WN: NOTE: This piece appeared in The Atlantic 6 years ago. It could have been written yesterday . . . or at any other point in American history.
In the post, Cornel West Says ‘Neo-Fascist Gangster’ Trump and Neoliberal Democrats Expose America as ‘Failed Social Experiment’, there is an attempt to provide a tiny inkling of information in support of Dr. West’s claim.
The article highlighted below is not merely a “tiny inkling”, it is the fruit of painstaking research by a gifted writer about troubled White America. As one reads it, it repeatedly is made plain that the social experiment has not really “failed"; for that would posit a social experiment set out to do one thing, but unsuccessful in the end. Quite the contrary: the “social experiment” by America did not fail in its foundational structures and consequential “tentacleized” permeation of every facet of American life downstream. The System achieved throughout American history exactly what it was designed to do: make the American Dream accessible to one racial group only: Caucasian.
With that last line, a close relative would stop reading in full-on righteous anger, and malign me for the Liberal molly-coddling naïve duped anti-racist I am (not–well, yes to “anti-racist” 🙂 ). What I am unsuccessful in, given many attempts, is encouraging this person to consider dispassionately another viewpoint. For so much of life understanding depends upon our starting point of view.
In mediation training, we refer to this observation as the “WOWMOM” syndrome. Note the stylized image here. In doing our training, we would take a blank piece of paper and place it between two persons sitting opposite each other. We would then print in large letters WOW and ask each person to read out loud the word in front of them.
Now despite that undeniably clear piece of communication (both witnessed the printing of the word in real time), the two opposite parties receive–and report–very different messages. Yet each is in that moment telling the truth.
So why the difference? In a word: viewpoint. Obviously. Yet, in an enormous amount of human communication by word or body language, that is either not factored into one’s comprehension (perhaps forgotten if known), and this understanding is jettisoned, at least omitted. Even when traits of similar ethnicity, culture, language and a host of other variables align. This doggèd capacity to see things primarily from one’s own vantage point is indeed a foundational reality of our human condition.
A simple example representing one shift only in surrounding culture: a person enters a prison in Canada for the first time. That is the only changed variable for him. The first time he opens his mouth and tells a prisoner: “You’re such a goof!“, he as likely would receive a “shiv” to the gut as ever get out of that prison alive. That one cultural variable forbids ever consequence-free calling someone a “goof” inside.
So, where does that leave us with this ubiquitous human condition trait? Hopefully at least a tad more open to hearing another’s viewpoint. One can extrapolate from there . . . Though to get even an inkling of that other viewpoint presumes at minimum attentive listening. Which points unfortunately to another universal human condition trait: few of us are naturally good listeners, and must practice throughout life to develop that skill.
Now back to my close relative. After years of only listening to him expatiate on everything that irked him, with reference to race, immigration, climate change, etc., etc., I one day finally decided to tell him I simply disagreed. Full stop. And that I had my reasons–if we could have together a respectful discussion about them. He became so angry at me that I finally too, after a few outbursts, also suggested that the best thing moving forward is simply for neither of us raising/discussing those things in the presence of the other. My viewpoint?: such outbursts and storming away are not how to address the human condition of differing viewpoints. Full stop!
Enough said. Though I am happy to have a respectful, rational, attentive-listening conversation with anyone; still wish it with the relative. I in fact invite it!
So back to the highlighted article. It is, in other words: superb. In yet another: outstandingly. To say it makes one weep is beyond understated. One can even use another word?: exponentially. Especially against the backdrop of worldwide White Colonial Systems of oppression the world over.
Enough said again. I cannot say of the highlighted: Enjoy. But I can use three more words: Learn. And: Weep. And (but how?): act.
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