I don't agree with certain parts of this post (and I'm an immigrant in the US myself!).
I think the main difference between old and modern migration is the level and speed of assimilation, and the level of the institutional push for it, which is really watered down these days and weakens it.
Think of three of the largest white ancestry groups in the US: Germans, French and Poles. All (especially Poles) differed quite a bit from the WASPy US majority of early 1900s, yet within a generation all of them blended so much with the US natives to the point they've changed their last names to English-sounding ones. Of course, all of these groups were keeping traditions of the old country and elders would continue to speak these languages, and there would be diaspora magazines in these languages, but typically the third generation would only know a few words in the language (simply because institutional America was exclusively English-speaking), have never visited the country of their ancestry (unless as a troop), and if there were any politicians being elected from their ranks, they'd only advertise their ancestry to the community and pose as an all-American candidate otherwise.
Compare it to now, when there really is no strong push for assimilation, at least for the main immigration-source nations. First of all, travel is very easy - you can go back to your country of origin for vacation every summer (as opposed to probably never ever coming back again if you were an immigrant 100 years ago, which pushed you to integrate with Americans). Secondly, if you speak one of the main immigrant languages (Spanish nationwide, but here in SF it's also Cantonese, Russian, Tagalog), you really can never learn English and function almost just fine because all the institutions will accommodate to your needs and you can easily access content in non-English. And language is an extremely important vector of assimilation. And lastly, and I think this is the most important, "diversity" is a virtue now, so it's almost like people do not expect/want you to actually become American and adopt American traditions and customs - the ones conservatives hold dear. Especially in the Democratic Party, being as far removed from the mainstream American culture as possible is a currency now - the squat literally advertises themselves on that angle.
I would say replacement theory already became the driving ideology of the party during Trump's 2016 primary election campaign, with "build the wall" as its slogan. It was understood by all that the idea was to preserve white anglophone American culture by keeping out brown hispanophone Latin Americans.
I think this idea animates the right very powerfully and explains the Republican party's move from conservatism to fascism. An important element of how the fascist Big Lie works is that people already have a powerful motive to parrot it. It's not about tricking or fooling people. It's about inviting them to partake in and espouse the lie, and inviting them to use it as justification for doing what they want. Such as right now the efforts to restrict voting and to increase the scope for partisan tampering with elections.
On the up side, it doesn't need to be this way. Canadian conservatism is quite pro-immigrant, and has done pretty well electorally among a wide range of immigrant groups in recent years. I know that Canada and the US aren't identical, but hopefully that can be something like a road map for American conservatives who dislike this kind of race-baiting/culture-baiting.
Good piece, Noah. Same thing happening here in India with the majoritarian Hindu nationalists. except ofcourse they hold exponentially more influence and numbers here, sigh
As a practicing Christian with left-of-center politics, I wonder if the church can re-gain some ground by speaking to Millennial and Zoomer "spiritual needs" rather than acting as a cudgel against minority groups we tend to feel affinity towards e.g. transgender children.
I've taken "spiritual but not religious" generational cohorts to mass and had them describe the experience as "more fulfilling than yoga." This is high praise in the LA metro area! Is there a future in the "more meditation less castigation" model of Christianity?
I don't agree with the framing at all. It is true - but beside the real point - which isn't white replacement - it is middle class replacement.
Here is the view from opposite land.
The middle class needs a scapegoat for lower living standards. The reason why it needs a scapegoat is because the information perpetual motion machine some people call the universities aren't delivering the fabled 'good jobs' - what is happening is a rockstar economy in which some illuminated areas of middle class sectors are valorized e.g. Silicon valley while almost everybody else has declining living standards. The reason is three fold - Silicon Valley is automating jobs that process information for a living, the middle class is competing more with world labour markets - think zoom employment vs your local fireman, and there is huge oversupply of competitors in every part of the middle class.
The main source of wage competition for blue collar workers is foreign labour imports - which is why the middle class is preoccupied with racism aka it's a figleaf for a more ignoble aim - any time you have large numbers of people alleging altruistic motivations you have a con.
