The Great Debasement

Racism exists almost everywhere, I'm sad to say. Almost all countries that are counted among "the west" or "the global north" have politicians and political parties feeding on that unfortunate sentiment. They all use the same tactics and the same rhetoric, and their ideologies are all equally bereft of any rational or scientific grounding.

That doesn't diminish in any way the danger they represent though. It may be true that racist ideas and racist people are too dumb to take seriously, but that doesn't take away the fact that racist politicians, political parties, organisations and books too often are able to gather a frighteningly sizable audience. Be it Geert Wilders here in The Netherlands, Nigel Farage (and Boris Johnson to an extent) in the U.K. or the rag-tag bunch of post-Trump nincompoops from the GOP in the U.S., they all feed on the sense of discontent and economical malaise among their white voters, and succeed in blaming racial minorities for that discontent and malaise. Since America is seen as the west's shining example, and since the country is literally founded on racial inequality (that's putting it very mildly), I'll be kicking down with vengeful gravitas on the vortex of nothingness, the whirlpool of vileness, the vacuum of intellect and reason that is the current GOP.

Okay, maybe I got a bit carried away with that last sentence, but let's face it: the post-Trump GOP isn't a pretty picture to look at. A significant section of that party has wholly embraced completely outrageous conspiracy theories. And what's worse, their own propaganda-machine, called "Fox News," has embraced them as well, many of them with a sour racist after-taste. I mean, it's beyond me how complete nut-jobs like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert and Madison Cawthorn can hold on to a spot in the Grand Old Party. Sure, I've never agreed with them on anything, but they used to incorporate individuals who at least tried to make sense. And I'm sure there still are some of them left. They're not making the news though. Since the presidency of Twitter-happy Orange Man has legitimized the voices of far-right white nationalists, and his loss in the last elections is still not accepted because of the lies spread by his minions and Fox News, individuals whose ideas and words have no basis in reality whatsoever have become commonplace in the party as well as in their dark corner of the mainstream media.

Seriously, if one of your representatives flings into the world utterly stupid conspiracies, like "Jewish space lasers are responsible for wildfires in California," the alarm-bells going of in your head should be deafening. Here's the intro of an article about that feat of utter racist ignorance:

Let’s get this out of the way: First-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s claim that the 2018 California wildfires were ignited by a space laser controlled by a corporate cabal, including the Rothschild banking firm, is objectively ridiculous. It’s okay to laugh about it.
_{source: Vox}

Sure, laugh about it, and then send her on her way, or vote for another representative. People like her make a laughing stock out of the GOP. But maybe their propaganda machine, Fox News, is even worse; they, by mouth of Tucker Carlson, who hosts the most popular TV program on American television, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," are guilty of spreading all kinds of dumb, anti-LGBTQ and racist conspiracies, prominent among them the "Great Replacement," a conspiracy theory espoused by many white supremacists, white nationalists and apparently also by the perpetrator of the Buffalo shooting. In a globalized world, in the "global village" it's dumb to expect to be able to hold on to a white majority in any country, so the fear expressed in that old conspiracy theory might be realistic, sure, but it's based in white supremacy and racism as well. And that's why it's despicable that Fox News parrots these sentiments; they are guilty of exacerbating the "Great Debasement" exhibited by the newfound nut-jobs of the GOP.

The irrational panic surrounding Critical Race Theory is another sign that the GOP and Fox News have incorporated the ideas of the extreme right and racist section of their base. The fact that almost none of the representatives even understand what CRT is, and that they oppose any books in schools that describe America's racist history, or the effects of systemic racism, is further proof of the complete lack of comprehension on the subject matter.

The following states have banned critical race theory: Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. These states represent only the tip of the iceberg, however. These only represent a moving target as there are a myriad of other state jurisdictions looking to end the practice of teaching critical race tenets.

States that currently have bills moving through the state legislature, or are emplacing school policies to forbid the teaching of Critical Race Theory include: Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. A quick perusal of this second listing reveals several unexpected geographic concentrations.
_{source: World Population Review}

"When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression." I don't know where that statement originates, but there's truth in it. The fact that some white people feel attacked or threatened by the term "white privilege" is astounding to me. It's not an anti-white statement, it's just a fact of life in "the west." For now. I heard a good explanation of the term recently in a debate on the YouTube channel from Tim Pool of all people. Not by himself of course, but his guest. It goes something like this: imagine you're white and you're the unluckiest white person in the world. You're homeless, hungry, can't find a job, had a terrible childhood and no education. Whatever trouble you find yourself in, one thing is almost certain: you're not in that trouble because you're white. Whereas a black person in the same unfortunate position might very well find themselves in that position in part because he's black. There's no anti-white sentiment there. It's not to make white people feel guilty. It's a criticism of a system that can't be solved by individuals and isn't caused by any individual.

Anyhow, that's what I think about the Great Debasement of the GOP. There's much more to say, but this rant has gone on long enough. I'll leave you with a bit of humor wrapped in wisdom. And it isn't by George Carlin for a change ;-)

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