As usual, Black Agenda Report (BAR) continues to prove itself a true leftist voice. Below is a scathing piece on the Congressional Black Caucus’s support for Israel’s genocidal adventures in Gaza. Only two — Maxine Waters and Gwen Moore — of the 39 members of the CBC voted against supporting Israel’s murder and maiming of hundreds of Palestinian children.
Black Caucus Abandons King Legacy and Black Opinion, Votes For War on Gaza
by BAR executive editor Glen Ford | 14 January 2009
Only two members of the Congressional Black Caucus mustered the courage to oppose a House Resolution in support of Israel’s savage assault on Gaza, last week. An additional seven CBC members sought cover by voting “present.” The remaining 30 Black lawmakers (the delegates from Washington, DC and the Virgin Islands cannot vote on the House floor) gave their assent to a statement that could have been written by the Israeli government – and probably was.
The Resolution, similar to one passed by the Senate on a voice vote, is a blanket condemnation of Hamas, the political party that won Palestinian Authority elections three years ago, and which Israeli leaders vow to “destroy” before leaving Gaza. The destruction of a mass political party requires massive civilian deaths. Destroying Hamas in Gaza is like stamping out Democrats in The Bronx – with 1.4 million people, about the same size as the Palestinian enclave. The document blames Hamas for “the breaking of the ‘calm’ and for subsequent civilian casualties in Gaza.” In other words, Israel is absolved for all the men, women and children it has burned, eviscerated, blasted into dust, sliced in pieces or melted like wax.
In addition to the usual nonsense about the U.S. maintaining an “unwavering commitment to the…State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state (as if a settler state based on race-ethnicity can be democratic) with secure borders (Israel is the only state in the world that refuses to say where its borders are), the Resolution invokes the United Nations and its Charter (Israel is the unchallenged world champion violator of UN Resolutions, dating from shortly after its declaration of independence, in 1948).
Could it be that Los Angeles Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Milwaukee’s Gwen Moore are the only Black Caucus members who remember that Israel was racist South Africa’s closest ally, the apartheid regime’s hi-tech weapons quartermaster and godfather to its nuclear bomb project? Do the seven members that voted “present” – Donna Edwards (MD), Keith Ellison (MN), Hank Johnson (GA), Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI), Barbara Lee (CA), Donald Payne (NJ), Diane Watson (CA) – believe that by refusing to take a position on Israeli crimes against humanity in Gaza, they somehow salvage the Caucus’s claim to be the “conscience of the Congress?”
Where has John Conyers’ conscience disappeared to? In July of 2006, when the House passed an equally noxious Resolution in support of Israel’s systematic destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure, killing over 1,000 people and displacing one million, Conyers and fellow Detroiter Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick were the solitary CBC members to vote “Nay.” (Oakland’s Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters voted “present.”) Then came the Democratic victory in the midterm congressional elections and Conyers’ chance to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee – at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s pleasure. Conyers picked a fight with Jimmy Carter over the former president’s book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Conyers objected to Carter’s use of the term “apartheid” in the book’s title, saying it “does not serve the cause of peace, and the use of it against the Jewish people in particular, who have been victims of the worst kind of discrimination, discrimination resulting in death, is offensive and wrong.” Translation: Not just Israel, but Jews are off limits to criticism.
It appears the old John Conyers has left the scene without those of us who used to know him having had a chance to say goodbye. The Israeli lobby has that kind of effect on erstwhile progressives and anti-war folks. The Zionist ideology, and especially the chilling effect of Zionist power, is probably the second-greatest impediment to creation of a sustained American peace movement – the first obstacle being the ideology of American Manifest Destiny, which is in practice quite compatible with Zionism.
However, African Americans are least susceptible to the Manifest Destiny/Zionist Mythology combo. Both ideologies wreak of racism, and most Black people know it. The Congressional Black Caucus knows it, too, but they are terrified of offending Israel’s innumerable political hit men.
Zionist power helped knock off two CBC members who refused to tow Tel Aviv’s line, in 2002. Georgia’s Cynthia McKinney and Alabama’s Earl Hilliard found themselves heavily outspent and ultimately unseated by otherwise puny challengers in Democratic primary contests. AIPAC bragged of its ability to shut down independent-minded Black politicians who fail to understand that U.S. foreign policy is shaped by whatever is deemed good for Israel. Bullying works, especially against the meek. Except for Maxine Waters and Gwen Moore, the Congressional Black Caucus is out of the anti-war business.
That also goes for the Congressional Progressive Caucus which, with 71 members, claims to be the “single largest partisan caucus” in the U.S. House, but whose members voted overwhelmingly in support of Israeli barbarity. About two-thirds of the voting members of the Black Caucus also belong to the Progressive Caucus – meaning, they are members of two defunct organizations, and doubly useless to the cause of peace.
