2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: MoveOn has a perfect response to Netroots controversy: [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)The racism of today is the outgrowth of slavery which was in fact an economic system.
So, historically, racism is related to that economic system.
Today, racism appears to stand on its own and is less clearly related to economics. A rich Black man may and probably will be still treated badly in certain situations in which a poor white man would be treated like a member of a royal family.
The origins of racism lie in the economic system of slavery, but today, racism is not always related to economic reality. I would argue, however, that a lot of the racism today is related to the stereotypes about Black people that grew out of slavery.
So you have a good point, but it is more complicated because the historical origins of racism in the US lie in the economic system of slavery, but the social reality of racism is that it has grown away from that economic system and remained as that system disappeared. But in a sense, racism is an effort on the part of white racists to reconstruct the economic and social relationship with Black people that was basic to slavery. Racism, that is, is an effort to establish a relationship in which the white person is perceived and perceives himself as more valuable economically and socially than the Black person.
The racist persuades him- or herself that he or she has more value than the Black person. So in that sense it is an economic issue. It's about the value of the person.
That is why it is important to say that Black Lives Matter.
What do you think about the statement "Black Lives Matter as Much as White Lives"?
I'm asking for your thoughts on that statement because I'm not sure what I think of it myself. What about the statement, "Black Lives Matter More Than White Lives"?
Which of these statements are unacceptable? Which are barely acceptable? Which are true? Which are untrue?
I'm interested in your point of view.