Clarence Thomas did not switch races, he switched classes. One function the awful, pervasive racism present in this country serves is as a mask for classism. Keep poor whites busy oppressing minority groups, and they won't recognize how they're being shafted.
Clarence Thomas did not switch races, he switched classes. One function the awful, pervasive racism present in this country serves is as a mask for classism. Keep poor whites busy oppressing minority groups, and they won't recognize how they're being shafted.
The vast majority of people living in the pre-civil war south did NOT own slaves. They were expensive and priced out of range for poor whites.
In fact, after the horror of Gettysburg, in the Civil wWar, the defection of thousands of poor, non-slave owning Southern Appalachian white troops from the southern army had great positive impact on the Civil War for the north. Those guys finally figured out that dying to protect slavery for rich white men was dumb.
But, after the war, establishing poor whites as "above" poor blacks was key to getting elected.
Yes-and in a тАЬnation of lawsтАЭ the laws and customs support keeping people with White skin тАЬaboveтАЭ others. ItтАЩs a strategy that has worked well and it keeps the elites in power over тАЬwe the peopleтАЭ.
LBJ had it right "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
Yes-this quote sums it up. LBJ was from Texas and he knew first hand how the system works. He was able to persuade a few southerners to vote for the Civil Rights bills because he understood their thinking and appealed to their self interests. He knew at the time that passing Civil Rights legislation meant that the Democrats would lose the south тАЬfor a generationтАЭ. If only he could see where we are now!
Clarence Thomas did not switch races, he switched classes. One function the awful, pervasive racism present in this country serves is as a mask for classism. Keep poor whites busy oppressing minority groups, and they won't recognize how they're being shafted.
Repub playbook since Ronnie
Since slavery bagan that has been the playbook.
The vast majority of people living in the pre-civil war south did NOT own slaves. They were expensive and priced out of range for poor whites.
In fact, after the horror of Gettysburg, in the Civil wWar, the defection of thousands of poor, non-slave owning Southern Appalachian white troops from the southern army had great positive impact on the Civil War for the north. Those guys finally figured out that dying to protect slavery for rich white men was dumb.
But, after the war, establishing poor whites as "above" poor blacks was key to getting elected.
my two "confederate" ancestors were not among those who figured it out, sad to say.
Yes-and in a тАЬnation of lawsтАЭ the laws and customs support keeping people with White skin тАЬaboveтАЭ others. ItтАЩs a strategy that has worked well and it keeps the elites in power over тАЬwe the peopleтАЭ.
LBJ had it right "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
Yes-this quote sums it up. LBJ was from Texas and he knew first hand how the system works. He was able to persuade a few southerners to vote for the Civil Rights bills because he understood their thinking and appealed to their self interests. He knew at the time that passing Civil Rights legislation meant that the Democrats would lose the south тАЬfor a generationтАЭ. If only he could see where we are now!
He knew them, and had no illusions. I think that Joe still has a few illusions about the Senate, or maybe they have been crushed. Mine certainly are.
This is one reason West Virginia separated from Virginia.