"As education divide deepens, Democrats fear a demographic problem for future power"

[TomCADem]

"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.” -Lyndon B. Johnson

Some progressives have argued that Democrats should not discuss race and "identity politics, but focus on mainly on economic arguments. In the 2020 election, Biden/Harris focused mainly on economic and policy arguments while Trump almost entirely focused on identity politics and white grievance by blaming the problems faced by the white working class males on minorities, women, immigrants and trade with attacks on antifa, BLM, China, Mexican immigrants, etc. Indeed, even though he was the President, Trump continued to attack the "deep state" as though he was an outsider.

I think that Democrats need to talk about race, not to appeal to minorities, but to explain how racism actually hurts whites as the quote from Lyndon Johnson makes clear. Wealth disparities grew under Trump and the poor were the ones most hurt by Trump's mismanagement of the response to COVID. Yet, rather than deal with problems, Trump merely found scapegoats.

At times, it sometimes seems like some progressives are afraid to talk about race thinking that it detracts from their appeal to working class whites. Sometimes these fears may be justified as a discussion about race sometimes invites divisive talk about reparations, which is often egged on by the right.

Progressives need to avoid this trap of discussing race as zero sum game where the advances of minorities come at the expense of white working class whites. The solution is not to avoid talking about race, but to discuss how race is used to oppress the white working class, as well as minorities.

Both Lyndon Johnson, a Southern White Politician, and MLK, a black civil rights leader understood this. We need to rediscover this once again.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/almost-impossible-as-education-divide-deepens-democrats-fear-a-demographic-problem-for-future-power/ar-BB1bjbrd?li=BBnb7Kz

The fact Biden struggled with non-college-educated white voters, according to Grossman, reflects the overall shift toward politics based on social and cultural divisions rather than economic. The same trend is found in European nations.

With his cultural – not economic – brand of populism, Trump fanned fears about racial equity protests that erupted in cities. He pushed for "law and order" during the campaign, slammed the Black Lives Matter movement and accused Democrats of being soft on violence and anti-police. He warned that Biden would turn the USA into a "socialist" country and accused the Democrat of wanting to take away Americans' guns. Trump even said, "There will be no God" if Biden was elected. "Voters are more associated with the party that they share social and cultural views with rather than necessarily economic policy opinions," Grossman said.

* * *

The fact Biden struggled with non-college-educated white voters, according to Grossman, reflects the overall shift toward politics based on social and cultural divisions rather than economic. The same trend is found in European nations.

With his cultural – not economic – brand of populism, Trump fanned fears about racial equity protests that erupted in cities. He pushed for "law and order" during the campaign, slammed the Black Lives Matter movement and accused Democrats of being soft on violence and anti-police. He warned that Biden would turn the USA into a "socialist" country and accused the Democrat of wanting to take away Americans' guns. Trump even said, "There will be no God" if Biden was elected.

[underpants]

1. 👀

Thanks. I want to dive into this later.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. The education divide is huge and complicated.

Here's one problem. Even in very good schools, public or private, in k-12 students are not really encouraged to think for themselves. Confronting the instructor, and I'm not speaking simply about a difficult or defiant student, but one who has read up on whatever the topic is, and disagrees with what the instructor is teaching about whatever. This is not much of a problem in science or math, and only a trivial problem in literature classes. But history? Whoa! The kid can't really go there.

In the first twelve years of conventional schooling, kids are taught to simply regurgitate whatever the teachers tell them. It's a much bigger problem in, say, a religiously based school that teaches Creationism and "debunks" evolution. I'm going to guess it is somewhat of a problem in schools in the South that are taught a somewhat different version of the Civil War than is taught in the rest of the country.

It's not uncommon, when young people take their first college history class, for the instructor to tell them "Forget everything you were taught in high school."

Along with this is the problem that most young people read absolutely nothing outside of what is assigned them. If they even read that. Some significant percentage of adults never read a book, and honestly, that's scary.

A personal aside. Many years ago I didn't have a TV, and a co-worker was genuinely concerned that I had no idea what was happening in the world. But at the time I got the local newspaper (a rag called The Washington Post, which you may have heard of) and read books. Lots and lots of books. Every time the co-worker quizzed me on current events, he was amazed that I knew what was going on. And depending on the question asked, I could add a whole lot of additional stuff I'd gotten from my outside reading.

[TigressDem]

10. When I was younger, I was a voracious reader.

Anything. The damn cereal box.

You know?

I know I would go with my Mom to the library when I was 5-7 and might start in the kids books, but wouldn't stay there.

I would go to the library after school and do a lot of my homework so I could leave the heavy text books in my locker and only carry the fun stuff (500+ page paperbacks).

But I grew up on the West Coast, where things were definitely more open minded.

I still missed out on how BAD the police situation was. Although I know my neighbors who had Mexican heritage got harassed by police and how white boys could get away with stuff that black boys would go to jail for if caught.

