This is a line of argument that Joe Bageant has made convincingly in "Deer Hunting with Jesus." It's in the interests of those with economic power to keep the working-class white populace (especially in southern states) supporting politics that work against those whites' best interests. And one big way they do that is by stoking racial fears. As many have pointed out, they just do it less directly these days, using code words. They also do it by creating "debates" where there are none. The immigration "debate," the healthcare "debate," and on and on. Those are code words to defend and fan fears based on ignorance, and keep people from thinking about what they really want to stand for as a nation. This is a very good essay because it digs deeper into American history than Joe Bageant went. Greed seems to have trumped idealism since the Constitution was written.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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