Ding! Ding!You have hit the nail squarely on it's head. Republicans/MAGAts have been accusing Dems and the Woke left of doing exactly what they have been doing all along. This is a page straight from the Trump/fascist playbook. Fascists alway declare that they are being victimized by LGTBQ, women, black and brown people, Muslims, Democrats, and the list goes on. This is what started it all in Nazi Germany in 1930 when the LGTBQ community was selected to be the problem and needed to be dealt with "to save the children". Such garbage. I think there are more of us Woke folk out there who recognize this for what it is and call out the perpetrators for the fascist racists that they are.
In my humble opinion, the word"fascist" has not been used enough.Fascism is what is going on in today's Republican party and among our wealthiest citizens. "Fascism -A way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government." We are not there yet but are certainly moving in that direction.
These days it's often being used appropriately. However, it's been degraded for decades by overuse, especially in the left of center. A great history prof of mine, ca. 1973, opened his first lecture on European Fascism and Nazism by asking "What is a fascist -- other than someone you don't like?" This was greeted by much nervous laughter because that was exactly how many of us were using the word: The university administration was fascist, the city government was fascist, and of course the city police force was fascist (given that this was in Philadelphia, that last bit wasn't all that far off).
I think it's not so much the use of the small-f fascist that "depreciates the currency." It's the facile comparison of t-Rump to Hitler. (Not to mention the even greater absurdity on the right of comparing Obama to Hitler!) When t-Rump takes power and begins rounding up everyone with a Hispanic surname and putting them to death--THEN we can compare him to Hitler.
"fascist" had unfortunately been misapplied from it's initial root "fasces" conveying "strength in numbers" or "united we stand".
fasces was the name describing a bundle of sticks bound to strengthen an axe handle. it was a symbol of authority held by civic leaders, and in fact is displayed in those large golden appurtenances on each side of The Speakers' podium in Congress.
It was originally used by the ancient Romans as a symbol of governmental authority. You can see state officials carrying fasces on the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Altar of Augustan Peace, 1st century BCE, reconstructed in Rome and sheltered under a structure designed recently by the American architect Richard Meier.
Huh...and what does little Tuckums make of the water situation in Flint, Michigan. No racism THERE, of course. Ugh...Scott Adams and all his ilk make me sick.
In an odd conjunction, I find myself frequenetly feeling ashamed of being white while at the same time proud to have Black family and neighbors (none of whom are hateful) here in the suburban community where I live. Some might even call me a race traitor for my disgust with whites like Adams, so be it.
And I always thought "Dilbert" was a humor-free crap comic strip, so no great loss there.
Having grown up amidst the civil rights movement, I had hoped by now our nation would have largely risen above racism. The real hate group is still racist whites. who are also still largely to blame for the continuing ugly social stain of anti-Black semtiments.
True Southerners (not the PR/marketing campaign of the New South) never conceded they lost the War....of Yankee Aggression and hold they were betrayed by some in the CSA into surrendering. And all that other Lost Cause BS. It does fo deeper if you ever get to sit on those front porches and they get drunk enough. They will toast to the war reparations they receive annually in the form of blue state tax dollars. Although they are a minority it isn't a small one because it transcends generations. They are not good people. They are MTG-type people. Wasn't at all surprised a person like her was elected then reelected. Chuckle when pundits say she represents the Republican party as if all there was to her is raw politics rather than the entirety of her thinking and actions. Ironically, she is the New South, the same-old same-old South.
You seem to be implying that all "true Southerners" are white. Are you? I can think of many multi-generational Black Southerners who don't fit that description at all. I can even think of a few multi-generational white Southerners who don't either, but some of them do have stories to tell about their grandparents or great-grandparents or others further back in the family tree.
Then I wasn't clear.. Am ~indigenous~ aka a "merciless indian savage" according to the DOI. Many once lived there. A few still do. Then POOF, the rest is history, no?
The power in the Old South and the same-old same-old South remains firmly in yt-hands. The result of the Civil War and CRA and VRA did not change that with any exceptions being a mere rounding error.
