Sick Transit

But most critically, political racism (or bigotry if you prefer) is most effective and most necessary when it is used to divide a group whose individuals share the same economic self-interest.

Sadly, southern politics provide a very clear example of what I’m talking about. Throughout the history of the South, poor whites and blacks always had more in common with each other (in terms of economic self-interest) than with the aristocratic, white leaders. These leaders maintained their power by dividing the potential coalition through the use of race.
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Today (though in a more subtle way), Yankophobia is working in the same way. And the reason why Yankophobia is so necessary, and the reason why some conservatives are so passionate about stirring up resentment toward the northeastern “latte-drinkers,” is because the latte-drinkers advocate policies that are in the economic self-interest of America’s working classes.