BK on Identity

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Yoshie is not wrong to pose the question of whether racism is 
>economically rational fot the workers. That is not the only 
>question. Ian is right to remark on nonrational psychopathological 
>bases. But it matters whether these are reinforced or opposed by 
>group economic interestss. If racism is economically rational for 
>workers, it will be harder to dislodge. If it is economically 
>irrational, that gives us a wedge to crack the irrational 
>psychopathologies. As the the latter, do people know Winthrop 
>Jordan's White over Black, on the irrational racist origins of 
>slavery? --jks

Setting aside Winthrop Jordan for the moment, the question I asked 
concerning working-class racism can be also asked with regard to 
protectionism in general, I think.

Do workers in a rich industrialized nation like the USA gain 
_increases in real wages & social programs that outpace rises in 
productivity_ by practicing more protectionism _even in the very 
short term_?  Note that I am not asking whether they gain increases 
in nominal wages (which may be lagging behind inflation and/or rises 
in productivity).

Doug pooh-poohs protectionist critics of NAFTA, etc. who say that 
free trade agreements have had a negative impact upon American 
workers at the same time as agreeing with Boushey that her "findings 
provide empirical support for the argument that it is in the interest 
of whites and males to maintain their employment privilege because it 
sustains their higher earnings."  It is logical to assert both at the 
same time?

Yoshie

P.S.  I'm cc'ing this to my favorite social scientists, with a view 
toward getting reinforcements.  :-)