Mastodawn

The criticism of Ice Cube coming from many white folk, vs Black folk, is different in important ways.

When Biden stresses "Bipartisanship" and says that he will work with people from both parties to get things done for the American people, he's praised. If I criticize his centrism, y'all yell at me.🤷🏿‍♂️

When Ice Cube says we don't know who's going to win the election: if it's Dems I'll work with them, if it's GOP I'll work with them, to get things done for Black people...y'all call him a fool.🤡

I disagree with Ice Cube's tactic (as do most Black voters), but he has not "turned right wing," and he is not "unaware that he's being used by right wingers"

He's making the very specific point that most Democrats take the Black vote for granted. They expect Black folk to work harder than everyone to elect Dems, and then do nothing to prioritize the issues most important to Black people. Because they say, "What're you gonna do, vote GOP? Ha ha! They hate you even more!!! You have no choice!"

Biden wants to *increase* police funding. Even after we've all seen how ineffective that is at anything but increasing the harm experienced by Black men and boys.

Governor Hochul wants to *bring back* prison labor and reinstate cash bail, to resupply the required prison slavery workforce. Even though she knows how racist and harmful that is to Black folk. This is cartoonishly evil and racist. Slavery in NYC.

Progressive candidates that run on anti-racism are *kneecapped* by centrists.

Ice Cube is practicing a very dangerous form of brinkmanship.

He understands that if the GOP wins, Black folk will be more screwed than if Dems win.

He also knows that white Dem voters and politicians will be significantly impacted if the GOP wins, and that the Dems cannot win without the Black vote. It's "If you take the Black vote for granted, I will sink this whole ship. Yes, I will drown first because I'm on a lower deck, but we will all drown. I don't care. Try me."

Ice Cube doesn't need to convert every Black voter for his threat to be successful. He doesn't even need to convert every Black man. If he gets an incremental 10% of Black men to either vote GOP, or more realistically, just not fight the voter suppression and stay home on election day, then the Dems have zero chance of winning in 2024. None. We welcome president Trump/DeSantis/Ramaswamy.

So Ice Cube and other Black celebrities are incredibly valuable to GOP campaigns.

Most of the people mad at Ice Cube haven't even listened to what he is asking for. Because they just do not care what Black voters have to say, or why Black men in particular are disillusioned with the Democratic party. They are precisely the people taking Black voters for granted. "Vote and shut up. We're not literal Nazis, so you have to vote for us. If you don't vote for us, you ain't Black!"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/22/politics/biden-charlamagne-tha-god-you-aint-black/index.html

Before the 2020 election, Ice Cube asked to meet with the Biden/Harris campaign, and to meet with the Trump/Pence campaign. He ran his "We don't know who's going to win" line.

Biden/Harris declined. Trump/Pence accepted. So he met with them.

The way to stop Ice Cube and his like-minded followers from going down the "used by GOP for sound bites" path and condemning us all to fascism, is to even pretend to prioritize the issues that are life and death anti-racism issues for Black folk.

Caffe Neko Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke I agree that Biden/Harris need to take this seriously.

Cornel West is also running for Green Party. We cannot afford to lose the Black vote. The Black vote saves our asses every damn time.

jdm2 🇵🇷Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke oh I remember this. There was an episode with Briahna Joy Gray’s podcast where Ice Cube got to explain his reasoning behind that meeting. It was a great listen.

In the end they ended up hammering the point home that Dems barely do the minimum when it comes to Black voters, yet Black voters get blamed 10 times out of 10 when someone like Trump wins because “they didn’t vote enough”.

Bai Shen Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke It still pisses me off that instead of bothering to address voter suppression Biden stated that the Dems will just out vote the GOP like in the midterms. As if that historic turnout was just something to take for granted.

Keen Grasp Jul 26, 2023

@baishen @mekkaokereke It honestly seems the Dem leadership, at the national level, wants to lose on purpose. They are perfectly okay with most of the supposed "other side's" class warfare agenda; the big donors get their wishes granted no matter which side wins. And in order for the "we are your only hope of avoiding total fascism" threat to be as effective as it can be, every election's outcome *has* to be as much in doubt as they can possibly make it. It's Cola War psychology. It's kayfabe.

