American Rage and the President

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Speeches for independence Day usually deal with who we are as a nation. They are messages of unity and a common purpose. They tell us where we came from and delve into how we are a people, with a history and tradition. They are unifying messages and especially so after disasters or doing war. They are saccharine exercises of the flag, baseball, and apple pie. Remember, the season should be well underway, and this year, we are just starting with spring training. It is due to the pandemic.

President Donald Trump did none of the above. His two speeches, first at Mt. Rushmore, and then on July Fourth in DC were none of the above. Both were about division, and an appeal to a shrinking base in an election year. The president’s message was clearly received by those he targeted. These are the same people who believe the Pandemic is a hoax, or not as serious, just the little flu. Why they still refuse to wear a mask, even when we are surpassing 130,000 dead Americans. The nature of the speech was not accidental, and yes, Antifa figures in these events if more like the three minutes of hate. These two speeches were about grievance, white identity, and heritage. It was about a divided nation on the brink of a civil war, which some of his political base is ready for. It was about American Carnage, not unlike his inaugural.

Trump established the themes of these two speeches early on at Mt Rushmore, where people were tightly packed, no social distancing and no masks to be seen, well except for the media. Early in the speech, Trump said this:

1776 represented the culmination of thousands of years of Western civilization and the triumph of not only spirit, but of wisdom, philosophy, and reason. And yet, as we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure. Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children. Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities.

This concept that the United States is the culmination of western culture (and a white country) is at the core of modern-day white supremacy. This ideology sees the West as the origin of…