A great thread - and I too can see how easily America could be torn apart into two countries (or more...). Life in the Republican America would be awful for many - both through repressive laws as well as through much worse economic conditions when those States lose the subsidies provided from the North.
All this said, division would at least allow two groups of people who oppose each other bitterly to get what they want - and the Democrat states would have a brighter future
@tzimmer_history The US isn't sustainable under our current Constitution.
The sooner people realize that and start planning for what comes next the better.
Bad might be too strong of a word. The US will not survive as a 50 state entity. There is simply no middle ground between isolationist white nationalist christo-fascist predatory social darwinist capitalism, and a real democracy with equal rights for all, global engagement that respects other nation's rights to protect their labor & resources, and a strong social safety net. These are completely opposite political philosophies and neither side is going to back down. The side that wants an authoritarian theocracy and the side that wants a free country have nothing in common. It's far better to let Texas secede than have another civil war right as climate collapse is gearing up to seriously damage the food supply and the economy. The only way they're going to learn how stupid their Gilead-style dystopia really is will be to try it. They are impervious to any rational discussions.
It might be tempting to dismiss this whole saga as just a political stunt. But real human beings are getting hurt. And this is not some isolated incident. It has to be seen in the broader context of the country being torn apart by a radicalized ethno-religious nationalism. 2/
“The border” plays an enormously important role in the collective rightwing imaginary, and propagating the idea of a foreign “invasion” in the form of migrants is a central part of how the Right mobilizes its supporters. In an election year, this will get worse. 3/
Underneath a hefty portion of opportunism is also a sincerely held worldview in which “real” America, to the Right, is only conceivable as a nation dominated by white Christians. And that nation is under threat from without – “invasion!” – and “Leftist” enemies within. 4/
Those who are in charge on the Right truly believe that the federal government is dominated by “Un-American” enemies – that it has conspired against “real America” since at least the Civil Rights legislation of the 1960s. 5/
It makes sense for Republicans to openly adopt neo-confederate arguments, thereby emphasizing the tradition in which their political project stands as they are deploying “states’ rights” in order to justify inhumane brutality in service of upholding white nationalist domination. 6/
In many ways, this actually constitutes a return to a constellation that defined American politics before the 1960s: An authoritarian movement entrenching white supremacy in a number of states while also shaping and/or obstructing national policy. 7/
But unlike in previous eras of U.S. history, the idea of America as a white Christian patriarchal nation now lacks majority support. That is why the Right has entirely given up on democratic politics and instead seeks to impose its vision on the country via minority rule. 8/
The fact that a shrinking minority of white conservatives is consistently being enabled to hold on to power against the will of the majority of voters is causing a legitimacy crisis that is bound to get a lot worse. This situation will have to be resolved, one way or the other. 9/
In Texas, Greg Abbott is currently demonstrating how Republicans intend to resolve this situation: By authoritarian rule, nullification of federal authority, and open rebellion against the government of the United States they perceive to be dominated by “Un-American” forces. 10/
Will this border standoff in Texas escalate into the type of crisis that takes an already volatile political situation to a whole different level? Maybe not. But it’s frighteningly easy to see how it might be a milestone in a series of events that leads to a really dark place.
@tzimmer_history All excellent points and well put. One wonders whether völkisch would be a shorter way of framing the ethno-nationalist obsession with real America (TM).
Now what gets to me is the juxtaposition of how Abbot’s forays into secession are covered compared to Democratic rules violations.
@tzimmer_history I live near the northern border, and the Republicans that run New Hampshire use it as an excuse to pull people over without probable cause anywhere on interstate 93 within 100 (?) miles of the Canadian border.
It’s like a stop and frisk, and they never find anything interesting, sometimes they get a little weed or somebody trying to drive to work without a valid drivers license. It’s ridiculous and intrusive
@tzimmer_history
Americans will just have to show how they out American conservative christo-fascists. It's hard to argue with the subset of people who prefer war.
Your ideas about the way majoritarianism is supposed to work are crude and counterproductive. You are so uncurious about the fundamental structure of electoral politics that you never bother to question if it is ever anything more than simple ethnic representation or if instead of promoting a solution, you are only needlessly contributing to a dire problem.