So this is not about race or even class - it's about the relation between two types of knowledge - formal knowledge and tacit knowledge. The supply and demand is way out of balance. All the framing that suggests race is wrong because although blue collar workers are more overtly bigoted - it's not something that has changed and so can't be used to explain change. For the record - I'm a window cleaner.
Great post, and I definitely think you’re on to something about the internet destroying traditional culture. However, I also think education is destroying conservatism. It’s hard to continue being ideologically rigid in the face of data and theories that contradict your beliefs. A good example of this can be found in the Scopes trial from 1925. It’s hard to continue to deny evolution when you are presented with the evidence. Which is why so many people tried to prevent evolution from being taught in schools.
The wingnut white supremacist version obviously has no future. But replacement and immigration fear can be a powerful conservative message to 'immigrant' voters. I think most people are OK with shutting the door when they are already in. Their biggest fear is not from the existing majority otherwise they probably wouldn't immigrate. Carlson et al can tweak their message to "we are being replaced, and you will be next...".
the Unite the Right marchers in Charlottesville were chanting "Jews will not replace us" not "you will not replace us. this is even stated in the link to the Wikipedia article you provided. yeesh.
FEW SENTENTS KNOW THAT, It is the Nazis who were INSPIRED by the Gita – and Rommel, Goebbel,Himmler (The Posener Speech) and other Nuremberg convicts, claimed that they were akin to Arjuna,following THEIR DUTY to the Fuhrer. Hence,they killed,W/O discrimination as it was their divine duty to their NATION and the FUHRER (as stated in the Gita) !
Do the Jews REALLY believe that 1 of the lost tribes of Israel born of Leah and Jacob came to India and are now in the ruling elite ? Can the Jews gain redemption by allying with Right Wing Hindoos ? Can the Jews use the Hindoos against the Crescent and the Sickle ?
These are the verses in the diaries of the Nazis,and these verses were ALSO QUOTED in the Nuremberg Trials by the Nazis ! THE THEOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF GENOCIDE AND POGROMS !
I present Chapter 18 of the Bhagwad Gita !
When Krishna the Bhagvat was fed up trying to explain to “Arjuna the – why he “needed to exterminate his foes” – this was the “last attempt” in the 18th Chapter of the Gita – the logic is as under :
Lumen Naturale 1 – There are “5 precedents to sense-perception and action”
18.14 The locus as also the agent, the different kinds of organs, the many and distinct activities, and, the “divine is here the fifth”.
EXPLANATION – THE POINT IS THAT UNLIKE ISLAM WHERE A MAN IS LIABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS – HERE – THE GITA STATES THAT THERE IS NO CONCEPT OF VOLITION OR CHOICE – AS ALL THAT,A SO CALLED HUMAN DOES,IS BASED ON THE EXTERNAL IMPULSE OF PERCEPTION,OR A DIVINE INSTRUCTION. Hence, there is no such thing as SENTIENCE,and HUMANS are no more than ROBOTS.
Lumen Naturale 2 – There “5 are causes of all action” and are “independent of the mind and body dualism” of Descartes and “also the Soul “!
मूल श्लोकः शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः। न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः।।18.15।।
18.15 For whatever action a man undertakes by his body, speech and mind, whether right or wrong,i.e., enjoined or forbidden by the Sastras, “the following five”, are its causes:
EXPLANATION – HERE THE POINT TO NOTE IS THAT,EVERY ACTION HAS A CAUSE.EVERY GENOCIDE HAD ITS WARRANT WRITTEN,IN A PRIOR OR A PRIOI CAUSE.ALSO,EVEN A THJOUGHT IN THE MIND HAS ITS ORIGIN IN 5 CAUSES ! HENCE,THERE IS NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT OR FREE ACTION – AND THE SAME APPLIES TO THE NAZI GENOCIDE
Lumen Naturale 3 – 18.16 But the fool who supposes, because of his immature judgment, that it is his own Self alone that acts, he perverts the truth and does not see rightly.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।18.16।।
EXPLANATION – TO EVEN THINK (LET ALONE REPENT) THAT A MAN IS THE “CAUSE” OF HIS ACTIONS OR IS “RESPONSIBLE” FOR THE SAME – IS FOOLISH.This RHYMES with the Jesus Complex – that Jesus died for the SINS OF HUMANITY – as the SINS of HUMANITY were the actions of GOD,and so,GOD SACRIFICED HIS SON,for the SINS OF HUMANIY (and the suffering of HUMANITY).BUT THE SINS AND SUFFERINGS CONTINUE ! It is a fact that EITHER Jesus came to India or Hindoo Godmen were in Babylon and Jerusalem – at the time of Jesus !
