Saturday, November 23, 2013

The "Knockout Game" is a Dream Come True for Racist White Conservatives


I share no sense of linked fate with Marvell Weaver, the hoodlum who was arrested for playing the "knockout game" and then decided to do an interview with the local news about his exploits.

After watching Weaver's pathetic explanation for the logic of his crime, I am left wondering what happened to shame?

Right-wing trolls are doing their best to play up the foolishness called the "knockout game". It is a new moral panic that combines white anxieties about black criminality, fear of black young people, and stereotypes about "African-American violence" which have been cultivated by white supremacists since Reconstruction.

The emails, comments, and stories on Right-wing websites about the faux moral panic "knockout game" phenomena are not rooted in a fair concern about crime and youth brigandry. Rather, the "knockout game" meme is rooted in a pathologically white racist obsession with "black crime"--what is alone and unique in its distinction, as white privilege has disallowed any discussion of "white crime" in America's public discourse.

There is no assumption made by the White Right that the majority of black people disapprove of the criminals among us. Moreover, the White Right is incapable of such an inference because the White Gaze sees black and brown people as an undifferentiated mass and a hive mind, one step removed from savage beasts. And there is most certainly no understanding by the White Right of the range of nuance and pragmatic politics in the African-American community.

America is highly segregated along lines of race and class. Most white people do not have African-Americans or other people of color in their friendship or social networks. Consequently, many of them actually believe the distorted and stereotypical images of black crime and vulgarity that are circulated by the mass media.

Once more, white racism hurts white people because an obsession with outlier silliness such as the "knockout game" distracts them from the murderers and rapists in their own neighborhoods and families. The conservative noise machine's obsession with "black crime" also creates a type of magical glamour which masks how white people are overwhelmingly the victims of crimes committed by people who look just like them.

Ultimately, the pathological white racists who are obsessed with "black crime" and "the knockout game" are incapable of seeing African-Americans as individual human beings. The White Right's fixation on these issues sells books, gets hits on websites, and fills up time on TV and radio. It also does political work for conservatives by ginning up white resentment. This move blinds white voters to the real criminals, the plutocrats and corporatists, who have been committing wholesale violence against the American people.

I make my best effort to write and speak with precision about issues of race and cultural politics. But sometimes, one has to default to some basic and simple concepts: the conservatives and Right-wing media bloviators who are circulating this "knockout game" meme are stupid. Why? Because their own black crime fixation robs them of the capacity to ask a basic question. The street hoodlums playing this "game" are the same thugs who attack and terrorize black and brown urban communities. Occam's razor demands that African-Americans and others who live in those communities would have the least use and tolerance for such nonsense.

The ability to reach such an obvious conclusion is dependent on two things. First, members of the White Right would actually have to know real black folks (as opposed to the hired and paid for black conservatives who are trotted out as "exceptional negroes" whose only purpose is to excuse-make for white racism). Second, members of the White Right would have to assume that people of color are not that much different from them.

The Right-wing's dream-nightmare of black crime and the "knockout game" is just one more of the many little white lies that sustain the psychologically maladapted and delusional Whiteness that has possessed contemporary conservatism in the post civil rights era and the Age of Obama.

38 comments:

Jack said...

Whites hate all criminals. We'd gladly eliminate all the white criminals along with the black criminals. Thanks to laws and judges favoring criminals we can't weed the evil people out the population like our forefathers did. Before the civil rights movement more whites criminals were lynched in the south than black criminals .

We can't help but notice that a white person living a black area experiences a lot more crime than a black person living in a white area. This lead to the correct conclusion that the best way to avoid crime stay away from black areas. Which is what caused white flight. Polar bear hunting is blacks ranging out from these black areas that stay away from and attacking whites in safe neighborhoods. We couldn't give two shits what you all do in your neighborhoods and we don't care that blacks are unwilling to get their shit together and clean out their own criminal population. Downplay this all you want, but white are out of places to run and we will fight back this time.

Bryan Ortez said...

excellent commentary :) good morning to wake up to this.

"This move blinds white voters to the real criminals, the plutocrats and corporatists, who have been committing wholesale violence against the American people."

:)

Learning is Eternal said...

