I think we need to update the Oxford English Dictionary. It defines ‘Right’ as ‘Morally good, justified or acceptable’ or ‘Factually True or Correct’. Neither of these concepts apply to modern right-wing politics.
Look at the Conservative or Republican agenda, or rather, listen to the tone of their rhetoric. The have taken the label that they are Right, as in conservative and act as if it means they are Right, as in correct. Or because they are THE RIGHT, they have THE RIGHT to do what they want. They take every meaning of ‘right’ and make it wrong.
Let’s take a look at the American Mythos. That the US was founded by brave men seeking to throw off the shackles of the distant British monarchy and forge their own independent path. A nation of immigrants. A land of Freedom and Opportunity. Where all men are created equal. It’s the foundational mythology of the United States. It’s a highly distorted version of history, but so are most countries origin stories. (The Pilgrims came to America to escape the religious tolerance in Europe, as they wanted a more puritanical state; many of the ‘immigrants’ came to the colonies not of their own free will, but through criminal transportation, indentured servitude and, oh yes, don’t forget, SLAVERY.)
The Right-Wing love this narrative, this folklore of American Exceptionalism. And yet they betray these principles with each item on their agenda.
The right have an… unusual view of freedom and opportunity. Everyone has the option to get a college education. If they can afford it. If they are willing to go into debt forever for it. They are free to choose between limited opportunities due to lack of education, or limited options due to servicing a huge student debt. They have the freedom to choose their shackles. The Rags to Riches American Dream is just that; A dream. It doesn’t happen anymore. Jeff Bezos started Amazon in his Garage… with a quarter million dollar investment from his parents. Elon Musk rose from a lowly start in… his parents Sapphire mines. Not to take away from their achievements, but they started from designer ripped jeans, not rags.
Their belief in equality is also limited. All Straight White Men are created equal. Everyone else has to fight for recognition. Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights; they have only been achieved through great struggle and recent years have shown that the struggle must continue. Everyone has the right to bear arms, but God help the Black Man stopped by the police with a firearm, legal or not. You have the right to free speech, unless you use that speech to call out racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny or lies, in which case, how dare you. You have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, unless you are a woman with an unwanted or life-threatening pregnancy. Then it’s a zip code lottery as to what your rights are.
In the ‘Nation of Immigrants’, they are trying to limit immigration to single digits. They say it is a drain on resources, and a threat to security and (ironically) national identity.
Wrong on all counts.
The greatest resource any country has is it’s people. People drive the economy. More workers = more taxpayers = more money for infrastructure, education, social security. Improving infrastructure creates more employment. Better education leads to greater innovation and entrepreneurship, which grows the economy. But it’s in social security that’s really going to suffer from lack of immigration.
Population growth in western countries has slowed to a crawl. Fertility rates are dropping and more and more people are simply choosing not to have children. Some are making a financial decision, for some it’s a moral choice; they don’t want to pass this mess on to another generation. So you can’t count on the indigenous population for growth. That means more old people than young people. Fewer people earning money means fewer people spending money. The economy contracts.
I wonder if this is the insidious truth behind the Right-wing obsession with an abortion ban. Their racism and xenophobia is shutting down the borders. Forced birth is their key strategy for repopulation. Already, most state laws on Abortion disregard rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother as reasons for termination. They are seeking a nationwide abortion ban. It is safe to assume Birth Control is next. 5 years ago I would have though that absurd. My definition of absurd has changed since then.
The Right doesn’t care about what’s right, as in correct; their stated policies are wrong and counterproductive. The Right doesn’t care about what’s right, as in moral; their policies hurt more people than they help.
So we need to redefine the word ‘Right’. Calling the ultra-conservative, Transphobic, Homophobic, Xenophobic, Misogynistic, Racist political movement that exists today ‘Right’ is just plain dishonest.
If you liked, agreed with, or given a new perspective by today’s rant, you can check out my previous work. SO, THAT HAPPENED by SHEILA POWER is available from AMAZON in paperback and digital formats.
So That Happened 