2017: The Whitest Year Ever

[sheshe2]

Michael Harriot

Whiteness is a liar.

2017 tried to fool us into thinking that the collection of unmelanated degenerates who gathered on the National Mall to celebrate the goldfish-cracker in chief was the biggest crowd ever. It gave us a straw-haired skeleton queen named Kellyanne Conway to thrust the phrase “alternative facts” into the American lexicon. It gifted us with Sean Spicer’s befuddled fibbing, Anthony Scaramucci’s confidence-man condescension and Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ blatant bullshitting as they stood in front of the press and lied in our faces. This was the year of “both sides,” “white lives” and “I do not recall.” 2017 lied its ass off.

Whiteness is a thief.

Police stole 220 black lives in 2017, more than the previously mentioned worst year of lynching. White women tried to rob black women of the credit for an Alabama election. They swiped the #MeToo movement from a black woman. 2017’s whiteness tried to steal health care from those who couldn’t afford it. It stole the blame for violence from white supremacists and mass shooters and placed it at the feet of anti-fascists. And Black Lives Matter. And “black identity extremists.” And Chicago’s top gang thugs. And Mexican immigrants. And Muslims. And everyone but white people.

Whiteness is fragile.

In 2017, whiteness felt oppressed. It said white people were discriminated against. It carried tiki torches while whining that it will not be replaced. It rallied for the cause in Charlottesville, Va. It cried when it found out it was in trouble. It called everyone else “snowflakes” but melted down when NFL players took a knee. It boo-hooed about white genocide. It reminded its fellow milky martyrs that it was “OK to be white.”

But more than any other year, whiteness regressed. This country moonwalked backward instead of toward the light. 2017 put us in reverse, and it wasn’t because Americans wanted to go backward. White people did.

snip

They returned to mandatory minimums. They went back to mass incarceration. They took a regressive stance on marijuana. The Ku Klux Klan returned in force. Nazis started walking around proudly. Confederate sympathizers sprang out of nowhere. So did Confederate flags. And swastikas. And hate crimes. And people ranting in Starbucks.

Read More: https://www.theroot.com/2017-the-whitest-year-ever-1821607427

Why? They believe in the divine right of their whiteness. They believe it is their privilege and right to take what they please.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Can I agree with your conclusion and not get in trouble?

Imagine their ANGER when a black guy showed up and fixed some shit they couldnt fix in 200+ years.

[sheshe2]

5. Sure, why not.

The GOP is ready to take it all, and rob America blind. Their supporters roll over like little puppies getting their widdle tummy rubbed and smile and say please take more please. Yes...they want / beg to be robbed blind by their white overlords...because at least it was not that 'uppity' black man and not THAT woman.

[iluvtennis]

12. +++Agree and for some reason our American society doesn't want to come out and say it...

Trump being in the oval office is result of the white folks backlash to people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ, strong powerful women, the disabled, Muslims, etc - anyone they don't consider to be in their "inner circle.

Trump being in the WH has little to nothing to do with white working class/poor job status - it's race ppl and we need to acknowledge it. If we don't acknowledge it, we can never heal it and move on.

[sheshe2]

14. I love your comment, iluvtennis.

Especially this part.

Trump being in the WH has little to nothing to do with white working class/poor job status - it's race ppl and we need to acknowledge it. If we don't acknowledge it, we can never heal it and move on.

Preach!

[iluvtennis]

15. Just the way I feel sheshe2...thank you.

[sheshe2]

25. Teach.

Never stop.

Teach Your Children Well.

[Volaris]

31. To this I would add that if it WERE about those things in actuality, I THINK

Sen Sanders would have done better in the Primary, and then kicked Trump's rich ass in the General. But since Sen Sanders isn't a racist asshat, the people who voted for Trump in the General Election couldnt have cared less about his economic positions. I suspect that these people would turn down a 15$/hour federal min. wage if it were offered to them, because it wouldnt be offered to them ONLY. I get that their aggrevied and feel like their politicians couldnt give a shit about them. But as long as they keep voting for RICH REPUBLICANS, they will be CORRECT, and I for one am tired of trying to tell them that. Were going to have to take the Government WITHOUT them, and then trun around and govern effectivley and radically FOR THEM, despite their complaints BEFORE we convince a single one of them to vote for us.
The unofficial motto of every democratic candidate for the next 2 national elections needs to be 'We didnt get elected to get REelected. We got elected to do X, Y, and Z and so THATS WHAT WE WILL DO, and we will NOT compromise and we will show no quarter to those who will.'
Rant: OFF

[brer cat]

36. Spot on!

Wish I could rec this post.

