This is Also What Racial Progress Looks Like
I suppose it’s race relations progress when a very rich Black man who when publicly criticized can say, “I’m rich and famous,” joining the ranks of so many rich white men who use their wealth and notoriety to shield them from the consequences of their behavior.
And why not, since this is a capitalist society where what you say, and who you hurt, is celebrated if it results in your accumulating more wealth and power and fame.
Have all rich men been shielded by their wealth from accountability? Of course not. But those who have a fan base that vote with their ballots or with their ticket purchases sure as hell are. Actually, rich politicians have an advantage over other ill-behaved rich: politicians can also cloak their prejudices with a mantle of religion. Hello Donald!
There’s some difference between owning the liberals and owning those who are transgender, with attacks on liberals being against a group with the resources to fight back, while those on transgender folk being on a small vulnerable group. When a member of a historically disrespected group attacks another in a different disrespected group, it’s much like the pot calling the kettle…well, black. It also warms the hearts of white racists to see disrespected group duke it out with another such group.
It seems that empowering a group goes beyond voting, employment, marital and housing rights, and includes the right to denigrate other different groups, something America has a long history of doing. It’s called “Othering,” which is:
“…a way of negating another person’s individual humanity and, consequently, those that are have been othered are seen as less worthy of dignity and respect.
On an individual level, othering plays a role in the formation of prejudices against people and groups. On a larger scale, it can also play a role in the dehumanization of entire groups of people which can then be exploited to drive changes in institutions, governments, and societies. It can lead to the persecution of marginalized groups, the denial of rights based on group identities, or even acts of violence against others.”
Kinda reminds me of different chicken breeds squabbling over a pecking order while held captive in a chicken yard, until the MAN gets what he wants comes to chop off their heads.
Only a rich man can walk away from a deal worth fifty million dollars, explaining he did it for ethical reasons related to racism and being “used”, and accept a sixty-million-dollar gig where he attacks another historically disrespected low-power group, only to turn around and play the victim by claiming he’s being canceled despite not being cancelled, while his employer defends him with a statement that what the rich man does in public doesn’t translate to real world harm.
When this happens baby, you know you’ve arrived.
