A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
Three-quarters of the Congressional Black Caucus voted to deny the warmonger in the White House funds for his aggressions. Although Obama got his "blood money," the pro-war faction in the Black Caucus numbers only six members. "So let's call out their names, and drench them in shame and contempt."
Six Black Eunuchs of War
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford
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"Let's call out their names, and drench them in shame and contempt."
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared that the war in Vietnam was, in fact, a "war against the poor" in the United States, because it empowered the "demonic, destructive suction tube" of the military to devour the money that should have gone to build President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. There were many other reasons that Dr. King opposed the war - great reasons of morality, such as the essential wrongness of a policy that had already killed millions and made the United States the "greatest purveyor of violence" in the world. But, by invoking the Vietnam War's devastating economic consequences to Black and poor people at home, Dr. King was pointing out that, the war must also be opposed as a practical matter of politics, because it was against Black people's bread and butter interests. And those interests, as well as morality, trumped Black people's desire to support a sitting Democratic president who had been, on many critical issues, an ally of the Black Freedom Movement.
There was no Congressional Black Caucus in 1967; it would be formed several years later, with an initial roster of ÂÂ13. But, through word and deed, Black people had made it clear over generations that they were overwhelmingly opposed to U.S. military adventures abroad. We knew in our guts that these constant U.S. wars in the Third World were racist wars. So, when George Bush sought congressional approval for his planned war against Iraq in 2002, 35 years after Dr. King came out against the Vietnam War, all but four members of the Black Caucus said "No."
Last week, the Congress voted on President Obama's request for tens of billions of dollars to fund his wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. This time, 102 Democrats said "No" to war, including three quarters of the Congressional Black Caucus. Obama got his blood money, but without the endorsement of 30 Black lawmakers. Only six Black congressmen stood with the War Party. So let's call out their names, and drench them in shame and contempt.
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"102 Democrats said "No" to war, including three quarters of the Congressional Black Caucus."
One of them is Sanford Bishop, the Black congressman from southwest Georgia. He was among the four that sided with Bush in 2002. Back then, I called them the Four Black Eunuchs of War, because they were so eager to bend to Power. The other three, Harold Ford, of Memphis, William Jefferson, of New Orleans, and Albert Wynn, of Maryland, are now gone from the congressional scene. The other five new Eunuchs of War are, Al Green, of Texas, C.K. Butterfield, of North Carolina, James Clyburn, of South Carolina, David Scott, from Atlanta, and Artur Davis, of Alabama. David Scott and Artur Davis have vied for the dishonor of being the worst, most pro-corporate Black members of Congress since both were elected in 2002. Davis claims that he'll be getting out of electoral politics, after losing the Black vote in a landslide in his run for governor of Alabama, this year. We hope he keeps his promise, so that the pro-war faction in the Congressional Black Caucus dwindles to a tiny minority of five.
One of the Blackest districts in the nation is held by a white man, Steve Cohen, of Memphis. He, too, voted against war funding.
The First Black President has shown himself to be a warmonger. But Black America sides with peace, and it is gratifying to see that most of the Congressional Black Caucus understands that elementary fact. For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford. On the web, go to www.BlackAgendaReport.com.
BAR executive editor Glen Ford can be contacted at Glen.Ford@BlackAgendaReport.com.
Anne Venhuizen is an attorney in The Bronx Defenders' Impact Litigation Practice.
Christopher Bruce is Policy Director of the Georgia ACLU.
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