When Trump was elected in 2016, I was regularly reprimanded for insisting that MAGA was all about racism. People kinder than me (and that’s a lot of people) wanted to see MAGA voters as folks voting pocketbook issues, not as a re-emergence of the Confederacy or KKK.
The political science research that just keeps coming, however, supports my much less polite analysis.
Let’s face it: we are fighting a new version of the Civil War. This time, the people who stand to benefit most from defending bigotry aren’t the owners of plantations–they are the plutocrats and grifters dismantling the American system for profit–but like those plantation owners, our contemporary would-be overlords are using racism to enlist the support of a population desperate to believe that their religion and/or skin color makes them superior.
The evidence is overwhelming. There are the efforts to erase that hated DEI, the constant war on “woke-ism,” and the very unsubtle movement to substitute nationalist mythology for accurate history.
A recent example: An administration that has hollowed out the ranks of rangers who tend our national parks is now insisting that those who remain scrub park gift shops of “corrosive ideology.”
Remaining staff members have been ordered to report the presence of any retail item that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living” or that includes in its description “matters unrelated to beauty, abundance or grandeur.” (It will be interesting to see how park leaders follow the administration’s directive in parks established to pursue an individual mission–for example, parks created to inform the public about the civil war, Indigenous history, slavery or other topics the Trump administration considers “defamatory” of historical Americans.)
Hardly less obvious is the scorn and contempt constantly heaped by MAGA on urban America. As Paul Krugman has recently–and accurately–noted, these ugly assaults on the nation’s cities are both vile and dishonest–and all about bigotry. What really bothers MAGA about urban life is the idea that non-white people are exercising political power.
After Mamdani won New York’s Democratic primary, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that New York is about to turn into “Caracas on the Hudson.” As Krugman observed,
Bessent isn’t really deeply worried about Mamdani’s economic ideas. But he feels free, maybe even obliged, to slander a foreign-born Muslim with language he would never use about a white Christian politician, even if that politician were (like some of his colleagues in the Trump administration) a total crackpot.
Krugman points to the resurgence of raw racism emanating from the Trump administration. That racism is apparent in the cuts at the National Institutes of Health, which are
so tilted against racial minorities that a federal judge — one appointed by Ronald Reagan! — declared he’d never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable. You can see it in the renaming of military bases after Confederate generals — that is, traitors who fought for slavery. You can even see it in a change in the military’s shaving policy that is clearly custom-designed to drive Black men — who account for around a quarter of the Army’s new recruits — out of the service.
One problem with bigotry is that it feeds on itself. The definition of “my tribe” contracts. We saw it in Nazi Germany, where–as Martin Niemoller famously wrote, eventually there is no one left to “speak out for me.” As Krugman writes,
Now, maybe you imagine that you yourself won’t suffer from this new reign of bigotry and imagine that everyone you care about is similarly safe. But if that’s what you think, you’re likely to face a rude awakening.
I personally don’t have any illusions of safety. Yes, I’m a native-born white citizen. But my wife and her family are Black, and some of my friends and relatives are foreign-born U.S. citizens.
Furthermore, I’m Jewish, and anyone who knows their history realizes that whenever right-wing bigotry is on the ascendant, we’re always next in line. Are there really people out there naïve enough to believe MAGA’s claims to be against antisemitism, who can’t see the transparent cynicism and dishonesty?
The fact is that the Trump administration already contains a number of figures with strong ties to antisemitic extremists. The Great Replacement Theory, which has de facto become part of MAGA’s ideology, doesn’t just say that there’s a conspiracy to replace whites with people of color; it says that it’s a Jewish conspiracy.
There really is no “middle ground” between White Christian Nationalism and the American Idea. Which of those will prevail is what this iteration of the Civil War is all about.
What is a major difference between inhabitants of Western societies, and countries that are members of the BRICS nations?
Skin color.
