Hillary Clinton is American, owned by financial interests to whom she is completely in thrall, a rabid neo-conservative warmonger, completely uncritical of Israel and focused for any claim to be progressive entirely on identity politics. Which is also a precise description of today’s Guardian newspaper. The once august and intellectual title is now a shrill cheerleader for far right Blairites and wealthy American feminists.
The Guardian is as unabashed in its support for Clinton as in its support for the Blairites. The stream of “feminist” articles about why it would advance the cause of women to have a deeply corrupt right winger in the White House is steadily growing into a torrent. It is a perfect example of what I wrote of a month ago, the cause of feminism being hijacked to neo-conservative ends.
Bernie Sanders is not perfect – nobody is. But he understands that obscene and still burgeoning wealth inequality is the greatest problem of western society, and that the state framework supporting crazed banking structures is the root cause of this. The support for him is a sign of the inevitable popular reaction to the extreme inequality of society. Sanders is channelling that reaction effectively.
The establishment therefore circles its wagons around Hillary Clinton. The hope is that women can be persuaded it is an act of misogyny simply to stand in her way. The other great establishment hope is that the Democrat party machinery is so strong in black communities, that black Americans can be in effect ordered to vote for a woman who epitomises the system which disadvantages them, rather than an apostle of genuine change in the economic order. I retain hope the establishment may find that black Americans are cleverer than that.
The machinery used to manipulate identity politics – racial and gender – is all that Clinton has. If Clinton beats Sanders, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that identity politics has become the enemy of progress in society.
In the field of identity, Bernie Sanders would be the first non-Christian President of the United States. Would that not be wonderful in a country whose politicians feel the need to genuflect to swarms of religious evolution-denying nutters who believe foreign wars are good because they presage the Rapture?
And would it not be great if the first President since Carter not in thrall to Israel were Jewish?
Craig,
Inequality is one of your regular complaints on this blog. Another writer whose work I find interesting is Paul Graham, who has written this about inequality: http://www.paulgraham.com/ineq.html
Bernie Sanders, you must be kidding. He will just be a white Barry Sotero. Check out the empty slogan on the side of his broken down campaign bus in this video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-u9AEeycJE
Bort
Interesting article, thank you.
I cannot express the depth of my disgust for the Guardian and other corporate media in Britain. The clamouring to support Clinton on the grounds of feminism is frankly revolting. How many widows, maimed and dead children and how much unbearable suffering have the policies Clinton wholeheartedly supports caused.
Reading the Guardian, which I do less and less (bad for my blood pressure),is like entering a grotesque, surreal world where truth and real issues are wiped from the published articles and replaced with dangerous and misleading fantasy.
As an aside, Chris Hedges has made two thought provoking videos of chats on prostitution (and feminism) worth a watch for a perspective that I hadn’t fully grasped, how women are used. I now link it to using feminism as a political tool.
A great series of very interesting and relevant discussions all round in my opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=-HOfslBcUOE&list=PLc5LJ5vTzXNhJjBewULtHZzPvW9xGTyFd&index=11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWggaTPuvMU&list=PLc5LJ5vTzXNhJjBewULtHZzPvW9xGTyFd&index=17
The FT had a good breakdown of Sander’s victory. The *only* groups in which Clinton won were those over the age of 65, and people earning more than $200 000 per year. Turns out most women are smart enough to see through bullshit even when it is dressed up as femninism. https://t.co/ZU4I50f7iU
Interesting post from Craig as well although marred (in my opinion) by the bones thrown in the direction of his anti-Israel supporters.
Now I know people will say “oh, here’s the hasbara troll at it again”, but I don’t quite understand why – in this instance – a post which seems to be focussed on income inequality and the attempted manipulation of (feminist and black) identity politics has to include throw-away lines about Presidents being “in thrall” (or not) to, and critical (or not) of Israel.
Sorry the first link is broken. Here it is again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HOfslBcUOE&index=11&list=PLc5LJ5vTzXNhJjBewULtHZzPvW9xGTyFd
You can’t help but laugh at the Guardian these days.
As you say, a combination of identity politics and neo-conservatism.
And whenever it happens carries an article about something important, comments generally not allowed.
The story today about UK naval vessels stepping up patrols in the Baltic is a good example of this.
A key message in Bernie Sanders speech after winning the New Hampshire Democratic Primary was his direct attack on the corrupt funding of politics in the US. (That also applies to many other countries operating the system of mixed democracy and plutocracy.) What is hugely encouraging from his campaign is how much of his funding is coming from individual voters.
I don’t quite understand why – in this instance – a post which seems to be focussed on income inequality and the attempted manipulation of (feminist and black) identity politics has to include throw-away lines about Presidents being “in thrall” (or not) to, and critical (or not) of Israel.
Habba- the phrase ‘seems focused’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this comment of yours.
FWIW my take on the post is that Craig is demonstrating how much the agendas of Hillary Clinton and the Graun overlap- in which case adding a reference to Israel (which both the Graun and Hillary support vocally, while Sanders is much more restrained)is perfectly in tune with the rest of the post.