In essence,the Nazi theory is that the Jew Genocide was ordained,and is reposited in the Book of Isaiah,and the Curse on the lineage of Solomon.So Himmler posited that HIS ACTIONS were the actions of the 5TH ELEMENT – WHICH IS THE DIVINE.
Lumen Naturale 4– Hence,you can “kill,murder and rape” – provided it is done with “no ego and no feelings “- for it is the “Act of the Divine” ! Just like the Nazis ! “Heil Krishna,the Bhagwat “!
यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते।
हत्वापि स इमाँल्लोकान्न हन्ति न निबध्यते।।18.17।।
18.17 He who has not the “feeling of egoism”, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, nor does he become bound-“even by killing these creatures” !
EXPLANATION – KILL WITHOUT MERCY,WITHOUT REMORSE,WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION, WITHOUT EMOTION, WITHOUT EGO,WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL TAINT (means that there is no need to defend the actions) …
IF YOU FOLLOW THE ABOVE SOP, YOU ARE KILLING – BUT YOU ARE “NOT” AND YOU ARE “NOT BOUND”, WHICH MEANS THAT,YOU ARE “NOT LIABLE”,AS THE ACTIONS ARE DUE TO,THE “5TH ELEMENT”.
LASTLY,YOU ARE NOT KILLING HUMANS – BUT “CREATURES” AS THEY HAVE NO SOUL OR CONSCIENCE – AS THEIR THOUGHT,SPEECH AND ACTIONS,ARE DUE TO THE 5TH ELEMENT – AND IT IS THE 5TH ELEMENT, WHICH WILL DECIDE,WHEN AND HOW THESE CREATURES,WILL DIE OR BE KILLED !
IS THIS A MANUAL FOR GENOCIDE ? DO THESE VERSES EXIST IN THE TORAH OR THE TALMUD OR NUMBERS or DEUTERONOMY ? dindooohindoo
WHAT ARE THE JEWS THINKING ? IS THERE A WORD ABOUT ON THE VIRTUES OF HINDOOSTHAN BY MAIMONIDES OR ANY OTHER RABBI ?
Tellingly, you omit the Democratic side of this. Ruy Teixera of the Center for American Progress has for years openly advocated for white replacement. So it's not just an irrational or even racist fear but an actual Democratic policy of racial replacement propounded again and again. It marches ahead under the banner of generating a "coalition of the ascendant" in which the "ascendant" are specifically defined as people of color in alliance with the oligarchy.
Also tellingly, you omit the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, the seminal event that made Teixera's project possible with an enormous and unprecedented flood of immigrants from parts of the world that hadn't previously contributed much to the national makeup. You give the impression that there was just this agentless, organic flow of migrants, a perfectly natural development that any reasonable person should have passively accepted.
Meanwhile, various studies of white resistance start from the premise that it's some kind of mysterious malady or just outright racism since there couldn't possibly be any kind of rational cause. The fact that in most of the years since Hart-Celler Americans who pleaded in poll after poll for less immigration were ignored by their supposed representatives in Congress is not even a matter worthy of mention.
I don't agree with certain parts of this post (and I'm an immigrant in the US myself!).
I think the main difference between old and modern migration is the level and speed of assimilation, and the level of the institutional push for it, which is really watered down these days and weakens it.
Think of three of the largest white ancestry groups in the US: Germans, French and Poles. All (especially Poles) differed quite a bit from the WASPy US majority of early 1900s, yet within a generation all of them blended so much with the US natives to the point they've changed their last names to English-sounding ones. Of course, all of these groups were keeping traditions of the old country and elders would continue to speak these languages, and there would be diaspora magazines in these languages, but typically the third generation would only know a few words in the language (simply because institutional America was exclusively English-speaking), have never visited the country of their ancestry (unless as a troop), and if there were any politicians being elected from their ranks, they'd only advertise their ancestry to the community and pose as an all-American candidate otherwise.