I’m afraid this country has been, since The Civil War at least, divided nearly in half by the same forces: bigotry, white nationalism and misogyny. Racism has reared its ugly head during all of those times, sometimes above ground but always just below the surface as well, from the Civil War days through Reconstruction and Jim Crow, only somewhat dampened by the national emergency of WWs I and II, and military integration, such as it was. It continued on through the Civil Rights of the ’60s and the Vietnam War of the ’70s. The ’80s gave us the best example of White Christian nationalism in Ronald Reagan, and this country’s national racism ironically found new energy under the Obama administration, then arose and flourished under trump’s presidency, coming into full power so far under trump II. It is a powerful, pervasive and destructive force, and thank god it only consumes something under half of our country by my estimation. In fact, on a more positive note, it may only affect closer to a third of us, the other two thirds fairly evenly divided into those who give a damn about the Constitution, compassion, empathy, DEI, etc., and those who don’t give a damn one way or the other, based on our voting statistics. The midterms can’t come soon enough.
I am no statistician, but I would like to think Gil is accurate with his racism assessment, but I would guess that racism impacts a much larger portion than 33% or “slightly less than half.” I think solid racists may fit that category, but there is at least another 33% who wouldn’t move off the couch to help a black person in need.
My little section of Indiana was divided and parceled by local oligarchs who, like most Hoosiers, were racists. The KKK was very prevalent in our community. Now they don’t need hoods. Their racism was everywhere, but no place was more noticeable than housing. The neighborhood association documents prevented blacks, Jews, and Chinese until the 1990s. When all the black GIs came home and wanted to buy a house, they were limited to a tiny part of the East Side. Their home values have been underappreciated, which is part of the reparations process.
MAGA is about rolling back any advancements made for women and minorities so that the American Ideal consists only of white men. Why the Churches buy into that obvious, hypocritical ideal is beyond me. However, I’ve long believed that the problem is that anybody can be a pastor of a protestant church. There should be a prerequisite that you be enlightened, but most pastors I’ve come across are anything but enlightened.
What kind of message can they possibly share with others?
p.s. I didn’t think anything could break up MAGA World, but I was wrong. Trump’s handling of the Epstein Files has torn that world apart. It’s also highlighted the dark sides of our uniparty. I’m not sure if it was a joke or not, but I heard that Lauren Boebert recommended a special commission to investigate the Epstein Case and nominated Matt Gaetz to lead the commission. LOLOLOL
Decades ago there was a popular saying (I can’t remember the source), “Hang onto your Confederate money boys, the south’s gonna rise again.” And here it is; Confederate money now in the form of Crypto Coin, preferably those with Trump’s face and I am wondering, as the protection of Crypto Coin is increasing on the market, will our U.S. Dollars (USD) be required to be replaced by Crypto Coins.
Each morning I wake up wondering what new, or dredged up old, Trump nightmare will I be facing. This morning I decided to start my day sitting on my newly renovated front porch to drink my coffee and look for a new perspective. There was no escape from being surrounded by my Trump infested neighbors, including the one across the street who is raising and selling chickens, alive and freshly killed. I have watched this myself and my few visitors ask about hearing chickens, I have no answer for them. The increased zoning violations there are now ignored by Zoning officials; our Democratic Mayor is at a disadvantage due to state level lack of needed citations to be followed up on. Just as he is at the dangerous disadvantage of murder rates due to state level lax gun laws. as Martin Martin Niemoller famously wrote, “eventually there is no one left to speak out for me.”
I still have my “For the love of God, anyone but Trump” yard sign planted in my front flowerbed in case there are others in my minority position and because I am still praying for that “…anyone but Trump” will happen, whatever form that takes. I have lived with the bigotry of supporting race and sexual orientation due to my choices of friends in the mid 1950s; we are a separate form of targeted bigotry unto ourselves.
“There really is no “middle ground” between White Christian Nationalism and the American Idea. Which of those will prevail is what this iteration of the Civil War is all about.There really is no “middle ground” between White Christian Nationalism and the American Idea. Which of those will prevail is what this iteration of the Civil War is all about.”
