Make the Invisible Visible: Talk about Systems

Lois Johnson's insight here is profound and spot on. We need to make the invisible visible, and talk about systems. We must challenge the ideas of individualism and collections, and replace them with the ideas of persons and communities.

Lois writes,

A quick thought about CRT/systemic racism:

 

The attention has been on race - how the GOP is racist and how pushing back against the GOP and its policies is antiracist BUT...

 

I think that's where the GOP wants the attention. On race.

 

Instead of on the *systemic* part of systemic racism.

 

I think one of the GOP's biggest fears is that people would start thinking about systems. That we would start thinking systematically. You can feel it when the new Virginia governor talks. "There are no systems here! We promise we won't teach people anything about systems!" said the filthy rich corporate-hedge-fund-manager-turned-governor.

 

Because if there are no systems and no systemic racism - *or systemic classism* - then every failing is individual or personal. If you work all month and still can't pay the rent, that's because you splurged on Little Debbie Snack Cakes and a couple of lattes. If you work for decades, but your kids still have to take out student loans to go to college, that's because you went on that vacation that one year. If you work your whole life, but can barely retire, that's because you didn't try hard enough.

Your failure is not because the federal minimum wage is an unlivable $7.25/hour, which drives down all wages, and your failure is not because we have laws that force businesses that trade on the market to privilege investors over workers, profits over justice. Don't think systematically. Think about your own individual failure. 

 

See, race is a gravy topic for the GOP. They activate the racists among them with it. The few who aren't racists hear the GOP folks quote out of context that MLK line about judging people on "the content of their character and not the color of their skin" and comfort themselves believing any systemic look at color discrimination was opposed by MLK. And when a person of color complains or takes a knee, well, that *individual person* hates our country and is so ungrateful and yadda yadda "I have Black friends!" And end of the day? Animated GOP people vote.

 

BUT TALK ABOUT THE SYSTEM PART. About the healthcare that you pay for but can't get. Pay for, but then also pay deductibles for as well so that at the end of the day, did the insurance company actually really pay anything? Talk about the way that $7.25 drives down all wages. Talk about the way the system privileges wealth (investors) over work (workers). Talk about the prison system, about how horrible it is, and about how we take the votes away from the very people who've been there and could vote to reform it. Talk about the education system that disadvantages poor kids from rural areas and poor neighborhoods because of our taxation system. Talk about all the systems.

 

I'm not saying ignore the racism. I'm saying that's the fight the GOP wants.

 

BUT MAKE THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE. Talk about the systems. The GOP - and their corporate overlords - are scared of people really understanding the ways in which the systems are to blame for our "just-on-the-edge" poverty, our shortened life spans, our low quality of life.

 

We can do better for all of us. But we have to make the invisible visible.

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file under Nominalism