[Marxism] Obama and Some Black Workers

[Alex Briscoe]

I had an interesting exchange with a fellow driver
today, African Amer, in his 30s.

The other day we were talking about history and
politics- he has a fairly, how should I put it?
undeveloped Black nationalist take on things- ie white
people just want to attack, steal and destroy
everything in the world, slavery in Egypt wasn't so
bad, etc.  Don't have the time to do a full outline,
but I hope you get my drift.  I argued white supremacy
has a history and a structure while arguing against
collective guilt at the same time acknowledging that
most whites buy into the racist system.

So, today, I hand him Ford's article on Obama.  He
reads part of it, says thanks, it was interesting but
doesn't Ford think that Obama is going to do for the
U.S. what Harold Washington did for Chicago- ie, open
up opportunities, make things fair, etc.

I respond with, it would be fun to have a Black prez,
but I think that given his backers and his party, I
don't think that much would change, and that things
could very well get worse for the mass of workers,
Blacks included.  ie Clinton and the 90s.  Saying one
thing, but politically assassinating union leaders
(Ron Carey) on the other, passing NAFTA, destroying
welfare, etc.

He isn't convinced but sees my drift.  Then, he says:
well, if you're going to have a boss, don't you want
the best boss possible?  If I have to make a realistic
choice, I'm going to choose Obama.

He also went into an interesting pie analogy: the pie
is this big.  Even if I'm getting a crumb, if that
crumb includes a job where I can survive, some minimal
health care and some entertainment, I'm okay with the
pie overall.  It may not be the kind of pie I want,
but a pie crumb from a pie I don't like is better than
being pushed away from the pie.

At that point, I thank him for the insights, and sit
down to rest, being short on sleep the night before.

Another 40-something Black worker also argued that the
Clinton years were good times- he made good wages. 
There is a lot of conflation between the opening up of
markets after the destruction of the USSR and the
bubble it caused, the slight increase in real wages
for some of the working class and the Clinton admin.

Another 60-something Black laborer I drove around all
summer, however, seems to have converted to the Green
viewpoint.  He was pro-Edwards and a Repug hater.  I
was a Dem and Repug hater.  We talked about the 60s,
the need and potential for a mass movement, the
problems that capitalism was creating, how the corp
parties wouldn't be able to solve those (ecological,
social, etc) problems, etc.  I don't quite remember
when, but about two weeks after we started talking, he
switched to Green.  I noticed he was happier, had more
energy, it was a kind of transformation.  He started
listening to Behind the News, reading Black Agenda
Report, etc. However, he had the experience and memory
of the Black Lib Movement and had been part of the
(militant/progressive) Black working class all of his
life.

Well, that's it for now.  As others have said, the
Black workers to one extent or another are the most
conscious of any in the country.  As a Red/Green
white, I get along with them the best.

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http://www.draftnader.org/
http://www.ilgp.org
http://www.northsidegreenparty.org
http://www.greenallianceusa.org
http://www.labornotes.org
http://www.solidarity-us.org
http://www.internationalviewpoint.org


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