I just thought it was SOME BAD cops and not buried so deep in the system. I knew what they were doing was wrong, I just thought that the higher ups in the police department knew that too and that bad cops when caught would get busted too.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. I likewas read voraciously as a child. Yeah, I recall

all too well reading the cereal box.

When I was six years old, I got my first library card. The public library in Utica, NY, where I lived, was one building removed from the Catholic school (St Francis de Sales) that I attended. I would go to the library after school. I was small for my age, and could not open the back door to the library, and had to wait for some helpful older, stronger person to let me in.

I took the public bus from school to where we lived in North Utica, and so simply taking a later bus was no big deal. Although because I was so small, sometimes a driver wasn't sure I should be allowed on.

Anyway, my point is that from the time I could read I was in the habit of going to the library and checking out any and all books I was interested in.

The next year we moved to a small town about ten or so miles north of Utica, but my mom was good about bringing us kids to the library every week or so. At first, she sat in the car and smoked while we kids got books. Then winter came, and of course winter in northern NYS is brutal, so she couldn't stay in the car. Pretty soon she got her own library card and was back to reading regularly, if not voraciously.

[TigressDem]

13. I kinda had grownup friends.

They thought it was cute that I talked on their level.

I still did kid things all the time, I just liked the attention maybe?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. Actually, that makes a lot of sense.

Since you say you still did kid things, I'm guessing you're not a person with Asperger's. Those kids typically get along very well with adults, but not so well with kids and they don't do kid things. I have a son with Asperger's, so I know this very well.

But speaking as a "normal" person, I loved it when I get attention from grown-ups and did my best to cultivate that. So I get you.

[TigressDem]

15. Extreme extrovert as a kid.

Maybe I just talked to everyone until I wore myself out and went to bed.

It was a long time ago, but I have grand kids and they can surely talk one's ear off about so many things.

When my youngest grandson was a baby he babbled, but only his brother and sister could translate. We called it Jakson-ese.

At 6 years old he loved to start sentences with "Apparently...." My husband and I had trouble listening to the rest as we were trying to stifle the laughter that wanted to bubble out.

Sigh. Kids.

I have a niece that is high functioning Asperger's - she even let me hug her.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

18. Sounds like you have a wonderful family.

I wish I could visit and hug them.

My son with Asperger's is very high functioning. He is currently in a PhD program in astronomy at George Mason University. It has taken him a very long time to get there. I refer to him here as My Son The Astronomer. He is quirky and wonderful.

[TigressDem]

20. At times.

My son thinks tRump won and the election was stolen.

My 15 year old grandson has a lot of fight and flight in him.

They all yell Waaay too much.


My niece lives on the West Coast so I don't see her much.

My hubby is AWESOME. That is true.

BUT I like to cherish every good memory that comes like a pocket of sunshine for a rainy day.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

21. Ahhh, it seems like you appreciate and cherish your family.

That is how it should be. Hugs to you and yours.

[BComplex]

3. It is absolutely imperative that we fix the education system in the United States.

The teachers and students are all swimming upstream, and none of that has to happen this way.

[keep_left]

9. A couple things...

Get textbook approval out of the hands of Texas billionaires and fundamentalists.

Reinstate civics education in the high schools of all 50 states.

Seriously look into requiring some sort of accreditation for all schools (public/private/home). There must be a way that won't violate their ballyhooed "religious liberty". You can't teach that the Earth is 6000 years old as an "alternative fact". That is being taught right now because I've seen their stupid textbooks in religious bookstores.

Finally (and this is long-term), start enforcing our antitrust laws against the consolidation of book publishing, which led to the Texas billionaire problem with textbooks in the first place. (Thom Hartmann has mentioned how this happened--the consolidation of publishing and the early deadline in TX for textbook approval made it possible).

[meadowlander]

16. Also homeschooling should be banned except where there is extreme necessity.

Like you're living on a boat in Costa Rica or there's no school less than a forty minute commute away from you-necessity. Even in those cases, they should have to be registered with an accredited online school where actual teachers can monitor the kids' progress and check for signs of abuse.

Sorry but the child's right to a comprehensive, fact-based education that will set them up to be a productive member of a 21st century democracy trumps parents' rights to indoctrinate their kids. We need to stop being namby pamby about this and stick up for the kids - especially the girls in fundamentalist families whose "home schooling" mostly involves raising their younger siblings. This sets them up for a lifetime of being trapped in abusive relationships because they don't have the education to emancipate themselves.

You can teach your kids whatever the hell you want evenings, weekends and summer break. The rest of the time they should go to a real school. If you don't like the quality of your local school, your choices should be volunteer to help and/or vote for increased funding. Full stop. If I had my way, private and parochial schools would be banned as well except to the extent that they offer supplemental classes outside of the regular public school curriculum.

