Cockburn on slavery

[Christopher Niles]

>Perhaps this is nitpicking, but there really isn't such a thing as an
>oppressed black race.  There are lots of individuals who are oppressed that
>happen to be black, many because of the color of their skin.  But there are
>also wealthy blacks who oppress poor whites, other blacks, etc.  The fact
>that this is the rare exception to the usual pattern is cold comfort to the
>victims.
>
>Also, this whole discussion of "black" and "white" bothers me.  Even when
>used to describe patterns of thought and behavior, it puts an uncomfortable
>label on these things - people will invariably make disturbing associations
>that perhaps can't be strictly logically justified, but will nonetheless
>take place.  Why don't we just call things by their real names, i.e.
>economic exploitation and racial hatred and/or prejudice, as opposed to
>"white" or "black"?
>
>Brett

Brett,

I don't mean to be disrespectul but this sounds like wishy-washy 
whiteness to me. "Racial" oppression in the US is not a matter of 
happenstance, Brett. This nation is structurally anti-Black. Until 
relatively recently, one could say without qualification that the most 
fundamental form of class oppression in the United States was racial 
oppression. It is certainly true that there are a few callous ass wealthy 
or powerful Black folks out there. But this nation is a very, very long 
way from "wealthy Blacks oppressing poor whites." Are you making a 
round-a-bout argument for "reverse-racism," a silly concept built on top 
of a useless one? If you are, show me some evidence.

You don't like the terms "black" and "white," huh? If you want people to 
be liberated from the absurdities of racial identity and racial 
discourses, then do everything you can to encourage "racial suicide" 
among whites. Afterall, the punchline of the modern concept of race 
itself (and certainly racial oppresion) is white supremacy. Long lasting 
solidarity among the unfree is impossible as long as some of them cling, 
consciously or not, to their "white" racial identiy--and then it's still 
difficult. Calling "racial hatred" by its name means calling "white" 
folks out, something that most white folks, ruler, auxilaries and workers 
alike, don't dig. 

Niles