They did it to Martin Luther King... remembered as a - TopicsExpress

They did it to Martin Luther King... remembered as a one-dimensional, passive, advocate for racial harmony rather than the war critic for economic equality and social justice he was. Now, theyre doing it to Mandela. Greg Palast writes, ...Ive watched Nelson Mandela reduced to a Barbie doll. From Fox News to the Bush family, the politicians and media mavens who body-blocked the anti-Apartheid Movement and were happy to keep Mandela behind bars, now get to dress his image up in any silly outfit they choose. ...When hes not a doll, hes a statue. He joins Martin Luther King as another bronzed monument whose use is to tell us that apartheid is now defeated - to quote the ridiculous headline in the Times. ...The ruling class creates commemorative dolls and statues of revolutionary leaders as a way to tell us their cause is won, so go home. For example, just months ago, the US Supreme Court overturned the Voting Rights Act, Dr. Kings greatest accomplishment, on the specious claim that, Blatantly discriminatory evasions are rare, and Jim Crow voting practices are now eradicated. Eradicated? On what planet? The latest move by Florida Republicans to purge 181,000 voters of color - like the stench from the shantytowns of Cape Town - makes clear that neither Jim Crow nor Apartheid has been defeated. Theyre just in temporary retreat. Nevertheless, our betters in the USA and Europe have declared that King slew segregation, Mandela defeated apartheid; and therefore, the new victims of racial injustice should just shut the f$#! up and stop whining. ...In the end, all revolutions are about one thing: the 99% versus the 1%...