Pointing Out That A Lot Of White Guys Are Racist Is Not Racist

We have all seen it on social media.  White men whining about a weird sort of reverse racism any time a non white person points out facts related to white guys tendencies to be racists.  The only thing it truly shows is how sick and tired they are of having to curb their offensive behavior.  They really miss the good old days when they could say something awful and have it glossed over without consequence.

A lot of white men live far in the past.  They have a glowing nostalgia for their youth.  They still have many of the same companions they had in high school.  Within this space they can engage in  camaraderie by disparaging others.  They cling to an immature irresponsibility as if it were a fountain of youth.

When this immaturity hits the public space of social media suddenly there is a cold shower of the reality of adult responsibility.  They are expected to show consideration for the feelings of people different from themselves and they do not want to.  They complain of political correctness because it spotlights their lack of empathy, and grasp at straws offered by right wing media that tell them they are not the problem.

The far right noise makers have found arguments that they believe proves their point.  That a non white person speaking about being discriminated against is itself discriminatory because it stereotypes the behavior of all whites, and that the path toward equality is inherently weighted against the advantaged.

Of course it is almost never that these complaints come from white people who are completely innocent of discriminatory behavior.  Usually it is the white guys that find themselves repeatedly called out for subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, inadvertent racism that rail at the unfairness.

Donald Trump thinks this way, and speaks this way, taking his cues from far right talking heads on the plight of the white male boor.  Many white men hear a kindred spirit in the inept ranting phrases Trump utters daily.  They see equality as a way to make them something less, instead of a leveling of the playing field.

The notion of a white man being discriminated against because of his race in the United States sounds ludicrous, but many are making just such a claim.  This is white supremacism for guys who do not want to admit they are white supremacists.  They try to subvert principles of fairness and equality to maintain their privilege.  But mostly they want to feel free to say any crazy hateful thing they want without fear of being labeled deplorable.

The GOP is Undermining Democracy

The GOP has pretty much given up any pretense of wanting fair elections.  Their only strategy does not involve campaigning on issues, but is based on getting fewer people to participate in democracy.  They hold to the belief that old white Christian men know what is good for the country, and anyone who does not fit that demographic lacks the ability to make appropriate decisions.

I am not saying that old, white, Christian, Republican men do not deserve representation, but as a group their numbers are falling.  They represent a smaller percent of the population each year.  This is not reflected in the make up of the government, where they are substantially disproportionately represented.

Roughly 50% of Americans who are of eligible age to serve in congress are over 55, About 75% of this consider themselves white, 75% identify as Christians, and just under half are men.  That means that roughly 14% of the population of the United States is old white Christian men.  A quick glance at the make up of the Congress of the United States makes it very obvious that this group is over represented.

Republicans are very much aware the increased representation for minority groups means decreased representation for themselves and their homogeneous constituency.  They are hitched to a single group that is no longer the overwhelming majority it once was.  That leaves no hope for the long term future of the party operating within the rules of a democracy, so they have systematically been chipping away at the voting rights of groups statistically likely to favor their opponents.

The system of government that most favors keeping the old, white, Christian Republicans in charge is authoritarian plutocracy. They decide what is best for the country based on what is best for themselves and the wealthy few who back them, utilizing everyone else as a disposable resource.

There is a lot of push back happening all over the country, and with the current state of information dissemination, their plots are constantly being exposed.  There are many voices speaking out about voter suppression, intimidation and outright lies about their stance on issues.  Their next level of attack on democracy has been to spread lies to discredit the fact checkers and whistle blowers that are trying to protect the truth.

It will take a strong voter turnout despite the machinations of Republicans to start us on the path to real democracy.  We have the opportunity to lead the world in inclusively and equality, but that means the Republican party must become obsolete.  There is no bright American future that includes those who would deny representation to all Americans.