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MAGAs, Blind Submission to Authority and Racial Fascism [1]
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Date: 2025-07-08
“Uncle Toms” from a black perspective, became a “name” attached to those who act overtly submissive in the presence of whites and often appeared to have exaggerated, stereotypical behaviors in their presence. It was attributed in part to a survival adaptation to pacify or neutralize aggressive and often violent treatment by whites.
How the Term Originated
The Uncle Tom character in Beecher’s novel.
The behavior was controversial and disapproved of by the many blacks who saw as their mission in life resisting the abuses of white racists and white supremacists. It was a way they should never act in their presence. The term also applied to blacks who collaborated or acted submissive towards whites to gain power and economic gain for themselves over blacks who resisted their oppression.
The term originated based on a character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, an anti-slavery work that preceded and some say helped to start the American Civil War.
While well intended as a way to help humanize blacks and expose slavery for the evil it was, the book couldn’t help but contain many racially inappropriate stereotyped beliefs whites of that era had attached to blacks during a time when slavery was an inhuman but legal condition for blacks in the so-called slave states.
Supporters of slavery attacked and exaggerated the stereotypes in Beecher’s book for their own racially despicable purposes. The term has survived into modern times as racism is far from having disappeared.
MAGAs as White “Uncle Toms”
MAGA extremists were literally frothing at the mouth when they attacked the Congress on January 6th.
Paradoxically, many lower to moderate income white racists also display a profound submissiveness in relation to white authority, often towards wealthier white authority figures, as represented by the Republican Party. This goes side by side with a strong historical need to feel superior to blacks and non-whites, to offset their lack of self esteem and even shame due to their lower class position. Some might even label them “White Uncle Toms.”
This form of submissiveness has its limits, and does not exempt some more extreme MAGA followers from committing acts of authoritarian violence— provided our leader gives permisson, as we were reminded of on January 6th. But it does prevent them from seeing through the lies their leaders daily perpetuate.
The Mass Psychology of MAGA Fascism
True for many MAGA supporters.
The economic and political consequences of white racism are easier too understand than it’s mass psychology and why it is so deeply ingrained in, and a part of, America’s culture.
MAGA culture cannot be understood without grasping the full, many sided, hydra-like nature of historical white racism and the compulsion that develops in a child that they must submit to the authoritarian powers in society that control us, often posed to them that it is godly to obey authority figures.
It often takes on an early form of indocrination in grammar school, both in civil and religious ones. The class at the beginning of each school day recites and has to memorize some form of the “Pledge of Allegiance.” While the Supreme Court once ruled it must not be mandatory, 47 states still administer it and few students ask to opt out. Religious schools, like mine as a child, phrased it this way:
I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
A First Taste of Authoritarianism
Students reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
I never understood in school what this oath meant, and for reasons I cannot explain, never liked having to say it. Some public schools offered different versions, substituting “under the Republic, for which it stands” for “under God.”
School was typically about following orders and was our introduction to the centrality of obedience to authority 101. Which can quickly devolve into the submission to authority and it’s unquestioning obedience.
The oath itself was not worded that badly. But in my school there was never a civics class or any explanations for who or what authority we were pledging to or much about the system of democracy that it was built on, which in part is what legitimized it.
Fatal Attraction
Trump, to MAGA followers, is one of their own.
The fatal attraction to Trump by MAGA followers in essence, works as a blind and submissive loyalty oath. MAGA culture, in part, also a reflection of historical racism and a self-delusion. The delusion being an identification with Trump’s authoritarian, racist image as a ruthless but successful businessman.
Along with the comfort of followers catching his many signals that he is someone who shares their racial biases. It is thought by many Trump followers, consciously or subconsciously, that he will somehow look after and protect them from falling to the level of a non-white. Trump is therefore, no matter how illogical to a non-Trumper, perceived as one of their own.
MAGA is Racial Rule
White Supremacists march in Charlottesville with Trump referring to them as “Fine people.”
Trump’s racist rule both comforts and excites the MAGA crowd. He is a powerful god-like figure to them who can provide the illusion of “racial protection” from their falsely perceived dangers that non-whites are threatening their jobs, livelihood and even their very existence. They also revel in an identification with the illusionary power absorbed from electing such a man who thinks and acts like them.
Many working class and poor whites are one job loss away from disaster, a fact they actually share with working class and poor non-whites. Whites in particular suffer from extreme insecurity class-wise, even when relatively prosperous. Racism has not altered this equation fundamentally over the centuries. Although whites collectively have a significant overall economic and social standing above non whites, it is often an insecure and borderline one.
