Introduction
In late November a family member and I engaged in a political discussion. Perhaps it was a mistake to engage. She is pro-Trump and I am not. We are Albertans, by the way, so we both have an arms-length stake in American politics, though having such a large and influential neighbour does end up affecting us in many ways. My relative asked me to watch a video by Dave Rubin, the first half of it anyways, about how badly Trump has been mis-abused in the past four years on whether he is racist.
The Fear
People are increasingly polarized on this subject, and if pushed, friendships have been terminated and families estranged. I fear the loss of family for speaking my mind.
How could a political opinion threaten that? There are elements of this debate that characterize the opposition as demented, deluded, simpletons, or maybe even evil. There's shades of sinister forces manipulating the public in the background. The suggestion is that my opinions might not be my own but the product of those sinister forces.
Keep in mind that both sides of the debate may characterize their opposition this way.
The Accusation
Was Trump hounded about racism? Rubin shows a clip from the 2016 debate where Trump definitively denounces David Duke and the Klu Klux Klan. Trump then goes on to complain that he is hounded by the media whether he is racist or not, even though he had tweeted for the past two weeks that he is not.
Here is a transcript of that encounter:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/03/the-fox-news-gop-debate-transcript-annotated/
I suggest that Trump continues to get asked four years later because he waffles. Here's an example from the aftermath of the August 2017 race demonstration in Charlottesville, where a car was deliberately driven in to the protesters, killing one and injuring nineteen.
| Aug. 14, 2017 | Trump condemns KKK, Neo-Nazis.
Speaking from the White House, the president says, “racism is evil” and goes on to specifically name the KKK, Neo-Nazis and white supremacists. |
| Aug. 15, 2017 | Trump again blames “both sides.” During an impromptu news conference, Trump again condemns Neo-Nazis but also insists “both sides” deserve blame for violence in Charlottesville and that counter-protesters had acted “very, very violently.” He incorrectly says protesters were “quietly” supporting the Robert E. Lee statue. |
These clips are from a PBS fact checking timeline tracking Trump's history on race. In my opinion, at best, Trump is ambiguous about race.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/every-moment-donald-trumps-long-complicated-history-race
"Nazi" is a strawman
Whether or not Trump is a Nazi and a racist is not my chief problem about him. His treatment of refugees and immigrants has been a tragic consequence, but again, not my chief problem. Finding hundreds of quotes of Trump protesting he is not racist does not negate my chief problem with Trump. Trump's awkward relationship with a hounding press isn't unique to him. He just complains about it a lot more. Every controversial celebrity gets the same treatment from the press.
For me, whether Trump is a racist or not is a strawman argument.
My chief problem with Trump is that he is an idiot, a self-absorbed toxic narcissist unfit to hold the office of President. Call me old-fashioned, but I need leaders who run towards danger when called - with intelligence, with compassion, and sober judgement. There has to be an awareness that the leader is commanding a very large ship, and that any hesitation, waffling, inconsistency, or capriciousness puts many, many people in danger.
We can have a conversation another day why I think Trump is a narcissist but that is outside of the scope of this particular video. Back to the video and my notes.
Equating White Supremacy with Black/Jew/Asian/Latino/Trans/Decepticon/Blind/Deaf/Tall/Short/ Supremacy
At the introduction Rubin disavows white supremacy, along with a few other groups. It's tongue in cheek of course, making fun of a modern convention to constantly apologize for current and past wrongs by the dominant group. I believe Rubin starts this way as a
dog whistle to liberal sympathizers, because this can easily consume an entire conversation to get right. So I'm tackling this closer to the end of my review. I didn't want to cloud the primary question on whether Trump is a racist and if he is unfairly hounded about it.
Are all these groups equal in their power and influence? Of the groups I know better, like the deaf community and the shorties, there's a strong internal culture of independence and a desire to be integrated rather than be privileged or in any way cared for by society.
Rather than supremacy, the liberal-leaning embrace the word, "privilege" to describe how nearly all of us have privilege of some sort, and to be aware that not everyone is born in to those advantages. Have empathy for those without privilege, where progress is a greater struggle. A lot of this is explained, empathetically, in "
Why It's Important to Understand Privilege" by Liz Greene, March 31, 2017.
I have become more sensitive to the underdog over the years, as I have pondered the consequences of my Christian faith. There are multiple commands to care for the weak and the vulnerable; the widows and the orphans, the strangers amongst us who are far from their homes.
