Trump stokes division with racism and rage – and the American oligarchy purrs The president is the best thing that ever happened to the corporate elite, a distraction on the lines of the old Jim Crow ........... JPMorgan has made it difficult for black people to get mortgage loans. In 2017, the bank paid $55m to settle a justice department lawsuit accusing it of discriminating against minority borrowers. Researchers have found banks routinely charge black mortgage borrowers higher interest rates than white borrowers and deny them mortgages white applicants would have received. ......... BlackRock is one of the biggest investors in private prisons, disproportionately incarcerating black and Latino men. ............ Starbucks has prohibited baristas from wearing Black Lives Matter attire and for years has struggled with racism in its stores as managers accuse black patrons of trespassing and deny them bathrooms to which white patrons have access. ............ behind the scenes – in the halls of Congress and the corridors of statehouses, in fundraisers and in private candidate briefings, in strategy sessions with political operatives and public-relations specialists – the CEOs who condemn racism lobby for and get giant tax cuts and fight off a wealth tax. ............ As a result, the nation can’t afford anything as ambitious as a massive Marshall Plan to provide poor communities world-class schools, first-class healthcare and affordable housing. .............. The CEOs resist a living wage and universal basic income. They don’t want antitrust laws jeopardizing their market power, thereby requiring consumers pay more. They oppose tighter regulations against red-lining or prohibitions on payday lending, both of which disproportionately burden black and brown people. .............. Since the start of the pandemic, the nation’s billionaires have become $565bn richer, even as 42.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. ............ The rich know that as long as racial animosity exists, white and black Americans are less likely to look upward and see where the wealth and power really has gone. ........ Half a century ago, Martin Luther King Jr observed much the same about the old southern aristocracy, which “took the world and gave the poor white man Jim Crow. And when his wrinkled stomach cried out for the food that his empty pockets could not provide, he ate Jim Crow, a psychological bird that told him that no matter how bad off he was, at least he was a white man, better than a black man.” ............... The only way systemic injustices can be remedied is if power is redistributed. Power will be redistributed only if the vast majority – white, black and brown – join together to secure it. Which is what the oligarchy fears most.
Why protests aren't as dangerous for spreading coronavirus as you might think The protests are a visible example of public crowds, and the ideal scapegoat for problems that are far more complex. ........ the answer is largely in favour of the outdoor protests over other large gatherings planned, such as indoor campaign rallies. ......... wearing a mask can substantially lower the risk of spread and severity of illness ....... research suggests that outdoor activities are much safer than indoor ones. ............ if you’re going to be in a crowd, a mobile one is better than a stationary one. ........ there is a serious risk and grave public health cost to not addressing systemic racism against black people in America. Racism and police violence against black people is an epidemic, and the black community has faced the worst of coronavirus – both in mortality rates and economic fallout. .................. the vast majority of infections occur in so-called super-spreader events, almost all of which take place indoors. The risk of infection from outdoor protests is further reduced by the striking consistency with which demonstrators wear masks, and often make efforts to maintain personal distance ......... if people adhere to these practices, mass demonstrations will produce more coronavirus cases, but not an avalanche. .............. Some US states with rising rates of infection, such as Arizona, Texas and Florida, began easing the lockdown before the recent protests began, without having met the federal government’s reopening criteria for reopening, including downward trends in cases and rates of positive tests. .............. scientific evidence suggests that the risk of returning to offices and shopping centres is probably greater than participating in large demonstrations. The crucial exception, of course, is when they are met with mass arrests. Throwing peaceful protesters into police vans and jails is unquestionably a recipe for mass infection. ............... Systemic racism has innumerable health consequences ...... one in 1,000 African American men is killed by the police ......... We must explicitly acknowledge the public health impacts of both the pandemic and systemic racism. Protests will lead to infections, but our public health communications should clearly emphasise that the risk can be mitigated with symptom checks and tests (where available) before participation; masks, eyewear, and distancing, where possible; and testing and self-quarantine, where possible, afterwards. We should be actively sharing guidance on How to Protest Safely ............. If we are to confront systemic racism, such mass demonstrations seem “essential” ......... History teaches us that civic protests are how nations get better. Now, more than ever, they are essential.
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