I am increasingly concerned about things that used to be unspoken (because people knew they shouldn't be said in public) are now being voiced on national television by celebrities. When I posted about immigration, I felt some people might not want to comment because their opinions are based in the idea that "traditional" American culture (i.e., white, Christian culture) is being replaced by foreign cultures, and that those different cultural influences are going to destroy what makes our culture so great.
This idea is called "replacement theory." In essence, it's the fear that we will lose our "cultural identity" if foreigners start populating our country at a higher rate than non-foreigners. At its worst we see it in people spreading false lies about "Sharia Law" destroying our country, so we have to stop Muslims from coming into it (or worse, being arrested and detained). At its core, it is racist, right? It's the idea that what is "good" is "traditional" and what is "traditional" is "white" culture, and any other cultural influences are "undesirable." The problem is this- if we're setting policy goals to "maintain our traditional and uniquely American culture" then who gets to decide what those traditions and cultures are? And how do you put a value on what makes a "good culture" or a "bad" one? Why do we even need gatekeepers over maintaining a uniform culture? Do we really want to revert to how the founding fathers lived and thought? Their culture seemed to have a whole lot of syphilis and subjugation of women and people of color. That's not the traditional culture we want to aspire towards, is it?
I feel like one of the real fears behind replacement theory (other than people having politicians race-bait them with it for personal gain) is the loss of power. Everyone struggles. With the exception of a very, very small percentage of extremely rich people, nearly everyone works hard for what they've accomplished in their life, and they're proud of it. They want to maintain it. An easy, lazy way to feel more secure about maintaining your lot in life (or even improving it) is to marginalize others. And that marginalization is fairly easy to do when you can convince a bunch of others to just go along with you. But as I discussed in my other post- we need immigrants. We need people from other countries. If we don't, there are going to be serious financial consequences that will affect nearly everyone.
And I want to be clear about this, if you're reading this and you think I'm talking about you as someone who secretly supports Replacement Theory-- I probably am. As with the other times I've spoken out on issues of race and racism- I've also emphasized that it's your responsibility to speak out about these things too. If you look the other way, or simply remain silent because you don't want to cause a fuss, then you are the problem. Speak out.
Let's talk about replacement theory
Re: Let's talk about replacement theory
Cross posted from Facebook- I'm not talking about anyone from this site (although... maybe Hauze?).
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bralbovsky
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Re: Let's talk about replacement theory
Replacement theory, as expressed, has never been a thing in history as far as I can tell. If someone knows of a culture that managed to shift their demographic and take power from the previous culture in power, I'd love to know about it.
The only successful replacements I'm aware of are achieved through invasion and genocide. Case in point: white people>>>North America.
Refugee migrations altered the cultural landscape in early Europe and other places, but that was really invasion too.
Fear of replacement theory, however, is a real and tangible phenomenon. It historically leads to either genocide or apartheid, or both.
The only successful replacements I'm aware of are achieved through invasion and genocide. Case in point: white people>>>North America.
Refugee migrations altered the cultural landscape in early Europe and other places, but that was really invasion too.
Fear of replacement theory, however, is a real and tangible phenomenon. It historically leads to either genocide or apartheid, or both.
Re: Let's talk about replacement theory
But can we talk about replacement theory without talking about the little seed of evil at the bottom of all of it? Namely, the idea that Jewish people are ultimately the architects of the replacement, wherever and whenever such a replacement is deemed necessary to advance the cause of Jewish power?
Once we talk about the anti-Semitism then we have to talk about its handmaiden, the violent repression of women. It is no accident that both Islamic and Christianist cultures that accept and promote anti-Semitism are obsessed with controlling women and everything to do with baby production. The women have the job of preventing the replacement. This used to be really fringe stuff and the fact that it has made its way into the mainstream of one major political party is *Disturbing*.
Once we talk about the anti-Semitism then we have to talk about its handmaiden, the violent repression of women. It is no accident that both Islamic and Christianist cultures that accept and promote anti-Semitism are obsessed with controlling women and everything to do with baby production. The women have the job of preventing the replacement. This used to be really fringe stuff and the fact that it has made its way into the mainstream of one major political party is *Disturbing*.