Let's be clear, some of the first(s) I've seen on/about this involved white kids (before this video). Regardless of hue, ALL are wrong. Just know black kids will become poster children for a cowardly crime shared by all across the spectrum.

Those carrying out these assaults are the main ones who scream bully. CDV you know they ain't built like that.

You don't commit crimes against women, kids, the elderly &/or innocents. No worries though, The perpetrator will be a victim (in jail) too, soon as they call "rec/wreck."

Learning is Eternal said...

And I'm not referencing rape. Just a Lil hand to hand combat.

Bryan Ortez said...

Do you think that people who are hyper concerned about this, who mock the deterioration of cities like Detroit or Chicago think in similar lines of this William P. Beard?

"Beard scoffed at the hypocritical and mawkish appeals of white elites for "law and order" and insisted that the "best people" of South Carolina know that "when white men cease to whip, or kill negroes who become obnoxious, that they will take advantage of the laxity, and soon make this state untenable for whites of ALL kinds, and that under such conditions the 'best' will be like the worst, and the worst like the best." Who actually killed Crawford mattered little, according to Beard, because all whites shared in the blame"

I feel this sentiment strongly when people associate blackness with criminality.

reading here:
https://ohiostatepress.org/Books/Complete%20PDFs/Spierenburg%20Men/14.pdf

SabrinaBee said...

I can't defend this and I won't but, how do we get these kids to understand that if they think things are bad now, just wait until enough feel justified in categorizing them on the same level as terrorists? That when they do things like this it feeds into the idea that they are inherently bad? WE know this isn't necessarily true. And you're right, things become newsworthy when it involves blacks, in this country, unless it is too newsworthy to ignore. The media is so bad here, that when I've had my fill of black "criminals"in our media I make sure to go to dailymail to gain some perspective. Much more balanced representation from that uk rag. They post on whites and blacks alike.

Werner Herzog's Bear said...

Good commentary. This moral panic is spreading fast here in Jersey where it went from being a "young kids" thing to being coded "black." It reminds me of tall tales growing up that Omaha was full of teenage boys hiding under parked cars ready to slash the tendons of the unsuspecting passerby with a straight razor as part of gang initiation.

Bryan Ortez said...

When I posted this I keep thinking the phrase:

"The best will be like the worst, the worst like the best."

The best being the worst makes me think of how Barack Obama is framed and how academia is framed by folks on the right.

SabrinaBee said...

Funny is right. It just shows the what we claim to stand for is an illusion.

afrikaans said...

lol, so much time squandered on excuse-making for useless, oxygen-thieving nigglets.

SabrinaBee said...

I saw it being discussed on al Jazeera this morning. Yet, they won't look at their youth who, when bored, drink and do drugs, pile six or seven to a car, go racing down local highways and streets, and plow down innocent people trying to get back and forth.Not to mention wrap themselves and their passengers around all manner of objects. Where is the story about that epidemic?

E.C. 2 said...

Racist white supremacist conservatives, along with the self-hating, anti-black, buck dancing, shucking and jiving, colored coon-servative Sambos and Jemimas, using this knockout game to justify their racism, and/or their racial self-hatred in the case of the colored coon-servatives, and their black crime paranoia, and the unknowing and/or willful colored tools of these racists participate for what they think are huge benefits. Whom should we as self-respecting black people be madder at?

Second, challenge all of the conservatives to name all of the black leaders, and/or the black press, and/or black talk radio hosts and/or black talk radio listeners, who are defending these knuckleheads. I'm guessing they will all get a case of biting tongues.

E.C. 2 said...

You said it all, and said it all correct, in that quote, Bryan.

E.C. 2 said...

The points in your fifth paragraph are correct, Chauncey, but white America makes a very hypocritical, sinister, and racist "exception" to that demand.


That demand is: Black people will denounce all knuckleheads, except for those who provide us minstrel-like entertainment (Herman Cain, Kira Davis), and/or advocate violence against "white liberals" on behalf of white racist conservatives (Niger Innis). If we as Black People denounce THOSE knuckleheads, then we are "racist" and/or "intolerant" of alleged "dissenting opinions."

Guest said...