Habba- also look at the title Craig has given the post- his line of reasoning, concluding with a short reference to Israel, is as clear as day.
Manda 10 Feb, 2016 – 10:24 am
You may be interested in this article about the Women’s Equality Party, which also points out class intersectionality in the prostitution debate.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/sandi-toksvigs-womens-equality-party-middle-class-ladies-campaign-group-that-doomed-fail-1524988
I find the use of ‘feminism’ in this way is as exploitative as using Obamas African American heritage, that gives him that lovely color. Ie it’s anti feminist
At the control of mainly rich white man, again. Just like the feminist writers for the Guardian. Have as many token women as they want, they are sill essentially perpetuating, Yes, as Craig notes, the system which disadvantages them…
Myself I don’t put to much significance on who “wins” and what it means. For me there are far deeper moves taking place, far larger society forces at play, and resolving the “white” and “black” identity issued that holds America back seems to have only just started.
An issue is many of the old time activists seem to identify with this racist term, put on African American decadents. I understand the need for solidarity, the ‘need’ for easy catchy classifications, so where the racists who invented whiteness.
We essentially get there together as humans or we don’t get far.
> identity politics has become the enemy
Says the Scottish Nationalist.
Wow, this is the left-wing equivalent of those blowhards on Fox News who think anyone to the left of Ted Cruz is a communist. I get that nuance isn’t easy if you’re looking at something from a great distance, but really?
Also, what is the point of having a candidate who makes all the right noises but whose policy prescriptions just don’t work? Sanders’ health care plan relies on magically vanishing health care costs that are unspecified in much the same way that increased growth in the average Paul Ryan tax plan is. And his solution for banking simply misidentifies the problem. I get that Glass-Steagal gives a lot of people the warm & fuzzies, and it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to re-enact it, but it wouldn’t be much of a solution either. The name of the game is systemic risk and shadow banking, and Glass-Steagal has zero impact on either.
As for feminism, I don’t have much of an opinion, but this might be worth considering: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/08/us/politics/gloria-steinem-madeleine-albright-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders.html?_r=0
If a woman in the White House is the answer, then why not have that heartless meglomaniac Carly Fiorina? She fired tens of thousands of people at HP, ruining the lives of countless families in order to pad the bottom line, setting a path to ruin for HP in the process. Her only regret was that the process wasn’t carried out faster.
But she’s a woman, right? So – just like the hated Thatcher – Fiorina would be a wonderful thing for women too.
I guess the worst outcome would be that there will be no change with a women president for women. And even backward slippage as the cracks show, repeating the Obama story.
But those cracks do need to be seen.
Like this blog for instance, it’s a very ‘mans’ environment, hard rationality, devoid of much feeling for anyone who ‘can’t take’ the abuse mostly used by men…And largely ignored by them, unless they use it for there own battle bone to chew on.
Sixer, thank you for that.
They will bend the rest of it. The Evil Queen will still be anointed even if hardly anyone votes for it. Not that it will make a great deal of difference. A US President’s power is exceedingly limited. The Deep State, The Pentagon, and The International Corporations will continue to run the USA and most of the Rest of The World into the Garbage Dump of Destruction, as they attempt to achieve total world control over anything that is left.
Check out Syria, its coming to Europe and the USA next.
George Carlin sussed it years ago. By voting, you are simply participating in a system that is completely and utterly totally corrupt. Its like saying the these Gangster Monsters – O.K. I will vote for you to screw me over again.
It took my kids to convince me, when they defeated every argument, I could come up with trying to get them to vote.
“George Carlin – Why I Don’t Vote”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxsQ7jJJcEA
Sanders protects the criminally unaccountable federal reserve and supports the ruinous debt-based economy in line with the rest of them
For those desperate fools hopeful over the fact that Bernie Sanders sponsored the Senate’s companion version of Ron Paul’s “Audit the Fed Act”; understand that then-Congressman Paul himself exposed Sanders’ betrayal. Paul wrote:
“Bernie Sanders has sold out and sided with [Sen.] Chris Dodd to gut Audit the Fed in the Senate. His ‘compromise’ is what the administration and banking interests want.”
Paul was upset because Sanders watered down ‘Audit the Fed’ in a way that would have prevented any real oversight of the Fed’s actual and ongoing monetary policy. The “Man of the People” Sanders also suggested a Federal Reserve bailout of Greece!
On the foreign policy front, Sanders is quick to rightfully condemn the GOP and Bibi Satanyahu as warmongers; but he has also supported sanctions against Iran while repeating the dirty Zionist lie that Iran is a potential nuclear threat. He supported the brutal war on Kosovo, the invasion of Afghanistan, funding for the endless disaster in Iraq and the never-ending “War on Terror”.
As for Israel; Bernie may pay lip service to peace, yet he faithfully supports billions of dollars in foreign aid to Tel Aviv and has backed Bibi Satanyahu’s murderous bombing of Gaza, both in 2014 and 2009. Several former members of Bernie’s staff have even worked for AIPAC
Old Mark
“FWIW my take on the post is that Craig is demonstrating how much the agendas of Hillary Clinton and the Graun overlap”
______________________
Yes, I agree that that is one of the post’s focal points Note however that the question of whether their agendas overlap or not must be subsidiary to the question of the agendas themselves. What is really important are the agendas themselves – with Clinton’s agenda being rather more important in the general scheme of things than The Guardian’s, surely?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“- in which case adding a reference to Israel (which both the Graun and Hillary support vocally, while Sanders is much more restrained)is perfectly in tune with the rest of the post.”
