"Black and brown Americans have known this truth for a long time; others have have only recently had these conditions thrust on them. Yes, the pain and suffering of the white working class is real, but so far the diagnosis has focused on symptoms and not the actual cause." (Photo: Getty)
Racial Wedge Politics Invented In Colonial America
There is only one minority that is dangerous to most Americans. And that is the wealthy, privileged elite that rules over everyone else.
If your high school education was anything like mine, you'll be as surprised as I was to learn that there was no "white race" in our country until the idea was invented by some white plantation owners in Virginia around 1676.
It's hard to believe today, but prior to their arrival here, the Europeans had never thought of themselves as "white." Ninety percent of the colonial population of Virginia consisted of Africans, some of them enslaved and others indentured servants, and poor European tenants and laborers. Not only did all of them share deep grievances against the ruling plantation owners, but for three generations, blacks and whites had intermarried, worked, celebrated and mourned together. Questioning any of this wouldn't have entered their minds. Notions of mutual aid and common cause were second nature.
So, what happened? A small army of poor (black) Africans and poor (white) English frontiersmen realized they were getting their asses whupped by the landed aristocracy. This ragtag militia, led by the Englishman-turned-rebel, Nathaniel Bacon, attacked the royal English government and burned Jamestown to the ground. Ultimately, the overmatched uprising failed, Bacon died of illness, and 23 of his followers were hanged as traitors.
Recognizing that another insurrection was possible and might spread, the terrified ruling circle of planters needed a scheme. Their great trick was to drive a wedge between white and black workers. On the one hand, draconian laws were passed that punished whites for associating with blacks. On the other hand, financial rewards were bestowed on whites who captured runaway slaves. Perks like owning a small piece of land and a few minor legal rights were granted to poor whites, and their status versus blacks was elevated.
Over time, an artificial bond was created between elites and the white working class. This was the genesis and evil genius of creating "white identity" where none had existed. Gradually, working class whites came to believe they were better human beings by virtue of their skin color. The strategy, under various guises, has been working for 400 years, even though there's nothing natural, nothing biological about it.
Stock market guru and political pundit Marc Faber spews the fear and hate-mongering used to keep people apart who should be allies when he writes, "Thank God that white people populated the Americas, and not the blacks. Otherwise the United States would look like Zimbabwe, which it might one day anyway."
Faber is today's embodiment of the Virginia plantation owner. In recent years, communities of color have been scapegoated for the white working class's entirely justifiable grievances over decreasing wages and benefits and a precarious future where better opportunities for their children are slipping away. As the late George Carlin quipped, "No matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you're screwed because it's all fixed. There's a club and you ain't in it."
Black and brown Americans have known this truth for a long time; others have have only recently had these conditions thrust on them. Yes, the pain and suffering of the white working class is real, but so far the diagnosis has focused on symptoms and not the actual cause.
That is to say, there is one minority that is dangerous to most Americans. It's the wealthy, privileged elite that rules over everyone else, those who own and benefit from our deeply dysfunctional economic system. Other than worrying that lower- and middle-class whites will catch on that immigrants, Muslims and blacks are not the ones threatening their well-being, these folks have never given a rat's ass about us, our children, or our grandchildren.
Finally, some people want to depict Trump sympathizers as fact-resistant, bigoted rubes. I've never bought this, and the sweeping claim that all 62 million Trump voters are racists, incapable of thinking and acting in their own interest, is smugly condescending. Many were reacting to betrayal by Democratic and Republican politicians.
I've never doubted that white working class folks, if privy to all the facts, are one pillar in constructing a social movement -- outside the hopeless two parties of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton -- that can change our country. For me, that feels like our best and last hope.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
If your high school education was anything like mine, you'll be as surprised as I was to learn that there was no "white race" in our country until the idea was invented by some white plantation owners in Virginia around 1676.
It's hard to believe today, but prior to their arrival here, the Europeans had never thought of themselves as "white." Ninety percent of the colonial population of Virginia consisted of Africans, some of them enslaved and others indentured servants, and poor European tenants and laborers. Not only did all of them share deep grievances against the ruling plantation owners, but for three generations, blacks and whites had intermarried, worked, celebrated and mourned together. Questioning any of this wouldn't have entered their minds. Notions of mutual aid and common cause were second nature.
So, what happened? A small army of poor (black) Africans and poor (white) English frontiersmen realized they were getting their asses whupped by the landed aristocracy. This ragtag militia, led by the Englishman-turned-rebel, Nathaniel Bacon, attacked the royal English government and burned Jamestown to the ground. Ultimately, the overmatched uprising failed, Bacon died of illness, and 23 of his followers were hanged as traitors.
Recognizing that another insurrection was possible and might spread, the terrified ruling circle of planters needed a scheme. Their great trick was to drive a wedge between white and black workers. On the one hand, draconian laws were passed that punished whites for associating with blacks. On the other hand, financial rewards were bestowed on whites who captured runaway slaves. Perks like owning a small piece of land and a few minor legal rights were granted to poor whites, and their status versus blacks was elevated.
