Racism, Neo-Colonialism and Solidarity

[Langalibalele]

SOLIDARITY IN THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE


Obviously, the fight against racism involves a critical area of social
relations within the United States. It has become apparent with the
Obama campaign how deep racism goes. While some people may believe that
their past support for persons like Clarence Thomas and Colin Powell
absolved them of being racist, it has currently become clear that is no
qualification. In fact, support of blacks who gravitate to the most
reactionary sector in American politics is validation of one's own
racism, and that is coming out now in the presidential election.

Whenever a white guy has to work two jobs to maintain a room -- not an
apartment where you have to pay heat and light, mind you -- at the YMCA
and he is worried that Obama will be a socialist, that is racist
hysteria. Because he isn't worried about Obama spreading socialism;
that is a dishonest assumption. He is worried that Obama will maybe do
something to help black people. Socialism is code for "Obama might
help the African Americans".

By the same token, folks saying he is a Muslim are using code for
"Obama is a nigger." The white media has made it abundantly
clear his white mother and grandparents never raised him as a Muslim.
Like some Muslims wrecked the economy and stole $700 billion.

It is important to say that Obama represents neo-colonialism. We push
the idea that class is at the heart of all struggles in America. Racism
is the class struggle concentrated. Class existed before racism ever
did. It existed in any society divided between kings and peasants,
slaves and masters, workers and bosses. This state of affairs has
endured for millennia, since the first state appeared in Egypt or
Mesopotamia or China.

Racism has only been around since the conquistadores and buccaneers
began abducting Africans. Since capitalism used slaves to undermine the
cost of labor in the Americas, thereby making a hierarchy of black
slaves and white masters. This became the sharpest form of class
struggle in history, opposed by the producing classes at every stage
until now.

What has blunted this struggle? Because the concentrated class struggle
(racism) has been diluted by neo-colonialism. That's right.
Neo-colonialism has diluted racism. It has diluted it on both sides of
the question; the old boy network of redneck racists have seen their
hysterical, bloodsucking fear of the black community blended into a new
paradigm. And the anti-racist struggle has become blunted by the
phenomenon of black mobility. Blacks have become mobilized into critical
areas of the Imperialist ensemble, thereby blunting the objections of
the revolutionary sector in the eyes of the working class. But this is
still part of the class warfare being waged against working people, and
only a class analysis will cut thru the deception.

We kno racism still exists. That was obvious when the majority of people
who were sold adjustable rate mortgages -- that were bound to rise and
cause problems for homeowners -- were blacks and Latinos. It became
obvious when all the objections to Obama's campaign turned an ugly
shade of green. In spite of the deepening financial crisis caused by GOP
voodoo economics, there is a sector of the white working class which
cannot stand the idea of a black man running their precious republic. I
can dig it, but that's the way the ball bounces.

It is important for revolutionary and progressive forces to build
solidarity during this period. We need a strong labor resurgence. We
need reform for Social Security, public assistance, jobs programs and
education. We need to defeat neo-colonialism and build our own
independent movement, because Obama represents the continuation of
business-as-usual. We need genuine unity and solidarity to uplift the
most oppressed section of society, and damn the rich.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!