Lessons from an Election

It’s been ten days since the election and there’s been a lot of talk and hand-wringing about the lessons to be learned from the result. What shows up most frequently in my feed is the idea that the elite coastal liberals are guilty of neglecting the rural working class, so they are to blame. Before we sink too comfortably into the narrative that blames those who fought against Trump for his victory, let’s review the facts.

First, when the final counting is done, Hillary will have won the popular vote by around two million. By a significant margin, more people in this country wanted to continue down the path we’re on under Obama than flip the applecart over. This isn’t to argue against the legitimacy of Trump’s win, but to point out this wasn’t a radical change in the nation as a whole as much as a shift at the margins and quirk of population distribution. It’s worth noting that those who make less than $50k went strongly towards Clinton while those in the next bracket up went slightly towards Trump and the rest were evenly divided. Trump won with the less educated and with whites, especially with the less educated white males. Clinton won with women and minorities of all persuasions.

But let’s get back to those neglected working-class whites, the ones in Middle America who feel abandoned by our government. They think the system is rigged against them, and maybe in some aspects it is, but our representative democracy is actually rigged FOR them: a vote in Wyoming carries four times the weight in the Electoral College as one in California; the two Senators from South Dakota have just as much influence as the two in New York. It’s this disproportionate representation that allowed Trump to win despite losing the overall vote. And if you look at the government these people say has neglected them, it’s primarily Republican. While our national government has been mostly split for the past couple decades, at the state level rural America is in Republican control. The majority of red-state voters have a Republican governor and a Republican legislature, and most rural counties have Republican leadership, so to blame the liberals for government’s failings requires looking away from the everyday reality of governance.

Compounding this error is the idea that we can re-cast this election as one of economic hardship and lack of empathy from the left. This is post hoc reasoning. We must remember that Trump entered politics pushing the racist birther conspiracy against our first black president. He launched his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants rapists. The chants at the Republican convention and his many rallies were to ‘build the wall’ and ‘lock her up’, not ‘increase GDP’ or ‘stop TPP’. The only consistent theme in his campaign was hatred of the other. His economic policies, like his foreign policy and social issues, were inconsistent and incoherent. From saying wages are too high to agreeing to increase the minimum wage, to arguing against social security while promising not to touch it, to modifying his tax plan multiple times but still ending up with large tax cuts for the wealthy while INCREASING taxes on the middle class – the very people who supposedly voted for him on economic, not racist, grounds – Trump’s economics are a disaster for the poor and middle class. The very fact that we have to spell out it was the WHITE working-class who supported him, not the working-class as a whole, shows that this is about race no matter how much people want to talk about something else (anything else). I’m being asked to believe that these good, hard-working (white) Americans did not respond to the overtly bigoted rhetoric, but instead chose to believe a billionaire, one who inherited his wealth, with a documented career of screwing over the working-class, when he said that he would fight for them, despite stated policy that proves he will not. That seems far more insulting to their intelligence than simply calling them racist.

The truth is anything as large and complex as a Presidential election is going to have many stories, many intersecting issues that make reducing it down to one simple narrative incomplete and unsatisfactory. But we do it because it’s easier to comprehend. It’s somehow reassuring to say that our country chose Trump not because of its bigotry and moral failings, not because it was duped by a thinly veiled con-man who spouted easily disproved lies, but because our economy is not as good as it could be for white people in rural America. Yes, there is some truth in that, but if that’s your takeaway, if you hold that thought above all others from this episode, if you disregard the racism, sexism, and bigotry, if you ask for empathy for the middle-class white male while not demanding it for the oppressed minorities who suffer even greater indignities, there is something wrong here. Once again it’s White America calling for understanding and compassion towards white Americans while downplaying the concerns and considerations of those with darker skin. We have a lot to learn from this election, don’t let it be the wrong lesson.     

Don't Vote Your Conscience

Public request: Please don’t vote your conscience. Your conscience means nothing to the rest of the world. Your actions, and their consequences, are what matter. True morality is concerned with others, and results affect them, motivations do not.

I’m not telling anyone how to vote (or not), I’m just telling you why to vote (or not). You make your choice based up a realistic expectation of what you think will bring about the most good and the least harm for society as a whole (if you vote in your own self-interest you are being selfish, pretty much by definition). It takes a fair amount of understanding of the political system to do that. It takes a careful analysis of the past and real knowledge of not only what positions different candidates take, but what their possibilities of implementation are. There isn’t always a good answer. There definitely isn’t a quick and easy answer. If your only goal is to feel morally comfortable with your choice, chances are you’re not looking hard enough. Politics is ugly but it does make a difference in people’s lives – more so for those who have the least ability to influence it. Ask yourself some tough questions and be honest in the answers. 

