Its November, 2024, and another presidential election has just concluded within the U.S. Approximately 81 million people voted successfully for the person representing the Republican Party. Another almost 70 million voted for the Democratic Party candidate. A few million others voted for a variety of options. The 81 million or so Republican voters seem to have proudly and confidently voted for fascist leadership grounded in principles of the most exploitative capitalism known to human history. Such capitalism is of course rooted firmly in principles of white supremacy, patriarchy, homophobia, and every form of anti-human ideologies and practices imaginable.
The 70 million who voted for the Democratic Party represent themselves as the option for working class people including European women, colonized communities, LGBTQ communities, etc. The fascist right in the U.S. is making their case quite clear. They are opposed to any efforts to forge towards justice. My grandmother always told me that if a dog barks it’s a dog. Using this unquestionable African logic, its completely insane for us to hear the constant barking, feel the pain from the consistent bites and then continue to try and perceive the dog as anything other than it is.
On the other hand, the 70 million who voted for the Democrats provide a much more difficult challenge for us because these people are by and large people who are close to us i.e. our friends, family, etc. The right wing makes no effort to pretend that we are on the same page while the Democratic Party supporters genuinely see themselves as being on the side of justice. They demonstrate this perspective by their self-righteousness. The Africans supporters of the Democratic Party have drank the kool aid that has been prepared by the corporate elite. That kool aid argues that the primary thing that emerged from the U.S. civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s was the fight for the vote. Of course, this is far from the truth. That movement certainly had voting as one of its objectives, but it also had a focus on reclaiming our African identity (the Black Power movement), changing the racist immigration policies in the U.S. (the 1965 Immigration Reform Act), dismantling racist Jim Crow segregation laws, etc. Despite this unquestionable reality, the capitalist system and its mass propaganda mechanisms have spent the last 30 years pumping out nonstop messaging that our only viable option in life is to participate in U.S. capitalist elections i.e. the Democratic and Republican Party (not even third party consideration). As a result of this propaganda effort, voting in the U.S. for African people has developed into a practice of principle and anyone who refuses to participate in doing it is written off as someone who is ill-responsible, apathetic, and selfish as if that simple minded analysis contains even a shred of logic to it.
Our history in the U.S. is full of rock solid examples of constant struggles for justice that produced very effective results that had absolutely nothing to do with the capitalist electoral process. The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) provided mass consciousness that we are African people tied to the future of Africa and we must develop ways to concretize that understanding. People like W.E.B. DuBois gave us the visionary Pan-African perspective that Marcus Garvey’s UNIA attempted to create in our daily reality 100 years ago. Malcolm X and others built on the UNIA/DuBois model expanding African consciousness and real life Pan-African work that was based on the African continent as it properly should be. The Black Panther Party of course taught an entire new generation that we can effectively stand up against police terrorism. In fact, there would most likely not be any consciousness today about the value of African lives if there had not been a Black Panther Party. It can even easily be said that the thousands of African politicians who currently exist are only the result of the type of independent activism displayed in this paragraph.
So, to restate, what all of those organizational examples have in common is none of them were focused on voting in bourgeoisie capitalist elections. What they actually did is provide models of work that intentionally functioned outside of the capitalist society, instead building independent capacity to challenge the system. Their correct logic being that we cannot ever seriously believe that we can build our liberation using tools sanctioned and provided by the very people who hold us in a position of oppression. Still, despite this ill refutable logic, millions of our people – connected at the hip to the Democratic Party and its strange political agenda – have demonstrated repeatedly that they cannot see any of these historical examples. They are equally blind to the reality of how those activists who actually fought for the vote envisioned voting being used as a tool in our interests. There was never among those brave activists this belief today that voting is our only option. Those activists from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, etc., engaged in all levels of organizing and mobilization work. As a result, they understood the limitations of voting. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tied voting to mass movement work. Although he led efforts to push through the 1965 Voting Rights Act, this is the only aspect of his work that is ever highlighted. His efforts to build a poor people’s campaign, although that campaign still exists today, is completely ignored.
Mass organizing beyond just voting is ignored by the capitalist system in framing our history because as long as they keep us convinced that voting (within a system they completely control) is our absolute only option, we will never be any serious threat to concrete social change. And, its this point that brings us to some basic math as it relates to capitalist elections within the U.S. Although the capitalist system has most people in this country believing that the responsible majority votes and the others are the scum of the earth, the truth is much more complex. In other words, the continuous efforts to shame those that don’t vote isn’t lining up with conventional math. By all demographic sources like the 2020 U.S. Census, and operating within predictive models that allow an acceptable social science range of highs and lows, the approximate population living in the U.S. today is 350 million people. Of that number, approximately 100 million are ineligible to vote because they are either too young, convicted of a felony, or in some category of immigrant status, etc. Of the 250 million people remaining, about 150 million of them combined voted. These results would reveal that about 100 million people eligible to vote did not. The significance of this last number is that 100 million represents more people than either the Republicans or Democrats can claim as supporters.
