[PEN-L:8837] Re: Re: racism

[Jim Devine <jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'll ignore what Rod says about Canada, since I really know nothing about
the place (having been there only three times). I really should get out
more often .... Bill answered him on that, but maybe there's a third
perspective?

He writes: >That said, my belief is (correct me if I am wrong) that
affirmative action  programmes were of marginal importance, serving mainly
as a symbol for both  sides in the debate.  ...  One of the problems with
affirmative action programmes is that poor "whites" see them and say "What
about us? Nobody in my family ever went to university, either." This makes
them vulnerable to  right wing racist appeals against the 'special
interests.' <

In the US, as far as I can tell, the major success of affirmative action
has been for women, both "white" and "minority."

After pressing Rod to be concrete, I'm going to be a bit abstract, but less
abstract than he was when he was asserting that race is real. I guess I
agree with Rod in the long run, but in the short run, I think affirmative
action (AA) is a short-term program that can promote the unity of the
working class of different ethnicities. Unfortunately, we live in the short
run (whereas in the long run, we're all dead, while the lonely hour of the
last instance never comes, and ... you get the idea).  The basic problem
that AA addresses is that for a lot of different reasons, the "markets" for
education, for jobs, and for loans do not work as advertised in the
introductory economics textbook.

This is especially clear in markets for jobs, where unemployment and other
barriers are normal. Because of these barriers, there is a division between
"insiders" and "outsiders" (which economists then use to explain
unemployment, in a simple-minded way). The insiders tend to favor their
own, so that the historically most privileged fragment of the working class
(typically white males) dominates insider jobs, in the "primary labor
markets." This benefits the insiders in the short run, but goes against
their long run, class, interest. It benefits the bosses by dividing the
workers, so the insiders are their short-run allies. AA tries to break down
this alliance, by breaking down the barriers. It's not the only way:
persistent low unemployment helps (especially when combined with AA).

Sure, poor whites will feel left out (especially since many of _them_ are
discriminated, since they're "rednecks" or "hillbillies"). What that says
to me is that in addition to AA, we need persistent low unemployment. (The
two are complementary.) I don't think we'll get that persistence, however,
since capitalism abhors full employment.

>That things like the Head Start programme were much more successful.... I
would campaign strongly against government money or tax breaks to private
schools. I would campaign strongly for more money to be spent on the early
education of every one who needs it, and equalization of school funding
over districts, perhaps (if possibly under the constitution) over the
country. I would campaign for a broadening of the curriculum so that people
of different backgrounds would feel more comfortable in the school system.
And I would insist that children from an earlier age be indoctrinated with
idea  that race is a stupid idea. The trick is to meet the needs of the
kids without anyone feeling left out....<

I think public education is (or least can be) a good thing, including Head
Start. It has been a victory for the working class and other left & liberal
forces in the US, while one of the reasons why it's so bad during the last
few decades is that these forces have been on the decline. Liberals like
Hillary Clinton aren't helping by calling education an "investment"
(sounding like Clark Kerr in the video "Berkeley in the Sixties.")

I don't think people should be taught that "race is stupid." Telling people
that race doesn't exist just pushes them back to ethnicity, which does
exist, even if it's a social creation. (Actually race exists, even though
it's a social creation.) And then they can be bigoted against folks of the
"wrong" ethnicity. The point is to teach people that bigotry -- against
those of other races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual preferences,
etc. -- is destructive, unscientific, etc. It's racism, not race, that's
"stupid."  People should recognize the (social) reality of race and racism
and then learn to get beyond them. In fact, I think recognition is a
necessary condition to "getting beyond." It's like the fact that you have
to recognize that you're an alcoholic before you can do anything about it.
(Thus, AA.)

And the race-blind idea ignores the real existence of institutional bigotry
in our (i.e., US) society. The race-blind idea also says we should ignore
"ethnic" history -- at a time when ethnic history has become sorta legit.
(Here, in Jesuit territory, we not only have Black, Chicano/a, and Women's
Studies Programs, but an Irish Studies Program.)

On a lighter subject:

Did you hear about the new Jedi Knight they're adding to Episode 2 of STAR
WARS? Following the trend of names like Obi Wan Kenobe and Quai-Jon Gin,
she's called "Obi Gyn."

Meanwhile, I'm glad that pen-l didn't get involved in the big controversy
about the racism and antisemitism of the Jar Jar Binks and Watoo characters
in Episode 1.

Meanwhile, now that New Jersey has succeeded in claiming Ellis Island,
they're changing its name to Elvis Island.

And have you heard the lyrics from Randy Newman's album "Bad Love":

"If Marx were living today
He'd be rolling around in his grave.
And if I had him here in my mansion on the hill
I'd tell him a story t'would give his old heart a chill ...

"Oh Karl the world isn't fair.
It isn't and never will be
They tried out your plan
It brought misery instead
If you'd seen how they worked it
You'd be glad you were dead
Just like I'm glad I'm living in the land of the free
Where the rich get richer
And the poor you don't ever have to see
It would depress us, Karl
Because we care
That the world still isn't fair."

(Copyright 1999, Randy Newman)

Jim Devine jdevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx &
http://clawww.lmu.edu/Faculty/JDevine/JDevine.html