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RaWBC Review
The Love of Money and Power Destroys All
And greed comes in every color
In his book Dear White America: A Letter to a New Minority, Tim Wise asks “white” America to recognize white privilege, to understand that the story of the United States is the story of white supremacy.
He writes of the myth of meritocracy, pointing out that black people and white people can work equally hard, yet the benefits of that labor fall largely into the pockets of white people. Whether it’s mortgages, college educations, healthcare, or the court system, systemic racism makes a mockery of the American Dream.
Tim Wise asks “white” America to wake up, which is indeed a message that needs to be heard. Yes, we need to keep talking about racism. But all that talk doesn’t help much if no effective action follows.
It’s like how every time there’s a mass shooting, the news is filled with politicians saying “thoughts and prayers.” Or after the latest school shooting in Nashville, President Biden says he can take no executive action, thus it’s up to Congress to do something. And in Congress, accusations fly, “discussions” ensue, yet no changes ever occur.
I feel that most discussions about racism go the same way. Democrats kneel in kente cloth in a “show” (and it really is nothing more than a show) of solidarity with black America, but take no constructive actions to change things.
Tim Wise places blame on racist politicians. He gives the example of the role that the Tea Party played during the housing crisis and the recession during Obama’s administration. Yet, the Democrats are also to blame.
Both Republicans and Democrats depend on donations from the big banks and Wall Street to get reelected, and both parties participated in the deregulations that allowed the corporate shenanigans that eventually would leave people homeless.
Having a black President made no difference. Obama was as beholden to the corporate elite as all the white office-holders who came before him. He bailed out Wall Street, and alienated his base. So much for “hope and change.”
Politicians may talk a good game, but don’t follow through with the actions that would really make for positive…