BAR’s comments are always worth checking out.
Related posts:
- Only a few…
- Qana Massacre Remembered – Press Release
- This Could Happen to Anyone- Get It? His Rights Are Our Rights.
- Israel Wins at the Polls
- Michel Foucault, the Black Panther Party, and Palestine
Okay, y’all are pretty unremitting critics of Israel and Zionism.
And as an Israeli on the left of the spectrum, I share many of your criticisms. Especially about Cast Lead.
However… aside from Israel-bashing, d’you have anything else constructive to contribute to resolving the conflict in the Middle East besides: “Jews, Out of Palestine”?
Posted by D.M. Aviv | January 20, 2009, 1:20 pmDoes anyone else find this conspiracy laden article dangerous?
Any unfavorabe result is always attributed to Zionist power, are you for real? Heaven forbid people have legitimate disagreements based on intellectual grounds. I suppose it’s easier to blame a conspiracy and shout till your lungs turn blue, but still, this type of mentality is anything but rational and productive.
Also, what’s up with the racist title? Are all black politicians supposed to fall in line behind some arbitrary position that is pre-determined for them, by other people? By BAR? By QuiQui?
Posted by Brian | January 20, 2009, 1:23 pmHave you ever read any of the posts on this blog?
There have been many solutions posted here.
1 state solutions and 2 state solutions all have been proposed.
Here is a one state solution just put up 2 days ago:
http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/01/one-state-solution.html
However, the occupation, blockade, and huge human rights abuses must continually be addressed. Why? because the mainstream media in the United States does not address them and leaves the common American viewer clueless about these defining and integral aspects of the conflict. At the moment only blogs and a few newspapers allow Americans to understand the critical issues underlining this conflict which are namely the occupation.
Posted by Arayus | January 20, 2009, 1:33 pmBlack skin, White masks.
Frantz Fanon said it best.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 1:37 pmBlack politicians are no longer Black (capital B). Just black (lowercase b).
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 9:38 amwhat’s the difference? what’s the point of this silly differentiation? Who gets to decide?
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 1:46 pmThe fact that AIPAC and various other Israeli lobbying groups have a huge influence on U.S foreign policy towards the Middle East is uncontested and not a conspiracy theory.
Professors that are considered to be at the top of their field such as John Mearsheimer(Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago) and Stephen Walt (Professor of International Relations at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University) have espoused views that outline exactly how and why Israeli lobbying groups bend American foreign policy to suit the needs of Israel.
The fact that Israeli lobbying groups aid in providing Israel with tremendous American support (many times at the expense of American interests; bombing of the USS Liberty for example) is not a conspiracy theory. This is a fact and the sooner everyone realizes this, the sooner we can end this conflict.
Posted by Super Sayyin | January 20, 2009, 2:03 pmBlack capital B is Black as a-state-of-being. It defines itself as resistance to White supremacy. It is like being Palestinian in Israel, or Jewish in Europe before 1948. Always in a state of resistance. When you stop resisting you become Abu Mazen. No longer “Arab”. No longer “Palestinian” in the way we know the term. So when people say Hugo Chavez is more Arab than some Arabs, this is what they mean.
Black lowercase b means your blackness goes no farther than the color of your skin. It is the black used to describe people with Subsaharan African features. Most of the time you see the word white, lowercase w, which is used to describe caucasians who don’t think about race very much unless they are White supremacists, and in that case you would capitalize the w, as in White.
Most people in this country are White supremicists whether they admit it or not. If they agree with the way the US government runs and concern themselves only on whether they will vote Republican or Democrat, they are White supremacists. This country was built that way from the very beginning and is still running in a way where everything and everyone that is not White has to conform to the White paradigm.
Can I say something else? I think you need to read a book and educate yourself instead of asking people to explain everything to you personally. I’m guessing you’re White. Your privilege is showing.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 2:30 pm“Most people in this country are White supremicists whether they admit it or not.”
I’m guessing you’re a moron. Your stupidity is showing.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 2:43 pmLOL!!! @ “I think you need to read a book and educate yourself instead of asking people to explain everything to you personally. I’m guessing you’re White. Your privilege is showing.”
Someone recommended Fanon. Read that, I loved it!! Warn you that the white kids in my class thought it was difficult so you might not understand it either!
