The first black American President gets to wine and dine in Palace

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   Zubair Ahmedposted 12 years ago

   The first Black man to become president of US and now gets the chance to meet the Queen and be treated equal like the white masters that enslaved his ancestors. 
   
   (1) Is this the end of racism?
   (2) Are we all equal in this world? and
   (3) will we ever see a black Prime Minister in the UK?

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      DTR0005posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is not the end to racism. Racism, sadly, is as "human" as old age and death. Instead of us pretending we are not racists, perhaps the better route would be to acknowledge our inherant racism and make certain it doesn't have negative affects on minorities - whatever that minority may be.
      
      Part of the reason that Obama has garnered so much flaque at home is because, and again no one will admit it, he is a black man. Everything "good" Obama does is diminshed by his critics, in part, due to his race. Everything "bad" Obama does is magnified, in part, due to his race. Now, on the other side of the coin, it says a lot about America in that this nation was the first large, Western nation to elect a black leader. But is it the end to racism? Not hardly....

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         Zubair Ahmedposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Hi DTR0005, 
         
         I like your response, I also think that racism will not end but it was nice to see for once a non-white leader receive so much attention. 
         
         Usually a non-white leader is either a Western Stooge and gets some recognition in the West or no recognition at all.

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         SsvRrwQposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Tribalism is pretty fundamental to human psychology, yes, but racism is not tribalism. Racism is a set of beliefs that divide humans into specific tribes very loosely based on genetic groupings. Humanity will not, any time soon, get past tribalism, but we may move past racism, in effect, by virtue of globalization, and humanism.

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   American Viewposted 12 years ago

   And how proud of him are you that he once more embaresses America?

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      Texasbetaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      How ridiculous!

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3. 81

   Trish_Mposted 12 years ago

   Hi
   
   I think that tribalism is the root of racism, but that racism is an evil which should be recognised and avoided at all costs.
   
   We are all just people. Racism is, actually, both illogical and evil. (Illogical, because we are all relatively closely related.)
   
   Mr Obama, is, I believe, quite popular here in the UK, so I am not surprised that he was made so welcome.
   
   Yes, white masters may have enslaved his ancestors, but we must remember that white masters pretty much enslaved everyone else, too. Slaves were, arguably, treated better than (white) sailors on the slave ships, because they were more valuable.
   
   Little white children were sent down coal pits and up chimneys; young girls were put into service to be treated as slaves ~ often raped and abused.
   
   It is not simply a case of black and white ~ with all white people being in control. Some Black people were involved in the slave trade, too.
   
   The slave trade was evil.
   Of course, many other things that occurred in the past were also evil. Sadly, many things that happen today are evil, too.
   
   Slavery in all forms is an evil which should not be tolerated. It continues today ~ with black and white people being trafficked by black and white people.
   
   Yes, our aristocracy ill-treated many, many people in the past, but that was the past and I hope that the past is where it will stay and that all people will be treated with fairness from now on.
   
   Will we have a Black Prime Minister? It wouldn't surprise me ~ and, as long as s/he truly represents all of the people, it shouldn't be a problem.

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   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Are you under the mistaken impression the Queen hasn't received black people before?

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   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   Hmm.  And here I was, seeing news of Obama visiting the Queen - and not thinking a thing about his race (races, whatever).  Personally, I think racism (and a lot of other "isms" may be more alive and well in people who are from some countries other than America (or the West) than in those who are.
   
   For example:  Why is it apparently automatically assumed that Obama cannot be a "Western stooge"?  For all anyone knows, Obama - in all that equality he and so many other non-White Americans now get to take for granted - just might be as a big a "Western stooge" as the next Westerner.  I'm not saying is - just saying that implying that anyone with white skin is a "Western stooge" is pretty much about as racist as it gets, as far as I'm concerned.  Fortunately, there's a whole lot less racism in the US now than ever before (and apparently a whole lot less than in some other countries).

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