It is time for someone to point out that the Trump/Epstein connection was addressed and ended in Trump’s first term of “administration” on Epstein’s death, however it occurred. President Joe Biden and the Democrats had more important work to do than resurrect that issue to become part of “name-calling, finger-pointing” lower class to rival the MAGAs. Who and how resurrected the issue which, like “The Walking Dead” refuses to lay down and die? I did see a three-way split screen news report of MAGAs burning Trump’s famous red ball hats; but they quickly moved back on board Trump’s dog and pony show within hours. The lies persist and increase and now all laws, bills and ordinances have been repealed to legalize Elon Musk’s DOGE firings and sell-offs. President Abraham Lincoln’s famous statement, “A House divided against itself cannot stand.” has been proven wrong by these neo-Republicans.
“It’s All About Bigotry”…White Nationalist vs. everybody else.
Some people accept others for who they are, while others believe humans are intrinsically immoral and need much direction from others. In more contemporary terms, the former accepts collaboration, while the latter favors competition.
Neither worldview is inherently good or bad, and both are necessary for humans to live in relative comfort and safety.
One bit of evidence of that is that all countries now have roughly the same economic system, which is a mix of capitalism, where goods and services are priced per unit, and socialism, where goods and services are priced in aggregate.
Trump and his uber-loyal followers only know capitalism, but are now in charge of socialism, and they have no idea at all what they are doing. They are focused on the belief that the populace of our country needs to be tightly controlled so that the flow of wealth always remains upward. That proves to them that some people are naturally superior, as evidenced by their possession of power and wealth.
Those with a worldview that accepts collaboration believe in liberal democratic governments. Those leaning towards the competitive view of humanity prefer versions of fascism or communism, authoritarianism, to organize collective efforts.
Of course, people are as diverse as snowflakes, but we each, in today’s world, are hyper-specialized in fields of knowledge and work, as well as our investments in free time.
Military and corporate organizations tend to function best under authoritarian structures, while governments operate more effectively with greater collaboration and less competition.
Just learned that Camp Atterbury here in Indiana is about to be turned over to ICE to be used as a detention site. Just what Indiana needs: its own “Buchenwald in Brown County”.
Todd, you are correct about Boebert. She remains the drooling idiot that embarrasses all of Colorado. But then, that’s what MAGA world keeps electing to government.
Our original sin of slavery began well before we were a nation. But if one looks around the world, some form of tribalism exists virtually everywhere. We’re still operating with a 200,000 year-old societal brain in 2025. It’s a miracle, really, that so many nations, including ours, have achieved some level of success at eliminating – or at least learning to live with – the inherent racism.
Then, there’s Stephen Miller ….
Does a leopard change its spots? Does a zebra change its stripes? This very subject has been rehashed more then a slop shoot with bad refrigeration. And the stench rises to the heavens.
How in any way shape or form can a country that started its economic prowess with slavery? How could a country base its compassion and empathy on anyone or anything after wiping out the original inhabitants of said country? How can any country write its laws and bylaws with a straight face, and then support something like Manifest Destiny or, slavery, or, reservations, or, segregation, or, disavow any of those documents that are supposed to provide any sort of equality and empathetic treatment of humans within its borders?
Now there might be some massive upheaval, and something unexpected might happen, but it is getting to the point, that the head of the snake is more like one head on a Hydra! Chop one off, 2 grow back. The body politic has been infected with uncurable infection that started centuries ago. And through all of the so-called efforts to eradicate this virus, it’s just laid dormant until the right circumstances occurred to erupt in its festering death roll once again. We do like the point to the Nazis, as something that is evil and maleffective or undesirable, but the Nazis readily admit that they had gotten most of their ideology from the United States, including eugenics which was a British and American collaboration which existed in this country all the way up into the ’70s in some areas. So with the obvious history of this country, how could anyone ever expect a different outcome than what we see today?
You can’t, hence the leopards and the zebras! The good old boy networks were never dismantled, and those who craved power, courted those networks. And by doing so, gave them more power because of what was owed to them by those making the deal with the devil.
