Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Cornel
West: Why the US Empire Is More Ripe for Right-Wing Revolution Than from the
Left
June 13, 2016
Last year,
when Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for
the U.S. presidency, few believed that it would have any success. Many assumed
that the public endorsement of ideas like ‘democratic socialism’ or ‘political
revolution’ would alienate the American political electorate. But what followed
was a series of surprising victories in several states.
Few are
more appropriate to explain such developments, along with the troubling rise of
Donald Trump, than the American philosopher and public intellectual Cornel
West. His work on the role of race, gender and class in American society, and
his political experience as prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of
America gives him an insightful understanding of today's political momentum,
and its meaning for the left. His voice has even greater significance within
the current American political scene, considering that Sanders selected him to
be part of the Democratic Party platform-writing body.
George
Souvlis (GS): What is the legacy of the Obama administration?
Cornel West
(CW): We are at a crossroads in American history. We must choose
between a neofascism in the making (Trump), neoliberalism in the decaying
(Clinton), and a neopopulism in the ascending (Sanders). The establishments in
both the Democratic and Republican parties are disintegrating. Obama is the
last gasp of the neoliberalism that emerged under Carter: a massive response to
the structural crises of the global economy in the mid-70s. This attempt to
financialize, privatize, and militarize our way through deep problems—from the
economy, education, incarceration, security and communication—has produced vast
wealth inequality, cultures of superficial spectacle, and pervasive corruption
in every sphere. Both political parties have been complicitous. Much hangs on
how the Sanders campaign is treated in July, and what we critical
Sanders-supporters do after July.
GS: How
do you view the Trump phenomenon?
CW: Donald
Trump is a billionaire pseudo-populist with an autocratic sensibility,
narcissistic personality, and hence a neofascist in the making. His project
brings together a lethal mixture of big banks, huge corporations, xenophobic
scapegoating (Mexicans, women, Muslims, Blacks, and non-straights), economic
anxiety and national malaise tied to militaristic aspirations abroad. This is
what US-style fascism looks like—echoes of Sinclair Lewis' It Can't
Happen Here (1935), the classic novel of American fascism.
GS: Bernie
Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist, what does that political
tradition mean to you?
CW: Despite
Sanders' self-definition as a democratic socialist, his platform is vintage
neopopulist: principled use of the government to come to the rescue of working
and poor people crushed by Wall Street greed and upper middle-class
indifference to the disappearing opportunities of vulnerable fellow citizens.
We saw the government come to the rescue of Wall Street and we see how
lobbyists ensure the security of the well-to-do. Sanders' neopopulist appeal is
timely and understandable. As a democratic socialist for 35 years and hence a
comrade to my dear Brother Bernie, there is no doubt that he is running on a
neopopulist, not democratic socialist, platform.
GS: If
Sanders fails, how do you think a social movement can emerge out of his
campaign?
CW: Political
campaigns are not social movements. Even great campaigns like those of Jackson
in the 80s, Obama in the recent past or Sanders today are not social movements.
We must distinguish between social momentums, social rebellions and social
movements. Given the massive national security state and the pervasive carceral
state, social movements are rare—past, present and future. The American Empire
is more ripe for a counter-revolution than revolution, for right-wing movements
than left-wing ones. This is so primarily because of the deep xenophobic roots
in the country and profound militaristic sentiments in the culture. Hence,
progressive social momentums and chaotic social rebellions are more likely to
reshape our priorities and gain some concessions from greedy elites and callous
citizens. This is why moral and spiritual dimensions of social activism are
crucial—to sustain our will to fight inside and outside the system with little
chance of immediate victory!
GS: What
do you make of the debates about why Bernie Sanders’ message doesn’t seem to be
resonating as well with some black voters?
CW: Black
people are the most progressive voting bloc on issues of the economy, racism
and education. Bernie Sanders is the most progressive candidate on these
issues. So far, Black people remain tied to the familiar neoliberal project of
Clinton than to the relatively unknown Sanders. Black people fear Trump. They
are reluctant to make a change with the much less known Sanders. But as many of
us have argued—like Adolph Reed, Jr. and Michelle Alexander—Clinton's
neoliberal and militaristic policies have done much damage to working and poor
people here and abroad.
The high
visibility of neoliberal Black politicians, corporate media pundits and
intellectuals make it difficult for us to have strong impact. Yet evidence is
mounting that the Clinton machine—wrapping itself in Obama's costume—is running
out of gas. The neoliberal sleepwalking in Black America is coming to an end!
GS: What
kind of organisational form do you see Black Lives Matter taking in the future?
CW: The
emergence of Black Lives Matter momentum is a marvelous new militancy that is
the early signs of the shattering of the neoliberal sleepwalking in Black
America. This emergence exposes the spiritual rot and moral cowardice of too
much of Black leadership—political, intellectual and religious. The myopic
careerism and chronic narcissism that prevented any serious critique of Obama's
neoliberalism are now out in the open, owing to the courageous young people who
stood in the face of military tanks in order to show their love of those shot
down by unaccountable police under a Black president, Black attorney general
and Black homeland security cabinet member. What an indictment of neoliberal
Black power in the face of massive Black suffering, highlighted by Black Lives
Matter activists. And this is just the peak of an iceberg melting for Black
elites, who went silent and opted for symbolic crumbs, when precious poor Black
people were being crushed. Martin King, Malcolm X, and Fannie Lou Hamer cry out
from the grave—then smile at the Black Lives Matter activists.
[4]
Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/cornel-west-black-americas-neoliberal-sleepwalking-ending
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/george-souvlis
[2] https://www.opendemocracy.net/
[3] mailto:corrections@alternet.org?Subject=Typo on Cornel West: Why the US Empire Is More Ripe for Right-Wing Revolution Than from the Left
[4] http://www.alternet.org/
[5] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
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The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
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