The militancy of the Black Power movement and the overall emerging militancy of African and other colonized people signaled a change in our enemy’s approach. If you’ve been paying close attention to the tactics of the capitalist system over the last 25 years, you can see the trend. The mass movements of the past taught the capitalist system that their go-to reliance exclusively upon brutality and ironclad control is no longer a viable strategy. Make no mistake about it, of course, they still utilize brutality, and they always will, but they have made adjustments. They have learned the meaning of . . .
black misleadership class
African Liberation Day 2022: Smash Neo-Colonialism!
The age of classical colonialism in Africa changed the course of history. Exploited trade agreements and pseudo alliances between African nobility and European merchants led to heightened warfare, looting, and genocide across the continent. No mineral or raw material was safe, from gold to palm oil to diamonds. The transatlantic slave trade emptied the continent of capable hands, bodies, and minds to the tune of 12 million Africans. The developing European capitalist class burned their way across Africa from all sides, exploiting every contradiction and weakness they could find. Then came the 1884-85 Berlin Conference, which was an exercise in . . .
Dining at the Obama Inn
ON 17 MAY, THE VENERABLE New York Times reported: “Mr. Obama will travel to Accra, the capital of Ghana, on July 10 for an overnight stop at the end of a trip that will first take him to Moscow to meet with Russian leaders and then Sardinia for the annual summit of the G8 powers. The president and Mrs. Obama look forward to strengthening the US relationship with one of our most trusted partners in sub-Saharan Africa, and to highlighting the critical role that sound governance and civil society play in promoting lasting development …” Yes, Obama-ists around the globe . . .
The Usefulness of the Term “Black Misleadership Class”
In what he called “an afterthought” to his December 21 article on “The Black Political Class and Network Neutrality,” BAR managing editor Bruce Dixon dropped an unexpected bomb. He now has “deep reservations” about use of the term “Black misleadership class,” because “it implies that there is or ought to be a class of good and righteous black leaders.” The term is “sloppy and imprecise,” Dixon writes, adding (I hope) sarcastically: “Maybe the good ones are supposed to be the ‘real’ blacks and the bad ones unreal. Maybe the difference [is] having or lacking character, table manners, home training or . . .
The Myth of Good Ideas
This essay was originally published in Tenement Yaad Media, a Caribbean focused media platform. As people who want ‘good’ for Jamaica, one of the realities that we all have to accept is that there is no objective “good” or anything that everyone will support and agree on. We have to do away with the liberal illusion of ‘objectivity’ including the ideas that debates are just about finding the best ideas, that there are things that will ‘work for all’ of us, and that maybe “our leaders” just have not thought about them yet. This type of thinking is something we . . .
I’m Sick of the Oscars, Will Smith, and Chris Rock
As usual, the blatant hypocrisy of the capitalist system is so sickening it turns my stomach. And, it should turn yours also. Just to be clear, I don’t care one bit about Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, the Oscars, the U.S. government, capitalism, any of it. I’m sick of the people claiming that Will Smith was defending African women. If you really think a stupid, spontaneous, and emotionally generated reaction (if it was even authentic) is a strong example of defending African women than that goes a long way in explaining why African women are never defended in the . . .
“Escaping” Capitalism Through Entrepreneurship
Recommendations to create one’s own business have been the go-to when discussing the exhausting and debilitating experiences of capitalism. For those who work in exploitative environments, there is the ongoing cycle of working under harmful conditions that are detrimental to their well-being and survival. In awareness of this many seek resolution in entrepreneurship, assuming that they will be free from the effects of capitalism. Despite the invasiveness of capitalism in every aspect of one’s life, viewing entrepreneurship as a means of escape can result in the cycle of exploitation for marginalized groups. Exploitation is a part of capitalism’s framework, garnering . . .
The Machiavellian Politics of London Breed
On Dec. 14, 2021, San Francisco’s quixotic mayor authored a blog post that served as a policy statement (slightly more literate than Trump’s policy by Tweet) entitled, “A Safer San Francisco.” It stated, “San Francisco is a compassionate city, but our compassion cannot be mistaken for weakness or indifference.” The mayor’s one liner was a prelude to the announcement of a “series of initiatives to create a safer San Francisco.” The initiatives were itemized as follows: Executing an Emergency Intervention Plan in the Tenderloin neighborhood Securing emergency police funding Amending our surveillance ordinance Disrupting the illegal street sales of stolen . . .