Defeat the Reactionary White Elite

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The 2012 election is not really about Obama or Obama’s record. As Deepak Bhargava points out, there is a debate over the president’s record, and there is much that we on the left can and should critique. Yet what has been unfolding before our eyes is a referendum on the changing demographics of the United States and whether any redistribution of wealth will even be considered in the ruling circles of Washington.

The Republicans have built on a white revanchism located among the racists and the fearful within white America. These voters not only despise the idea of an African-American serving as president of what they believe to be a white republic; they are terrified that the demographics of the country are changing in favor of people of color. For this reason, calls to boycott the election or turn toward third-party candidates miss what is going on. The right wishes to perpetrate a massive disenfranchisement in its desperate effort to preserve the rule of a reactionary white elite.

Although I will be voting for Obama on November 6, it would be incorrect to view the president as anything approaching a savior. At best, his re-election provides some breathing room—but as we have seen in the past four years, irrespective of his speeches, Obama remains the head of a global empire, and that empire has interests that are antithetical to the mass of humanity, including the mass of humanity within the borders of the United States.

Thus we are brought to the question of what posture to take after November 6, should Obama be re-elected. While I agree with much of what Deepak raises, I do not believe the agenda he outlines is sufficient. We on the left side of the aisle seem to abhor the fight for power unless (a) we are speaking in either the long-term or utopian sense; or (b) we surrender ourselves to liberalism. A very different approach must be taken. Not only must mass pressure be exerted immediately on a new Obama administration—as opposed to allowing a grace period, as occurred in 2008—but there needs to be a reorganization among progressives that has as its object securing power for working people in several key metropolitan areas as a jumping-off point for a larger national project. This means building a combination of mass electoral alliances that seek to win office on a platform of insisting on structural reforms, and mass movements for social and economic justice, whether in workplaces or communities.

The left needs to organize itself—politically and structurally—in such a way that its various tendencies can flourish, but also so that it can build a majoritarian bloc in which one can see the contours of a very different, progressive United States.

http://www.thenation.com/article/170303/defeat-reactionary-white-elite?rel=facebook#

[^_^ 5,021]

smh

the title of this thread is incendiary. it should be deleted.

reported.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Habitual Offender

[Danno 1,228]

THe race baiting has no limits.

I marvel at the obsession of the Left (it is wide spread) to use race so unashamedly..... but I equally marvel at the Right (universally) for doing cartwheels to demonstrate their innocence.

[mawilson 2,133]

smh

the title of this thread is incendiary. it should be deleted.

reported.

So is the content of this thread.

[^_^ 5,021]

stop complaining and report this trash. if commie appeaser wants to sink to the levels of sh1tter, that's his problem.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

We on the left side of the aisle seem to abhor the fight for power unless (a) we are speaking in either the long-term or utopian sense; or (b) we surrender ourselves to liberalism. A very different approach must be taken. Not only must mass pressure be exerted immediately on a new Obama administration—as opposed to allowing a grace period, as occurred in 2008—but there needs to be a reorganization among progressives that has as its object securing power for working people in several key metropolitan areas as a jumping-off point for a larger national project. This means building a combination of mass electoral alliances that seek to win office on a platform of insisting on structural reforms, and mass movements for social and economic justice, whether in workplaces or communities.

The left needs to organize itself—politically and structurally—in such a way that its various tendencies can flourish, but also so that it can build a majoritarian bloc in which one can see the contours of a very different, progressive United States.

Edited October 9, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Obama's Legacy is Our Leverage

Tom Hayden [commie]

If he wins, he must use his platform [shoes] and [super]powers to tackle issues from global warming to nuclear arms control.

This article appeared in the October 22, 2012 edition of The Nation.

Too funny. [edits mine]

[Obama 2012 1,714]

I am so sick of this fvckin racist left-wing garbage.

The Democratic party is the party of racism and they escape it by calling the other guy a racist first.

** it. Allow ALL illegal immigrants in and deport all the liberal racist jerk offs. That's a damn good even trade.

[SMOKE 1,426]

I am so sick of this fvckin racist left-wing garbage.

The Democratic party is the party of racism and they escape it by calling the other guy a racist first.