Compare it to now, when there really is no strong push for assimilation, at least for the main immigration-source nations. First of all, travel is very easy - you can go back to your country of origin for vacation every summer (as opposed to probably never ever coming back again if you were an immigrant 100 years ago, which pushed you to integrate with Americans). Secondly, if you speak one of the main immigrant languages (Spanish nationwide, but here in SF it's also Cantonese, Russian, Tagalog), you really can never learn English and function almost just fine because all the institutions will accommodate to your needs and you can easily access content in non-English. And language is an extremely important vector of assimilation. And lastly, and I think this is the most important, "diversity" is a virtue now, so it's almost like people do not expect/want you to actually become American and adopt American traditions and customs - the ones conservatives hold dear. Especially in the Democratic Party, being as far removed from the mainstream American culture as possible is a currency now - the squat literally advertises themselves on that angle.
Young people are replacing old people. Kids these days. Same as it ever was.
A very balanced piece. Only thing I can think that the Right has going for them is the low fertility rate on the Left.
This is legitimately terrifying.
I would say replacement theory already became the driving ideology of the party during Trump's 2016 primary election campaign, with "build the wall" as its slogan. It was understood by all that the idea was to preserve white anglophone American culture by keeping out brown hispanophone Latin Americans.
I think this idea animates the right very powerfully and explains the Republican party's move from conservatism to fascism. An important element of how the fascist Big Lie works is that people already have a powerful motive to parrot it. It's not about tricking or fooling people. It's about inviting them to partake in and espouse the lie, and inviting them to use it as justification for doing what they want. Such as right now the efforts to restrict voting and to increase the scope for partisan tampering with elections.
On the up side, it doesn't need to be this way. Canadian conservatism is quite pro-immigrant, and has done pretty well electorally among a wide range of immigrant groups in recent years. I know that Canada and the US aren't identical, but hopefully that can be something like a road map for American conservatives who dislike this kind of race-baiting/culture-baiting.
Good piece, Noah. Same thing happening here in India with the majoritarian Hindu nationalists. except ofcourse they hold exponentially more influence and numbers here, sigh
As a practicing Christian with left-of-center politics, I wonder if the church can re-gain some ground by speaking to Millennial and Zoomer "spiritual needs" rather than acting as a cudgel against minority groups we tend to feel affinity towards e.g. transgender children.
I've taken "spiritual but not religious" generational cohorts to mass and had them describe the experience as "more fulfilling than yoga." This is high praise in the LA metro area! Is there a future in the "more meditation less castigation" model of Christianity?
I don't agree with the framing at all. It is true - but beside the real point - which isn't white replacement - it is middle class replacement.
Here is the view from opposite land.
The middle class needs a scapegoat for lower living standards. The reason why it needs a scapegoat is because the information perpetual motion machine some people call the universities aren't delivering the fabled 'good jobs' - what is happening is a rockstar economy in which some illuminated areas of middle class sectors are valorized e.g. Silicon valley while almost everybody else has declining living standards. The reason is three fold - Silicon Valley is automating jobs that process information for a living, the middle class is competing more with world labour markets - think zoom employment vs your local fireman, and there is huge oversupply of competitors in every part of the middle class.
The main source of wage competition for blue collar workers is foreign labour imports - which is why the middle class is preoccupied with racism aka it's a figleaf for a more ignoble aim - any time you have large numbers of people alleging altruistic motivations you have a con.
So this is not about race or even class - it's about the relation between two types of knowledge - formal knowledge and tacit knowledge. The supply and demand is way out of balance. All the framing that suggests race is wrong because although blue collar workers are more overtly bigoted - it's not something that has changed and so can't be used to explain change. For the record - I'm a window cleaner.
