Allen17
04-28-2016, 10:48 PM
In light of the ongoing controversies regarding "social justice" movements and their relation to the radical Left, I thought that it might be a good idea to have a thread for discussion, analysis, and commentary on how racism, sexism, and other examples of social inequality relate to capitalism.
Here are couple of articles on how the black community and women (respectively) are oppressed under capitalism. From 2009:
Hip hop culture (rapping, djing, graffiti art, and breaking, etc.) was unequivocally created by youth of color in the Bronx during the early 1970s. Even though the origins of hip hop are entrenched in black and Latino communities throughout New York City it is currently pimped/used by large white owned corporations (media, record labels, etc.) to create astronomical bottom lines, reinforce capitalistic ideals, and adversely mass program black and brown youth. Hip hop has been co-opted, from the black community, by the white corporate establishment in much the same manner as was rock-n-roll (originally called rhythm and blues). Everyone from Allan Freed to Pat Boone cashed in on the original works of black artists, many of whom died penniless. However, where the corporate establishment left off when it came to thievery of rock-n-roll they picked up with hip hop. Once white corporations recognized the multi-billion dollar earning potential of rap music, the mass commercialization of hip hop began. They bought out everything from record labels to urban radio stations. Their unfettered corporate feeding frenzy was similar to that of the European conquest of lands inhabited by people of color.
RAP (rhythm and poetry) music has provided corporate radio stations and record labels, alike, with gigantic revenues almost beyond their wildest capitalistic wet dreams. The corporate takeover and commoditization of hip hop began to grow exponentially in the early to mid 1990s. The more money they made the less diversified rap music became on the radio and television airwaves. Balance on the mainstream airwaves rapidly became a thing of the past. Before corporate usurpation of rap music record labels, and subsequently airwaves, the fledging genre (RAP) was the embodiment of resistance for many. During the late 1980s and early 1990s rap music provided many black and Latino youth, including myself, with countless hours of culturally edifying and politically oriented music. If I was not learning how to “Fight the Power” I was proudly sporting my leather African medallion and rocking the map of Alkebulan (Africa) shaved in the back of my head.
These behaviorisms, however, did not emerge out of thin air; I was actually mimicking my favorite rappers. Witnessing lyrically gifted brothers and sisters embrace their Africanness on album covers and in music videos, I could not avoid doing the same. Whether it was Queen Latifah standing proudly in front of the image of Africa on the cover of her album “All Hail the Queen” or watching Chuck D wear his African medallion in the “Fight the Power” video, I was profoundly influenced. With each lyric the stronger and more confident I grew as a young black man. My desire to learn more about my African ancestry as well as to become more involved in social issues affecting people of color deepened by the day. And beyond all that, I developed critical thinking skills that I carry with me to this day. I, however, was far from a novelty. This transformation was occurring within the psyches of black and brown youth throughout America. This was the power of “Golden Era” Hip Hop.
Despite the vastly racist and white supremacist personality of America, black and Latino youth continued to psychologically resist. Even as a youth I knew very well the root causes of many social maladies within the black community. Those causes were inextricably linked to the racist culture of America and its plutocratic government...
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/corporate-hip-hop-white-supremacy-and-capitalism
Over the past decades patterns of work have changed throughout the world and the workplace has become "feminised", according to current opinion. This should be looked at in historical perspective. Women working is not a new phenomenon. But the changing nature of work has meant that women employees are regarded as just as suitable as men, and in many cases more flexible. Part time employment is profitable for the bosses as it may suit women who have to juggle home and work with inadequate childcare facilities. Due to smaller families women are actually available for employment for most of their lives. Possibly this has meant a change for middle class women for whom work was seen as "not respectable" except as a stop-gap until they got married. It was a sense of pride for middle class men, and indeed some skilled workers that their "wives did not have to work". Now women in professional and white-collar jobs are mainly working out of financial necessity - in spite of their portrayal as career obsessed yuppies, who do not want to take care of their babies. It would be hard to run a household on a teacher's salary these days.
And from 2001:
... it may seem that we have moved a long way from the textile mills of the 19th century. But even in Europe at the present time workers are under pressure to work longer hours, more unsocial hours and many have lost all forms of job security. Many workers are on short term contracts and are part time. This includes a large proportion of women workers in employment in catering, call centres and areas which used to boast "jobs for life" such as the academic world. At the present time employers want women workers but are not prepared to pay the cost. The double burden of working whilst running a home and raising children is largely carried by women themselves. From a historical perspective we can see that a woman's right to work is not guaranteed by capitalism. In the event of a recession women would be amongst the first to lose their jobs . Those on short term contracts could be easily dismissed. There would be a backlash against the "double burden" of women as there was in many European countries in the 1930s, and there has been in Eastern Europe in recent years. The effects would be catastrophic for the one in five households in Britain which are headed by a lone female wage earner. In many dual income households this would also mean a substantial cut in standards of living. The labour movement would have to remain united and support the rights of working women.
