“The rampant sexism and racism of America’s privileged white women is becoming intolerable.”
If that kind of sweeping group bias disturbs you, then you’re a step ahead of Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The House Minority Leader struck a dubious blow for equality Thursday by demonstrating she’s just as big a country club bigot as Imbecile-in-Chief Donald Trump.
“The five white guys I call them,” Pelosi said in an off-hand reference to her fellow negotiators in the Congressional immigration debate.
The rich white lady had a point. There should be more racial, economic, and gender diversity in our millionaire Congress. However, if you thought the daughter of the former Mayor of Baltimore was going to admit she’s part of that problem you were wrong.
Pelosi doesn’t do personal accountability or leadership by example. Any more than the other toxic elites in Washington and Wall Street who are busily undermining our national standing in the world.
She does privilege, country clubs, private schools, private jets, class warfare and political corruption. Like the $189 million fortune she’s amassed in public office with the help of insider trading tips and access to initial public offerings not available to the public. She also indulges in identity politics.
Just like Little Donnie Trump.
Pelosi’s tone-deaf political rhetoric Thursday doubled down on the dubious strategy of vilifying Progressive white men, which worked so well for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential race. When the two-time loser described Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables.”
Never mind the content of the character of their fellow A
mericans. Pelosi, Trump and Clinton have all chosen to dwell on their opponents’ gender, wealth, education, religion, skin color or national origin in order to wrap themselves in the divisive flag of identity politics.
As if the same electorate which elected America’s first black president in 2008 somehow morphed into Klansmen during the eight years after the start of The Great Recession. And the poor and middle class aren’t desperately searching for any candidate who will place people ahead of corporate profits.
Who would want the votes of the Progressive white men who have supported the Civil Rights Movement, Antiwar Movement, Women’s Rights Movement, and American Indian Movement and have fought against racism, sexism and antisemitism since World War II?
Only someone who wanted to win elected office.
Th
e painful truth is that no traditional victim group has ever succeeding in forcing social change in this country at the barrel of a gun. They’ve prevailed by working together with their fellow Americans to advance the greater good.
What about The Civil War and Slavery?
Sorry. The painful truth is that it didn’t really become about slavery until Abraham Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation in 1963 – two years into the conflict. Before that it was mostly a political showdown between Northern industrialists and Southern Planters.
Another painful truth is that victim status and identity politics are double-edged political swords, in addition to being evil excrement. They carry the power to condemn but not necessarily the power to lead, and the power to command empathy but not necessarily respect.
These painful truths continue to elu
de many American politicians. Who have apparently learned nothing from the powerful examples of former South African President Nelson Mandela, former U.S. President Barack Obama, former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Each of those five leaders understood that forgoing group bias and their own victim status were the keys to unifying their people behind them.
Whereas the Nancy Pelosis, Hillary Clintons, Donald Trumps and Roger Ailes of the world think identity politics is some kind of coat they can put on and take off at will.
It’s not.
Once you warm yourself in the cloak of group hate, the stink stays on you.