Over time, an artificial bond was created between elites and the white working class. This was the genesis and evil genius of creating "white identity" where none had existed. Gradually, working class whites came to believe they were better human beings by virtue of their skin color. The strategy, under various guises, has been working for 400 years, even though there's nothing natural, nothing biological about it.
Stock market guru and political pundit Marc Faber spews the fear and hate-mongering used to keep people apart who should be allies when he writes, "Thank God that white people populated the Americas, and not the blacks. Otherwise the United States would look like Zimbabwe, which it might one day anyway."
Faber is today's embodiment of the Virginia plantation owner. In recent years, communities of color have been scapegoated for the white working class's entirely justifiable grievances over decreasing wages and benefits and a precarious future where better opportunities for their children are slipping away. As the late George Carlin quipped, "No matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you're screwed because it's all fixed. There's a club and you ain't in it."
Black and brown Americans have known this truth for a long time; others have have only recently had these conditions thrust on them. Yes, the pain and suffering of the white working class is real, but so far the diagnosis has focused on symptoms and not the actual cause.
That is to say, there is one minority that is dangerous to most Americans. It's the wealthy, privileged elite that rules over everyone else, those who own and benefit from our deeply dysfunctional economic system. Other than worrying that lower- and middle-class whites will catch on that immigrants, Muslims and blacks are not the ones threatening their well-being, these folks have never given a rat's ass about us, our children, or our grandchildren.
Finally, some people want to depict Trump sympathizers as fact-resistant, bigoted rubes. I've never bought this, and the sweeping claim that all 62 million Trump voters are racists, incapable of thinking and acting in their own interest, is smugly condescending. Many were reacting to betrayal by Democratic and Republican politicians.
I've never doubted that white working class folks, if privy to all the facts, are one pillar in constructing a social movement -- outside the hopeless two parties of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton -- that can change our country. For me, that feels like our best and last hope.
If your high school education was anything like mine, you'll be as surprised as I was to learn that there was no "white race" in our country until the idea was invented by some white plantation owners in Virginia around 1676.
It's hard to believe today, but prior to their arrival here, the Europeans had never thought of themselves as "white." Ninety percent of the colonial population of Virginia consisted of Africans, some of them enslaved and others indentured servants, and poor European tenants and laborers. Not only did all of them share deep grievances against the ruling plantation owners, but for three generations, blacks and whites had intermarried, worked, celebrated and mourned together. Questioning any of this wouldn't have entered their minds. Notions of mutual aid and common cause were second nature.
So, what happened? A small army of poor (black) Africans and poor (white) English frontiersmen realized they were getting their asses whupped by the landed aristocracy. This ragtag militia, led by the Englishman-turned-rebel, Nathaniel Bacon, attacked the royal English government and burned Jamestown to the ground. Ultimately, the overmatched uprising failed, Bacon died of illness, and 23 of his followers were hanged as traitors.
Recognizing that another insurrection was possible and might spread, the terrified ruling circle of planters needed a scheme. Their great trick was to drive a wedge between white and black workers. On the one hand, draconian laws were passed that punished whites for associating with blacks. On the other hand, financial rewards were bestowed on whites who captured runaway slaves. Perks like owning a small piece of land and a few minor legal rights were granted to poor whites, and their status versus blacks was elevated.
Over time, an artificial bond was created between elites and the white working class. This was the genesis and evil genius of creating "white identity" where none had existed. Gradually, working class whites came to believe they were better human beings by virtue of their skin color. The strategy, under various guises, has been working for 400 years, even though there's nothing natural, nothing biological about it.
Stock market guru and political pundit Marc Faber spews the fear and hate-mongering used to keep people apart who should be allies when he writes, "Thank God that white people populated the Americas, and not the blacks. Otherwise the United States would look like Zimbabwe, which it might one day anyway."
Faber is today's embodiment of the Virginia plantation owner. In recent years, communities of color have been scapegoated for the white working class's entirely justifiable grievances over decreasing wages and benefits and a precarious future where better opportunities for their children are slipping away. As the late George Carlin quipped, "No matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you're screwed because it's all fixed. There's a club and you ain't in it."
Black and brown Americans have known this truth for a long time; others have have only recently had these conditions thrust on them. Yes, the pain and suffering of the white working class is real, but so far the diagnosis has focused on symptoms and not the actual cause.
That is to say, there is one minority that is dangerous to most Americans. It's the wealthy, privileged elite that rules over everyone else, those who own and benefit from our deeply dysfunctional economic system. Other than worrying that lower- and middle-class whites will catch on that immigrants, Muslims and blacks are not the ones threatening their well-being, these folks have never given a rat's ass about us, our children, or our grandchildren.
Finally, some people want to depict Trump sympathizers as fact-resistant, bigoted rubes. I've never bought this, and the sweeping claim that all 62 million Trump voters are racists, incapable of thinking and acting in their own interest, is smugly condescending. Many were reacting to betrayal by Democratic and Republican politicians.
I've never doubted that white working class folks, if privy to all the facts, are one pillar in constructing a social movement -- outside the hopeless two parties of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton -- that can change our country. For me, that feels like our best and last hope.