One of my biggest criticisms of the left is their
willingness to openly embrace socialist groups and groups like Antifa. Yet with
the recent anniversary of the horrific event at Charlottesville I am reminded
that both sides have their extremist elements.
The Alt-Right
When the Alt-Right first came on the scene no one really
knew what it was. A lot of people thought that they were part of the Alt-Right
believing that it was simply an opposition to the establishment Republicans.
It became clear that the Alt-Right were nothing but a group
of racist/xenophobes attempting to find legitimacy among those on the right who
were disaffected with the establishment. Some people recognized it right away,
for others it took longer.
It is easy to criticize other people and groups but much
more difficult to criticize yourself or your own group. Part of the reason for
this is that you do not want to face reality because it could be too painful,
which is understandable because reality is painful at times.
It is also difficult because you might be worried about
damaging the group. That is a worry because it is true, criticizing your own
group will damage the group. Yet the answer is not to ignore the things that
need to be criticized but to address them directly.
Self-Criticism
If you do not criticize those you are associated with others
will be more than happy to do it for you and will lump you in with the criticism
simply due to your association. It might be painful and damage your association
if you criticize it, but that is only short term. In the mid to long term it
will make the association stronger.
If left un-criticized and undealt with the problem with just
continue to grow and cause more damage. This is why it is important for those
on the right to be self-critical, not only of themselves but of the party as
well.
Think through the reasons why you want what you want. Why do
you want immigration reform? Is it because you do not want Mexicans here or is
it because you think it is unfair to people who come legally to allow those who
violate the law to benefit just the same?
Fully understanding your reasons behind your opinions will
help you recognize those who share the same reasons. In addition it will also
help you identify those who share similar opinions but for very different
reasons.
Standing Up
When I say stand up I do not mean it the same way a far left
activist would. Do not surround someone and shout pejoratives at them. We know
that does not work and instead of solving the problem only makes it worse.
Instead ask someone why they hold the view they do. They
should be able to give you a reasonable answer. If they get angry or dismissive
they might have ulterior motives or have not fully thought about why they
believe what they believe. Always assume the later at first but if given time
they are still unable to come up with a reasonable response then probe a bit
farther to determine their motives.
When doing this be sure to be precise with your language, do
not allow for wiggle room, and always be honest and truthful. Do not try to be
deceptive, even if it does work it will also cause damage to yourself and the
association. Besides the truth is easier to remember.
It is time for us on the right to recognize, criticize and reject
those on the Alt-Right. For those who have already done this (people like Ben
Shapiro), thank you. For those of you who did not know, time to wake up.
Again when I say Alt-Right I mean right wing identity
politics such as White Nationalists, White Supremacists, Neo-Nazi’s and anyone
who things Western Culture is exclusive to white people. (For an expanded
definition check out my earlier blog post on the subject, what
does Alt-Right really mean and why it’s important to know).
We need to keep our own house cleaned up. If we are able to
do so, maybe we will be able to help our Democrat neighbors clean their house
as well and together Make America Great Again!
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