It’s frustrating to hear people accuse Republicans of trying to create minority rule. The United States was *founded* in rich white male minority rule. We’ve weakened it over time, but we’ve never gotten rid of it. That’s the context this is all happening in. Call it by its name.
“Republicans are creating minority rule” Hmm, what would that look like? Would white people control elections? Would every president be a man? Would the press systematically favor rich white men? Would state violence against POC be sanctioned?
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One stumbling block to recognizing minority rule in the US is that it’s not absolute. It’s not literally apartheid. And it’s not in the Constitution- quite the opposite, especially after the Civil War and 19A.
But in exchange for measures of equality and democracy, we get massive gaslighting that minority rule doesn’t exist at all. That we do have real democracy, with liberty and justice for all.
And that’s another stumbling block to seeing the minority rule that’s right in front of us. The gaslighting is part of the fabric of our culture. If you’re privileged, it’s the water you’re swimming in.
Perversely, every measure of equality we’ve achieved is both a victory and a means for the privileged to pretend everything’s fair.
“So our history isn’t just one of minority rule and injustice, but one of constant gaslighting, propaganda, and denial. Which made us vulnerable to more of it. And the fact that it isn’t as bad as apartheid helps the comfortable stay oblivious.” dailykos.com/stories/2017/8…
The fact that we are and always have been a minority rule country is hidden in plain sight. And nothing gets hidden in plain sight on its own. It takes people to hide it- from others and from themselves.
That collective, systematic hiding of the truth is abuse culture.
This is why I’m frustrated when I hear people worry about budding minority rule. It’s already here. For a lot of us, it’s already in our heads, shaping our thoughts. We won’t be able to really address it till we move the conversation there.