If anything, this revelation demonstrates that neither bourgeoisie capitalist party is appealing to a majority of people. In other words, there was no mandate about anything. And, although the liberal elite from the Democratic Party would like nothing more than to assume that a significant portion of that 100 million belong to their camp. The truth is little to no analysis of this 100 million is ever made in this country. It should be stated clearly that the 100 million isn’t a new phenomenon. Its still never going to be discussed by capitalist media because their job is to convince everyone to buy into their system and that becomes a much more difficult task when more people are deciding to ignore the process than support either bourgeoisie party.
As for the 100 million themselves, who are they? Well, we know what they aren’t. They aren’t millions of apathetic people. Of course we have already pointed out that the lack of participation in the bourgeoisie process can mean many different things. It could mean apathy, but more likely, it means a lack of faith in this process that is consistently shoved down our throats as our only alternative. Our people do not lack agency. People see the misery being inflicted on the world, very disproportionately against our people. They have seen politician after politician make promises with no delivery. It has been 50 years since Dr. King stated publicly that he was afraid that all his anti-segregation/voting rights act work had served the purpose primarily of “integrating our people into a burning building.” Could it be possible that those 100 million people of all nationalities are people who understand Dr. King’s statement?
The truth is a significant number of those 100 million are involved in consistent political work. The type of work that far supersedes just becoming political one day every few years. The type of work that builds upon the contributions of past organizations and individuals who shunned the capitalist political process. Along with that, the vast majority of that 100 million are folks who may not be yet engaged, but if we say – correctly – that a lack of activity to engage against injustice is an objective vote for injustice, its equally logical to say that the refusal to participate and support the capitalist electoral process is itself a vote against the validity of that system.
On this last point the 100 million are certainly on to something because whatever reason they choose not to participate, they have successfully severed the hold of the capitalist system over their agency. The one criticism that must be waged against those within that number who are not engaged in consistent independent organizing work is that not participating in the enemy’s system is never enough. Its essential that those within that 100 million accept their position as shock troops for the emancipation of African and all opposed people’s from slave plantation electoral politics within the capitalist system.
There is no middle ground. Just seeing the contradictions with the capitalist system will never be good enough. Once you see and understand that both the Republicans and the Democrats are both different ends of the same stick, you then have the unending responsibility to lend your talents to helping more and more people understand the importance of all of us creating our own independent stick which will effectively wield power for the masses of people on earth who are tired of being extorted into compromising their entire future just to appeal to the whims of a liberal population which refuses to entertain the prospect that they are being pimped. That sometimes, not permitting yourself to be used and manipulated is indeed better than continuing to believe in fantasies that cover up continued and serious damage being inflicted against all peace and justice loving people by a political party process that represents – as Malcolm X told us – two different versions of the canine family.
The 70 million who voted for the Democratic Party represent themselves as the option for working class people including European women, colonized communities, LGBTQ communities, etc. The fascist right in the U.S. is making their case quite clear. They are opposed to any efforts to forge towards justice. My grandmother always told me that if a dog barks it’s a dog. Using this unquestionable African logic, its completely insane for us to hear the constant barking, feel the pain from the consistent bites and then continue to try and perceive the dog as anything other than it is.
On the other hand, the 70 million who voted for the Democrats provide a much more difficult challenge for us because these people are by and large people who are close to us i.e. our friends, family, etc. The right wing makes no effort to pretend that we are on the same page while the Democratic Party supporters genuinely see themselves as being on the side of justice. They demonstrate this perspective by their self-righteousness. The Africans supporters of the Democratic Party have drank the kool aid that has been prepared by the corporate elite. That kool aid argues that the primary thing that emerged from the U.S. civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s was the fight for the vote. Of course, this is far from the truth. That movement certainly had voting as one of its objectives, but it also had a focus on reclaiming our African identity (the Black Power movement), changing the racist immigration policies in the U.S. (the 1965 Immigration Reform Act), dismantling racist Jim Crow segregation laws, etc. Despite this unquestionable reality, the capitalist system and its mass propaganda mechanisms have spent the last 30 years pumping out nonstop messaging that our only viable option in life is to participate in U.S. capitalist elections i.e. the Democratic and Republican Party (not even third party consideration). As a result of this propaganda effort, voting in the U.S. for African people has developed into a practice of principle and anyone who refuses to participate in doing it is written off as someone who is ill-responsible, apathetic, and selfish as if that simple minded analysis contains even a shred of logic to it.
Our history in the U.S. is full of rock solid examples of constant struggles for justice that produced very effective results that had absolutely nothing to do with the capitalist electoral process. The Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) provided mass consciousness that we are African people tied to the future of Africa and we must develop ways to concretize that understanding. People like W.E.B. DuBois gave us the visionary Pan-African perspective that Marcus Garvey’s UNIA attempted to create in our daily reality 100 years ago. Malcolm X and others built on the UNIA/DuBois model expanding African consciousness and real life Pan-African work that was based on the African continent as it properly should be. The Black Panther Party of course taught an entire new generation that we can effectively stand up against police terrorism. In fact, there would most likely not be any consciousness today about the value of African lives if there had not been a Black Panther Party. It can even easily be said that the thousands of African politicians who currently exist are only the result of the type of independent activism displayed in this paragraph.
