Racism

This series suggests a significant change
at the BBC. Generally Auntie’s representation of the working class has been
shaped within a tradition of liberalism which is supportive of the underdog or
sympathetic to those who fall through the welfare state safety net. This series fuels the problems by
making racism respectable and writing working class solidarity out of history.
It also presages the rise of Thatcher’s children within the media-ocracy. Be
warned – Tories at work – Auntie can turn nasty.

This month marks the 200th anniversary of the official abolition of slavery and the passing of the Slave Trade Act, which made the capture, and transport of slaves by British subjects unlawful.

The Second American Revolution [The U.S.
Civil War] was a tremendous step forward, but it never realized its
promise to Black Americans. The real winners in the Civil War were the
Northern capitalists who opened up new markets and obtained a huge new
supply of dirt-cheap labor. Nearly a century and a half after the
abolition of slavery in the U.S.A., we are very far from achieving
genuine equality for all, regardless of race, color or sex. Despite a
number of advances achieved through the struggles of black people in
the 1960s, the position of black Americans remains one of clear
disadvantage. Originally published in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

The United States is the richest and most powerful country on the planet. Yet despite
this, the poison of racism remains an integral part of America. Blacks, together with the
other racial minorities, remain the most exploited section of society, mostly employed in
the lowest-paid and menial jobs. Racism remains an everyday part of their desperate
existence. Today, despite all the "reforms" of the last thirty-odd years, blacks
continue to suffer from lynchings and violence at the hands of the state, racist
organisations and individuals, as well as being forced to live under conditions of mass
poverty and oppression. The recent gruesome murder of a black man in Texas who was dragged
to death behind a truck is a vivid reminder of American racism. Black youth are faced with
daily harassment and intimidation by the police.