Racism in the Comfort of Another Context

This quote came across my desk a day or so ago, from a writer and Journalist, name of Ta-Nehisi Coates. His memoir, Between the World and Me, is a New York Times bestseller, and finalist for the National Book Award. It got me thinking.

“Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So, the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead to change the subject and straw man.”

I’m old enough to remember that brand of racism in Evanston, Illinois, my home as well as that of Northwestern University

We thought ourselves quite innocent of bias in those days. Evanston High School was fully integrated, but the Swim Team practiced at the YMCA pool, because the school had somehow elected not to build a pool. Those things happen, and who could help it if the ‘Y’ was whites only? In Evanston, we didn’t yet know what frame-flipping was. Restaurants were integrated as well, and we were very self-congratulatory about that, but Blacks soon learned that service was way quicker in certain other parts of town.

Mr. Coates broadens the scope of bigotry, ‘inviting in the neighbors’ as it were

The table is set for those who wonder what’s so damn special about Hamas or Hezbollah terrorists and why isn’t Israel left in peace? The answer is complicated, as one might expect, but experience tells us white is always right and Israel is white.

End of conversation.

An extra course is provided for those who congregate around the subject of immigration or, as some would describe it, the unwashed hordes at the border. As an American living in Europe, I need no reminder that all American citizenry is immigrant or derived of immigrants. Some of our ancestors may have been a bit less unwashed than others, but the native population that preceded our arrival by some 12,000 years was neatly bundled off to reservations, after our best efforts at genocide.

No matter.

It was a mere footnote to our self-recognition as the land of the free and the brave. American exceptionalism was another national ego trip, believing that the United States is distinctive, unique, and exemplary compared to other nations. But those who drown in the Mediterranean, flounder in the English Channel, or die on their way to the Rio Grande, have one attribute in common. They are of skin colors other than white, and no longer welcome by white-majority America. France may as well repossess its gift of the Statue of Liberty and send a ‘no-vacancy’ sign in its place.

The largest table of all at our racist garden-party is set for the Chinese-haters, a relatively new group (but growing, god bless ‘em)

They’re special, as China was a wonderment to all, and a daily media-darling. This communist county (but who cares any more, as long as they’re not Russian?) became our prime producer of goods, once we had sent all our productive capacity elsewhere. Their astounding growth rates, ability to build massive housing projects and high-speed-rail across vast expanses, as well as growing a middle class the size of America’s in a mere six years, was constant fodder for media celebration. Emnarrassing, was what it was. But while China built a middle class, we outdid them by dumping our own and building the world’s wealthiest investor class.

Then it all came to an abrupt halt in China.

Perhaps Amazon found a cheaper producer, or Elon got his knickers in a twist over Chinese electric vehicles. The growing billionaire class in America may simply have become overstuffed with bon-bons and become sated, but suddenly the drums of war began to murmur in the Chinese direction. What the hell, a victim of white racism had never been well-armed before, if you discount Russia. But the wheels had fallen off in Russia and are rolling at warp-speed in China.

This is particularly fascinating to me because (so far as I know), of all the world powers, China hasn’t attacked anyone with bombs, or even harsh language. Yeah, they’re expanding their military and it’s pretty scary—they now have one aircraft carrier, and we have eighteen, it’s getting worryingly close. They have a huge number of troops, but that’s mostly a jobs-corps and way to keep employment high, as massed troops don’t fight wars anymore. Our bewildered and over-fed Pentagon insists we must surge ahead with massive re-armament, but they are in the pocket of the military-industrial criminals, and have been for decades.

So, those are the ways the Coates’ quote set my mind off and running

His points are well declared and spot-on. If they have a weakness, it’s that his racist-arena is too small for the crowd that deserves a seat. This is a Taylor Swift sized event. I haven’t yet read his book, but I will.

His books are easily available on Amazon.com. Do yourself a favor…