Cornel West on Thomas Paine, Greatest Revolutionary In American History, Our Political Forebear

[ancianita]

On the occasion of Cornel West's endorsement of Bernie Sanders, here is a basic understanding of why West endorses our guy. Thomas Paine is not only Bernie's but our forebear, too.

West's understanding of Paine's views of religious and ideological dogma clarifies the best of America's revolutionary sensibility for The People. As they all indicate, we have an uphill struggle before us.

I highly recommend the rest of the video, but want to foreground West's words here for Bernie supporters.

Attempted transcript of Cornel West's thoughts on Paine. Watch from the 3:19 minute mark to the 9:29 minute mark:

"...his conception of himself at 37 was that he was willing to die to endure that he would act honorably, think critically...

...that was revolution in form...spoken in The People's colloquial style... we don't have today are intellectuals who haven't been seduced by the professional managerial (?) as a subculture of the university who are fundamentally committed to the plight and predicament of ...everyday people... poor people...and who view their calling, not their career as an organic connection with their struggles...no matter how strong...or weak... Now there are some intellectuals who do that...fewer and fewer.

Why? Because what Thomas Paine didn't have to deal with is the backdrop of impending ecological catastrophe, the backdrop of possible nuclear catastrophe, the fashionable character of being cynical and despairing even as you are highly, professionally approved and recognized...no willingness to pay a cost, no willingness to take a risk, no willingness to cut radically against the grain.

And of course he suffered the consequences... He died...six people at his funeral, two of them black because of that critique of African slavery, the first piece he wrote...it was fundamentally committed to a critique of white supremacy, very rare among highly visible white intellectuals...

Brother Chris is rare, Rick Wolff is rare...I'm not just talking about a symbolic gesture, I'm talking about fundamentally committed to your analysis where white supremacy is an integral factor among other crucial factors and then you make the connection among your organic connections.

That's the kind of brother Thomas Paine was. And it is very, very difficult to build on his legacy even though we have to acknowledge just how crucial that challenge is.

[Dont call me Shirley]

1. These three guys are true revolutionaries. Thanks for posting, ancianita!

[libodem]

2. Yep

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/politics/cornel-west-endorses-bernie-sanders/index.html

[blackspade]

3. Is there a part 2 to this?

[ancianita]

4. There are several versions of this session on YouTube, but there is no Part 2.

There are lots of videos on Cornel West's talks and speeches, if you'd like to check them out.

A recent kerfuffle in DU happened over one member's use of the word "niggerization" in an entirely appropriate context both in his post and in the thread about Cornel West's endorsement of Bernie Sanders.

Here is Cornel West on that word, if you're interested. Note that this word is used in a church.

[libodem]

5. I never liked that word

But when we have book titles like: "The Student As Nigger", I try to consider the context. Open discussion, tolerance and understanding, are not in and of themselves evil.

[ancianita]

6. I hear you. Which speaks to its power over those of any color who are beaten down.