The Politics of Rage

July 11th, 2015

Politics of Rage_Carter

My latest book arrived today, put Little Sadie in the house when mailman arrived, had to sign for something else and didn’t want her to sink her teeth into him.  Anyway, it’s Dan T. Carter’s “The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics.  Someone posted an article recently that referenced it, and it seemed so fitting. You can order it HERE at www.abebooks.com!

I remember George Wallace and his runs for President, though I don’t remember his inauguration rallying cry when first Governor, much written by KKK wordsmith Ace Carter, “Segregation now… segregation tomorrow… segregation forever.”  I also remember clearly, and remember my distrust, as Wallace claimed to own the errors of his racist past and beliefs.  Still skeptical… but I’m reading this to get a better handle on white supremacy in the U.S., how it’s morphed over the years, and how it’s all connected.  This rage that I see so often, I don’t get it, didn’t then, don’t now, and I’m seeing it in people near and far, such visceral rage, and I just can’t understand the origin.  But in just the first 41 pages, I see it’s the same framing.  George Wallace did indeed tap into fears, tensions, hostility and hate, rewrapped it over time, and shaped the rhetoric of open and of submerged racism that’s still used today.