Views in brief
Standing up to anti-Semitism
RECENTLY AT my place of work, someone approached me and initiated a political discussion; I soon discovered that this person was a blatant racist and anti-Semite.
He began with a demonstration, placing four dollars worth of quarters on a counter and explaining that the "financier" has one dollar that he lends out into the economy at exorbitant interest rates which sucks the remaining three back into his pocket. He argued that this was "ursury," a practice which began with the "Jews." According to him, the "Jews" control today's financial system and run U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Holocaust never happened.
What surprises me most about the incident is that this person felt bold enough to approach me and discuss these incredibly backward ideas.
On Tuesday, January 11, a swastika was found painted on synagogue in Waterbury, Conn.
In the political context of Obama caving into the right at every turn and the economy in rough shape, the hard right has the opportunity to become more emboldened, vocal and grow. We have a responsibility to pay close attention to this tendency and fight it at every turn.
Nate Moore, Waterbury, Ct.
A future teacher against corporate reform
IN RESPONSE to "A Bizzarro World where teachers are to blame": As a college student studying to become a teacher, SocialistWorker.org's analysis of the corporate "reform" of the educational system is invaluable. Thanks for the excellent articles--there's nothing I enjoy more than handing in a paper with SocialistWorker.org in my bibliography.
Mike DeSantis, New York City
Left out of their Constitution
IT WAS a good thing for the House of Representatives to recently read the Constitution aloud. Unfortunately, they read an "amended version" which left some things out--like the part about slaves counting as three-fifths of a person.
We must not forget that slavery, segregation, child labor, taking land from the Native Americans, and denying women the right to vote used to be constitutional. Thank goodness liberals stood against those terrible policies.
Chuck Mann, Greensboro, N.C.
Time to tone down the rhetoric
IN RESPONSE to "The Republicans take aim": I really enjoy SocialistWorker.org, However, I question the headline of this editorial in the light of recent events. Especially when there is also an article criticizing the use of violent rhetoric on the same site. No matter political or ideological affiliation, the use of imagery violence should not be used.
Brandon, from the Internet
The fight for a world of equality
IN RESPONSE to "Race, class and Marxism": Excellent article. I suspect DuBois was building on Frederick Douglass--"Both are plundered and by the same plunderers. The slave is robbed by his master, of all his earnings above what is required for his physical necessities; and the white man is robbed by the slave system, because he is flung into competition with a class of laborers who work without wages."
Regarding Tim Wise, race reductionists naturally accuse others of being a competing sort of reductionist. Socialists might better be called race inclusionists if you must focus solely on the racial role in building a world in which everyone is equal. We're also gender inclusionists and ethnic inclusionists, etc.
"The limits of anti-racism" by Adolph Reed Jr. has some good observations about Tim Wise and neoliberal antiracism.
Will Shetterly, Tucson, Ariz.
