Ta-Nehisi Coates Interview: Examining Racial Opposition & the Challenges Faced by Obama

[@robertasirgutz8800]

He's the "idealized" Black dude, in terms of a public face. An intellctual's desired face of "Blackness". Commanding, articulate and charming. But in terms of substance, he wasn't advancing critical issues facing the poor and working class. He was an elite who ushered Wall Street into his cabinet after the '08 financial crisis they manufactured! He wasn't an ally of his community, supported the war in Iraq. Nice, cosmetically but ineffective if not dangerous. Coates looks pretty superficial.

[@flutieflambert]

Amen. Neoliberals have monopolized “race politics” in order to grab the mic and speak on behalf of the people they disenfranchise. Sadly, race politics has become a deliberate capitalist obfuscation of class struggle within the black community (as it exists in all communities. Class struggle is not unique to Black people.)

[@jeromedanielson4422]

I agree, having told other black people the observations you stated, they would often say I wasn't being fair. It's not enough to be a black man as president without critiquing them regardless of their race. Settling for whatever just because Obama is black is ridiculous.

[@kathyskinner6119]

Being Black is very important; and that matters.

[@flutieflambert]

Symbols are important when Obama foreclosed on Detroit? Important for whom? The professional managerial class who go to Harvard and didn’t lose their homes, that’s who. One out of two home owners in Detroit lost their homes and intergenerational wealth, 70% were black, 100% were economically disenfranchised. How condescending and presumptuous to say that what they need is symbolism. What they need is money and power and Neoliberals like BHO have spent the last 50 years depriving the poor of both money and power and handing them “symbols” that cost the wealthy nothing.