Goodbye, American Neoliberalism. A New Era Is Here
Published on
Friday, November 18, 2016
by
The Guardian
Goodbye, American Neoliberalism. A New Era Is Here
Trump's election was enabled by the policies that overlooked the plight of
our most vulnerable citizens. We gird ourselves for a frightening future
by
Cornel West
"In this bleak moment," writes West, "we must inspire each other driven by a
democratic soulcraft of integrity, courage, empathy and a mature sense of
history - even as it seems our democracy is slipping away." (Photo: Getty)
The neoliberal era in the United States ended with a neofascist bang. The
political triumph of Donald Trump shattered the establishments in the
Democratic and Republican parties - both wedded to the rule of Big Money and
to the reign of meretricious politicians.
The Bush and Clinton dynasties were destroyed by the media-saturated lure of
the pseudo-populist billionaire with narcissist sensibilities and ugly,
fascist proclivities. The monumental election of Trump was a desperate and
xenophobic cry of human hearts for a way out from under the devastation of a
disintegrating neoliberal order - a nostalgic return to an imaginary past of
greatness.
White working- and middle-class fellow citizens - out of anger and anguish -
rejected the economic neglect of neoliberal policies and the self-righteous
arrogance of elites. Yet these same citizens also supported a candidate who
appeared to blame their social misery on minorities, and who alienated
Mexican immigrants, Muslims, black people, Jews, gay people, women and China
in the process.
This lethal fusion of economic insecurity and cultural scapegoating brought
neoliberalism to its knees. In short, the abysmal failure of the Democratic
party to speak to the arrested mobility and escalating poverty of working
people unleashed a hate-filled populism and protectionism that threaten to
tear apart the fragile fiber of what is left of US democracy. And since the
most explosive fault lines in present-day America are first and foremost
racial, then gender, homophobic, ethnic and religious, we gird ourselves for
a frightening future.
What is to be done? First we must try to tell the truth and a condition of
truth is to allow suffering to speak. For 40 years, neoliberals lived in a
world of denial and indifference to the suffering of poor and working people
and obsessed with the spectacle of success. Second we must bear witness to
justice. We must ground our truth-telling in a willingness to suffer and
sacrifice as we resist domination. Third we must remember courageous
exemplars like Martin Luther King Jr, who provide moral and spiritual
inspiration as we build multiracial alliances to combat poverty and
xenophobia, Wall Street crimes and war crimes, global warming and police
abuse - and to protect precious rights and liberties.
The age of Obama was the last gasp of neoliberalism. Despite some
progressive words and symbolic gestures, Obama chose to ignore Wall Street
crimes, reject bailouts for homeowners, oversee growing inequality and
facilitate war crimes like US drones killing innocent civilians abroad.
Rightwing attacks on Obama - and Trump-inspired racist hatred of him - have
made it nearly impossible to hear the progressive critiques of Obama. The
president has been reluctant to target black suffering - be it in
overcrowded prisons, decrepit schools or declining workplaces. Yet, despite
that, we get celebrations of the neoliberal status quo couched in racial
symbolism and personal legacy. Meanwhile, poor and working class citizens of
all colors have continued to suffer in relative silence.
In this sense, Trump's election was enabled by the neoliberal policies of
the Clintons and Obama that overlooked the plight of our most vulnerable
citizens. The progressive populism of Bernie Sanders nearly toppled the
establishment of the Democratic party but Clinton and Obama came to the
rescue to preserve the status quo. And I do believe Sanders would have beat
Trump to avert this neofascist outcome!
In this bleak moment, we must inspire each other driven by a democratic
soulcraft of integrity, courage, empathy and a mature sense of history -
even as it seems our democracy is slipping away.
We must not turn away from the forgotten people of US foreign policy - such
as Palestinians under Israeli occupation, Yemen's civilians killed by
US-sponsored Saudi troops or Africans subject to expanding US military
presence.
As one whose great family and people survived and thrived through slavery,
Jim Crow and lynching, Trump's neofascist rhetoric and predictable
authoritarian reign is just another ugly moment that calls forth the best of
who we are and what we can do.
For us in these times, to even have hope is too abstract, too detached, too
spectatorial. Instead we must be a hope, a participant and a force for good
as we face this catastrophe.
C 2016 Guardian News and Media Limited
Cornel West
Dr. Cornel West is Professor of Religion and African Studies at Princeton
University. An activist, author, and social critic he has written many
books, incuding: Race Matters, Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against
Imperialism, Ethical Dimensions of Marxism, and Hope on a Tightrope: Words
and Wisdom.
