As anybody who reads my blog or knows me in meat-space can tell you, I'm no fan of Fox News. This situation exists for a number of reasons, some rooted in deeply-held beliefs, others in simple dislike or outright hatred of an individual. I'm on record multiple times for publicly stating that Tucker Carlson is such a smarmy little fuck because he didn't get punched in the face enough times to learn to cut that shit out, for example.
But, fundamentally, it comes down to the simple fact that I used to be a conservative, and the kind of white trash-affirming racist trash-fire bullshit one constantly sees on that channel is not what I was taught. In point of fact, it's damned near the opposite. I'm a Democrat now for a reason.
It's Fox News that often makes me wonder what the hell kind of crazy Mirror-Universe I accidentally woke up in this morning.
That said, the other night at work I saw this, and my response was an audible "WHAT THE FUCK?!" while sitting in the break-room.
Why? Because this is what what's left of American Movement Conservatism:
Today, "Conservatism" is all about talk. You can basically say whatever dumb shit you want, and from there, you hope the mob picks it up and runs with it. Then you mail in more bullshit tomorrow, and every so often, just to gin up the rubes, you say some shit that on some level, you hope you never have to back up...but if it gets ratings, great! Conservatism is no longer about doing, it's about getting other people...many, if not most of whom, people you wouldn't piss on if they were on fire...to do for you.
These people (for example) hate the DACA kids, Dreamers, non-Cuban Latinos (and them too, if they're not Trump Supporters) in general and Mexican-Americans in particular with all the fiery energy of a thousands splendid suns. They especially hate people who want to come here and work hard or serve in the military or otherwise contribute to society. They hate most of all those immigrants (Latino or otherwise, legal or otherwise) who sign onto the idea of being an American and expect to be rewarded for it with their own small part of the American dream. As I've said before, right-wingers don't want to do anything...and they don't want anybody else to do anything either...
...But if a war with North Korea breaks out, they'll be happy to chuck as many of those people as possible into the meat grinder for Capitalism, God, Old Glory and most of all Donald Trump...just so long as when it's over those people go back to picking beans in the hot California sun and never have to be seen or thought of by White People ever again...unless they're seen briefly, hunched over in a field, from the windows of a shiny new gas-guzzling Lincoln Navigator.
Don't expect decent health care or veteran's benefits either, but here...here's this $5 lunch coupon and cheap hat and Thanks For Your Service (TM) as long as you agree to serve as a political prop for all type of shitty things you'd never personally agree to...
It's become the Crab Bucket fallacy on steroids. If I can't have it, neither can you. If I can't be a movie star or a singer or idly rich, you can't have anything at all. Many of today's "Conservatives" think they're all in the 1% or would be if it wasn't for "Those People" (a blame game that varies on an hourly basis, it seems) while the actual people who propagated this mentality (who wouldn't piss on a "White Working Class" conservative if he was on fire) and who mostly aren't actually all that conservative are currently taking 83% of any new wealth that is generated.
Meanwhile, the "Conservative" response is to give everything to Donald Trump, then kick back and wait for the big bucks to come rolling in. Never mind that Trump has to use it all to pay back the Russian mob bosses and oligarchs, lest some big bull-necked dude named Ivan Chekov show up and break his kneecaps and the Secret Service people conveniently all decide to go get a cup of coffee at that particular moment.
Conservatives, meanwhile, appear to be fine with this. Creationism, endless political partisanship and doubling down on white privilege have all reduced these people to the level of trusting children, so long as the "right" person is telling them what they want to hear, and while we're at it, apparently a 13-year-old Black kid is now considered an adult and a 28-year-old White House staffer doesn't have to have an adult level of judgement about anything...
Why? Because fuck you if you're not part of the club (and we're in denial about saying that, too.) That's why. BUILD THAT WALL!
Because God forbid people who aren't rich, White and the correct kind of Christian (or shitty atheistic Randian Granny Starver) Male (slight exception for women who are blonde and look like models or porn stars) with the right political views (...an ever-narrowing line that, currently, excludes even an ever-increasing number of white conservative Christians...) dare to expect the Constitutional and legal rights and most of all the respect that even conservative America promised them until recently.
No, that's not how this works. That's not how any of this works. More to the point, the longer this goes on the worse the reckoning is going to be when it's over.
Case in point, when I say that an increasing number of white conservatives are *Also* being marginalized...by other white conservatives. This lady is a Redstate.com writer. It's worth noting that the Central Park Five case in particular was what cemented my hatred of Donald Trump, who was a Democrat, a nominal liberal, and yes, a racist at the time.
