Black Thinkers like Bernie Sanders. They've studied the Clintons' true cost

[TalkingDog]

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/24/black-thinkers-bernie-sanders-studied-clintons-true-cost

Bill Clinton governed through playing to white fears by hurting, locking up or even executing black Americans. He left the campaign trail in 1992 to oversee the execution of Ricky Ray Rector, a black man so mentally incapacitated, he reportedly did not eat the dessert from his final meal because he was “saving it for later”. When in office, Bill Clinton ended welfare for poor children and destroyed countless black families through a crime bill even he now admits made mass incarceration worse, while Hillary Clinton would go out and whip up support for this accelerated disenfranchisement and marginalization of black America, even when it meant referring to children as “superpredators”.

The case against Clintonian neoliberalism is compelling. I am glad to see black thinkers making a case for Sanders’ democratic socialism and its potential to address structural racism as an alternative. If anyone is smart enough to effectively make Sanders’ case to black America, it would be the intellectual leaders who have endorsed him thus far.

snip

No one speaks for “the black community” or the mythical “black voter”. But the Black Lives Matter movement has upped the level of discourse and critique in racial politics. So, it’s fantastic to see such serious black minds from American film, letters and academia making their cases in public with insight and heft. And, given their decades of deep intellectual work on race (along with Sanders’ commitment to universal public college tuition and healthcare and his aversion to Wall Street and private prisons), their cases for Sanders are sound.

Much less intellectually sound are the arguments of Clinton’s black surrogates. When she was endorsed by the corporate-funded Super Pac of the Congressional Black Caucus (not by the CBC itself or by its members), the only reason seemed to be political expediency. The black members of congress seemed intent on maintaining their relationship within the Clinton power structure, no matter how deeply invested it may be in white supremacy. Like Clinton, much of the CBC is beholden to Wall Street. So Sanders – with no connection to Wall Street or to a global foundation ripe for harvesting political chits – offers CBC members little possibility of power except by way of his gamble for the White House.

[thereismore]

1. Whatever they say about Dr. West, and there are a lot of black folks who hate him, he has a great

intellect. He speaks to me in his writings.

I also see a division, I don't know if this is an official thing, between Southern Black leaders and Northern Black leaders. I think West and Malcolm X were of the Northern camp. I may get attacked for this, but whatever. It seems like the West and Malcolm X were not willing to get assimilated into the establishment power structure as the Southern leaders. I like that about them.

[workinclasszero]

2. Wait...what?

Black thinkers like Bernie Sanders.

Just what the hell is that supposed to mean???

[Uncle Joe]

4. The author is speaking of black intellectuals that aren't politically beholden

to our current dysfunctional system dominated by Wall Street and the less than 1%.

It's a good article if you read it all.

[Dem2]

9. Kinda creepy eh?

Think this one needs to see the dumpster, it's weird and has bizarre implications.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TalkingDog.

[workinclasszero]

5. So what is the implication then if a Black person supports Hillary?

[TalkingDog]

6. Why don't you write the author of the opinion piece and ask him?

n/t

[JudyM]

7. .

Very interesting...

[asuhornets]

8. unkick and don't recommend..n/t

[dr60omg]

10. Yes, there is a black intellectual movement to support Sanders

The brilliant Michelle Alexander of Ohio State who wrote the seminal book The New Jim Crow
Ta-Neshi Coates who just won the McArthur genius award and the 2015 National Book Award winner Between the World and Me, said in an interview on Democracy Now!
It is not only Dr. West whom is someone who ought to be respected for his accomplishments
Shall I continue with black intellectuals in the arts, in the sciences, in academia, or in public life?

[oasis]

13. They're in a no lose situation. A GOP 2016 victory will

help their future book sales soar. TV appearances decrying those mean ol' Republican policies. Yup, it will be a fruitful happening for them.

[dr60omg]

14. That is both debased and cynical

And frankly rather appalling.

[MrWendel]

11. So the...

"Good ones" only like Bernie then. The "Rest" like Hillary.

[WillyT]

12. K & R !!!

[snowy owl]

15. So True! People forget and believe the myth!

I did not vote for Clinton's second term. That was my first vote for the Greens. People are so easily influenced. How do you get them to think and recognize the evil that was Bill Clinton's turn to the right? I guess it's like the Reagan myth, two salesmen who could sell the American public on snake oil. And we're living with the consequences and people want to do it all over again with Hillary. Unbelievable.