dagblog - Comments for "Hegemony, Demographics, and "Populism""

I understand how many

moat — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 01:20:09 +0000

In reply to I believe people when they

I understand how many policies coming from the Left do not confront the problem of racism head on. I understand the ways that the Left has caused problems while trying to solve them. I do not see how any of that process was or is satisfying a "need to excuse this behavior or overlook it completely."

But I don't say that with an interest in saving anybody's reputation or legacy. While I am interested in thoughts about how the changes in our society could have been made differently, I am more interested in talking about what we should do now.

There are a large number of people who want the white people world you speak of. There are a large number of people, including a huge chunk of white people, who do not.

What's the best thing to do next, given those conditions?

Sadly, as soon as the

rmrd0000 — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 10:28:33 +0000

In reply to I believe people when they

Sadly, as soon as the election results came in, some on the Left picked up the wingnut term "identity politics". The term was used to shove blacks and Latinos under the bus in the vain attempt to court white voters. They ignored the white identity politics Trump used to gain votes. Whites were "working class", meaning minorities were leeches on society. Even Sanders joined in the attack.

Thanks for speaking so much

Danny Cardwell — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 04:26:51 +0000

In reply to Thanks for this post Danny, I

Thanks for speaking so much truth to power. We are drowning in "Denial River". Economic anxiety alone can't make people embrace racism. We need to be honest. Thanks!!!

I believe people when they

Danny Cardwell — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 04:24:14 +0000

In reply to Who is talking when you hear:

I believe people when they show me who they are. In many cases Progressive allies have given virulent racist more cover than they were looking for. I know all of Donald Trump's supporters aren't bigots, but how many Trump supporters do we reckon spent the last eight years dehumanizing President Obama? There are people on the left who have a need to excuse this behavior or overlook it completely.

Who is talking when you hear:

moat — Tue, 13 Dec 2016 02:06:55 +0000

In reply to Hegemony, Demographics, and "Populism"

Who is talking when you hear: " We're told to focus more on what automation and globalization have done to working class whites than the racists and racist organizations they've embraced." ?

Thanks for this post Danny, I

rmrd0000 — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 22:19:57 +0000

In reply to Hegemony, Demographics, and "Populism"

Thanks for this post Danny, I think the election of Trump served as a balm to the mental health of many black Americans. There was initial shock and depression, but this was followed by an almost sense of relief that we were not suffering from a mental disorder. At every step we were told that we were too sensitive about race. We were playing the "race card". The Obama election made us "post-racial". Blacks knew this was crap, but the image of President Obama was shoved in our faces as rebuttal to our concerns. Mitch McConnell pledged to make Obama a one term President. A Congressman from South Carolina called Obama a liar during the State of the Union address.Obama had to show his full form birth certificate. We are a long way from post-racial.

A man selling loose cigarettes is choked to death by police on camera, but there is no crime. A Cleveland police officer who was fired from a previous police department because he was too unstable to carry a weapon guns down a child with a toy gun in an open carry state and the initial response of news media in Cleveland is to question the criminal record of the child's parents. As you note, a South Carolina jury refuses to find a police officer who fired repeated at an unarmed man running away guilty of any crime. These are sad times.

Cliven Bundy and then his son challenge federal law enforcement with guns and live to tell the tale. The villain who killed nine people in a Charleston church is fed a hamburger before being carted to jail. Blacks saw all these things and were told that this was"normal".

Trump is a documented con man with multiple bankruptcies, but his supporters chose him to save their jobs. Trump knows nothing about church, but white Evangelicals flocked to him. Blacks see there impressions documented once and for all. A large segment of whites voters will vote for the racist just as long as the racist pretends he cares about their interests. The country spoke and told us what it thinks of us. While he majority of voters did not vote for Trump, an electoral college put in place to appease the slave states did its job by making sure the racist got elected.

The mechanism put into place by the Confederacy did its job . The glaring fact that there was already an institution that made sure that the slave states were not overwhelmed by the will of more populous states was deemed unimportant. That institution, the Senate, acts as the protection the slave states said they needed.The impact of the Confederacy lives on today.