Why is White Nationalism so influential in MAGA conservatism?

I have always thought that one of Civilized Conversation’s main objectives should be to explore root causes. The often hard to see reasons behind the rapid changes to our culture, economy, and politics. White nationalism is one of them. IMO, it is not possible to understand the Trump Administration’s actions and the die-hard loyalty of many of its supporters (NOT all 45m-50m of them, of course!) without facing the highly racialized ideology behind much of the Trump agenda.

The exact definition of white nationalism varies, and I leave you to AI yourselves silly looking it up. Its core beliefs are easy to state: The USA was founded to be and must remain a white dominated country, that its white citizens deserve (but have lost) special privileges, and that non-whites must either accept some sort of subordinate status or be denied entry or ejected. Starting with but not stopping with non-whites that are here in violation fo our immigration laws.

The evidence of White nationalist personnel and policies in the Trump Administration is everywhere. I don’t have much time this weekend, certainly not to summarize it all here. I refer you for the moment (more and better links will be posted here the week before the mtg) to these summaries.

· This one (Though I am unfamiliar with the org).
· Amnesty International summary. · An “explicitly white supremacist agenda.”
· The leader pushing all of this: Stephen Miller.

A confounding issue is that calling oneself a “white nationalist” still is taboo, at least in most places most Americans get their news and opinions. Trump has helped to change that by disinhibiting hateful rhetoric. But except for a few white supremist celebrities (Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson) it remains true.

Except in one key place. A place where few Americans encounter its ugliness or piece together its influence: On-line. White nationalism in America (and abroad) has its own infrastructure for disseminating propaganda and organizing. Websites, podcasters, magazines. Thinktanks and publishing houses. White nationalism has close connections (in some cases!) to “Christian nationalism,” the "Dominion" Christian right-wing that wants (their preferred type of) Christians to dominate U.S. culture and set up and run an explicitly pro-Christian government.

Look back here the week before our meeting for some more informative readings on white nationalism. I will try to focus on (1) the movement’s influence over the Trump Administration’s policies and the national GOP, and (2) the alarming size and reach of the on-line white nationalist community. You’ll be amazed.

Backgrounders –

1. TBA.