Black rebel, Amos Wilson states:

If we were to add to the enormous entitlements the wealthiest classes receive from government (some of which were merely alluded to above) including inflated monies earned by the military-industrial complex and various types of government procurements, consulting services, and subsidies of all shapes, forms and fashions forged by these classes, it would be glaringly obvious that the elite classes are looting the nation's treasury, pillaging its resources, and "mugging" its working and poorer classes. And yet the paradox is that these poorer classes (including Black Americans) seem to approve of their exploitation by the reigning elite when judged by the fact of their repeated voting into office national, state and local regimes those who serve as the instruments for facilitating their wholesale robbery by the elite classes. More succinctly, the paradox is that Black America while complaining of oppression and exploitation by White America has not consolidated its own considerable resources and reorganized its community so as to revolutionize its power relation­ship with White America and end its subordination to that commu­nity. Even though the scope of this volume will not allow adequate answers, we must at least tentatively ask: By what means does the ruling White elite, and by extension the White race, maintain its political-economic dominance and power over America in general, and Black America in particular? This question suggests the counter question central to this book: By what means and methods of organization can Black America markedly attenuate or neutralize the power of White America — White domination — and its eco­nomic exploitation by this and other ethnic groups?

The White Elite Power Structure and the White American Nation-within-a-Nation

White political and economic domination of America is founded on the fact that Whites are an exclusive nation on American soil. They are organized as a state-within-a-state, having firmly established their own political system and central government, their own economic system, cultural and social institutions and hierarchical social class structure. Additionally, this nation of Whites maintains a standing military establishment of enormous war-making and defensive prowess, a preponderant national guard establishment and police force. Through these armed services it seeks to maintain both internal and external order in the interests of its national and international hegemony. The White nation-within-a-nation is practically always misidentified as synonymous with the United States as a whole by both its White and non-White "citizens" and by the peoples and governments of other nations. Even a cursory review of the history and current social dynamics of American race relations leads one very rapidly to the same conclusion as expressed by Andrew Hacker, a foremost scholar in the field.

America is inherently a "white" country: in character, in structure, in culture. Needless to say, black Americans create lives of their own. Yet, as a people, they face boundaries and constrictions set by the white majority. America's version of apartheid, while lacking overt legal sanction comes closest to the system even now being reformed in the land of its invention."

Hacker goes on to assert, "Rather than as a cauldron [melting pot], many commentators today prefer to see America as a mosaic or even a lumpy stew. At best, the pot still contains plenty of unmelted pieces." As a nation-within-a-nation, White America strictly and stringently controls entry and naturalization of outsiders within its bounds. This is especially the case in regard to Black Americans. Membership and naturalized citizenship within the White nation are carefully scrutinized, given long consideration (especially for non-Europeans) and is grudgingly and tentatively tendered. For Blacks, special laws, court rulings, judicial reviews, special commissions, periodic reviews and legislative abrogations of, or amendments to prior civil rights laws, affirmative action laws, rules arid regulations, customary racial discrimination and the like, all point to the fact that — despite the entry of some conspicuous Blacks who are given permits as "honorary Whites" — a would-be-nation of over 35 million Blacks are forbidden citizenship in the White nation; or even if granted tentative citizenship, Blacks assimilated into the White nation are always subject to identity checks, must be prepared to present their "passports", "pass books", certificates of authority and work permits on request in order to establish and prove their loyalty — and are subject to immediate revocation of citizenship and deportation without due process for minor infractions of social codes. Again, Hacker makes an astute observation in this regard:

the question is not "Who is white?" It might be more appropriate to ask "Who may be considered white?" ... In a sense, those who have already received the "white" designation can be seen as belonging to a club, from whose sanctum they ponder whether they want or need new members, as well as the proper pace of new admissions.

Hacker proceeds to say that White America as nation-within-a-nation, reserves the exclusive right to validate or invalidate as needs be the "whiteness" or "non-whiteness" of those seeking admission into its domains. While this nation may allow any number of ethnic or racial groups a valid claim to being "white," "African Americans were never given that indulgence. The reason is not that their coloration was too dark to allow for absorption into the "white" classification ... The point is that white America has always had the power to expand its domain. However, in the past and even now, it has shown a particular reluctance to absorb people of African descent." After noting that "a very considerable number of black Americans have achieved impressive careers, winning many of the rewards bestowed by white America," Hacker attests to the existence and exclusivity of the White nation when he argues that, "Still, there is no way that even the most talented of these men and women will be considered eligible for the honorific of 'white.' They are and will remain accom­plished blacks, regarded as role models for their race. But White Americans, who both grant and impose racial memberships, show little inclination toward giving full nationality to the descendants of African slaves." "[Emphasis added]

Thus we see that the White American nation has effectively marginalized Black America and closed its borders to their absorption into its society and culture. Black representation and effective participation in its political affairs are minuscule and paternalisti-cally indulged. Black American ownership and control of its wealth-producing resources are small to the point of invisibility. Blacks are essentially excluded from full participation in its economic system. They are granted what is tantamount to a "work permit" or "working papers" in order to earn a living working at jobs reserved for outsiders and "resident aliens." The wonder is that the vast majority of Black Americans still consider themselves citizens of the same nation as Whites despite their placement on and containment in physical and psychological reservations and "native bantustans." [MORE]