Fiery words are pretty much all we are being given in the “War for the White House 2020” playing out on the national stage every day. It seems to have become commonplace to attack the other side while at the same time to attack those on the same side. Further, those attacks increase in rage and furor daily as presidential candidates play the “one-upmanship” game to get more coverage, more headlines, more mentions in the press and social media. To do that, they must find ways to demand such attention. How to do that? Weaponize each attack.
“Weaponization” is defined as the act of preparing some “thing” or some “process” to be used as a weapon. Live television interviews, radio talk shows, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have been found to be perfect forums for communication to tens of millions of potential voters for 2020’s elections. Today’s political parties, candidates, and political support groups have created and refined the perfect process and weapon to use for this election cycle: Weaponization of the entire American political process.
Putting people who are different from us in classification or “bucket” with others of the same ilk is not unusual. It’s been done for centuries. Just about everything that makes people different qualifies as an appropriate classification: race, ethnic origin, country of origin, language, skin color, religion, sex, political beliefs, and even hair color are qualifiers. Race and racism have been the catch-words in America for at least the last 50 years. But today religion — “Islamophobia” — and sexual preference and conservative/liberal political views have taken the lead roles in the identity battle.
But in the 1940s and 1950s, there was another classification that I haven’t heard in decades: “McCarthyism.” McCarthyism is the forefather of forefathers regarding group classification of people.
Very few Americans younger than age 60 even know what “McCarthyism” was. But they are getting a really good look. As a backstop for today’s story, let’s first take a quick “McCarthyism” history tour.
“McCarthyism”
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term refers to U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) and has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting from the late 1940s through the 1950s. It was characterized by heightened political repression and a campaign spreading fear of Communist influence on American institutions and of espionage by Soviet agents.
Before anyone today dismisses the importance of this McCarthy comparison, please don’t make that mistake. Most of you were not alive when this tore the nation apart shortly after the end of World War II. But it is eerily similar to what we are seeing flood the nation today, in the exact same way.
During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being “communists” or “communist sympathizers;” they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees, and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, academicians, and labor-union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person’s real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs were sometimes exaggerated. Many people suffered the loss of employment or destruction of their careers; some were imprisoned. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts that were later overturned, laws that were later declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures, such as informal blacklists, that would come into general disrepute.
Estimating the number of victims of McCarthy is difficult. The number imprisoned is in the hundreds, and some ten or twelve thousand lost their jobs. In many cases, simply being subpoenaed by HUAC or one of the other committees was sufficient cause to be fired. Many of those who were imprisoned, lost their jobs, or were questioned by committees did, in fact, have a past or present connection of some kind with the Communist Party.
Even thinking about such travesties happening in the United States is incomprehensible. After all, this is the “Land of the Free” and the “Home of the Brave.” There’s that little First Amendment that should have protected those Americans. After all, the protection of political ideologies is included in the First Amendment. Maybe that was lost or simply overlooked back then.
Nothing like that could ever happen today, could it?
Yes, it can, and it does.
The “New” McCarthyism
Only one thing we see today in America best fits the mold of McCarthyism: “Political Weaponization.“ And the buzz word that seems to play perfectly into the hands of those who are adept at weaponizing politics is “Racism.” Whoa! Racism is something that is real, tangible and presents all around us. McCarthyism though real was just a dream of a radical right-winger in the 40s and 50s to put those who espoused a specific and different ideology down: Communism. Racism is certainly a really important personal attitude that lives in the hearts of millions that forces others to deal with every day. And it diminishes the significance and importance of diversity, forcing all to struggle to be no different than their next-door neighbor or suffer becoming an outcast — or in Hillary Clinton’s world, a “deplorable.”
Actual racism tears nations, states, towns and cities, and even families apart. Throw politics into the mix, and “Political Racism“ is a scourge that needs to be identified and expunged as quickly as possible.
Just as happened with McCarthyism, political racism in America has been weaponized. And it’s used most often to create the superiority of some by pointing to others of a different political class as being less valuable, less qualified and less worthy than the pointer.
It’s no longer just pointing; political racism is as useful as any weapon ever devised. And today’s model of political racism has been crafted with one thought in mind: denigrate others who — when grouped together with racial AND political perspective — makes denigration easier to dole out and harder for the accused to overcome. Just like the Nazis in the 30s and 40s and Communists in the 50s and 60s, using political philosophy in conjunction with the horrors created using race gives groups of powerful politicians more deadly and damaging tools to use against their foes. The worst part of political racism? There are no clear-cut tools on which one can rely for vindication when accused. That fact in itself proves why political groups today have pounced on its use to destroy those with whom they disagree.
Weaponized Racism
How does one weaponize racism in politics?
Have you noticed the 2019 tactic of the “new” Leftists in Washington? For example: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) continuously when being confronted for her seriously flawed statements about every current political issue as they arise, simply responds using NO facts to counter any assertions. Why is that? Because the Left has perfected the weaponization of a phrase that stops all abruptly when used: “You’re a racist!” When that weapon is used politically, there is no simple way to counter. Being called a racist today is actually worse than being called a pedophile. Politically, no one can afford to be called a racist. It’s a label that sticks permanently regardless of its truthfulness when used.