__________________
According to your take, fair enough. But surely Craig could have taken any number of other more important (in the general scheme of things) likely divergences between Clinton and Sanders (and even convergences between his bête noir,The Guardian, and Clinton?
Important as US policy towards Israel/Palestine is – and it certainly merits scrutiny and criticism – I submit that there are many more important problems to be resolved both for the US itself and the world as a whole.
Anyway, good to exchange!
_______________________
Yes, its wonderful how that Zionist hag and whore of Wall Street Investment Banks is treated as some kind of Goddess by numerous writers in The Guardian, that The Guardian’s own US readership were at pains to point out how biased The Guardian’s article about Saunders win in New Hampshire was towards Mrs Clinton in many of their posts did raise a smile in me, for even they can see how rightwing The Guardian is, despite dressing much of its coverage as “progressive’.
No doubt’s the citizen’s of Libya will be impressed with the Clinton whore’s dispatch by Bernie, but lets not get carried away, Super Tuesday is a far while off and Saunders has yet to have the full attention of Clinton’s numerous monied supporters heap bile on him as of yet – something his campaign team is well aware of.
If there is hope, it remains with criminal charges being brought against Ms. Clinton for numerous security breaches associated with her personal email server whilst Secretary of State. It is also to be hoped that African America’s wake up to the fact that this woman is the author of many of their economic woes, and despite her alleged ‘progressive’ message, most that spews forth from her mouth is bollocks.
Yes folks, I detest the woman, her blood money and the inequality and injustice she stands for. And yet The Guardian’s main US political commentators and the Zionist Cabal that lives within its offices love her, which just show how low The Guardian has sunk too since Blair’s last days in office.
George Carlin sussed it years ago. By voting, you are simply participating in a system that is completely and utterly totally corrupt. Its like saying the these Gangster Monsters – O.K. I will vote for you to screw me over again.
That is only a sensible point to make if you have an alternative in mind. As long as democracy is the worst system except for all the others, the analogy fails completely.
Old Mark
“Habba- also look at the title Craig has given the post- his line of reasoning, concluding with a short reference to Israel, is as clear as day.”
________________
Apologies for overlooking the above. The last sentence of Craig’s post seems to me to be very much an afterthought or outrider(for want of better words) rather than an integral part of his line of reasoning.
“As for Israel; Bernie may pay lip service to peace, yet he faithfully supports billions of dollars in foreign aid to Tel Aviv and has backed Bibi Satanyahu’s murderous bombing of Gaza, both in 2014 and 2009. Several former members of Bernie’s staff have even worked for AIPAC”
Says it all. Just like Obama. Tell them what they want to hear. Then show them how easy it is to lie. More of the same. Only the collapse of the petro-dollar system can put an end to the nonsense that passes itself off as capitalism. There is no healthy competition. Everything is crooked and rigged.
Ha, ha. 🙁
@Mitch,
We are discussing US politics here and whilst Saunders certainly ain’t no angel, I’d not accuse him of being a neocon or neoliberal.
With regards the Federal Reserve, I personally know several whom sit on the FMOC and many are quite conflicted in their views and actions, but they are not the devils some would have you believe. At least the Fed, unlike the BoE, has a duel mandate with regards monetary policy and employment – a triple mandate if we add financial stability to the brew, but that is not as clear as its formal duel mandate, which is legally binding.
As for auditing the Fed, well, yes that’s a sound proposal but not the most pressing issues facing the USA presently and most of these issues can only be sorted out via fiscal policy rather than monetary policy.
As in the UK, politics in Washington is not pretty and Saunders has some dirty baggage he carries but compared to Clinton he’s an angel. He also needs to be elected and that means not pissing off the Zionist lobby in the USA, but its clear from his pronouncements that his foreign policy would not follow the direction of the neoconservatives and their present standard bearer one Hilary Clinton.
I wish Saunders well, but putting all hope in a single person is not a wise move particularly given all the hope associated with Obama evaporated once he announced his economics team after his first election in 2008, which meant no change, no real financial reform and a continuation of the USA disastrous overseas interventionist policies, aided and abetted by the evil witch Clinton.
Bort
I was not particularly impressed. Revamped trickledown.
@Manda
I agree, Chris Hedges is doing some fantastic interviewing (he is also equally impressive when he is the interviewee). I have learned a great deal from watching his interviews, particularly over the causes of conflict in the Middle East. To get more access to Chris’ work I would recommend spending a few hours at this site:
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2360&showid=76
I’d also strongly recommend Abby Martin at the same site:
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2360&showid=77
The Real News does some great reporting and deserves to be supported. They really go out of their way to debunk much of what passes as ‘news’ for us:
http://therealnews.com/t2/