There was once a popular explanation amongst American liberals for the persistent and pernicious anti-black racism of the poor white population of that country’s southern states.
The “white trash” didn’t like their black neighbours, the theory went, because it was vital to them psychologically to have somebody lower in the social food chain than they were themselves. Thus, per the theory, the lowest and poorest white yokel called Cletus in Alabama could still consider himself better than the wealthiest and most erudite black.
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