divide and conquer

We don't talk about poverty or class because that kinda talk makes rich people nervous.

Instead we talk about race.

Or, rather, we tell ourselves that we talk about race -- we promise ourselves great, cleansing dialogues about race -- but we almost never do it. Instead, the public conversation about race in this country consists pretty much of the Right playing linguistic Tiddlywinks with the English language so they can continue to run in ever-angrier and more hysterical circles screaming barely-camouflaged proxies for "N*gger! N*gger! N*gger!" at the tops of their lungs without, y'know, actually Saying. That. Word. Itself. Out. Loud.

Because that would be racist.

All while the media sops it up with a biscuit, and eggs the Left on to jump into the sewer and make it a proper pig-fight.

All of which, unsurprisingly, perfectly serves the interests of people who don't want to talk about poverty and class.

but it's simply not polite to talk about those things---besides it's depressing

grrrrrrrrr