Bai Shen Jul 26, 2023

@keengrasp @mekkaokereke Agreed. My understanding of what needs to happen is that we need to get more voters to pay attention to primaries and keeping campaign promises. People need to be pushing in the primaries for better candidates and then once whatever Dem gets elected make sure that their feet are held to the fire.

T.C. Harris Jul 26, 2023

@baishen @mekkaokereke

I don't think he has a lot of plausible better options (which is not the same as none) but just rhetorically treating it as an acceptable state of affairs with a simple solution is both offensive and terrible optics.

It will discourage a lot of people, and that's apart from the fact that the state-level Dems are NOT pushing for historic turnout.

Tim Ryan hardly bothered to campaign in Ohio's major cities, let alone register voters and facilitate voting.

Kevin Leecaster Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
Yeah some people say Biden takes Black Americans for granted I reckon. Meanwhile,

Jacob Christian Munch-Andersen Jul 26, 2023

@GreenFire @mekkaokereke That is fine I guess. But it is a gesture, not policy. A monument only means something when you are told the story behind it. So it is more than a little ironic that it is erected while an increasing number of teachers would rightfully fear for their job if they were to tell that story in class.

Hazel Weakly Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke It's astounding how much Democrats take Black votes for granted yet don't do a single ounce of work to ensure they can *actually fucking vote*

Where's the "granted"?! I see a lot of counting on votes that can't even be made anymore due to work has been done to remove that voice.

At this point, I can only assume it's because Black folk are only supposed to have enough voice to turn a district blue, and not enough voice to actually push real change.

("Assume" is generous tbf 🙄)

John Lusk Jul 26, 2023

@hazelweakly @mekkaokereke

Two *particular* Dems refused to allow a carveout in the filibuster to allow voting rights to be passed in the first two years of the Biden term.

Dems need to overperform (at all levels) in the current environment. Just barely winning doesn't cut it, and won't in the future.

@tarheel @hazelweakly

This is something that many Black folk don't fully agree with because:

* Those 2 Dems were chosen and supported by the Dem establishment over progressive candidates more popular with the Democratic base. You don't get to choose your dance partners, then complain that they stepped on your feet.

* Biden himself, and a lot of Dems that supposedly vote to end the filibuster, are on record as supporting it. They get to use those two as a PR shield.

John Lusk Jul 26, 2023

Fair point. I'll need to re-think that.

Pragmatikon Jul 26, 2023

@hazelweakly @mekkaokereke somehow, there persists an earnest and well-meaning but utterly erroneous belief that Democratic voters have a voice. According to the Democratic Party, you do not.

The Democratic Party's own assessment of how candidates are selected (citation is from In These Times's In Its Defense Against Fraud Suit From Bernie Supporters, the DNC Just Dug Itself Into an Epic Hole but you can find the court records and other news analyses using your favorite search engine):

“We could have voluntarily decided that, look, we’re gonna go into the back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the candidate that way,” he told the court. “And that would have also been their right.”Ironically, if Democratic voters wanted more of a voice in federal elections, they'd vote for anyone but a Democrat.

In Its Defense Against Fraud Suit From Bernie Supporters, the DNC Just Dug Itself Into an Epic Hole

If the party wants to favor a candidate, that's its own business, argues DNC lawyer.

In These Times

MsSmartyPants Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
#Biden is from the same generation and area I am, so I want to share what I thought he was saying.
I'm from Philly, and have known of Joe Biden since the 70s. Prominent white guys from Delaware who were considered genuine by Black men were rare and word spread quickly when such a person was elected, then his wife and kid died, then he went to DC...When he says something like, "You ain't Black", I hear an old white guy who was comfortable around us way back in the day.

He was comfortable with Black people and segregationists. That's his whole thing. I don't like that.

He was comfortable with Strom Thurmond. Comfortable enough to speak at his eulogy!

