White Americans abandoned democracy and embraced authoritarianism when they realized brown people would soon outvote them

[Wanderfound]

Here’s a relevant thread:

The GOP is on an irretrievable march into extremism, and they know that they’ve gone so far over the edge that they would be destroyed if they were to relinquish power now.

[Wanderfound]

@Hutz

How is that not racist?

Racism = Prejudice + Power.

It isn’t about “don’t say mean things about people relating to their skin colour”. It’s about a global system of oppression and exploitation, based in EuroAmerican white supremacist capitalism.

In the current world, it is generally not possible to be racist against white people. It is possible to be prejudiced against white people, but that is not the same thing.

[Wanderfound]

@anon50609448

Does this analysis form the basis of a workable theory of what to do now to fight against authoritarianism?

For some thoughts, see this thread:

https://twitter.com/eiwbm_cat/status/1001628296604471298?s=21

…which continues here:

https://twitter.com/eiwbm_cat/status/1001636190724984834?s=21

@anon50609448

I think the neoliberalism as a theory is pretty race-agnostic. I think that was actually one of it’s selling point to an elite that didn’t want to be seen as racist (Bush seems like a product of this). But it’s also power-reinforcing, so it exacerbated existing power imbalances between races. Being race-blind means supporting whatever racism already exists, and lead easily to white people thinking of themselves as the victim of racism.

The counterargument to that is that racism (in the white supremacist sense rather than the “Frenchmen don’t like Germans” sense) is a creation of capitalism, and is fundamental to its continued existence.

https://www.rt.com/op-ed/312440-akala-empire-ruin-glazebrook/

“Columbus didn’t set off with this big old plan to create in the 21st century the industrialized world that we see before us today, of course he didn’t,” Akala says.

“He wasn’t that clever a man. He set off, he murdered a whole bunch of people, committed genocide, and out of a whole series of historical circumstances, and accidents, and some planning, this world system of European-based capitalism evolved – along with white supremacy.”

Fundamental in all of this was the kidnapping and enslavement of Africans, Akala says: “There was an interesting program on the BBC of all places a few weeks ago, called ‘Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners,’ by David Olusoga, which outlined something historians used to consider controversial. Eric Williams wrote a book in the 1940s called ‘Capitalism and Slavery’ and he put forward the thesis that Transatlantic slavery was really the foundational moment in the formation of European capitalism.”

The BBC’s program effectively confirmed Williams’ thesis, drawing on extensive research by banker-turned-historian Nick Draper.

But, as Akala puts it, “It’s not rocket science. Imagine if Apple Macintosh didn’t pay a single one of its employees. It’s already the richest company in the entire world.

“Imagine it only paid the most senior management and it didn’t pay anyone else – no-one who worked in the stores, none of the people who made the products – no-one, only Steve Jobs and his cohorts. It would be an infinitely richer company than it is today. Now imagine a whole nation of companies that applied that principle. So it’s not difficult to see how Europe became so wealthy.”

To some extent, things have changed since then, of course, thanks not only to the Haitians, but also to the two world wars, where European powers were forced to arm those they had colonized whilst weakening themselves in the process.

Akala says: “All of the allies needed their colonies to win that war, so the French needed their Senegalese, and their Mauritanians and others to fight for them; the British needed their Indians and their Africans and their Jamaicans to fight for them, and it created this kind of ‘gap in the market’ if you like, where for the first time in a few centuries, European power was challenged, leading directly to the limited decolonization that we have.

“Europe has tried to hold on to power in as many ways as possible, including using the IMF, and the World Bank, and America.”

His theme is that while colonialism changed its form, it never truly ended: neocolonialism replaced it.

Modern American liberal capitalism has embraced the idea of adding a bit more surface diversity to the ruling class. It’s good PR.

But the people in the sweatshops and the people killed by imperial guns are still overwhelmingly non-white.

[TobinL]

@Hutz

That was a very uncomfortable point to make.

Yep you should feel that way.
Thinking back on my high school days the only time I got stopped by the cops or rather my black friend and I were stopped while knocking on the door of one of his neighborhood friends because I was in the hood. One cop stayed in the car and looked ready to pull his gun. Luckily nothing happened as said neighborhood friend managed to open the door and say we were cool before falling over laughing at the white boy getting harassed by the man. But you know that was just the one time and I hate to think how many times my friend had to deal with that just walking home from school or whatever.
So yeah US PEOPLE should be much more fucking aware of how much inequality there is in the system and if it makes us uncomfortable then good cause then we are paying attention.

[anon75430791]

Yep. One of my friends in college was one of the very few black folks on campus, in a pretty wealthy (very) white town (Naperville, IL).

