I haven’t said anything about him, but my response to his death was, “Meh.” Partly, I guess, because I detest the “sport” of boxing. But I agree with this: The Nation of Islam and our national concussion:
Ali was certainly one of the most interesting Americans of the past half-century—a great athlete who, with wit and wile, marketed himself as “The Greatest” and was accepted by millions as just that. He was not a saint or nearly a saint.
He is supposed to be a hero for standing up for his religious principles. Yet the religious group that he embraced—the faction of the Nation of Islam associated with Louis Farrakhan—was one grounded in racism and in hatred for Jews, “white devils,” and America. How bad was the NOI? It negotiated with the Ku Klux Klan in an effort to achieve the two sides’ mutual goal of racial separatism. [See my blog post on the NOI, at https://capitalresearch.org/2015/04/hell-breaks-out-in-baltimore-plus-what-farrakhan-believes/ , conveniently reposted below.]
Back then, when he was under the influence of the NOI, Ali was so ignorant that he renounced his birth name, Cassius Clay Jr., as a “slave name,” when in fact the Cassius Clay for whom Ali’s father was named, the historical figure, was an abolitionist hero. Clay survived a murder plot by supporters of slavery (he killed the would-be assassin with a Bowie knife), was a founder of the Republican Party, pushed Lincoln to issue what became the Emancipation Proclamation, and, as ambassador to Russia, helped win the Civil War by keeping Russia on the Union side.
During his time in the Nation of Islam, Ali spoke out against “race mixing.” See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVpfcq4pV5U
Ali was a draft dodger. In our country’s history, Conscientious Objectors have taken roles ranging from hospital worker to vaccine experimentee, to retain their honor while living consistently with their pacifistic principles. Ali didn’t do that. He pulled a Clinton, putting himself above the rules by which others had to live.
Yup.
[Update a few minutes later]
Many Conscientious Objectors served in WWII in “non-combat” roles as medics and stretcher bearers. One of them Desmond Doss won the Medal of Honor for his heroism as a medic during the invasion of Okinawa, a decidedly combat location. He refused to carry a weapon but he served with great courage and saved many lives.
Thomas Bennett and Joseph LaPointe were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions as medics in Vietnam.
Ali was a draft dodger. In our country’s history, Conscientious Objectors have taken roles ranging from hospital worker to vaccine experimentee, to retain their honor while living consistently with their pacifistic principles. Ali didn’t do that. He pulled a Clinton, putting himself above the rules by which others had to live.
You know, I can’t knock him for that.
The draft was, and is, for any war short of an existential defensive one, inherently unjust, and the “rules” applying to others were exactly what he was trying to get removed.
(I think equally that the Vietnam War itself was perfectly justified and good policy [if poorly executed at times] – but should have been fought by volunteers.)
He did not, like a “draft dodger”, run to Canada or the like – he was doing honest civil disobedience, flaunting an unjust law and being punished by the state to demonstrate its injustice.
Draft dodgers run. Ali, for all his other manifold faults, didn’t run, and took a felony conviction for refusing to participate in the draft.
That’s civil disobedience.
I agree but a boxer claiming to be a conscientious objector lacks the conscience part of the equation.
Ali was so ignorant that he renounced his birth name, Cassius Clay Jr., as a “slave name,” when in fact the Cassius Clay for whom Ali’s father was named, the historical figure, was an abolitionist hero
What makes the writer so sure that Ali was ignorant of that history? Regardless of the heroism of the original Cassius Clay, “Clay” was for Ali a slave name, given to Ali’s ancestor by that ancestor’s owner.
Bilwick got you on this one. He adopted the religion of the slavers and a common name among them.
He chose his own name, rather than having it chosen by a slave owner. Isn’t that sort of individual liberty an American value?
We’re not saying it makes him un-American. We’re saying it makes him look ignorant of history.
Again, what makes you so sure that he was ignorant of that history? The fact that he changed his name tells you nothing about what he knew about his former namesake.
The fact that he changed his name indicates that he doesn’t know that it was Arab Muslims who started the slave trade.
The fact that he changed his name indicates that he doesn’t know that it was Arab Muslims who started the slave trade.
That is a ridiculous deduction. It is perfectly possible to know all about Arab Muslims’ involvement in the slave trade and still want to be a Muslim named Muhammad Ali.
Not if your reason for wanting to be Muslim is anger at slavery “created by white people.”
“Back then, when he was under the influence of the NOI, Ali was so ignorant that he renounced his birth name, Cassius Clay Jr., as a ‘slave name,’ when in fact the Cassius Clay for whom Ali’s father was named, the historical figure, was an abolitionist hero. ”
Years ago I read a Louis L’Amour western in which the hero mentioned how the Code Duello was part of the American heritage (or at least it was circa 1875), and he mentioned how many prominent Americans had been involved in duels. One of them was Cassius Clay, whom I had never heard of, although I have long been an American History buff. Later I got a book on the history of dueling in the South, and there was a chapter on the original Cassius Clay. I read it and thought, “What a great guy! I’d rather be named after him than Muhammad”–which come to think of it was probably a popular name among slave traders.
A sports figure. We pay them a lot of money because they earn a lot of money for their teams. There’s no earthly reason to have any interest in their personal lives nor in their political opinions.
I’d have said the same about politicians but we have no choice in the matter.
Making apologies for Ali’s racism just doesn’t cut it with me. Lots of other people with worse experiences never professed such racism (“kill them if they marry.”) He may have toned it down later?
He and Cosell were entertaining, but that changes nothing.
Trump did nothing on that level, but is automatically a racist just because. I wish he didn’t have foot in mouth disease, but there you have it. I lived in Brooklyn. Getting off the subway where everybody was mixed together the Italians left by one exit and the orthodox jews left by another… walking in parallel up the street to their homes after work. It seemed funny to me but this type of thing went on just about every where in NY. While some might actually be racist, for most it was just the fabric of society. You might say, “that Puerto Rican place makes a great breakfast” and was not in any way a racist comment.
Trump saying his judge is a mexican is for a NYer like saying he lives in Red Hook… just a plain statement.