Black Socialism

Shay has written a good post about socialism over at her blog, Crispus. She comments on an article written by a black socialist and a post by Cobb, who also offers commentary on the article, “A Reply to Bill Cosby: Only Socialism Can Save Black Youth.” Ron “Slim” Washington, of Black Telephone Workers for Justice, writes:

The class conscious black worker recognizes that the current and historical anti-social and negative aspects of black culture in general and black youth culture in particular is a result of capitalist exploitation and national oppression. The system is the principal cause of our misery and how we respond to that misery. No matter how repulsive and negative the anti social behavior may appear, they can only be resolved by the destruction of the system causing the behavior, that is, the capitalist system itself. Any other view is hopelessly utopian and ultimately serves to throw dust in our eyes as to what our principal task must be.

Righteously indignant, Shay responds:

It’s crap to read that racism and capitalism go hand in hand, when many of the world’s most racist societies are socialist. The Arab world’s silence on genocide in Sudan comes to mind. Nor are the Eurosocialist countries — with their tight immigration controls — nearly as racially diverse as America (which rankles them even more — we “inferior” mutt Americans outdo their “superior” stock on economics and power). Let’s not forget that Nazism, genocidal racism, was the German National Socialist Party.

In response to the same section, Cobb writes:

OK so there it is. Youth automatically rebel against The System. True enough, but they rebel against any and every system. This adolescent rebellion is not world historical and its impulse is not born of wisdom but confusion. This is why youth only lead youth, not adults.

And so much more. Go check them out.