Well educated and racist.
15/4/10 13:16![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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talkpoliticsThere is some buzz about the poll result published in the NY Times today that says that tea party members are more well-off and more educated than average Americans. Some folks have been surprised by this data, others suspect it is false due to poor polling methods or bad self-reporting of education level. I, however, think it's spot on-- at least, it matched my impression of the tea party members from the beginning.
I have no idea why so many liberals have it in their heads the teabaggers are simply “rednecks” or “white trash” (to use two more problematic labels.) This old, just above middle class, white male conservative demographic is one I’m familiar with. It’s the base of the Republican party. The “core” if you will. I think when people witness the absurdity, the bigotry, the racism, homophobia etc. the thought is to assume it must be from uneducated people. The idea that educated people can’t be racist is one of the great lies we have in this country. It is very comfortable to point a finger at a poor uneducated racist– less easy to realize that you may have gone to college with some of these folks. (I know I did–)
I don't think that education does much to make people less racist. Some of the most virulent racists are highly educated. Take John Derbyshire for example. His ideas about race are right out of the 19th century. But he imagines himself an intellectual, no doubt. He's even written a book about prime numbers. (As a graduate student in mathematics I submit it is not a very good book, it's pithy, and it is not worth buying at all.)
I have a theory about these folks. Most of them have worked pretty hard, and they are doing “ok” becuase of it, they are also doing “ok” because of white privilege, male privilege- but, I would not wait around for them to recognize *that* –the point is, they did pay their dues, to some extent, and they believe in the American dream (you see those flags) but what they can’t understand is WHY they aren’t millionaires yet– A upper-middle class liberal like myself can recognize the vast divide– the ~classism~ that makes it very difficult for me to go from “well off” to millionaire. I don’t take “the American dream” at face value. I work hard, but I’m under no illusions that through hard work alone the sky is the limit– I recognize my luck, my privilege, and I don’t really think I’m fundamentally different or better than most poor people.
But, these folks just *know* they are better than the poor. They think their work should have limitless rewards. They have started to hit the ceiling– since even for a straight white male from a middle class background, there are *still* ceilings– you are not the child of warren buffet. He won’t ever ask you over for diner. But, I think they assume that what's holding them back are the successes of "undeserving" minorities like myself. These are the folks who *assume* I'm getting help from 'affirmative action'-- when, in fact, I had to work harder than they did to get to the same goddamed place.
I have no idea why so many liberals have it in their heads the teabaggers are simply “rednecks” or “white trash” (to use two more problematic labels.) This old, just above middle class, white male conservative demographic is one I’m familiar with. It’s the base of the Republican party. The “core” if you will. I think when people witness the absurdity, the bigotry, the racism, homophobia etc. the thought is to assume it must be from uneducated people. The idea that educated people can’t be racist is one of the great lies we have in this country. It is very comfortable to point a finger at a poor uneducated racist– less easy to realize that you may have gone to college with some of these folks. (I know I did–)
I don't think that education does much to make people less racist. Some of the most virulent racists are highly educated. Take John Derbyshire for example. His ideas about race are right out of the 19th century. But he imagines himself an intellectual, no doubt. He's even written a book about prime numbers. (As a graduate student in mathematics I submit it is not a very good book, it's pithy, and it is not worth buying at all.)
I have a theory about these folks. Most of them have worked pretty hard, and they are doing “ok” becuase of it, they are also doing “ok” because of white privilege, male privilege- but, I would not wait around for them to recognize *that* –the point is, they did pay their dues, to some extent, and they believe in the American dream (you see those flags) but what they can’t understand is WHY they aren’t millionaires yet– A upper-middle class liberal like myself can recognize the vast divide– the ~classism~ that makes it very difficult for me to go from “well off” to millionaire. I don’t take “the American dream” at face value. I work hard, but I’m under no illusions that through hard work alone the sky is the limit– I recognize my luck, my privilege, and I don’t really think I’m fundamentally different or better than most poor people.
But, these folks just *know* they are better than the poor. They think their work should have limitless rewards. They have started to hit the ceiling– since even for a straight white male from a middle class background, there are *still* ceilings– you are not the child of warren buffet. He won’t ever ask you over for diner. But, I think they assume that what's holding them back are the successes of "undeserving" minorities like myself. These are the folks who *assume* I'm getting help from 'affirmative action'-- when, in fact, I had to work harder than they did to get to the same goddamed place.
