Tag: White Supremacy

Opinion

Accountability

The American legal system has to capture and punish the terrorists and criminals who assaulted and sacked the US Capitol. The mere fact that this must be stated is an indictment of systemic white supremacy in America. Many Americans think the Capitol assault was not a big deal, and a few people got out of control. The same people would be ready to declare war and invade another country if the same assault had been staged by Iranians or Chinese. If the attack had been staged by Black Americans the death toll would have been tremendous. America has an issue with racism, and it threatens to become a lot worse if white supremacist terrorism is not dealt with appropriately. The focus of the attack was to take the defeat of Donald Trump and create victory by deleting unwanted votes (both minority and white votes). The plan was a repeat of what took place in 1876 to end Reconstruction, beginning the Jim Crow era of racial marginalization and segregation. The lies about the election being stolen were not challenged by most Republicans or the conservative media echo chamber. Truth and justice were not even speed bumps in the pursuit of a reinforced system of white supremacy. Whether people claimed to be evangelicals, QAnon, proud boys, or Klu Klux Klan, the truth was not deemed to be worthy of consideration to keep a lying Trump in office for four more years. Four more years of corruption, abuse, and lies to create a revised America that no longer respected the Constitution. For America to move forward in strength we must believe and act as if ‘knowing the truth will set us free’ to paraphrase Jesus.

Opinion

Article review: The American Abyss by Timothy Snyder

If you want to read a scholarly analysis of what has taken place at the Capitol and in our country The American Abyss by Timothy Snyder is at the top of the list. Timothy Snyder is a Yale professor of history and expert on fascism. Professor Snyder wrote Bloodlands an intense history of Stalin and Hitler’s mass murders in Eastern Europe which I previously reviewed. The American Abyss gets to the heart of long term issues that led us to the assault on the Capitol and the divisions in our society, but Snyder also identifies what we must look out for going forward. A key finding in the article is the complicity of the Republican Party in using racism to get votes while channeling power and resources to the wealthy. Snyder identifies two types of current Republican politicians; gamers who use Trump and racism for election and power, breakers who like having a white authoritarian in power and could care less about democracy. Armed with the insight and information of this article citizens can both understand the history that led us to near disaster, and correctly analyze what needs to happen in the coming years. Snyder identifies truth as a necessity for democracy and all parties having agreement on basic facts. I strongly recommend that every literate concerned citizen read or listen to The American Abyss by Timothy Snyder at the New York Times website.

Opinion

American vigilance

The sacking of Capitol by seditious domestic terrorists should have the attention of every American. The terrorists have different belief systems according to reporting. A good deal of the terrorists are white supremacists who want a violent civil war to achieve their goals. Another portion of the terrorists are Qannon conspiracy believers who have lost touch with any known reality, and believe the country is run by evil pedophiles (No one can explain why these people support Trump who hung around with an accused pedophile). Another portion of the terrorists are reported to be religious fundamentalists who believe our society of individual freedom should not exist, and a dictatorship controlling all behavior is preferable to a democracy. The remainder of the terrorists are apparently lost souls who believe that Trump is somehow their savior. The reality for Americans who love our republic is that we face a real and committed threat to our way of life. The common focus of the terrorists is to bring about an authoritarian government that can exert more control over personal freedom. All authoritarians promise their followers special status that others do not enjoy as long as they follow orders (See Timothy Snyder). Right now the terrorists are focused on terrorizing Democrats and our government leaders, once they win that struggle they will come after us. The land of the free and the home of the brave must be just that right now. Be ready to support President Biden, his administration, and our elected lawmakers at the federal and local level because patriotism has never been more important.

Opinion

Why Trump chose to be a Republican

After watching the Capitol building being sacked and looted by fools who were lied into a mindless frenzy; I had to pause to reflect on how we became so lost as a country. Trump’s criminal rampage was fed by the political party he joined to run for president based on the consistent use of racism to turn out white voters. The Southern Strategy (designed to appeal to white grievance) was successful for Nixon in 1968, and continued to be successful for Republicans going forward. Trump had to make a calculation that he could use the Republican’s sea of lies and subtext of racism against them, and he did. He sold himself as the angriest and most genuine white supremacist candidate for 2016, while labeling the other Republicans as the real con-artists. Republican voters bought it despite never examining Trump’s own lies because they wanted fighter who would bring white supremacy beyond the wink and a nod, to a focused mainstream. Trump is undisciplined, but he knew that he was a match for the desire of his voters and gave them what they wanted. We are now dealing with the fallout of our democracy allowing this racist demagogue to run our great nation into a ditch, because hatred and laziness do not make good leaders. People of goodwill should be vigilant and elect leaders who work towards liberty and justice for all.

Opinion

Criminal in charge?

