Closeted bigots have become versed in traversing the bumpy bigoted landscape, furthering their ideals while claiming tolerance and proclaiming their love for diversity. Thus, they are often difficult to expose outright. We must therefore watch their "walk" vs. their "talk". Don't expect to find Bush using the "N" word or berating gays openly. What you will easily find, however, is a record of civil rights atrocities and staunch support for admitted bigots. Indeed, until Trent Lott spilled the beans regarding his racist beliefs, accusations of contemporary GOP racism was often poo-pooed as left-wing rhetoric with little evidence (i.e. signed confessions).

Actions, as we know, are what determine character and reveal true thoughts. Words mean nothing alone. George W. Bush is THE prime example of rhetoric without support of actions. However, with adept handlers, a propaganda machine and historical revisionist spinners, Bush has been shielded from any outright racist gaffes. Nevertheless, his actions have unerringly exposed a character that fits snugly in the racist mold. His most recent foray into the realm of Social Security as a tool to convince blacks to vote against themselves puts a fork in that theory and declared it done.

In fact, Bush’s latest assault on African Americans, in addition to his history of bigoted actions, proves that he is without doubt a closeted racist. Particularly in this world of a Post-Lott-confession, Bush's actions are inexcusable, an insult to all Americans and a slap in the face to all civil libertarians. So what has he done with Social Security? What was so despicable? Before we get to that, lets take a little look at what he has done in the past:

1) During his 2000 (in 1999 and 2000) Primary campaign for the Presidency, Bush drummed-up support from his racist buddies at good ol' Bob Jones University. You know. The one that banned interracial dating and declared on its website that the Catholic Church is a minion of Satan.

2) Bush nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, CA state Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl who is pushing to reinstate the undeserved tax-exempt status of the blatantly racist Bob Jones University. Isn't that nice.

3) Despite pleas from civil rights leaders, Bush boycotted the United Nations conference on racism.

4) George W. Bush beat John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina primary after what Newsweek called a 'smear campaign' of leaflets, e-mails and telephone calls calling attention to the McCains' 'black child' (an adopted daughter from Bangladesh).

5) Southern Exposure magazine published an article documenting "a questionable relationship between Bush and far-right neo-Confederate groups." For example: "Bush is listed as a donor to the Museum of the Confederacy, based in Richmond, Virginia, as a supporter of the Museum's annual ball - an event held in a slave hall, which has drawn fire for its celebration of the Southern Confederacy." Also, "a letter on Texas Governor stationary, dated January 1, 1996, shows Gov. Bush congratulating the 100th anniversary of the United Daughters of the Confederacy - a group known for glorifying the Confederate past."

6) Bush has shown indifference to the issue of the confederate flag flying atop the South Carolina Capital building sticking the issue into the 'states' rights' bin, the same argument used to rationalize the right to own slaves.

7) According to Ralph G. Neas, President of People For the American Way, "It is more important that the White House and GOP leaders make a break not only with the segregationist past but with their policies and actions that continue to undermine civil rights protections in America today. This includes especially the efforts by Bush to pack the federal judiciary with states' rights ideologues."

The federal Judiciary, eh? Well, long ago in a place far away, when Democrats actually had a say in the confirmation of Bush federal judgeships, there were two candidates in particular with abominable records on civil rights, (a tell-tale sign of the stealth racist.) who were rejected from serving on the federal bench. Indeed, these monsters were Priscilla R. Owen of Texas and Charles W. Pickering Sr. of Mississippi, a longtime friend of Trent Lott (Need we say more?)

So what did Bush do? Unbelievably, After a 95.4% senate confirmation rate for Bush judicial nominees, Bush had the unmitigated cojones to renominate Owen and give a recess appointment to Pickering. And not only did these two right-wing, senate-rejected, judicial-activist, extremists make it back into the line-up, but so too did 18 other previously-rejected, radical-right losers.

And now there is this…

8) Bush and the Republicans are attempting to frame the social security debate as an issue of civil rights... one on which the GOP is the advocate for civil rights. Bush argues that, since Black men die earlier, on average, than white men, the system is racially biased against blacks.

As President Bush prepares to accelerate his sales pitch for overhauling Social Security, he is increasingly wrapping his rhetoric in racial terms. The system, he argues, is ''inherently unfair" to many blacks.

The solution, Bush says, is to embrace his plan for private accounts, details of which he may provide in his annual State of the Union address Wednesday.

Under a system based on wages, the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit received by African-Americans is $775, compared with $912 for whites. In addition, many blacks never receive the benefits because a disproportionate number die before they are eligible. On average, black males die six years sooner than white males.

Bush, at a forum on Jan. 11, said: ''African-American males die sooner than other males do, which means the system is inherently unfair to a certain group of people. And that needs to be fixed."

Of course, Bush’s commercialization of Social Security is the answer.

