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I've been trying to figure out how to word something that's been bothering me about how every time someone brings up poverty in relation to racist movements, people shout 'Being poor doesn't make you racist!!' and I think I found those words?
Racism warning 4 the entire thread.
Racism warning 4 the entire thread.
I want to start this off by saying the following:
1. People have reasons for doing things. That does not mean those reasons are *justified*. So racism is not in ANY way justified by the reasons people have for it.
1. People have reasons for doing things. That does not mean those reasons are *justified*. So racism is not in ANY way justified by the reasons people have for it.
2. This isn't 'feel bad for the poor, poor racists!!' - it's trying to articulate one of the *causes* for why racist groups get such a hold. I am not asking for empathy for them, I'm looking at this from a problem solving perspective.
3. I am *in no way* trying to claim this is the ONLY reason for this crap. I'm just saying it's a contributing factor. I've seen a lot of this sort of ideology from people who don't consciously espouse racism, and once you break it down for them they have an 'OH' moment.
With that out of the way...
When I was growing up, Indiana, probably qualified as living in a lower-end suburb, I noticed that a lot of people seemed to be, uh, sorta crappy about black people. At least, as a little kid I thought it was crappy.
When I was growing up, Indiana, probably qualified as living in a lower-end suburb, I noticed that a lot of people seemed to be, uh, sorta crappy about black people. At least, as a little kid I thought it was crappy.
The way people talked about the little black girl who lived with her white grandparents in my neighbourhood.. Well it was not kind. They clearly *thought* it was kind but it wasn't. Not knowing anything about her father they spouted what I'd later realise were racist stereotypes.
This wasn't the only place I'd hear this sort of thing, of course, but it was always how it started. It would always be related to money, too. I eventually came to the (VERY INCORRECT) conclusion 'oh, black people take money from white people and don't work'.
As I understood things back then, people were upset that they weren't getting their dues - they were working their asses off and still barely getting by - while others got what they saw as a free ride, not knowing how hard it is to live on assistance.
Almost everything that people complained about went back to 'why are they getting so much for nothing, while I have to suffer to survive'. And in people I talk to today - mostly people in waiting rooms and medical technicians - that is a core part of most racist beliefs they have
When I was growing up I held similar beliefs, though thankfully I saw them challenged and I realised that basically no one *chooses* to be poor and live off the system, and that those who *do* still deserve to live with dignity and safety.
When I realised this, my understanding of race was challenged, too, and the majority of the things holding up the racist beliefs I had fell away when I realised 'poor people leeching of the system' wasn't the problem, and I've helped a number of people the same way I was helped.
That said, I was admittedly nowhere near 'gets caught up in a hate group' level of falling for the racist mindsets that I grew up with. Ever since I actually realised that other people experienced pain, too, I've been a pacifist, which lead to me putting a hard stop re: Violence.
This isn't 'Oh look how good I was/am!!!' this is just to let you know where my first hand knowledge on such things falls off.
Which is my segue into: A lot of things I've read from ex-klansmen backs up 'economic concerns' as a reason they were radicalised.
Which is my segue into: A lot of things I've read from ex-klansmen backs up 'economic concerns' as a reason they were radicalised.
I've read how it started with 'they're taking the money WE earn!', how a kid who felt outcast in his community saw his parents struggling and felt helpless, and turned to the first group that offered him a 'solution' and a place to belong.
A lot of these organizations find lonely people who are worried that they'll lose everything they own and they redirect that worry into hate towards minorities. They take already existing fears, no matter how unreasonable they are, and they drum it up into hate at other groups.
(We see this in things like GG, too. GG's seem to be genuinely afraid they'll lose their escapism, no matter how absolutely ridiculous that is as a worry. A lot of GG's have big chunks of their identity centred around gaming, and appear scared they'll lose what they love.)
Now, again, this does not excuse the hate, or the violence. I just think it's important to look at how 'economic concerns' do a hell of a lot to prop up these hate groups and their message.
I don't think removing poverty completely will magically make racism disappear, but I think it'll do a damn good job of taking away their ammo, and making the 'poor (minority) people getting a free ride while I suffer to survive' narrative less of an 'easy answer'.
I think that housing and food and healthcare all being basic rights for *everyone*, available to everyone regardless of how poor or wealthy they are will take the backbone out of a lot of the talking points of these sorts of hate groups.
When you stop having 'easy answer' logic on hand to back up your hate and to fan and hijack actually reasonable fears (like becoming homeless, losing access to healthcare, etc.) you have to rely more on shit that most people will go 'Dude what the fuck?' about.
All of this said... I think that the think pieces talking about all of this are... I don't know a succinct way of saying 'dude holy fuck you don't try to sympathise with racism! Dude!' so...
And that's the big issue with the pieces: They sympathise instead of call attention to.
And that's the big issue with the pieces: They sympathise instead of call attention to.
Attention needs to be brought to how monetary concerns are a vector for radicalisation, but being 'ah, look at this neo nazi. He is scared of losing his job. Feel sorry for him!' is *not* that.
These pieces, at least those I've read, never talk about the systemic issues.
These pieces, at least those I've read, never talk about the systemic issues.
They never talk about how underfunding public systems like food stamps, wealth inequality, and predatory loans (especially housing loans) all create a situation where people are looking for fingers to point at, and all our lives we've been taught to point *down*.
The conversation needs to take into account that fear of being destitute goes a long way to radicalising people *without* making it about how "the poor neonazi is just like everyone else at heart!"
Both because it ends up with people claiming economic fears has nothing to do with racism, and because it gives sympathy to an *utterly repugnant* belief system.
And, again, I don't think that solving poverty will solve all racism. It's more complicated than that. Sometimes fear of poverty is genuinely just an *excuse* to hate on minorities. But there are a lot of people who get picked up this way, and addressing it would help a lot.
Thread end, I think?
