They’re talking about white people who believe in white male minority rule. To the extent it’s associated with Midwesterners, rural diners or the working class, that’s only to whitewash bigotry with “salt of the earth” nobility. /1
We’re a minority rule country that tells itself it’s a democracy. The phrase “Real Americans” helps resolve and hide the resulting cognitive dissonance. It’s ok to reserve democracy for Real Americans. /2
The concept of “Real Americans” simultaneously expresses and justifies a sense of ownership by a select group. /3
And if you’re not a Real American, you’re not just a second class citizen. You’re a thief. You have no business participating in democracy. You certainly have no business in public office. /4
So when the proponents of minority rule rig elections, suppress votes and steal Supreme Court seats, they can tell themselves they’re just restoring democracy to its rightful owners. To them, that’s the height of patriotism. /5
It’s a tell that the mainstream press (the “liberal” press) is so dedicated to the concept of Real Americans. We have the press you’d expect in a minority rule country. More specifically, a minority rule country that says it isn’t. /6
We also have the left wing you’d expect of a minority rule country in denial. It includes people opposed to minority rule, people who like it (except in the ways it hurts them), and a lot of beneficiaries who aren’t even aware of it or their role in it. /7
So when people on the left talk about Real Americans, put Midwesterners on a pedestal, or say “working class” to mean white guys w/o a college degree, that’s a big red flag. /8
At its worst, left-wing usage of these phrases can indicate the person consciously or subconsciously wants to maintain minority rule, just without the oligarchy. /9
Even at its best, the usage is careless and harmful. When “Real Americans” is meant to describe the 98%, it still promotes the idea that some Americans should be excluded from citizenship. And that will always trigger the minority rule thinking that pervades our culture. /10
This thread has been focusing on the white and male supremacist aspects of minority rule, but it’s also ableist, homophobic, Christian theocratic, and oligarchic. Together, that’s a tiny minority. But the racism and sexism gives a cut to a majority. /11
And the dominant definition of “left” is rooted in minority rule.
On the right, oligarchs sell oligarchy with bigotry. On the left, privileged people fight oligarchy but can view the fight against bigotry as a distraction or hindrance. /12
On the right, oligarchs sell oligarchy with bigotry. On the left, privileged people fight oligarchy but can view the fight against bigotry as a distraction or hindrance. /12
I’ve really undersold how much Christianity is part of the definition of Real Americans to a lot of people, and to our minority rule press. @C_stroop breaks it down here (and if you’re not following her you should fix that). /13
religiondispatches.org/the-evangelica…
religiondispatches.org/the-evangelica…