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Goodbye, American Neoliberalism. A New Era Is Here
Published on
Friday, November 18, 2016
by
The Guardian
Goodbye, American Neoliberalism. A New Era Is Here
Trump's election was enabled by the policies that overlooked the plight of
our most vulnerable citizens. We gird ourselves for a frightening future
by
Cornel West
. 16 Comments
.
. "In this bleak moment," writes West, "we must inspire each other
driven by a democratic soulcraft of integrity, courage, empathy and a mature
sense of history - even as it seems our democracy is slipping away." (Photo:
Getty)
. The neoliberal era in the United States ended with a neofascist
bang. The political triumph of Donald Trump shattered the establishments in
the Democratic and Republican parties - both wedded to the rule of Big Money
and to the reign of meretricious politicians.
. The Bush and Clinton dynasties were destroyed by the media-saturated
lure of the pseudo-populist billionaire with narcissist sensibilities and
ugly, fascist proclivities. The monumental election of Trump was a desperate
and xenophobic cry of human hearts for a way out from under the devastation
of a disintegrating neoliberal order - a nostalgic return to an imaginary
past of greatness.
. White working- and middle-class fellow citizens - out of anger and
anguish - rejected the economic neglect of neoliberal policies and the
self-righteous arrogance of elites. Yet these same citizens also supported a
candidate who appeared to blame their social misery on minorities, and who
alienated Mexican immigrants, Muslims, black people, Jews, gay people, women
and China in the process.
. This lethal fusion of economic insecurity and cultural scapegoating
brought neoliberalism to its knees. In short, the abysmal failure of the
Democratic party to speak to the arrested mobility and escalating poverty of
working people unleashed a hate-filled populism and protectionism that
threaten to tear apart the fragile fiber of what is left of US democracy.
And since the most explosive fault lines in present-day America are first
and foremost racial, then gender, homophobic, ethnic and religious, we gird
ourselves for a frightening future.
What is to be done? First we must try to tell the truth and a condition of
truth is to allow suffering to speak. For 40 years, neoliberals lived in a
world of denial and indifference to the suffering of poor and working people
and obsessed with the spectacle of success. Second we must bear witness to
justice. We must ground our truth-telling in a willingness to suffer and
sacrifice as we resist domination. Third we must remember courageous
exemplars like Martin Luther King Jr, who provide moral and spiritual
inspiration as we build multiracial alliances to combat poverty and
xenophobia, Wall Street crimes and war crimes, global warming and police
abuse - and to protect precious rights and liberties.
The age of Obama was the last gasp of neoliberalism. Despite some
progressive words and symbolic gestures, Obama chose to ignore Wall Street
crimes, reject bailouts for homeowners, oversee growing inequality and
facilitate war crimes like US drones killing innocent civilians abroad.
Rightwing attacks on Obama - and Trump-inspired racist hatred of him - have
made it nearly impossible to hear the progressive critiques of Obama. The
president has been reluctant to target black suffering - be it in
overcrowded prisons, decrepit schools or declining workplaces. Yet, despite
that, we get celebrations of the neoliberal status quo couched in racial
symbolism and personal legacy. Meanwhile, poor and working class citizens of
all colors have continued to suffer in relative silence.
In this sense, Trump's election was enabled by the neoliberal policies of
the Clintons and Obama that overlooked the plight of our most vulnerable
citizens. The progressive populism of Bernie Sanders nearly toppled the
establishment of the Democratic party but Clinton and Obama came to the
rescue to preserve the status quo. And I do believe Sanders would have beat
Trump to avert this neofascist outcome!
In this bleak moment, we must inspire each other driven by a democratic
soulcraft of integrity, courage, empathy and a mature sense of history -
even as it seems our democracy is slipping away.
We must not turn away from the forgotten people of US foreign policy - such
as Palestinians under Israeli occupation, Yemen's civilians killed by
US-sponsored Saudi troops or Africans subject to expanding US military
presence.
As one whose great family and people survived and thrived through slavery,
Jim Crow and lynching, Trump's neofascist rhetoric and predictable
authoritarian reign is just another ugly moment that calls forth the best of
who we are and what we can do.
For us in these times, to even have hope is too abstract, too detached, too
spectatorial. Instead we must be a hope, a participant and a force for good
as we face this catastrophe.
C 2016 Guardian News and Media Limited
/author/cornel-west
/author/cornel-west/author/cornel-west
Dr. Cornel West is Professor of Religion and African Studies at Princeton
University. An activist, author, and social critic he has written many
books, incuding: Race Matters, Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against
Imperialism, Ethical Dimensions of Marxism, and Hope on a Tightrope: Words
and Wisdom.
