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African american Quote by Noam Chomsky

“That's unfortunately common - to blame immigrants, to blame the African-Americans who are being helped by federal programs, to blame anyone available, to direct attention away from the roots of the distress which you're suffering. This combines with xenophobia, white supremacy, racism, misogyny…” quote by Noam Chomsky
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“That's unfortunately common - to blame immigrants, to blame the African-Americans who are being helped by federal programs, to blame anyone available, to direct attention away from the roots of the distress which you're suffering. This combines with xenophobia, white supremacy, racism, misogyny, and other quite unpleasant phenomena which are far from being eradicated. All of this makes for a pretty dangerous brew. But economic issues are right in the center of it. And you can see this in the fact that so many former Obama voters now voted for Trump, or just didn't bother voting.”

Noam Chomsky

About This Quote

The passage argues that scapegoating minorities distracts from deeper economic problems, linking prejudice to broader social issues.

In simple terms: Blaming minorities hides real economic causes and fuels hate.

Key Takeaway

Address root economic causes instead of blaming groups.

Themes

politics prejudice economics social justice scapegoating

Mood

concerned analytical urgent

Type

political critical analytical

When to use this quote

  • election cycles
  • policy debates
  • community meetings
  • media analysis

Key Concepts

xenophobia white supremacy racism misogyny systemic oppression

Questions to Reflect On

  • What policies could reduce both economic distress and prejudice?
  • How can societies confront systemic bias?
A Different Perspective

Economic solutions alone may not change deep‑seated biases.

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