Distract and Divide

The following is based on my extensive reading and research on an issue that is rooted in history and becoming ever more concerning in today’s divisive environment, especially when coupled with a growing lack of civility.

The old “white-replacement” theory is nothing but a fear-mongering tactic designed to manipulate working- and middle-class people into fighting one another, all while the rich continue to profit off our labor. This strategy isn’t new—it echoes what wealthy landowners did in the Southern Confederate states. Back then, the plantation-owning elite made up a tiny percentage of the population. To maintain control, they needed support from the rest of the white population, and they got it by manipulating fear. Enslaved people did the hard labor, freeing up poor whites from the most grueling work. But to keep these working-class whites in line, the elite used a powerful lie: If enslaved people were freed, they’d steal jobs, upend society, and yes, even take their women. 

None of this was true, but it didn’t have to be—the fear alone was enough to keep the lower classes loyal to the very system that exploited them. The wealthy used these tactics to keep white workers from realizing the real threat wasn’t freed slaves, but the elites themselves. Today, the same kind of manipulation is happening. 

The "white-replacement" theory is another lie, designed to stir up racial fear and divide us. It’s a smokescreen, distracting us from the real issues: the staggering concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few, stagnating wages, and the crushing of unions. By convincing us that racial others are our enemy, the elites prevent us from seeing that the real battle is economic. While we’re busy fighting each other over race, the rich get richer, keeping us working low-wage jobs and blaming someone else for our struggles. 

Just as the Confederate elites pitted poor whites against enslaved people, today’s oligarchs use fear of immigrants, people of color, and changing demographics to keep us from uniting against them. They make us believe our jobs and our livelihoods are at risk when the truth is, it’s their policies—policies that cut wages, slash benefits, and prevent any real worker solidarity—that are causing the harm.

The answer isn't to fear one another—it’s to recognize the true enemy. The ultra-wealthy elites keep us divided to protect their wealth. It’s time to stop falling for their lies. We must unite across racial and class lines and turn our focus where it belongs: on the system that exploits us all. Whether it’s through organizing, voting for policies that support workers, or rejecting the media narratives designed to sow division, we have to stop fighting for the crumbs off the table and demand the dignity and respect we all deserve. The real threat isn't your neighbor—it’s the billionaire class that wants us fighting for scraps while they feast on the fruits of our labor.