Did not explicitly nor implicitly indict a majority of southerners, irrespective of skin tone. The point is about power, not numbers. The point is about what that power does and doesn't do for all people in the CSA. It is better to take their own word regarding pride, not shame in their heritage which inc slavery and traitors, then Jim Crow and then celebrating JFK assassination, CR leaders assassinations, SCOTUS decision on VRA, open carry for intimidation etc.
Point taken, but words matter, and many, many "Southerners" aren't white. Category "Southerner" includes, among many others, MLK Jr. and Stacey Abrams. Same goes for the word "American": the way most elected Republicans use it, you'd think all "Americans" were white, Christian, and heterosexual. We're not. ;-)
Expect no less from a Massachusettian. (was raised and educated in greater Bahsten area, birthed in ME)
If I was overly broad, my bad. Again, Lucian article focused on the same category of people I was speaking about. Granted, it does take some understanding and time spent in the same-old same-old New South although a few hours in yesteryear's old Southie would be a great warmup.
A couple points. Adams is reportedly worth 65 million dollars from his work. A real American success story. But, as one who worked in the entertainment industry for 25 years I can attest that kind of wealth often turns into what we called "F--- U---money." As in "FU I really don't care what you think and I have the freedom to do what I want because I've got mine."
This week there was also a column by one Gary Abernathy a conservative "contributor" for the Washington Post trying to explain how Republicans had to disavow the racism inherent in what he called the Pat Buchanan strain of conservatism. He tried to rationalize that most Republicans consider racism a " matter of the heart" and did not like to be classified as racists along with others who might, yes, have those deep seated beliefs.
Here is my take what both Abernathy and Adams seem to forget is that their latent racist feelings have been hijacked and coalesced into a political movement where racism ends up being codified into laws, which, by definition disadvantage the minorities in this nation. White men like Adams and Abernathy simply don't want to admit racism has been weaponized by the GOP in order to achieve other conservative goals. The GOP needs poor white racists in red states to vote for them in order for the party to "deliver" to its other "base" rich white Americans and corporations. It is a classic deal with the Devil.
Scott Adams can believe and act any way he chooses. It is a free country. But when his vote is used along with others to deny Constitutional rights and liberties to ALL he must be called out, if not for racism than for fellow traveling with fascists. I am betting he would really be upset about that but the truth often does hurt.
IMHO that is another way of saying "some of my best friends are black" when in fact you could give a good GD less about what happens to black people. But, you always are looking for a way to justify your racism to others.
How I loved reading a long take on this cartoonist who, himself, is now a cartoon. The guy is obviously two sandwiches shy of a picnic not to know there are some things you don't say in public.
Adams advised his fans that they “should absolutely be racist whenever it’s to your advantage.”
What lunacy overtook this jerk to believe he could say such a thing for attribution? The bright side is that a large number of newspaper editors understood it was incumbent on them to kill his strip. For those unfamiliar with the syndication part of the news business, it is a goldmine. You write one column, or draw one strip, and get paid for it by as many papers who buy it. Nice work if you can get it. So it was comforting to know that an estimated 2000 client papers cancelled him, effectively writing -30- to his career. By my lights, it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy, but I can't understand why his understanding of what is acceptable was so poor. Maybe this crowd of racists and bigots is more intellectually limited than is understood. My hunch is the Dilbert guy's undoing may serve as a reminder, a warning? to others in the public sphere that announced bigotry is bad for your financial health. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
All his friends and everybody he's regularly in touch with are just like him. That's why he apparently was unable to discern what was offensive and what wasn't. None of what he said bothered his pals, so...
I think that's usually the case: you find your group ... instinctively understanding that not sharing the same basic views will make for incompatibility. Although these people may think *we* are wrong, it is they who are without humanity, and so display their need to have someone to feel they are better than.
Conservative victimhood has been a thing since at least the 1950s. Remember that Eisenhower was forced into agreeing to add "Under God" to the Pledge and make "In Go We Trust" the national motto in response the grievance driven rantings of Joe McCarthy. And, other that his own personal demons, what drove that? White victimhood at the hands of the Commies hiding behind every lamppost. And who among us who is old enough (besides me) to remember Nixon's Checkers Speech. Or "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore". Or his greatest hit "I am not a crook!" Imagine what he would have done with social media. Or with Fox "News".