Some say this country is at a crossroads? Like The Young blues guitarist at the crossroads? He made a deal with the devil to get what he wanted, and that cost him for an eternity, for just a few years of notoriety. This country wanted American exceptionalism, notoriety, and power, through manifest destiny, through slavery, through suppression of rights, through the subjugation of those who were melanin enhanced, or just not white, for a few years of power. They sacrificed humans at the altar of their gods, money, power, status, and absolute authority. Why do you think there is no one man one vote Democratic ideal in this country, because this is not a democracy. It never was! As Rudyard Kipling so aptly put, it’s the white man’s burden to put up with those who are not white. The white man had to protect himself from those others. And was extremely exhausted trying to do so.
One thing I would like to mention, close to a millennia ago, the Catholic Church along with the Protestants, through various declarations, those which you can look up for yourself, claimed that those of other races, non-whites, were best subjugated for slavery. They were considered, not actually human. They used The Genesis account of one of Noah’s sons, Ham. They said that Ham was cursed! Which is false. The son of Ham, Canaan was cursed. He was cursed for some sort of perversion that transpired with his sleeping grandfather. Anyway, Ham had other sons, Kush and Put And those two brothers were the progenitors of the Black race. Canaan however was the progenitor of the white race. Whether one believes it or not is moot, not because it didn’t happen, but because the churches used and misapplied and made up something completely opposite of what scripture in Genesis said. And you can’t just read one passage, you have to really read the entirety of that particular point which does take some reading.
So just like our present leader, whatever he misdirects on others, he is guilty of it himself. He tells on himself all the time. These huge religions do the same thing. You just have to be aware and understand. Islam, Christianity, Judaism, they’re all guilty along with every other huge religion that rules the roost in their neck of the woods. Men pervert the laws to give them what they crave. And it’s obvious they don’t believe what they claim to believe, their gods are right here on earth.
were still left with who really inflamed the bigots and what avenue they used.
sure in my working blue collar world its prevelent. instead its now became a way of every day life in your face. whereas we kept it politely in a jar ready for use,today its blantanlty in every trump flag,and every flag that isnt red white and blue, unfortunatly,they wave that one too. they can be in your work area,smilin and adding thier knowlege to a subject, but they still have been programed to hate. call it however you want, its gonna stay as long as we allow social medias bots and influencers move to other ways to support it. hey,dont they get paid by face etc for their content? or who is paying them?
yea, big time biggot and their little world of hate..ya gotta look at who finaced the republican tickets in the last 12 years..
My tribe of bigots! My tribe of bigots! My tribe of bigots!
John Sorg, as you might recall, the Dutch oligarchs used the Sons of Ham argument to segregate their Southern Africa “annexation” and create apartheid. Yeah. The lust for power and presumed wealth. I’m glad I’m old.
Sad that so many of us older people are glad we won’t be around when the sky falls.
knowing what the future may well hold for our children grandchildren & great grands.
What goes round far right … comes back round far left. Unless more of us find the brakes in the middle and take over the steering.
Indiana, the home of eugenics models lent to the NAZIs, forced sterilization of those considered less than, first state to institute it and the last to stop it in the 1970s, the state where the KKK rose to power within a few years in the 1920s, with the white men, women and even children dressed in hooded robes paradeing in the thousands. Now the MAGA Senators, Congresspersons, our governor and his White Christian Nationalist lt. gov. welcome the fascist federal regime’s concentration camp to Brown County (note the irony in that name).
The country has a long and bloody history of concentration camps, including plantations, company stores, reservations and internment camps. All were forms of forcing “others” into closely guarded places, cruelly administered by people who became soulless tools, willingly for the most part, of the wealthy and powerful.
Lest we forget, dump does not do any of this himself. There are millions who willingly enforce his orders, just following them, using their racist,misogynist, xenophobic, homophobic, christian ideology to justify their hate and inhumanity. They live and work among us, in our churches, schools, businesses, even our homes and families. I do not hate them. I do not know if I can ever forgive them as John Lewis did. I won’t forget and will never trust again. RESIST.
