Chris Evans: The "progressive" left needs to stop pretending income equality will solve racism

[StarfishSaver]

Link to tweet

chris evans @notcapnamerica

Christian Cooper, whom Amy Cooper tried to get killed by the police, is a Harvard graduate, a former Marvel Comics editor and now the senior biomedical editor at Health Science Communications

I need the “progressive” left to stop pretending income equality will solve racism.

[JI7]

1. They are the same ones who blame black women for problems in the criminal

justice sytem when it comes to black men and other minorities.

[mcar]

2. The Animal Rescue has taken possession of Amy Cooper's dog.

Glad to see this, at least.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. YEP.

[sheshe2]

4. Read she deleted all her social media as well.

Gee, I wonder why.

[Renew Deal]

5. That was the big fight in 2016

And it caused significant division.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. Different issues of fairness to me.

I wasn't even aware that people were trying to equate them.

[Hekate]

15. Well, they were. Or at least one segment of the left was/is.* As a woman I can certainly tell you...

...that while payroll parity would be extremely helpful, it would hardly begin to address the different health-care expenses of a woman, nor does it address the many issues faced by single working mothers. And I am white.

So, extrapolating from that, and just by reading the newspaper, I can pretty much figure out that just as institutional sexism isn't going away, neither is institutional racism.

*The economic theory I refer to is pretty much classical Marxism, though it has to be called something else in this country. It's adherents believe that if you solve the money side, all other problems will magically resolve. It's way too simple for real life.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

17. Maybe some people think that way, but not me.

When someone like Henry Louis Gates Jr. has racist problems, it's clearly not a money issue.

Same goes for Barack Obama, actually. One of our most dignified and intelligent Presidents, but we've all seen the nonsense that erupted from him.

I'm a prejudiced person too, but it's mostly an anti-stupid prejudice.

[Progressive Jones]

59. Thank You. Agreed 100%. nt

[mike_c]

7. no, but it's an essential step in that direction

There cannot be social justice without economic justice.

[Solly Mack]

8. K&R

[Bettie]

9. It won't solve every problem

but it would help a lot of people.

Why pretend that it isn't a worthwhile goal, even if it doesn't solve every problem?

[StarfishSaver]

13. Surely it's a worthwhile goal

But too many people believe that it should be THE goal.

But economic disparity had absolutely nothing to do with the kind of racial injustice we saw today. This particular black man is probably higher up on the economic ladder than Amy Cooper, but that didn't stop her from invoking her white privilege in a way that could have gotten him killed. And had the police responded immediately to her desperate-sounding cry for help and arrived to find her pointing her finger at the black man, there's a good chance he never would have gotten a chance to show them his Harvard diploma and bank statements before he was shot dead there in the park.

Christian Cooper has already achieved economic equality. But he's still a black man in America and that means that his life can be endangered by a white woman screaming assault.

[Cha]

14. Thank You!

[Hekate]

16. Yes

[dalton99a]

19. +1.

[Bettie]

26. I never said it should be the only goal

but it belongs in the plan.

What happened to Mr. Cooper is sick and awful, it makes me angry, but it doesn't negate that income inequality should be addressed.

[Celerity]

35. +100000

Certain groups try to say that most all (or certainly a large majority) striving for a fairer economic outcome are saying it is the only goal, and all else either doesn't matter or will automatically fix itself. Whilst there are some who say that (meaning they say that it is only goal, or is by far the number goal), they are a small minority. This false framing is then far too often used to equate most anyone talking about economic justice as being guilty of doing what that small minority does, a small minority that is tossed out there repeatedly to skew and distort the entire paradigm of debate.

[StarfishSaver]

36. I don't think anyone is saying it's these folks' only goal, but it is often their PRIMARY goal

Last edited Tue May 26, 2020, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)

They see racism as derivative of economic equality, not as a separate and intersections problem.

Economic inequality between classes can be eliminated tomorrow and racism would STILL be a serious problem.

Many black people have already achieved economic parity, but remain victims of racism. I am very comfortable economically, but am still followed in stores by white people who don't have a fraction of the income, assets, and social standing I have but still feel perfectly entitled to police me. Whenever he put on a tux, my father who was well into his 90s, was asked to refill glasses, hail cabs and retrieve parked cars by white people who assumed a black man in formal clothing was there to serve them.

Closing the economic gap will NOT eliminate racism.

[Celerity]

38. that was not my point

There is almost no one who says economic justice ALONE solves racism, but far too often that charge what is weaponised and falsely asserted. I see this false framing right here on this thread, where it is inferred that many on the left are saying only economic justice needs to be addressed. It is disingenuous to say the least.

You also used a false framing when you said

Clothing (sic) the economic gap will NOT eliminate racism.