I suspect the Republicans and most conservative white folks would be quite distressed to know that if you go back far enough, we are ALL Africans. Everybody alive on the planet today is descended from people who migrated out of East Africa 50,000-150,000 years ago and thence spread across the globe. Anthropologists and geneticists have traced the progression of human colonization around the world by studying DNA and RNA from various populations. Until 6,000-8,000 years ago, we were all dark. We pasty-skinned folks came about in far northern Europe where the weak Arctic sun did not provide enough Vitamin D to dark skinned people, which gave a natural selection advantage to lighter people.
Back in 2016, my self-identified "victim of anti-white prejudice" neighbor told me that if I didn't vote for Trump (or at the very least least refuse to vote for HRC) my (still theoretical) grandchildren would "hate me". The implication being that my non-embrace of the MAGA agenda made me a race traitor. It's all about fear and loss of privilege.
Hard to imagine Scott Adams would do something that radical without calculating a payoff. Ready to retire, grabbing a new income source, e.g.? … I could never relate to that strip. Not even remotely like people I ever worked with. …
Later: Linda Whiteside's comment reminds me of the Radmussen poll question. “It’s okay to be white - yes or no?" What does that even mean? How can somebody else declare something the subject can't control, ok or not ok? Idiotic question. I'd decline to answer.
Akin to admitting, you betcha your arse I ordered the code red w/o ever being asked. Like any POC have many a storytell of like-minded jamokes bursting out of their lily yt thin skinned shell and letting their racism, sexism and otherism rip. Is hilarious to witness. Not so much for those who couldn't see beyond the facade. At least the explosion changes their skin tome from pale white to pink as I have been known to point out to them. Have to keep up the merciless indian savage myth!
When I first heard about this, and the poll question “It’s okay to be white - yes or no? ", I flashed on: opioid crisis, rising suicide rates, food availability leading to such increased obesity, etc all of which, in my eyes, made it much less possible to be a healthy white or healthy anything today than it was in the 1950's and seriously wondered if that is what the poll was getting at. Then I mused on if that was it, why would it be stated in such an ambiguous way. This got me wondering who constructed the poll and why. I felt Scott Adams misconstrued the results and dangerously so. So Lucian, thank you very much for this column which sheds so much light on the realities of racism and reminds me that I am not alone in how I see the world.
i had the same thought too, BP, when i first read about that. all the hubbub and loss of lucrative career over a 1000 count poll (rasmussen yet!) ?
even worse, to take the response of just 13%..130 people..and worser, 26% of those: just 34 people, to spew a racist rant which imploded his livelihood.
TCiLA earlier painted the best etymological background for "Dilbert" as a WWII term for an idiot. scott adams has stepped into that version of Dilbert.
This crap cartoonist is already a multimillionaire. He wouldn’t have to work another day and he’d be fiscally fine. But no doubt his strip will be picked up by right-wing papers.
Sometimes I wonder if I reverse time travelled overnight. There seem to be civil war invectives daily. Usually, the disseminator has been transparent with their animus. So I’m not surprised. Then, when I hear it from a relatively intelligent human, I’m gobsmacked. Was “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” sci fi entertainment or a documentary?
As soon as any given class feels its privilege threatened it believes it's being subjected to discrimination. They'll never believe they didn't deserve elevated status.
Ding! Ding!You have hit the nail squarely on it's head. Republicans/MAGAts have been accusing Dems and the Woke left of doing exactly what they have been doing all along. This is a page straight from the Trump/fascist playbook. Fascists alway declare that they are being victimized by LGTBQ, women, black and brown people, Muslims, Democrats, and the list goes on. This is what started it all in Nazi Germany in 1930 when the LGTBQ community was selected to be the problem and needed to be dealt with "to save the children". Such garbage. I think there are more of us Woke folk out there who recognize this for what it is and call out the perpetrators for the fascist racists that they are.
The overuse of the term "fascist" depreciates the currency.
In my humble opinion, the word"fascist" has not been used enough.Fascism is what is going on in today's Republican party and among our wealthiest citizens. "Fascism -A way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government." We are not there yet but are certainly moving in that direction.
