[Marxism] An exchange on racism. Clinton and Obama campaigns, and Black oppression

[Walter Lippmann]

The Politics of Denunciation 
[col. writ. 4/30/08] (c) '08
By Mumia Abu-Jamal

When was the last time that you saw a politician asked to denounce a
religious leader with whom he or she was associated?

For generations, we have seen a succession of presidents, from both
political parties, under the wing of the Rev. Billy Graham.

Historians have recently reported that Graham and his Oval Office
acolytes have spoken in racist and xenophobic terms about both Blacks
and Jews.

The Rev. Graham recently was lionized as the personal spiritual
advisor to presidents, in times of stress, pressure, war and peace.

Neither he, nor his presidential prayer pals have ever been damned or
denounced for profoundly racist speech in the palaces of the
powerful.

Now, as a Black man begins to climb the greased pole of American
political power, he is asked to either defend or denounce a man whom
he has known and admired for a generation.

Barack Obama opted for the latter.

He has all but jettisoned the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright from the close
circle to the cold periphery of the political realm.

Whence comes this demand for denunciation?

If we are honest, it arises from the specter of white fear, that
demand of Black people a higher standard than that of their own.

For what reason has Jeremiah Wright been jettisoned - if not for his
proud, open Blackness?

Rev. Wright is an advocate of Black Liberation Theology - a school of
Black religious thought that sees the hand of God in the liberation
of Black people from bondage.

White Americans are so used to hearing Blacks speak with quiet and
pacific tones, that when a man expresses himself fully, as did Rev.
Wright, they are, quite frankly, frightened.

(What do they fear, that Blacks will dare remember?)

Through the corporate media talking heads, they demanded that Obama
"distance himself" from that scary, Black (uppity?) preacher - and do
it fast.

Yowza, boss.

The politics of denunciation is, ultimately, the politics of
betrayal. It asks - no - it demands that the candidate denounce those
whom the White Nation opposes.

If they don't, then they are presumed to be a supporter of that
person, or ideology.

Meanwhile, white conservative preachers can say virtually anything,
and calls for denunciation are swallowed into silence.

Former presidential candidate, and Republican supporter, Rev. Pat
Robertson, called for the killing of a foreign head of state! (I
speak here of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.)

Did the White House denounce this prominent religious supporter? Not
to my knowledge (in fact, it would be rather difficult, given the
current regime's failed coup d'etat against him).

But Barack, the son of a continental African, cannot be seen calling
for Black Liberation; for he seeks not to become leader of the Black
Nations, but the world's leading White Nation.

Once again, Blacks, and their deep indigenous concerns, are pushed to
the periphery. Their free expression ain't free, for there is a cost.

When I saw his latest dis' of the Rev. Dr. Wright, I thought of a
question posed in the Bible, in the words of Jesus of Nazareth
speaking to his disciples (in Matthew 16:26): For what is a man
profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?...

What would you do to get a job? --(c) '08 maj

[Source: Holy Bible, St. Matthew (King James Version.]


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>Clinton's only articulating what has been the essence of bourgeois
>electoral politics since the process began.  Identity politics and
>ethnic appeals are how most politicians have won elections, since the
>alternative would be actually presenting policy proposals and ideas.


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     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un Paraíso bajo el bloqueo"
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