I would like to introduce the reader to the Troll Triumvirate. These are the personality types which, between the three of them, ensure that racism, sexism, xenophobia, and all other manner of discrimination, are allowed to both survive and thrive from one generation to the next.
At the head of the triumvirate is the Abject Bigot. This is a person who prides themself on their intolerance. Usually they have experienced some past victimization which has convinced them that a certain demographic is inherently evil, and thus deserves their unending wrath. They are a zealot by nature, and will use any and all power in pursuit of their crusade. They cloak their hatred in a sense of chivalry, seeking out other victims to radicalize to their cause. And they will see their hatred through to the utmost end allowed by society. If none are able to successfully oppose them, then it is simply a matter of time before they take their cause to its only logical conclusion: murder.
The second, slightly less ignoble member of the triumvirate, is the Opportunistic Bigot. This person has no real hatred for any one group per se, but has a strong sense of nihilistic selfishness, which they will greedily indulge to whatever lengths society will allow. Nothing is personal for this individual, but they will nevertheless take advantage of anyone who they feel is not adequately protected by the laws of the land.
The final member of the triumvirate is the Laissez-Faire Bigot. This individual is the least hostile, but also the most essential to the success of systemic bigotry. They hold no discernible hatred for other groups of people, but are easily intimidated, and so will not oppose those who are persecuting the powerless. They will only intervene if they sense that their own interests are somehow under threat, and even then only until said personal interests have been secured.
Between the three of them, this Troll Triumvirate ensures that those without power in a society are continuously exploited. And contrary to popular opinion, the degree of this exploitation hinges not upon the reformation, nor the contrition of its victims, but rather upon the external pressures placed upon their entire society. For to the extent which those in power are themselves subjected to fears and anxieties, they will have ample cause to exact reprisals upon those beneath them on the social hierarchy.
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