Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

State of the Union—or state of Capitalist decay?
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
12 Mar 2025
🖨️ Print Article
Donald Trump State of the Union
Photo: ABC News

“Every man for himself
and the devil take the hindmost.”

Something’s soothing, lobotomizing, about the snotty
Voice flooding from Fox-boxes. Something’s
Lobotomizing about an ignorant comedian coming to
Kill—but bombing—yet, still killing …

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists—
Springing up at every absurd utterance and
Thunder of rattling rubbish. Their hand bones
Fracturing from clapping so damn loud—so long …

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists
Springing up like they got the Holy Ghost! Fits of
Ecstasy applauding poor people used as props—
Mascots—human shields for class war’s unpopular policies

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists
Springing up, sane-washing a lipsticked pig. And face-
Lifting lies about capitalism’s impossible promises to
The People …

Forked tongue tour de force— False from beginning to
End. 1hour, 40 minute Mussolini masterpiece. Il DOGE
Smashed Dr. Goebbels’ Guinness Book of Records for
Orwellian wizardry: misinformation/disinformation/1/2 truths/big lies.

Barren make believe desert. Echo chamber of hollow mockery—
Hypocrisy, humbuggery/thuggery, treachery, treason, truth-less-
Ness and alternative facts where up is down. Bad’s good. Worse
Is better. Woke's worrisome/and straw’s spun orange into fools gold …

Leaning in, listening to bosh-laden blizzards of fabrications—
Falsifications— bleached bone white lies—but not eating the
Dogma does cause trauma. Trauma of two car crashes;
Three boxing matches; And four NFL and hockey games …

Blitzkrieg! Warp speed war on the working-class—
Moving fast! Breaking things! Things shoe leather, steel spines,
Blood and grit won working people long, long ago.
Things we long to make more muscular, more robust. And for all …

© 2025. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can Vote for his work at GoFundMe and PayPal.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • 55th anniversary of the Newark, New Jersey Rebellion
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    55th anniversary of the Newark, New Jersey Rebellion
    15 Jul 2022
    On July 12, 1967, a five-day long rebellion took place in Newark, New Jersey. We speak to Larry Hamm, President of the Newark based Peoples Organization for Progress, which is commemorating the…
  • Child Welfare System Damages Black Children and Families
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Child Welfare System Damages Black Children and Families
    15 Jul 2022
    Joyce McMillan is the founder of JMacForFamilies, which works to abolish the current punitive child welfare system and to strengthen the systems of supports that keep families and communities…
  • United Nations Creates Chaos in Haiti
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    United Nations Creates Chaos in Haiti
    15 Jul 2022
    The United Nations Security Council is discussing whether to extend or to end its mandate over Haiti. The vote was delayed as requested by China, a permanent member of the Security Council. Far from…
  • The Left Lens: Jayland Walker and COINTELPRO's Ongoing Legacy
    Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberley
    The Left Lens: Jayland Walker and COINTELPRO's Ongoing Legacy
    15 Jul 2022
    Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberley discuss recent BAR articles, Protesting for Jayland Walker and 
  • FBI Still Targets Black People for Entrapment
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    FBI Still Targets Black People for Entrapment
    13 Jul 2022
    The COINTELPRO era never ended, as Black people bear the brunt of FBI surveillance. The war on terror gave a new rationale for using paid informants to entrap Black people. Romeo Langhorne is the…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us