And it gets worse.
Beginning with the campaign cycle in 2016, the Left recognized there was a new way to counter political attacks for policy disagreements. If an opponent backs one into a corner regarding any political issue, one can fight to get out of the corner by just making the allegation of “political racism.” Guess who was the first to find that out: Donald Trump.
There are dozens and dozens of examples where his political opponents could not explain their positions that were and are counter to his: the Rule of Law, Illegal Immigration, border security, sanctuary cities, the border wall, terrorism, political expectations of U.S. foreign “partners” supposedly aligned on every international issue with the U.S. in true partnership. In fact, they are one thing publicly and another when the meeting room door closes. This list could go on and on.
What are the big political issues today?
- Immigration
- Healthcare
- Tax relief for the Middle Class
- Fair Wages
- Sexuality
- Taxes on the Wealthy
- College Debt
- Trade Policies
This list too could be (and should be) exhaustive. Certainly, we can list plenty of others. But that’s not the objective today. It’s to identify and call-out the inequities and untruths being pandered by Democrats and others left of Dems to all Americans in an effort to legitimize them.
What’s the easiest way to quieten those who although using reason still continually give examples that support their positions while they give examples that destroy the counter(s) to their position? Racism.
Political Racism That’s Not Racism at All
Islamist Terrorism. Don’t dare to try to convince a Democrat there is anything wrong with Islam. And there might not be! But don’t use any truths to explain any of the problems — not so much with the religion of Islam, but with many of those who use it politically to weaponize their causes.
Have you heard this anytime recently? “Islam and Muslims are people and a religion of peace.” We’ve heard it again and again. Why not reply this way when they get in your face “If Islam is so peaceful, why is there such violence and terrorism all over the Middle East — the home of Islam?
Ask them that and you and the only response you will get is, “You’re just a Racist!”or “You’re just an Islamaphobe!”
Lawbreaking. This one boggles the brain. The one thing that differentiates our country from every other country is our strict historical adherence to the Rule of Law. For centuries we have operated in a way that makes laws duly created by those elected, activated in local, state, entities, empowered those in law enforcement to make certain everyone adheres to all those laws, and holds those accountable who don’t.
What do we see happening 24/7 in the U.S. today? Constant ignoring of multiple laws by multiple people. Illegals pouring over our southern border; rampant use of marijuana — which violates federal laws — and other drug laws across all jurisdictions; and even laws pertaining to political corruption.
So what happens? Someone in some position makes an arbitrary decision or two to ignore this law, turn your back on another while jamming one down the throats of offenders.
How does political racism fit into this scenario? Every opponent of open borders and sanctuary cities, holding illegals responsible for all their lawbreaking which starts by their being in the U.S. illegally can not be explained in any other way than just outright lawlessness.
But if you do that, the response has nothing at all to do with the Rule of Law or even changing laws legally with which they disagree. Their answer is simply this: “You oppose what’s happening because you are a Racist!”
Election Violations. The absolute worst regarding our elections is voter fraud. Thirty-seven states have identified from the 2016 election massive voter fraud — several of which had more votes cast in various jurisdictions than those registered to vote in those districts! Ever hear anything about that from the Mainstream Media? Nope. Why not? If you say anything about it, Leftists will attack with their favorite label: “You oppose it because you’re Racist!”
Another is voter ID laws. They still scream at those who want to protect the validity of the most sacred American right of all: voting. “African Americans are unduly penalized if a voter ID is required to vote. Many are uneducated, poor, transportation-less, and cannot pay the fees for voter ID’s.”
It’s sad to hear such from government authorities. But it’s sadder to know those who make these claims actually believe Americans believe that to be the case. Logic has no place in that argument. Political Ideology is the only thing that matters to them. In reality, having identification in America today is mandatory just to get through a day!
What can you NOT get without a government ID?
- Driver’s License
- Insurance Card
- Welfare Benefits
- Medicare Card
- Treatment at a hospital or clinic
- Auto insurance
- Rent a car
- Fly commercially
- Enter any federal government building
- Entry into numerous public events
But the two that ice the cake for me are these:
You cannot enter any official event of the Democrat Party or even attend their Convention!
You cannot go to any one of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) campaign rallies, meetings or other official events!
Disagree with anyone on the Left about this insane premise and they have one defense and one only: “You’re a Racist!”
Summary
I’m done. I long for the days when in Franklin, Louisiana, I stood in my debate class after learning how to debate other students about a random topic given to us by our teacher. We all were required to use facts — evidence — that supported either side of each of these controversial subjects. We used quotations from reputable experts, statistics, and data collected from various sources.
I won most of the debates in which I participated in high school. But every one of those that I won, I won because of facts, statistics, evidence, quotes, the precedence of previous confrontations in each applicable field, but I never won a single one by calling my opponent a Racist!
You know what? I never had to. They either presented facts that proved their positions more effectively than did I, or I won with better and more accurate supporting facts.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-Cortez (D-NY) could never survive in a world in which she was taken to task by authority figures in her life that would test every premise she has made since 2018 requiring facts. She has quite a posse that operate the same way, too. Their answer to those who confront them with facts is almost always “You’re a Racist!”