She would occasionally show up late to things because she got pulled over for, “DWB”. It was a crazy thing to me, because I grew up in the next town over which was really very diverse both ethnically and economically. I still hate fucking Naperville.

[Wanderfound]

Here’s another relevant thread, from a moderately radical perspective:

Or, if you really want to have a fun argument with your relatives, get them to discuss this:

https://twitter.com/kiranopal/status/927729930674364417?s=21

[Wanderfound]

@Boundegar

I’ve been saying a lot of this rhetoric is overblown, that we’ll never really become a real fascist state.

In 1922, the New York Times thought Hitler didn’t really believe his own...

@Boundegar

But I’ve lately been thinking about how Apartheid worked, and how it could be implemented here, and how easily a minority can hold all of the power.

Just a few small steps. We have already taken some of them.

Look behind you.

From the perspective of both Black America and the global south, America has always been fascist. The major difference of the Trump era is that (a) they’ve ripped off the mask, so it is now more visible, and (b) the treatment that was previously reserved for Black- and non-Americans is now being gradually extended to all non-fascists.

This seems like an appropriate spot to remind folks of some history:

A Night at the Garden

Good article, and good film. I’ve said this before: the Trumpists are not an aberration from American history. They are the natural consequence of it.

[Wanderfound]

This looks interesting:

white_supremacy_us.pdf

(the whole thing is about 25 pages)

[Wanderfound]

[wait_really]

Hey Bill Gardiner is pretty cool, my father knew him well.

[Melizmatic]

Okay, between the facial expression and the caption on the mug, I literally laughed out loud.

That look totally expresses how I feel, sooo much of the time, like:

[NickyG]

@anon50609448

This is why I always get riled up when people talk about “tribalism” in politics. For most of human history most tribes have coexisted peacefully, have cooperated, have intermarried, etc. Pointing out that politics is tribal doesn’t explain why these two tribes are at war right now.

I’m sorry – what is your basis for this statement? My own study of history doesn’t in any way lead me to the conclusion that tribes usually got along in history. History was basically an ongoing state of war for the past several thousand years. Yes, there have been peaceful groups of humans, but there has also been, say, Genghis Khan!

[NickyG]

@Hutz

How is that not racist?

One can believe in pluralism and not be racist.

[anon75430791]

@anon50609448

For most of human history most tribes have coexisted peacefully

@NickyG

My own study of history doesn’t in any way lead me to the conclusion that tribes usually got along in history.

[NickyG]

@Boundegar

I’ve been saying a lot of this rhetoric is overblown, that we’ll never really become a real fascist state. But I’ve lately been thinking about how Apartheid worked, and how it could be implemented here, and how easily a minority can hold all of the power.

Just a few small steps. We have already taken some of them.

We are a fascist state, certainly by Mussolini’s definition of government and corporate/capitalist power centers getting essentially combined. And in many other ways as well.

America is a very brainwashed culture, to the point where the fascism of our culture and systems is totally normalized.

I personally think it’s very likely that we’re past the point of it being fixable – the global order is, rather, more likely to collapse over the next century or two. Woot.

[Wanderfound]

@NickyG

Yes, there have been peaceful groups of humans, but there has also been, say, Genghis Khan!

Genghis was an interestingly complex dude, BTW. Worth a look:

Genghis Khan - Temüjin the Child - Extra History - Part 1

Plenty of slaughtering, yes. But a lot more as well.

[NickyG]

Heh, I watched Season 1 of Marco Polo, which was really about Kubla, but I’d say this complexity came through in that pretty well. Modern China perhaps wouldn’t have existed if not for that clan, right? I think they did see themselves as nation-builders. Thanks for link!

[Hutz]

Ahh, I see. So I can use any language I like to refer to people of other races. There are no social norms. It doesn’t matter if I offend you as long as I feel OK with it. Here I was thinking it was the other way around. That we were supposed to be sensitive to others and try to not be offensive. I don’t need to say “people of color,” “colored people” is just fine, and if they don’t like it that’s their problem.

  I'm glad you cleared that up for me.

[Wanderfound]

@Hutz

Ahh, I see. So I can use any language I like to refer to people of other races. There are no social norms.

You read carelessly.

@Melz2

as long as it falls within the parameters of the code of conduct.

You’re free to post. The reaction you get will depend upon what you say.

[Hutz]

Actually, what I did was try to make a point that inappropriate language is inappropriate. Just because one group has not suffered as much as another does not make it all right to insult them. I won’t use the “n” word for illustration, but calling Hispanics the “s” word, Chinese the “c” word, or whites the “h” word is also not OK.

  I'm pretty sure that saying there is one set of rules for blacks and a different set of rules for whites falls back under that racism label.