How did Obama get where he is? There has been a debate in this country about whether Obama’s skin color is an asset or a detriment to his evident success. But in Latin America – there is a twist to this dialogue – and that is – given Obama’s skin color, can he still be considered, as they say down south, a ‘gringo’ – which is another way of calling someone an invader from the north – or more of a Negro – which in Colombia simply means Black and traditionally refers to someone excluded from the power structure.
“I know well that one shouldn’t say ‘gringo’ or ‘Negro’: these are two politically incorrect words. One reveals a visceral anti-Americanism, the other, racism. But the reality is more obstinate than political correctness – and the fact is, that Barack Obama, the next president of the United States, is a gringo – and a Negro. Or, if one prefers, he’s a Negro and a gringo … (Caution: the order of the factors changes the product).
Then delving into the ‘gringo – Negro’ question, Caballero continues:
“He’s a Negro who has become a candidate for the Presidency of the U.S. for a party of national dimension: He’s the American dream made flesh. But Obama is also a gringo. Which means he has characteristics of a professional politician, of a senator, of a gringo president: hypocritically religious, militarily jingoistic and inevitably imperialist. … Empires are imperialist. And Barack Obama is – stands on the brink of being – the emperor of the currently prevailing empire. ”
By Antonio Caballero
Translated By Halszka Czarnocka
October 18, 2008
Colombia – Semana – Original Article (Spanish)
I know well that one shouldn’t say “gringo” or “Negro”: these are two politically incorrect words. One reveals a visceral anti-Americanism, the other, racism. But the reality is more obstinate than political correctness – and the fact is that Barack Obama, the next president of the United States, is a gringo – and a Negro. Or, if one prefers, he’s a Negro and a gringo.
(Caution: the order of the factors changes the product).
It’s not for being Black that Obama will reach the presidency (though to a small degree, because of it), and not in spite of being Black (although, there’s a little bit of this, too). It will be because, among the gringo candidates, he is undoubtedly the best. Now that he has eliminated his Democratic rivals, all he has to face before Election Day is Republican John McCain (plus two or three marginal candidates: the indefatigable and tedious Ralph Nader, a Green woman and a mad libertarian). And McCain himself is a mannequin, a stiff puppet who sounds like a rusted machine – which is even worse when he laughs – and whose main asset, as presented on TV by his vice presidential candidate [Sarah Palin], is that “he knows how to win a war because he’s been in one.” Yes: he spent almost the entire Vietnam War as a prisoner of those who eventually won it.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated and English-language foreign press coverage of the U.S. election