So, to restate, what all of those organizational examples have in common is none of them were focused on voting in bourgeoisie capitalist elections. What they actually did is provide models of work that intentionally functioned outside of the capitalist society, instead building independent capacity to challenge the system. Their correct logic being that we cannot ever seriously believe that we can build our liberation using tools sanctioned and provided by the very people who hold us in a position of oppression. Still, despite this ill refutable logic, millions of our people – connected at the hip to the Democratic Party and its strange political agenda – have demonstrated repeatedly that they cannot see any of these historical examples. They are equally blind to the reality of how those activists who actually fought for the vote envisioned voting being used as a tool in our interests. There was never among those brave activists this belief today that voting is our only option. Those activists from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, etc., engaged in all levels of organizing and mobilization work. As a result, they understood the limitations of voting. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tied voting to mass movement work. Although he led efforts to push through the 1965 Voting Rights Act, this is the only aspect of his work that is ever highlighted. His efforts to build a poor people’s campaign, although that campaign still exists today, is completely ignored.
Mass organizing beyond just voting is ignored by the capitalist system in framing our history because as long as they keep us convinced that voting (within a system they completely control) is our absolute only option, we will never be any serious threat to concrete social change. And, its this point that brings us to some basic math as it relates to capitalist elections within the U.S. Although the capitalist system has most people in this country believing that the responsible majority votes and the others are the scum of the earth, the truth is much more complex. In other words, the continuous efforts to shame those that don’t vote isn’t lining up with conventional math. By all demographic sources like the 2020 U.S. Census, and operating within predictive models that allow an acceptable social science range of highs and lows, the approximate population living in the U.S. today is 350 million people. Of that number, approximately 100 million are ineligible to vote because they are either too young, convicted of a felony, or in some category of immigrant status, etc. Of the 250 million people remaining, about 150 million of them combined voted. These results would reveal that about 100 million people eligible to vote did not. The significance of this last number is that 100 million represents more people than either the Republicans or Democrats can claim as supporters.
If anything, this revelation demonstrates that neither bourgeoisie capitalist party is appealing to a majority of people. In other words, there was no mandate about anything. And, although the liberal elite from the Democratic Party would like nothing more than to assume that a significant portion of that 100 million belong to their camp. The truth is little to no analysis of this 100 million is ever made in this country. It should be stated clearly that the 100 million isn’t a new phenomenon. Its still never going to be discussed by capitalist media because their job is to convince everyone to buy into their system and that becomes a much more difficult task when more people are deciding to ignore the process than support either bourgeoisie party.
As for the 100 million themselves, who are they? Well, we know what they aren’t. They aren’t millions of apathetic people. Of course we have already pointed out that the lack of participation in the bourgeoisie process can mean many different things. It could mean apathy, but more likely, it means a lack of faith in this process that is consistently shoved down our throats as our only alternative. Our people do not lack agency. People see the misery being inflicted on the world, very disproportionately against our people. They have seen politician after politician make promises with no delivery. It has been 50 years since Dr. King stated publicly that he was afraid that all his anti-segregation/voting rights act work had served the purpose primarily of “integrating our people into a burning building.” Could it be possible that those 100 million people of all nationalities are people who understand Dr. King’s statement?
The truth is a significant number of those 100 million are involved in consistent political work. The type of work that far supersedes just becoming political one day every few years. The type of work that builds upon the contributions of past organizations and individuals who shunned the capitalist political process. Along with that, the vast majority of that 100 million are folks who may not be yet engaged, but if we say – correctly – that a lack of activity to engage against injustice is an objective vote for injustice, its equally logical to say that the refusal to participate and support the capitalist electoral process is itself a vote against the validity of that system.
On this last point the 100 million are certainly on to something because whatever reason they choose not to participate, they have successfully severed the hold of the capitalist system over their agency. The one criticism that must be waged against those within that number who are not engaged in consistent independent organizing work is that not participating in the enemy’s system is never enough. Its essential that those within that 100 million accept their position as shock troops for the emancipation of African and all opposed people’s from slave plantation electoral politics within the capitalist system.
There is no middle ground. Just seeing the contradictions with the capitalist system will never be good enough. Once you see and understand that both the Republicans and the Democrats are both different ends of the same stick, you then have the unending responsibility to lend your talents to helping more and more people understand the importance of all of us creating our own independent stick which will effectively wield power for the masses of people on earth who are tired of being extorted into compromising their entire future just to appeal to the whims of a liberal population which refuses to entertain the prospect that they are being pimped. That sometimes, not permitting yourself to be used and manipulated is indeed better than continuing to believe in fantasies that cover up continued and serious damage being inflicted against all peace and justice loving people by a political party process that represents – as Malcolm X told us – two different versions of the canine family.
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