These days it's often being used appropriately. However, it's been degraded for decades by overuse, especially in the left of center. A great history prof of mine, ca. 1973, opened his first lecture on European Fascism and Nazism by asking "What is a fascist -- other than someone you don't like?" This was greeted by much nervous laughter because that was exactly how many of us were using the word: The university administration was fascist, the city government was fascist, and of course the city police force was fascist (given that this was in Philadelphia, that last bit wasn't all that far off).
Florida is getting close to full fascism.
I totally agree.
And perhaps outlawing abortion medication.
I think it's not so much the use of the small-f fascist that "depreciates the currency." It's the facile comparison of t-Rump to Hitler. (Not to mention the even greater absurdity on the right of comparing Obama to Hitler!) When t-Rump takes power and begins rounding up everyone with a Hispanic surname and putting them to death--THEN we can compare him to Hitler.
here,
just a pedantic off-topic..
"fascist" had unfortunately been misapplied from it's initial root "fasces" conveying "strength in numbers" or "united we stand".
fasces was the name describing a bundle of sticks bound to strengthen an axe handle. it was a symbol of authority held by civic leaders, and in fact is displayed in those large golden appurtenances on each side of The Speakers' podium in Congress.
close pedantcy.
"pedantry"
Sorry Ln Em, I just could not resist the compulsion there. ;-)
literally got me, VG.
but i was trying to verbify (i know making up word again) the noun pedantry as i was behaving as a pedant.
just trying to emulate wordsmithery of Shakespeare. :)
It was originally used by the ancient Romans as a symbol of governmental authority. You can see state officials carrying fasces on the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Altar of Augustan Peace, 1st century BCE, reconstructed in Rome and sheltered under a structure designed recently by the American architect Richard Meier.
Huh...and what does little Tuckums make of the water situation in Flint, Michigan. No racism THERE, of course. Ugh...Scott Adams and all his ilk make me sick.
In an odd conjunction, I find myself frequenetly feeling ashamed of being white while at the same time proud to have Black family and neighbors (none of whom are hateful) here in the suburban community where I live. Some might even call me a race traitor for my disgust with whites like Adams, so be it.
And I always thought "Dilbert" was a humor-free crap comic strip, so no great loss there.
Having grown up amidst the civil rights movement, I had hoped by now our nation would have largely risen above racism. The real hate group is still racist whites. who are also still largely to blame for the continuing ugly social stain of anti-Black semtiments.
True Southerners (not the PR/marketing campaign of the New South) never conceded they lost the War....of Yankee Aggression and hold they were betrayed by some in the CSA into surrendering. And all that other Lost Cause BS. It does fo deeper if you ever get to sit on those front porches and they get drunk enough. They will toast to the war reparations they receive annually in the form of blue state tax dollars. Although they are a minority it isn't a small one because it transcends generations. They are not good people. They are MTG-type people. Wasn't at all surprised a person like her was elected then reelected. Chuckle when pundits say she represents the Republican party as if all there was to her is raw politics rather than the entirety of her thinking and actions. Ironically, she is the New South, the same-old same-old South.
I used to laugh when the "New South" was al the rage. I lived down there and went looking for it everywhere and still have not found it.
Ya ambushed me still lmrao here
If there's a New South, the music is by Little Feat & the Nevil Brothers
You seem to be implying that all "true Southerners" are white. Are you? I can think of many multi-generational Black Southerners who don't fit that description at all. I can even think of a few multi-generational white Southerners who don't either, but some of them do have stories to tell about their grandparents or great-grandparents or others further back in the family tree.
Then I wasn't clear.. Am ~indigenous~ aka a "merciless indian savage" according to the DOI. Many once lived there. A few still do. Then POOF, the rest is history, no?
The power in the Old South and the same-old same-old South remains firmly in yt-hands. The result of the Civil War and CRA and VRA did not change that with any exceptions being a mere rounding error.
