By now we are all aware of how the radical Right loves to
mischaracterize Democrats, liberals, progressives, etc. as the “radical Left”,
and thereupon declare, “Leftists hate America.”
Demonizing the press and opposition as “enemies of the
people” is their standard nationalistic rhetoric that has become a debate tactic. It is built
into the foundation of their radical belief system. Along with racism and
bigotry, demonization of dissent has always been at the core of radical Right
ideology and fascism.
Tucker Carlson has denied the existence of white nationalism, but found it appropriate to attack Representative Ilhan Omar for "hating America". He added, "We have every right to preserve our nation, and our heritage, and our culture".
No wonder David Duke wanted him to be Trump's Vice President.
Omar was also one of the four women of color Trump accused of "Viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful nation on earth, how our government is supposed to be run". He then viciously tweeted, "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came".
Jonathan Chait observed in his article “Rush Limbaugh
Taught Republicans to Love an Angry, Racist Bully”:
“Limbaugh oozed bile. He did not merely characterize his
targets as misguided, or stupid, or even selfish. He rendered them for his
audience as dehumanized targets of rage. He had special rage for feminist
women, who were castrating harpies, and Black people, who were lazy,
intellectually unqualified, and inherently criminal. The message he pounded
home day after day was that minorities and women were seizing status and
resources from white people and men, and that politics was a zero-sum struggle
— and the victory would go to whichever side fought more viciously.”
Since racism isn’t racism to racists, the radical Right
will refuse to acknowledge the racism from their favorite authoritarian leaders
like Trump and Limbaugh.
I cited some of those racist remarks in a comment thread at our old conservative friend Darrell's blog.
They were all documented, from recordings, and from his
own transcripts. Limbaugh acknowledged
making these statements in a 1990 Newsday article. “Have you ever
noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?”
and “Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.”
But Darrell saw through my “deception”. He declared,
“Your Limbaugh quotes are unsubstantiated, have questionable sources, or are
not given full context”.
His sarcastic reaction was predictable.
“Dave Dubya does not hate America. The country is systemically
racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, and authoritarian (all according to
Dave and the left) but Dave still loves his country. Thanks for the
clarification.”
Did I ever say “The country is systemically racist,
homophobic, transphobic, sexist, and authoritarian”? Of course not.
This is how the radical Right responds whenever someone
points to the fact that so many of them are racist, homophobic, trans-phobic,
sexist, and authoritarian. In their minds they are “America”, and that makes
them the “real victims”™.
What does that make the rest of us? Why, “America-hating
Leftists”, naturally. Is there a reason why they conflate hating racism with
hating America? It seems to touch a nerve.
We understand this distorted deflection sets the table
for them to present their ubiquitous, radical Right, white identity “victim
card”. Our conservative friend is an avid defender of Christopher Columbus as
the hero who graciously brought “Western Civilization” to the Americas. Too bad
about all that disease, slavery and genocide that came with it.
Darrell won’t admit it, but “Western Civilization” is the
term substituted for “white nationalism” by white nationalists; not that I’m
saying Darrell is a white nationalist.
The racist and radical Right insurrectionists called
Proud Boys swear an oath when they join. “I am a Western Chauvinist and I
refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.”
“Western” is their word for “white” these days. “Modern
world” means “White European/American world”. Taking credit for “creating the
modern world” sends their message of white supremacy, even though all the Coup
Klux Klan “created” is hate and racism.
Somewhat less subtle are Trump’s openly racist terms
“China virus” and "Kung Flu”. Not only did the “Whitest President” and birther
incite racist hate for Mexicans and Blacks, he added Asians during his last
year in office. Tragically the current plague of racist attacks on Asian
Americans comes as no surprise.
What else can the radical Right do but project their
bigotry back towards Democrats, liberals, and the Left?
This familiar tactic was in the news again. This time it
was invoked by Republicans at a House judiciary subcommittee hearing on
anti-Asian violence. They were annoyed that addressing racist anti-Asian
rhetoric was an attack on their “free speech” against the Chinese Communist
Party. Yes, the poor white guys are the “real victims”™ again.
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said, “If America was such
a hate filled, discriminatory, racist society filled with animus against Asian
Americans, how do you explain the remarkable success of Asian Americans in our
country?” (File under, “If America elected Obama, how can there be a problem
with racism?”) “Any racist sentiments, speech or act needs to be vigorously
condemned, but to attack our society as systemically racist, a society that has
produced the most prosperous and most harmonious racial society in human
history, well that’s an insult and it’s flat out wrong.”
There it is again. Nobody "attacked our society as
systemically racist”. In this case “our society” is exclusively conservative
white people. And once again, only white conservatives may assume the authority
to unilaterally define what is, or isn’t, racist. I mean, what do minorities know
about racism?
Despite the arrogant pretensions of the radical white
Right, they are not America. They are not “our society”. They are simply white
Americans at their worst.