Race Relations

Overheard in the Library today:

"You see, it's the white man, he wants to control you, he wants to keep you down."

and couldn't help wondering to myself, "I do?" as a W.M. myself I couldn't quite remember the specifics of me wanting to 'control' anyone (quite what I'd do with them is also beyond me). I didn't quite have the heart to tell these latter day conspiracy-theorists the truth.

That's the truth, by the way not just any ol' truth but THE TRUTH. But I feel it would have shocked them above and beyond the shock of me causing a scene. The truth of course is that there is no such thing as the white man, or blacks for that matter. "Whaaaaat?" I hear you ask in an overly done New York-Jewish accent. 

"No black or white people?My good man you are clearly mistaken, why for mine own eyes doth protest too much!" 

But it's true, arks a scientist! (RC Lewontin'll do) They'll tell ya there ain't no such think as a black man, just a human being with more melatonin in his skin than someone with less (the people formerly known as "white").

The only difference between people worth recognising (celebrating surely?) is the differences in their respective incomes. Yet, interestingly, this now seems to be the only difference that is oh-so-politely ignored. Ain't no celebrating diversity when it comes to the ol' cash-in-hand, funny that, innit? As Walter Benn Michaels says in his book The Trouble with Diversity diversity itself is a trick, a fascist one no less (blast those sneaky fascists!), that attempts to have us conflate inequality with prejudice rather than it being the result of our social system (as it really is, stupid). This leads us down the rabbit-hole of trying to create an egalitarian society by using respect instead of redistribution.

And, as I for one can attest, respect don't pay no bills.