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I'd like to offer two thoughts. The first is that poor whites have much the same relationship with authority as people of color, but are almost completely excl

I'd like to offer two thoughts. The first is that poor whites have much the same relationship with authority as people of color, but are almost completely excluded when it comes to any kind of social advocacy. This is the essence of racism: it separates people. Those poor white people would be great allies, but no one dealing with issue of race cares about them or enough about their allegiance to approach them in a way that does not alienate them. The second thought is on the nature of white privilege. All white people have privilege, but the privilege is this: We do not wear our status on our skin. So a black person can have high status but remain effectively low status while a low status white person can earn high status and be treated the way we should be treating everyone. But, people being people, we show our status in many other ways, and so for a lot of white people, white privilege is irrelevant because they have no capacity to capitalize on it. Hence, we get a bifurcated low status populace half of which believes prejudice==racism and that is the root cause of the issues; and a second half which believes those prejudices do not exist because they experience the same issues and incorrectly conclude that racism==prejudice does not exist (or is overblown) and/or feel oppressed themselves (which, of course, they are, but not by the people they think are oppressing them). Sadly, the reality is that racism is this system of bifurcation. As long as they are disunited, the system will not change. At best, the system will flip; and it is this flip that people like the GP seem to fear.

ataturk 9y ago
What you're saying, it's all effed up. The whole "white privilege" thing is bs. I grew up kinda poor and I can tell you that the cops treat poor whites the same as they do poor blacks. It's the system of domination that is the problem, not skin color. Sure, there are racist cops, I've known plenty of them. But overall, the system does not care what color you are, only that you are part of the underclass that needs to be kept under control/dominated/coerced. That's what the police exist for. They sure as hell aren't there to uphold the law when we see every day how the elite break major laws and get away with it constantly. The US is a dramatically unjust country, but it's not because of racism, it is due to elitism and oligarchy, the same old song. They keep us divided in order to dominate us, keep watering down the currency, causing distractions, and on and on. It's not racism, it's control. We need to bring our elites under control before they start yet another war to whittle us down.
ratboy666 9y ago
"All white people have privilege". Thanks for that -- I'll tell you what I tell anyone who tells me that. Move to SA.
- ratboy666 9y ago
  "Flag me" -- um... hold on. The comment I replied to was rac ist. That was the most polite response. Now, please dang, or whoever, delete my account. Thanks in advance. I am out.
tptacek 9y ago
Poor whites do not in fact have much the same relationship with "authority" as poor blacks. There is abundant evidence that the criminal justice system treats black people more harshly than it does white people. It is also not the case that concern about this disparity has to be abandoned in favor of "unity" with poor whites in order to rectify it.

ataturk 9y ago

What you're saying, it's all effed up. The whole "white privilege" thing is bs. I grew up kinda poor and I can tell you that the cops treat poor whites the same as they do poor blacks. It's the system of domination that is the problem, not skin color. Sure, there are racist cops, I've known plenty of them. But overall, the system does not care what color you are, only that you are part of the underclass that needs to be kept under control/dominated/coerced. That's what the police exist for. They sure as hell aren't there to uphold the law when we see every day how the elite break major laws and get away with it constantly. The US is a dramatically unjust country, but it's not because of racism, it is due to elitism and oligarchy, the same old song. They keep us divided in order to dominate us, keep watering down the currency, causing distractions, and on and on. It's not racism, it's control. We need to bring our elites under control before they start yet another war to whittle us down.

ratboy666 9y ago

"All white people have privilege". Thanks for that -- I'll tell you what I tell anyone who tells me that. Move to SA.

ratboy666 9y ago
"Flag me" -- um... hold on. The comment I replied to was rac ist. That was the most polite response. Now, please dang, or whoever, delete my account. Thanks in advance. I am out.

tptacek 9y ago

Poor whites do not in fact have much the same relationship with "authority" as poor blacks. There is abundant evidence that the criminal justice system treats black people more harshly than it does white people. It is also not the case that concern about this disparity has to be abandoned in favor of "unity" with poor whites in order to rectify it.