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Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

nytimes.com

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Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#21

Post by djtriptych »

coriolanus wrote: post #12
djtriptych wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trash analysis from a throwaway account. Independent.co.uk link discusses proposed evolutionary/biological origins of xenophobia, and specifically points at groupthink, not individual bias, as a possible explanation. Smithsonian link describes a study where babies show a preference for non-racialized puppets who displayed similar food preferences. Nothing to do with race or bigotry.

Here's a better link: https://www.utoronto.ca/news/racial-bias-may-begin-babies-si...

Points to lack of exposure to other races as a likely cause.

Far from babies being born racist.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#22

Post by matthewbauer »

coriolanus wrote: post #3

Perhaps it's popular because it's not true. But it should be true, and everyone wishes it was true. The evolutionary basis of xenophobia is well-understood. A quick search turns up, for example: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/... Babies of about the same age as the ones shown in Obama's tweet already display instinctive xenophobia: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/are-babies-b…

That's not hate though.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#23

Post by coriolanus »

moufestaphio wrote: post #14
coriolanus wrote: post #3

Perhaps it's popular because it's not true. But it should be true, and everyone wishes it was true. The evolutionary basis of xenophobia is well-understood. A quick search turns up, for example: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/... Babies of about the same age as the ones shown in Obama's tweet already display instinctive xenophobia: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/are-babies-b…

Yeah, I see this sentiment flowing around very often and I agree with you on this. I prefer to think of it this way: The ability to rise above this type of thing is a part of what makes us human. Learning to not be bigot is something you have to do. You have to work at it always, it's not free.

Certainly.

The point is just that the statement is literally false. That doesn't mean it can't be poetically true.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#24

Post by justicezyx »

This type of tweets or ideas are not useful, and they are just too easy to produce.

We all know people can have nice words and hearts. That does not prevent them being indifferent to what they did to other peoples or their country did to other countries.

I do not want politicians to use tweeter so much. Neither to say kind words or hateful words. Tweets are not for serious work of solving society problems.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#25

Post by djtriptych »

DonaldPShimoda wrote: post #17
coriolanus wrote: post #3

Perhaps it's popular because it's not true. But it should be true, and everyone wishes it was true. The evolutionary basis of xenophobia is well-understood. A quick search turns up, for example: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/... Babies of about the same age as the ones shown in Obama's tweet already display instinctive xenophobia: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/are-babies-b…

Specifically looking at the Smithsonian article, they don't even mention xenophobia until the last sentence. What they're talking about is instinctive preference for other creatures which the baby identifies with, and in the research the article cites there isn't any direct correlation to race. They talk about food preference — something superficial. There was no research cited to indicate whether the behavior extend…

Alt-righters will occasionally shitpost stuff like this to derail any real discussion. I've seen dumps of dozens of misleading links to support points like the above. Forcing the thread to disprove each one is an effective method of hijacking the thread.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#27

Post by coriolanus »

djtriptych wrote: post #21
coriolanus wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a better link: https://www.utoronto.ca/news/racial-bias-may-begin-babies-si...

Points to lack of exposure to other races as a likely cause. Far from babies being born racist.

Right. The reason my house is brown is: lack of exposure to blue paint.

No one is saying you can't convince babies, or anyone, not to be racist. Actually, if history proves anything, it's that you can convince anyone of anything if you get to them early enough.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#28

Post by cromwellian »

Pigo wrote: post #11

I find myself weighing whether it's better to get the unemotional, unadulterated statement from a President or the focus-grouped, feel-good, superficial statement. I can see why someone would prefer either side, but I find both wanting.

So you think Obama hired a focus group to test if quoting Nelson Mandela would work?

And to call Trump's statement unemotional and unadulterated seems weird, because the teleprompter driven statement was delivered in a way that seemed so forced and inauthentic, it rang as false.

Sometimes emotion is needed to convey gravity and authenticity of a statement. I'm pretty sure if Obama was still President, he could have given a morally strong statement on the recent events. Did you see his press conference after Sandy Hook? That's what the nation needed when 2 dozen children are murdered, not a lifeless set of talking points written by your communication director.

This is not deification as another poster commented, it's the fact that other leaders, including Bush Jr, were far more effective at delivering moral clarity at times of national crisis or sadness. Remember Reagan's address after the Challenger explosion?

I'm still wondering at what point, Trump dead-enders will see something that finally makes them realize his extreme flaws as a leader and a person make him pretty unsuitable for the job he's been handed. It's not the left wing media, it's not the establishment, it's not fake news. He's doing it to himself.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#29

Post by kumarvvr »

Obama's response is so level headed. He doesn't blame the people, just the process, that of teaching hate and bigotry.

He is a humanist at heart. No matter his politics.

And one can only imagine how careful he would have had to be in his speeches, actions and approach to issues.

He represents the true spirit of the Idea of America.

Re: Obama’s Charlottesville Response Most-Liked Tweet Ever

#30

Post by MBCook »

This seems as good a place as any:

I find it very interesting how strongly the reputation/actions of the successor president effect the previous one.

A great many people disliked Bush. It seems like that really helped Clinton.

Bush's reputation doesn't seem to have been helped by having Obama follow him (in general). If he was followed by Romney or McCain I get the feeling he wouldn't be remembered as harshly.

If Clinton has succeeded Obama would his reputation be as high as it is now? This is still a 'work in progress' but I feel like the strong contrast is only pushing him higher on the scale (and may have happened to a lesser degree Bush or Perry or Kasich (etc) had won).

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