Anyway I did fine that essa on Loury by Paul Krugman (which is excellent) here:

http://slate.msn.com/id/1934/

Finally heard the show last night. Congratulations to both you and Loury–it was a clear, radical, and substantial hour of conversation about race. Loury was perhaps even more remarkable than he usually is: outraged, precise, and clear about whom to be angry with regarding the abuse, indifference, and systematic injustice affecting African-Americans. He was insightful about pointing to the years of neglect and denial of benefits that preceded Katrina. He was astute in pointing to the 2 million Black Americans incarcerated in this country.

And yet, in his story, I hear a familiar duel: White v. Black. Rich v. poor. Conservatives and Liberals abandoning African Americans. And again, I hear a familiar eclipse and a familiar isolationism, and (I say wearily) a familiar insularity: where are all the other brown people? Is this an accurate story? Where do immigrants fit into this?

Why does it make sense–to Loury, to your audience– to be outraged that children in inner cities are living under “Third World” conditions?

Doesn’t this easily recognized description [Third World conditions] reinforce the sense of superiority that “we” Americans are too good to live like those poor brown people in the rest of the world? And who are “we”? Isn’t Glenn’s outrage, in part, that Black Americans have been “reduced” to living the way that poor brown people in India, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, the poorer parts of the Middle East, and Asia are living? Or that African-Americans are being treated the way the these countries are at the hands of the IMF and the World Bank? That is, with indifference, cruelty, and under extreme exploitative conditions. So, it’s outrageous b/c African-Americans are being treated like 3rd world brown folk? Isn’t it also–already–outrageous that the 3rd world has to live in such ridiculous circumstances in large part b/c of the US and its lackeys who are in charge of lending policies?

And finally, why do African-Americans remain located and identified in distinction from other minorities in the U.S.? From new and lower-class immigrant populations? From illegal migrant labor? Are these other populations not living under similar or identical circumstances to poor African-Americans? And are they not “raced” as well?

Just a thought or two. Nevertheless, a very good show.

Glenn Loury provides crucial guidance and ideas to the progressive movement.

Is the Bennett dream wish is that supression of abortion is for whites of means only?

Health care, nutrition, opportunity – all aspects of the race/class war – each a separate show and then some.

And finally, the race/class war is capped by the prison system and the supression of enfranchisement – keeping the poor and minorities from voting, either by denying proper voting resources in the poor and minority districts, or by outright using {legally and illegally} ‘felon lists’ to deny people from voting.

John McDonough of Health Care for All would be a great guest. He’s a blogger too.