Jamaica Kincaid’s Anti-Christian, Nonsensical Remarks About Haiti and Capitalism
by Charles C. JohnsonWriter Jamaica Kincaid has a long tradition of embarrassing comments at my college, Claremont McKenna, where she is a professor of literature. Remember, though, before you insist on calling her Professor Kincaid, that she only has a high school degree.
Jamaica Kincaid
Her essay, A Small Place, is written about her native Antigua and attacks British civilization and capitalism itself. The most revealing selection from that essay? Here it is, from pages 36 to 37 as she is discussing that the white colonizer is to blame for the very corrupt government of Antigua.
You will forget your part in the whole setup, that bureaucracy is one of your inventions, that Gross National Product is one of your inventions, and all the laws that you know mysteriously favour you. Do you know why people like me are shy about being capitalists? Well, it’s because we, for as long as we have known you, were capital, like bales of cotton and sacks of sugar, and you were the commanding, cruel capitalists, and the memory of this is so strong, the experience so recent, that we can’t bring ourselves to embrace this idea that you think so much of. As for what we were like before we met you, I no longer care. No periods of time over my ancestors held sway, no documentation of complex civilizations, is any comfort to me. Even if I really came from people who were living like monkeys in trees, it was better to be that than what happened to me, what I became after I met you.
And so yes, she’s teaches writing at a college whose motto is “civilization prospers with commerce,” even though it looks like she’s in favor of neither.
Kincaid’s most recent comments to students at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne highlight why she should never have been brought to teach and show just how much academia tolerates anti-Christian language, at the same time it condemns virtually every other kind of “ism.”
Here are a few paragraphs from an article describing her visit.
While speaking to the media Thursday, the author and professor started reflecting on a trip to Haiti two years ago and wondered why it took an earthquake for the United States to pay attention to the impoverished nation.
An IPFW employee responded by saying there were a number of American church groups and mission organizations that had been in the country for years trying to help.
“I think, on the whole, church groups should be banned from these places,” said Kincaid, a native of Antigua.
1. The United States and the international community has spent $4 billion in foreign aid payments to Haiti since 1990. U.S. contributions from 1990 to 2005 totaled $1.5 billion. There are only 8 million Haitians, so you do the math. And that’s not talking about all the money given since. So the idea that the U.S. hasn’t given Haiti anything is just not true. You can argue — and believe me, I do — that foreign aid hasn’t done anything of good in these places, but you can’t argue that it hasn’t been tried.
2. There have been millions pouring into Haiti from church groups. As of January 21, 2010, some $305 million has been raised to help Haiti, much of it from religious sources. Allow me to quote from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s editor, Stacy Palmer,
“You’ve got a bad economy and a disaster outside of the U.S.,” said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. “It makes sense that lots of people gave to the Katrina disaster in the U.S., but to give outside of the U.S. like this is remarkable, especially at a time with 10% unemployment.”
Just imagine how bad it would be if religious groups weren’t giving. But that’s not all.
Many Haitians follow Voodoo as their religion. Christian groups don’t like it and are only in the country to try to spread Christianity, she said.
“Their main reason for going there is to eradicate this belief,” Kincaid said.
Kincaid said she was worried her sentiments would offend people. She said she hadn’t planned to talk about Haiti at all but couldn’t help herself.
No, their main reason is concern for the poor — which is a Biblical imperative. “Couldn’t help herself” to be bigoted against an entire group of people trying to do what they perceive is the right thing?
Of course the truly laughable moment comes at the end of the article:
One student asked Kincaid how she balances writing with the job of getting published and making appearances. She advised the students they need to write for themselves, not an audience or money.
That’s funny. Why is then that curriculum committee approved a course with the idea of leveraging Ms. Kincaid’s contacts as they position themselves in the publishing world? It seems as if they are being good capitalists, after all.