Comfortable enough to be against busing.

Comfortable enough to pass the crime bill.

Hey, I voted for Biden! And likely will again. Like 95% of Black voters. But we can't gloss over or minimize his awful choices. Not even his providing a sound bite for taking the Black vote for granted.

artisanrox Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke @MsSmartyPants

I agree. The beauty of the US Left is that we can vote for someone imperfect, but absolutely teachable...like Biden, and also realize that this ain't it either and we need to demand/help BETTER people to eventually take over for them in the future.

Humble Fan of Atty. Woo Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke @MsSmartyPants

I'm gonna hope that he has some misgivings about some of those bad choices in history, and that he has seen the error of his ways as he represents us today. Sure does beat the other alternatives. carry on

@BillMcGuire @MsSmartyPants

I don't believe in hoping.

I believe in accountability. I still haven't seen him change his tune on Criminal Justice Reform.

He's still on that "tough on crime" talk, which is how Tyree Nichols happens. We only hear about the ones that cause death, but millions of people have bad and traumatic experiences that don't result in death.

MsSmartyPants Jan 28, 2024

@mekkaokereke @BillMcGuire
I owe you an apology.
I really believed @POTUS was a decent human being. But my opinion was based on what I knew about him in the 70s and 80s, when I lived in Philly.
Your opinion is bearing out as true. #GenocideJoe has broken my heart.
All the best.

Humble Fan of Atty. Woo Jan 30, 2024

not sure what you are apologizing to me about, but I am confused by your post where you say "I really believed @POTUS was a decent human being." Do you mean Joe Biden? The situation in Gaza is unbelievably bad, and Netanahu is a very bad man who should be removed, but he is the head of a bunch of hardliners. He is not listening to anyone from America to include Joe Biden, and most sensible people, as I do myself, believe the Palestinian people should be able to live in peace in Gaza MINUS Hamas of course. I think it is time Netanahu is given an ultimatum (problem with that is that we need Israel on our side in the Middle East). I do not believe Joe Biden wants unnecessary killing to continue, but it is a tricky situation, not easily solved. UN Peacekeepers could be sent in, but even that could be iffy with Hamas not giving in either. Take care. I yield back my time.

MsSmartyPants Nov 1, 2023

@mekkaokereke
#Biden has been in politics for 50 years. During that time, he has made decisions that were bad, even harmful to visible and ethnic minorities. But unlike most politicians, I have seen him evolve. I've seen him make mistakes, acknowledge them, and change, giving him the reputation of being "untrustworthy" with white politicians. He has been the most trustworthy for Black Americans, so far, and again I say, there's no one better. He has earned my vote and proven his sincerity.

MsSmartyPants Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
Remember, in the 50s, when Biden was going into politics, there was still segregation and Jim Crow, no social media, etc, but Biden was hanging out with Black politicians. When he said that to Charlemagne in 2020, he probably thought he was using the expression to signal his familiarity with Civil Rights issues.
White folks never heard such expressions in his day, except when Black folks were comfortable around them.

MsSmartyPants Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
If young Black people can't tell the difference between Biden and a pretender, they should consider how the technology with which you've been raised has made you incapable of knowing genuine people from fakes.

Please let me know your thoughts on the crime bill. Or busing. Or Strom Thurmond.

MsSmartyPants Nov 1, 2023

@mekkaokereke
When #Biden was a jr senator, he had little to do with the Crime Bill and nothing to do with how it was used against Black people. That was 1 of thousands of bills he voted on, and when he was Obama's VP, he acknowledged that it was wrong. With the help of Congress people like #Rashida_tlaib and #ilhanomar, he's getting a perspective he never had before and we are again seeing him evolve.
Read "Black AF History" by Michael Harriot for more.

🤦🏿‍♂️ Involved? Biden drafted the Senate version of the Bill.

He literally sat with Tom Scotto, who was the National Association of Police Officers president, and wrote the thing. Biden doesn't deny this, and at the time, bragged about it. The meetings as they were putting the bill together literally happened in Biden's conference room. This is not debatable.

