So among the poor whites racial identity beats economic arguments. The concept that republican politics is bleeding them dry whereas a fair social welfare state would be the way for them is ignored. They vote against their own interests. As a side note Modi got reelected in India now on jingoism, hinduistic rhetoric while bleeding the poor, feeding the rich, building prestige projects and letting infrastructure for the masses rot. 70 years of Congress party power monopoly with corresponding corruption and decay did its work. They don't blame the new man for the general situation until much later. He doesn't own it, remains an ousider, even after 5 years leading the country. Trump will fare similarly. Both parties let white middle class down since Reagan. If Trump does not succeed in 'hope and change for whites' then a more radical left or right winger will take power or revolution, civil sar will take place.
Between 1965 and 1983 the children of those who benefited from the opportunities available took them for granted and destroyed them. They killed the goose that layed the golden eggs, i.e. a system based on a middle class mindset where anyone can rise to the top( dishwasher to millionaire). The concept of the war generation, of common effort gave way to individualism akin to earlier eras. This was inevitable cyclically. I see a basic contradiction between the success mantra and the equality, working together, conformity mantra. The churning of technology may have led to this and 'great expectations'. Each generations has a new set of rules, technological, social tool kit. How can one learn from one's father if he is 'so antediluvial'. Only if technology is relatively stable can conformity, cooperation bring success. Otherwise the outlier takes over by using technology disruptively. Rockefeller used oil, Morgan used finance. Nowadays Jobs, Gates, Bezos. So winner take all till new tech peters out and the state can penalize new founded monopolies of gilded era I, and gilded era II. Free trade was a tool for peace , to rebuild Europe, Japan via open USA markets but was used by Walton family to hollow out industrial America. Now we may get war with China due to good old American ingenuity. Ie. Individualism works against the common interest. Wealthy trade family destroyed millions of jobs and helped an ancient kingdom come to world class rival, treason? like Bezos today and Rockefeller in 19th century the common interest is not same as that of the entrepeneur.
Regarding racial equality, poverty - prison population rose tenfold(war on drugs, boomer rebellion, black power movement oppressed by racist gi generation establishment), welfare created an impoverished ghetto mentality. Voting reform pealed off the old south to a republican enclave of racists, redlining in white neighbourhoods recreated city apartheid in the north where blacks recently emigrated to escape jim crow and now were caught in ghettos with crime, police harassment, mass unemployment, single moms on welfare(unemployed papa has to leave them so they qualify). Systematized racism is tribal mentality. Nowadays at university black students resegregate to avoid microaggressions. Birds of a feather...
Caste systems may well be voluntary as values, identity are passed from generation to generation. To break from habit, rich educated, poor criminal, middle class, entrepeneurial is hard. One copies one's parents, grandparents. This magnifies itself socially, tribally.
Lots to think on. Stability may mean ossification(over millenia in old china, india, ancient Egypt), dynamism can bring chaos, war, inequality as in USA cyclically and similarly in ancient Rome.
Ed
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