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256 Comments
Sometimes, things are so far fetched, so ludicrous, so insane, that the only response is to shake your head slowly and say: W T F !!!!!!!
This demented ingrate should move to Africa. I'm sure she'll love Zimbabwe and I'll love getting rid of this miserable cockroach.
"1. The United States and the international community has spent $4 billion in foreign aid payments to Haiti since 1990. U.S. contributions from 1990 to 2005 totaled $1.5 billion. There are only 8 million Haitians, so you do the math. And that’s not talking about all the money given since…."
I made that exact point earlier today, over at Big Journalism. Divide 9 million Haitians into 4 BILLION dollars, and they all should have money in the bank, be living in seaside McMansions and driving a new Lexus. Something is bad wrong………….
I wouldn't pay to see one of Ms. Kincaid's appearances if she was working the drive-thru at Popeye's.
Pay? You would have to pay me, a large sum to go to one of her lectures.
"Well, it’s because we, for as long as we have known you, were capital, like bales of cotton and sacks of sugar"
"Even if I really came from people who were living like monkeys in trees, it was better to be that than what happened to me, what I became after I met you."
I am so sick and tired of the slavery card being whipped out and this ludicrous victim mentality by these race hustlers. Race relations have never been better. A black man or woman could walk into ANY business, apply for a job and get that job if so desired. That is called "equality". What she wants is preferential treatment. Stop dragging your people down with your professional victimhood, saying they are owed something because their great great great grandpa MIGHT have been a slave. Preach prosperity instead.
REALLY?
"Even if I really came from people who were living like monkeys in trees, it was better to be that than what happened to me, what I became after I met you."
My only comment to Miz Jamaica would be: Darlin' if that is how you really feel, I'll accept your challenge. I'll offer to buy you a one way ticket, first class, and send you back to the bush.
……….and I don't mean George……….
Man when is people going to wake up !
Look at this, proves what obama is putting into federal positions
Obama's new envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, Rashad Hussain, is at the center of a controversy over remarks attributed to him defending a man who later pleaded guilty to conspiring to aid a terrorist group.
The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs quoted Hussain in 2004 as calling Sami al-Arian the victim of "politically motivated persecutions" after al-Arian, a university professor, was charged in 2003 with heading U.S. operations of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The United States has designated the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a foreign terrorist group as far back as 1997. At the time of al-Arian's arrest, then Attorney General John Ashcroft called it "one of the most violent terrorist organizations in the world."
Al-Arian pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiracy to aid Palestinian Islamic Jihad and was sentenced to more than four years in prison.
The White House says the controversial remarks defending al-Arian two years earlier were made by his daughter — not by Hussain. Both were part of a panel discussion at a Muslim Students Association conference, but the reporter covering the event told Fox News she stands by the quotes she attributed to Hussain, who was a Yale Law student and an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
After reporting the remarks, The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs later cut them out of its article on its Web site.
The magazine declined to comment on the sanitized article, but the editor, Delinda Hanley, told Politico that the comments should have been attributed to al-Arian's daughter, Laila.
But the author of the piece, Shereen Kandil, told Fox News that she would never confuse the two people.
"If I quoted someone, it's because they said it," she said, adding that she no longer works for the magazine and was surprised to learn of the changes.
The White House also attributes the quotes to Laila al-Arian.
A White House official who talked with Hussain on Tuesday said he acknowledged attending the event to discuss civil rights in a post-9/11 world but has "no recollection" when it comes to the comments attributed to him.
I remember having to read a few pieces of Kincaid's in a 'multicultural' course (naturally). Another student and I, two of the few healthy students in the class, went after the professor for defending her racist perspective.
Having to listen to all that diversity-laden, racist, anti-American, atheist trash at college really sent my head crashing to my desk. Over time, though, I started arguing with the professors and the liberal students, even if I thought my grade might suffer–I don't take kindly to brainwashing.
"Divide 9 million Haitians into 4 BILLION dollars, and they all should have money in the bank,"
about $444.44
thats W T F over!!!!
