Racism and Scapegoating Still Sells in America
Disbelief that it could was core to election outcome and shock.
This is not another “they’re all racists” editorial. Nor would such an opinion written convince people to not be racist, or to even cause them to engage in enough self-reflection to recognize their own collectivist racism. This is about the process that we now undeniably see in the new “Alt-Right” Republican Party and the process of winning through scapegoating. It was a steadfast disbelief in the idea that there were enough Americans who could or would be galvanized by such messaging against Mexicans, Muslims, immigrants, women, and others.
Oh I know, some are thinking it’s time to stop reading, thinking I’m just going to call names. But of course I’m talking about the manner in which President-Elect Trump spoke during his campaign. Every single one of the points made above can be substantiated with unaltered video evidence. But there are some that support Trump who have evolved from, ‘he never said that’ to ‘well he said that but this is what he meant to say,’ and finally to ‘who cares if he said it because I believe it.’ Some who voted for Trump claim that Hillary was too terrible to have as president. Some claim they just wanted someone to burn down Washington. Others claim he’ll “create jobs.” The justifications have many forms of barter.
The point is that I and millions of others didn’t believe that people could get excited about a candidate who spoke such openly bigoted and intolerant statements about other Americans and human beings. This is usually the point where definitions as to what is and is not bigoted and intolerant come to play among those who continue to cling to the idea that Trump was *God’s* candidate and thusly, can’t be impugned as to his flaws because ‘the people have spoken.’
This is far more than just another election. It is the first election in my lifetime where an openly bigoted and intolerant political campaign attracted enthusiasm from broadly non-college educated whites, rural voters, white evangelicals (81% of white evangelicals voted or Trump), and also an uptick in support from working class black and Hispanic voters. Women abdicated Trump in very large numbers. It didn’t matter. It seems that aspiration was ‘trumped’ by realism. Large number s of people don’t like the reality of free trade and fear immigrants coming to America will and have undermined their efforts at maintaining their jobs and their ‘culture.’
The problem for those who believe in pluralism and liberty for all human beings is that messages of bigotry and intolerance that sell to voters are a much larger problem for the society at large but also conveniently lay out justification for all the programs designed to mitigate racism and the damage it leaves behind in our society. It’s now easily visible and in the open for all to see. Denials are not necessary any longer.
The knowledge that intolerance being a successful strategy for electoral success will make the coming years a challenge as advocates for liberty must confront and change those views in the marketplace of ideas. The smallness of fear, bigotry, and scapegoating will not prevail in the long run. But it will forever be a marker on 2016, the year we found out exactly where America is and how a polarized nation either repairs and unites or seeks utter destruction of ideological opponents.
These are historic times indeed.
This is not another “they’re all racists” editorial. Nor would such an opinion written convince people to not be racist, or to even cause them to engage in enough self-reflection to recognize their own collectivist racism. This is about the process that we now undeniably see in the new “Alt-Right” Republican Party and the process of winning through scapegoating. It was a steadfast disbelief in the idea that there were enough Americans who could or would be galvanized by such messaging against Mexicans, Muslims, immigrants, women, and others.
Oh I know, some are thinking it’s time to stop reading, thinking I’m just going to call names. But of course I’m talking about the manner in which President-Elect Trump spoke during his campaign. Every single one of the points made above can be substantiated with unaltered video evidence. But there are some that support Trump who have evolved from, ‘he never said that’ to ‘well he said that but this is what he meant to say,’ and finally to ‘who cares if he said it because I believe it.’ Some who voted for Trump claim that Hillary was too terrible to have as president. Some claim they just wanted someone to burn down Washington. Others claim he’ll “create jobs.” The justifications have many forms of barter.
The point is that I and millions of others didn’t believe that people could get excited about a candidate who spoke such openly bigoted and intolerant statements about other Americans and human beings. This is usually the point where definitions as to what is and is not bigoted and intolerant come to play among those who continue to cling to the idea that Trump was *God’s* candidate and thusly, can’t be impugned as to his flaws because ‘the people have spoken.’
This is far more than just another election. It is the first election in my lifetime where an openly bigoted and intolerant political campaign attracted enthusiasm from broadly non-college educated whites, rural voters, white evangelicals (81% of white evangelicals voted or Trump), and also an uptick in support from working class black and Hispanic voters. Women abdicated Trump in very large numbers. It didn’t matter. It seems that aspiration was ‘trumped’ by realism. Large number s of people don’t like the reality of free trade and fear immigrants coming to America will and have undermined their efforts at maintaining their jobs and their ‘culture.’
The problem for those who believe in pluralism and liberty for all human beings is that messages of bigotry and intolerance that sell to voters are a much larger problem for the society at large but also conveniently lay out justification for all the programs designed to mitigate racism and the damage it leaves behind in our society. It’s now easily visible and in the open for all to see. Denials are not necessary any longer.
The knowledge that intolerance being a successful strategy for electoral success will make the coming years a challenge as advocates for liberty must confront and change those views in the marketplace of ideas. The smallness of fear, bigotry, and scapegoating will not prevail in the long run. But it will forever be a marker on 2016, the year we found out exactly where America is and how a polarized nation either repairs and unites or seeks utter destruction of ideological opponents.
These are historic times indeed.
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