There is outrage in Canada of course, on how the consequences of slavery has marked American society even to this day. There is an underlying smugness I think also, that Canada did not follow America's lead on this, that we were the honored final destination of the underground railroad. I asked myself one day, is there a group that Canadians have unjustly oppressed? And I found them of course, because dominance and suppression is not unique to any nation. This led me to Grande Cache and a six month contract with the Aseniwuche people. My time there I count as a gift, a God-kissed gift, because it sensitized me to how blind privilege can hurt those around me without my even being aware.
Are the Aseniwuche trying to dominate or run supreme over white society? Of course not. They are struggling, underfunded and often ignored, to be recognized as human, of needing a leg up but more than anything, understanding.
How can I personally "check my privilege" to help under-represented groups? First of all, by being attentive when they speak. And second, to speak out when they are unfairly represented. It's not my job to "fix them". I am not a Great White Hope. Throwing money at the problem is just a new way of ignoring them.
Listen, just listen.
It's a
false equivalency to add a disclaimer before speaking that one is not endorsing "White Supremacy" and then follow with a long list of those who are NOT privileged, and NOT the majority, as if they are equally claiming supremacy over whites. These groups are looking for recognition and humanity, just as the gays wanted to marry and love each other openly as other people do.
Who is the Mob?
Dave Rubin goes on to encourage listeners to not back down to the mob and Cancel Culture; "The Mob will come after you if you tell the truth." I infer from this that the Mob has been spoken about elsewhere by Rubin, that it is seen as a definable group, and this group has an agenda to silence people like Dave Rubin and Trump.
Characterizing critics as a "mob" is entirely too handy. Anyone who stands on a soap box to declare an outlier opinion is going to get attention. Are the critics, if there are many, automatically a "mob"? Are they a definable group, just for challenging someone like Rubin or Trump?
This is one of several red flags, listening to Rubin, that lead me to believe he is priming listeners to expect opposition even from those closest to them, and to be armed against those protests. I, personally, have not joined any "mob". I am as earnest about learning and living truthfully as anyone. If I am cautious about claims by Rubin or Trump, I have cause.
The Jehovah's Witnesses use very similar practices in their recruiting techniques. In the first few pages of their primary study booklet the listener is asked to agree that there is good an evil in the world, that the truth that God offers is discoverable, and to expect opposition from those closest to them as they are introduced to the Truth.
I trust Steve Hassan as a respected leader in understanding the operation of high-control groups, or cults. His information has been invaluable in helping me understand Art and other Jehovah's Witnesses I have encountered, and indeed using his advice, I can usually draw out their natural personality when talking with them, instead of the rather stilted, robot-like persona of the dedicated cultist. Jehovah's Witnesses literally and habitually keep every thought captive, as Paul admonished the Romans to do (Romans 12:21).
Steve Hassan raised a red flag very early that Trump acts very much like a cult leader, and his followers, like cultists. He has maintained this opinion throughout. Here are some characteristics of thought control that you might see being used:
Require members to internalize the group’s doctrine as truth
a. Adopting the group’s ‘map of reality’ as reality
b. Instill black and white thinking
c. Decide between good vs. evil
d. Organize people into us vs. them (insiders vs. outsiders)
Now that Trump has lost his second term, Hassan is expecting Trump's followers to be reeling from the loss. He has very specific advice on how to help Trump followers through disillusionment.
I have found Hassan very helpful, and I value his compassionate, intelligent approach that respects all people, no matter what they believe.
Rubin Himself
I find Dave Rubin to be a most intriguing personality. He is openly gay and married to his partner. He is fearful of the potential of Black Lives Matter to violence. He describes his politics as "Classical Liberal" of the past. This would have covered the Neoclassical period from 1750 to 1900. However, he appears to support minimal government like modern libertarians.
The American government during the Neoclassical period spent masses of money to improve the lot of the common people.
The great waterfront parks of Chicago and Central Park in New York were built during this period, and these parks were designated, most deliberately, for all the people. The healthful air and beautiful views were expected to have a calming effect on the populace and help lift all people to the great American ideal.
I got to wondering one day what happened to this grand plan, then realized this was the start of the future national Parks systems, where great swathes of nature were set aside for future generations to enjoy. The national parks are again under threat from the political right, not only in the United States but here in Alberta, too. Now Corporation is King, not the common man it seems.
Rubin is a mass of contradictions, is prone to bold declarations, and often cannot back up his boldness. There is nothing classical about his views. He is very clearly unique, and a man of his time.
Conclusion
I will continue to mark my conversations with my relative with love and respect. This essay may feel like overkill, but it is my only defence against bald YouTube videos that are strong on rhetoric and short on thoughtfulness.
Even a confident video is not necessarily immune from criticism, and criticism is not necessarily evil.