If you want to send a message, will anyone hear it? Is it realistic to expect your message to make a change in the world? What's likely to happen in the meantime? A quick look at history suggests that any messages sent by ballot have gotten lost - the only thing people remember in an election is who won and who lost. 

The policy positions, the moral character, and the good intentions of the loser don't amount to anything. Voting for who you think will make the best President only matters if that person has a realistic chance to win. If you value voting for the best person, chances are we could all come up with someone we think is better than any candidate on the ballot, but we don't vote for our intelligent and kind cousin because even though she might make a perfect president, we know such a vote is wasted because she will not win. It's the moral equivalent of not voting, which simply lets others decide who gets to run things.

Does your vote support a party or group you want to benefit? Again, in our system, especially at the Presidential level, winning is the only benefit of an election. Voting for a candidate sure to lose does little to support their party. Donating money or time, voicing your support in public forums, expanding their reach and exposure all are good ways to help a party, but a throwaway vote does little.

If your goal in voting is to allow yourself to sleep well at night, to feel comfortable that you stayed above the fray and avoided the messy and imperfect choices that democracy delivers, you are being selfish. On the other hand, if you think your actions, however imperfect and regardless of the outcome, had a good chance at creating a better, more just world, then you did the right thing. Accepting reality is the first step in being able to improve it.

The Internal Inconsistency of Libertarianism

People at the extremes tend to believe their difference from the majority is proof of their correctness. Anything supported or believed by the masses is despoiled by its very popularity. It wouldn't be a great truth or world-changing idea if everyone knew it. While such reasoning may be reassuring to members of small groups who rail against the larger world, when you break down the logic it tends to more properly be a refutation of those ideas themselves. For example: Libertarianism.

The concept of Libertarianism is fairly straightforward: the government should not make choices for people; society will be better off if everyone makes their own decisions free of interference or guidance. It assumes that people are the best arbiters of what is in their own self-interest and will choose accordingly - the free market will save the day.

While you can argue about the efficency of the market, whether it is truly free, and get into an econometric debate that has no end, the real problem lies underneath those issues, because the vast majority of people, the vast, vast majority, are not Libertarians. The Libertarian Party has existed in the U.S. for over forty years and has accomplished nothing. It polls around 7% of the population (everyone's excited now because it might gather about 10% support this election). Those numbers show that when people make their choice, they do NOT choose Libertarianism.

So we must ask the question: why? Why are there so few Libertarians in this country? Why is there no great Libertarian country in the world? If people are truly rational, if their choices are in their own best interest and they reject Libertarianism, then it has to be because the idea itself is flawed.

Or - as most Libertarians will argue - people are wrong. Tthe only explanation for the lack of support is that people have not thought it through. They just don't understand. They aren't making the simple and logical choice that would lead to a betterment of their life. Of course, if that's true, if so many people over so many decades are simply incapable of making the correct choice, then the entire basis for Libertarian beliefs is flawed.

Whichever side you come down on, whichever flaw is in play, doesn't matter as much as the simple fact that Libertarianism's unpopularity proves it is impractical.

So why does anyone argue for it? Because it is in their self-interest. If you look at the demographics, it becomes clear. Libertarians are white. Mostly male. Mostly young males. They are the people who suffer the least amount of structural disadvantage in society. Not that they would admit that, but in our unequal society they have it the best. If life is a race, they are the group that has the head start, so it's not surprising they argue against any interferrence that might reset the race, any laws that would reduce obstacle for other people, or principles for organizing a society that involve redistributing the wealth acquired under unfair circumstances. Libertarians are true to their principles and have chosen a path that will benefit them the most, which is perfectly fine, but it's their argument or assumption that what is best for them is best for all that collapses under closer inspection. Society has rejected their logic and by so doing proved it false. For that, Libertarians have no answer. There is more wisdom in the masses than many individuals recognize.

A White Person’s Primer on Racism

I grew up a white boy in a white town. I never had to think about race. In school I learned about the history of racism - the horrors of slavery and the ultimate victory of the Civil Rights Movement - but I never was taught about the reality of today. Like most white Americans, I have mostly white friends, mostly white neighbors, and live in a mostly white community. Race just doesn't enter into my life.

