Where Cries of Socialism Meet Racism
Christopher J. Lee, assistant professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has an interesting op-ed piece in the Christian Science Monitor looking at the racist undertones of the rightwing shouts of socialism.
Yet, as seen at various town hall meetings and the Tea Party rally in Washington Sept. 12, a deeper sign of racial tension has emerged with the reappearance of a different inflammatory expression: socialism.
In the context of American politics, socialism has seldom been about the economy or state power alone, despite its political-economic roots. Instead, it has been a slur, synonymous with the charge of communism, but with meaning extending beyond this term as well.
I’ll let you read the piece to see Lee’s examples, but for now, chew on this for a bit.
Understanding this history also informs the present. The passion surrounding the expression “socialism” has less to do with the actual meaning of the word, than its associations with foreignness, anti-Americanism, and racial difference. If its reemergence and use sound antiquated and anachronistic, the motivations for its revival become clearer when placed in a context of latent white anxiety toward a black president. The “birther” movement and its concern over Mr. Obama’s origins were but an earlier sign of these race-based, xenophobic sentiments held by some.
Tags: President Obama, racism, Radical Right, Tea Baggers
Ha! I’ll take this as vindication of my statement way back when they began screaming the word.
You called it, VC!
Whadda ya know, right on time:
link
And for even more context, that ad was produced to support a Republican running to be a judge. Nice.
It’s interesting, this is almost a companion piece for the earlier post about the Democracy Corps survey of the Republican base. The Republican base is not motivated by racism, according to the survey but I also stated that the base should perhaps dig a little deeper into those convictions that Obama has a secret agenda to destroy America. Where does that come from? I agree it’s xenophobia and racism.
I saw that ad and had a laugh.
They’re really becoming grossly cliche.
They are seriously stupid.
“After a Democratic state senator wrote that DeMint didn’t bring enough money back to the state, Bamberg County GOP Chairman Edwin Merwin and Orangeburg County GOP Chairman James Ulmer responded that he was just looking after the nation’s pennies — like a Jew would.”
like a jew would? Can’t. Make. This. Stuff. Up.
Ever since the democrat, LBJ, passed the civil rights act and other great society programs in the 1960,s the republican base has pretty much been a coalition between the rich and the racist, there are some exceptions to be sure, but that,s how the base is constitued. Socialism equates with welfare and hand-outs for minority,s. The odd componant of the current health care debate is many republicans assume the biggest beneficiars will be the poor and minoritys, when in fact most of the really poor already have single payer in the form of medicade. Those fighting to keep the current system will find themselves with out coverage later in life when they really need it. I only hope I,m still here to say I told you so.