Creating America's Apartheid

My avocation has been social science and philosophy for all of my adult life. The 20th century may have been the American Century globally, but it can also be considered the American Progressive Century domestically. Progressive social change was a paramount social force during much of the first three quarters of the century with the last quarter of a century transitioning to another social order. Besides enduring the worst economic depression in the Republic's history; the nation engaged in two global wars; became the most powerful nation on earth, both militarily and economically, finally reconciled and reunited the nation after the devastating effects of the American Civil War; transitioned from a primarily agrarian economic system to a post industrial economy with global impacts; and made significant progress on addressing human rights and suffrage. America, in the 20th century, created a robust and significant middle class including a means for upward mobility for primarily the white majority. The American middle class reached its zenith shortly after mid century and held sway until the final quarter of the century, then growing smaller and poorer to the point where we find the American middle class in a steep decline. As the middle class has declined, significant concern has gripped many of those who fear further declines or the worst of all conditions, from their perspective, the loss of majority rule.

When I speak of majority rule, I am directly focusing on 'white majority rule'. If demographic trends continue as predicted, the non Hispanic white majority will become a minority by 2043. In fact, in the year 2012, non Hispanic white deaths exceeded non Hispanic white births; this is the first time in the nation's history that this has occurred. For many, this change in population mix is a harbinger of power shifts that some perceive as a threat to their sustained well being. What they fail to recognize is that population numbers mean almost nothing and will not create dramatic power shifting. A prime example is what has occurred after South Africa ended apartheid with the white minority continuing to hold institutional powers. This also will be likelihood here, since social institutions are already controlled by non Hispanic whites. However, this fact alone has not deterred those who want to use the soon to be newly attained minority status as another fear element in gaining and maintaining political dominance.

For the last three to four decades, the middle class has been indoctrinated with messages of fear, images of doom and gloom, and encouraged to believe that they are under constant attack, which has made them acutely aware to any perceived changes in their status, becoming validation for the brain washing they have received. They have been convinced that it is on the collective backs of the middle class that the whole welfare function of the state has been placed. They have also been convinced that losses to income security, upward mobility and the like are as a result of the ever increasing government intrusion into their lives. Not only is this a focused distortion of the truth, attempting to make conditions seem worse and more dire, but a blatant manipulation, using mass psychology, to create a false reality. This is a pure diversionary tactic by those who have benefited the most and represents an altered perceptual state designed to lay any losses to the middle class on everyone and anything except the politically well connected and the rich and powerful.

I know that this is a strong indictment, but it is fitting. Who are the “they” I am referring to, which is a fair question? It begins with the nation's elite class, those that have the most to lose in any fundamental social change, which weakens their position and control. They are the ones who have created and employed the “think tanks” to spend their time 24/7, 365 days a year to formulate the strategies and arguments to support resistance to significant social change and possible threats to the status quo. The “think tanks” are the strategists and tacticians responsible for the drafting and implementation of political and economic actions that guaranty continued control and benefit to their plutocratic masters.

The elites, with guidance from their paid for “think tanks” have created the various funding mechanisms to educate, fund political campaigns and control the public messages that are continuously fed to influence the public perception. The messages vilify the liberals, the progressives and place the blame for the country's ills on anyone who challenges the power and intent of the elite. The obvious question is whether this is an organized conspiracy? The answer is yes and no.

The elites definitely know one another and intermingle freely. They are organized by mutual interests and general share the same world perceptions. Is it a blatant conspiracy, probably not and if it is how would one ever prove it. What is clear is that they have the resources to organize and fund organizations and movements that benefit their collective well being. A prime example it the populist movement of Glenn Beck's Taxed Enough Already movement. What started as an unorganized populist movement that challenged politicians during the summer congressional recess, was quickly co-opted by the elites becoming another set of tools in their tool chest. The TEA Party has become the “brown shirts” of the elite. It has become a means to organize and control the most extreme on the political right.

Key to maintaining control and the status quo is the focused efforts to control state legislation. Such is the fear of organized social movements that might challenge the elites in the future. There is a concerted effort to create statutory limits that will make the rise of such organizations difficult at best and sometimes nearly impossible. This includes voting rights legislation, immigration legislation, Right to Work legislation, de-certification of public unions and collective bargaining, changes to a woman's healthcare, the defunding public education, etc. All of this is to preempt any possible challenge in the future that may be made by the rising minorities. The 'gerrymandering' of the 2010 creating more secure and ideological pure districts is also a means to retain control in the future and to assure the white minority's continued institutional dominance.

The efforts of the conservative elites supported by conservative middle class and working class non Hispanic whites is pure and simple class warfare. The class warfare is designed to deny power and increased status to anyone who isn't a member of the elite or a member of the non Hispanic white class.

The groundwork has been laid for the emergence and maintenance of the American Apartheid that will eventually become part of the American cultural experience.