Racist Projection

Definition of Projection: In psychology, projection refers to placing your own negative traits or unwanted emotions onto others, usually without reason. “It’s not ME. It’s YOU!”

What does projection look like when it is projected by racists?

Let’s start this discussion by taking a short stroll down Memory Lane.

Do you remember the “Simpsons” image of the FOX News helicopter with the words, “Not racist, but #1 with Racists”? I wonder if that survived the censors on reruns.

We remember when Tucker Carlson denied the existence of white nationalism, but he attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar for “hating America,” saying, “We have every right to fight to preserve our nation and our heritage and our culture.”

Omar is not hating democracy and equality, the fundamental American ideals and values. “Hating America” is how racists frame Omar’s revulsion for racist conservative white heritage and culture, of course.

“Preserve our heritage and culture” echoes the popular white supremacist slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

We remember Klan Leader David Duke wanted Carlson to be Vice-President.

"President Trump! You have one last chance to turn the tables, win this election and save America—and yourself! Nominate Tucker Carlson for Vice President. This would energize your campaign beyond belief." Duke tweeted.

And finally, we remember when Trump officials decided to cut the census period shorter last year. What were they afraid of? 

Enter again FOX(R)’s resident white nationalist, and therefore a “victim of racism”, Tucker Carlson:

Democrats are intentionally accelerating demographic change for political advantage...They said we were espousing something known as the Great Replacement Theory”, a well-known racist fantasy. In other words, “Shut up”.

(After playing the radical Right’s ubiquitous “race card” and “victim card” he cites census results showing fewer white Americans.)

As leading Democrats put it again and again, “Who cares? Fewer white people in America is a great thing and we should celebrate.”

(Cut to non-white CNN commentators.)

“Right now Stephen Miller and Donald Trump are at Mar-a-Lago, and they’re throwing up, because this is not the America they want to see.”

“I was at the White House the other day and guess who has got Stephen Miller’s old office. Her name was Susan Rice, and she’s one of us. And guess who was in Ivanka Trump’s old office. Julie Rodriguez.”

Thus Carlson’s reactionary racist conclusion: Did you hear that? “Her name is Susan Rice, she’s one of us.” Meaning she’s a Democrat? No, she means she’s not white. “Us” is the non-white people cheering the extinction of white people...it’s that evil. And if you want to encourage permanent racial division, and maybe even violence in America, that is exactly how you would talk on television. These people are completely out of control. They are dangerous.

How racist and divisive can you get? “Those Black and Brown people on CNN are dangerous and evil! They hate good white people like us so much they are cheering for our extinction!”

If Carlson isn’t the face of racist white nationalism, Hitler was a democratic socialist. Carlson is spewing the same hate for American people of color as Hitler did about Jews. “Those Jews are dangerous and evil! They hate good Aryans like us so much they are cheering for our extinction!” Not much difference, is there?

I get a lot of flak for comparing America’s radical Right to Nazis. But racists are racists. Authoritarians are authoritarians. They spring from the same fetid mire of bigotry and hatred. They are enemies of democracy and equality. They share the bloody trait and heritage of a violent coup and Putsch. The differences are context and uniforms. America’s radical Right racists wear MAGA hats, Q-anon slogans, and white hoods instead of swastikas. They desecrated the “Back the Blue” and US flags by beating police officers who thwarted their coup and protected our Congress and Constitutional rule of law.

Are they really that different from Hitler’s Brownshirts?

The real difference is our racist white nationalists are constrained by the Constitution and the power of the ballot to limit their power. For now. The radical Right are doing their utmost to remove the threat of fair elections and proportional representative democracy.

What would a white supremacist or Nazi say about a Black man and Latina woman remarking on Trump and Miller being disturbed by fewer white Americans, and for noting minorities in the Biden Administration?

I could be mistaken, but:

A racist and or a Nazi would accuse them of “intentionally accelerating demographic change for political advantage”.

He would be outraged at being called out for, “espousing something known as the Great Replacement Theory, a well-known racist fantasy”.

He would be enraged at a Black man accurately noting Trump and Miller would fear fewer white Americans, and as “not the America they want to see”.

He would see someone mentioning Susan Rice in Stephen Miller’s old office as, “non-white people cheering the extinction of white people.”

A white supremacist and Nazi might even describe the non-white people discussing those facts as being “that evil”.

FOX(R)’s resident white nationalist was projecting his hate and racism to the ultimate degree. “And if you want to encourage permanent racial division, and maybe even violence in America, that is exactly how you would talk on television. These people are completely out of control. They are dangerous.”

Yes, Carlson was correct about the Great Replacement Theory being a well-known racist fantasy. So he’s obsessed with pushing it. Those Black and Brown racists are “cheering the extinction of white people.”

Carlson is terrified of being in a minority in America. The evil he projects is from his own hateful and fearful bigoted nature. But racism isn't racism to the racist.

Why is that?

I don’t suppose it has anything to do with how minorities have been treated by racist white conservatives over the years.