Almost no one is claiming it will ELIMINATE it. That is a strawman.

I am in your shoes, insomuch that I am a woman of colour and very well off, and yes, when I am out with wife (especially when we lived in Los Angeles, and even more so in NYC, although it has happened in London as well, Stockholm not so much) she can be dressed down and I can be wearing posh as hell clothing, and I am the one followed around a high end store by security (who think they are clever and 'undercover' lolol.) That all said, it doesn't affect my view that BOTH racial justice and economic justice need to occur, and I feel no need whatsoever to place one above the other. They are intersectional.

[StarfishSaver]

43. You're right - they're intersectional

You may not prioritize one over the other. But the problem is that many white progressives don't see it that way. And whenever race is brought up, they immediately pivot to economic justice. Bernie Sanders is among the worst. He has few if any plans to promote racial justice and when he's asked about it, he just doesn't have any well-thought out responses beyond criminal justice reform - which he seems to believe defines the black experience in America - and then he changes the subject to economic inequality.

Thanks for pointing out my misspelling. Will correct it ...

[JI7]

21. Because the reason why many minorities are lower on the economic scale is because of racism

economic inequality and the refusal for many whites(who would also benefit) to support programs to deal with economic inequality has to do with them being worried the blacks and mexicans will get something.

[Bettie]

27. Oh, I get that

there are a lot of stupid people out there and a lot of white people whose only feeling of self-worth comes from them thinking they are better than "them".

I wish I believed it wasn't a majority, but, especially among less-educated white men, it is. I have no idea how to fix it, I work on the idiots I'm related to, but I can't even make a dent. Perhaps because they are idiots.

[LizBeth]

39. Warren did not ignore social justice, she hit it head on. Sanders on the other hand verbally told us

and by actions showed us he did not want to waste the time on it, that economic equality would address and sit down.

There is a difference between advocating not addressing social justice issue, that there are more important things to do, and seeing we need to equally address more than one issue.

That was and is the argument.

[Bettie]

44. I'm not a Sanders supporter

I don't think any one on this thread has said not to spend time and energy on Social Justice, but rather that dealing with income inequality is important as well.

It's all part of the big picture.

[LizBeth]

46. I didn't say you were a Sanders supporter. I told you what Sanders has said about social justice and

his actions that reinforce what he says. Sit down and hush. Economic equality is the issue, not social justice. That simple. I did not have conversation about what people on this thread are saying, I am telling you we had a primary candidate telling us social justice would be taken care of with economic justice.

[LanternWaste]

52. Who is arguing (or even implying) it's not a worthwhile goal?

[Cha]

10. Retweeted.. Thank you, Chris Evans.. Amy Cooper makes this

point a certainty. And, this isn't the only ugly racist experience like this, but it is caught on VIRAL video.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Than you, Starfish

[sheshe2]

11. It never stops.

Professor B. Spencer

@segafan5


Replying to
@melodyMcooper
She’s trying to Emmett Till this man.
4:01 PM · May 25, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

Link to tweet

[coti]

12. Better financial and educational resources for poor WHITE people (in addition to everyone else)

would help to avoid the scapegoating tactics Rebootlickins use to divide people by race and maintain their power.

[betsuni]

18. Glad the mocking of "identity politics" seems to have gone out of fashion.

[LizBeth]

40. +1

[Hulk]

20. WTF..?

Did I miss something? Did some one of credible standing suggest solving income inequality was going to eliminate racism in this country?

Absurd post.

[betsuni]

22. Bernie Sanders, for one. He has evolved and changed his opinion since a few years ago.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/22/bernie-sanders-identity-politics-class-race-debate

[StarfishSaver]

29. Unfortunately, many if his supporters have not evolved and still hold that opinion

[betsuni]

31. Yes, unfortunately.

[PunkinPi]

30. Recent article from Symone Sanders about when she met with Bernie in 2015

and their discussion about economics and race. Bernie definitely had a blind spot on intersectionality.

Symone Sanders On What Her Night In Jail Taught Her About Racism

...

Ha ha, ha ha. More small talk; more getting-to-know-you chatty conversation. We discussed Netroots, his reaction to the protestors, and overall strategy. Then we got into an argument. As the senator promptly let me know, we had “a fundamental disagreement” about economic policy. I suggested there was valid criticism out there about his policy, and he obviously did not agree. He then gave me his spiel about inequality and concentration of wealth and how politics is controlled by Wall Street.

Here’s the thing: I don’t necessarily disagree with the spiel—but he was missing a bigger issue. I started off trying to say something about how racial inequality in this country is not a subset of some other set of issues. But instead of fighting, I decided to backtrack and tell the senator a story that I’ll share with you now.

...

