[Peace-discuss] Virtue signaling is such a convenient distraction and substitute for policy changes

[David Green]

https://nonsite.org/editorial/the-triumph-of-black-lives-matter-and-neoliberal-redemption

Cedric Johnson explains why

On Sat, Jun 13, 2020, 9:32 PM J.B. Nicholson via Peace-discuss <
peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

> According to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UoZvKDRZp8
>
> - HBO is removing "Gone With the Wind" from its streaming system for fear
> of
> offending someone with the depiction of black people. The segment host
> says it'll be
> back later with a new introduction about racial history.
>
> - The BBC "Little Britain" is also being removed from the BBC's streaming
> system for
> depicting someone in blackface.
>
> - Some streets in New York City will be given an additional name of "Black
> Lives
> Matters" and this slogan will be painted on the pavement. Mayor Bill de
> Blasio says
> "What will be clear is the street name and on the streets of our city is
> that message
> that now this city must fully, fully deeply feel, and this nation must as
> well, that
> black lives matter."
>
> - And more including statues being taken down, Merriam-Webster revising
> their
> dictionary's definition of "racism", and Apple's Siri iPhone
> voice-controlled
> auto-responder apparently responds to the question "Siri, do all lives
> matter?" with
> "All Lives Matter is often used in response to the phrase Black Lives
> Matter, but it
> does not represent the same concerns. To learn more about the Black Lives
> Matter
> human rights movement visit blacklivesmatter.com".
>
> What's most interesting about all of this to me is:
>
> - no policies are being changed that would actually help people's lives
> (not even the
> black people all of this virtue signaling ostensibly aims to benefit).
> This seems to
> me to be a victory for the establishment.
>
> - 'Black Lives Matters' started as little more than sloganeering and
> rightly received
> criticism from BlackAgendaReport.com's Glen Ford for being only that. If
> Black Lives
> Matters is being adopted by the establishment that's a clear sign that
> it's probably
> useless to anyone seeking genuine reform. What constitutes genuine reform?
> Here are
> some specific actionable ideas: a national jobs program (if you're 18+ and
> an
> American citizen the government will give you a living wage infrastructure
> job doing
> work our country needs domestically like building/maintaining roads &
> bridges, laying
> high-speed Internet fibre cable, building houses for the homeless, and
> such);
> Medicare for All; and a Universal Basic Income. Each of these helps shave
> some rough
> edges off of capitalism (which is probably why we see none of them being
> enacted).
> There's not even serious police incentives change coming. We can see the
> co-optation
> taking place as we notice what's not being discussed. The changes listed
> in that RT
> segment are all happening and they all aim to serve the establishment's
> interests to
> look better than they are.
>
> -J
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