Apparently the street vendor you spoke with doesn’t know people in the Haitian community? They are among the hardest hit, en masse, when Trump summarily revoked their temporary protected status. This while the country they’re supposed to return to is in a state of war, the outcome of centuries of revenge for the world’s first successful revolution by enslaved people and decades of US imperialist intervention to ensure submission. Another example of why fascist try to erase history & we need to learn & spread it. But of course we’re here at PSR so we on that 🙏
There are many thoughtful persons, some quite respectable people, some former office holders, etc. who keep posting Youtube videos sayings the collapse is going to happen, will happen, is already happening and Trump is going down. Well, I do not believe this is true no matter how sincere and opposed to Trump. For one thing it is not just a Trump or a relative few that are leading the authoritarian, right-wing, fascist, movement. It may not be a majority but it is a significant minority plus many others who simply are not awake and think it can't be as bad as it is or as Paul describes it to me. Wishful thinking is at work with a majority and that is why the situation is so grave. The US has throughout its history been a dominating, conquering nation--against the indigenous people, against those held in slavery, against immigrants and depending on them for wage slavery, low paid workers, and on and on. First the white supremacists dominated North American, then countries and areas around the world, wherever resources were needed for the US empire and on and on. What we are experiencing with the Trump presidency is simply the latest manifestation.
I recently visited Washington state and could feel the militarism in the very air - both subtle and pervasive. How can decent people there 'breathe' at all?
Glad you went over this with her that was important. I would imaging she is working all the time and has little time or energy to educate herself. I know most of this stuff and it really smacked me in the face to see it all laid out in the article.
We are the most propagandized people in the world living in the U.S. and most Americans don't believe that. If you are lucky maybe you lit a spark in her to see through all the b.s. we are fed.
Speaking of conversations on the streets of America, while walking my dog in a half empty college town the other day, I had the following exchange with a frowning white man from Down Under:
Me: “what's wrong—- you don't like dogs?"
Him: with a curious accent: “no, dogs are okay.”
Me: “Do you like America?"
Him: “Yeah.”
Me: “even though it's turning into a fascist authoritarian state under Trump?"
Him: “I like that it's doing that. He's gonna get rid of the niggers and illegals"
Me: “Do you live around here?”
Him: “Yeah, a few blocks over.”
Me: "you see all the Black Lives Matter signs and LGBT flags around here? Do you think you might live in a bad neighborhood for a Nazi like you? I think you are in the wrong neighborhood. Where are you from?"
Him: "yeah I hate it here. I'm from Australia."
Me: “I’d be okay with you going back. We have enough trouble with homegrown fascists now in the USA.”
I would suggest that the next time you feel compelled to school Black people about the identity of their enemy, start by thanking them for the blood sacrifices they’ve already made resisting that enemy—and offer a genuine apology for the mess White people got them into in the first place. Start there. That’ a message black people will hear. And that’s no bullshit.
You are asking for an apology from the wrong cracker. I've dedicated much of my life to exposing and fighting anti-Black racism past and present. Faced down rubber bullets and tear gas during the George Floyd Rebellion. Toiled for years on books and project studies exposing and denouncing white supremacism. I could go on (Google me up - LOL) . Instead of you lecturing a fierce anti-racist (who happens to have European ancestry like other anti-racists like John Brown and Viola Liuzzo and Bob Avakian) you might want to have some hard conversations with some of the not insignificant number of Black people actually caught up in precisely the bullshit I confronted here. For what it's worth, my folks joined the Chicago Freedom Movement at no small risk to their safety in 1966. Imagine that. You should not privilege identity over science.
And, you know, I mean, furthermore E. Franklin Levison:
(a) you want me to walk around on white eggshells when folks say shit like this: “Trump’s going after brown-skinned Spanish-speaking people mainly. Ain’t got nothing to do with me. Trump’s not coming at me and my people. He’s not coming at Black people.”
He sure as Hell is in all the ways I said.
(b) The street vendor didn't want or need any apology whatsoever from me. Like I said, I was up front with her; we ended our convo with a fist-bump and good feelings. She was quite capable of hearing what I had to say without you coming in with identitarian condescension/supervision.
Perhaps Trump will implode the world economy, who knows (Dow is at all time high)? What I appreciate about him is his mishandling of the empire. I believe the genocide and attack on Iran have opened many eyes to the barbarism of US foreign policy. Unfortunately, he may initiate WW3 which will make his acceleration of the climate breakdown a moot point. Of course, many prefer to believe that they will not be affected personally. Good luck with that!
