How to Suppress Discussions of Racism -- 6 Easy Steps! This is in the tradition of How to Suppress Women's Writing. 95% of my law school class clearly took an extended course in this subject. I looked for something on how to suppress discussion of class inequalities, but couldn't turn up anything, probably because the capitalist monster under my bed ate them all. So I offer my own very abridged version of how to squelch commentary on class, or at least make my head explode during an argument, especially if you're related to me. Feel free to expand on it.
1) Refer to individual responsibility. Just keep referring back to this over and over again, but only (this is KEY) for poor people, people of color, and women.
2) If this gets tedious, mix it up with some references to personal accountability. Again, remember, it is impossible for any individual, institution or, God forbid, corporation with any degree of power to be held to a standard of personal accountability. This is only to be applied to homeless people, domestic violence survivors, the mentally ill and the like.
3) Bring in bootstraps. Tell miscellaneous anecdotes of random individuals who have supposedly pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, ignoring any privilege they may have had to compensate for their class positionality, such as race, gender identity, sexuality, lookism, ability, etc.
4) When your opponent is seriously ready to give up in complete irritation, talk about Choice. Choice is ALWAYS capitalized. Everyone has Choice, Choice is always at the same level, and anyone who doesn't admit to having (or to others having) free, unfettered and unconstrained Choice is Lazy and a Whiner.
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2 comments:
neo-Protestant Work Ethic? you do realize, of course, that anyone who is poor is there because of their own Choices in life - had they worked harder, they could partake of the American Dream also.
After all, aren't material goods/success all that people need to be happy or define themselves in life? Having the nice house in the 'burbs, the SUV, the couple plasma screen TVs and having the perfect little life?
If those homeless people, poor people, people of color would just embrace the American Dream and work their butts off, they can be happy too.
Miranda, of The Tempest:
"O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beautious mankind is!
O brave new world,
That has such people in't!"
If I can help it, I'm never going back to the States. :)
I'm really not bitter - but I was feeling especially bitter when I wrote that. Maybe I'll come back to visit.
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