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What I'm getting at is that for members of increasingly radicalized, extremest right wing grassroots movements, continued failures from their leaders (or what they see as attacks on their leaders) aren't going to be seen as grossly ironic or hypocritical, but will rather serve as motivating factors for greater right wing activism.
I appreciate your whole take. It seems very likely.
I've read that a strong reactionary movement or outcry usually coincides with times when progressive social and political movements are visibly active and gaining momentum, so I'm wondering if reactionaries and the right are gaining more public support and growing, or if numbers are dwindling but those who remain are becoming more extreme. Probably a combination of the two, at least to some degree.
Regarding outcry when progressive's movements gain pull, from what I've seen in the US over the past 20 or so years is that the vast majority of extremism stems from corporatist funding of grassroots movements; movements that appear to be locally based are designed by rightwing think tanks funded by donors such as the Koch family, filtered through affinity groups on smaller, local levels, which then gains small scale political momentum, that spreads by keeping people active and engaged. The American Far Right has been successfully mobilizing via grassroots campaigns over the past handful of decades. Anecdotally, I'm thinking of the small city where I grew up- majority available constituency consists of aging 1st generation, but mostly 2nd-4th generation Azorean Portuguese immigrants who identify first as Portuguese, then, from what I listened to growing up, as Anglo ("I'm Portuguese, you're white. Damn black people...) Sizable Puerto Rican population. There are large smatterings of various 3rd-5th generation Western European immigrant families (Polish, French, Irish, English) and over the past decade, a significant influx of 1st generation Dominican, Cape Verde, and Brazilian immigrants. The people in power have been white folks, lawyers, real estate, or just people with a higher degree and it's kind of just moseyed on (It's a former industrial city. My Dad grew up here in a 2nd and 3rd generation immigrant family for whom the city was their first and only US stopover). Now, over the past 10 years or so, the folks in power (city hall, school board, counselors, state representatives) are all still unequivocally white and increasingly right leaning. The latest mayor, a blonde woman with an Irish surname, has no higher education, or job experience (her husband is a contractor) to running against a long term politician for local state representative in 2008, on, you guessed it, as a Tea Party candidate and issues regarding a child sexual assault bill. It's well understood that she's using this mayoral experience to work toward the governors office or state house in general. I know this is rambling and has little to do with Gaetz, but I feel that it's a real, local experience of the American Right and grassroots tactics.
Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene have tried to start an "Anglo Saxon Caucus" or subgroup within the Republican Party operating on "uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions." We're beyond the point of ironic trolling, as these people weird power on numerous fronts. Folks thought the "Tea Party Caucus" was something with no momentum, or a joke.
Vice is not the best, but this is worth taking a look at if you're interested
There is a lot going on here. Can you dumb this down for me a bit?
(Not sarcastic, I'm interested in your point, but I'm struggling to keep track of everything going on in your post.)
paragraph 1:
The American Right has been "sponsored" by think tanks and big business since at least the 70s. While grassroots organizing is used to mobilize the Right, it's not a bottom up process like we might imagine grassroots campaigns to be. Again, think tanks (search Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, American's for Prosperity, ALEC) sponsored by mega donors with ties to Industry (search Koch Brothers, Walton Family, Sheldon Adelson) and who, in order to grow Industry (ie, gain more profit) try to consolidate power through their influence and the promotion of anti-democratic proposals. The right, especially since the 80s and the rise of Evangelical Christianity, has run massive voting drives and fundraising campaigns that have gained them a lot of traction.
Through use of propaganda (ever see ads on Fox News? get mail from the NRA? commercials on talk radio? sports radio?) they convince every day Americans (mostly white) to vote against their best interests (traditionally in the name of, again, industry or jobs, but in the case of the most recent round of American fascists, outright bigotry) to gain constituency and amass more power. I've watched this unfold from afar in the city I came from. Unqualified (minimal or no experience, lack of education) but relatable (white, outwardly racist, conventionally attractive) people are elected to positions of power by espousing the carefully cultivated propaganda of the think tanks. From the local levels, the move upward into higher positions of power. Again, I come from a diverse small city, full of immigrants and in the past 10 years, I've witnessed an extraordinary shift to the farther right in local politics and those holding positions of power moving forward into state politics. While it concerns judgeships, I recommend looking into the Federalist society to see how successfully the Right mobilizes to further their tactics (judgeships can deal with issues such as gerrymandering, voting rights, etc).
paragraph 2
People like Gaetz and Greene, while if they were only memes, would be laughable in a frightening way. In positions of power, they're incredible scary in that they offer inspiration to others who hold similar stances, that they aren't held accountable for their vile and socially violent tendencies, speech, and actions. It all sets a precedent for the future of US politics, much like the Tea Party Movement did around the time the US elected its first Black president. tying into the paragraph 1, these far right, unqualified nincompoops are usually heavily sponsored and influenced by the tthink tanks.
paragraph 3
links an article showcasing the danger of such politicians
Topic: florida representative matt gaetz (Read 1810 times)