Great post, and I definitely think you’re on to something about the internet destroying traditional culture. However, I also think education is destroying conservatism. It’s hard to continue being ideologically rigid in the face of data and theories that contradict your beliefs. A good example of this can be found in the Scopes trial from 1925. It’s hard to continue to deny evolution when you are presented with the evidence. Which is why so many people tried to prevent evolution from being taught in schools.
Awesome piece. It led me to read Flight 93. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to better understand the left/right divide.
"future-oriented conservative movement"
That's not a thing. In fact, I'm pretty sure that makes as much semantic sense as "square circle" or "dry water"
The wingnut white supremacist version obviously has no future. But replacement and immigration fear can be a powerful conservative message to 'immigrant' voters. I think most people are OK with shutting the door when they are already in. Their biggest fear is not from the existing majority otherwise they probably wouldn't immigrate. Carlson et al can tweak their message to "we are being replaced, and you will be next...".
the Unite the Right marchers in Charlottesville were chanting "Jews will not replace us" not "you will not replace us. this is even stated in the link to the Wikipedia article you provided. yeesh.
Speaking of Nazis
FEW SENTENTS KNOW THAT, It is the Nazis who were INSPIRED by the Gita – and Rommel, Goebbel,Himmler (The Posener Speech) and other Nuremberg convicts, claimed that they were akin to Arjuna,following THEIR DUTY to the Fuhrer. Hence,they killed,W/O discrimination as it was their divine duty to their NATION and the FUHRER (as stated in the Gita) !
Do the Jews REALLY believe that 1 of the lost tribes of Israel born of Leah and Jacob came to India and are now in the ruling elite ? Can the Jews gain redemption by allying with Right Wing Hindoos ? Can the Jews use the Hindoos against the Crescent and the Sickle ?
These are the verses in the diaries of the Nazis,and these verses were ALSO QUOTED in the Nuremberg Trials by the Nazis ! THE THEOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATION OF GENOCIDE AND POGROMS !
I present Chapter 18 of the Bhagwad Gita !
When Krishna the Bhagvat was fed up trying to explain to “Arjuna the – why he “needed to exterminate his foes” – this was the “last attempt” in the 18th Chapter of the Gita – the logic is as under :
Lumen Naturale 1 – There are “5 precedents to sense-perception and action”
अधिष्ठानं तथा कर्ता करणं च पृथग्विधम्।
विविधाश्च पृथक्चेष्टा दैवं चैवात्र पञ्चमम्।।18.14।।
18.14 The locus as also the agent, the different kinds of organs, the many and distinct activities, and, the “divine is here the fifth”.
EXPLANATION – THE POINT IS THAT UNLIKE ISLAM WHERE A MAN IS LIABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS – HERE – THE GITA STATES THAT THERE IS NO CONCEPT OF VOLITION OR CHOICE – AS ALL THAT,A SO CALLED HUMAN DOES,IS BASED ON THE EXTERNAL IMPULSE OF PERCEPTION,OR A DIVINE INSTRUCTION. Hence, there is no such thing as SENTIENCE,and HUMANS are no more than ROBOTS.
Lumen Naturale 2 – There “5 are causes of all action” and are “independent of the mind and body dualism” of Descartes and “also the Soul “!
मूल श्लोकः शरीरवाङ्मनोभिर्यत्कर्म प्रारभते नरः। न्याय्यं वा विपरीतं वा पञ्चैते तस्य हेतवः।।18.15।।
18.15 For whatever action a man undertakes by his body, speech and mind, whether right or wrong,i.e., enjoined or forbidden by the Sastras, “the following five”, are its causes:
EXPLANATION – HERE THE POINT TO NOTE IS THAT,EVERY ACTION HAS A CAUSE.EVERY GENOCIDE HAD ITS WARRANT WRITTEN,IN A PRIOR OR A PRIOI CAUSE.ALSO,EVEN A THJOUGHT IN THE MIND HAS ITS ORIGIN IN 5 CAUSES ! HENCE,THERE IS NO ORIGINAL THOUGHT OR FREE ACTION – AND THE SAME APPLIES TO THE NAZI GENOCIDE
Lumen Naturale 3 – 18.16 But the fool who supposes, because of his immature judgment, that it is his own Self alone that acts, he perverts the truth and does not see rightly.
