CNN's Pick for "The Fight that Changed History"...

he and "Jungle Book" and "Gunga Din" author Rudyard Kipling, unfortunately

 

Kipling was not a racist. "Gunga Din" was an ode...."you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din"- as the soldier acknowledged the fallibility of his once solidly held convictions.

"Jungle Book" is as much a shot at all humanity, as the superiority of the animals, and their scorn for man's general puniness, is writ large.

 

Kipling was absolutely a racist:nono:

the soldier was acknowledging Gunga Din's bravery and nothing more

incidentally, the film "Gunga Din" is one of my favorites

 

"You're A Better Man Than I Am, Gunga Din"

I mean, what do you want? For him to take out articles? Have it submitted under seal and covenant?

 

THAT is your "evidence" that Rudyard Kipling WAS NOT a racist??

Its a fucking story! a fictional story about heroic British troops fighting in a land they had invaded and taken over, for fuck's sake and the "good" Indian who assisted them against the radical indians (the Thugees) who were rebelling against them

This man wrote "The White Man's Burden", are you familiar?

Was he abnormally racist for his time? no, not at all... he enlivens the British self-importance of the time and their belief in being the masters of the Earth, and superior to all other people, thus their belief that it was their job to "kindly" show others the folly of their non-English ways

Should we simply give him a free pass for that nonsense today? absolutely not

Frankly, I am stunned to be having such a conversation with an Irishman

 

There is no love lost between me and the Imperialist British....I just think that, in Kiplings work, there is proof to be found of a far more objective view not just of the colonised peoples, but of mankind in general. I don't think Kipling had a lot of time for people in general.

And I would sooner have the "White Mans Burden" version of events than the slimy, slithering, giggling apologetic nonsense that the likes of the Dimblebys put out via the BBC today.

I'm not altogether sure that the retrospective imposition of current mores and values onto Victorian society is the fairest process either. Besides, Darcus Howe is probably as bigoted as Kipling ever was, and he has made a living out of it smack-bang in PC Britain.

 

the title doesn't really work - Johnson-Jeffries may have been the most significant event/fight/sporting event at the time, or hell jsut for fun let's say the most significant ever in teh USA.

it didn't change history though. it didn't change the poor treatment of black people in this country, didn't change the hatred of Johnson, didn't break the color line, didn't help black fighters get more title shots... it really didn't actually change anything exccept reinforce and re-ignite racial tensions

 

It was really the advent of Joe Louis which changed things. This was a man whites & blacks both found reasons to cheer for.

 

He was also a black man who fought other black men for the title. That's why I put the John Henry Lewis fight forward as being significant.

 

Jesus Christ. If you're going to include half-blind Light-Heavyweight, getting a sympathetic payday from a friend, John Henry Lewis.........then you're going to have to give credit to Jack Johnson for fighting Jim Johnson. :nono:

 

:laughing::laughing:

Suddenly, Klitschko vs KLitschko seems so much more likely.

:atu::atu::atu:

 

Klit vs. Klit


I think I saw that on the Spice Channel the other night.


:bears:

 

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