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From my reading of right wing media, it seems like terrorism and immigration are much larger contributors to the rise of nationalism.
by toasterlovin 8y ago
From my reading of right wing media, it seems like terrorism and immigration are much larger contributors to the rise of nationalism.
- maxxxxx 8y agoI am not that much into conspiracy but I think economic anger and pain is being redirected against "others" by powerful people. Trump is a good example for this. Same in silicon valley. Instead of going against income inequality people talk about diversity, LGBT and other things that don't threaten the power and income of the owning class.
- toasterlovin 8y agoI don't think working class people actually care that much about income inequality. But I do think they care about competing for jobs with people who don't even speak the native language. And I do think they care when they see things on the shelves at Walmart which are now made in China, but which used to be made at the local factory. FWIW. Just my read on the situation.
- maxxxxx 8y agoI think they care about feeling secure in their life. I think most people do that. In the current economy they don't feel secure so you can explain that with foreigners, capitalists or something else.
- nemo44x 8y agoI'm not into conspiracies either but just follow the money. Who is endowing universities with billions of dollars? And what types of social issues / humanities do these universities teach to kids and which ones due they tend to ignore?
- _jal 8y agoIf you're economically trapped in a precarious position, shouting about immigration and terrorism (by the Other) is far more effective at scaring people into falling in line. It is lifeboat "reasoning" at the tribe level.
- toasterlovin 8y agoThe issues the working class has with large scale immigration are legitimate. Econ 101: adding more supply of some thing (labor) will reduce the price of that thing (wages).
- maxxxxx 8y agoAnother econ 101: some group taking an increasing share of a more or less fixed pie will cause others to get less.
- toasterlovin 8y agoThey're separate issues. It is not coherent to argue that one problem isn't a problem because another problem exists.
- maxxxxx 8y agoYou are 100% right. What I tried to say is that some powerful people are trying to channel economic anxiety into explanations that don't threaten their own power. Being angry about immigration or diversity doesn't really threaten billionaires but being angry about inequality does. So of several problems the propaganda machine picks the most convenient.
- munificent 8y ago> Econ 101: adding more supply of some thing (labor) will reduce the price of that thing (wages). Econ 201: Immigrants are consumers too. Adding more demand for some thing (consumers of products) will increase the price of that thing (wages of producers). Almost everyone agrees that growing the economy is good. When a child is born, we don't lament how that infant will be driving down wages when they reach adulthood. There is nothing different about immigrants. They are full participants in all sides of the economy. The real reason that immigrants are a threat to American workers is because they will accept shittier jobs. They drive down quality of the average job because they are more willing to suffer. But that's not a problem with immigrants, it's a problem with our worker protection laws and how they are enforced. Neither immigrants nor non-immigrants should have to pee in cups to avoid leaving the assembly line, work full time without benefits, have unreported workplace-caused injuries, etc.