White Nationalism and Neo-liberal Capitalism 4
Speaking of the white nationalist right, it is important to reflect on the reality that 2019 has also been a year of consolidation for the fascists who currently control the U.S. settler colony empire led by Donald Trump. Not only have the fascists been consolidating power in the U.S. by rapidly gaining control of all three branches of the U.S. government, but they have given support to white nationalist fascism in Latin America by undermining governments in Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua, as well as continued attempts to destabilize revolutionary Cuba. The fascists have joined forces with and supported similar white nationalist fascist drives in the UK, France, and Eastern Europe and continues to help the Zionist white nationalist government of Israel commit genocide against the Palestinian people. What this has meant for us here in the heart of the empire is a rising fear and anxiety for what the future may hold. This is not a baseless fear. Fascist consolidation has real material outcomes. Trump’s 5 fascism is an instrument of neo-liberal capitalism aimed at taking away all restraints that prevent big corporations from doing whatever they want to make money for their stockholders. Without rules and regulations to limit their power and with very few rights and powers for working people over their economic lives, as well as with judicial and police powers to criminalize and punish people who get out of line, the corporations through Trump run the U.S. with little interference. Their super profits are guaranteed with new tax laws that place the bulk of taxes on the backs of the working and poor people and place little on the corporations and the rich. Everything from health care to education to prisons is privatized so that money can be made off of it. This means that Black people and other people are no longer just workers, but in fact our bodies become the direct source of profits as we sit in privatized prisons, schools, and hospitals and are forced to spend billions in direct payments and tax dollars. While even so-called liberal media reports that the economy continues to rise (though liberals insist that this is a continuation of Obama policies) the reality is that reports of economic upswings are based on Wallstreet stability and profits reported by corporations. For Black people this year both the wage gap and the wealth gap have increased. More people may be working, but many are forced to work several jobs for low pay and even minimum wage just to make ends meet. And these jobs often have no health benefits, meaning that health care costs and other costs must be paid out of pocket, leaving these working people in poverty. Homelessness has become an increasing crisis in cities all across the U.S. in 2019 with makeshift tent cities and shanty towns becoming the norm in even formerly affluent parts of cities. This homeless crisis is exacerbated by poverty and rising rent costs as well as people being evicted because of inability to pay mortgages. Homelessness is also grounded in a growing crisis of mental illness which can be linked to the increasing stressors of living in America.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/04/el-paso-shooting-white-nationalist-supremacy-viole nce-christchurch 5
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vS4eKwCEC0