Civility As A Tool For Keeping People Of Color In Their Place : Code Switch : NPR

the old organized rip-off, when the system is rigged against you the classic example is the company town, where the company is the land-owner, the store owner, and the chief employer, and wages are just enough so you never can save enough to leave to go someplace else. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/housing/company-towns-1890s-to-1935/ and even if you do leave, the schools are shitty enough that you have no skills if you go someplace else. and if you have a grievance, the chief judge is the head company supervisor that you have to suck up to, and fat chance of getting any real justice. but you have to be really polite and just suck it up if things do not go your way, even if you ARE in the right. no getting upset and getting loud and protesting, because that would rock the boat, and screw things up for everyone. You wouldn't want to make things bad for your neighbors, right? --- now we take the whole scenario of company town as described above, but imagine it in the broader context of social classes. One class is in charge and makes the rules, and runs things for their own benefit, because the ARE in change, and who will make them change? Can you imagine the scenario where one class (nobles, merchants, whatever) is distinguished by some visual body characteristic? --- The scenario is the mechanism of a social trap. The argument is to not speak up and rebel because it would make think worse for the others who are also in the trap. The argument is "stay in the trap, and like it" No one wants to be in a social trap.