I know what you mean, Cowboy, but I think that's how we got into this mess. These liberal agendas seemed so removed from reality that we ignored them–and now many of them are policy.
WTF is an understandable reaction, but FU is the approach we need to take going forward. Seriously.
gee, my Jewish relatives were murdered in Europe as recently as the 1940s. does that mean I should give up and become a professional victim because of past injustices to my people?
Jamaica, here's a stepladder: get over yourself.
Don't we have enough of these 'dredges' running around? Cashing in on the alleged misery of others is lower than whale crap.
The problem with #1 is she is not understanding Capitalism, hard workers will be rewarded. If you GIVE money to someone, especially a poor someone they have no idea what to do with it, so they waste it. I love the Native Americans and this is going to sound horribly NOT PC but if you have ever gone to an Indian Reservation you will see the results of giving people money they did not earn. The reserves have lots of money but if you go there it's like entering into a 3rd world country. Foreign aid is poured into Haiti and no one in Haiti has a clue what to do with the money. This is why socialism doesn't work either, if you didn't earn it, it's not near and dear to your heart so you are going to squander it. If those Haitians were paid a decent days wage after doing a decent days work out of that foreign aid money we'd see a very different Haiti. Haiti creates a lot of it's own poverty but its because they lack a basic understanding of how business works. For those of you who are tired of the PC BS I dare you to tell it like it is.
I don't mind spending my tax money to move people like her to a shark-infested island.
I would love to know how someone like this with a high school
education is teaching in a college?…Unbelievable!!..Although,
with the way education is today, I'm sure we have college
professors that graduated college with Basketweaving 101 as
their major……
I do not think we can say FU.
It will confuse the academics.
They will think it is a new University, and want to get tenured………..
How do you teach in a college without degrees, write books that no one would read, or speak at colleges and universities, this monkey has got to be someone's pet that is high on the ladder
How well you made your point!!…There isn't any group
in the world that wasn't mistreated at one time or another…
But at some point, you have to get a grip….
I'd move her to Haiti, with Danny Glover.
Her musings do beg the question: What is stopping her from building a tree-house and living in the trees(if that would be preferable to what "we" have made her).?
Just a side note; My family has been on the continent for over 400 years and none with my surname has ever owned a slave, nor benefited directly from the slave trade or slave labor. IN fact, many with my surname died while fighting the good fight to free slaves from their "owners".
Years ago Pat Buchanan warned us about the multi-cultural agenda…He
was called a racist, but it seems after 20 years or so, he is being proven
right!…….
Her actual agenda is hate and bigotry. People like her should and WILL be marginalized in the coming years.
Good one.
Of course he wouldn't remember his words…It wouldn't benefit
him to remember….Anyone associated with this White House
is a lying bag of crap………
Another self-pitying opportunist looking to cash in on historical grievances. They're a dime a dozen in academia.
Haven't the Haitians suffered enough?
We is wakin' up.
What is your point?
Thats is a good rationale.
Lets double down and send them another four billion.
That'd be like putting Barney Fife in charge of Homeland Security.
Oh wait, that's right. We have Janet Napitaliano.
If a monkey like Obama can get into the White House, this monkey with a high school diploma can teach in a university–if you're a leftist, all (nonsensical) things are possible.
Railing against capitalism and religion while praying to God she gets paid handsomely for her writings. Liberalism perfected.
I'm so tired of people decrying capitalism while enjoying the fruits of it (Michael Moore, Danny Glover, this clown, the Koslings). If capitalism is so horrible, then go live in the People's Paradise of Cuba or North Korea. If you seized their bank accounts for "compassionate redistribution" they would squeal like stuck pigs.
There is neither a time nor a place in the world where black people have been successful. Somehow white people manage to keep them down. I'm weary of hearing this.