Now, look here, when I was coming up, conservatism was about actions at least as much as it was about what you said. Conservation and protecting the environment were part of the deal, because it was well understood that we've only got one Earth. You paid your bills, kept your word and said what you meant because it was also understood that somebody who doesn't keep their word ain't worth shit. You respected those who served...in any capacity, military or civilian...but you damned sure didn't fawn over them or heap fake admiration or praise on them as part of a political agenda. Also, war, particularly with another nuclear power...was generally considered a bad thing, and something to be avoided. The idea was "Peace through strength" projected with a quiet, businesslike certainty that apparently died alone and forgotten like one of Newt Gingrich's ex-wives, about 20 years ago.
While we're at it, if stuff needed to get done you got the most qualified person for the job. Their color didn't matter. When I registered to vote for the first time, in 1991, as a damn Republican, Black men like Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan figured prominently on my list of heroes. That we kicked Saddam's ass with a Black man in charge of the United States Army was something I never let myself forget. That one of my first introductions to the workings of politics was closely following the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas in print, on the radio and on TV for a government-class extra credit project is something I don't forget either. In this vein, if an athlete is skilled enough at their sport that they are qualified to join the United States Olympic Team, it's safe to say that they are among the best in the world at what they do. It's not even a question. If they're not a white person, or a straight person? SO THE FUCK WHAT!? It's none of your goddamned business what color they are. If they are there, if they have put in the blood, sweat, tears and mind-blowing exhausting goddamned Work that it takes to be a professional athlete and to fucking be there in the first place (because it takes some goddamned hard ass work to even get a shot at the US Olympic Team) and they make the cut, the proper thing to do is treat them with the respect that their efforts deserve and expect that they're just as capable of winning on their own merits as anybody else. If they weren't, they simply would not be there.
30 years ago, Republicans stood up in front of the entire world and demanded that walls be torn down. Ronald Reagan stood at the Bradenburg Gate in Berlin and demanded "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Tear down this wall!"
Mike Pence, on the other hand, refused to stand for the Unified Korea team, because god knows, what American conservatives and Donald Trump want is more important that what the actual Koreans want...especially if they want peace. Don't they know, War is peace! Now Mike is going to have to go back to the DMZ and mean mug in a northerly direction again, as if daring the Norks to challenge his Marlboro-Man manliness (and remember, this is a dude who calls his wife "Mother," what could be more manly than that?)
Let's get one thing straight here, respect is earned. Every action, every day, and this dude is disrespecting the Koreans at an event that, fundamentally, is about promoting peace. How do you think that's going to play with the rest of the world, really?
Pence has become known for disreputable political stunts, but ya know, unlike Trump (who does them mostly without thinking) Mike Pence seems to know what he's doing. If he thinks so poorly of the whole rest of the world...I'll give you three guesses how highly he thinks of you or me, but you'll probably only need one. (...And this guy is supposed to be the respectable one?)
Back in the day, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals alike (and in those days, not all Democrats were liberals and not all Republicans were conservatives) may have disagreed about how to get shit done, or what the best way was to make things better...but it was generally understood that both sides wanted to make things better. How, was something that would get hashed out in debate over the issues. Back in those days, military parades were something that happened in the Soviet Union. We laughed at the idea...
Now, Republicans regard the very idea of debate as a challenge to their authority and a threat to their manhood. Now, Republicans regard being laughed at as a greater threat than being shot at. At some point, Republicans stopped wanting a leader, and started wanting a mirror that reflected their biases and their bullshit and their old bitter-ass certainty that "If I can't have it, neither can you." Well, they got it, and it got elected. Please Clap.
"Bring Back the Death Penalty" and "Bring Back Our Police" all over five black and brown kids who would later be exonerated of the crimes they were accused of, tried for and convicted of. When called out on this bullshit, Trump doubled down.
As if his opinion, was somehow above reality itself.
As for me, I don't know how this wasn't the end of it, this right here, in *1989.*
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. ~Revelation 6:9-11
That day is coming, and it's a failure of imagination on the part of American Christianity and Conservatism that they could never imagine they'd be the ones on the wrong side of it.How many Black Christians do you suppose have been killed by American white racists? How many Black churches have been burned by them?
I get that the white folks thought that the black folks didn't count. What I don't get is why anyone thought God might feel the same way.
It doesn't seem the least bit radical to me, to think that the future might be more Black, or Brown, or Female, or Gay, or more diverse in general. The day will come when this nation has its first Gay or first Mexican American or first Muslim president. It seems both foolish and radical to assume that a silly old white man represents the future, let alone the only future, the only option, the only way.
It seems better, in the long term, to accept being a part of diversity than to be opposed to it.
You want your way of life to survive, conservatives? Don't build a wall, build a more diverse conservatism.
The judgment is coming, Republicans. I hope you're looking at that Big Orange Mirror when it comes.
...And it will come.
American Revelation: Part Four
No comments:
Post a Comment