Great essay written by a billionaire Dem

[Garrett78]

109. Sanders, for example, has been very dismissive of the role racism played in Trump's rise.

Article after article after article appeared following the 2016 election that suggested Democrats need to do a better job speaking to the concerns of the *white* working class and their economic anxiety. Article after article about how Clinton and other Democrats focus too much on "identity politics." No matter how many times it's pointed out how false that is, the argument persists.

Economic injustice wasn't invented in order to promote racism. Racism was fostered and exploited in order to create support for or indifference to economic injustice (that support or indifference is maintained thanks to racism--it's a positive feedback loop).

I've made it quite clear that I'm not in any way suggesting that Democrats shouldn't simultaneously continue to promote what is already a much stronger position on every economic issue that should matter to working people. Our message and policies (when able to enact them) are already far superior to that of Republicans. But until we lessen racism and sexism, we aren't going to make great inroads--we aren't going to have as many opportunities as we would like to enact a more progressive tax structure, to combat wage stagnation, to enact equal pay for women, to protect and strengthen labor law, to enact more affordable and universal health care coverage (Medicare, again, would not constitute affordable coverage--not without supplemental insurance), etc.

The Republican Party is built upon a foundation of racism (including xenophobia) and sexism. Bust up the foundation, and the structure will come tumbling down.