I'm not sure what Arun is proposing. Is he anti-racist because he is anti-capitalist or anti-capitalist because he is anti-racist? What about moral, religious or humanistic objections to racism, such as the British anti-slavery movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, which was led by Quakers and fronted by liberals.
The anti-capitalist left once dreamed of a working class revolution. They saw the working class as organised, disciplined and with no material interest in maintaining capitalism. But the revolution didn't come.
Some on the left looked to identity politics for their revolutionary subjects, but identity politics is not a natural opponent of capitalism. Indeed the relationship between black people and the left has often been uneasy. Some on the left saw black people as potential shock troops of the revolution where the working classes had 'failed in their historic mission'.
Where capitalism is thriving there can be rewards for the working classes, this may even ease social tensions. So is this what Arun wants? A more productive capitalism? How does Arun feel about black capitalists exploiting black or even white workers? How does he feel about the idea that the economically exploited under capitalism might be better off than they would be under serfdom.
How we understand and define race and racism changes. I worked with a young women who bemoaned the racism in football today. I told her that when I was younger black footballers were often overlooked and denied the opportunity to play in top flight football. When they were finally accepted they faced not only crowd abuse, but abuse and intimidation from opposing players. Today we have many black multi-millionaire footballers playing at the highest level. We still have racism, but for those who don't know any better, it's as bad or worse than it has ever been. Black people are not inherently left wing and/or anti-capitalist.
Arun is sceptical about liberals and yet he accepts that they genuinely want to dismantle racism as he understands it. Many anti-racists today accept that racism is deeply entrenched and have no strategy or aspiration to dismantle it, anti-racism becomes something that is administered by a managerial class, we might even question whose interests they are serving,
I'm not sure what Arun is proposing. Is he anti-racist because he is anti-capitalist or anti-capitalist because he is anti-racist? What about moral, religious or humanistic objections to racism, such as the British anti-slavery movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, which was led by Quakers and fronted by liberals.
The anti-capitalist left once dreamed of a working class revolution. They saw the working class as organised, disciplined and with no material interest in maintaining capitalism. But the revolution didn't come.
Some on the left looked to identity politics for their revolutionary subjects, but identity politics is not a natural opponent of capitalism. Indeed the relationship between black people and the left has often been uneasy. Some on the left saw black people as potential shock troops of the revolution where the working classes had 'failed in their historic mission'.
Where capitalism is thriving there can be rewards for the working classes, this may even ease social tensions. So is this what Arun wants? A more productive capitalism? How does Arun feel about black capitalists exploiting black or even white workers? How does he feel about the idea that the economically exploited under capitalism might be better off than they would be under serfdom.
How we understand and define race and racism changes. I worked with a young women who bemoaned the racism in football today. I told her that when I was younger black footballers were often overlooked and denied the opportunity to play in top flight football. When they were finally accepted they faced not only crowd abuse, but abuse and intimidation from opposing players. Today we have many black multi-millionaire footballers playing at the highest level. We still have racism, but for those who don't know any better, it's as bad or worse than it has ever been. Black people are not inherently left wing and/or anti-capitalist.
Arun is sceptical about liberals and yet he accepts that they genuinely want to dismantle racism as he understands it. Many anti-racists today accept that racism is deeply entrenched and have no strategy or aspiration to dismantle it, anti-racism becomes something that is administered by a managerial class, we might even question whose interests they are serving,