This simplistic, deceitful spin on the functioning of the Social Security system is typical of right-wing propaganda. In a nutshell, the flagrant mislead in Bush's logic is unforgivable -- primarily because the lower life expectancy of black men (cited as the reason why blacks should favor Bush's Social Security changes) is largely the result of generations of racial oppression by conservatives.

It's a brilliant, evil strategy, as if devised by Lex Luthor himself. They 1) facilitate the problem and then 2) use the resultant malady as a rationale for one of their schemes...and even then, they are forced to fill in the numerous logical crevices by 3) lying through their teeth. It is a despicable cycle that the right-wing propaganda machine has become adept at selling to the American people and more specifically to those with whom the scheme hurts most.

Maya Rockeymoore, who has studied the issue at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, said Bush's plan for private accounts is not a good solution. The average age of death for blacks, she said, is earlier than for whites because homicide, poverty, and a lack of health care kills many black men at a young age.

She also said blacks get a higher return on benefits for the disabled and survivors. While blacks make up 12 percent of the population, they account for only 8.1 percent of those receiving direct retirement benefits. But blacks make up for that deficit by collecting more from other parts of the program -- the benefits for disabled persons and survivors, Rockeymoore said. African-Americans account for 18 percent of those receiving Social Security disability payments and 23 percent of children receiving survivor benefits, she said.

Rockeymoore said Bush's proposal for private Social Security accounts was flawed because many blacks' low incomes would prevent them from contributing significantly. Asserting that some proposals call for cutting benefits in addition to the creation of private accounts, she said that the plan would hurt many blacks.

''He would be dealing with health care if he really cared about it," Rockeymoore said, when asked about Bush's comment that the Social Security system is inherently unfair to blacks. Rockeymoore said Bush is ''playing a race card" as ''an excuse to change the system for their own narrow ends."

The conservative frame is simple, yet compelling -- exactly what a frame should be. In this case, conservatives are hoping to inject this idea…that Social Security is unfair to Blacks and that Republicans are going to save the African-American community from this abomination.

Bottom line frames:

1) Social Security is severely flawed (in crisis) and in need of 'reform' (or even abolishment)

2) Republicans are the saviors of the afflicted African-American population

Lies used to create the frame include:

1) There is a social Security Crisis
2) Blacks are unfairly discriminated against by the Social Security system
3) Bush's plan will help fix these flaws

Back to reality:

Jeffrey Liebman, an associate professor of public policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, has studied the issue of whether blacks are treated unfairly by Social Security. He has concluded that blacks and whites receive roughly the same return on payroll taxes.

Agreeing with Rockeymoore, Liebman said: ''Black retirees on average receive benefits for fewer years than white retirees. But blacks are benefited by the current system because low earners get a higher return on their payroll taxes and because blacks are more likely to receive disability and young survivor benefits."

Liebman also disputed Bush's assertion that his plan for private accounts would make the system more fair to blacks. Even with the accounts, the same disparities between whites and blacks would exist, he said. Liebman, a former adviser to President Clinton, favors a plan for adding private accounts on top of Social Security, not replacing part of the existing system.

As usual, the congressional Black Caucus 'gets it'...

Representative Charles B. Rangel, a New York City Democrat who was among black members of Congress who met with Bush last week, said he is ''really offended" that the White House and some Republicans are trying to sell Bush's plan for private accounts on grounds that it would be more beneficial to African-Americans.

''It is one of the cruelest things that I have ever read, and I regret that it comes from the office of the president," Rangel said. If Bush wants to do something about inequities between the races, Rangel said, he should address issues including the lack of access to healthcare among many blacks, higher unemployment, and lower wages. Rangel added that unless blacks have better economic prospects, private Social Security accounts will not help them.

Unfortunately, as usual, the average voter will not 'get it'. The language is faulty and intentionally deceitful, and the administration will win this battle because the frame is simple, emotionally compelling, and easily understood. truth has always been optional. If the left hopes to claim victory, they must create and communicate an equally effective frame.

To be sure, the intention of Conservatives is to target social programs for destruction while simultaneously wooing a 90% Democratic constituency and turn the debate, as they have in the past, into an issue of 'black and white' -- no pun intended.

This ingenious strategy is called a 'strategic initiative', an initiative that affects a myriad issues in one giant swing. This is something that has been in the planning for years by the right and it is finally coming to fruition in the current assault on the African American community…like sirens calling the sailors to their death.

In true form, this comes as a part of a larger strategy as conservatives work to frame the GOP as the 'party of civil rights'.

All these things work together to form the true picture of Republicans as racists -- normally unwilling to admit their feelings toward non-whites, but ever transparent in their acts.

So tell you what. If what is presented in this article does not illustrate a deliberate pattern of racist behavior, then I challenge anyone to reasonably illustrate why it does not. Be sure to address McCain's "Black Child", Bob Jones University and Bush's praise for the confederacy. Good luck.

Framing 101 :: Race :: Social Security | Link