We must stop the fascists from defining what American means

[Nevilledog]

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I'm fascinated by the seemingly default assumption (made and propagated on the extreme right) that this is their country and the rest of us have to comply.

The extreme right has been defining what "America" is and which policies are and are not "American" for decades. Why let them? Why cede that very important ground? So doing cedes them the nation, effectively.

They've been able to do this so effectively because they've been determined to do it. It's been a central part of their plan to roll back rights & freedoms since the 1960s. But they've also been able to do this because the moderates/left have let them.

Mods/left are like, "that's cool, you do you, but liberal progress is natural/guaranteed" (the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice). That's totally not true. Liberal progress is not at all guaranteed. It has to be fought for and defended.

Another reason why the mods/left don't engage in the battle to define "America" is because they're ambivalent about what "America" is, what it means, what practices are/not American. That's totally natural, but obviously a weakness here.

The rightwing is most effective when it's unified. And it has offered a pretty specific, unified definition of what America is, which policies are and are not "American," and who is "American" for a while now.

Mods/left Americans need to decide that this is their America. (maybe their America too, if you're feeling charitable). Then they need to define the sh*t out of what America means, who/what is American, and which political practices and policies are American. Like, now. 😳

America is democracy.
America is a nation that includes all & guarantees their rights.
America is a place for hopes & dreams.
America is a place for ingenuity & problem solving.
America is a force for good, and right, and justice.
America is always striving to be more American.

(or similar, off the top of my head. I especially like the last line: "America is always striving to be more American" because it acknowledges that America is a project and imperfect as it is)

Please note that the right claims the right/power to define "America" while also claiming to be "strangers in their own land." See how that works to empower an entire agenda? And how media reporting on disaffected rightwing Americans plays into those definitional assumptions?

Every Fox, OAN, Newsmax, Infowars--especially Tucker--story has this as its default assumption: this is your America and they are taking it away from you. You've probably internalized that message too. Think about how that disempowers the mods/left.

America is your nation. You are America.

The policies you want are American.

Just thinking some more about this: I've often wondered why my (super awesome, so smart & amazing) immigrant dad watches all those rightwing news programs--it's probably because they reaffirm that he (as an audience member) is the "real" America. It's enticing & empowering.

Also, thinking about how the very clear fascist plan to take over America has made me feel less steady/secure in my place in the nation/world this week. If you're feeling this way too, then I think this thread explains why. This is our nation. We are America. Keep saying it.

One way to think about it is the rightwing has been trying to "colonize" America. Taking it over, defining what it is, what it means, who belongs, and its values. It has done this by appealing to "tradition" or "real America" or "heartland" or similar essentialist claims.

Thanks y'all. Reading your responses to this is the best I've felt all week. 🥰

They think they get to define America and if we disagree, then we "hate America." That is so wrong. They do not get to define America, we do. America is democracy. America is us. America is always trying to be more American.