Race, Identity and the Political Economy of Hate

http://www.counterpunch.org/2019/06/21/race-identity-and-the-political-economy-of-hate/
Date Written:  2019-06-21
Publisher:  CounterPunch
Year Published:  2019
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX23748

A look at statistics casts doubt on the supposed rise of white nationalist groups and violence.

Abstract: 
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Excerpt:

According to the SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center), the data source for establishment handwringing over ascendant fascism, white nationalism surged between 2015 and 2018, even as the number of KKK chapters fell from 190 to 51. Additionally, black nationalist organizations— considered equivalent to white nationalists by the SPLC, now outnumber white nationalists by 2:1, having grown four times faster since 2000. There may exist explanations for these otherwise improbable numbers, but you won’t find them in mainstream reporting.

The odd alliance behind the redneck rebellion theory includes national security and surveillance state officials, establishment political operatives and a self-styled anti-racist left. This is likely where stock and flow part ways. The national security and surveillance state officials and establishment political operatives are restorationists— they support the pre-2016 status quo. This implies that they accepted the racial tensions that led to the rise of Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter. The anti-racist left emerged from these tensions.

(Apparently necessary proviso for what follows: Donald Trump is a self-serving jackass with no redeeming qualities).