In a narrow sense, the “zero-sum story” is a belief that there is a competition between racial groups, and any progress for one group is a threat to the resources and position of another (McGhee). This story is the mainstream paradigm for conservative media and has been told in different forms for years. The negative impacts of the “zero-sum” paradigm on the United States are massive and diverse. This mindset created additional economic, political, and social costs for all citizens of the United States. One of the prominent examples demonstrated by McGhee is the history of public swimming pools in cities across the US. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were massive public swimming pools in many US cities, yet at that time “public” mostly meant “white only” pools. After numerous drowning incidents, local municipalities were told to open the pools for all people regardless of their race, which provoked a backlash from the white residents. As a result, cities preferred to close or privatize the public facilities instead of allowing people of different races to use them freely. This is an example of the destruction of public goods and a massive cost increase for the whole population due to the “zero-sum” mindset.
Another negative example demonstrated by McGhee is political in nature – many white people stopped pushing for social governmental policies regarding jobs and social benefits after the Black community joined the agenda. In the end, this means less social justice and social benefits for the whole country because the adherents of the “zero-sum” paradigm do not want other races to benefit from these policies. The arguments provided by McGhee seem reasonable and fair to me – they describe the past and current state of affairs in the United States well. The main reason I think so is the factual and statistical support of her position – it is very hard to argue that the US has significant social and economic problems due to racism.
Works Cited
McGhee, Heather. The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. One World, 2021.