Thread by @hmcghee

The Lesson of January 6: Zero-Sum Racism is the Biggest Threat to U.S. Democracy. medium.com/@heathercmcghe…

By tracking the hundreds of insurrectionists who have been arrested over the past year, researchers from @UChicago were able to conclude that the rioters’ primary driver was “fear of the ‘great replacement’, the belief that the rights of minorities will overtake that of whites.”

Despite universal condemnation in Washington during the violent siege, on the next day, the majority of the House #Republican caucus voted to do what the mob wanted: refuse to certify the election results.

The lie of the stolen election is not just a wild fantasy — it is anchored in our long history of zero-sum racial hierarchy.

To believe the #BigLie, you have to think that it’s just as safe to assume that black and brown people are criminals committing fraud as it is to assume they’re eligible citizens exercising their civic duty.

The tools and strategies of zero-sum #racism are still wreaking havoc in our #democracy, at a cost to the entire project of self-governance.

When you track who funded the “#StoptheSteal” movement and ongoing plans to overturn elections, they’re the same people who benefit from tax handouts and corporate giveaways when #Republicans gain power despite losing the majority of votes.

Let’s pledge, on this terrible anniversary, to do all that we can to protect democracy. #VotingRightsNow

This is our chance, to choose between the zero-sum delusions of white supremacy and the benefits of a truly multiracial democracy.

Read my full article on Medium, here: medium.com/@heathercmcghe…

#January6th #TheSumofUs #VotingRightsNow

The post includes an excerpt from new material in the paperback of #TheSumofUsBook, available for pre-order now and out Feb 8 wherever books are sold. penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564989/t…