The Cosby Effect is not a cure all

Senator Tom Coburn (R) on President Obama: "His intent isn't to destroy. It's to create dependency because it worked so well for him. I don't say that critically ... [but as] an African American male, coming through the progress of everything he experienced, he got tremendous benefit through a lot of these programs. So he believes in them. I just don't believe they work overall and in the long run they don't help our country. But he doesn't know that because his life experience is something different. ... there's nothing wrong with his philosophy other than it's goofy and wrong [laughter] -- but that doesn't make him a bad person." Translation: Black folks cannot pull their own weight and are therefore "dependent" on government assistance. Cue Chauncey DeVega: "And I thought the Cosby effect was supposed to cure white folks like Senator Tom Coburn of this type of ignorance? I am a bit disappointed. Alas." Speaking of white folks of a certain age, DeVega observes: "In all, the Age of Obama is an enema that has freed the most ugly types of Whiteness to act without shame or censure." Needless to say, DeVega believes (as I do) that this is "racism in action" and he goes on to eviscerate Sen. Coburn and the insulting notions about "dependency." Check out his thoughtful piece here.