Idiot alert. Anytime you see a so-called Leftist use the term "political correctness" you should be on alert. Let's see what they say next...
> The latter has supported the reactionary million man
> march;
Lots of radical Black people gave *critical* support to the march, recognizing it's *potential* while at the same time criticizing it's conservative platform. No one I know, including the people who were there, gave unqualified supoport to the march or it's platform.
Also, the one thing that I and others give the MMM credit for, is that it helped to wake up a lot of sleepy Black radicals and other activists, and helped to push forward the formation of the Black Radical Congress. The BRC would have eventually existed anyway, but the MMM definitely helped to speed up the process, by making people more acutely aware of the need for a radical formation of Black folks.
Also, the only thing reactionary about the march was it's platform and the involvement of the NOI, but the people who attended the march and the other people who were involved in the planning were a much more complex lot than most white radicals will ever have clue about.
> he has often made the crisis of nihilism central to the
> plight of the so called underclass.
OK, now that's a valid criticism, but I think that there's also a valid criticism to made of the Left that they often fail to ignore the damage that self-hatred and self-sabotage do to people.
Also, it's not like he's coming at this from a conservative standpoint. West is like a lot of Black folks I know, they want to end the self-destruction so that we can have more soldiers who are ready to foment revolution. With Black people, the desire to see someone stop abusing themselves is not the simplistic ranting of conservatives who want to place blame, but the anguish of radicals who view their demise as a victory for the enemy. Every Black person on drugs, etc., is someone usually unable to fight back effectively against the system. That's why people like West want to stop "nihilism." They speak out of love for their people, as Malcolm X did. Malcolm used to save his most vicious attacks and admonitions for Black people themselves, because he wanted to make us stronger, not because he wanted to hurt or "blame" us for our own predicament.
> He has an exaggerated role of the importance of religion
> in progressive social struggle.
He may have exaggerated it in terms of the Left in general, but in relation to the Black Freedom/Liberation Movement, I don't think so.
While I often lament the sway that too many religious leaders hold over Black folks, it is an objective and empirical fact that they have had a profound influence over the direction of the BFM/BLM.
> He also believes in God.
I also believe in God. I also believe in Jesus, the Christ.
I believe that Jesus was a Socialist and that Socialism is the ultimate expression of the way Jesus wanted us to structure society.
"From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs." If that ain't Jesus I don't know what is.
The failure to understand the importance of God and religion in the lives of Black people is another reason that the Left is so fragmented.
> He is as bankrupt as the other Nader supporters.
"We" love you too.
> His politics have been subjected to withering critique
> by a few revered fellow leftist business observers. If
> he were to be honest, Mr Schwartz would doubtless tell
> you that his much heralded work on pragmatism is
> mediocre at best,
There have been many critiques of West's descent into "pragmatism", so this is nothing new. Of course, West is only the most prominent of the lot, since a number of other people, like bell hooks, Angela Davis, and others have been bashed of late for their seemingly less than revolutionary stances.
> It would be a fortunate outcome of this disastrous
> election if his support for Nader could be used to fully
> delegitimize him -- West, that is.
Once again, you have another so-called white radical who doesn't know a damn thing about how Black people approach these things. Who needs "identity politics" to cause divisions on the Left when you have nuts like this?
If anyone is to "deligitimize" Cornel West it will be Black folks, not ignorant so-called white radicals like yourself. You have no authority or legitimacy here, but feel free to rant all you want.
Art