It's been awhile since I've been on my blog. I've been working on several projects and building on several different things. That said, I love writing and I wanted to return to one of my original labors of love. So seeing as how this is an election year I wanted to hit the ground running with this blog entry. You can also check out this article and other articles I've written at gettheblackmindright.com.
As I have stated many times, racism is woven into the very fabric of American society. America was founded on racism. It should come as no surprise then that it is also woven into the fabric of American politics. Again this has been the case since this country was founded. It is one of the driving forces being policy and politcs, whether for good or for ill. It was the case long before Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater helped coin the phrase “Southern Strategy”. The “Southern Strategy” is as old as America itself and until there is a monumental shift in social consciousness it will always be a part of our consciousness.
For those that are unaware of what the “Southern Strategy” is, it is basically a strategy where political candidates gain support by pandering to racists and perpetuating hate and stereotypes against people of color. Now in a sane world such a strategy would be abhorrent, despicable, and doomed to failure. But since time immemorial the Southern Strategy has propelled candidate after candidate to power and has proven to be a winning formula. Exploiting fear and hatred has become reliable path to power, particularly for fringe conservatives seeking office in heavily red states.
The Southern Strategy has been in play for a very long time and permeates every aspect of American politics. One has only to listen to fringe right wing politicians or spend some time listening to conservative radio to see first hand just how prevalent the “Southern Strategy” is in American politics. Politicians have become adept at using fear and discrimination as tools to influence voters and sway public opinion. This is in large part due to the biggest reason in my view that the Southern Strategy is so successful. That reason is the hatred that exists in the hearts of the American people.
Americans want to pretend that they aren’t racist. We like to pretend we live in a post racial society where race does not matter. But time and again Americans prove that nothing could be further from the truth, particularly where politics is concerned. Our approach to issues like Immigration reform, aid for the poor, education, and unemployment is saturated with racial overtones. Issues of race are played up, often in an attempt to blind voters with their own hatred. American voters often vote against their own interests because they are motivated by the bigotry in their own hearts. It is a strategy that succeeds over and over again.
Lyndon Johnson once said(paraphrasing) that if you convince the cheapest white man that he’s better than the best colored man he won’t notice you picking his pocket. That is the very essence of the Southern Strategy. That is why it continues to work. Because America, even in the year 2014, continues to be infested with bigots and racists. As I said earlier, until there is a monumental shift in the consciousness of America, the Southern Strategy will continue to be used in politics. And it will continue to work.
For more on the history of the Southern Strategy check out this link. Thanks for reading. Peace and blessings brothers and sisters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy
No comments:
Post a Comment