तत्रैवं सति कर्तारमात्मानं केवलं तु यः।
पश्यत्यकृतबुद्धित्वान्न स पश्यति दुर्मतिः।।18.16।।
EXPLANATION – TO EVEN THINK (LET ALONE REPENT) THAT A MAN IS THE “CAUSE” OF HIS ACTIONS OR IS “RESPONSIBLE” FOR THE SAME – IS FOOLISH.This RHYMES with the Jesus Complex – that Jesus died for the SINS OF HUMANITY – as the SINS of HUMANITY were the actions of GOD,and so,GOD SACRIFICED HIS SON,for the SINS OF HUMANIY (and the suffering of HUMANITY).BUT THE SINS AND SUFFERINGS CONTINUE ! It is a fact that EITHER Jesus came to India or Hindoo Godmen were in Babylon and Jerusalem – at the time of Jesus !
In essence,the Nazi theory is that the Jew Genocide was ordained,and is reposited in the Book of Isaiah,and the Curse on the lineage of Solomon.So Himmler posited that HIS ACTIONS were the actions of the 5TH ELEMENT – WHICH IS THE DIVINE.
Lumen Naturale 4– Hence,you can “kill,murder and rape” – provided it is done with “no ego and no feelings “- for it is the “Act of the Divine” ! Just like the Nazis ! “Heil Krishna,the Bhagwat “!
यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते।
हत्वापि स इमाँल्लोकान्न हन्ति न निबध्यते।।18.17।।
18.17 He who has not the “feeling of egoism”, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, nor does he become bound-“even by killing these creatures” !
EXPLANATION – KILL WITHOUT MERCY,WITHOUT REMORSE,WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION, WITHOUT EMOTION, WITHOUT EGO,WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL TAINT (means that there is no need to defend the actions) …
IF YOU FOLLOW THE ABOVE SOP, YOU ARE KILLING – BUT YOU ARE “NOT” AND YOU ARE “NOT BOUND”, WHICH MEANS THAT,YOU ARE “NOT LIABLE”,AS THE ACTIONS ARE DUE TO,THE “5TH ELEMENT”.
LASTLY,YOU ARE NOT KILLING HUMANS – BUT “CREATURES” AS THEY HAVE NO SOUL OR CONSCIENCE – AS THEIR THOUGHT,SPEECH AND ACTIONS,ARE DUE TO THE 5TH ELEMENT – AND IT IS THE 5TH ELEMENT, WHICH WILL DECIDE,WHEN AND HOW THESE CREATURES,WILL DIE OR BE KILLED !
IS THIS A MANUAL FOR GENOCIDE ? DO THESE VERSES EXIST IN THE TORAH OR THE TALMUD OR NUMBERS or DEUTERONOMY ? dindooohindoo
WHAT ARE THE JEWS THINKING ? IS THERE A WORD ABOUT ON THE VIRTUES OF HINDOOSTHAN BY MAIMONIDES OR ANY OTHER RABBI ?
IDEAS COME FROM THE STRANGEST OF PLACES
Tellingly, you omit the Democratic side of this. Ruy Teixera of the Center for American Progress has for years openly advocated for white replacement. So it's not just an irrational or even racist fear but an actual Democratic policy of racial replacement propounded again and again. It marches ahead under the banner of generating a "coalition of the ascendant" in which the "ascendant" are specifically defined as people of color in alliance with the oligarchy.
Also tellingly, you omit the Hart-Celler Act of 1965, the seminal event that made Teixera's project possible with an enormous and unprecedented flood of immigrants from parts of the world that hadn't previously contributed much to the national makeup. You give the impression that there was just this agentless, organic flow of migrants, a perfectly natural development that any reasonable person should have passively accepted.
Meanwhile, various studies of white resistance start from the premise that it's some kind of mysterious malady or just outright racism since there couldn't possibly be any kind of rational cause. The fact that in most of the years since Hart-Celler Americans who pleaded in poll after poll for less immigration were ignored by their supposed representatives in Congress is not even a matter worthy of mention.