Did not explicitly nor implicitly indict a majority of southerners, irrespective of skin tone. The point is about power, not numbers. The point is about what that power does and doesn't do for all people in the CSA. It is better to take their own word regarding pride, not shame in their heritage which inc slavery and traitors, then Jim Crow and then celebrating JFK assassination, CR leaders assassinations, SCOTUS decision on VRA, open carry for intimidation etc.
Point taken, but words matter, and many, many "Southerners" aren't white. Category "Southerner" includes, among many others, MLK Jr. and Stacey Abrams. Same goes for the word "American": the way most elected Republicans use it, you'd think all "Americans" were white, Christian, and heterosexual. We're not. ;-)
Expect no less from a Massachusettian. (was raised and educated in greater Bahsten area, birthed in ME)
If I was overly broad, my bad. Again, Lucian article focused on the same category of people I was speaking about. Granted, it does take some understanding and time spent in the same-old same-old New South although a few hours in yesteryear's old Southie would be a great warmup.
i like that. beige.
sorry gonna steal it, DC, and use it a lot from here on.
A couple points. Adams is reportedly worth 65 million dollars from his work. A real American success story. But, as one who worked in the entertainment industry for 25 years I can attest that kind of wealth often turns into what we called "F--- U---money." As in "FU I really don't care what you think and I have the freedom to do what I want because I've got mine."
This week there was also a column by one Gary Abernathy a conservative "contributor" for the Washington Post trying to explain how Republicans had to disavow the racism inherent in what he called the Pat Buchanan strain of conservatism. He tried to rationalize that most Republicans consider racism a " matter of the heart" and did not like to be classified as racists along with others who might, yes, have those deep seated beliefs.
Here is my take what both Abernathy and Adams seem to forget is that their latent racist feelings have been hijacked and coalesced into a political movement where racism ends up being codified into laws, which, by definition disadvantage the minorities in this nation. White men like Adams and Abernathy simply don't want to admit racism has been weaponized by the GOP in order to achieve other conservative goals. The GOP needs poor white racists in red states to vote for them in order for the party to "deliver" to its other "base" rich white Americans and corporations. It is a classic deal with the Devil.
Scott Adams can believe and act any way he chooses. It is a free country. But when his vote is used along with others to deny Constitutional rights and liberties to ALL he must be called out, if not for racism than for fellow traveling with fascists. I am betting he would really be upset about that but the truth often does hurt.
I fail to understand how racism as a "matter of the heart " isn't racist.
IMHO that is another way of saying "some of my best friends are black" when in fact you could give a good GD less about what happens to black people. But, you always are looking for a way to justify your racism to others.
August. Agree with every word.
How I loved reading a long take on this cartoonist who, himself, is now a cartoon. The guy is obviously two sandwiches shy of a picnic not to know there are some things you don't say in public.
Adams advised his fans that they “should absolutely be racist whenever it’s to your advantage.”
What lunacy overtook this jerk to believe he could say such a thing for attribution? The bright side is that a large number of newspaper editors understood it was incumbent on them to kill his strip. For those unfamiliar with the syndication part of the news business, it is a goldmine. You write one column, or draw one strip, and get paid for it by as many papers who buy it. Nice work if you can get it. So it was comforting to know that an estimated 2000 client papers cancelled him, effectively writing -30- to his career. By my lights, it couldn't happen to a more deserving guy, but I can't understand why his understanding of what is acceptable was so poor. Maybe this crowd of racists and bigots is more intellectually limited than is understood. My hunch is the Dilbert guy's undoing may serve as a reminder, a warning? to others in the public sphere that announced bigotry is bad for your financial health. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
All his friends and everybody he's regularly in touch with are just like him. That's why he apparently was unable to discern what was offensive and what wasn't. None of what he said bothered his pals, so...
I think that's usually the case: you find your group ... instinctively understanding that not sharing the same basic views will make for incompatibility. Although these people may think *we* are wrong, it is they who are without humanity, and so display their need to have someone to feel they are better than.
scott adams' YouTube podcast was definitely one huge echo chamber for his ilk
Conservative victimhood has been a thing since at least the 1950s. Remember that Eisenhower was forced into agreeing to add "Under God" to the Pledge and make "In Go We Trust" the national motto in response the grievance driven rantings of Joe McCarthy. And, other that his own personal demons, what drove that? White victimhood at the hands of the Commies hiding behind every lamppost. And who among us who is old enough (besides me) to remember Nixon's Checkers Speech. Or "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore". Or his greatest hit "I am not a crook!" Imagine what he would have done with social media. Or with Fox "News".
