[lbo-talk] Elitism (wasRe: Pokie; Black as inherently second class in America)

Charles Brown charlesb at cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us
Mon May 12 15:28:19 PDT 2008



>>> "Joseph Catron"

Poor people in general, as it happens. And in most cases you're right about elitists of any race; I've met very few of them who were actual elites. Snobbery is a disease of the upper middle class, who generally resent everybody above them as well as below.

^^^ CB: As we go through this thread, I'm coming around

to Shane position. The problem is "elitist" as an analytical or critical term. What does it matter if a person is a snob,

if they can't do anything to the people they are snobby toward. Talk it cheap. I think Shane is saying in a way, that the use of the term "eliist" us usually a snap reverse form of snobbary.

In this context of the spurious an d demagogic charge against Barry, it seems to me that he if given a real chance he will something to materially

help poor economically stressed white

farmers in small towns. He wasn' t rying to make a putdown That's the aggravating part of the media effort twistign his words. He was expressing sympathy with the plight of them, and not only that hinting at the classical left

proposal that it is their scapegoatinjg people of color and immigrants that keeps them down

economically. Workers of all races and nations unite ,

in other words. Labor in white skin shall not be free while labor in the black is branded, Karl Marx said of the US specifically. The rightwing pundit Kristol said used the term "Marxist" explicitly. I noticed they dropped that observation, as they don't know where that debate might end up in terms of raising the ghost of Marxism.


> You need a more objective definition of "elitist". The point is that in the US the elite, the ruling class ,is not open for membership to coloreds. It is a Jim Crow system, whites only.

So what are Bob Johnson, Michael Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Oprah Winfrey, etc.?

^^^^^ CB: I wouldnj't say they are in the ruliing elite. The rightwingers are freakish puppets, agents of the bourgeoisie.

Oprah Winfrey is something of a maverick wild card. I don't see where her impact politically is helpful to the ruling class. though not harmful, of course.

I don't see where she is exploiting a bunch of people either. She's sort of like Alex Rodrigues.

She gave Barry an early boost too. One day she might use her influence to really lead some people astray.


> Worse, claiming that somebody like Barry is in the "elite" is to take a first step down the slippery slope of one of the worse parts of current racism. It's a self-victimization trope from the KKK , who say things like what Ferraro implied: Black people are now the privileged group or elite and white people are the disadvantaged group relative to Blacks and Hispanics, etc.

Oh, give me a break.

^^^^ CB: Uh no you ain't getin no breaks from me, comrade. ^^^^^

Anyone with a serious chance of winning the most powerful elected office in the world is a member of whatever elite exists. That's not a question of race, but rather of common sense. Now if you'll excuse me, my hood and robe need ironing.

^^^^^ CB: I don't give a goddamn if you try to joke it off. You'll get nothing but steady criticism from me on this.

Yep, I'm seeing Shane's point on this.

-- "Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað."

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