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 2:49 pmHello all, this article demonstrates best why I think there needs to be a strong Arab/Muslim Lobby. Members of Congress, whether black or white, cannot vote their conscience on this issue because of the powerful presence of AIPAC and its ability to derail any future ambitions of any politician at will. Balancing this dangerous lobby with a peace-oriented pro-Palestinian pro-Democracy-in-the-Middle-East Lobby would be a great service to the United States and mankind. Check out my past posts on the issue.
http://www.kabobfest.com/2009/01/logic-of-power.html
http://www.kabobfest.com/2008/11/arabmuslim-american-lobby.html
http://www.kabobfest.com/2008/02/blogging-our-way-to-promised-land.html
Posted by Sama Adnan | January 20, 2009, 2:55 pmWhite privilege. LOL! That’s hilarious. It has nothing to do with race, it is class that matters. Oh, but there is no class struggle in the US, everyone can be a millionaire if you just work for it.
You are dealing with politicians, who in general, are ego-centric people by nature. They jockey for position to get the best appointments, get in with the right clique, in order to forward their own agenda – cover their ass until the next election. They check their ideals at the door, i.e. Obama when he first got into office. Forget Fanon, watch “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”.
Actually, the real problem is American exceptionalism, because you know at the end of the day the USA is the bestest, most perfect country in the whole world and everyone who criticizes them is just jealous.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 3:04 pm“I’m guessing you’re White. Your privilege is showing.”
I’m guessing you’re an elitist, arrogant, overindulged racist asshole. Your smug self-superiority is showing. I’d like to take you on a tour of the rural county I live in to show you what “white privilege” looks like. There are poor whites here who would trade places with Israeli Arabs in a second and consider themselves blessed for the opportunity to live in a racist, apartheid country that hates them if it meant they got a place to live without a blue tarp for a roof and where it doesn’t flood every Spring.
There are many injustices in the world, but those who care only about their own tribe or those who are willfully blind to injustices not involving people of color are as racist as any white supremacist.
Posted by Sean | January 20, 2009, 3:35 pmWTF? Sean standing up to KabobShit?!
Now I’ve seen everything.
Sean, do you not realize what this post is all about? QuiQui is telling black people they should be pro-Palestinian because then they can fight the “white people” together. (nevermind that palis are the most “white” of all Arabs thanks to crusader blood)
QQ’s idea of
“White people are fine, so long as they are deprived of all power, accept every historic injustice they have perpetrated (and pay for it with total asset confiscation), and surrender their civil rights for review.”
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 4:12 pmSean: I think if you understood race in this country a little differently, in a manner applicable to the contemporary era, you would find you and I might agree.
We wouldn’t consider poor whites as White, capital W. I don’t think anybody should but the lack of understanding of what racism is in this country makes people think that everyone with white skin is of the oppressor class; therefore, if they have white skin yet are not exactly “White”, they are allowed to be made fun of and berated.
This leads to racist name-calling like “white trash”, which I have seen on this blog a lot, unfortunately. I wish the bloggers here, as well as our countrymen and women would stop and reconsider the use of this term.
Poor whites are a last group we are all allowed to make fun of openly for not being rich or ivy league educated, all without consequence. But again, it is because of the lack of understanding we have about how racism works today.
We are led to believe that just by having white skin, one is immediately privileged. Not so. However, it is an enormous fallacy to believe that White priviledge does not exist, my friend. It absolutely exists.
This country needs to do a better job understanding race and where poor whites fit in. Today, it’s less about skin color and more about a a White culture: one modeled after western european enlightenment thinking that is elitist, capitalist, Christian, often Liberal, sometimes Conservative.
To get an idea of what this White culture is, see the very popular blog “stuff white people like”. Although some of the things they write about are neither very good nor accurate, they hit the nail on the head perfectly once in a while.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 4:28 pmI’m white with a W, or is it a w? And you’re Arab with an A, or is it an a? And he’s Indian or indian?
Are you kidding me with this nonsense? Your political theories are about as advanced as a third grade education.
You got the alphabet down, how bout we try and learn some rational thought now?
I can use my Privilege to sneak us into some places of higher learning and read up on the evil white man and his cunning ways. Then, I’ll use my privilege (or is it Privilege) to secure us a nice meal where we can discuss what we’ve learned. Sound like a plan? Plan?
I almost wish this was some kind of joke. God bless Amerikkka, right?
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 5:04 pmQuiQui, right on on almost every point (so forgive me in a minute when I fight with your commenters); I think it was you who inspired me to read BAR and it’s faithfully been a part of my RSS feed since.
Okay, commenters: First of all, I’m from white poor stock, so I’m with whomever said the US needs to pay attention to its poor of every race (been to Appalachia? Rural Vermont? Okay then).