🤔 Bigger question, why is this coming up again now? I haven't even mentioned Biden in months. What's this all about?

MsSmartyPants Nov 1, 2023

@mekkaokereke
🙃 A while back you asked my opinion #Biden's part on the Crime Bill, Thurmond and desegregation initiatives.

I check my Mastodon account in fits and starts, so sorry for the late response.

I hope you're well.

Shoq 🌿Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
It doesn’t matter what Biden or anyone says. What matters is the obvious fate that awaits us all if we don’t turn out. As it is, we’re probably going to lose the Senate. That will be very bad, and not just for Black people. But things can get a lot worse. No one has to vote for Biden. They can just vote for another 4 years of democracy hanging by a fragile thread. Because when it breaks, it won’t be repaired for a long time, if ever.

Edward Sargisson Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke Merely as a compare and contrast, New Zealand has proportional representation which allowed the founding of Te Pāti Māori - a party that's quite focussed on specifically indigenous issues. Basically everything that affects Black folks in the US affects Māori in NZ. However, their support of the center-right party has cost them support. Wikipedia is a decent summary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_P%C4%81ti_M%C4%81ori

Te Pāti Māori - Wikipedia

Woodswalked Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
Reverend Al Sharpton warned about taking votes for granted. I think he used the phrase ‘it don’t mean a thing, if it don’t swing.’ I agreed with the Rev., is it hypocritical that I don’t when it’s coming from Ice? He hasn’t built the trust. He seems to take anger as a money opportunity. Am I missing something more?

The Animal and the Machine Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
If GOP are going to win regardless, then getting them to lower their racism vs nothing is a victory of sorts.

I agree it’s not illogical even if it is not idealistic. But then the Dems are not ideal.

All I’m really hearing about Ice Cube is people blaming Black people for Black problems. Given that he is free to vote has he wishes, isn’t that victim blaming?

White people. Don’t vote GOP.

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@mekkaokereke trans people are also stuck in this disgusting swamp

choose between a nasty-ass centrist who is ok with me being dead or a republican who is actively calling for me being dead

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@mekkaokereke but we don't have a voting bloc

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@mekkaokereke i feel like we just need to stop attacking people backed into corners trying to find any solution and instead maybe attack the people cornering them

🧙‍♂️ Julian Invictus ☕Jul 26, 2023

@deilann Imma be completely honest. I do not recognize the difference between Malevolence and Indifference towards it at this point. To attempt to grade evil as greater, middling, or lesser is not worthwhile in war time, and make no mistake...we are at war.

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@Julian_Invictus the difference is how much time I have to figure out my escape plan

JohnW Jul 26, 2023

@Julian_Invictus @deilann Very well said!

The Animal and the Machine Jul 26, 2023

You need a Black party who’s sole job is to stand independently where there is
a) a run off process
b) where the Dems are supporting Black issues.

The Dem has to drop racist policy before the Black party member withdraws. If the Dems don’t sort their house out, they get to see how many votes they loose.

Make it visible.

Also, @mekkaokereke for President!

vy Jul 30, 2023

@mekkaokereke I wonder what's the basis for claiming Democrats take the Black vote for granted. Do you think the Vice President does, the minority leader in the House? Did the Dems move the first primary from NH to SC because they were taking the Black vote for granted? Some Democrats definitely do - for example the hapless Tim Ryan in Ohio lost for that reason. But Democrats are hardly an organized party let alone a unified entity.

I mean this with no disrespect, because I do believe you ask these questions in good faith, but...

I'm not the right person to (re) explain Black voter issues 101 to you. You can either read all my posts in this thread and find Malcolm X pointing out the exact same issues that most Black voters complain about, or you can read literally anything on the topic by doing the most basic search, or you can have a friend explain it to you.

But I'm not retyping all that stuff just for you.

vy Jul 31, 2023

@mekkaokereke you are far from the only Black voter I follow on social media.

