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You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these poor middle-aged white people. The greatest success of capitalism has been dividing pe

You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these poor middle-aged white people. The greatest success of capitalism has been dividing people along gender and race lines - not letting them show any class solidarity. If people did, they'd realize that the difference between a poor white and a poor black is a rounding error compared to the difference between a poor guy and a rich guy.

zeckalpha 11y ago
"Nobody's free until everybody's free."
scarmig 11y ago
It's much more complicated than that--how shitty a situation is for someone is highly contextual, and you can't make absolute statements about who has it worse, since so much depends on particular circumstances. It is fair to ask why in recent years movements and media have focused more on race- and gender- based solidarities over class-based solidarity, compared to a century ago. And a strong argument can be made that Capital is the primary nexus of power in the world, and in the end it really doesn't care that much about safeguarding patriarchy or white supremacy. Hell, breaking down those barriers often just generates new grit to be thrown to the mill, so it's commonly profitable to break them down. It's much lower hanging fruit (though still fruit that's worthy of harvesting), so people focus on them more. Along the same lines, our educational and media systems have given us the imagination to envision a world where racism and sexism don't exist. Not that they're easily achievable, but it seems almost natural that a century or two from now they'll be gone. But social and economic class? They seem as immobile as Mt Everest. ETA: Also, I think you're doing a disservice by writing off black activists and feminists. Obviously every person has limited perspectives, but you're just trying to pick a fight that doesn't need to be picked. Never pre-emptively write off a potential ally.
baxterross 11y ago
Not sure how you tied capitalism into that
cup 11y ago
Why would they, black people face a life time of unparalleled discrimination that white people won't ever experience. The difference between a poor white guy and a poor black guy is that the poor black guy lives in a system where they've suffered generations of sustained oppression and subjugation. I'm baffled at how you made this a race issue.
uououuttt 11y ago
> You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these poor middle-aged white people. Speaking of "dividing people along gender and race lines".
wintyfresh 11y ago
I recommend you read "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness". The relevant portion of which I'm thinking relates to the historical affinity between disenfranchised blacks and whites in the early 1800's, and how a race-based conflict was stoked by those fearing a coalition of these two groups. There is an interesting historical context for the point you're making.

zeckalpha 11y ago

"Nobody's free until everybody's free."

scarmig 11y ago

It's much more complicated than that--how shitty a situation is for someone is highly contextual, and you can't make absolute statements about who has it worse, since so much depends on particular circumstances. It is fair to ask why in recent years movements and media have focused more on race- and gender- based solidarities over class-based solidarity, compared to a century ago. And a strong argument can be made that Capital is the primary nexus of power in the world, and in the end it really doesn't care that much about safeguarding patriarchy or white supremacy. Hell, breaking down those barriers often just generates new grit to be thrown to the mill, so it's commonly profitable to break them down. It's much lower hanging fruit (though still fruit that's worthy of harvesting), so people focus on them more. Along the same lines, our educational and media systems have given us the imagination to envision a world where racism and sexism don't exist. Not that they're easily achievable, but it seems almost natural that a century or two from now they'll be gone. But social and economic class? They seem as immobile as Mt Everest. ETA: Also, I think you're doing a disservice by writing off black activists and feminists. Obviously every person has limited perspectives, but you're just trying to pick a fight that doesn't need to be picked. Never pre-emptively write off a potential ally.

baxterross 11y ago

Not sure how you tied capitalism into that

cup 11y ago

Why would they, black people face a life time of unparalleled discrimination that white people won't ever experience. The difference between a poor white guy and a poor black guy is that the poor black guy lives in a system where they've suffered generations of sustained oppression and subjugation. I'm baffled at how you made this a race issue.

uououuttt 11y ago

> You'll never see a black activist or feminist show solidarity with these poor middle-aged white people. Speaking of "dividing people along gender and race lines".

wintyfresh 11y ago

I recommend you read "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness". The relevant portion of which I'm thinking relates to the historical affinity between disenfranchised blacks and whites in the early 1800's, and how a race-based conflict was stoked by those fearing a coalition of these two groups. There is an interesting historical context for the point you're making.