Race Matter Cornel West Summary

In Race Matter’s Cornel West examines the liberal and conservative approach of racism in America and how it has altered the way democracy is ran. Conservatives, ignore political and economic structures causing various sects of races to face poverty and paranoia. Liberals ignore cultural factors, in where liberalism consciously and purposefully urges upon citizens a certain kind of character that outlines at least minimally the kind of person we are to be, which in turn justifies certain cultural groups in society (Olssen). In race matters west explains the effect of black nihilism “the profound sense of psychological depression, personal worthlessness and social despair so widespread in black America” he later on follows up with that statement …show more content…
Free-market fundamentalists are unfazed by the fact that wealth inequality has soared in recent decades, largely due to liberal economic policies (Jouet). In where the poor and middle class have constantly suffered while the rich continue to accumulate wealth. West states how “illicit marriage of corporate and political elites not only undermines the trust of informed citizens in those who rule over them. It also promotes the pervasive sleepwalking of the populace” this basically correlates to how the government’s sole responsibility to establish democracy has been replaced with the greed and accumulation of wealth. This profit-driven society is eradicating the sense of democracy from American society in where, its elected officials and corporate elites are pensive with economic growth and national affluence (West). Overall, this imperialist ideals of wealthy elites creates a strain on America democracy in where it creates a obscene level of wealth inequality amongst individuals which in thus creates a indifference amongst classes in society, in where the poor are resented and belittled. The mindset that the Free-Market puts in society is the greed for money in all individuals, in where we are beginning to conform to the ideals of going to college, get a degree, and land a job in society. Sure one can argue how that’s the way to live, in where when you have a family you can support them. But if you look at it from a wider scope, we are only conforming to the greed of corporate goals, by consuming their products. It’s ironic how the country that was built for the people, by the people, whose main source of decree is the constitution that starts off with “We the people” but, the “people” are at a huge disadvantage. The only way for a citizen to climb the social ladder is education. In where the cost to attend a university is so expensive many