Radical Chic at the NYT: 'Heroic' Black Power Fists of '68 Olympics

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New York Times reporter Katie Thomas embraced radical chic near the end of her front-page story Tuesday on the prospect for political protests at the 2008 Olympics, hosted by China.

Perhaps the best-known examples are the American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith, who at the 1968 Games in Mexico City raised their clenched fists on the medal podium during the playing of the national anthem in a salute to black power. The action enraged the Olympic organizers, and Mr. Carlos and Mr. Smith were soon ushered out of the country. Now, 40 years later, their action is celebrated as heroic.

Raising a "Black Power" fist in defiance of the national anthem qualifies as heroic in the mind of the Times?

Radical Pan-African activist Stokely Carmichael, who coined the phrase, said of his movement:

When you talk of black power, you talk of building a movement that will smash everything Western civilization has created.


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What was heroic...

....was George Foreman waving that small American flag after he won his gold medal and Spencer Haywood not boycotting the Olympics a la Lew Alcindor and leading the US basketball team to the gold medal.  

Thats The "OLD" Heroic

The "New" heroic is getting a cool T-shirt or handbag with the black power fist in the air symbol on it.

---

Ask yourself: Do I want a good paying job, or do I want a government hand out. Its that simple!

And the answer is...

A well paying government handout.

I have a terrible feeling...

...That this entire subject is going to be opened up like the proverbial can of worms. A can of worms opened with a chainsaw.

This time, however, there are going to be at least 2 sides to the "conversation", and...

It will be ugly.

Raising a "Black Power"

Raising a "Black Power" fist in defiance of the national anthem qualifies as heroic in the mind of the Times?

What did you think it was, Clay? A nuisance?

Lol, I was thinking the same

Lol, I was thinking the same thing.

Hello? Anyone?

Hello? Anyone?

delete

delete

Absolutely...

...I agree completely.

1972 0lympics

At least Smith and Carlos stood at attention with their heads bowed. The greater disgrace came four years later in Munich when Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett finished one-two in the 400 meters. On the medal stand they refused to stand at attention, twirled their medals and generally mocked the national anthem. That was worse than 1968.

http://espn.go.com/p...

Amen to that...

Kind of like athletes, rock (headed) stars, Democrat politicians, etc. in foreign countries holding up little hand-lettered signs, "I didn't vote for Bush." A cheap way to expand their fan base...substitute political emotion for talent. I don't ever recall Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett, Elvis what's-his-name, etc. holding up signs like that. Because they had talent. Oh wait, Barbra Streisand has tremendous talent, and she is a Bush hater. In fact, didn't she hold up a self-printed sign a few months ago that read, "I DUDNDT VOT FOUR BOOCH." The crowd roared in approval; unfortunately, however, several members of the blogging community noticed that she is, for all practical purposes, a functional illiterate. That's not a problem for her, with her billions and trillions of $$$; or for a gal with her own personal Client #9. It would be a problem for a young lady seeking a job at McDonalds, or a young man trying to enlist in the military. Dang, I've forgotten my original point...I better get to bed...lol. But first, I raise my fist in the air and solemnly quote Sir Frederick Ainsworth-Peabody, who said, "Now I don't smoke, an' I don't chew, an' I don't go with girls that do...lawd, lawd, I got them Brown County Blues."

Carmichael's quote...

"When you talk of black power, you talk of building a movement that will smash everything Western civilization has created."

The above ideology worked especially well in Zimbabwe, the former Rhodesia, where the black nationalist movement smashed everything Western-style civilization created.  Well, not really.  Rhodesia was once one of the richest states on the African continent, actually known as the breadbasket of Africa, with high employment rates, high wages for skilled workers, sufficient jobs for unskilled workers, and an effective government. 

Then the black nationalists took over, and present-day Zimbabwe is bankrupt.  There's virtually no employment, no wages except for corrupt government officials stealing foreign aid money, and starvation is epidemic.

Hmmm..makes you think, huh? 

 

I am sometimes a typical white person.

Mugabe

I heard Mrs. Mugabe, on one of her regular shopping sprees in Paris or Milan, puts even Imelda Marcos to shame. Meanwhile, her nation starves. Brilliant post, m4ster chief.

Speaking of Mugabe....seems

Speaking of Mugabe....seems some things never change.

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill