Condoleezza Rice is nothing if not interesting, and I'd like to write a paper aobut her, I think. She is in some sense an embodiment of the Republicans' transformation. The Republicans have turned race and class into a "narrative," a "life story" that wraps itself around one. Honestly, the fact that Bush not only appointed the first Black Secretary of State, but he was succeeded by another African American and what's more a black woman, is historically significant, even if progressives are reluctant to acknowledge it (or they understand what's deeply problematic about it). "Compelling stories" are the fundamental insight between this administration - and if you tell a compelling enough story, it seems, you can get away with anything. No?
1 comment:
Right on, Security Risk. I think the rise of Condo-sleeza is long overdue for political analysis, and the way you are thinking about it, in terms of the way the ´new narrative history´ fits right into the Right´s turgid little agenda, is brilliant. All these historians prattling on about the importance of telling stories ought to sit up and take notice.
Post a Comment