This was my own experience, but it happens all over the country. It’s happening right now. The only difference between Sandra Bland and me is that I had access and opportunity that helped me to get out of that awful situation.

I concluded to the senator, that was why I thought he should talk about race and justice issues being parallel to and intersectional with the issues in the economy. Because while the economic situation needs to change, nothing happens in a vacuum. No one cared what school I went to, that I worked in the mayor’s office, what my parents did when I got arrested. The day the officers pulled me over and attempted to pin marijuana on me, all they saw was a Black girl driving through the north side of town, and that’s all that mattered.


More here --> https://www.bustle.com/p/symone-sanders-on-what-her-night-in-jail-taught-her-about-racism-22919047

[betsuni]

32. +1

[Cha]

49. Thank you for that from Symone, Punkin..

[obamanut2012]

33. SEnator Bernie Sanders for one

And, lots of other folks, some also in Congress.

[LizBeth]

41. Yes, Sanders. Repeatedly.

[progressoid]

23. Nice broad brush ya got there Chris.

[Fresh_Start]

24. Ditto, on sexism

which is why identity politics is a necessity.

[JonLP24]

25. For me personally

I think it is a false choice. I'm both anti-racism & left wing on economics. If you focus too much on economics you run into problems Sanders did. If you ignore economics you risk losing votes to the faux populist right.

I have been mostly confused with complaints of identity politics from Sanders supporters. I don't agree with every single Sanders supporters just because I was a Sanders supporter. Same thing with Obama I supported Obama but didn't agree with every Obama supporter.

To tell you the truth I have seen more problems of racism from yellow dog Democrats or Conservative Democrats. We have Bill Maher fans here.

On edit : according to social media Amy Cooper is a registered Democrat that donated to Obama twice. I doubt considering the firm she works for that she is a Sanders supporter.

[PunkinPi]

28. K&R

[Autumn]

34. I don't know one single progressive person on the left who thinks income equality will solve racism,

Nor anyone who has suggested it will. He needs people to stop doing what they aren't doing?

[StarfishSaver]

37. Then you haven't been paying attention

[Autumn]

66. I know what this is, he may be uncomfortable talking of income inequality. I'm not. As a WOC I also

know what racism is. I also know that no one on the left is doing what this tweeter is claiming they are doing. He may want to brush off the discussion of income inequality but it is very weaselly to do it as he is doing, by making such a stupid false claim. I can't read his tweets but maybe you can post one of his examples of the left saying that income equality will solve racism. Again. No one on the progressive left is "pretending" or making the claim that income equality will solve racism. You may want to pay attention yourself instead of taking the word of a twitter persona.

[cbdo2007]

42. Same with reparations

[Sympthsical]

45. Is it Left bashing day again?

No one anywhere ever said economic justice will “solve” racism. What I have seen said is that economic justice will help mitigate the effects of racism. But solve racism itself?

Never said by anyone ever. Using this incident to have a go at progressives is obnoxious and in poor taste.

With so-called liberals like these . . .

[mvd]

47. Right on

Of course it won’t solve racism. But poverty disproportionately affects minorities, so more income equality is a positive step.

[Sympthsical]

63. +1

Exactly.

[StarfishSaver]

48. If you think "no one anywhere ever said economic justice will 'solve' racism," you haven't

been paying attention.

[coti]

51. Well, you know who had an incredibly strong focus on economic justice...right?

Maybe he thought there could be a connection between the two, even if eradicating poverty wouldn't entirely erase racism.

[StarfishSaver]

53. Oh Lord - here we go. The Dr. King card ...

Yes, Dr. King talked a lot about economic justice. He also understood that racism was not a by-product of economic injustice.

Unlike some people here, he didn't get it twisted.

But please do explain to us how the incident in Central Park last weekend wphen a white professional woman tried to get a black professional man arrested and possibly assaulted and shot by the police based on her lie that he was threatening her was the result of economic injustice or could have been prevented or avoided by closing the wealth gap in America?

[coti]

56. So, you think you know better than Martin Luther King?

That's pretty presumptuous.

He talked about both issues because he understood there's a connection. And there's definitely a connection today.

Are you also arguing that the incident in Central Park has to be perfectly explainable by economic inequity for there to be a reason to pursue such problems?

Why don't YOU explain your EXACT ROOT CAUSE, and any causal chain, for what happened in Central Park, and give us names of whom, exactly, to blame for the problem of racism, since its so simple?

[StarfishSaver]

57. Not at all

It's just that, unlike you, I actually have more than a rudimentary knowledge of what Dr. King stood for and said and did in his life and would never use him to try to justify such a shallow and ahistorical argument as yours.

As for the rest of your post, it's not even worth responding to beyond pointing out that you obviously couldn't answer my question.

