Date: Wed, 01 Jul 1998 12:16:19 -0400
From: Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol@jhu.edu>
Subject: Re: Magazine Feature on White Racism
In-reply-to: <01bda3ac$e45acbe0$2262e589@cwolf.alaska.edu>
To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, psn-cafe@csf.colorado.edu
Noel:

I read the racism piece you recommended.  I fully agree with your drift
from the individual to the social dimension.  I could only wish that you
made a similar drift from the mental/cultural to the material. 

The proposition like "End capitalist oppression!" entails a set of programs
that, if implemented, are likely to achieve an empirically observable set
of objectives stipulated by that proposition.  Those programs may or may
not get support of various interests groups, and thus may or may not be
attainable under particular political-historical circumstances.  But there
is little doubt that the implementation of a program that, say, curtails
private property rights  will reduce the capacity of the "haves" to
economically exploit the "have-nots," and will produce a more equitable
distribution of economic resources.

When it comes to the proposition "End racism," however, I am at utter loss.
 What the f**k are we supposed to do (individually or collectively) to
achieve that end?  

I hope nobody on this list seriously believes that assorted culturalist
voodoo rituals, like schmoozing, deconstruicting, throwing epithets at real
or perceived enemies, "town meetings," street rallies, or supporting a
political campaign will have any measurable effect on "race relations"
other than propelling a few entrepreneuring individulas to leadership
positions.  

So what a person like myself (an Eastern European immigrant of leftist
persuasion) is supposed to do to 'end racism?'  And while we are at that,
can you describe to me how exactly the 'end of racism' looks like, so I can
tell (instead of being told!) whether we have one or not?

Two final comments.  I see nothing wrong with the concept of the "culture
of poverty."  To me, it has nothing to do with ethnicity (other than being
superficially correlated with it under certain circumstances).  Where I am
coming from, you can see "culture of poverty" and its debilitating effect
on 100%  caucasians - substance abuse, learned helplessness, social
parasitism, lack of responsibility, crime, misogyny, etc.  "Underclass"
people (peasants and workers) are also perceived by many as less than human
with the assorted conseqences (cross-marriages being frown upon, family
ties being cut off, etc; BTW, to this day, my old folks cannot forgive me
that I married a working class woman, and they keep refering to her family
as if they were a different species).

Also, where I currently live (I'm the only caucasian male on the block)
many people  like to see themselves as professional people, and the
"victim" or "black" identities have little appeal to them.  They do not
like being thrown into one sack with the project dwellers a few blocks down
the street as 'victims of racism.'  In fact my neighbors often refer to the
project dwellers in terms I would rather not repeat here.  

Best regards,

Wojtek Sokolowski

PS. Again apologies to everyone for my silence, but I was out of town for a
few days.