----- Original Message ----- From: "Dwayne Monroe" <idoru345 at yahoo.com> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Friday, July 02, 2004 1:19 PM Subject: [lbo-talk] words for the black community
: R wrote (in apparent praise of Kultur Minister Cosby's
: tirades):
:
: but i'm used to hanging with afro-americans who don't
: feel sorry for themselves; who don't want *anyone* to
: pity or patronize or do it for them; and who have
: proven track records of being able to do what's
: necessary for themselves against whatever odds society
: imposes -- and, like cosby, demand the rest of their
: people do the same. and who are giving back to the
: community.
:
: ..........
:
:
: Wilson Barber replied:
:
:
: I disagee. Bill Cosby is an elitist who diminishes
: the devistation caused by the political/economic
: policies by government and corporation. In addition
: and
: ironically affirmative action has help to create an
: intra-racial class conflict within the Black
: community.
:
: ======================
:
:
:
:
: Yes, precisely.
:
:
: Let's assume, just for the sake of argument, that
: Cosby's "analysis" has merit and should be taken to
: heart because of, among other marvels, his supposed
: track record of "giving back to the community".
:
: What follows from this line of reasoning?
:
:
: Do we (and by "we" adopting R's often stated view of
: group determined causality and responsibility, I mean
: Black people) institute a sweeping self-discipline and
: family integrity program - perhaps along the
: militaristic lines of the Nation of Islam or the old
: Marcus Garvey organization of the early 20th century?
:
: Let's suppose such a Spartanization project, or
: something,
what is an "or something"?
is successful and millions of wayward Black
: youth - and their reportedly mush mouthed,
: blame-others-for-all-my-troubles parents - 'get right'
: and step, with near perfect speech, "normal" names and
: starched, white shirts into the blazing sunshine of
: American life at large.
:
: What then comrade?
:
:
: Will they all go to fine schools, graduate, get good
: jobs in nice corporations (or start their own
: businesses) purchase lovely vehicles, move to tidy
: neighborhoods (or transform the ones they're now in to
: showcases) and become well adjusted people safe from
: the criticisms of Kultur Minister Cosby?
:
:
: Perhaps that's too vague so let me cut away the fat.
:
:
: Are there no structural impediments to millions
: (millions we're talking about here) of people
: achieving the sort of success - within the narrow
: scope of the capitalist system - Cosby demands of
: them? Is the US producing the volume of educational
: and employment opportunities necessary to absorb and
: direct this vast population of unwanteds?
:
: The collapse of the 1960's Civil Rights vision of
: success was as a direct result of that vision running
: smack up against two factors: racism (sorry to be
: vague Woj) and capitalism.
:
: Now in some circles people talk all day and night
: about racism but have zero understanding of the
: workings and impact of capitalism.
:
: It was all very well and good to win voting rights and
: the rest of it. But the material basis of the
: pleasant middle-class-itude Cosby yearns to see cannot
: be created for the maximum number of people so long as
: capitalism dominates our life and our dreams.
:
: Why are more Whites doing well? Because the benefits
: of capitalism (such as they are for workers) are
: directed through a racialist filter.
:
:
: Cosby's words are less than zero to me because they
: come from nothing - as in, no analysis of the material
: conditions - and lead to nowhere since we cannot make
: the changes he demands on the scale he longs to see.
:
:
: Indeed, to repeat myself, even if his words could be
: turned into a program (or programs) and successfully
: remade the so-called underclass the end result - after
: all was said and done - would be another descent into
: ennui since racialism and capitialism would, once
: again, prevent that energy, directed towards
: capitalist defined success, from creating a
: sustainable infrastructure for the majority.
:
:
:
:
: .d.
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