The American Dream and the Politics of Racist Paranoia
The American Dream defined:
The belief that America offers the opportunity to everyone of a good and successful life achieved through hard work;
American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism, (equality of opportunity) especially material prosperity; also: the prosperity or life that is the realization of this ideal;
The American Dream is the ideal that the government should protect each person’s opportunity to pursue their own idea of happiness;
The Declaration of Independence:
Protects the American Dream. It uses the familiar quote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
If the measure of success in America is achieving the ‘American Dream’, white people can succeed while having no potential, no ambition, no credentials, and no class.
That is the essence of ‘white privilege’.
White privilege is deeply rooted in the notion that America and the American Dream belong to white people.
Since the 60’s the Republicans have engaged white America in the politics of paranoia and fear, which asserts that:
“They (Democrats) are trying to take ithe American Dream away from you and give it to people who don’t deserve it because they’re not white.”
Trump and his dog whistle mantra, “Make America Great Again” are the racist antithesis of the diversity in the demographic composition of contemporary America.
The mere fact that Trump got elected and stands a chance to win a second term is clear, convincing, and incontrovertible proof that White people aren’t grappling with the disease of racism at all, they remain addicted to it…
The following is an expression of an essential component of the ‘American Dream’ that is at the heart of Trump’s electoral success:
“If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
Lyndon B. Johnson
This is as true today as it was when it was uttered by LBJ more than half a century ago…
