- Ruth Gilmore says that capitalism will stop being racial capitalism, when all the white people disappear from the story. What’s the connection between “whiteness” and racism, do you think?
In the video she explains capital creates inequality and racism enshrined it. Understanding, capitalism was created based on European slavery and has just evolved and adapted to new society. So if we delete “whiteness” there would be no space for capitalism and racism would not have that to feed on. I do agree with her ideas because on a prior lesson I had explained capitalism is modern day slavery. The ones who always financial benefit are usually white males while everyone else has a glass ceiling about them. In order to racism someone needs to benefit from it which are white people.
2.Gilmore makes the point that criminals are actually being created by the criminal justice and prison system (she says “the category of ‘criminal person’ can be perpetuated”). According to Gilmore, how does that happen, how does the prison system create new “criminals“? Do you agree with her view?
Gilmore expressed the needs for surplus and the only way this need can be fulfilled is by having a steady stream of criminals. She explains in order to maintain this stream, grow it and deepen it is by providing longer sentencing, and expanding the list of behaviors that is viewed as criminal. This view is very interesting and i never took the time to think about it but I do agree with it. With the idea of mass incarceration this was how surplus was made for the prison system. Since this was observed and people complained about it the next way to gain is by creating laws and policies that help incarcerated people mainly blacks and browns and the provide them with the max amount of sentencing they can have.
3. Describe how your understand what Prof. Gilmore – in the last part of her video – calls “liberation struggle”?
My understanding of Liberation struggle is the fight for freedom from the white people and we basically need to lean on one another in order to win this fight.
