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You Say You Want a Revolution

Sam Webb
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The concluding comments of Charles Blow’s facebook video following last night’s spirited debate between Bernie and Hillary raise two questions in my mind:

Question 1: Can you have a political revolution – which I understand to mean transformative changes that practically engage as well as improve the lives of tens of millions – the overwhelming majority – in fundamental ways without the African American people in its front ranks?

Question 2: Is the Sanders campaign sufficiently mindful of this historically derived FACT?

My answer to the first question is unequivocally NO. Political revolutions will be born stillborn if its front rankers don’t include the African American people.

As for the other question, I don’t get the sense that the Sanders campaign is sufficiently mindful of the necessity of drawing the African American people into its campaign, but to be fair I have to look at this more closely. And I will do exactly that in another blog post as well say more on their change making role.

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesMBlow/videos/10154686108979989/

Written by

Sam Webb

I'm a long-time socialist and activist, but new to the blogging world. I hope to bring a different perspective on politics, sports, culture, and Marxism. Besides blogging, I also leave plenty of time for swimming, hiking, ESPN, music, reading, drinking good beer, and, not least, my family and friends. I wish I could play basketball, but my knees ruled out that possibility long ago. While I currently reside in New York, my politically formative years were spent in Portland, Me. and Detroit during the 1970s and 1980s. I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (where I played basketball) and received a MA in economics from the University of Connecticut. I was the national chairperson of the Communist Party, USA from 2000 until 2014 when I stepped down at the convention. In 2016 I resigned from the Communist Party two years later. We were no longer on the same page.

5 responses

  1. I’m clear on the centrality of the African American peoples struggle, especially going forward. But our American revolution started in 1776 saw them divided, about 12,000 free Blacks fighting for the Americans and 12,000 fighting for the Brits.

    Reply

    1. Appreciate that historical reminder.
      Just trying to imagine the world if slavery had ended in 1776 because African Americans routed slave trading “patriots.”

      Reply

    2. Hi Carl … where can I find that? Which historians? Hope you are well. sam

      btw liked your socialism piece

      Reply

  2. Thanks Sam
    Had not heard Blow’s comments, which are spot on.
    The Hill capturing southern red states in the primary is No less important or irrelevant than Bernie capturing western red states.
    And Bernie’s revolution goes NO where if he arrives at the WH with a red congress.
    I’m still undecided honestly
    AND I’m clear Bernie fumbled & did not bring his A game Thursday. But driving home her militarism could be the deal breaker for me.

    Reply

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