There is a social movement stirring on the far right of American politics and it bodes ill for our future.
It is, in the classic sense, a movement, not an organization, with no coherent structure, no creed or litmus test for membership. Rather, it represents disparate currents, born of transformative developments and traumatic events that have impacted the US in recent decades.
This movement has manifested itself in several forms. There are the anti-immigrant armed militias patrolling our southern border keeping out "illegals." There are also the "tax party" demonstrators, many of whom have morphed into the angry chanting mobs that are now disrupting Congressional town meetings over health care reform. And there are the so-called "birthers," a not so small fringe on the far-right, that questions Barack Obama's birth in the US and, therefore, his right to hold the office of president.
If the individuals involved in these currents have anything in common, it is that they are angry and alienated and have identified "government" as a source of their problems and, therefore, as a target of their wrath.
Behind all of this discontent, of course, are real problems. The economic crisis in America did not just begin with the collapse of the financial sector in the fall of 2008. For years now, the US economy has undergone a steady transformation. The loss of our manufacturing base has resulted in dramatic social dislocation evidenced by the collapse of many once prosperous and stable communities. As factories closed, not only were jobs lost and economic security threatened, but people were forced to move, neighborhoods died and families were at risk.
All during the 1990's, despite gains on Wall Street, many middle class Americans were squeezed. Real incomes declined, costs of health care, education and basic commodities rose, resulting not only in a declining standard of living for many, but, for the 1st time in American history, a significant portion of the middle class began to question whether their children would be able to achieve the same economic status as their parents.
The trauma of 9/11 and Katrina presented a double jolt, shaking to an even greater degree American's sense of security and their confidence in the government's ability to perform.
Add to this a nativist/racist current, fueled by large numbers of immigrants from the south and fear of new foreigners (especially, after 9/11, Muslims) and the persistent presence of anti-black sentiment, and you have the ingredients of the lethal brew that is now coming to a boil.
All of this, however, did not erupt spontaneously, it was helped, fueled by fires set by those who sought, in ways subtle and not so subtle, to exploit the fears afoot across the land. Radical talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh and Mike Savage, Fox News and even CNN's Lou Dobbs exploited these issues -- as did President George W. Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, who used it for electoral success. Even Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign playbook tapped into these currents, as did the McCain/Palin campaign strategists.
And so here we are in the midst of a hot summer, with "birthers" fulminating about Obama's "foreignness," angry mobs breaking up town meetings, and polling numbers showing a deepening partisan divide across the nation.
All the while these events are unfolding, analysts and commentators are spending endless hours of airtime observing and pointing accusing fingers, without making an effort to understand how this came to be and where it can go. Some conservatives are surely at fault for thinking they can simply exploit this anger, turning it on and then off, at will. And some liberals, too, are at fault for dismissing the anger they see, suggesting that it is simply manufactured and artificial and, therefore, can be ignored.
I am reminded of similar developments that occurred in 1919 at the beginning of the "Red Scare." Then too, a national movement, fueled by fears of immigration, economic dislocation and wartime anti-foreign bigotry was exploited by some, ignored by others, until it got out of control, with lethal consequences.
If we are not careful and understanding, and if we do not start now, both to address this troubling anger and alienation, and to hold accountable those who are stoking the embers of discontent, we could end up in the throes of a full-fledged nativist siege that could tear apart the fabric of our nation.
The conversative don't live in the same world as everone else because on Fox News and Rush and believe that the media is controlled by the left. What is going to happen is violent that is going to happen but that has already happened and their is not sigh of letting up. In that a really violent act will have to take place and silence from the right because it will be too horrible even for them and that has not happened.
Starting with Bush, Cheney and their Torture Advocating Appointee Lawyers.
They violated Federal Anti-Torture Laws. The Torture Memos were a conspiracy to render our Torture Laws moot.
Going to jail for 20 years would stop others from these illegal extremes.
Prosecute all those that tortured in our name, then go after all the other violations of Federal Crimes and our Constitution committed by Bush and Cheney.
"Only Prosecution deters crime".
SIGN THE PETITIONS
Demanding
both a Commission of Inquiry
and a Special Prosecutor
For All Their Crimes
at
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
.
That mantra says it all. Back from what, or who? From The Other who is finally taking and asserting his/her position in our institutions of power. And by that I mean the spaces where societal and nation-changing decisions really get made. As The Other infiltrates the ranks of government, it is only natural that these movements will view the government with suspicious gazes as well.
These "movements" - the nativists, the birthers, the deathers, the tea baggers, etc. - are likely one and the same for the most part, and are based on the same common enemy: The Other. For now, most of their weapons are rhetorical, but we all know how well armed they are. Their numbers are growing and rational citizens would be ill-advised to ignore or diminish them.
History shows that these "movements" can easily become societal phenomena and quite literally grab away power. We are left with no choice but to agressively engage, and I do mean agressively. They won't just go away. They really see The Other (which now includes the government) as their arch enemy and they really believe we're in a state of war.
We have to engage them.
thank you very much for this article. I was waiting for someone to speak it out clearly: those who are stoking the embers of discontent must be held accountable!
The left was, and should be more, full of rage. The left is coming to the view that government should be the target of this rage, but is reluctant because "our" guy is in charge.
Still, the eavesdropping, war and corruption in government (the war on drugs being a classic example) are left-wing equivalents of the issues that anger the right-wing.
Moreover, the left and right wings are beginning to get it and are agreeing on more than traditional analysts understand.
Bush tried to grab power, and there was a reaction, and those that are now in charge are keeping that power and expanding it. Of course all Americans are going to pick up on this and start rejecting both parties.
Yes it's true. We Americans want to keep our distinct culture intact and not have it altered by millions of illegal aliens pouring in unimpeded who don't seem to be interested in assimilating into our culture and to use our language. That doesn't make us racists, and being against the presidents policies isn't an act of racism because he has African heritage.
- Bill Mahar
A 21st Century Confederacy using Revolutionary War Rhetoric
Where's the pushback? When Leftists pulled the same crap, or similar crap, in the late sixties, Nixon answered them, with cops, and National Guardsmen...
I understand Obama's strategy, in not coming down on these people like a ton of bricks. I think perhaps he doesn't quite understand how bad the racism is - having never lived outside urban settings, where racism is always muted, by the "melting pot" effect.
Something needs to be done. I'm sick of being frightened.
No matter which side of the issue you are on, you really must be informed. Read the bill : http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf
So our ‘greatness’ was around 100 years or so, the next big players will be China and India, how long will their reign last?
Now that communication moves at the speed of light with the satellites and the internet will future empires last decades instead of centuries?
Doubtless they didn’t realize, even at the moment of their demise, that the world did indeed revolve. But unfortunately, not around them.
but WTF ?
These folks always have to have at least two mortal enemies - one foreign and one domestic.
It once was the "Nazis' and Jews
Then it was 'The Communist' and 'Black People'
It has now morphed into "Muslims' and "Immigrants' and to some extent 'LGBTs'.
If they are not threatened by someone over something they could no longer exist.
Denmark or Honduras?
By the way...a lot can be done just re-derecting a lot of the taxes that go into our obscenely overbloated military, cia, Israeli housing etc