The truth is the strength of America. When Americans elect criminals for whatever reason they strike at the heart of the republic. Trump is a criminal on many levels, and he has struck more than once at the heart of America. He started by selling lies about the first Black president, then he appealed to Russia for help in getting elected, finally he called for his followers to overthrow the republic and help him evade the consequences of losing the election and his crimes. The United States is at a crossroads. We can no longer live by a white male gentleman’s agreement. Our leaders must hold themselves accountable to the laws of the country, and not have insider’s justice (not the same as meted out to average citizens). Trump must be held accountable for his insanity or we will see more like him soon. The people who attacked the Capitol must be hunted down and brought to justice for our republic to thrive. Those who would intimidate the republic must be brought to understand the nature of justice, and the wrath of the people. We celebrate the elections in Georgia while we focus on justice for the debasement of our Capitol.

Opinion

Corrupter in Chief

It is 2021 and we are still dealing with the orange con’s criminality and madness. The nation’s first failure was to empower a racist liar in reaction to the election of the first Black president. Failure was compounded as desperate White supremacists in the Republican Party refused to confront continuous lies, corruption, and criminality for the sake of power. The result is the moral collapse of the Republicans combined with the diminished power and status of the United States. People worldwide no longer trust America along with many US citizens losing faith. The system of support for the corruption we see is able to contort on command to maintain the pretense that what we see is somehow reasonable, while rational adults recognize criminality when they see it. Every day of the current regime is a threat to decency and our Republic. If we survive these times remember what you have seen to motivate continued involvement in current events, and politics. There is not someone else out there who will look out for your interests, well-being, or freedom.

Opinion

The Jim Crow Caucus

Several Republican Senators and representatives have shown their true colors and sought to undermine voters as the determining factor in our government. These Republicans believe that what they want matters more than what the people want, and they do not care about destroying the Republic. Citizens will have to display discipline as Trump and his minions threaten violence to overturn the election. The group of Republicans refusing to accept the certified results from the states will likely focus on diverse voting populations to nullify results they don’t like. Trump has not been a great president or even an average one. Trump has been a cruel racist president who wants to take the country to a previous time when minorities were subservient. Foolish people believe this is Trump’s gift to their whiteness, but intelligent people realize he wants everyone to be subservient to him and his empty soul. The Republicans in some cases are accepting their own results from the vote, but not those going to the other party. The vote is the greatest non-violent tool that we have to shape our future to paraphrase the late John Lewis. We are witnessing evil in our time and we must make sure every bad actors are held accountable in the media, at the ballot box, and in the courts. We are not going back deeper into Jim Crow, we will continue the fight to end it in all forms, and gain equal respect for all citizens.

Opinion

A threat to our country

The largest threat to the vision and hope of the American republic is not White people or Black people, it is ignorant people who want others to think for them. Thomas Jefferson said “if a nation expects to be ignorant & free, in a state of civilisation, it expects what never was & never will be.”. America is under threat from liars and corrupt politicians who have no regard for their sheepish voters who continuously support them for vague reasons. The reasons people support liars and crooks are vague most likely because they do not want to state they are based on controlling and disrespecting others. The ignorant, lazy, and modestly entitled must learn that there is a better life possible when everyone can rise to their potential, and not be systematically repressed or terrorized. Freedom is not free, but it is cheaper than tyranny and injustice. Research and vote in every election!

Opinion

Be prepared to stand up against hate and insecurity

In an excellent New York Times opinion piece titled The Resentment That Never Sleeps, Thomas B. Edsall boiled down the facts of our current politics. Voters support Trump against our constitution because they are afraid of losing status and need their fellow citizens diminished to feel good about themselves. It is appalling that people are so empty inside that they want a dictator to attack women and minorities to feel good. Our current situation is that dark and we must face this darkness directly to defeat it. A quote from the article: Building on psychological research on status-seeking, we argue that at the core of extreme political discontent are motivations to achieve status via dominance, i.e., through the use of fear and intimidation. Essentially, extreme political behavior reflects discontent with one’s own personal standing and a desire to actively rectify this through aggression. – source “Beyond Populism” research paper. Lyndon B. Johnson said it more simply: “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he wont notice your picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” It is time for Americans to embrace our constitution and the truth to defend the dignity of all people, and hope.

Books, Review

Book Review: Overground Railroad by Candacy Taylor

Overground Railroad by Candacy Taylor is a book well worth your time if you have interest in modern American history or Black history. The book tells the story of the Green Book guide which told African-Americans traveling from the 1930s to the 1960s where they could go with some level of safety. Targeting and degrading Black people was a legal and prominent feature of American society before the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The knowledge provided by the Green Book allowed Black travelers to maintain some dignity while protecting themselves and their families. The stories of Black entrepreneurs who started hotels, restaurants, and other businesses to serve their people are inspiring and tie directly into the Civil Rights movement and future progress. A lot of people helped to create the progress in civil rights and dignified treatment for all people that we strive for. Obviously there is a lot more to be done before we approach even reasonable equality of opportunity. Targeted aggression and degrading of Black people continues, but Ms. Taylor is a fighter who shares her plans and suggestions for achieving a better day in the book. The author brilliantly connects current events to history before concluding the book with a listing of historical Green Book sites.