While I am not attempting to become the "PC Preacher" here, I felt it important to open the view on cptenaud's use of the word Nigger for those of a narrow perspective, particularly given the highly incendiary nature of the word. I cannot speak for him, but I take from his use of the capital N that he is using the word "correctly" and not as a racial epithet, in spite of Powell's and Condi's race. (While I don't press the point, I do not subscribe to the belief that the use of the word only belongs to blacks. Call it the linguistic purist in me.)

The notion of what a nigger is has perhaps been replaced by the term toady, but that is a bit less descriptive in general usage.

What is the cor...

While I am not attempting to become the "PC Preacher" here, I felt it important to open the view on cptenaud's use of the word Nigger for those of a narrow perspective, particularly given the highly incendiary nature of the word. I cannot speak for him, but I take from his use of the capital N that he is using the word "correctly" and not as a racial epithet, in spite of Powell's and Condi's race. (While I don't press the point, I do not subscribe to the belief that the use of the word only belongs to blacks. Call it the linguistic purist in me.)

The notion of what a nigger is has perhaps been replaced by the term toady, but that is a bit less descriptive in general usage.

What is the correct meaning of the word "Nigger"? The true kernel of it can perhaps best be expressed in this:

"All niggers aren't black, and all blacks aren't niggers."

This was driven home to me in the late '60s in a student-power pamphlet I encountered titled "The Student As Nigger", expressing a view of the use of the student population as tools of the military-industrial complex rather than as genuine seekers of intellectual enlightenment with a bent of the use of that truth ound for the peaceful benefit of mankind.

I'm suspect this comment will draw some heat, but... I offer it in the hope of intellectual enlightenment, not incendiary rhetoric.

BartendingBear said:

While I am not attempting to become the "PC Preacher" here, I felt it important to open the view on cptenaud's use of the word Nigger for those of a narrow perspective, particularly given the highly incendiary nature of the word. I cannot speak for him, but I take from his use of the capital N that he is using the word "correctly" and not as a racial epithet, in spite of Powell's and Condi's race.

There is no "correct" way to use that word; it remains a derogatory word usually used in reference to Black people (as it was used here). Regardless of your beliefs, one never sees it used in reference to other races (that wouldn't make it necessarily more acceptable...

BartendingBear said:

While I am not attempting to become the "PC Preacher" here, I felt it important to open the view on cptenaud's use of the word Nigger for those of a narrow perspective, particularly given the highly incendiary nature of the word. I cannot speak for him, but I take from his use of the capital N that he is using the word "correctly" and not as a racial epithet, in spite of Powell's and Condi's race.

There is no "correct" way to use that word; it remains a derogatory word usually used in reference to Black people (as it was used here). Regardless of your beliefs, one never sees it used in reference to other races (that wouldn't make it necessarily more acceptable). If anything, reads as double-insult, i.e. not only does Bush have puppets, but they are also of this bad species. Merely mentioning that they're his Black puppets/puppets to bring in Black votes/whatever would have still driven the "puppet" message home effectively if that was the only intention.

I find the argument citing usage of capital "N", etc. as evidence of legitimate use for the derogatory word bollocks.

I normally don't like splitting hairs over vocabulary, and lord knows I'm not in a position to correct anyone's spelling, but the use of the word as Bartendingbear suggests (an exceptionally parsimonious, stingy and otherwise narrowly inflexible person) is actually spelled "niggard" which comes from the root in Middle English word nyggard, which has its root in the ancient Scandinavian word nyg, meaning stingy, with the 'ard' suffix added to make the adjective into a personal noun.

The deraugatory term, on the other hand, is spelled 'nigger' with an e, and probably comes from the Spanish word 'negritto' which was a slang for blacks, or simply the word negro, which means black in Spanish. Si...

I normally don't like splitting hairs over vocabulary, and lord knows I'm not in a position to correct anyone's spelling, but the use of the word as Bartendingbear suggests (an exceptionally parsimonious, stingy and otherwise narrowly inflexible person) is actually spelled "niggard" which comes from the root in Middle English word nyggard, which has its root in the ancient Scandinavian word nyg, meaning stingy, with the 'ard' suffix added to make the adjective into a personal noun.

The deraugatory term, on the other hand, is spelled 'nigger' with an e, and probably comes from the Spanish word 'negritto' which was a slang for blacks, or simply the word negro, which means black in Spanish. Since the origin of the word nigger is the word "black" whatever connotations they may bring are inevitably stereotypes of black people, and thus offensive.

The impression I get, however, is that cptenaud is using the word in a sense most closely linked to a use developed in the 60's which Bartendingbear also touches on, which is a deraugetory word used to describe blacks who integrate into white society and support the white power structure. This is similar to the colloquial use of the word "Uncle Tom," which was used to imply a black who was helping the whites oppress other blacks. I have also heard it used to refer to black people who live up to and confirm white stereotypes of black people.

However, no matter how you look at it, when spelled with an e, the word inevitably is linked to racial stereotypes against black people, and invariably offensive to many.

Any way, think Condi's role in the government is much more than just as a token black face in a very white crowd. (to phrase the idea a little bit more delicately) Condi is not the stereotype of black people that most whites hold (whether they are racist or not). I believe that she got her job in spite of her blackness not because of it.

With all due respect to O’s etymological excellence and expertise, he missed the point, and to the contrary, Geekette , that is exactly my point. Call it a lament of the loss of a good word for the lack of another to replace it in the meaning as used.

The word (in my view) was used correctly, and yes... it was meant derogatorily, and while yes it is usually used in reference to black people in this case it really wasn’t about Condi and Powell being black (that is unfortunate irony). Rather, it was a reference to them as individuals being “owned” by BushCo and dancing to Bush’s tune at his will, which occurs regardless of race. (To the critical eye, an argument might be made that Bush himsel...

With all due respect to O’s etymological excellence and expertise, he missed the point, and to the contrary, Geekette , that is exactly my point. Call it a lament of the loss of a good word for the lack of another to replace it in the meaning as used.

The word (in my view) was used correctly, and yes... it was meant derogatorily, and while yes it is usually used in reference to black people in this case it really wasn’t about Condi and Powell being black (that is unfortunate irony). Rather, it was a reference to them as individuals being “owned” by BushCo and dancing to Bush’s tune at his will, which occurs regardless of race. (To the critical eye, an argument might be made that Bush himself has by and large been Cheney’s Nigger.) Had it been about race, specifically about them being black, I think it would have then been with a lower-case “n”, which was why I made my observation of the differentiation.

The point of my referencing the radical flyer as I did was to make clear the understanding that any individual or group can find themselves in the place of being a Nigger; to be one who acts at the behest and in the interests of another as though they are chattel, even if by unseen motive. The term is used here in an allusion to the machinations of the BushCo regime and Powell’s and Condi’s actions as part of the machine, willing (Condi) or otherwise (Powell).

Quite honestly I see the term when used as I have suggested to be respectful and honoring of those black slaves who did what they had to to survive in the state in which they found themselves when they were in fact capable of being successful as productive individuals in control of their own fate had society allowed them. The denigration of Powell and Condi comes from the fact that Powell didn’t see the hand up his ass and that Condi consents to it. Notice the “nig” in denigration? Coincidence?? Maybe “O” will enlighten us. I haven’t done the research but am suspect of the relationship.