Saturday, August 10, 2013

Yes, The Tea Party is a Racist Organization Populated by "White Crackers": Sharing My Recent Appearance on The Ed Schultz Radio Show


I was recently interviewed on The Ed Schultz Show by Ring of Fire Radio's--and guest host--Mike Papantonio where I discussed the connections between the Tea Party and the defenders of Jim and Jane Crow in the 1950s and 1960s.

As Charlie Rangel said so matter of factly, the Tea Party is indeed a group of "white crackers". One could massage that a bit by calling them a white identity organization that is trafficking in herrenvolk ideology in the service of the country's de facto White Political Party, but that would be too much of a mouthful to be a meme worthy quotation.

In the interview, I feel that I got across what needed to be said and made sure to emphasize how white supremacy and white racial resentment do the work of class inequality. I also got to slip in my observation that the Tea Party would likely not hold the rope at a lynching of a black person, or personally bomb a bus of freedom riders, but their members would most certainly attend and cheer on such events.

Unfortunately, the white base of the Republican Party, many of who support the very economic policies that are destroying the United States' economy, are more wedded to the psychic and material wages of whiteness (the latter especially, which are diminishing at a rapid rate in an Age of Austerity) than in an expansive view of the Common Good and the merits of alliances across the colorline.

For the Tea Party being "free, white, and twenty-one" still means a great deal. It does still have material utility in the Age of Obama; Whiteness just isn't worth what it once was. 

Perhaps generational replacement is the only viable way to remove such a poisonous yearning and belief from the body politic, as well as to even out the ledgers a bit more.

5 comments:

Black Sci-Fi said...

Thanks Chauncey,
I often wonder why PBS doesn't reject the donations from Koch Industries. Or, at the very least do an "expose' on the roots of their involvement in spreading racism in America. Talk about a conflict of interest. I shudder everytime I see them mentioned in the funding credits for programs I enjoy.
Again, thanks for helping us keep our collective eyes on the ball.

Learning is Eternal said...

Finally get to hear Fred G. Sanford speak in real time. Elizabeth give 'em back!!! Seriously, WE need this. A platform for intelligent rhetoric, factual counter-representation/argument, a defense in regards to their stereotypical fantasies & pseudo science about us. Sharpton/Jackson never did it for us. West, Smiley prove more disappointing everyday. Don Lemon types, never. We need more voices like y'all In this interview, that's all im saying. Koch bros. exposed, The Zeitgeist series, confessions of an economic hitman are all documentaries worth checking out that give you detailed insight into Fred Koch/Stalin Prescott Bush/nazi Germany/operation paperclip, The federal reserve/world banking, etc.

chauncey devega said...

Supposedly "public" media. Hmmm. PBS runs commercials. They are beholden to those who finance them.

chauncey devega said...

I ain't joining Elizabeth yet...fingers crossed. If you haven't already--the media and appearances link on the sidebar has some more interviews.

Roxie Deaton said...

PBS doesn't reject the donations because they need the money. We as a country would starve the arts if we could because some of the arts / artists can be ugly and mean.

I haven't the time to watch enough PBS and look for any punches pulled regarding the energy industry, but apparently when you criticize David Koch's tipping he takes it personally. This is a New Yorker story about a documentary that PBS pulled that beat up on the Kochs pretty hard:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/05/27/130527fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all