Yeah, white people are racist as hell and their racism is why they're treating this story like it's a nationwide pandemic but that doesn't change the fact fools are knocking people out randomly?

Bryan Ortez said...

I didn't say it, I recognize it. Chauncey de Vega said it.

Bryan Ortez said...

The hedge fund managers or whatever have sufficiently insulated themselves from the rest of the public. They would be the ones crossing the street to avoid others. In Brazil, the wealthy fly helicopters to avoid the streets.

If an elite member of American society did have an encounter with an average American or even some trifling young person, you can be assured that the rules of social deference would play in their favor.

chauncey devega said...

Social demographers would tell you that American society is highly stratified by race and class. Your perceptions of what is going on in those spaces is likely very different from what the empirical research would indicate.

Ron J said...

Can't disagree with your assessment but honestly this has a lot more steam/reality than the TM / GZ case did since it's not just 2 people out in the rain that no one can ever prove what exactly happen. And that case was held over "white people's" heads for a year and still is today to some degree about how racist people are to blacks. Yes, racism exists in EVERY corner of America. There are racists whites, blacks, asians, latinos, middle eastern, etc. The vast majority of all races are not racist. The vast majority of all races are not violent. People need to stop letting the media steer their behavior and beliefs. If you think Fox News is bad--I have news for you--EVERY NEWS ORGANIZATION has an agenda--and it's most likely NOT in your best interest.

chauncey devega said...

A few thoughts.

First, this:

"Yes, racism exists in EVERY corner of America. There are racists whites, blacks, asians, latinos, middle eastern, etc."

No. Prejudice and bigotry are relatively common. Racism, institutional and personal is the domain of white people in America. Not because of skin color but because of power. Those distinctions are critical.

"People need to stop letting the media steer their behavior and beliefs. If you think Fox News is bad--I have news for you--EVERY NEWS ORGANIZATION has an agenda--and it's most likely NOT in your best"



Beware both sides do it silly false equivalence narratives. The corporate media is real and dangerous. But don't ignore the empirical data on the consistent and willful misrepresentation of reality and the very very dangerous and negative impacts of the Fox News operation on its listeners. Pew and others have done some very good research on this fact. Fox News is unique in its power to distort reality and negatively impact the public discourse. Fox is not "new" it is Right-wing propaganda of the worst sort.

chauncey devega said...

You know my position on this. Put a bullet in their butts; lock them up. Not that big a deal.

chauncey devega said...

Good questions. I think the buckdancing black conservatives and the knockout game thugs are not that different from one another. If anything the former are more dangerous in an outsized way on a national scale. Both do the work of white supremacy...albeit in their own ways.

chauncey devega said...

I love Niger Innis. His name is fodder for an obvious joke.

Ron J said...

We must be looking at different dictionaries on what racism is.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism
rac·ism noun \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-\
: poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/racism?s=t&path=/

noun
1.
a
belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human
races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving
the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.
a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3.
hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

Ability to enforce their racism via legal channels? Sure, until the last 20 to 40 years that was certainly the dominion of white Americans.

Yes, Fox News is horrible but the rest are just as bad. You just lean that way politically so you don't see a lot of the biases. If you put me down in front of any of the news channels I can cut through the political bias throughout the entire show. Fox News also only has about 3-5MM people that watch it daily while the rest of the MSM gets 80MM combined.

Ron J said...

Here is an article on the media if you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6

chauncey devega said...

That is your problem. Dictionaries are a 5th grade definition. If you want to get a more rich and nuanced understanding of the concept there are many accessible books to begin with. I am a fan of Feagin's work, Racist America in particular, and the book Racism: A History.

chauncey devega said...

Old stuff. We have talked about media consolidation here a great deal. That having been said, Fox News has a profoundly negative impact on its viewers where after exposure to that network on a consistent basis they actually are less knowledgeable about the news and reality. As I said that is a finding from Pew, and media researchers.

Ron J said...

Sorry-95% of the population uses the above definition. The concept you are referring to isn't racism but a specific aspect of racism. Feel free to make up another name for it.

Ron J said...

Feel free to link the Pew research

chauncey devega said...

This is the big kids table as we like to say here on WARN. I am not interested in misunderstood definitions offered up for 5th graders and laypeople.


