonVII]

Jimmy Carter was the last, and very possibly will be the last, president elected on a platform of being the man of moral integrity.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

Which one of you straight ticket Republican Trump supporters around here want to defend this: Cooper: Trump yucks it up while thousands suffer - CNN Video

People on this forum might not have been discussing this prior to the creation of this thread, but many straight ticket Republican Trump supporters in the Florida Panhandle have been for days. There is a sense of betrayal and hurt even among ardent voters that crucially needed attention was diverted away from unprecedented catastrophe that has caused severe hardship and time-sensitive desperation for help to Kanye freaking West's soliloquy at the White House. Mexico Beach looks apocalyptic, like an atom bomb was dropped on it, with officials estimating that 95% of the city is now gone. Other areas already stricken with poverty have been cut off from aid due to fallen trees necessitating heavy equipment to clear the way. Time has been incredibly critical. It's like every hour of the day carries the weight of months because lives are in such extreme peril. The gravity of the situation demands full focus, but yet Trump turned the spotlight onto Kanye.

My grandparents snowbird in this region and have grown roots in a church community in Panama City (that had services in the parking lot, with communion, due to the sanctuary being wrecked by the hurricane), and my aunt and uncle are in the process of relocating to Destin. They all evacuated to inland Panama City on Tuesday when the fear was that coastal flooding would be the most devastating threat, only for the wind to be the largest menace, ripping the roof above their heads off like a giant can opener. Miraculously they survived without significant injury. My uncle is a physician and immediately went to work in makeshift triages. My dad who is also a physician flew in on Friday to help. The more affluent areas were shown mercy from the storm, while those in the most desperate of conditions, already struggling to survive, were hit the hardest. One of the elderly residents my uncle helped had been featured in an article in The News Herald in 2016 because of her support for Trump. The laminated copy of the article was one of the few things from her home that survived. She walked a mile every day for months prior to the election in the red MAGA hat championing everyone to vote for him, believing he would have their back. When she found out about the White House sit-down with Kanye, while her home had been demolished to rubble and she was terrified about friends and family members she couldn't connect with, she thought it was fake news. It hurt her that it wasn't.

Many in the area had nodded along to the rhetoric about the media being the enemy of the people, but the local media in particular have been outstanding.

The Trumps are flying into an AFB near Destin and then touring the Panhandle today. Many residents who this time last month would have been delighted and rolled out the largest welcome mat they could find now have a taste of bitterness and resentment about it, that they are being used for a photo op and campaign rallying rather than being a priority. No doubt there will be people pulled out for hugs and cheers, to give the adulation he insatiably covets. But many feel that at this point, he's a distraction, a hindrance more than a help. They're justified in feeling this way.

Edit to Add:
I wanted to add a link to the volunteer organization my family is working with, to promote it as much as possible so anyone inclined can make donations or give specific prayers for the physicians, nurses, and support personnel:
Hurricane Michael | International Medical Corps

 

[iluvatar5150]

And I'd say you're talking out your backside.

Unless you've got some "probabilities" for "white privilege'...then you'd be better off leaving probabilities out of it.

The phenomenon of "White privilege" doesn't say that it's impossible for blacks to advance beyond a certain position, just that it's more difficult to do so. If, say, (just pulling numbers out of the air here) 1 in 1,000 white people become millionaires, and racial privilege makes it 1,000x easier for whites, then that means that only 1 in a million blacks become millionaires. 1 in a million is a lot less than 1 in 1,000, but it's still a lot more than the 0 that your understanding of "white privilege" seems to prescribe.

Whether or not "white privilege" exists, the fact that one black guy became successful doesn't disprove it, because the concept doesn't preclude all blacks from becoming successful.

Is he a billionaire?

As far as I know. Without further evidence, I don't put much stock in a lot of the skepticism aimed at his wealth.

That's a wealth privilege. Black people inherit money as well....so it's got nothing to do with race.

The accumulation of it certainly had something to do with race. Fred Trump built a real estate empire in an era when blacks weren't allowed to buy houses or get loans in a lot of areas.

As an aside, I was kind of curious to know how many black billionaires there were in the US. While the number changes periodically, this list has 2,124 billionaires of all stripes from across the world:
The World's Billionaires

A text search for "United States" shows 585 hits, which should be about the number from the US.

This article breaks down that list, and points out that of those 2000+ billionaires, only 11 are black (other lists say 12), and of those, only 3 are from the US: Michael Jordan, Oprah, and a guy named Robert Smith who used to be at Goldman Sachs.

I found at least that many people on the billionaire list who'd inherited their wealth. (searching for "trust fund" and "walmart" turns up 11 hits).

If you've got evidence he committed a crime I'm sure a lot of people would like to see it.

Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father

I think the jury is still out regarding how much of this falls on Donald and how much falls on Fred, but it appears that Donald was at least complicit in some of it.

This is a dumb claim. Ever heard of Marion Barry? The black mayor of DC who was elected after being convicted of crack possession?

...at a time when DC was 65%+ black.

Maybe all folks are inclined to give a pass to others with whom they identify.

My grandparents snowbird in this region and have grown roots in a church community in Panama City (that had services in the parking lot, with communion, due to the sanctuary being wrecked by the hurricane)

...hmm... Do you know if that church occasionally sends construction teams to Baltimore? If so, I may have interacted with them in the past.

