Glen
Ford Interview:
"Station ID"
Rob : My guest tonight is Glen Ford. He is the
executive editor of http://blackagendareport.com , the
host of Black Agenda Radio on Progressive Radio Network. He is the co-founder of Black Commentator,
and a former White House and State Department correspondent. Welcome to the show!
Glen : Rob, Thanks so much to be here with
you.
Rob : It's
a pleasure, and we were just reviewing; it's been a long time. The last time you were on was shortly after
Obama was elected, and here we are again.
We've gotta make it happen more often, because I love what you do, and
what you say. So, here's a great
opportunity to dive into all kinds of stuff.
I have a long list.
Glen : About two weeks ago, we wrote an article
called, "Groundhog Day." That is, we're
seeing the same days, the same political behavior repeating itself. So, the fact that we were on four years ago
talking about the incoming Obama administration and now we're talking about the
second term; it's still like Groundhog Day.
Rob : I'm
feeling like Bill Murray (laughs)
Glen :
(laughs) Yep.
Rob : I
know what's going to happen next I guess! (laughs)
Glen : Yes
you do. (laughs) Trust yourself, you
do. (laughs)
Rob :
Well, I've got a long list of things I want to talk to you about, but maybe we
can start by talking about your goals for activism, and how you see anything
positive going on, and directions that are important in terms of positive
activism, and what we can do, and how we can make some changes happen.
Glen :
Well, one thing we have learned over the last eight years, not just the last
four years, is that if we thought we had an anti-war movement, we were
wrong. We had an anti-Republican war
movement, which quickly disappeared once there was no Republican in
office. So, we don't have an anti-war
movement. We used to have a black
movement, or at least the vestiges of the movement that used to exist. We don't have that anymore. The ascension of the first black president
has effectively neutralized Black America as a political force, and since we
believe that black America comprises at least half, or used to comprise at
least half, of what could reasonably be called the Progressive constituency in
the United States. That is a huge
tragedy for any prospect in the near future, that is, in the next four years,
for any rejuvenation of a Progressive movement in the country. So, I'm sorry to start off so
pessimistically, but that's how we read it.
Rob :
Well, this is kind of picking up where we left of four years ago, and I agree
with you entirely. The peace movement,
and so much of activism has been, I don't know if the right word is sabotaged,
co-opted, by people who say "well, let's go along with Obama," you know. And frankly, four years ago I bought into it
a lot more. This time around, I'm a
different person, with a different set of eyes, and you helped me to wake up to
it, too. Thank you.
Glen : And
that's why for the last year, we've been describing Obama as the more effective
evil. That doesn't mean that our
assessment is that Barack Obama is more evil than George Bush, or Mitt Romney,
or any of the Republican menagerie, but that he is able to achieve those goals
of George Bush, and that we think Romney, would try to carry out. He is able to achieve them because of the lack
of resistance to the Right Wing agenda when the standard bearer is a Democrat,
and especially a Black Democrat.
Rob : You
know it makes me think of bootlegged whiskey.
Glen :
(laughs) Well it will make you blind!
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