Kenya is not an Obama Nation (and that is a good thing): Rich irony alert

Having become a full time political junkie, this is hard for me to say but......here is a teachable moment without, necessarily, only a political spin. Several news sources including the New York Times, are posting an interesting vignette I have been bringing up in class. Seems Mr. Swift Boat Veteran for Truthiness, Corsi (the author of Obama Nation) went high-tailing it off to Kenya, no doubt, to rake up some muck. But he found his goals cut short when his paper work was not in order. Seems a tourist visa is not sufficient clearance for those seeking to make a buck and sling some shit, at least, according to Kenyan immigration. Well, Duh! Any scholar of east Africa could tell you that. I have several stories of American academics being deported from Tanzania for lacking the requisite documentation. Damn you, monkey behaviorists, you were not tourists! Those of use who came after you suffered the consequences.

Here is the NTVKenya Youtube of the story. There is an interesting insider perspective at a Kenyan journalist's blog and a quick Google generates a plethora of links and interpretations. Internal Kenyan politics or not, dissing the procedure does not a respectful visitor make. So "that one" got an escort to the airport and now he's leaving on a jet plane. And, too bad, so sad, he was adios-ed before his planned photo op of presenting his generous donation to a so-called poverty-stricken relative (half brother) of Obama's. Next time, maybe Mr. Attack could do some real, accurate research about laws, codes of behaviors, and appropriate "use of the other".

But I guess he couldn't see Kenya from his house.......

(Okay, I couldn't turn off the sarcasm but it is a legitimate anthropological discussion. That whole Research Clearance, respect for host country thing. I did better with it in class--honest.)

If you are interested the picture of the "Obama tree" I have added was taken by my daughter who was in Zanzibar this summer. That is Tanzania and not Kenya but in the Sarah Palin version of the world, I guess it counts.