Apparently the street vendor you spoke with doesn’t know people in the Haitian community? They are among the hardest hit, en masse, when Trump summarily revoked their temporary protected status. This while the country they’re supposed to return to is in a state of war, the outcome of centuries of revenge for the world’s first successful revolution by enslaved people and decades of US imperialist intervention to ensure submission. Another example of why fascist try to erase history & we need to learn & spread it. But of course we’re here at PSR so we on that 🙏
There are many thoughtful persons, some quite respectable people, some former office holders, etc. who keep posting Youtube videos sayings the collapse is going to happen, will happen, is already happening and Trump is going down. Well, I do not believe this is true no matter how sincere and opposed to Trump. For one thing it is not just a Trump or a relative few that are leading the authoritarian, right-wing, fascist, movement. It may not be a majority but it is a significant minority plus many others who simply are not awake and think it can't be as bad as it is or as Paul describes it to me. Wishful thinking is at work with a majority and that is why the situation is so grave. The US has throughout its history been a dominating, conquering nation--against the indigenous people, against those held in slavery, against immigrants and depending on them for wage slavery, low paid workers, and on and on. First the white supremacists dominated North American, then countries and areas around the world, wherever resources were needed for the US empire and on and on. What we are experiencing with the Trump presidency is simply the latest manifestation.
I recently visited Washington state and could feel the militarism in the very air - both subtle and pervasive. How can decent people there 'breathe' at all?
Much needed national conversation!!!
Excellent article!
Glad you went over this with her that was important. I would imaging she is working all the time and has little time or energy to educate herself. I know most of this stuff and it really smacked me in the face to see it all laid out in the article.
We are the most propagandized people in the world living in the U.S. and most Americans don't believe that. If you are lucky maybe you lit a spark in her to see through all the b.s. we are fed.
Speaking of conversations on the streets of America, while walking my dog in a half empty college town the other day, I had the following exchange with a frowning white man from Down Under:
Me: “what's wrong—- you don't like dogs?"
Him: with a curious accent: “no, dogs are okay.”
Me: “Do you like America?"
Him: “Yeah.”
Me: “even though it's turning into a fascist authoritarian state under Trump?"
Him: “I like that it's doing that. He's gonna get rid of the niggers and illegals"
Me: “Do you live around here?”
Him: “Yeah, a few blocks over.”
Me: "you see all the Black Lives Matter signs and LGBT flags around here? Do you think you might live in a bad neighborhood for a Nazi like you? I think you are in the wrong neighborhood. Where are you from?"
Him: "yeah I hate it here. I'm from Australia."
Me: “I’d be okay with you going back. We have enough trouble with homegrown fascists now in the USA.”
Him...rapidly walks away.
I would suggest that the next time you feel compelled to school Black people about the identity of their enemy, start by thanking them for the blood sacrifices they’ve already made resisting that enemy—and offer a genuine apology for the mess White people got them into in the first place. Start there. That’ a message black people will hear. And that’s no bullshit.
Respectfully,
You are asking for an apology from the wrong cracker. I've dedicated much of my life to exposing and fighting anti-Black racism past and present. Faced down rubber bullets and tear gas during the George Floyd Rebellion. Toiled for years on books and project studies exposing and denouncing white supremacism. I could go on (Google me up - LOL) . Instead of you lecturing a fierce anti-racist (who happens to have European ancestry like other anti-racists like John Brown and Viola Liuzzo and Bob Avakian) you might want to have some hard conversations with some of the not insignificant number of Black people actually caught up in precisely the bullshit I confronted here. For what it's worth, my folks joined the Chicago Freedom Movement at no small risk to their safety in 1966. Imagine that. You should not privilege identity over science.
And, you know, I mean, furthermore E. Franklin Levison:
(a) you want me to walk around on white eggshells when folks say shit like this: “Trump’s going after brown-skinned Spanish-speaking people mainly. Ain’t got nothing to do with me. Trump’s not coming at me and my people. He’s not coming at Black people.”
He sure as Hell is in all the ways I said.
(b) The street vendor didn't want or need any apology whatsoever from me. Like I said, I was up front with her; we ended our convo with a fist-bump and good feelings. She was quite capable of hearing what I had to say without you coming in with identitarian condescension/supervision.
With all due respect, Dr Street, you've just explained far better than I could the very reasons you failed to understand what she was really saying.
Perhaps Trump will implode the world economy, who knows (Dow is at all time high)? What I appreciate about him is his mishandling of the empire. I believe the genocide and attack on Iran have opened many eyes to the barbarism of US foreign policy. Unfortunately, he may initiate WW3 which will make his acceleration of the climate breakdown a moot point. Of course, many prefer to believe that they will not be affected personally. Good luck with that!
We are so fucked