[Trump rally and white identity politics. Credit: Job Sanger.]
Rowan Wolf, PhD
Voice of Conscience
Here is the gut wrenching truth. White racism is a huge reservoir lying just under the surface of social life. While it has become “impolite” to openly make racist comments or responses, it does not mean the racism is not there. It is obvious that many whites emotionally bought into the white identity politics that Trump peddles. He built his entire movement on “righteous white rage” at people of color. He liberally played on racism and xenophobia, and just as it has been used repeatedly in the United States, whites united across class lines to the white siren call. So while many whites were ashamed or nervous about putting out Trump signs in their yards, or responding honestly to pollsters when they called, they certainly let their feelings be known in the anonymity of the voting booth.
The anger at the “elite” within the context of the Trump message is that the elite has continuously betrayed the white race. They have made all kinds of accommodations that have taken from the whites and given to the “coloreds,” and by the way, they took their commission out of the white (man’s) hide as well. For it was not just white identity, it was white males who were clearly the ones who have lost the most. So class, was once again used as a false ploy to pull whites into defending white “rights.”
Of course Trump stands for denial of a lot of realities that all too many people in the United States just don’t want to deal with – starting with science and that global warming thing. We don’t want to change our fossil fuel dependent, uber consumptionist life, and we damn well don’t want to be told that we should stop it to avoid the consequences of global warming. So give us more oil, and do it cheap. For starters, get that oil from Iraq that should have been ours to start with. Then get every drop of oil, gas, and coal, from U.S. territory that we can because that’s “ours.” Little do the intentionally (and willingly) uninformed know that most of it is going immediately off shore and into the corporate pool where it is then sold back to us.
Tell us we are OK, that we can get back what is ours, that we can shoot up whatever we want with our open carry guns, that we can have the moon, and man you’ve got our vote. Sick, sad, and so deadly wrong. Unfortunately, they are unlikely to figure that out until 90% of the earth’s human population is dead and the survivors are eating bugs to survive. Sorry folks, that is not some made up future. It is ours if we do not wake up and change course right now! Unfortunately, that is not going to happen under Trump.
So what do we do? We do what must be done. We launch the loudest, most visible, most obstructive movement for inclusiveness, social justice, and the life of the planet. This is not optional, for to go along with the plan being promised by Trump is suicidal. We must not participate in our own destruction. We must not lock the shackles on ourselves. If we want a real democracy, then we need do do it the hard way.
Stand up and be counted. Support your sisters and brothers who are standing by you. Support the earth. Write and call the REPUBLICAN and Democratic representatives about what concerns you. Do not let them take away legislation and protections, programs and institutions, that are critical to you and to all of us. Do not go quietly into oblivion.
Is Managing Editor of The Greanville Post and Director of The Russian Desk. She is a sociologist, writer and activist with life long engagement in social justice, peace, environmental, and animal rights movements. Her research and writing includes issues of imperialism, oppression, global capitalism, peak resources, global warming, and environmental degradation. Rowan taught sociology for twenty-two years, was a member of the City of Portland’s Peak Oil Task Force, and maintains her own site Uncommon Thought Journal. She may be reached by email at rowanwolf@greanvillepost.com
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Wonderful, passionate, plea for a better world. Thanks.