[jimfields33]

22. I think that left the train station

The pandemic will probably even increase homeschooling. How to stop it? It will be a fight.

[BComplex]

23. Everything you've mentioned are things that I've long sought from our schools. Children in

some of Africa's schools are studying calculus & physics in middle schools. When you treat kids like they're smart....they usually turn out to be!

But these days our kids aren't even taught proper history, much less civics, because of the fundies that started taking over our schools in the 80's.

[Maraya1969]

4. Our education system needs a lot of work. If so many people are still falling

for the tRump bull that he is going to be president in January there is a big problem.

We need to focus on logic. Teachers need to teach kids how to think - not just memorize stuff.

[TigressDem]

7. "How to think" VS "What to think"

How to develop values instead of what values to have.

How to look for facts and make your own decisions.

Not what cherry-picked facts define what you need to decide, like nice little sheeple.

ONE thing, though.

US DEMs are a HUGE herd of cats and if the party increases in size to say 75% of the population, it's going to be a wild ride.

Interesting and worth it, but wild and crazy.

Everyone thinking for themselves? What a concept.

[BComplex]

24. Many of those things are not taught until college. That is one good reason to make college

free, and another good reason to actually start teaching critical thinking skills in elementary school.

[JI7]

5. "Some progressives have argued that Democrats should not discuss race and "identity politics"

Then they are part of the problem and have no intention of actually making progress.

Identity politics is ok only when talking about the needs of white people, specifically white men .

[TigressDem]

6. THIS has to go BOTH ways, though. EXAMPLE: BLM needs to stand apart from VIOLENCE

NO WAY should ANY ONE be treated as less than a citizen due to skin color. I am so very proud of BLM and I know from the protests I have been to that they at least say something to the effect, if you are going to do any of that, don't get caught because it will come back on BLM.

I understand the anger and because NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE to keep Police from killing people because they have a badge and can make some stupid excuse that gets them off the hook because the ARE the law. Toppling slaver statues, wrecking property, I get it. PEOPLE MATTER MORE THAN THINGS. Black Lives HAVE TO MATTER. NO ONE WAS LISTENING TO THE PAIN before the riots. I get it.

Yet to allow the violence to continue to be done in their name hurts not only the party but BLM themselves.

BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, we need to be honest that KKK and the like are still trying to bring back their "glory days" and the greedy rich people just want everyone to kiss their boots and be happy to be walked on by wealthy rulers.

Not all rich people are greedy, but the ones who are, who want to control the US and silence the media so they can continue to pick our pockets, rule our lives and kill any of US at will MUST BE STOPPED.

US vs Them, whoever "them" is at the time is the worst type of tribalism. It's just an excuse to keep from having to become a better person instead of blaming someone else for the problem.

THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE. THE HUMAN RACE. Yes, there is an assortment of colors and heritages, but we are ALL HUMAN beneath all that and EVERYONE deserves to be treated as such. Respect is earned, true. But basic decency toward one another should be a given, not the exception.

[dawg day]

8. Hmm... how is Dems appealing more and more to college-educated a problem?

White non-college-educated is a declining group. More people go to college than ever before, and many "crafts" now require college-level education and certification. Considering that non-white working-class people tend to vote Democrat, and because of its racism, the GOP is unlikely to gather in many non-white people, well, it's the GOP that's in trouble.

Granted the Dems didn't do well down-ballot, but the most important election went overwhelmingly to the Democratic candidates. It's an odd tendency of the media to look at such evidence and decide that the GOP has some advantage.

[TigressDem]

12. Because of **s hats like Rush Limbaugh

Limbaugh declared the 4 corners of deceit as:

Government
Academia
Science
Media


It's part of their whole brainwashing into the cult of racism.

YOU CAN ONLY TRUST WHAT WE SAY, everyone else is lying. Has an agenda. Will take your guns, your freedom.

All those sheeple turned zombies spewing hatred not only go to vote but go grab their guns and turn peaceful protests into chaos.

SO IT IS GOOD THAT WE APPEAL TO PEOPLE WHO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.

HOWEVER, it still isn't good that people are being brainwashed, hopped up on lies that put them into rage and then are told, go practice your second amendment rights.

[dawg day]

17. I hate to be cruel..

But I am perversely pleased that old Rush must face his final days knowing that his Trump lost big.

[TigressDem]

19. I don't know. Will he?

Seems to me that Rush is SO delusional, he will just go down in flames with the orange man and deny it all until the bitter end.

Do people who twist the truth SO much EVER learn to see reality again?

[TomCADem]

25. To the contrary, Republicans are selling resentment of education.

What better way to counter progressive calls to expand educational access by painting Bernie/Warren proposals as elitist.

That is right. By trying to expand educational opportunities, Democrats will be attacked as educational elitists. It sort of like how efforts to promote equal opportunity for women in the workplace was portrayed by Republicans as an attack on homemakers.