We need to talk about racism. Or more specifically, we need to talk about how we talk about racism. But first let’s lay a groundwork. Racism is an active and prevalent force in America. This shouldn’t really be up for debate but that’s not stopping some people from debating it. I won’t go so far as to say that every person questioning the existence and/or prevalence of systemic racism is doing so in bad faith. But a significant number of them are, especially those on YouTube. Even if you don’t want to take the word of Black people or treat their lived experience as admissible evidence, there are an overwhelming number of data points that serve to demonstrate the point.
I appreciate the thought that unexpected people and groups voted for Trump because they thought their personal trajectory would be better than if they voted for Biden. The Spokane WA newspaper described Trump in the most abysmal terms and then said vote for him because it will be better for the economy. But now with studies of health statistics about states that accepted ACA money for medicaid increases vs states that did not, we shall see what is better for the economy. It seems to me that there is a lot of thinking that what is good for ME, the individual, is the most important deciding factor. Not enough how the greater good improving, can actually improve the individual good. And the sea of racism in which we all swim is going to take a lot of concerted effort on the part of white people to understand the systemic privilege and centering of whiteness that drives our experience before anything substantial shifts. Keep on helping us see Akil, if you can bear it.
i feel like the idea that some white people who support trump, many of whom see their presents and children's futures dwindling before their eyes, do so because it keeps them attached to goods from above, so they think, and keeps them above those below. it's possible/likely that the 4 years of right-out racist talk they've heard and to some extent adopted has strengthened, and even in some cases initiated, the kind of brutal attitude at the individual level that some limit racism to. i say this because of how quickly, when faced with leaders crying mortal threat, people in bosnia and rwanda got capable to transforming neighbors into enemies. in bosnia it really took little time.
but i think a lot of people, including a lot you'd see as neoliberal, see racism as a system, or rather systemic racism as the giant tree over the road. the systems maintaining it, as you say, are so old they easily seem invisible to all who benefit from them, and they miraculously interlock.
are you saying the black people who voted for trump did so because they want to maintain higher status than other people of color lower down economically? are is it because in addition to being black, and more to the point, they also hate abortion or don't trust big government, or whatever else trump does stand for.
l look forward to your thoughts about what i'm saying about the prevalence of the systemic analysis of race, or is that me in a liberal blind spot?
I appreciate the thought that unexpected people and groups voted for Trump because they thought their personal trajectory would be better than if they voted for Biden. The Spokane WA newspaper described Trump in the most abysmal terms and then said vote for him because it will be better for the economy. But now with studies of health statistics about states that accepted ACA money for medicaid increases vs states that did not, we shall see what is better for the economy. It seems to me that there is a lot of thinking that what is good for ME, the individual, is the most important deciding factor. Not enough how the greater good improving, can actually improve the individual good. And the sea of racism in which we all swim is going to take a lot of concerted effort on the part of white people to understand the systemic privilege and centering of whiteness that drives our experience before anything substantial shifts. Keep on helping us see Akil, if you can bear it.
i feel like the idea that some white people who support trump, many of whom see their presents and children's futures dwindling before their eyes, do so because it keeps them attached to goods from above, so they think, and keeps them above those below. it's possible/likely that the 4 years of right-out racist talk they've heard and to some extent adopted has strengthened, and even in some cases initiated, the kind of brutal attitude at the individual level that some limit racism to. i say this because of how quickly, when faced with leaders crying mortal threat, people in bosnia and rwanda got capable to transforming neighbors into enemies. in bosnia it really took little time.
but i think a lot of people, including a lot you'd see as neoliberal, see racism as a system, or rather systemic racism as the giant tree over the road. the systems maintaining it, as you say, are so old they easily seem invisible to all who benefit from them, and they miraculously interlock.
are you saying the black people who voted for trump did so because they want to maintain higher status than other people of color lower down economically? are is it because in addition to being black, and more to the point, they also hate abortion or don't trust big government, or whatever else trump does stand for.
l look forward to your thoughts about what i'm saying about the prevalence of the systemic analysis of race, or is that me in a liberal blind spot?