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


  • Obama and Liberals Killed Abortion Rights
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Obama and Liberals Killed Abortion Rights
    11 May 2022
    The revelation that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision has not motivated left-wing democrats to effectively mobilize on an issue they claim to care about. They are made…
  • ESSAY: Black Soldiers of Imperialism, George Padmore, 1931
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY: Black Soldiers of Imperialism, George Padmore, 1931
    11 May 2022
    In 1931, George Padmore explained how African soldiers were mobilized for European wars.
  • The heart of Asmara and other Eritrean towns are their centrally located grain, vegetable, and fruit markets. Establishing national food security is the primary national development goal.
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Notes from Eritrea, Part II
    11 May 2022
    Contributing Editor Ann Garrison continues her reporting from the Horn of Africa.
  • Bye, Big Sis
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Bye, Big Sis
    11 May 2022
    Memories of the late Gael Davis, Los Angeles activist, organizer and actress.
  • Joe Biden and the Democrats Have Nothing to Offer Organized Labor, the ALU Included
    Danny Haiphong, BAR Contributing Editor
    Joe Biden and the Democrats Have Nothing to Offer Organized Labor, the ALU Included
    11 May 2022
    The Biden administration pays lip service to the trade union movement but has done nothing to break the Democratic Party’s long tradition of betraying workers. Joe Biden's photo op with Christian…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us