That said, any white American from any class who manages to get ahead in any way educationally/professionally speaking is already one step ahead thanks to the white privilege bestowed upon us. As a product of relative white poverty and someone who graduated with honors, I’m fully aware of this fact.
Just sayin’
-Jillian
Posted by Jillian | January 20, 2009, 9:12 pmThere is no doubt that racism sometimes closes doors to non-whites. The problem with the idea of “white privilege” is the false belief that doors are therefore automatically opened for whites, which is anything but the case. Any white person who gets ahead does so because:
1. He’s born into wealth
2. He has connections that can get him good jobs, opportunities
3. He worked his ass off and had many doors slammed in his face because he didn’t have 1 or 2.
Unfortunately, most of us fall into category 3. There is no one out there handing the keys to success to you on a gold platter because you’re “white,” because “white culture” doesn’t exist. The majority of white people do not self-identify as “white” but as Irish-, Italian, German,-whatever-Americans, or as New Yorkers, Californians, Texans etc.
The concept of “white people” as a descriptive grouping of human beings is completely meaningless for anyone but those who see every person with white skin as part of a distinct social collective operating together the way nations, cultures and tribes do. Sorry, but not even Hitler has such an all-encompassing vision of the “white race.”
We don’t all get together once a month in a big stadium and plot out ways to maintain our privilege.
As for “Stuff White People Like,” I think that site could better be named “What status-conscious, upper and middle class, pretentious liberal yuppies like or pretend to like so they can look cool or be accepted by those rare people who are just like them.” The site would apply to a lot of non-whites as well, and is basically full of stereotypes that may apply to some white people at some times, but certainly are not indicative of the culture of all, or even most, whites. I somehow doubt Pat Robertson would find much he likes in that list.
The corollary to “Stuff White People Like” is the idea that non-whites don’t like this stuff, or why make the distinction at all? It would then just be “Stuff everyone likes.”
Black people, apparently, don’t like Sushi, old black music like jazz, or wearing sweaters when it is cold. They don’t give a shit about political prisoners, not even Mumia Abu-Jamal. They have no interest in learning foreign languages, and don’t dress up on Halloween. They wouldn’t be caught dead with an Asian chick, or living in San Francisco. Nobody except white guys likes Asian girls (sorry ladies, it must be awfully lonely over there in Japan). Blacks are opposed to nationalized healthcare, and are too indifferent to the environment to bother with recycling. They would never buy a pair of sneakers based on a company treating its workers with respect, because they know that is a pretentious, yuppie white person thing to do. And everyone knows, black people would never, ever have gay friends, apologize, or visit a foreign country. They hate dogs, Apple products and Netflix.
When you look at the corollary—the assumption that everyone else doesn’t like these things—you quickly realize how bogus these “white” stereotypes really are.
Posted by Sean | January 20, 2009, 10:44 pmYou know Jillian, I’d like you to give me just one example of “white privilege” that every white person has, regardless of class.
Posted by Sean | January 20, 2009, 10:46 pm“The concept of “white people” as a descriptive grouping of human beings is completely meaningless for anyone but those who see every person with white skin as part of a distinct social collective operating together the way nations, cultures and tribes do.”
I always found it ironic that those who are most vocal about fighting racisim, are more prone to use race to classify, and in this case, judge others.
“any white American from any class who manages to get ahead in any way educationally/professionally.. is already one step ahead thanks to the white privilege bestowed upon us”
A step ahead of who? Of African Americans? Of Hispanics? Of all minorities? How about over-represented minorities such as Indians?
And in what context are the privileged whtie ahead? Does a poor white rural boy from Arkansas have any significant advantage over a rich black boy from LA?
People talk about “white privilege” in such abstract terms that its hard to take it seriously. Even if the conversation was held in the context of more specific detail, the lives and backgrounds of Americans is so varied that how can you just lump all white people in together? What about mixed children? What if I’m 1/4 Persian? What if I’m 1/8 Black but I look white? The questions are endless, and the rhetoric is often shouted by the most extreme fringe of society.
Posted by Anonymous | January 20, 2009, 11:07 pmSean, I never thought I would agree with you, but the pigs are flying. When I was applying to colleges, I did not get into my top pic, even though black friends of mine were able to get in with significantly lower SATs, GPAs and class rankings. And no, they weren’t getting in on a sports scholarship.
There is private racism in our society, much of it directed towards black people. Whatever institutionalized racism exists, however, does not favor “white people”, with the criminal justice system a major exception. When cities like Chicago are forced to divvy up a percentage of contracts to “minority-owned businesses”, that’s racist.
