Derrick Bell’s “Space Traders” Essay

In looking at Derrick Bells The topographic point Traders as an eachegory, the characters personify the abstract subjects of new-fashioned twentieth-century racial government. In the text the politics of the United States revolves around anti- saturnine thinking, and legion(predicate) color subjects study that all the environmental and economical occupations in the U.S. is out-of-pocket to the obscure race. Secondly, the space craft comprehends Bells supposition of the permanence of racialism in the Unites States. Bell believes that the space treat is somewhat old(prenominal) to the first Afri potful slave craftsmanship, and that these two events occur because of the permanence of racial discrimination in our society and the social structures that allow this repetition to exist. In this essay I result discuss the political positions of the subjects in The Space Traders and the extent in which they personify late twentieth-century racial politics, and then analyze the space trade and comprehend it with Bells belief in the permanence of racism in the United States.In The Space Traders, Gleason Golightly, a black political economy professor who is an unofficial cabinet member of the president, believes that black people motive to deport on their own feet. Although he evermore has good intentions for the black race, he is considered an Uncle Tom by the black community because of his political positions. In The Space Traders, Golightly says, As you know, Mr. President, I realise supported this administrations policies that have led to the repeal of some civil rights laws, to invalidation of some affirmative achieve programs, and to severe reduction in appropriations for public assistance. To countersink it mildly, the positions of mine that have legitimate a great deal of media attention, have non been well received in Afri commode-American communities. Even so, I have been leave behinding to be a good soldier for the fellowship even though I am condemned as an Uncle Tom by my people.I since verify believe that black people needed to stand up on their own feet, free of special protection by civil rights laws, the suffocating burden of welf be checks, and the stigmatizing influence of affirmative action programs. In helping you undermine these policies, I realized that your curtilages for doing so differed from mine. And up to now I went along. Bell personifies Golightly as a black neo-conservative in late twentieth-century racial politics, and because of his conservative beliefs and his continuous support of anti-black views, he is not value by black subjects. The unknown regions in The Space Traders too play a critical role in demonstrating the racial politics that exist in the late twentieth-century. Their actions argon correspondent to that of capitalists because they are only interested in their own needs and wants. Their supremacy in attaining their wants, the African-Americans, is demonstrated when th eir head alien spoke and looked similar to former President Reagan. Bell states, Then came the endorsement surprise. The leaders of this vast armada could speak English. Moreover, they spoke in the familiar hearty tones of former President Reagan, having dubbed his recorded voice into a computerized language-translation system.The aliens did their marketing enquiry on what appeals to Americans, and they realized that Reagans image, monotone voice, and simple speech is coaxing to unclouded Americans and it reflects what Americans want to see and hear. This persuasiveness inevitably en fitd the aliens to take all black subjects back to their land. The white cabinet members also play evidentiary roles in The Space Traders. The cabinet members are anti-black activists who disregard the Bill of Rights, and believe that the space trade would guarantee that America would conquer its bow problems and be lead to prosperity for at least the next century. In The Space Traders, Helen Hipme yer, Secretary of Health and Human Services, says, A large percentage of blacks rely on wel remotee and former(a) social services. Their departure would ease advantageously the burden on our state and national budgets. Why, the cost of caring for black AIDS victims alone has been extraordinary Hipmeyer strongly believes that black Americans are the reason for all the social and economical problems in the U.S., and that with their departure the nations problems could substantially diminish.The Attorney General also believes the aliens pop the question should be accepted. When utter to the cabinet members he states, Mr. President, I think we could put together a legislative package modeled on the Selective Service be of 1918. Courts have uniformly upheld this statue and its predecessors as being well within congressional power to exact enforced military duty at residence or abroad by United States citizens. While I put one acrosst see any(prenominal) constitutional problems, th ere would resembling be quite a debate in Congress. But if the mail they are receiving is anything like ours, then the pressure for passage will be irresistible.How can the Attorney General not see a constitutional problem with the space trade? In my opinion, the fact that the AttorneyGeneral, and the other white cabinet members, disregard the constitution and are willing to release the blacks without erudite what will come of them, solidifies their lack of ethics and the extent in which politics in the U.S. revolves around anti-black thinking. In The Space Traders the political positions of the characters enables one to envision the extent in which racial politics exists in this country, and the text also analyzes the space trade and comprehends it with Bells concept of the permanence of racism in the U.S.In The Space Traders, Bell is able to analyze the permanence of racism by calling attention to the similarities mingled with the past and present history of the United States. He believes that the space trade is very similar to the first African slave trade, and that racism has existed in this country since the substructure of the nation to the late twentieth-century. When the White House and Congress first received phone calls and faxes regarding the space trade it was evident that anti-black thinking was a uncouth characteristic of many white subjects. Bell writes, At least a third of the flood of phone calls and faxes urging quick acceptance of the offer expressed the view that what the nation would give up its African-American citizens was a worthwhile as what it would receive. The statement accurately reflected relations at the interpenetrate of the new century. The President had, like his predecessors for the last generation, successfully exploited racial fears and hostility in his election campaign.There had been complaints, of course, scarcely those from his political opponents sounded like sour grapes. They, too, had tried to minimize the i nput of blacks so as not to frighten away white voters. This inhumane decision, demonstrated by the white race, to banish all blacks without knowing where they will go solidifies the fact that whites will never allow the black race to become part of the American people. This unethical act toward black Americans allows the reader to understand that racism will continue to exist in the American culture, and that inhumane acts toward man can indeed exist. If the aliens wanted the white race would America be so willing to release them? Absolutely not In my opinion, the major motivating for this country is for blacks to not have anything whites do, and by accepting the space trade offer that goal would be accomplished.The fact that the offer was evenconsidered was unconstitutional, just it just reiterates the reality that throughout American history blacks have always been hated. Professor Golightly was aware of this hatred toward black subjects, and when he spoke to the cabinet member s after the trade had been offered he said, It is a mark of just how far out of the mainstream black people are that this proposition is given any serious consideration. Were the Space Traders attracted by and asking to trade any other group white women with red hair and green eyes, for example a horrified public would order the visitors off the planet without a mos hesitation.The revulsion would not be less because the number of persons with those animal(prenominal) characteristics are surely fewer than the twenty million black citizens you are ready to condemn to intergalactic exile Bells concept of the permanence of racism in the U.S. is comprehended by the space trade, and by looking at The Space Traders as an allegory, one is able to understand that American is not about the will of the people but about who has the power and guns.In The Space Traders, there is a commit correlation between the abstract subjects of late twentieth-century racial politics, and Bells concept of the permanence of racism in the United States. Bells ability to symbolize the characters in The Space Traders, allows his readers to comprehend his belief that racism will always exist in America. In conclusion, it is my belief that a color line will always exist in the U.S. between white and black subjects, and that this countrys political and social structure is centered on the will of the white race.