[Peace-discuss] [OccupyCU] Tom Hayden: "liberal-left radicals" upset w/Obama sell-outs are "blind" racists

[C. G. Estabrook]

Hayden, who's been an active participant in the sell-out of the Democratic party after "the sixties" ("He's in danger of giving opportunism a bad name," said Gore Vidal), knows how it was done. Most of us don't, and should.

In summary, with the rise of neoliberalism in the 1970s, the Democrats jettisoned their professed opposition to economic exploitation ("the party of the working-man") and had to cast about for another good cause. They settled on opposition to discrimination, because there were few open proponents of discrimination, and discrimination is not a good thing. They thought thereby to retain their liberal reputation.

Their retreat was pointed out at the time: "identity politics" was substituted for class politics.  For perhaps the best summary of why those two are opposed, see Walter Benn Michaels, "The Trouble with Diversity: How We Learned to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality" (2006).  

An update and short summary is found at "Let them East Diversity" <http://jacobinmag.com/2011/01/let-them-eat-diversity/>.  --CGE  


On Sep 10, 2012, at 12:07 PM, Ricky Baldwin <rbaldwin at seiu73.org> wrote:

> Well, that's not quite what Hayden says:
> 
> "Why Obama’s achievements are dismissed or denied by many on the white liberal-left is a question worth serious consideration. It may only be a matter of legitimate disappointment after the utopian expectations of 2008. It could be pure antipathy to electoral politics, or a superficial assessment of how near impossible it is to change intransigent institutions. It could be a vested organizational interest in asserting there is no difference between the two major parties, a view wildly at odds with the intense partisan conflicts on exhibit every day. Or it could even be a white blindness in perceptions of reality on the left. When African American voters favor Obama 94 percent to zero, and the attacks are coming from the white liberal-left, something needs repair in the foundations of American radicalism.
> 
> I intend to explore these questions further during the election season. [etc]"
> 
> Whether I agree with Hayden's positions or not, I invite folks to read what he actually says before deciding on the accuracy of the subject line.  Seems to me there are some points there worth serious discussion in any case (but maybe not on multiple lists at once ;-) and in person is probably the best way).
> 
> Ricky 
> ________________________________________
> From: occupycu-bounces at lists.chambana.net [occupycu-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Carl G. Estabrook [galliher at illinois.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 3:39 PM
> To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net
> Cc: sf-core; occupycu at lists.chambana.net
> Subject: [OccupyCU] Tom Hayden: "liberal-left radicals" upset w/Obama   sell-outs are "blind" racists
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: <Pahtoo at aol.com<mailto:Pahtoo at aol.com>>
> Subject: [CP-General] Tom Hayden: "liberal-left radicals" upset w/Obama sell-outs are "blind" racists
> Date: September 6, 2012 2:59:33 PM CDT
> 
> Sheesh!
> 
> http://tomhayden.com/home/saving-obama-saving-ourselves.html
> 
> "Or it could even be a white blindness in perceptions of reality on the left. When African American voters favor Obama 94 percent to zero, and the attacks are coming from the white liberal-left, something needs repair in the foundations of American radicalism."
> _______________________________________________
>