Thread. Watching many videos of the insurrectionist strike at the Capitol, I’m struck by the frequency of bellowed cries of “This is *our* country !” and “This is *our* house !” A distinctly proprietorial refrain.

Also, a real sense of panic, of being at the last ditch: “This is our *last chance* to save our country !” What unites a full spectrum of white people in feeling that way ? What is the source of that panic ? It can only be one thing: race and multi-culturalism.

Trump welded himself to these people by overt appeals to racism and xenophobia. He appeared as a messiah to them because, for the first time, a President preached the racist gospel from our highest pulpit. Trump will live in their hearts as long as they remain racists.

Which is to say, for a long time. This racist America is allied with, and manipulated by, the forces of autocracy and oligarchy. But the driving force, the motivating principle, is stark, brutal racism. We cannot deliver on the promise of America without defeating it.

The fight is joined. They’re not going away. We cannot back down. The law must be rigorously applied. Punishments must be severe. And people of good will must lose no chance to speak out loudly against hatred. End.