"Jamaica Kincaid was born in 1949 as Elaine Potter Richardson on the island of Antigua. She lived with her stepfather, a carpenter, and her mother until 1965 when she was sent to Westchester, New York to work as an au pair."
So if she was sent by her parents, was she a slave to them? It seems that her stepfather was a bush carpenter – hmm.
"In 1973, she changed her name to Jamaica Kincaid because her family disapproved of her writing."
Also it sounds more "tribal" than Elaine Potter Richardson. What a joke. Fake academic, fake slave, fake professor.
The same old song and dance…. blah…blah… blah….I have walked out of classes before and would not sit thru any of her dribble….. can anyone imagine being in this woman's mind for more than a few seconds… that will make you run screaming thru the night…
What an evil, racist, repressive country this must be when an under-educated immigrant of African descent can make a lucrative living at a University denouncing the country that provided her with such opportunities as evil, racist, and repressive.
To steal a great simile from John Nolte, she's really adept at sticking her head inside the stuffed tiger's mouth.
I can't take it anymore. How can I send my reparations check to her?
The college is still paying her? For what?
If the EPA would regulate the expulsion of CO2 by brain damaged progressives, the world would be such a wonderful place.
[...] Read more here: » Jamaica… [...]
Wouldn't we all like to know how a seemingly incompetent, barely educated, totally inexperienced, crooked senator was elected into the White House–(I could go on, of course, but to what purpose?)
She's a leftist, that's how. He's a radical leftist.
Why don't these people ever mention that 450,000 white Republicans died in the civil war so blacks in this country could be freed from slavery?
We did our part. they could do their part by hugging a Republican.
What I got out of her statement was she was emotionally scarred by the treatment of her ancestors and therefore will be unable to be anything but sorry and lazy for her whole worthless life and we should change society so we can support these poor ignorant fools like herself? Its awful that they allow someone like her to even speak to our kids. I mean talk about the wrong msg..wow
She should be glad she wasn't left to Afrika. The bigoted Muslims trim a little pleasure from young girls.
Maybe she doesn't understand that it was the Africans that were selling fellow Africans into slavery. Is there any way that we can verify that she is even descended from slaves?
LOL!!!!!!
good one…I needed that…been a bad day….thanks!!!! and oh so true….
don't know about that college but all those I attended the faculty had MS degrees or higher…WTF applies x1000….
Ouch!
I have a suggestion for this…person. Go to Haiti, convince the people there to switch to your non-religious, non-capitalist system and, without any filthy capitalist aid money, remake the country into paradise. Show us all how it should be done. I imagine as 'brilliant' as this…person is, that should take what three, four months? Don't talk about it, don't bitch about it, just go there and do it!
Shadesof Rigoberta Menchu. Another misconceived screed from somewhere on the other side of evil. Unfortunately, it is also a tenured part of our educational system. Ward Churchill? God, the eviI that this man spews. It really is too bad that he so denigrated and desecrated the memories that died in the Twin Towers holocaust. And that loud mouth Mr. Gates over in Cambridge. It seems that these left wing extremists which comprises much of the "intelligencia(?)" spew a constant littany of hate against the United States. If we are going to take back our country, we had better start with taking back our schools.
For the same reason they NEVER talk about the fact that it was BLACK AFRICANS who caught, owned, and sold them; whites only bought them from their BLACK owners, never "caught them".
The American born white male is the most discriminated against individual on the planet today.
We are blamed for things we never personally did – simply because of the color of our skin.
White men cannot have a private club, think golf, but there exists a black caucus, a hispanic caucus and the likes of the NAACP.
We watch Jesse Jackson snap about the number of black coaches in the NFL. How about looking on the field Brother Jackson? How about the NBA?
A white man can be depicted as a chimp day after day in the newspaper, but now that Obama is President a person cannot even draw a monkey without being accused of a racist action.
Likewise, it is somehow OK to see a white man with a noose around his neck in the editorial cartoons, but do you think any cartoonist would dare depict Obama that way? Hardly.
