A White Audience is left speechless by a question about race

[Stellar]

Watch the video at the link- - > OccupyDemocrats

White Audience Left Speechless By BRILLIANT Question About Race
This is really thought-provoking.

[guillaumeb]

1. Because it is not happening to them.

Yet.

[1StrongBlackMan]

2. No "yet" about it ... it will never happen.

[guillaumeb]

3. It did happen during the union struggles of the 1930's.

1937 in Detroit, the River Rouge shootings, and in Chicago at Republic Steel. The Memorial Day massacre. Also the Ludlow massacre and various times in coal country.

Those massacres were directed against white unionists fighting for a living wage.

For white people.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. No, it didn't ... what was the wage for the Black people that unionist refused membership?

See what I'm saying?

[guillaumeb]

8. I do. But what I am saying is that many whites feel that because they are white,

they will not be attacked as non-whites are when attempting to exert their rights. But the union struggles show that capitalists always use color to divide but the only color that capitalists really respect is green.

In my union, the NALC, there were separate locals for blacks only up until the 1960's. The wages were identical, being the Federal Government, but opportunities for advancement were generally reserved for whites.

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. I understand your point; but. bear with me for a different point ...

But the union struggles show that capitalists always use color to divide but the only color that capitalists really respect is green.

Was it the capitalist that barred Black membership from the unions and segregated those unions?

[guillaumeb]

14. Yes, by using "fear of black members taking your jobs"

as a means of dividing workers. Capitalists always use race, and gender, and religion and language to divide. After the fear is invoked, the white workers self-segregate. But it is in response to the fear that the capitalists inspire and direct.

[1StrongBlackMan]

18. Ahistoric; but, okay.

No ... (for historic accuracy sake) The capitalist attempted to use black workers to break unions ... the unions segregated all by themselves.

[guillaumeb]

20. I think we are in agreement, but this type of exchange (message board) is difficult.

Here, much reduced, is my belief:

1) To control society, capitalists must divide the workers because the huge mass of people are workers.
2) While there are many ways to divide people, physical difference is the most obvious.
3) This division weakens the workers because it prevents them from uniting to make gains.
===========================================================
So racism is a tactic used to divide. This does not excuse racism, or sexism, or ethnic prejudice. It simply points out that these are tools used by capitalists. I would argue that unionists self-segregated in response to the tactics of the capitalists. Was this a proper or good response? No.

I was a union steward in the US Postal Service for over 30 years. During that time, I often heard the comment that "they are taking our jobs". The they, of course, was blacks and females. The our was white males. Blatant prejudice and misogyny.

So I think we agree that there is systemic and personal racism and both should be attacked and confronted when we experience them.

[1StrongBlackMan]

21. My belief ... workers, particularly, white workers; divide themselves ...

and the "capitalists" have nothing to do with it.

[guillaumeb]

22. So racism and other forms of division are natural?

Has there ever been a society where difference does not divide people?

The "Southern Strategy" that the GOP has used since the time of Nixon is one form of using race to divide. And a very effective one, sad to say.

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. Race was a dividing point long before the southern strategy.

[guillaumeb]

24. Good point. It was the foundation of this country.

But the question still remains, is difference an essential common characteristic of every society?

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. You probably wouldn't like my full answer ...

So I'll just say "Yes, but it doesn't have to be ... and contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the oligarchs/capitalists."

[guillaumeb]

26. That begs the question:

What is your belief?

[Stellar]

4. Yet, I've seen how quickly a lot would stand when

it happens to animals, even animals from Africa. They were outraged when that Doctor shot and killed that lion. That outrage went on for weeks.

[guillaumeb]

5. True. But animals are not asking for equality. eom

[villager]

12. They can't. They just generally go extinct, bringing the rest of us closer to that point. nt

[Marr]

7. What's so brilliant about it?

Seriously, she's talking to a sympathetic crowd, who stated their agreement with her implied premise that blacks are treated less well in our society by remaining seated.

The only way I can imagine this seeming like any sort of logic trap is if you assume the crowd is all a bunch of racists, or whites are a homogeneous group that all thinks the same way.

[davidn3600]

9. It's a friendly audience for one thing

Second, it's "group think." No one wants to stand and be singled out. They are afraid if they stand, someone may see them as racist, so they find it easier to just blend in with the group.

[Delphinus]

11. It is a

great question - posted it to my Facebook page a few days ago.

[doc03]

13. You ask that same question to a group of Trump supporters and

you would have a totally different reaction. All the Republicans I know think blacks are treated better than they are.

[Glassunion]

15. The video is not closed captioned...

For our hearing impaired readers, could someone be so kind as to give me Cliff's notes on what is being said? Video quality is a bit poor to effectively read lips and a significant portion of the video is shot from behind the speaker or of the audience.

[oberliner]

16. Click bait

White audience is not speechless and the question is not brilliant, nor particularly thought provoking.

[madokie]

17. She's right

all of us white folks know but don't want to accept it

I thought we were well on our way to equality with our black brothers and sisters a few years ago but something happened and out came the racist, bigoted assholes when we elected a black man as our President. a man I love and voted for 3 times. Once in the primary and twice in the general and would vote for him a hundred times more if I could.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. We Tied

I voted for him 3x too. I didn't vote in the primary. (Technically, in illinois i'm in independent, so i don't do primaries.)

But, i got to vote for him when he ran for Senate.

I'd vote for him again, as well.