Terrifying.
I suspect the Republicans and most conservative white folks would be quite distressed to know that if you go back far enough, we are ALL Africans. Everybody alive on the planet today is descended from people who migrated out of East Africa 50,000-150,000 years ago and thence spread across the globe. Anthropologists and geneticists have traced the progression of human colonization around the world by studying DNA and RNA from various populations. Until 6,000-8,000 years ago, we were all dark. We pasty-skinned folks came about in far northern Europe where the weak Arctic sun did not provide enough Vitamin D to dark skinned people, which gave a natural selection advantage to lighter people.
Back in 2016, my self-identified "victim of anti-white prejudice" neighbor told me that if I didn't vote for Trump (or at the very least least refuse to vote for HRC) my (still theoretical) grandchildren would "hate me". The implication being that my non-embrace of the MAGA agenda made me a race traitor. It's all about fear and loss of privilege.
Hard to imagine Scott Adams would do something that radical without calculating a payoff. Ready to retire, grabbing a new income source, e.g.? … I could never relate to that strip. Not even remotely like people I ever worked with. …
Later: Linda Whiteside's comment reminds me of the Radmussen poll question. “It’s okay to be white - yes or no?" What does that even mean? How can somebody else declare something the subject can't control, ok or not ok? Idiotic question. I'd decline to answer.
Akin to admitting, you betcha your arse I ordered the code red w/o ever being asked. Like any POC have many a storytell of like-minded jamokes bursting out of their lily yt thin skinned shell and letting their racism, sexism and otherism rip. Is hilarious to witness. Not so much for those who couldn't see beyond the facade. At least the explosion changes their skin tome from pale white to pink as I have been known to point out to them. Have to keep up the merciless indian savage myth!
Ah the "merciless indian savage myth"! LOL...thanks for that Shadowcloud.
I would have declined to answer also.
When I first heard about this, and the poll question “It’s okay to be white - yes or no? ", I flashed on: opioid crisis, rising suicide rates, food availability leading to such increased obesity, etc all of which, in my eyes, made it much less possible to be a healthy white or healthy anything today than it was in the 1950's and seriously wondered if that is what the poll was getting at. Then I mused on if that was it, why would it be stated in such an ambiguous way. This got me wondering who constructed the poll and why. I felt Scott Adams misconstrued the results and dangerously so. So Lucian, thank you very much for this column which sheds so much light on the realities of racism and reminds me that I am not alone in how I see the world.
"Beware the Aggrieved Aggressor". Not sure where that came from, but it applies here.
Unrelated to my comment above: When are microscopic sample sizes like these worth a gram of printers' ink?
i had the same thought too, BP, when i first read about that. all the hubbub and loss of lucrative career over a 1000 count poll (rasmussen yet!) ?
even worse, to take the response of just 13%..130 people..and worser, 26% of those: just 34 people, to spew a racist rant which imploded his livelihood.
TCiLA earlier painted the best etymological background for "Dilbert" as a WWII term for an idiot. scott adams has stepped into that version of Dilbert.
This crap cartoonist is already a multimillionaire. He wouldn’t have to work another day and he’d be fiscally fine. But no doubt his strip will be picked up by right-wing papers.
Sometimes I wonder if I reverse time travelled overnight. There seem to be civil war invectives daily. Usually, the disseminator has been transparent with their animus. So I’m not surprised. Then, when I hear it from a relatively intelligent human, I’m gobsmacked. Was “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” sci fi entertainment or a documentary?
Thank you for unmasking deep rooted racism. We have to confront these demons generation after generation.
A big thanks to the brave 130 poll responders!
As soon as any given class feels its privilege threatened it believes it's being subjected to discrimination. They'll never believe they didn't deserve elevated status.
More polls, more polls.
The image of a sedicious snake eating it's tale comes to mind.
I was not attracted to Dillbert anyway, so it's no great loss.