As I got older I learned more about the world, started paying attention to viewpoints different than my own. When I heard a large group of people stating that racism was a current problem, not a relic in the past, I didn't see it directly. But as is my nature, I sought out information and facts to analyze their arguments; an attempt to find the truth for myself and come to my own conclusion. It took a lot of time and reading to get to the point where I feel comfortable that my opinions and judgment are based on reality and not merely a worldview limited by my necessarily small window onto society.

The other day I decided to write a post to collect many of the sources I found in my years of learning in the hopes that it would make such an endeavor easier for others and would encourage them to become more informed before passing any judgment. But in my research I came across someone who had already done the same. Instead of replicating his work, I want to direct people directly to his site and give him the credit for a clear and cogent summary focused on information. No preaching, no emotional appeals, just the facts:

[EDIT: Mr. Tucker's post is no longer available for some reason. Here are some alternative links instead:

https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/05/06/institutional-racism-is-our-way-of-life

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/08/racial-disparities-in-the-criminal-justice-system-eight-charts-illustrating-how-its-stacked-against-blacks.html

https://www.vox.com/2014/8/14/6002175/its-not-just-ferguson-americas-criminal-justice-system-is-racist ]

As Mr. Tucker lays it out, the data is hard to refute. Some people try - and he addresses most of the common arguments you'll hear in the comments. Before we can have a real discussion on the topic of race in America, it's especially important for those who don't have to experience it to understand what the rest of the country gets to see in their own lives. 

And for those who want to learn more, once again, I'll direct you to voices and information that has more legitimacy than my own, to people who know what they're talking about and deserve to be heard. It's a very small thing to ask that those of us who have been at the center of every narrative in our country to take the time to listen to a different perspective. Open up, show some empathy, and put in the effort to really learn.

If you don't want to put that much time into things, here's a fairly short article showing just the tip of the iceberg, but still enough to make the point: Institutional Racism is Our Way of Life.

Ta-Nahesi Coate's excellent summary of how we got to this state - know the past to understand the present. The Case For Reparations.

The seminal explanation of White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.

Or for those who don't want so many words, so much reading, try listening to this kid: Royce Mann slam poem.

Hopefully this will get you closer to understanding the modern civil rights movement known as Black Lives Matter. The best way to understand it is to listen to what they are fighting for. You'll find it's much harder to dismiss their demands when you know what they are: Campaign Zero.

And to go with that, though it shouldn't need to be said, here's why 'All Lives Matter' (or any claim that we are beyond racism) misses the point and does a disservice to humanity. 

And if you want even more knowledge, here's another list of great resources: Curriculum for White Americans.

As a white man in America, I've been able to go my whole life without ever having to deal with race. A lot of people want to continue in that manner. Until those of us who are in the majority consciously choose to listen to the minority, to force ourselves to face something which might discomfort us, the people of color who are oppressed will continue to face injustices without the option of looking away. It's inhumane to ignore them, it's arrogant to deny the truth, it's too easy to let the status quo stand when it leans in your favor. I've chosen to enlighten myself and I hope others will do the same.

Open Letter to My Fellow White Males

To My White Friend,

You insist that the system is not rigged. That America is the best country and we should all be thankful to live in a such a land of opportunity. We have a black President and our next one is likely to be a woman. You get tired of hearing people complain about the system - you know it's unfair but life isn't mean to be fair. If you work hard and make smart decisions you can find success regardless of where you started. That's amazing and special and worth celebrating. 

You're not entirely wrong - our country is a great one and our world is much better than it once was in terms of equality and opportunity - but you're missing the bigger picture. One black President, or one woman, does not prove equality. For all that we have achieved as a nation, much of it was built on the backs of those who never had a fair chance. To celebrate our victories without acknowledging our failures does a disservice to everyone who ever fought their way up through a structure of discrimination to contribute to our success. We owe it to them, to ourselves, to be honest.

You're my friend because I like you, and I like because you're a good person. You’re a fundamentally decent human being who treats others with respect. You’re smart and hard-working and have earned a certain level of success in this world. But you’re also advantaged by the unfair system, even if it’s through no fault of your own. Me too. I’m as privileged as they come. I don’t think that undermines the quality of the person I am in any way, but it does make it more important that I speak out for all the people who are disadvantaged.