 

[TLK Valentine]

When he was interrupting people during awards ceremonies...it was obvious he had mental problems.

I had heard he was just drunk.

When he went on Ellen, it was obvious that he had mental health problems.

The left didn't care about it then though....methinks you're only comfortable saying it now that he's for the right.

Wait... are you saying it wasn't an act? He wasn't "in character," as it were?

 

[DaisyDay]

Speaking of which, what does it say about "white privilege" when a black, mentally ill, college dropout, from a "not so good part of Chicago"....has already made more money in his life than 99+% of white people in 50 lifetimes?

It says absolutely nothing about white privilege that someone not white sometimes will beat the odds.

 

[Kentonio]

Trump has higher approval ratings among blacks than any other Republican president or president candidate has had.

No he hasn't.

Analysis | No, one-third of African Americans don’t support Trump. Not even close.

 

[NightHawkeye]

No he hasn't.

Analysis | No, one-third of African Americans don’t support Trump. Not even close.

Even the NAACP finds significant support for Trump among African-Americans.

Trump is gaining black support because his policies are improving the lives of all Americans

Yet today the NAACP’s own polls show his approval rating among African-Americans standing almost three times as high, at 21 percent.​

 

[Kentonio]

Even the NAACP finds significant support for Trump among African-Americans.

Trump is gaining black support because his policies are improving the lives of all Americans

Yet today the NAACP’s own polls show his approval rating among African-Americans standing almost three times as high, at 21 percent.​

So not 30% of blacks then? And certainly not the highest percentage for a Republican President.

 

[NightHawkeye]

So not 30% of blacks then? And certainly not the highest percentage for a Republican President.

Not my claims.

I just posted that even the biased NAACP gives Trump 21% favorability. Other polls have identified higher ratings.

 

[Kentonio]

Not my claims.

I just posted that even the biased NAACP gives Trump 21% favorability. Other polls have identified higher ratings.

Given that his overall rating on RCP is 43.5 approve, I don't think it matters a lot.

 

[Ana the Ist]

The phenomenon of "White privilege" doesn't say that it's impossible for blacks to advance beyond a certain position, just that it's more difficult to do so. If, say, (just pulling numbers out of the air here) 1 in 1,000 white people become millionaires, and racial privilege makes it 1,000x easier for whites, then that means that only 1 in a million blacks become millionaires. 1 in a million is a lot less than 1 in 1,000, but it's still a lot more than the 0 that your understanding of "white privilege" seems to prescribe.

Whether or not "white privilege" exists, the fact that one black guy became successful doesn't disprove it, because the concept doesn't preclude all blacks from becoming successful.

Wildly inaccurate...almost to the point of being sad. We actually have numbers for millionaires by race....

Breakdown of U.S. millionaires by race | Statista

So...if the expectation is 1 out of 1000...here's how it breaks down...

Whites, at 20% over, are 1 out of 800...

Blacks at 40% under, are 1 out of 1400...

Asians at 33% over are 1 out of 670....

Latinos are a bit tricky...so I'm leaving them out.

So, in your wildly inaccurate guess, "being white" makes it 1000x easier to be a millionaire lol. What's the reality?? 500x? 100x? Nope. Well surely it's 50x? No? 10x? 5x?

It's less than 2x...

To reiterate....your expectations were 1000x....the reality is less than 2x. That is, of course, only if we leave asians out (and you shouldn't because they do live in our society) because in order to count them, you'd have to abandon "white privilege" as a meaningful factor in inequality altogether.

To conclude, if white privilege causes inequality, it's not even worth considering because it's so small.

PS. Yes, I rounded a few figures for ease...be more precise if you want, its still less than 2x. Yes I know you were just throwing out numbers, but face it, you didn't know you were 998% wrong, did you?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Wildly inaccurate...almost to the point of being sad. We actually have numbers for millionaires by race....

Breakdown of U.S. millionaires by race | Statista

So...if the expectation is 1 out of 1000...here's how it breaks down...

Whites, at 20% over, are 1 out of 800...

Blacks at 40% under, are 1 out of 1400...

Asians at 33% over are 1 out of 670....

Latinos are a bit tricky...so I'm leaving them out.

So, in your wildly inaccurate guess, "being white" makes it 1000x easier to be a millionaire lol. What's the reality?? 500x? 100x? Nope. Well surely it's 50x? No? 10x? 5x?

It's less than 2x...

To reiterate....your expectations were 1000x....the reality is less than 2x. That is, of course, only if we leave asians out (and you shouldn't because they do live in our society) because in order to count them, you'd have to abandon "white privilege" as a meaningful factor in inequality altogether.

To conclude, if white privilege causes inequality, it's not even worth considering because it's so small.

PS. Yes, I rounded a few figures for ease...be more precise if you want, its still less than 2x. Yes I know you were just throwing out numbers, but face it, you didn't know you were 998% wrong, did you?

Way to miss my point entirely.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Way to miss my point entirely.

Feel free to explain...

Billionaires are a terrible metric for anything. I don't really care about Fred Trump (who appears to have worked very hard, like his father).

But please...you were making gross over exaggerations about white privilege?