Posted by Anonymous | January 21, 2009, 2:30 amWow. Lots of comments. I rarely read or answer these, and I’m a heavy skimmer so forgive me. I like the thing about not using “white trash” on this blog. I also like the thing about Black as a state of being. Fred Moten calls this “blackness”, which is a state of flight, so yes, very much so like resistance. White, btw, is more usefully referred to as “whiteness”, which is also a state of being.
I also think that Sean, while I agree with a lot of what you say and I appreciate most of your comments when I do read them, you and I can’t ever agree about race. I maybe think that, forgive me, because you grew up a poor white and don’t fit into the white privileged class, you don’t agree that the idea of race is a valid one — or at least, not in the way we’re used to thinking about it. And yes, you’re right. The dominant idea of race is not really a valid one, or is no more a valid one. But I think we need to examine how race and racism has changed.
Indeed, yes. Biological race doesn’t exist. That doesn’t mean, however, that race doesn’t exist in or society. Race is real in its consequences (white privilege included). So we can’t dismiss the idea. What we need to do is understand how it works.
One of the most brilliant people I know, who I’m also lucky to have as a good friend, has written a great paper which gets at these questions. It’s called “Neo-racism, White Universalism, and the Double Bind of White Trash”. I personally think everyone should read it, especially now. I’d share the link to it online but I think it’s not working. Maybe you can find a cached version online somewhere.
And actually, I know a lot of black people who love sushi and a lot of the stuff on that web site. That you point out that those are things non-whites like as well — as an argument against that idea of whiteness — is showing that you’re still stuck thinking about race as something biological, not cultural.
But you’re right that most black folks don’t say anything about black prisoners — they’d scare their already suspicious white friends away. It’s why we can’t ever expect Obama to fight with the oppressed class, and why he has to berate Black folks every chance he gets. He has to prove (extra hard) to the white establishment he’s not, what they would consider, a scary black man. And not only that, it’s an added bonus that he gets away with saying publicly all of those things about Black people they only say privately.
This is race in America.
Posted by QuiQui | January 21, 2009, 6:36 amQui Qui, Jillian – You’ve both failed to address any of the substantive issues here. All you’ve written is academic babble, with no actual tie to the real world. All theory. Come back once you stop living a life behind Universities.
Posted by Evan J. | January 21, 2009, 8:27 amQQ, the more years you are spending in school, the more dumb, less consequential and interesting you are getting. Most people on this planet are not faux-revolutionaries living off international donations in the mountains of Mexico. We don’t sit around, patting each other on the back for inventing new racisms, espoused with ever increasing intellectual sophistication, with which to oppress others. The rest of us have to live for a living. When will you learn…
Grow up, QQ.
Posted by Anonymous | January 21, 2009, 10:22 amGuys, this is actually a really good debate and I don’t think we should resort to name calling, especially considering how complex this issue is. Especially considering that the terminology everyone is using is not completely understood by everyone to mean the same thing. And especially considering everyones particular life experiences.
The way Sean and QuiQui have been handling the criticism is a good standard to hold yourselves by.
Posted by Arayus | January 21, 2009, 2:56 pmSean and others, i think you would enjoy the following book.
John hartigan “Class predicaments of whiteness in Detroit” as well as his “Odd tribes”
Hartigan, a cultural anthropologist, explores how class intersects with whiteness for 3 different groups of poor and lower-middle class whites in Detroit during the early 1990s.
Hartigan conceives race as a very localized concept that people negotiate. his work has helped me realize that the “anti-racist” framework presented by so many critical of whiteness is really a false choice. Its a binary of you are either with us or you are racist. I largely accept the concept of white privilege, but I also accept that there is a LOT of wiggle room, ambiguities and intersections.
Posted by Nick | January 21, 2009, 4:51 pmAs usual, Black Agenda Report (BAR) continues to prove itself a true leftist voice.
You think blacks are leftists? You don’t even know any black people, do you?
Posted by programmer craig | January 22, 2009, 3:37 amFirst of all, I’m from white poor stock, so I’m with whomever said the US needs to pay attention to its poor of every race…
So, Jillian, you are admitting to being trailer trash? Is that why you became a Palestinian activist? Do the Arab guys treat you like a queen?
I’d like to see somebody like you tell all the Chinese, Iranian, Indian, etc people in the high tech industry that you were given preference over them, because you are white. Some minority groups have to cross an even higher bar than whites do, to get into a good college.
Posted by programmer craig | January 22, 2009, 3:47 amThe way Sean and QuiQui have been handling the criticism is a good standard to hold yourselves by.
No, I don’t think so. QuiQui is a known bigot, and Sean is a known idiot.
Posted by programmer craig | January 22, 2009, 3:49 amI disagree with you completely PC.
Posted by Arayus | January 22, 2009, 2:12 pm