Some mainstream liberals might be amused and encouraged by how GOP candidates such as Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann come across as ‘crazy,’ and how the liberal component of mainstream media are amplifying that perception.
Perhaps less mainstream is the concern that beyond a likely second Obama presidency, the fact that the GOP is putting forward such candidates could be a problem in and of itself, especially if economic transitions become more severe.
Someone like Hitler likely would not have risen to power were if not for the dire situation in Germany in the 1930s.
Candidates from the political right who seem ‘crazy’ currently, might have broad appeal, especially if the American middle class and upper middle class believe their standard of living has been downgraded.
The poor often lack the tools for fighting back politically, though they may lash out self-defeatingly in small groups or individual acts of crime, or riots that often lose their political meaning as they degenerate into individualistically opportunistic looting.
But a newly demoted middle and upper-middle class is able to combine their lingering sense of entitlement w/ their anger and social connections, becoming a force for major reform or revolution.
But that magnitude of political force won’t necessarily lead to a decentralization of wealth which puts more power into the hands of ordinary people. The economic elite could manage to keep their power— at least for a while— if the rage of the newly demoted middle and upper middle classes is directed not at the people at the very top, but instead at each other and those below them, such as the very poor.
To generalize, due to an ingrained fear of socialism in our national character, people may be more likely to blame immigrants, Muslims, queer folk, the poor, liberals, or other categories of outsiders than to challenge the power of the super-rich. Listening to conservative talk radio indicates those ideas already proliferate among masses of Americans.
Worsening economic problems + wounded national pride + a charismatic leader offering scapegoats could possibly—-though not necessarily— lead us to political repression.
Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of extremists on the political left. But they don’t seem nearly as able to connect w/ large segments of our society as their counterparts on the fringes of the political right— not by a long shot.
Religious conservatives— mostly Jews and Christians–are a source of political power for the political right. Leaders can appeal to religious, ethnic, and other prejudices to increase the chances of masses of people focusing their rage on those in the same or lower economic class, instead of directing their anger at those making the economic policies adversely affecting their lives.
But as far as having masses of highly motivated people to back you, does the left have anything to compare to the right’s ability to mobilize Christian and Jewish religious conservatives ?
Perhaps the political left and centrists could get support from environmental and social justice activism. But is the magnitude of that comparable to the mass support the political right may be able to muster ?
There don’t seem to be many political extremists on Columbus Underground, whether from the right or the left. So, I’ll say that we shouldn’t be fatalistic about this.
Ordinary people, thru political involvement, might be able to push our country toward seeking solutions to our problems, and away from the urge to embrace solutions that require scapegoats, whether they’re presented to us by extremists on the political right or—less likely— the political left.
I’m an activist who works in relative obscurity. But as I’ve said before, I’m at peace with myself regarding the not-so-far-fetched possibility that a radical Christian, right- wing take over of our country will involve making scapegoats of queer folk, along with perhaps Muslims and Arab-Americans, and maybe even anyone regarded as a‘ liberal.’
As for me at least, activism matters. Most of the people using Columbus Underground don’t seem to be extremists, whether left wing or right wing. So, we have a stake in the risks of extremism taking over our country.
Maybe if we become more politically involved we can prevent extremism from taking hold in our country, whether it comes from the right or the left. If we can’t do that, maybe we can at least reduce its severity, duration, and damage.
And our involvement should connect local actions and issues w/ things going on nationally and globally.
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