[lbo-talk] Adolph Reed Reconsidered

[Carrol Cox]

Perhaps I should state again, as I have in the past, the principle at work
in my examples. Racism does not cause Stop & Frisk; Stop and Frisk causes
(generates and regenerates) racist ideology.  In the last instance practice
is always prior to and generative of theory as well as the pseudo-theory of
ideology. Miles Jackson has also written on this frequently.

Carrol


> -----Original Message-----
> From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
> On Behalf Of Carrol Cox
> Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 10:26 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Adolph Reed Reconsidered
> 
> Doug Henwood
> 
> 
> > Yeah, I asked Adolph to write that piece actually. You may have noticed
> the
> > publication venue. It's kind of weird that you think that earlier
> > representations were inaccurate, considering that.
> 
> ----------
> 
> This could put  us off  on the wrong foot again. So I'll ignore it.
> 
> It is true we cannot fight racism (I'll return a bit later to why). We
fight
> concrete institutions, practices, laws, etc. So the proper response to
Reed
> is not simply to repeat his points as a mantra but to focus on the kind of
> struggles called for.
> 
> For example: Destroy the Prison System. It cannot be reformed and its very
> existence generates and regenerates racist ideology. (Racism is an
ideology,
> and ideologies cannot be attacked; rather one must attack their material
> basis.)
> 
> For Example: Fight Stop & Frisk.
> 
> For example: Open Borders!
> 
> For example: Local police cooperation with the INS.
> 
> For example: Defend the Teachers (even when, as is often the case
currently,
> they will not defend themselves.) Don't clutter such struggles with
> irrelevant wails of "What about the Kids." Only by defending the teachers
> can one help the kids.
> 
> Attack Charter Schools.
> 
> Attack use of tests at all levels.
> 
> In every one of these struggles the _main_ opposition will come from those
> who    in one way or another embody racist  ideology; they are the
material
> grounds of racist ideology.
> 
> Actually, I think Barbara Jeanne Fields makes the essential points better
> than Reed does. In any case her and Reed's arguments are complementary.
> Both
> reveal the wrongness of the ideologies of "white-skin privilege" or the
> silly concept of ideologies having a life of their own.
> 
> The U.S. is a racist society -- but mouthing that (true as it is) does
> nothing to change the world. _Denying_ it is also wrong of course. One
notes
> it and turns to ways of meeting its material embodiments/sources.
> 
> Carrol
> 
> 
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