** it. Allow ALL illegal immigrants in and deport all the liberal racist jerk offs. That's a damn good even trade.

even trade? i think that'd be unfair to the illegal's home countries.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The 2012 election is not really about Obama or Obama’s record. As Deepak Bhargava points out, there is a debate over the president’s record, and there is much that we on the left can and should critique. Yet what has been unfolding before our eyes is a referendum on the changing demographics of the United States and whether any redistribution of wealth will even be considered in the ruling circles of Washington.

The Republicans have built on a white revanchism located among the racists and the fearful within white America. These voters not only despise the idea of an African-American serving as president of what they believe to be a white republic; they are terrified that the demographics of the country are changing in favor of people of color. For this reason, calls to boycott the election or turn toward third-party candidates miss what is going on. The right wishes to perpetrate a massive disenfranchisement in its desperate effort to preserve the rule of a reactionary white elite.

Although I will be voting for Obama on November 6, it would be incorrect to view the president as anything approaching a savior. At best, his re-election provides some breathing room—but as we have seen in the past four years, irrespective of his speeches, Obama remains the head of a global empire, and that empire has interests that are antithetical to the mass of humanity, including the mass of humanity within the borders of the United States.

Thus we are brought to the question of what posture to take after November 6, should Obama be re-elected. While I agree with much of what Deepak raises, I do not believe the agenda he outlines is sufficient. We on the left side of the aisle seem to abhor the fight for power unless (a) we are speaking in either the long-term or utopian sense; or (b) we surrender ourselves to liberalism. A very different approach must be taken. Not only must mass pressure be exerted immediately on a new Obama administration—as opposed to allowing a grace period, as occurred in 2008—but there needs to be a reorganization among progressives that has as its object securing power for working people in several key metropolitan areas as a jumping-off point for a larger national project. This means building a combination of mass electoral alliances that seek to win office on a platform of insisting on structural reforms, and mass movements for social and economic justice, whether in workplaces or communities.

The left needs to organize itself—politically and structurally—in such a way that its various tendencies can flourish, but also so that it can build a majoritarian bloc in which one can see the contours of a very different, progressive United States.

http://www.thenation.com/article/170303/defeat-reactionary-white-elite?rel=facebook#

He is not a math major, is he? It is impossible for Obama to get elected without a majority of white voters voting for him.

[james&olya 1,121]

The problem is that there is no party vehicle for progressives. The democrats have become quite centrist in their views, even center right if you compare with Europe. Richard Nixon was far to the left of most current repubs and even to the left of many mainstream democrats of today's party. Obama may have some progressive tendencies but if he does he keeps them well hidden! Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachussets are more my idea of what center-left should look like in American politics! As the republican party gives way to tea-party extremists maybe there will be room opening up on the opposite side of the political spectrum for a true progressive party to counter-balance the increasingly hard-right republicans.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The problem is that there is no party vehicle for progressives. The democrats have become quite centrist in their views, even center right if you compare with Europe. Richard Nixon was far to the left of most current repubs and even to the left of many mainstream democrats of today's party. Obama may have some progressive tendencies but if he does he keeps them well hidden! Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachussets are more my idea of what center-left should look like in American politics! As the republican party gives way to tea-party extremists maybe there will be room opening up on the opposite side of the political spectrum for a true progressive party to counter-balance the increasingly hard-right republicans.

You really live on the lunatic fringe, don't you?

[^_^ 5,021]

He is not a math major, is he? It is impossible for Obama to get elected without a majority of white voters voting for him.

The experts disagree:

The white margin to watch: 61-39. That’s the rough break-even point. Obama likely needs more than 39 percent of whites to assure re-election. Romney likely needs at least 61 percent of whites to assure Obama’s defeat (or 60.5 in some scenarios). These are estimates based on an electorate that matches the diversity of 2008 or is slightly less white. It presumes the Electoral College outcome does not diverge from the winner of the popular vote (loose talk aside, it’s only happened four times in U.S. history).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/06/22/obamas_white_support_is_too_low_to_win_2012_romney_white_male_gap_white_women_kuhn_114579.html

[james&olya 1,121]

You really live on the lunatic fringe, don't you?

When I am on here posting I do get the feeling of being near quite a good number of lunatics!