If you want to elevate your understanding do some more reading or even listen to some of the recent podcasts here. Start w. Matt Hughey's very helpful discussion of white privilege and white supremacy.

Ron J said...

Big kid table? Hah. Threatening me over using the word as the word is used by 95% of the world's population..has nothing to even do with dictionary at that point--that is simply how the word is used in the vernacular by nearly all of society. Feel free to do as you like. I understand quite well what some black americans feel about white privilege. I do not agree with it but understand that is how many blacks feel. That doesn't mean that the only use of the word racism is for white privilege and white power. How many people today do you think actually believe in white supremacy in America? 2%--maybe? And that's being pretty generous.

Ron J said...

Sigh, disappointing

Ron J said...

The hypocrisy is almost too impossible to believe. 50 to 1 says you delete this post.
I already said a) what you believe is indeed racism b) reject your very narrow definition of racism as the only definition of racism.
Second, I never said racism and white supremacy are not facts and dont exist. I merely stated that racism isn't limited to your extremely narrow version of racism and that all races can and are racist and that white surpremist today compromise an extremely small portion of society. In fact you continue to literally make up my position apparently on the fly.
Let me review for you
1) The far right will indeed use this story to further alienate races in America. This is no different than Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman.
2) Fox news sucks. All main stream media sucks. They are all equally biased and all have their own agenda which doesn't benefit you.
3) Racism does exist. However, it is not limited to white people. The fact that you refuse to believe that or want to change the definition of racism doesn't make it so.
I'll leave you with a quote from B T Washington
“There is another class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs – partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”

PS
Still waiting on the Pew poll that shows Fox News listerners are dumber than MSNBC or CNN.

chauncey devega said...

When right wing trolls pull out old Booker T I tell them to hit the bricks. Next comes a selective citation of Brother Martin.


The Pew link is above.


Goodbye. Find somewhere else to haunt. Have fun.

Ron J said...

Right wing? LOL. Denial isn’t a river in Egypt man.

PS Neither of those links list any Pew research poll. They
both link to the the same Farleigh Dickinson survey. Furthermore, that survey asked 8 very specific
questions of which the BEST got 1.5 out of 8 right compared to 1.1 of Fox.
Neither actually give you the n (# per sub-set) or what the standard error is
with a 95% confidence interval. Do you actually think that is a legit survey to
measure intelligence? Did you actually look at the questions? Good questions
but half the white house would probably only get 50% right (I got 6 out of 8
right, FWIW)

Still waiting for a Pew research or Gallup or Zogby or
Rasmussen or CNN poll.

Ron J said...

Right wing? LOL. Denial isn’t a river in Egypt man.

PS Neither of those links list any Pew research poll. They
both link to the the same Farleigh Dickinson survey. Furthermore, that survey asked 8 very specific
questions of which the BEST got 1.5 out of 8 right compared to 1.1 of Fox.
Neither actually give you the n (# per sub-set) or what the standard error is
with a 95% confidence interval. Do you actually think that is a legit survey to
measure intelligence? Did you actually look at the questions? Good questions
but half the white house would probably only get 50% right (I got 6 out of 8
right, FWIW)

Still waiting for a Pew research or Gallup or Zogby or
Rasmussen or CNN poll.



PS Booker t Washington is one of the greatest people ever to live in the US.

chauncey devega said...

Stop playing. You are not helping your case.

"Data from the Program on International Policy Attitudes, NBC/Wall Street Journal, and the Pew Research Center all found Fox News viewers knowing less about current events than everyone else. My friend Chris Mooney cited five (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) separate public opinion studies that showed the same thing."



This is a repeated finding. Not complicated.


Enjoy the holiday.

Guest#11111-- said...

Do you have any clue how much more prevalent black on white violent crime is than white on black? According to the FBI it's upwards of 50x more prevalent! Yet it's white people that are attacking and killing black people. Your a bigoted hate filled joke. Blaming white people for all your problems.....,.....that is your real problem. You keep telling young black people that they can't succeed because the white racists and a bunch of other nonsense. The biggest enemy of the black community and particularly of black youths? Its people preaching the BS your preaching.