Saturday, January 16, 2010

Analyzing the U.S. by Skin Color

The under-18 population in the U.S. is less than 50 % white. There are some dynamic changes regarding 'race' going on in the younger age groups (under 30) that really need to be contemplated by people who profess to understand American politics. The affirmative action construct that was used to hold American society together after the 1960's is not going to work going into future generations. I.E., promoting the talented 10th from various minority groups to create a public perception of diversity. As the U.S. becomes more diverse, and factions increase in scope, the affirmative action construct will balkanize the political class into various petty bourgeois factions mostly concerned with grievance politics. This social foundation will be incapable of forming a functioning government (see California).

It also won't work in terms of 'race'-oriented Left political analysis. Not when at least a quarter of relationships under 30 are 'mixed' and when the wealthiest 'ethnic' group (as defined in its non-scientific BLS way) is non-white. I mean, it is hard to moan about a white supremacist America when Asians make a lot more than any other group, and have a considerably lower unemployment rate. (To be sure, there are reasons for this based around class-based immigration patterns, but they can not be addressed within an affirmative action construct of race grievance.) Generally, workers are becoming more - not less - tolerant.

I personally don't care, on an intellectual level, if the American empire crumbles from within. But the U.S. ruling class desperately needs to create a common vision and a new model for social cohesion. It seems like the leading guardians of public thought would begin addressing these problems. Or maybe, the rot is just too deep and no one with any power cares about anything but the next loot.