Reddit reviews Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life

thanks for the honest engagement. and i would say that my original understanding of PP was probably slightly skewed towards more of Proud Boys stuff (they both try hard to fall into radical ring wing "non-racist" groups with similar motives), while PP does seem more like fanatical right wing religious types. That said, I can recall when they showed up at evergreen college and their portland march immediately following the white nationalist murder of those women, and i think it would be hard to argue that "culture war" they are engaging in is in direct opposition to groups looking for racial equality. That is not to say that there are people of whom's ideas of idpol go bizarrely far (like when people claim a movie trailer doesn't show enough women/minorities, when in reality a 30 second clip of an action movie isn't what most minorities care about when they think of representation). I say this to show that i think there is fair criticism of people in movements to promote equality. But providing criticism of a movement and actively trying to oppose the movement as a whole and goals for equality are very different.

By your comments, it sounds like maybe your views of racial inequality is that it is insignificant in america today to validate a cultural movement towards seeking equality, but correct me if i'm wrong there. I would still argue that the evidence showing racial discrimination is still very important in understanding how and why there there are racial disparities in employment, school punishment, and other various economic mobility factors. as far as studies on incarceration rates "ignoring criminal history", that doesn't discount the POC are more likely to be pulled over, more likely to be arrested, etc. than whites. And you have to wonder that if a system which in the past has done so much to curtail the opportunities of POC, if the communities and populations really have a fair shot to make it out of poverty.

One reason i think that many people minimize the impact of racial discrimination is because white people also feel the weight of economic oppression, it's not just a problem that minorities feel. Working class people of all colors are continuing to see stagnant wages while the price for life and opportunity (cost of living, education, raising children) is becoming less attainable. Why should we care about about whether there is minority representation in movies when the real problems that effect me skyrocketing rents, lack of decent jobs, etc.? The wealth and power in America continues to consolidate into fewer and fewer hands. The best case scenario for the executives making $5000/hr is that the person making $25/hr blames their economic troubles on the person making $10/hr for wanting higher pay. Racism is a construct, and a useful tool for dividing the working class. There are some great books on the topic, and some having an interesting take on how current identity politics actually get in the way forming solidarity in the working class struggle.

The point that i am trying to make in all of this is that the "culture war" is a reaction to the very real economic oppression in our society, and one of the tools of the oppressors has long been racism as a means to divide the working class and create hierarchy which ultimately benefits the 1% above all else. The struggle that people of color face is a struggle that disadvantage whites face as well, and should be a rallying cry for solidarity. the fact of the matter is that POC are generally more oppressed, so in an effort to fight overall oppression, we must address the concerns of those who have it worst. If we want to live in a society which provides us equal opportunity, we have to address all of the systematic forms of oppression simultaneously to see lasting progress.

Sorry for the long winded response, it's just difficult for me to not tie in what i feel like is needed context haha.

You can't separate "right to work" from racist ideology. As Karen and Barbara Fields document in Racecraft, the concept of race was first invented in the United States to divide workers and set them against each other to divert anger away from slaveholders and bosses.

http://www.amazon.com/Racecraft-Soul-Inequality-American-Life/dp/1781683131

Uh. No. There really isn’t. It has been ingrained in us for a really long time that there is, but there isn’t. I’d suggest reading Racecraft for an in-depth look at how the language surrounding race makes us think it’s scientific when it isn’t.

https://www.amazon.com/Racecraft-Soul-Inequality-American-Life/dp/1781683131