Sunday, March 23, 2008

Obama on Sri Lanka

Obama speaking about the Sri Lankan conflict, gets it horribly wrong. He thinks Religion is fueling a civil war in Sri Lanka in an interview in November 2007. Here's the quote :
W. E. B. Du Bois said that the problem of the 20th century is the problem of color. and if you expand that, the problem of the 21st century is the problem of the other - people who are not like us. Whether it's in religious terms, if you go to Sri Lanka, it's what's been fueling a vicious civil war there even though everybody looks exactly the same. Same with Northern Ireland, or it manifests in this country[united states] in racial terms.
Here's the relevant clip from YouTube:



No, I do like him, really, but he talks crap from time to time, you know, like all those other fellows.

More on Obama on Deaned.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

If not religion what's fueling Sri Lanka's conflict? isn't it buddhist majority with hindu tamil minority?

Deane said...

if at all it's ethnic identities.. do google it, or wikipedia it.

Asela said...

It is a ethnic conflict between the Sri Lankan Government and a very faction of the tamil people a.k.a Liberation Tamil Tiger Eelam (LTTE). This conflict has been going on for almost quarter of a century and no matter what any article you find on Google or Wikipedia says... this is something that could have been resolved long long ago. Ironically all this is only in the north of Sri Lanka. This is NOT a religious conflict but a mere greed for land where everyone can live in harmony.

Bimmy said...

On a lighter note... at least he didn't say Sri Lanka is a part (or a state) of India. A large number of foreigners still thinks so.

Anonymous said...

At least he knew there is a country called sri lanka and it has a war isn't it? it is better than Mccains confusion of Sunni and shia muslims.