[Culti Vader]

2. Ummm...

That's some hateful stuff right there.

[sheshe2]

7. Please explain.

I don't see it as hateful. It is a black mans point of view about our very white GOP and Admin that is trying to destroy all non white Americans, women,and LGBT. This president is a hate group all unto himself. He preaches it, enables it, advocates for it and calls for more of it.

Sure would like your opinion on the subject.Curious to know where you see the hate...in the man who expresses his opinion of the hate that we are all seeing? Where do you stand on this?

Culti Vader
2. Ummm...


That's some hateful stuff right there.

PS. The author is not talking about all white people. I know that because I am white and as angry as he is.

I await a reply.

[LanternWaste]

50. Our biases often force us to view accuracy as hateful.

Our biases often force us to view accuracy as hateful.

[bettyellen]

3. In the past two years, weve seen the media elevate the least eloquent/intelligent most selfish and

Bigoted as someone their audience should listen to and “learn from”- as long as they are white as my ass and look like someone in their family was once a farmer. They have convinced themselves that these assholes are worth listening to- even as they struggle to express themselves.

If they were urban, women or of darker skin the media ignored them- the media acts as if informed and caring people matter less than greedy angry xenophobes. People who are not worldly enough to appreciate how good they have it. I’m so sick of hearing about them. How they still claims no one cares.

[AncientGeezer]

4. You keep saying "they"...shouldn't you say "us"?

[radical noodle]

9. Why should she say "us?"

[sheshe2]

11. Thank you radical noodle...

Just posted to them below.

[sheshe2]

10. No.

AncientGeezer
4. You keep saying "they"...shouldn't you say "us"?

I am not a follower of Republican hate of non whites and women and gays, etc. I do not stand with their racist hate and bigotry...and yes I said "they" in my comment about the thread....their hate is not applauded by all, it does not apply to all of "us".

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. The Root has been fucking crushing it lately. K&R.

[sheshe2]

32. No shit!

Thank you WhiskeyGrinder. I love reading them and Michael Harriot is ALWAYS spot on.

Boom!

Luv ya!

[Culti Vader]

8. Reply

I see it as divisive, rather than unifying.
While I can appreciate the anger of injustice and repression from the writer, I also see it as a racist diatribe. Coscientious white democrats take offense at being pigeon holed, just as blacks do.
I thought Dems were suppossed to unify here.

[sheshe2]

13. Three responses here and you call me out for a divisive post?

It is an opinion of one very talented man. I have posted from him many times here in the past. His blogs are informative, humorous and heartbreaking.

Truth hurts at times and that makes it no less of a truth.

This from a white woman and he never said 'All White People'...it only applies...if it applies.

PS, Culti...you do get that the article is aimed at the GOP and their racist pResident correct? You do understand, yes?

[guillaumeb]

17. It is not racist to state what is obvious to all but the blind.

The GOP has used race as a tool since 1968 when Nixon first used the Southern strategy to capitalize on white resentment.

The source of that white resentment?

That the Federal Government aggressively pushed for blacks to be allowed to vote. And THAT is the main reason that the South turned from solidly Democratic to solidly GOP, and the appeal of Nixon's southern strategy.

[sheshe2]

19. thank you.

[guillaumeb]

20. You are welcome, and thank you for the post.

One hopes that the responder simply misunderstood the article.

[sheshe2]

22. One would hope.

OT...Hope you had a good holiday, guill.

[guillaumeb]

24. And you as well.

Next up for our family is the Chicago Womens' March on January 20 in downtown Chicago. The 2017 march was so big that we literally could not march but instead spread out over a large area of the downtown and rallied.

[sheshe2]

26. We eventually marched in Boston.

We had a rally on the common...they did not know so many would be there.

It took us an hour to get off the common. It was beautiful.

Brava and Bravo to all the women and men that supported us.

[lapucelle]

18. The OP is neither about Democrats nor white people.

It is about the concept and construct of "whiteness".

I'm a white Democrat. I don't feel pigeon-holed by this post.

[sheshe2]

21. Nor do I feel pigeon-holed, lapucelle.

It wasn't about all white people it was about the GOP and tRump. It was about rich privileged white men taking once again as they do over and over.

Thank you my friend.

[brer cat]

38. Are you suggesting that we unify

with the white trump maladministration and mostly white republican party that are trying to destroy people of color? Do you think we need to hold hands and sing kumbaya with the white racists that elected him? I'm not about to put my head in the sand and deny exactly what brought these people to power and how they plan to use it. As to conscientious white democrats, have you ever heard the expression "if I'm not talking about you, I'm not talking about you"?

