On “A reply to the ISO’s Sherry Wolf on racial politics and the killing of Trayvon Martin”
I agree that the speech of Keeanga Yamahtta-Taylor referenced in Joe Kishore’s article is an example of bait-and-switch politics at its devious worst, substituting race for class. Although Taylor mentions the word “inequality” a few times in the body of the article, she connects it exclusively to the social condition of black people (oh, and yes, Latinos!) brought on by white racism. The real inequality existing between classes of all races, especially poor white people, is ignored completely in Taylor’s speech.
As are filthy rich blacks. I recently saw one of these types arriving at a Trayvon Martin protest meeting wearing a thousand-dollar suit and driving a huge new Bentley car! (On my asking who this person was, the protest organizer assured me that he was a pillar of the local black community and a tireless fundraiser.) And they swallow whole the worst of white-racist attitudes. I have heard these types more than once sneering at poor blacks—using the N-word—as “giving us all a bad name.” In much the same way as wealthy right-wing Miami Cubans disparage their poor countrymen as “ignorant Marielitos” and “dirty Cubanazos,” and as well-off layers of Mexican immigrants in south Texas call the poor working illegal immigrants “wetbacks.” So much for racial-cultural protest politics!
Taylor concluded her speech with this: “We have taken too much. Enough is enough. Join the struggle to fight against racism and police brutality, and to fight for a different world.”
Oops, Ms. Taylor, I think you forgot something.
CH
Houston
19 April 2012
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Great reply. Do they, the ISO, think they have any authority in the working class? Thanks for being so direct and dismissive of their pretty petty “criticism.”
Phil X
19 April 2012
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I was a bit surprised at the ISO’s attack on the idea of class struggle in reading the WSWS this morning. I suppose I’ve always felt that for a Socialist the issues of race, gender and other forms of inequality can be solved through class struggle and equality. I know at least one other Socialist who felt the same way. “In capitalism the negro question is a grave one and will grow more threatening as the contradictions and complications of capitalist society multiply, but this need not worry us. Let them settle the negro question in their way, if they can. We have nothing to do with it, for that is their fight… when the working class have triumphed in the class struggle and stand forth economic as well as political free men, the race problem will forever disappear.”—Eugene V. Debs
Vance O
California, USA
19 April 2012
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Mr. Kishore provided an evidence-based, factual and demystifying rebuttal to the distortions provided by the ISO, in a decisive articulated manner. Good service for the conscious enrichment of WSWS readers. Thank you, Mr. Kishore.
Eulogio B
19 April 2012
On “The American working class and the 2012 presidential election”
Thank you, Mr. Patrick Martin, for your lucid article that correctly warns the American working class. As a reader from Sri Lanka, I would like to point out to the American working class that they have a responsibility to defend its international counterpart by getting behind SEP to successfully challenge the American ruling class, represented in this instance by Obama and Romney. Irresponsible and dangerous domestic and international policy, both economic and military, pursued by the American bourgeoisie has dealt a blow to humanity on this planet and threatens its extinction. Not only has the vast majority of the world citizenry already been deprived of its basic rights to food, health, education and employment, but it is threatened by the US-backed escalation of an arms race between nation states on our planet. An Indian missile tested today testifies well to that. Therefore, the responsibility of the American working class today for the world masses is unprecedentedly great and I fervently hope the US workers will not hesitate to shoulder this responsibility by despising liberals, the pseudo-left and trade unionists. I wish the American workers success.
IVE
Sri Lanka
19 April 2012
On “Democrats conceal post-election austerity plans”
Good morning class: welcome to Analogies 101. I challenge your readers to find a more perfect analogy demonstrating the vast divide between the 1 percent and the 99 percent than the recent failure of the captain—and owners—of a Princess Cruise liner to respond to the distress signals of the tiny Panamanian fishing vessel “The Fifty Cent” and its 3-man crew. [See ABC news article]
I’ve worked on the high seas in that part of the Pacific twenty years ago, serving on commercial fishing boats. I was under the impression that my ships would automatically go to the aid of any boat that needed help.
The truth is that the only way those fishermen could have been rescued would be if the passengers had occupied the bridge and taken control of the vessel, forcing it to alter course and do what was lawful and right.
There’s an irony here as well, having to do with a certain luxury liner that sank in the North Atlantic in 1912, oblivious to its own vulnerability. We will save that for Ironies 101 next week.
Randy R
Oregon, USA
19 April 2012
On “David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People: The American theater rediscovers class”
Mr. Richard Adams,
Your piece on “Good People” was so well written that I feel compelled to seek out your other writings (this despite the fact that I am not a theater enthusiast nor have I seen the play in question). Other than that which has been published on the wsws.org, which I will take a look at, do you have any other published writings, blogs, etc.? I’d be interested. Good writing on the arts is in very short supply these days, as I’m sure you’re well aware, and I’m always eager to add authors to my far-too-short list of “must-reads.”
Regards,
Adam C
New York, USA
18 April 2012