Jack & Jill Politics

Imagine if a leading Iraqi or Afghani politician — or President Pervez Musharraf were to say something publicly to the media like:

“It’s hard for [Iraqis, Afghanis, Pakistanis], all of us, including me, to understand what’s wrong with these people,” he said. “Why do they kill people of other religions because of religion? Why do they hate the Muslims and despise their right to exist? Why do they hate each other? Catholics, Protestants, Jews? How do they tell the difference? They all look the same to me.“

How seriously would you take such a man or woman and their grasp of basic world history and politics? Likely you would consider this person to be at best an uneducated buffoon and at worst a bigot.

How then must the words of famous racist Trent Lott appear abroad (let alone here in the U.S.):

“It’s hard for Americans, all of us, including me, to understand what’s wrong with these people,” he said. “Why do they kill people of other religions because of religion? Why do they hate the Israelis and despise their right to exist? Why do they hate each other? Why do Sunnis kill Shiites? How do they tell the difference? They all look the same to me.“

Speak for yourself, Lott, when you defend Strom Thurmond’s segregation-based presidential campaign or when describing the American interest or sense of the socio-political situation in Iraq. My only hope is that your constituents remember how difficult it probably is for you to tell them apart too come election time. (Source: ThinkProgress)