Bush Hates Black People: A Mini-Dialogue and/or Mini-Tragedy

X: Bush doesn't like black people.

Y: Really? Then why have our last two Secretaries of States been black?

X: Those aren't real black people. They're just Bush's stooges.

Y: So? Even if they are just "Bush's Stooges," that doesn't mean that they're not black.

X: No, but they're not the right kind of black people.

Y: That's what Al Sharpton said about Clarence Thomas. But I still don't see how that means that Thomas and Rice aren't black.

X: Look, they may have black skin, but their souls aren't black.

Y: Huh? Souls have color? I think that's a category fallacy: souls aren't the kind of thing that have color.

X: You know what I mean. They have black skin, but they don't support the interests of black people--and they serve a man who opposes the interests of black people.

Y: "Interests of black people"?

X: [Sighing impatiently.] You know: jobs, discrimination, affirmative action ...

Y: Oh, now I get it! You don't like the political views of Thomas and Rice.

X: Nope.

Y: But I'm still confused.

X: [Disgusted.] Man, you're one of the slowest people I've ever met.

Y: Well, we can't all be Kanye West. Anyway, here's why I'm confused. Your first claim was that Bush doesn't like black people. I offered a counterexample: he's put black people into high positions. Then you said that they aren't really black. But your only reason for this latter claim is that you disagree with their political views. So what our discussion comes down to is this: you have to make the ridiculous and patently false claim that Thomas and Rice are not black in order to support your charge of racism against Bush. Moreover, it's really Bush's political views that you take issue with, but instead of offering a rational critique of those views, you resort to baseless slander.

X: [Long pause.] You don't like black people, do you?