Friday, April 10, 2020

On the end of the Week.




We are clear that we have to endorse real principles. Right now, 10% of the labor force in America is now out of work. There are huge racial disparities involving this virus and other health care matters. That is why time after time again proves that centrism or moderation doesn't work. For decades, we have seen how the neoliberal wealthy class has used trust busting acts, austerity creating events, and prison building realities that harm the poor, black people, people of color, and other human beings in a vicious fashion. COVID-19 won't be solved by moderate policies. We know that Ella Baker, Malcolm X, Paul Robeson, Dr. King, Harriet Tubman, and other heroes were never moderates. They wanted to use structural change in freeing human beings from tyranny. That is why many heroic people are fighting for a national healthcare system that is universal, for a living wage of $15 an hour, for the expansion of the social safety net, and a radical development of supplies to help hospital including health care workers nationwide.

Certainly, more work ought to be done in solving our problems. Today, more jails have victims of the coronavirus too in NYC and Chicago. It won't be easy, but life isn't easy. Our ancestors experienced a lot worse adversity, pain, and human suffering than we do now. Therefore, we won't show permanent fear. We will show our strength to help our neighbors and live out the creed that our ancestors so loved. We are real to realize what we are up against. Right now, about 3.5 million people in America lost their health coverage, because losing ones job will cause many folks' private insurance to end. Also, Trump has removed an independent watchdog group for dealing with handling coronavirus funds. Being a small government Republican in the midst of a pandemic is illogical. We have to deal with structural change in solving this complication.

I agree with Clint Smith that black people are disproportionately dying from the virus because of decades and centuries of structural oppression, lack of access to health care, overcrowded public housing, and other structural factors. Many communities have food deserts, no health clinics, and poverty. That is why you need structural change beyond just individual solutions. This comes not from a lack of personal responsibility (as many conservatives and many Hoteps believe falsely. Black people have always been hard working people spanning thousands of years). It comes from a broken system. People have to address racial inequalities along with economic inequality in order to get solutions accomplished. Isn't it ironic that the same ones who don't want to talk about race are silent on the truth about how the indigenous land was stolen, black people from Africa were enslaved, and poor people were exploited for profit. Yet, there was no true accountability about these injustices. Therefore, we will talk not just about class, but about race too. I do agree with Ayanna Pressley that to address COVID-19 disparities, we have to end food deserts, expand health care resources, clean up more of the environment, end structural racism, and help our communities in other ways too.

Bernie Sanders has ended his campaign on this day (April 8, 2020). It is important to reflect on his historic campaign. He was part of the progressive, populist movement that is anti-establishment, wanted universal health, believed in a living wage (of $15 an hour), and dealt with many important issues. Sanders was the most progressive candidate in this race. He was the first candidate in this race that defended the humanity of Palestinian people and exposed Netanyahu as a racist (which he is). He was one of the few candidates that condemned the military industrial complex overtly and wanted an end to the disastrous civil war in Yemen. Sanders disagreed with the neo-con foreign policy agenda. Also, he was the one who have shown a lot of strength to expose economic inequality (in which the oligarchs receive massive profits at the expensive of the poor and working class Americans). It is important to note his weaknesses too. Sanders has refused to advocate for reparations (which I do believe in for African Americans). He believes in a form of economic nationalism that ignores the fact that workers from overseas aren't to be blamed for American jobs loss but the 1% organizing corrupt trade policies in the first place. Workers in the States and worldwide are victims of economic exploitation.

Also, Sanders didn't cause an expansion of black and other minority support in various states (from the South to the Midwest). Also, it is important to note that Sanders did do better in 2020 than in 2016 to talk about racial issues (from criminal justice affairs to housing matters). Bernie Sanders was a huge victim of smear campaign from some elements of the corporate media. Many of the liars red baited him, disrespected him personally, slandered his supporters (when a minority of those claiming to be in favor of Bernie acted inappropriately), and just expressed hatred of him. It is no secret that certain networks (including elements of the DNC, especially Third Way type of Democrats) have people who wanted a neoliberal moderate to win the Democratic nomination than a neo-New Deal Democrat like Bernie Sanders. Those networks have gotten their wish unfortunately. Now, we have a Trump vs. Biden race officially. What a choice (in my sarcastic voice). Even after Sanders dropped out of the race, the same characters still aren't satisfied. Hillary Clinton never conceded her primary race in 2008 to Barack Obama until June. Bernie Sanders have shown a lot of courage in his campaign. His contributions in the political debate should be acknowledged and respected. Biden is not perfect, and we know of his record. Yet, Trump obviously is a whole lot worse than Biden. I will fulfill my promise to not vote for Trump when November 2020 comes around. The Supreme Court is at take. People's futures are at stake. The rights of black people and women are at stake. Lives are at stake, and justice is at stake. Trump must be voted out of office in 2020 as he is an existential threat to democracy. I will keep my faith in the future.

By Timothy


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