So. Since Nikki Haley tried to cleanse the Confederacy of its horrid history, maybe we should talk about the elements of secession and the CSA, in its theories and culture, that reflect many of the more troubling aspects of our moment and Trumpism. 1/
First off, the Civil War was in part due to the emergence of a national media that turned an eye to Washington. Southerners began behaving like fictional characters to capture the attention of their base, often parroting popular conspiracy theories to gain favor. 2/
Those conspiracy theories revolves around the idea that Northerners were determined to undermine slavery and ruin the South. This riled Southern voters who relied on their separatist politicians, who were using the conspiracies to their own advantage. 3/
Those Southern conspiracy theories were a boon for media looking to make Southerners terrified and created an echo chamber like the one we have with Fox News now, and it created more and more call for polarized extremism. 4/
Eventually Southern conspiracy theories led to a perspective that there were two Americas. The real one (in the South) and the devilish one in the North. The South began distrusting everything and the bonds of shared society eroded. 5/
The fear of abolition that Southerners felt was actually false. It was a belief conjured by media, conspiracy theories, and politicians interested in empowering and enriching themselves. Sounds familiar, yeah? 6/
So. When the South secedes, it’s not as an entirely new country. Even though it’s a dystopian nightmare, they still claim heritage to the Founders. Jefferson Davis links it to the Revolution, much like Trump constantly aligns his movement. 7/
What the Confederates promise is that this movement will protect agrarianism, a way of life that was already outdated. It was like yelling coal miners and factory workers their jobs were coming back, only as a means of maintaining strict financial hierarchies. 8/
The Confederacy benefitted the wealthy while inspiring fear in the other classes of conspiracies. It was a hugely top down society that used racism and bigotry and anxiety to maintain that order. 9/
Meanwhile, the Confederacy maintained control of the poor through indoctrination. Schools taught obedience and a white supremacy perspective. Also? It was in the church. Confederates were controlled by a white identity Christian religion. 10/
The main comparison at the heart of everything is this: the Confederacy was a treason formed because of awareness of changing demographics. The votes weren’t going to be there anymore, so like all fascists, a group losing power was manipulated into accepting authoritarianism. 11/
The Confederacy is a warning and we’d do well to heed it it’s not just an aberration or a bygone idea. It’s proof that fascism is in our culture and these elements can bring it to the surface. Trumpism is a reminder and we need to recognize it for what it is. 12/12