http://www.marxist.com/women-and-capitalism.htm
Here are couple of articles on how the black community and women (respectively) are oppressed under capitalism. From 2009:
Hip hop culture (rapping, djing, graffiti art, and breaking, etc.) was unequivocally created by youth of color in the Bronx during the early 1970s. Even though the origins of hip hop are entrenched in black and Latino communities throughout New York City it is currently pimped/used by large white owned corporations (media, record labels, etc.) to create astronomical bottom lines, reinforce capitalistic ideals, and adversely mass program black and brown youth. Hip hop has been co-opted, from the black community, by the white corporate establishment in much the same manner as was rock-n-roll (originally called rhythm and blues). Everyone from Allan Freed to Pat Boone cashed in on the original works of black artists, many of whom died penniless. However, where the corporate establishment left off when it came to thievery of rock-n-roll they picked up with hip hop. Once white corporations recognized the multi-billion dollar earning potential of rap music, the mass commercialization of hip hop began. They bought out everything from record labels to urban radio stations. Their unfettered corporate feeding frenzy was similar to that of the European conquest of lands inhabited by people of color.
RAP (rhythm and poetry) music has provided corporate radio stations and record labels, alike, with gigantic revenues almost beyond their wildest capitalistic wet dreams. The corporate takeover and commoditization of hip hop began to grow exponentially in the early to mid 1990s. The more money they made the less diversified rap music became on the radio and television airwaves. Balance on the mainstream airwaves rapidly became a thing of the past. Before corporate usurpation of rap music record labels, and subsequently airwaves, the fledging genre (RAP) was the embodiment of resistance for many. During the late 1980s and early 1990s rap music provided many black and Latino youth, including myself, with countless hours of culturally edifying and politically oriented music. If I was not learning how to “Fight the Power” I was proudly sporting my leather African medallion and rocking the map of Alkebulan (Africa) shaved in the back of my head.
These behaviorisms, however, did not emerge out of thin air; I was actually mimicking my favorite rappers. Witnessing lyrically gifted brothers and sisters embrace their Africanness on album covers and in music videos, I could not avoid doing the same. Whether it was Queen Latifah standing proudly in front of the image of Africa on the cover of her album “All Hail the Queen” or watching Chuck D wear his African medallion in the “Fight the Power” video, I was profoundly influenced. With each lyric the stronger and more confident I grew as a young black man. My desire to learn more about my African ancestry as well as to become more involved in social issues affecting people of color deepened by the day. And beyond all that, I developed critical thinking skills that I carry with me to this day. I, however, was far from a novelty. This transformation was occurring within the psyches of black and brown youth throughout America. This was the power of “Golden Era” Hip Hop.
Despite the vastly racist and white supremacist personality of America, black and Latino youth continued to psychologically resist. Even as a youth I knew very well the root causes of many social maladies within the black community. Those causes were inextricably linked to the racist culture of America and its plutocratic government...
http://www.blackagendareport.com/content/corporate-hip-hop-white-supremacy-and-capitalism
Over the past decades patterns of work have changed throughout the world and the workplace has become "feminised", according to current opinion. This should be looked at in historical perspective. Women working is not a new phenomenon. But the changing nature of work has meant that women employees are regarded as just as suitable as men, and in many cases more flexible. Part time employment is profitable for the bosses as it may suit women who have to juggle home and work with inadequate childcare facilities. Due to smaller families women are actually available for employment for most of their lives. Possibly this has meant a change for middle class women for whom work was seen as "not respectable" except as a stop-gap until they got married. It was a sense of pride for middle class men, and indeed some skilled workers that their "wives did not have to work". Now women in professional and white-collar jobs are mainly working out of financial necessity - in spite of their portrayal as career obsessed yuppies, who do not want to take care of their babies. It would be hard to run a household on a teacher's salary these days.
And from 2001:
... it may seem that we have moved a long way from the textile mills of the 19th century. But even in Europe at the present time workers are under pressure to work longer hours, more unsocial hours and many have lost all forms of job security. Many workers are on short term contracts and are part time. This includes a large proportion of women workers in employment in catering, call centres and areas which used to boast "jobs for life" such as the academic world. At the present time employers want women workers but are not prepared to pay the cost. The double burden of working whilst running a home and raising children is largely carried by women themselves. From a historical perspective we can see that a woman's right to work is not guaranteed by capitalism. In the event of a recession women would be amongst the first to lose their jobs . Those on short term contracts could be easily dismissed. There would be a backlash against the "double burden" of women as there was in many European countries in the 1930s, and there has been in Eastern Europe in recent years. The effects would be catastrophic for the one in five households in Britain which are headed by a lone female wage earner. In many dual income households this would also mean a substantial cut in standards of living. The labour movement would have to remain united and support the rights of working women.
http://www.marxist.com/women-and-capitalism.htm