If you look back at American history, the same theme keeps popping up. The Know-Nothing Party back in the Nineteenth century followed pretty much the same pattern. They began as a secret society, then morphed into a political movement trying to fill the vacuum after the Whig party imploded. Both the temperance movement and the KKK can trace their roots back to the Know-Nothings.
As for why these currents keep surfacing, the desire to control others has always been a chronic problem for our species, along with the desire to justify oneself to cover up any secret guilt feelings (ie: slavery, native genocide) or just puff up a flaccid ego. In stressful times like these you can always count on these nasty little gremlins to crawl out of the woodwork. Eventually they'll crawl back in after they've done their share of damage, only to resurface when the times are right again.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2020-12-18 03:50 pm (UTC)As for why these currents keep surfacing, the desire to control others has always been a chronic problem for our species, along with the desire to justify oneself to cover up any secret guilt feelings (ie: slavery, native genocide) or just puff up a flaccid ego. In stressful times like these you can always count on these nasty little gremlins to crawl out of the woodwork. Eventually they'll crawl back in after they've done their share of damage, only to resurface when the times are right again.
Carnelian Palpitating Piglet/JLfromNH