White Supremacist Vision
It has now become painfully clear that most right-wing Republicans want to see America controlled and dominated by white men of European ancestry. This outcome was seen as extreme or even hysterical as recently as the last election cycle. When white supremacists and neo-Nazis attacked our Capitol, we began to wake up to this reality. Now that Trump and his delusional supporters continue to tout this ideology, we can see that it is real and is happening here in the United States in 2022.
The recent NYTimes article by Nick Confessori, exposing the truth about the rise of Tucker Carlson, is proof enough. Carlson's show is the most highly rated cable opinion/news show. He averages between 3 and 4 million viewers per night. Given that there are approximately 250 million adults in the US as of the 2020 census, how can carnival barkers like Carlson command so much attention?
The answer is the internet? The relationship between Fox News's number one anchor and the dark corners of ultra-right-wing, white supremacist websites is a symbiotic affair. Most of Tucker's material comes from these sites. American Renaissance, subsites of Reddit, and VDare are three of several forums devoted entirely to restoring their vision of a supermajority, anglo, white, Christian nation. The white (almost exclusively men) who populate these sites are a small fraction of the American public. But, they are loud, boisterous, and angry, and their message appeals to a segment of our citizens who feel left behind in a socio-economic sense. Why they believe that is for another essay.
A few years ago, a film titled "The Loudest Voice in the Room" chronicled the rise and fall of Roger Ailes. Beginning in 2005, as Chairman of Fox News, Ailes became the driving force behind Fox's early success as a cable alternative on the political right. His "whatever attracts viewers" style attracted viewers looking for "news" that reinforced their view of politics, the economy, and the injustices they imagined for their lot in life.
Since seeing that film about Aile's rise and fall at Fox, I have seen "loudness" as the primary driver of the out of proportion attention given to these political anomalies during the Trump era.
And they are anomalies. Make no mistake. The idealogy of the far right is not what the vast majority of American citizens believe or want for the future of this country.
Therein lies the problem and the solution. We need to rise up and reject the ideologies held by a small segment of voters. Complacency is a weakness that we cannot afford at this juncture. If we wish to defeat the hypocrisy and fear-mongering of the far-right, we need a turnout rivaling or surpassing 2020.
As you read this, I recognize that you may be thinking this is overblown or hyperbole. I implore you to read, listen or watch what is being proposed and proclaimed on the right-wing of our political spectrum. The dangers we face today are not new. The far-right fringe of the Republican party is parroting views not espoused since the 1930s.