Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

State of the Union—or state of Capitalist decay?
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
12 Mar 2025
🖨️ Print Article
Donald Trump State of the Union
Photo: ABC News

“Every man for himself
and the devil take the hindmost.”

Something’s soothing, lobotomizing, about the snotty
Voice flooding from Fox-boxes. Something’s
Lobotomizing about an ignorant comedian coming to
Kill—but bombing—yet, still killing …

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists—
Springing up at every absurd utterance and
Thunder of rattling rubbish. Their hand bones
Fracturing from clapping so damn loud—so long …

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists
Springing up like they got the Holy Ghost! Fits of
Ecstasy applauding poor people used as props—
Mascots—human shields for class war’s unpopular policies

Something’s soothing about Jumping Jack Fascists
Springing up, sane-washing a lipsticked pig. And face-
Lifting lies about capitalism’s impossible promises to
The People …

Forked tongue tour de force— False from beginning to
End. 1hour, 40 minute Mussolini masterpiece. Il DOGE
Smashed Dr. Goebbels’ Guinness Book of Records for
Orwellian wizardry: misinformation/disinformation/1/2 truths/big lies.

Barren make believe desert. Echo chamber of hollow mockery—
Hypocrisy, humbuggery/thuggery, treachery, treason, truth-less-
Ness and alternative facts where up is down. Bad’s good. Worse
Is better. Woke's worrisome/and straw’s spun orange into fools gold …

Leaning in, listening to bosh-laden blizzards of fabrications—
Falsifications— bleached bone white lies—but not eating the
Dogma does cause trauma. Trauma of two car crashes;
Three boxing matches; And four NFL and hockey games …

Blitzkrieg! Warp speed war on the working-class—
Moving fast! Breaking things! Things shoe leather, steel spines,
Blood and grit won working people long, long ago.
Things we long to make more muscular, more robust. And for all …

© 2025. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can Vote for his work at GoFundMe and PayPal.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • DRC’s Virunga: Park, Gorillas, and Rangers All Under Attack
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    DRC’s Virunga: Park, Gorillas, and Rangers All Under Attack
    29 Apr 2020
    Congolese officials are blaming armed Rwandan Hutu refugees for the massacre of twelve rangers and five civilians, but there are any number of other predators that covet the park.
  • May 1st General Strike: Claiming People(s)-Centered Human Rights for the Working Class
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    May 1st General Strike: Claiming People(s)-Centered Human Rights for the Working Class
    29 Apr 2020
    The failure of the capitalist state to provide the people with elementary protections of their fundamental human rights renders the capitalist state illegitimate.
  • It’s capitalism, baby… / 1 %-Funded Rally Actors / Solidarity
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    It’s capitalism, baby… / 1 %-Funded Rally Actors / Solidarity
    29 Apr 2020
    It’s capitalism, baby… 
  • COVID-19 and the War Against Black Detroit
    Mark P. Fancher
    COVID-19 and the War Against Black Detroit
    29 Apr 2020
    Corporate America and white supremacists have waged merciless war against the Black megapolis that dared to nurture revolutionaries and great music.
  • Letters from Our Readers 
    Jahan Choudhry BAR Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers 
    29 Apr 2020
    This week readers were thinking about the myths of racial progress, finance capital and primaries, the pandemic in Haiti, and the possibilities of revolution.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us