[Marxism] Re:What happens to a race deferred?

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The racial divide which is a class divide in this country -- discussed
in this Times commentary -- likely to get deeper as the evacuation
process proceeds.

The racial divide in general, and the Black-white divide in particular,
are fundamental forms of the class division in this country.  The
oppression of Black people is at the center of the history of exploited
labor almost from the beginning.  Socialism will not and cannot solve
this problem.  The battle for the resolution of this on a gigantic scale
is a precondition for socialism.  And this central form of class
conflict in the United States has been thrown into extremely high relief
in New Orleans.  There is no socialist future without this fight, no
matter how irrational capitalism gets.

In my opinion, drawing general socialist lessons from New Orleans is
simply utopian theorizing unless it is done in the framework of the
actual class divide as it actually is and as it actually shows itself in
life.

A sharpening racial class divide over New Orleans is inevitable.  This
will happen even if -- as I hope and may be happening -- the political
forces who are opposed to a vindictive demonstration of official power
against the Blacks in the city win out over the "take back the city" and
crush-the-"insurgency" forces.

The "rebuilding" of New Orleans, which may end up taking as long as the
"rebuilding" of Iraq and be just as successful, is likely to take place
in a spirit of neoliberal apartheid. The instinct among the economic and
political bosses will be to create a "revitalized" city for financial
manipulators, real estate sharks, construction scammers and so on. For
them, a revitalized New Orleans means above all  a Much, Much, Higher
Rent New Orleans.

I suspect the people who are being evacuated today are going to have a
hell of a time getting back into the Dynamic New Improved New Orleans
that the planners are probably already sketching out.  Perhaps those who
are allowed in as cheap labor will be expected to head home every night
to a neighboring Soweto.

The denunciations of the people taking food and clothes from basically
permanently closed stores as representing "the worst in us" carried the
clear suggestion that New Orleans will be well rid of those who were
Left Behind.

I guess this is why I remain suspicious of the complete obligatory
evacuation, the barring of volunteers from providing aid in the city,
the attempts (none too successful, I assume) to prevent departures on
foot, the refusal to let people off rescue buses anywhere in Louisiana,
and generally to get those Black people as far away as possible from
their flooded home city -- where their community has roots going back
more than 300 years. I sometimes wonder is this evacuation of the city
becoming a form of expulsion -- and are New Orleans Blacks being forced
to scatter like the Cajuns were in Canada.

Remember, just because I'M paranoid doesn't mean they're not plotting
against YOU.
Fred Feldman

Fred Feldman




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