All of it is currently driven by a guy who is more concerned about his makeup than the difficult task of creating meaningful policies – consistent with his oath of office – which was just another lie. Same for his minions Banks, Young, Shreve et al. I was reading some information about China’s EV progress; they’re leaving us in the 1950s like most of the rest of the world while ICE (a real gang) terrorizes the king’s enemies. Our ship is sinking.
DaleB, Our “ship” is being led by Captain Psychopath. All rational analysis doesn’t apply. And, until he’s gone, it will get worse as his brain continues to deteriorate.
I would venture to say that most people have some degree of prejudice. Many would deny it, but even the best of us have been imprinted by the culture in which we were raised. BTW it’s a two way street. Since 1619 white Christian Americans have given black people plenty of reason to be wary of their former owners.
It’s up to us individually to know ourselves, to accept or to change what we must, before we can change the world. If you ask anyone who follows Orange Jesus about racism, they won’t admit to being racist. Why, they’ll have lots of black friends at work! They used to follow that line with, “I just don’t want them living next to me.”
In the long term, we could come out of this a little bit better. After all, we’re seeing first hand what a “meritocracy,” can do. By 2028 we might have a different equation i.e. Meritocracy = Kakistocracy.
Do you know Congress approved $49 M hidden within the Big Beautiful Bill to build Trump’s vision of a monument park including 250 statues of greatest Americans of all time to be picked by the President. The national park tribute will be unveiled July 4th 2026. Would anyone wish to guess one statue that will be given a special place?
I agree, Peggy! I may come across as a doom and gloomer, but I am a firm believer that it must get terrible before people will act to change things. I’ve worked in the social work and addiction fields for too many years to think otherwise. “It gets darkest before the dawn.” There are so many references to what it takes to make changes…”dark night of the soul.”
Those who write about it are talking about all the young progressives across the country running for office to replace MAGAs and Wall Street Democrats. Voters are increasingly realizing that the uniparty works for the elite, and that’s why there’s so much personal enrichment. The politicians feel entitled because they do so much for their donors that they can justify a piece for themselves.
Humans can rationalize any excesses. And John is correct in that most religions/cultures have written about the same occurrences. We are not original, although we consider ourselves exceptional.
And for those who denied it, I hope now that everyone can see that Obama created Trump/MAGA. If Obama had followed through on his progressive promises, I don’t think a Republican would have ever been elected POTUS for many, many years…we got conned once again.
And, as many MAGA cult members are realizing, Trump conned them as well. He is no more interested in “draining the swamp” or holding the elite accountable than Biden, Bush, Reagan, Clinton, Obama, etc. They are ALL THE SAME!
Racism is the motivator for western acceptance of a current genocide happening in Gaza. As one member of the commentariat had said, ” that’s not a real genocide”.
We know the real motivation for such an expressed sentiment.
So, now we have State Senator Michael Young drafting legislation that amounts to a state takeover of the city of Indianapolis by the Republicans. It is being proposed under the guise of getting control of crime downtown following the mass shooting that killed two people and injured several others. Top positions in the city government, including the mayor, would be replaced by appointees of the governor.
I mention this because I am convinced that racism is at least partly to blame for this attempt. Would they try a state takeover if this shooting happened Carmel or Seymour? It’s true that it is a convenient opportunity for the power grab of a city that leans Democratic, but their response is consistent with the way Republicans respond to people of color – throw them in jail. In this case, that would be the parents of kids who break curfew.
Here is a link to the story:
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/state-controlled-downtown-indianapolis-state-senator-behind-the-proposal-said-it-would-address-crime/531-5050e4fc-84d0-417d-b23e-98e44eb73dc9?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=nextdoor.com&utm_campaign=nextdoor_news&fbclid=IwY2xjawLowJJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHu4uwM-mhp1gkvuijaH4AnkQOtQ9qAXS-5tIehmX1RN9dsx8yMobpPV5NQRX_aem_2Pq2-t6L4rW6gjFfxqikwQ