[treestar]

42. White Democrats never take it that way

We know we are a minority of white people and it is understood we identify with the struggles of minorities and feminist women (who are not the majority of white women).

[Eliot Rosewater]

45. Yes, white liberals who know they are part of the problem by definition, who are willing to work

against their own privilege, etc. as we do, are NOT who these articles and sentiments are about.

But whiteness, as the article calls it, has had total power and privilege here for so long, any criticism is seen as argumentative.

[guillaumeb]

16. Recommended.

No need for white supremacists to hide behind hoods when one of their own is President.

[ProudLib72]

23. Did white women really try to steal credit for the AL election?

All I remember was that 97% of black women voted for Jones. I don't recall anything about white women except for the idiots who supported moore.

That's the only question I have about this article. The rest is spot on.

[sheshe2]

28. Why yes, yes they did.

I posted about it here.

Nah, White Women ... You Cant Have This One

https://www.democraticunderground.com/118763492


Yep, according to everyone, “women” are the ones who pushed Doug Jones’ campaign for U.S. Senate over the finish line. Not black women. Not even black people. Just women.

snip

Then there was the venerable political reporter Beth Clayton, who became the mouthpiece of the white woman savior class. Immediately following the election, Clayton appeared on MSNBC to explain how white women had saved the world. She tied the election to the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal and the #MeToo movement (started by a black woman). She proudly explained to Chris Hayes:

snip

Black people are 26 percent of the population in Alabama, but the Washington Post says they were 29 percent of Tuesday’s electorate. Conversely, whites are 68 percent of Alabama’s population, yet only 66 percent voted in Alabama’s Senate race.

Let’s put it this way: Using AL.com’s raw vote totals and the Washington Post’s exit polls—if every woman in the state assembled themselves and each one of Jones’ black female supporters stood beside a white woman who voted for him, there would still be 82,278 black women standing by themselves wondering “Where the white women at?”



PS...White Woman here.


Thanks for saying the rest was spot on, Proudlib. It all is as you can see.

[ProudLib72]

30. OH!

Thanks for that! I don't know how I missed it. Yes, I would be pissed off, too.

[sheshe2]

33. Hey!

Thank you. Righteous anger from black women and the rest of our colors that support them.

[dalton99a]

47. +1

[Gothmog]

29. K&R

[Initech]

34. To quote the late, great Frank Zappa:

"I'm not black but there's a whole lot of times I wish I could say I'm not white."

Man I wonder what he would say if he had seen this year?

[sheshe2]

44. That is a great quote from Zappa, Initech.

So true.

If he had seen 2017 he would be...

[Eliot Rosewater]

46. Frank could be counted on to walk that line of saying all politics are bad like Carlin

but in 2016 that changed.

There are now two sides, Nazi's and not Nazi's.

[wasupaloopa]

37. Who is they? Why can we broad brush white folks here? I get that there are racists but most of us

here are not.

I am not a herd follower so I don't march to the DU line much of the time so say what you will but I don't like putting all people of a race or nationality in a box so the followers can cheer the OP.

[sheshe2]

39. Did you read the article?

wasupaloopa
37. Who is they? Why can we broad brush white folks here? I get that there are racists but most of us
here are not.

You are completely misrepresenting what the article states and what I said in a comment in my OP.


Well I be thinkin' that we can broad brush the GOP all we wish...the paint brush applies to them. You must not have read the link or saw the picture at the top of that post. You are jumping on me for things I never said or applied to anyone on DU. The whole article is about the GOP (a very very white male GOP) that wants to take us all back...POC Women All Minorities where we have no voice, that we will be beaten and killed at their pleasure, starved and left without healthcare.

I am not a herd follower so I don't march to the DU line much of the time so say what you will but I don't like putting all people of a race or nationality in a box so the followers can cheer the OP.

Wow...then you go on to insult me and DU in one stroke.
I am a heard follower or a herder? All of DU is a mindless herd? Lol. Interesting comments from you. We a herd...not you. Sad.

I don't march to the DU line much of the time

[LanternWaste]

51. "Who is they?" was specifically answered in the article, regardless of your marching orders.

"Who is they?" was specifically answered in the article, regardless of your marching orders.

[mcar]

41. A powerful essay

Thanks for posting it, she.

[Me.]

43. KR

[beaglelover]

48. Your fans at DI are all in a lather over this post.

https://www.discussionist.com/10151572164

[sheshe2]

49. Oh my!