There’s a thought-provoking post by Joshua Mitchell at City Journal on identity politics, class, and religion I’d like to commend to your attention. Here’s a snippet:
Sustained legalized slavery in America, over more than two centuries, sets African-Americans apart from all others who are now here in our country. African-Americans are not one “identity†among others. My father’s family, one example among millions in America today, came from Lebanon in the 1890s. His immigrant family was not treated particularly well, nor was he. (He nevertheless lied about his age, joined the Marines after graduating high school, and served in the Pacific theater during World War II.) Toleration and acceptance are hard-won and do not happen in a generation. In the identity-politics world, my father’s immigrant family would have been granted the fault-and-guilt debt points to which his immigrant identity entitled him. To which every immigrant family with a long history in America should say, “Nonsense.â€
I’ve written about class here in the United States in the past. Mr. Mitchell is correct in that here in the United States class is different than elsewhere, determined by money. But we actually have more classes than he lists and which I’d delineate by source of income. If you punch a clock and are paid by the piece or by the hour, in general you’re working class—blue collar. If you receive a salary, in general you’re middle class. The rich are divided into two subclasses. One subclass is wealthy by virtue of owning assets; the other is wealthy by virtue of government subsidy.
His background is interesting. His father was probably identified as a Syriac Turk in his immigration papers (because Lebanon did not yet exist), and probably identified personally as a Maronite Christian. With that background he also probably came to the U.S. with some Western language (though probably French) and was schooled in Western culture through various missionary outreaches. The Maronite Church’s relationship to Rome would have been complicated, but they generally would become assimilated in the U.S. through the assistance of the Catholic Church.
About ten years ago, there were four members of Congress that identified themselves as Arab, and all four had Lebanese ancestry, though one was Lebanese Presbyterian, not Maronite. Must be random chance.
As to the general thrust of the linked piece, I think this article is pretty strong on the points as well:
Why America is coming apart at the seams
I think I’ve mentioned it before but when I was a teen I attended a Maronite church for a while.
I didn’t remember that. Peoria has a fairly large Lebanese community, at least for its size, and a Maronite church wasn’t built there until the mid 70s, but most of them stayed with the “Irish” church and school because few identified themselves as Maronite by that time.
Wonder if there will be a riverside baptism equivalent where White Privilege is washed away and admittance to the lowest rung of the Elect is gained.
“Team Blue and Team Red want you angry, pissed-off, and contemptuous of your fellow American, every day, so you don’t notice the political elite picking your pocket”
Even if you know, what can you do?
“….in the United States class is different than elsewhere, determined by money. ……. The rich are divided into two subclasses. One subclass is wealthy by virtue of owning assets; the other is wealthy by virtue of government subsidy.” (ed subsidy/corruption)
Say what? This isn’t the case in England, France, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, China…………
It’s hard for Americans to understand but in England, France, and Spain it’s still possible to be upper class without money or assets. You remain upper class and have certain prerogatives and social standing. In the U. S. if you don’t have money or assets, you’re not part of our “upper class”.
Gray: Just remember to hate the messenger, not just the message.