[coti]

58. So explain why polls repeatedly show poorer, under-educated white people tend to vote for

racist Trump, while better off, better educated white people hate him.

[betsuni]

61. No, better off, less-educated white people voted for him, the "diploma divide."

"The relationship between education and support for Donald Trump is plain: Trump did worse -- and Clinton better -- among whites with college degrees or some postgraduate education than among whites who did not have college degrees. ... Because whites with more formal education have long had more positive views of racial and ethnic minorities, and because those views were themselves strongly related to how Americans voted in 2016, the education gap was largely a racial attitude gap. ... Trump voters who did not attend college were actually relatively affluent, and moreover, the educational divide among whites was present among voters at all income levels. ... In fact, one study of white voters without a college education or salaried job found that those who reported being in fair or poor financial shape were actually more likely to support Clinton, not Trump, compared to those who were in better financial shape. Ultimately, no other factor in these surveys explained the education gap as well as racial attitudes -- not partisanship, not ideology, not authoritarianism, not sexism, not income, not economic anxiety."

From Sides, Tesler and Vavreck's "Identity Crisis"

[StarfishSaver]

62. Why are you asking for an explanation for an assumption that bears no relation to the topic?

Not only is your assumption wrong, as Betuni pointed out, even if it were true, claiming well-off, educated white people hate Trump while poorer, less educated white people love him has absolutely nothing to do with how closing the economic gap relates to racial inequities.

[Sympthsical]

65. Racial inequalities *are* the economic gap

Would economic justice fix racism? No, of course not. No one believes that. Would it raise up the black community out of an economic and financial morass to which they’ve been condemned due to racism? It absolutely would.

And somehow, you’ve found a way to make that sound bad.

And you’re a pro-black liberal?

Doesn’t sound like one to me. Not in any world I’ve visited.

[StarfishSaver]

68. You apparently are not aware that not all or even most of the black community are in an "economic

and financial morass" - just like all black people aren't tied up in the criminal justice system. And no, without racial justice, economic justice would not "raise up" those members of the black community who do find themselves in economic straits.

Your stereotyping of our community is very interesting.

And yes, as a liberal black woman, I can probably be defined as a "pro-black liberal."

[Blasphemer]

50. Well said. Pretty much sums up my primary voting thinking for the past 2 elections...nt

[JonLP24]

54. It looks like Amy Cooper, the white woman in the viral Central Park video, is a liberal.

However, campaign contribution information — with donations to Democrats such as Barack Obama, Pete Buttigieg, and John Kerry — leaked online earlier today appeared to suggest that Amy actually identifies as a liberal. This matters, because in this political era, during this most critical US presidential election, it is necessary that we understand and recognize that white violence transcends party lines and political ideology.



In the video that Christian recorded, Amy can be heard saying, "I'm taking a picture and calling the cops,” as she appears to strangle or roughly handle her dog with the pet’s collar. "I'm going to tell them there's an African American man threatening my life."


Amy repeatedly and insistently stresses the term “African American,” giving viewers the impression that his race is significant here, perhaps in terms of how he can expect to be treated by the police. Incidents of police brutality against Black people are not rare, as Amy Cooper must surely be aware of. In fact, just today, news broke that another unidentified Black man has died in Minneapolis, seemingly gasping, “I can’t breathe” as a police officer keeps his knee on the man’s neck.


White violence is not the sole domain of Trump supporters, or open white supremacists. White violence is pervasive, spreading everywhere and tainting everything. And when we overlook liberal white racism, we put ourselves in grave danger, because liberal white people often live closer in proximity to Black folks than their conservative peers. There's a chance the Amy Cooper we see in that viral video may not be the same Amy Cooper whose details were leaked onto social media — but as a New York City resident, she's still statistically much likely to be a Democrat than a Republican, and the conversation about white liberal racism is long overdue.

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/amy-cooper-central-park-racist-dog-walker-trump-a9533581.html

[StarfishSaver]

55. You should make this an OP

[Goodheart]

60. With all due respect, Mr. Evans,

I don't see many people pretending that.

[struggle4progress]

67. OK ... let's also remember racism was invented so we'd have an easy definition of exploitable people

Who can we exploit? People with dark skin. Why can we exploit them? Because they're {Choose stuff from the following list or just ad lib anything conveniently: Criminal. Descendants of Ham. Dishonest. Lazy. Sex-crazed. Simple-minded. Savages. Violent.}

Bullshit often serves specific material interests by obscuring what's really happening

[raging moderate]

69. Progressive Left: I believe you have good hearts.

I know that is why you wanted to believe it would work. But it does not work. You just did not know how horrible a demon we are facing. We must face that fact, and move on. Our Black brothers and sisters are suffering horribly. We must learn, and change, and grow. Together. All of us together. We can lick this stuff!