They might admire a wealthy businessman, such as Trump even before he was into politics. But resent a wealthy black, such as Oprah Winfrey. Former President Johnson said the following in the 1960s on white racism, which unfortunately remains factually accurate today:
President Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Johnson: "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."
The Roots of MAGA Cruelty
Many factors are involved in selling cruelty, sadism and fascism to the masses. I suspect the main ones in the last 50 years have been:
the absorption of racist Republican pandering, propaganda and Trump speak.
slanted and biased corporate media news coverage.
the generalized normalization of violence and cruelty in American culture.
the frequency/justification and normalization of undeclared wars and violent interventions.
an increasing flood of violence themed motion pictures and cable T.V. programming.
the alienation, gullibility, apathy and ignorance of the masses concerning domestic and foreign policy.
American Culture: Upper Class Values, Force, Violence and Warfare
You may be surprised I included motion pictures and cable T.V. But more violence themed stories and entertainment can be found there that serves to normalize their everyday use than from any other source. Including sensational crime stories, cruel and sadistic murder mysteries, general mayhem, misinformation, past and present extremely life taking war themed programming, even shows about our own small neighborhood conflicts.
So much violent themed entertainment has been fed to the masses for generations that it has slowly found a normalized place in people’s emotional and everyday consciousness. The veracity or fallacies of these shows seems to matter little. They act somewhat like chronic air pollution, noting wrong is ever suspected until one day you find out you have COPD or even lung cancer. Both are conditions that develop silently over time. Much the way consistently targeted propaganda works.
So it Should Surprise No One
MAGA member at his political education class.
It is painfully true that the masses have long been alienated from following politics except the racial pandering that’s conveniently fed to them in the form of lies they already believe. Likewise, they have little understanding of what’s really at stake for them, or trust in the system or belief that there is any reward for paying attention to it.
So it should surprise no one that a wealthy criminal grifter who speaks like a KKK Klansman could be elected president — twice. In particular, white alienation from collective class struggle and progressive ideologies has played a critical role. Along with racial scapegoating of non-whites and progressives for the systems failures. They are all major factors in wedded them to trusting the war-like imperial culture and values of their own class enemies.
Any tendencies or attraction to collective or progressive actions and policies are rejected by many Americans, who are under the constant propaganda bombardments of the corporately controlled airways and the Republican messaging machine. Both label any politician of progressive for fundamental change “communistic” or “socialistic.” These has always have been the “dirty” words used by the right wing sides of the two party political classes.
Enter Zorhan Mandami
Zorhan Mandami.
Current political attacks against Zorhan Mandami, who won the Democratic Party nomination for New York City mayor, are a perfect example of reactionary politics in action. Both the Trump led Republican Party as well and some conservative Democrats practice this sort of classic reactionary, racist and Islamophobic politics. A strategy that has been around for nearly a hundred years to disarm voters by appealing to the ignorance and the racial backwardness of large numbers of white people historically.
MAGA, Authoritarian Gods and Religion
Seen at a MAGA event.
The clear domination of ruling class culture in America set the stage for the co-opting and corruption of much of American religion, molding it to incorporate it’s war-like culture.
In fact, the Christian god that is often taught is an authoritarian old testament male one who punishes his enemies with violence and death. In Trump’s case, it has attracted millions of MAGites, some of which are fully prepared in advance to worship him as if he’s an infallible, all knowing god-like figure here on Earth.
Christian denominations of all kinds portray god as a perfect, infallible and all knowing figure. One which Trump is more than willing to assume the role of their god here on earth. No matter how illogical or ridiculous it appears to an unbeliever that has not drunk the kool aid.
Conclusions
Many have cashed in on Trump.
More or less blind submission to authoritarian white supremacist interests, often without knowing or caring about the consequences, has long been a problem standing in the way of American progress.
At times it has been overcome and progress has lurched forward. The negation of most if not all progress made over the last half of the 20th Century are on the Trump/Republican Agenda in a government without a conscience or even a single redeeming quality.
In the last ten years Trump and his fellow Republican conspirators in and out of government have based their totalitarian power grab’s success on sufficient backwardness, submissiveness and apathy in the electorate to power through its agenda. That and ripping out America’s very soul. Elevating stupidity, ignorance, incompetence, government violence and cruelty to the top of the Republican agenda, all backed by the new class of super wealthy oligarchs.
Are We Ready?
Are we prepared for a long protracted struggle that might be undetermined in length? One which may see the end to even remotely fair electoral politics which might bring down Trump’s fascist Party.
We have to prepare for this eventually, that they will not and cannot, allow fair and open mid-terms in 2026, and will do anything to prevent them, such as declare marital law, start a war, illegally stop or cancel the mid-terms. []
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