LogFAQs > #970524977

YellowSUV posted...

Race is purely a social construct. What is considered white, black, any other race has changed over time. In the 1800s if someone had ANY traceable black ancestors they were considered black. Only specific Western Europeans were considered white. Irish and Italians were not considered white in the 1800s even though today the vast majority of America would consider these people white. Whiteness was eventually expanded to include all Europeans in part to keep the racist system in America alive.

I wouldn't be too surprised if "whiteness" expands once again to prop up racism. Perhaps Latinos and Indians* (*the country in Asia) will join the umbrella of "whiteness" in the future. That said, maybe I'm wrong and the cycle will be broken, but racism and the social construct of race is powerful tool used by the rich elites to divide the poor and middle class.

One other thing to consider is the disproportionate power Republicans have in the government. Tons of low population Midwest and mountain states full of white people (going by what is currently considered "white") will keep Republicans in disproportionate power in the Senate for a long time.

The blanket of Whiteness is already starting to include Latinos/Latinos. Look at the white supremacists waving DeSantis flags alongside their swastikas.

It won't help though. Your average young American is against bigotry. If you tried to set up dividing lines -- White Gentiles, Black people, and Indian people against Jews, Asians, and everyone else -- the majority would not bite.

Most young people have been raised in a society in which bigotry is discouraged. Yes, there are a few Kanyes in the world who would leap at the chance to hop on the Us Against Them bandwagon. But there aren't enough to sway an election or alter the course of the nation.

It's inevitable that they'll lose.