mekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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.🤡

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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!"

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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.

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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."

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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.

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

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

Show threadHazel Weakly

@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 🙄)

Jul 26, 2023 at 2:46pmWeb
Show threadJohn LuskJul 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.

Show threadmekka okereke Jul 26, 2023

@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.

Show threadJohn LuskJul 26, 2023

@mekkaokereke

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

@hazelweakly

Show threadPragmatikonJul 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