(Thread) It's Just a Matter of Time
There is confusion about this so called “ideological role reversal.”⤵️
The "conservative" party were "law and order" when "law and order" meant putting black men in jail.
Spoiler: The Trump-FOX-GOP has taken on a fight that they will lose.
There is confusion about this so called “ideological role reversal.”⤵️
The "conservative" party were "law and order" when "law and order" meant putting black men in jail.
Spoiler: The Trump-FOX-GOP has taken on a fight that they will lose.
2/ You can begin reading about the history of prisons in the 20th century here: jstor.org/stable/800272?…
Thurgood Marshall spent decades (from the 1920s to the 1950s) combatting the racism in the criminal justice system.
Thurgood Marshall spent decades (from the 1920s to the 1950s) combatting the racism in the criminal justice system.
3/ Since the mid-1950s, when the US began transitioning to a true liberal democracy ⤵️(and as women became prosecutors and lawmakers) law enforcement agencies, too, began changing.
People noticed the inherent racism in the criminal justice system.
People noticed the inherent racism in the criminal justice system.
4/ I remember when Joe Walsh asked this:
What happened is that law enforcement began taking seriously "white collar crime" (nonviolent, mostly financial).
You know, the kind of thing the Trumps do.
Wealthy white men who got rich cheating didn't like it.
What happened is that law enforcement began taking seriously "white collar crime" (nonviolent, mostly financial).
You know, the kind of thing the Trumps do.
Wealthy white men who got rich cheating didn't like it.
5/ The bellyaching about FISA abuses comes from wealthy white horrified by the audacity of law enforcement looking into the activity of wealth white men.
They say it curtails their personal liberty.
Did they complain that all-black prison chain gangs curtailed liberty?
Nooo.
They say it curtails their personal liberty.
Did they complain that all-black prison chain gangs curtailed liberty?
Nooo.
6/ Remember that MAGA means "take us back to the days when wealthy white men could do as they pleased."
New followers, see
We’re going through a hard transition. Before about 1950, wealthy white men could do as they pleased. Slave owners lived like kings.
New followers, see
We’re going through a hard transition. Before about 1950, wealthy white men could do as they pleased. Slave owners lived like kings.
7/ Now that law enforcement agencies are looking at crimes of wealthy white men, they're perfectly willing to destroy those agencies.
We can repair the damage, after they’re removed from power.
(If you’re tempted to launch into doomsaying, see my FAQs: terikanefield-blog.com/faq/)
We can repair the damage, after they’re removed from power.
(If you’re tempted to launch into doomsaying, see my FAQs: terikanefield-blog.com/faq/)
8/ Steven Levitsky (co-author of How Democracies Die) explains that it’s best to treat this transition like an earthquake.
See his lecture here. It's worth listening to:
There is much rattling and shaking as a minority tries to hold onto power.
See his lecture here. It's worth listening to:
There is much rattling and shaking as a minority tries to hold onto power.
9/ But the GOP demographics are shrinking and aging.
Yes, they're fighting tooth and nail, but as Taylor Swift sings 🎵"it's just a matter of time."🎵
We must quickly move to strengthen the institutions and keep them as intact as possible so there'll be less rebuilding later.
Yes, they're fighting tooth and nail, but as Taylor Swift sings 🎵"it's just a matter of time."🎵
We must quickly move to strengthen the institutions and keep them as intact as possible so there'll be less rebuilding later.
10/ OK, I'm in love with this song.
The future belongs to the young.
In time, it will be in their hands.
Swift is from Tennessee. I imagine the "bad man" Trump, or maybe another Southerner: McConnell.
I hear the song and think: She will outlive them.
The future belongs to the young.
In time, it will be in their hands.
Swift is from Tennessee. I imagine the "bad man" Trump, or maybe another Southerner: McConnell.
I hear the song and think: She will outlive them.
11/ Aside: Yes, I leaped from "before 1950" to slave days.
That's because Jim Crow, legalized voter suppression and other tools restored white men to the top of the hierarchy.
It wasn't until the 1950s that we really began the transition.
We're still riding the backlash.
That's because Jim Crow, legalized voter suppression and other tools restored white men to the top of the hierarchy.
It wasn't until the 1950s that we really began the transition.
We're still riding the backlash.
Ordinarily I put my threads on my blog, but I'm still experiencing technical difficulties, which should be fixed in another day or two.
Demcast kindly put yesterday's thread on their blog. Thank you, @demwrite
demcastusa.com/2020/02/07/its…
Demcast kindly put yesterday's thread on their blog. Thank you, @demwrite
demcastusa.com/2020/02/07/its…
