White flight is about racial anxiety more than it is about wealth or tax policies. It's not necessarily appropriate in the OP's case, because what he's describ

White flight is about racial anxiety more than it is about wealth or tax policies. It's not necessarily appropriate in the OP's case, because what he's describing doesn't have much to do with race inherently, although there is a correspondence between white racism and supposedly disinterested economic conservatism. The most flagrant opponents of government assistance programs have no problem with programs that benefit them-- "my opponent [Al Gore in 2000] wants to run Social Security like it's some kind of federal program" and "keep your government hands off my Medicare"-- but have a huge issue with "those people" (blacks and Latinos) on "welfare". Author's note: "Welfare" is not one US social program, but a disparaging epithet used by working-class conservatives against whatever social programs-- Medicaid, food stamps-- are used predominantly by people lower than them on the socioeconomic totem pole. I grew up in a low-income, traditionally white neighborhood, so I've seen this first-hand. There was one family notorious for this: they received benefits from some social welfare programs and would rip on those who were on more such programs for being "on welfare". Also, many racist whites are against "big government" not because of an inherent objection but because the government uses more affirmative action than private-sector employers, which leads them to the (wrong) conclusion that government is 100% staffed with underperforming women and minorities. This is what "government (except the military) can't do anything right" is actually about.