OK, I just read your other replies, and I take back what I said about your question probably being in good faith.

vy Jul 31, 2023

@mekkaokereke With no disrespect, why should I consider you an authority on Black America over the Vice-President or the minority leader in the House or the assistant Leader who is responsible for Biden being in the white house?

🤦🏿‍♂️ Where did I say I was the authority? I said what most Black voters have said, that's verifiable in any number of polls. But to try to reduce Black voter opinion to "Which one Black person speaks for all of you? Take me to your leader!" is more than I'm willing to unpack this evening.

Listen, I'm not enjoying this conversation, so I'm leaving it.

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@mekkaokereke biden still stands by the system he bolstered and his specific bolstering. he's said as much. white people have selective hearing/memory

https://www.factcheck.org/2019/07/biden-on-the-1994-crime-bill/

Biden on the 1994 Crime Bill - FactCheck.org

Former Vice President Joe Biden defended his support decades ago for a controversial crime bill, saying, "There’s another part of my long record that’s being grossly misrepresented: the 1994 crime bill." We'll go through Biden's points about what was in the bill and what he supported or opposed.

FactCheck.org

deilann v -0.2.1.

neodog_nom_verified

@mekkaokereke the 94 crime bill was specifically built to be ✨ bipartisan ✨ and show how important it is to reach across the aisle and address the real issues affecting white americans who are scared of everything

Venita Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke Aren't incarcerated people already doing minimum or no wage labor?

John Refior Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
Those are facts
https://hachyderm.io/@jrefior/109824318811681237

John Refior (@[email protected])

Recall that Biden used his SOTU to call for more money for police: "We should all agree the answer is not to defund the police, it's to fund the police! Fund them! Fund them! Fund them with resources and training! Resources and training they need to protect our communities! I ask Democrats and Republicans alike to pass my budget and keep our neighborhoods safe." 3:55:38 in this video https://youtu.be/WVGV08kiwjE?t=14137 -- #POTUS #Biden #SOTU #BLM #police #TyreNichols

Hachyderm.io

J.H.Noyes Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
They're not centrists, they're Conservative shills in liberal clothing.
@breadandcircuses

fulanigirl has moved Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke also the rural counties get more money because although prisoners often cannot vote, they are counted for purposes of legislative apportionment and funding. States make $ off of the bodies in prisons so there's a great incentive to keep them there.
Biden is in love with the police and always has been.

Kevin Leecaster Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke
We need for more Americans to vote in the primaries.

Probably Paul Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke Not sure if you ever followed The Revolutionary Blackout Network on Twitter, but they were (perhaps still are) under constant fire from "liberals" accusing them of being "right wing" for pointing out how Dems always continue policies that harm Black and other non-white people, when in power.

Their assumption seems to be that they'll always have the Black vote because they avoid overt racism. And while that's mostly true, it's a shitty choice for those living with structural racism every day.

Probably Paul Jul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke Not sure if you ever followed The Revolutionary Blackout Network on Twitter, but they were (perhaps still are) under constant fire from "liberals" accusing them of being "right wing" for pointing out how Dems always continue policies that harm Black and other non-white people, when in power.

Their assumption seems to be that they'll always have the Black vote because they avoid overt racism. And while that's mostly true, it's a shitty choice for those living with structural racism every day.

Black Chic with the Red Truck Jul 26, 2023

@BarrenPlanet
It seems like the only thing centrists care about is overt racism. That’s a huge problem for them and they see it as “worse” than covert racism because for them racism is largely an aesthetics problem. It makes them feel icky and it hurts people’s feelings. They don’t seem to understand that for Black people racism isn’t about our feelings getting hurt. It’s about ‘how will this harm me? Will I get arrested, fired, killed? Will my kid get punished, hurt, killed?’ We aren’t worried about our feelings. We learned how to manage that by the time we left elementary school. We are trying to survive and covert racism is just as bad as overt racism and in a lot of cases it’s worse.
There is no “better racism.”

Probably Paul Jul 26, 2023

@ReneeWestberry
@mekkaokereke Boosted.