(no subject)
So Boris Johnson, the Conservative politician who called members of the Commonwealth "piccanininies," described Africans as having "watermelon smiles," and compared Tory infighting "to Papua-New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing" has been elected mayor of London.
Just by way of comparison, the last time a major US political figure used racial language like that in public, he went from a shoe-in for reelection to the Senate and a serious presidential contender to a national joke in a matter of days and a political has-been as soon as the election was held.
I'm curious as to what our British friends have to say about him. Will "Don't blame me, I voted for Saxon" bumper-stickers be popping up on the backs of London cars now?
On the plus side, it's kind of nice as an American to be able to feel a smug sense of superiority about race relations for a change without having to look to, say, Sudan for a comparison.
Just by way of comparison, the last time a major US political figure used racial language like that in public, he went from a shoe-in for reelection to the Senate and a serious presidential contender to a national joke in a matter of days and a political has-been as soon as the election was held.
I'm curious as to what our British friends have to say about him. Will "Don't blame me, I voted for Saxon" bumper-stickers be popping up on the backs of London cars now?
On the plus side, it's kind of nice as an American to be able to feel a smug sense of superiority about race relations for a change without having to look to, say, Sudan for a comparison.