They Kidnapped Themselves

THE UNITED STATES is a racist institution built on white supremacy. To be involved in governing it at the highest levels is to carry out racist policies. Trump was open about it, while Clinton only had the decency to pretend this isn’t so. I point this out not to exonerate Trump voters, but to prosecute Clinton voters as well: you don’t deserve a cookie.

Racism and bigotry have been the charge against Trump and company on three fronts:
1. The wall and undocumented immigrants.

Say what you will about the idea of a wall, but a wall in itself isn’t inherently racist or violent. Obama has deported more undocumented immigrants than any other president, (to the silence of any Democratic opposition.) Will Trump even be equal to that task? On what basis does the Democratic Party claim to be less racist towards Latinx Americans? Obama never said they were all rapists and murderers, he just separated families, detained and deported people as if they were violent criminals.

2. Muslims and refugees.

Obama just spent eight years administrating a Kill List, droning and bombing Muslim countries, contributing to the refugee crisis, (to the silence of any Democratic opposition.) Will Trump’s foreign policy be any worse than Clinton’s would have been? On what basis does the Democratic Party claim to be less bigoted towards Muslims? Granted: Trump has said terrible things about Muslim Americans, immigrants, and refugees, which may in fact be engendering an ugly climate of more open hostility towards Muslims domestically. Terrible as this is, it seems more a case of previously present negative sentiments boiling over, than a significant policy difference at the executive level.

3. Trump’s unwillingness to distance himself from the support of white power groups.

This is just gross. Certainly cause for worry. And again, white nationalists seem to have been emboldened by Trump’s victory. Nonetheless, Obama allowed the militarization of police forces, (to the silence of any Democratic opposition,) and was ineffectual against the tide of police killings. And anything Clinton might have said on this subject has to be cynically filtered through the record of her own racially charged past statements about bringing “superpredators” “to heel.” So, on what basis does the Democratic Party claim to be less racist towards black Americans?

The problem with the Democratic party is that it lacks principles. Where did the anti-war Democrats, and the ones concerned about privacy, due process, presidential overreach, and government transparency go during the eight years of Obama’s administration as he cemented the overreach of his predecessor? What is it you folks want your party to represent?

Look, I am a single issue non-voter. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. Just trying to shed some light on why people who think like me opted out of the vote. I’ve said it again, and again: Democrats are not entitled to third party and abstaining votes. I’d rather stand with these people, thanks.

There are reasons the electoral reality map looks like the image at the top of this post.

[This post is dedicated to The Great Contrarian, over at The Contrarian Blog, who has never published one of yours’ truly comments, even though I take pride in being contrarian myself, but who, in the great tradition of contrarianism, has recently written establishment shattering think pieces like Do you know what Privilege is?, (the inspiration for this post,) and Contrarian Quick Take: No Recount for Clinton, (which could almost be read as a response to my own previous post,  except it definitely wasn’t.)]