White men are passed over for promotions and have to sue to gain them.
If white men score better on tests, then the tests are somehow flawed, supposedly.
We are told day after day that we somehow have this special status that affords us some magic benefit.
Well, as a white man, I am asking for someone to show it to me.
Stop blaming folks because they are white -or- admit the racist within you when you do!
Oh and as an aside for all the folks on this thread talking smack about lacking a degree, maybe it is time to understand that learning isn't limited to a school where a piece of paper reflects knowledge supposedly gained. Plenty of us out here never went to college but can out debate and out perform many who have them.
Degree elitism is as repugnant as racism.
This gal isn't full of it because she has no degree, she is full of it because her positions suck eggs and can be defeated with basic truths.
She is like this because there is a lot of money and attention in it. She obviously knows very little history.
In Antigua "career victim" is an actual industry., not a job description, an industry.
It has always amazed me that Haiti and Domincan Republic share the same island- Hispanolia. The GDP per capita is around $1300 for Haiti and around $8200 for DR. Those quasi intellectuals, like pseudo professor Jamaica Kinkaid, always seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when it comes to being objective.
Xtra spicey and an extra biskit on the side. I am sure the fine folks of Anguilla are embarrassed. They do have an accomplished regae singer Banky Banks… have toked (I mean spoked) with him on several occasions.
I'm a High School grad only, and frankly I have a shitload more common sense than most Ivy League assholes.
Bill Gates only did 1year of Harvard ya know……….
Are you saying she came down from her tree long enough to go to high school? Sounds like Aunt Jemimah to me.
Sammy is a terrorist sympathizer. Sorry to make your story so short, but it is, what it is.
It was made by an old photographer… a very progressive one.
That explains the thinking behind the fruit of kaboom wannabe bomber. "If my woman cannot feel it, neither should I".
Quite right… but Mr. Gates doesn't call himself a "professor" of anything.
The vast majority of us do not pose as professors. As a tuition paying adult, I would hope those charged with teaching my child higher education have a degree exceeding the accomplishments of my child's high school education. Otherwise, my child is fully capable of teaching the teachers.
They probably hired her because they got two for one, victimhood and hypocrisy wrapped up in one package.
You need a college degree to teach high school, a masters degree to teach college level courses at a high school. You need to petition your school to get rid of a grossly under qualified person. From her credentials alone she has no place at a school of higher learning.
actually its 4,444.44, your calc prob doesnt got to the billions, instead millions. Divide 4,000,000 by 900,000 and multiple the result by 100….PEACE!
I sure hate to quote him, but the opportunity for humor is just toooo great. In the immortal words of Don Imus:
"Now that's some nappy headed 'ho………!"
How do you think she got that professorship with only a high school degree? How do you think Jesse Jackson became a Reverend? Hard work, scholarship? Nope. Perpetual victimhood.
actually martha you are to be commended, college/university only contaminates your brain, after
which rot sets in, which causes the loss of all common sense. Congratulations, you have avoided
tremendous debt and managed to maintain your common sense as well.
Off point I know, I always have to chuckle when I see your name. lol I still can't believe a grown man, much less president of the US, uses such an expression.
Of course she wouldn't go. Who'd pay for her to rant in Haiti? Who'd listen to her opinions in Haiti? I'd like to think the Haitians are to smart to go for this crap.
If she hates captialism so much why doesn't she move to that magical place called Cuba. There she can go without the capitalist oppresses use of toliet papper. She can drive a very old unenviromentally friendly car but who cares it's Cuba. She can hang out with other poor Cubans and tell them stories about how Christians, Captalist and the evil white man oppressed her. Women like her love imaginary vicitimization.
this line can even be carried out to most lottery winners. Many of them are broke in 10 yrs of less.
They're too busy making sure nobody uses the word "niggardly" or the phrase "black hole".
