Democratic Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has repeatedly insisted that she is no ‘single issue candidate’ as her main rival Bernie Sanders. Clinton’s contention is that Sanders is wrong in portraying every social ill as a result of the economic disparity.
While adopting certain of Sanders’s rhetoric, Clinton has repeatedly insisted that breaking down big banks, for instance, cannot defeat racism. The racist card is therefore used to deflect the attack on the big businesses and turn Sanders to other grounds, where he is admittedly on a weak footing.
However, Sanders must not get distracted by his opponents too much. While he should react to Clinton’s argument in a positive way, which he has not sometimes being able to do, he should also stress on his message relentlessly. This message has reverberated among a certain level of the society and has created a surprisingly strong ground level movement. It is because an increasing number of people, especially the young people, find his message appealing.
Racial tension, in United States as well as many other countries, are rooted in economic reasons. Of course, one may argue that this is not the case and racial tensions started because of slavery in the US. Well, it is quite true and slavery was instituted mainly because of economic reasons. Slavery provided cheap labor, one prerequisite for profit making. Of course, cotton farmers did not use slave labor to produce cotton to be distributed for charity. They were looking for profit and slave labor was one real advantage.
Therefore, if slavery is a root cause of racism in US today, since economy was the driving force for slavery, economy is the root cause of racism in US.
The opponents of Sanders do not oppose him as a person. They oppose the idea he spreads. Sanders is just one agent. He was there for ages in the US political scene. But the idea has caught up only during the recent years, since there is strong grounds in which it can grow. Sanders’s opponents are actually looking to take him, and the society, to a different ground.
One remembers what Marx said about the workers of England. In 1870, he wrote: “Every industrial and commercial centre in England now possesses a working class divided into two hostile camps, English proletarians and Irish proletarians. The ordinary English worker hates the Irish worker as a competitor who lowers his standard of life. In relation to the Irish worker he regards himself as a member of the ruling nation and consequently he becomes a tool of the English aristocrats and capitalists against Ireland, thus strengthening their domination over himself. He cherishes religious, social, and national prejudices against the Irish worker. His attitude towards him is much the same as that of the “poor whites” to the Negroes in the former slave states of the U.S.A”.
Nearly one and a half centuries later, what he said on the USA has not changed much. The situation is even worse due to the economic downturn. This is why individuals like Donald Trump are getting substantial support, especially from the poor whites. This is why Sanders should capitalize on his position on the other side of the spectrum and repeatedly call for economic justice.
While adopting certain of Sanders’s rhetoric, Clinton has repeatedly insisted that breaking down big banks, for instance, cannot defeat racism. The racist card is therefore used to deflect the attack on the big businesses and turn Sanders to other grounds, where he is admittedly on a weak footing.
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| Bernie Sanders (Nick Solari - Wikimedia Commons) |
However, Sanders must not get distracted by his opponents too much. While he should react to Clinton’s argument in a positive way, which he has not sometimes being able to do, he should also stress on his message relentlessly. This message has reverberated among a certain level of the society and has created a surprisingly strong ground level movement. It is because an increasing number of people, especially the young people, find his message appealing.
Racial tension, in United States as well as many other countries, are rooted in economic reasons. Of course, one may argue that this is not the case and racial tensions started because of slavery in the US. Well, it is quite true and slavery was instituted mainly because of economic reasons. Slavery provided cheap labor, one prerequisite for profit making. Of course, cotton farmers did not use slave labor to produce cotton to be distributed for charity. They were looking for profit and slave labor was one real advantage.
Therefore, if slavery is a root cause of racism in US today, since economy was the driving force for slavery, economy is the root cause of racism in US.
The opponents of Sanders do not oppose him as a person. They oppose the idea he spreads. Sanders is just one agent. He was there for ages in the US political scene. But the idea has caught up only during the recent years, since there is strong grounds in which it can grow. Sanders’s opponents are actually looking to take him, and the society, to a different ground.
One remembers what Marx said about the workers of England. In 1870, he wrote: “Every industrial and commercial centre in England now possesses a working class divided into two hostile camps, English proletarians and Irish proletarians. The ordinary English worker hates the Irish worker as a competitor who lowers his standard of life. In relation to the Irish worker he regards himself as a member of the ruling nation and consequently he becomes a tool of the English aristocrats and capitalists against Ireland, thus strengthening their domination over himself. He cherishes religious, social, and national prejudices against the Irish worker. His attitude towards him is much the same as that of the “poor whites” to the Negroes in the former slave states of the U.S.A”.
Nearly one and a half centuries later, what he said on the USA has not changed much. The situation is even worse due to the economic downturn. This is why individuals like Donald Trump are getting substantial support, especially from the poor whites. This is why Sanders should capitalize on his position on the other side of the spectrum and repeatedly call for economic justice.
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