Reposted: Racism is more than just bad things happening to black people.

[Guaranteed]

The problem is that racism is a much more broad concept than people are typically able to relate to, or even point out, and is often disguised as classism (which is just as much bullshit as racism- MLK, Jr. saw this as well). This makes it difficult for the masses to identify.

Racism is the institutional oppression of a certain race of people. However, if people don't see outright *prejudice*, which is much easier to recognize (and *has actually been exhibited* by people such as Barbara Bush during this tragedy), they mix up the concepts and assume that there is no racism involved in a situation. That's why you don't see much support from people for those who are calling what happened in New Orleans racism.

My personal opinion is that racism wasn't involved in the *actual response* to the hurricane. There quite probably was classism involved, though, in that there was nobody there to speak up to the federal government for the poor people who were left behind. HOWEVER: Racism most DEFINITELY played a factor in this- because it's never truly "stopped." For decades upon decades, black people in New Orleans have not been able to get a fair shake in order to give themselves the opportunities that the middle and upper class had, which allowed them to get out of the city before the hurricane hit. That's not just by happenstance. That is the product of *very real,* latent, disguised racism that is still prevalent in this country.

Here's the thing, though- This classism and subsequent racism IS the neocon philosophy. *That's why it's still so prevalent in this country.* It's what we've been dealing with since Lee Atwater and his southern strategy. Vilify the poor and "colored" folks- "indirectly"- in order to SHIFT BLAME when people see the consequences of corporate pillaging. As Marx would say, they're *using the middle class* as a buffer, by brainwashing them and giving them an "other" to HATE.

It's the middle class and their education. Our middle class grew under Clinton, and the Repukes took advantage. The second us Democrats get people out of the ditch, the Repukes grab them, and appeal to their selfishness by vilifying the poor. It's just never-ending.

[understandinglife]

1. It can end, when each of us refuses to tolerate poverty and illiteracy ...

... and the cheap gratification of enjoying that some have less; that one can 'look down on' and be variably condescending or simply hateful toward those with less -- irrespective of their ethnic heritage or the color of their skin.

Thank you for your thoughtful essay.


Peace.

[Guaranteed]

2. Absolutely.

That's exactly it.

You know, when people talk trash about "class war" around here...I just have to shake my head.

It's the crux of it all. This is, very simply, the poor vs. the rich. With the middle class caught in between, and varying in their position based on education.

[Erika]

3. Ronald Reagan brought all this to fruition

He taught rich = good. Poor = evil.

The rich were hard working and the poor were lazy bastards.

This from an actor. I know his health benefits for his Alzheimer's were only a dream for those who didn't share the benefits. He was your upmost elitest.

I wonder how St. Peter greeted him after he slashed social programs to the poor for the most needy while heaping praise on the most wealthy.

[Guaranteed]

5. Yes he did.

Then the RWers got really angry when Clinton got elected. They bought up all of the media. Virtually all of it. They conglomerated what they couldn't buy up. They got their stranglehold on information, then bashed the shit out of poor people- as if the poor had ANYTHING to do with our financial problems. And here we stand today, with thousands of dead Americans in Louisiana.

[mestup]

4. "The poor will always be among us."

Excellent post! This is so true. I think conservatives are actually the ones who consistently rush to the media with the "race card." Then they try to make you think the "liberals" are being extreme by talking race. It has much more to do with class than it does with race.

As long as white-working-poor Americans believe they can't truly identify with the victims of Katrina, they know everything in their world is still okay.

[Guaranteed]

6. Great post. The LAST thing that the working white people want to

do is identify with the blacks in Louisiana.

But...someday............

[mestup]

7. Maybe that's the only good thing that can come from this?

An impoverished black urban center scattered to the four winds.

An opportunity for black/white working America to finally realize it has less to do with race than it does with poverty.

[Guaranteed]

13. I'd hope so. The problem is, again,

that the middle class has been bred, eating up the MSM, to hate those "below" them and make the barrier between as thick as possible.

They may not want that barrier to be broken. It all depends on how FORCEFULLY they are compelled to relate to those in New Orleans.

[mestup]

17. And again the problem is the MSM

They hold the key to "forcefully" compelling people to relate. But, they've been bought and paid for for so long, I worry they'll retreat.

Crossing my fingers...

[NMMNG]

9. Indeed, and welcome to DU mestup!

[newyawker99]

15. Hi mestup!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[mestup]

16. Thanks for the welcomes!

I came across these forums just recently. They're great!

[Erika]

8. Yes, the working poor need to be uplifted rather than villified

as the GOP casts them. Reaganism is dead. He hurt the needy and poor more than any U.S. president and it finally needs to be acknowledged.

[sam sarrha]

10. I Posit that you are wrong, they said that they did not want to deliver

aid because that would create a "HOT SPOT" where people would flock to and cause RIOTS. Because of racist visions of black people rioting in LA.. I heard the HOT SPOTS and RIOT connection over and over.. it was a Mantra.. and racism the way i see it. and i am not a person of color...

they could have dropped off supplies spread out over a broad area to dissipate the collection of large groups that tend to create Mob situations... like pallets of water and food in intersections several blocks apart along an "Escape Root" to spread them out and keep them moving toward decentralized busing centers.. moving them out as they showed up, to prevent the mobs from forming.

[Guaranteed]

11. That entirely could be. Note, though, that

that would be a product of prejudice, as opposed to institutionalized racism, at least in the way that you're putting it. Prejudice is much easier to point out (although still difficult to attribute).

[Qibing Zero]

12. Well said

The initial response was so horrible because of the social darwinistic attitude of the big shots in power - how could anyone debate this when it's what half of the assholes themselves are saying? They think that if you don't have the money or the health (or people close to you able to help) to get out of all of your problems, you're not as good as they are.

I have to hold that racism plays a part no matter what anyone says though, simply because of the individual prejudice you mentioned. It is especially evident in the example you put forth.

First of all, contrary to the belief of a lot of people, blacks have never escaped the repression placed upon them. Not only does salt get poured in their wounds constantly, but the US has constantly taken the same blind as all hell approach they do to any form of socialism world-wide. They think that just by allowing a person to take place in the Great Capitalistic Cycle, regardless of their current social standing, the person has an equal chance to succeed. I don't think I need to explain exactly how much bullshit that is. This administration bashes people like Chavez for trying to give the sickening amount of poor in his country a living chance. They bash these countries simply because the countries refuse to adhere to whatever they think is best. The same thing has happened here at home - people turn a blind eye toward it and use the excuse of 'They have their chance, they just refuse to do it because they're lazy and we give them money'. It's just that whole 'if you had to walk even a mile in my shoes' deal - these people just don't get it at all.

Second, people fear what is strange to them. A good amount of the 'racist' people we speak of have grown up in a racist atmosphere, don't understand (nor care to) the things I just mentioned in the previous paragraph, and because of those things see minorities (and especially blacks) as adding to the 'problems in this country'. As usual, it's easy to blame the person, much harder to look beyond that. A lot of these people have kept to 'their own kind' all of their lives, and they fear having to deal with anything different, whether it's a new gadget, or a darker skin tint.

To me, someone who has been oft accused of being too empathetic (is that even possible?), I see it in those terms. Not being able to relate is really the big problem here - whether it's class, or the color of someone's skin.


P.S. - The part about using the middle class is very thought provoking. Marx had a good point there.

[Guaranteed]

14. I have nothing to add, but am compelled to respond.

That was a great, great post. Thank you, very much. I think you said it much better than I did.