http://www.inclusivedemocracy.org/journal/vol5/vol5_no2_takis_crime_of_zionsts.htm

I think it’s important to honor Cynthia McKinney’s courage also. By the same token, it’s important to understand why most of her support comes from white progressives, and to generate support for the politics she represents from a less abstract perspective. To be perfectly honest, I still don’t see much evidence of engagement with black community activists on much more than a theoretical level, i.e., a level of engagement that doesn’t move much beyond self-confirmation.

I see a lot of speculation about the political behavior of black U.S.er’s here, but most of it displays a lack of engagement or struggle with black politics on the terms the black community (to borrow a useful but exhausted generalization) frames for itself. A recent comment about
a needed”complete” analysis of the last 30 years of black struggle underscores my point. There are only analyses that are more complete or less complete, but there are none that are complete, given the regional variables of black experience in a country this large.

I hope you understand that I’m not charging racism here.
Part of the problem I’m talking about stems from the fact that, aside from the labor movement, there really aren’t many political venues where whites and other activists of color meet on an ongoing basis. Community politics by itself, for instance, is fragmented because of the levels of gentrification capital has imposed on cities and towns
across the last thirty years. Many white people I worked with on urban
education issues in Seattle, exhausted by the vigilance of the institutionalized racism of capital reflected in the public sector, have since moved on to education privatization theories and have been co-opted thereby. But the defense of the public sector, heavily unionized in the education profession, has always been one of the most informed and integrated dialogues between whites and people of color! The growing loss of this venue is a tremendous setback for the democratic opposition, and many “progressive” anti-union people do not see this.

The problem is that if we do not defend every public venue, even at its most rudimentary level, there will never be real engagement between whites and black people, or any people of color, as to the importance of developing a mass support for a McKinney or a Nader candidacy. As horrid as the emergence of Obama is, there will be some small defense of the public sector, which is again, one of the only arenas where progressive whites and progressive people of color will meet on an ongoing basis. And yes, it’s important for us to hold our ground, and not be tailing the more reactionary elements among our ranks during election seasons, as Max Shields reminded me a few days ago. By the same token, it is important to engage with the labor and community organizations we have who uphold and defend the unionized
public sector, as that is the real basis from which we will draw any racially integral progressive resistance in the future.

Thank you very much for your information. We appreciate it.

I think you’re missing the point. What percentage did B. Clinton get of Black and Latino votes? or Gore? or Kerry?

The overwhelming number of minority votes go to the Dem candidates regardless of the candidates the Dems have put up. Some African Americans went so far as to call B. Clinton the “first black president.!!! Go figure. Nothing new there. It’s problematic because the media controls the limits of the conversation and most voters regardless of color or gender remain relatively ignorant of the broader issues. That’s the real problem.

I think the “baseless” (imo) expectations brought about because of the mythology of Obama will be a BIG problem for Obama in some ways. How he’ll keep those expectations under “control”…I see riots in the streets and the spineless one using whatever card to shut it down. Pure speculation…but rising expectations usually lead to frustration and that usually leads to high volage riots.

We’ll see.

All on board including Cynthia McKenny are certainly brave and courageous people whereas the Israeli gansters-in-charge are just cruel bullies. The doctors on the voyage went specifically to help with the care of the many patients especially those with fractures. The Palestinian doctors are exhausted and need urgent supplies.

Meanwhile the Israeli army consisting of thousands of troops and reservists, and tanks and guns are building up on the border ‘waiting for the signal’. More slaughter? More blood trickling into the dust and sand?

Please PROTEST at every level. We are holding a large protest on Saturday in Parliament Square and there are ongoing protests outside the Israeli Embassy every day . Mounted police were brought in yesterday! The anger is growing and governments had better take some action and stop using weasel words such as ‘restraint’ . This barbarity must stop immediately and a fair political decision found.

The chastisement of African American by Obama is due to the fear that the “power structure” has of politics and ideas within oppressed communities. However not to harp on the matter but Zionism does not play well within the African American community. This IMO is a way to create the very needed wedge to weaken his support among communities of color.

Obama received 95% of the Black vote and nearly 80% of the Latino vote. This is clearly problematic for the Left and the Left needs to highlight Obama fealty to Zionism (or “imperialism” if you like but I believe that obscures the issue). Recall that Obama had to jettison Rev. Wright due to his defense of Louis Farrakhan’s stance against Zionism. This is not to suggest that the Left “embrace” Farrakhan but what it does suggest is that the Left’s solidarity with the African American who has raised this issue in the past and suffered the reaction by the establishment for having confronted Zionism. Cynthia McKinney has been one of its more recent victims others like Gus Savage in the 1980’s was also one of its earlier victims.

Max, I wouldn’t necessarily describe Obama as “spineless”. Obama has a spine and his using his spine to stand up for the establishment. “Spineless” IMO is the African American “leadership” who has corralled Blacks into the Democratic Party and convinced Blacks that there is no alternative. Unfortunately the Left has helped by its failure to coalesce around an alternative and for the Left’s collapsing of the anti-war movement especially since Blacks demographically was very early against both the Afghan and Iraq Wars.

Zionism IMO is Obama “Achillies” because he cannot back down (and neither can the political establishment for that matter) from its wholehearted support for Israel. For an African American to take this position is obvious pandering and IMO will clearly disillusion his support among people of color.

This is where people of principle like Cynthia McKinney can make gains. Contrasting her bravery against Obama pandering will IMO weaken his support.

It is passion/compassionless; i.e., cold blood. It is a means to an end. and you are absolutely right, Obama’s end is framed by the power structure.

Mary, I receive Cynthia’s updates and she is the only courageous person of any color or gender I see on the horizon.

Deadbeat, I think Obama’s Achilles Heal is the power structure (Zionism is but one very ugly faction of that). At bottom, Obama is a spineless pol who will chastise African Americans but will be singing kumbaya with the pastor Rick and the neocons/liberals.

You’re completely right. Obama’s stance is only ‘pragmatic’ in the sense that it it ‘works’ by not ruffling the feathers of power. And you’re totally fucking right. The next prez’s stance on this (along with countless other positions he has taken) has nothing at all to do with ‘morality or humanity’. Conservation of imperial power is the name of the (great) game and Barack Obama wants to win. He has shown that what he valuse most is power. The power of capital. The power of Empire. The power of dominant media praise. It sucks. But, not only does it suck, but it is a kick to the face of a huge portion of his supporters who expect him to do something about these things.

http://www.dangerouscreation.com

The Palestinians should not feel that they are alone.

http://www.freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=ea798749aeed49271e3b58adf6d89db6
and
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1051224.html

The Ma’ariv article also quoted Dr. Emanuel as saying that his son spends most summers visiting in Tel Aviv, and that he speaks Hebrew, but not fluently.

Anyone who thinks Obama is a Dove or someone who will stand up to Israel, is fooling themselves.

This is the “new pragmaticism”. Noted it, it has nothing to do with morality or humanity.