I look at it this way: I’ve been given a head start in the race. I’m white, my parents were middle class. I received a decent public education and knew the police were there to protect me (not arrest me). I had tons of positive role models around and I was always expected to succeed. I didn’t ask for a head start. I didn’t need a head start – I’m a pretty fast runner – but I still got a head start. If I don’t acknowledge that and simply talk about what a great race I ran and how great the competition was it makes me kind of a dick towards all those other runners who had to start way behind me. They probably would have lost anyway, ‘cause I worked my ass off and ran as hard as I could. But still, I started with an unfair advantage. Even if there wasn’t any racism or sexism today, minorities and women would still be at a disadvantage because of the past – as an econ guy you should know that the effects of capital accumulation last for multiple generations, and I don't hear anyone denying that the past was definitely unfair.

But’s it’s not really fair today either – it’s not enough that African Americans started behind because of centuries of slavery, followed by Jim Crow laws and segregation, followed by racism and discrimination that left them woefully behind. There is a TON of data that shows racism is still prevalent and powerful today.

So my race course was level and open. Everyone cleared a path for the well-educated white guy to run through. I’ve never experienced any racism or sexism. But people of color face all kinds of obstacles – their health care is worse, their education is worse, they’re more likely to be viewed as responsible for their actions at a younger age and thus more likely to get suspended from schools and placed in juvenile detention. That’s before they even become adults. Then they have to deal with things like the fact that employers will more likely give an interview to a resume with a white sounding name than a minority one – even if it’s the exact same resume. They face a tougher time getting home loans – especially if they dare to live the American dream and move out of their poor black neighborhood into the suburbs. African Americans use drugs at about the same rate as whites but they’re three times more likely to be arrested for it. When the cops do show up, studies using simulations have shown that they are more likely to view black people as threats, they are quicker to use force, including lethal force, based on the color of their skin. Even if they do overcome those obstacles and make it to lucrative careers, they still get paid less. So, yeah, lots of obstacles that I haven’t had to face. Once again, if I talk about the race I’m winning, what a great runner I am and how fast my friends are, but ignore these differences, I’m only contributing to the problem.

Most people are decent people. Most of us who had a head start didn’t ask for it. Most of us are not actually putting up the obstacles in other people’s path, at least not consciously. We’ve got our heads down and we’re busy trying to run hard and get ahead fair and square. We’re good people. But is that really enough? If we refuse to acknowledge the unfairness in the system, if we brush off any complaints and point out that things are better than they used to be and they’re slowly getting better all the time, excuse me I’ve got to get back to running now - if that’s all we do then we’re complicit in letting unfairness perpetuate. The disadvantaged people don’t have a voice, at least it isn’t listened to as much as ours is, so I try to speak up for them. I don’t want to win at any cost. I have a really good life and I’m pretty far ahead. I can afford to wait to for them to catch up. Maybe even use my time to try to get a few of the obstacles out of their way. At the very least I can tone down my bragging about what a great race this is.

What you seem to consider negativity is what I consider being a gracious winner. Our country has done amazing things – but it was founded and built on slavery. We have innovated and revolutionized the world – but our tech industry would be much stronger if we actively engaged 50% of the population and allowed them to contribute fully.

Our system was created by a bunch of rich, white men. For centuries it was dominated and controlled by a bunch of rich, white men. If you look at the positions of power in industry and government today, the system is still run by an overwhelming majority of rich, white men. You may not want to use the word rigged, but it’s not coincidence. It’s not some cabal of evil super-villains sitting around a table deciding who gets ahead and who doesn’t; it’s thousands of tiny decisions influenced by those in power who are fighting for their own self-interest, just like they’re supposed to. It’s not the intention but the result that matters. The system is structured so some have a head start and face fewer obstacles and that disparity perpetuates itself so those who started ahead stay ahead and pass on their advantages to their children.

You and I are not rich and powerful, but we are certainly white men. We’re on that side of the system. If we say the system is fair enough, that it will get better without our help, that people shouldn’t be so negative, then we’re complicit in maintaining the status quo. We’re walking away with our gold medal and thanking the committee for putting on such a nice event. That's not right.

We might not agree on how best to fix the system. But I don’t think anyone who points out the problems – the factually true and well-evidenced problems – is being negative. Fighting for improvement, fighting for others who don’t have the privilege to be effective fighting for themselves is not negative, it’s the greatest tradition of this country. It’s why a bunch of rich, white men fought a revolution to create a system that would give more white men a chance to join in their prosperity. Continuing their struggle, expanding it to include women and people of color is not un-American but the very best part of what America is and can be. That’s why I ask you to reconsider your characterization of such comments as negative. I ask you to reconsider a blanket defense of the system as it currently exists. You’re a good person, probably a faster runner than I am, and I’m sure your voice will reach farther than mine. Take some time and consider what you want to say with it when you’re standing at the finish line.