Re: [Marxism] Poor, white and pissed

[Intense Red <intnsred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 > I really enjoyed reading this item. But I confess I am still a bit
 > confused about how the concept of "white trash" is being used, the real
 > meaning of it.

   White trash is a term originally used to refer to poor, uneducated
southern, rural whites.  It was meant to denote that their social status was
a better than blacks, but was certainly not equal to the elite whites who ran
the south.  You'll often see "trailer trash" to refer to the same group of
people (i.e. they often live in mobile homes/trailers).

   Obviously, white trash are overwhelmingly working class, with some
lupenproletariat thrown in.

   It's normally meant as an insult, but some can/do take a perverse pride in
calling themselves that.  From our perspective, the insult highlights race --
that great American dividing line -- while at the same time obscuring the
working class aspects that both most blacks and white trash shared in common.
As such, the term serves the ruling class well.

   You're right, it's a divisive term; but then again, that's the specialty of
American politics. :-(

 In solidarity.

--
"The greatest crime since World War II has been U.S. foreign policy." --
Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General under President Lyndon Johnson

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