I could see a phenomenal, published writer being hired to teach college creative writing, but it doesn't look like she's phenomenal in any positive way.
You'll be called a raaaaacist….
Perhaps she would be happier living in a simple tribal hunter-gatherer society away from the evil White man. Lucky for her, there are several African countries that fit the bill.
I completely agree, being silent and I for one shook my head many times and went on with my life! No more…silence is no longer an option. Thanks to Charles for sharing this and for voicing your truths. Hope my child is fortunate to have a classmate of this strength of character when fall comes and my child is subjected to this and more ~
Seems she expressed her desire to 'swing from the trees' as it would be a better life than she currently lives. Now what a stupid and ignorant statement! These people give me a headache ~
When did high school diplomas become degreees? Jamaica is just as balmy as her namesake.
Took the words right out of my mouth Cowboy – I'll drive her to the airport
Le sigh. You're off by a factor of 10.
( 4 x 10^6 / 9 x 10^5 ) * 100 ~= 444.44 (444,44 for any Europeans out there.)
Similarly as newrouter said….
4 x 10^9 / 9 x 10^6 ~= 444.44
Our Haitian neighbors should all get around $440 a piece which in their country is a rather hefty amount. Assuming the money went directly to the people which we all know, is false.
It's exhausting to hear the same old story over and over, and people actually buy into this!
Ugh, what a disturbing thought and right before I'm ready to call it a night!
So true 1Red, they conveniently fail to mention those facts…doesn't fit with the poor me picture does it?!
Love it, that is a great idea!
So very true, and so very sad. Of course there is much more that could be added to your list Ashrak, the reverse discrimination in this country is rampant.
So what does one have to do to become a lit. prof. these days?
No, they would much rather talk about how they are such "victims" ; it's much easier than taking responsibility for their own actions and themselves.
But HOW a college can hire a lousy high school grad to teach ANY college course, is beyond me ! This person has absolutely NO qualifications whatsoever; which boggles the mind !
Or "blackballed", "blackboard", and whatever else they decided on the fly. LOL
I checked the college web site. She is actually llsted as a professor, and she has a chair (an endowment, I presume). There is something seriously wrong with your college, Mr. Johnson. I suggest transferring. You may have a problem getting some of your Lit credits to transfer, however. Good Luck.
Unbelievable. A high school degree and that's it? Must be impossible to get rid of because of fear of a lawsuit. I'm sure you can guess why the might get sued for. What a travesty. Afraid of muslims posting on the internet that they'll shoot us dead. Afraid that people will think we're racist and we end up losing 13 innocent lives. Now afraid of a lady with a high school diploma that spews vitriol of the worst kind. When is enough enough? Yeah Iran is threatening nuclear action and we're afraid to do anything because we might be called racists. Sounds like the end of the world is near. All the things that's happening has got to make you think Hell is freezing over.
It clearly a backdoor kinda deal, nothing else would be legit or even close to logical.
Hope your day was a great one, even with the never ending stream of awful news….
it's a wonder I can even sleep at night anymore.
Btw, how do we as a society squash this pervasive victim syndrome?! Even in my personal life, that junk never worked on me, who has the patience to endure the same sappy garbage over and over…and over.
Okay, yet another nonallowed post, which contained NOTHING to cause that.
Sometimes colleges invite very accomplished, famous people to be a lecturer, occasionally, to even teach one class or more than one.
Since a high school grad with no accomplishments at all, is now teaching a college level lit class, somet=hing is very much amiss.
Well, The Clinton Foundation, or whatever he calls his NGO, is deeply involved in Haiti…that "bad wrong" enough for you?
Not sure what is happening with you and your posts getting booted, how annoying!
I was aware of what you've outlined above, I have a sister who works at a college in the capacity of securing grants for such people to come to the college and teach 'master classes', and that is a great opportunity for the students.
Yep, something is very amiss, or amuk (sp) with just about everything these days
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