Summary: Martin van Creveld warns about the consequences of alienating lower class white males from US society. It puts America at risk in ways we should see, but don’t – because our elites enjoy doing it.
“White Trash“
By Martin van Creveld. From his website, 5 September 2019.
Posted with his generous permission. Links added.
America and elsewhere, what has not been said about right wing “extremists”? That they are ignorant (which many are). That they are bigots (which many are). That they are boorish (which many of them are). That they are racists (which many are). That they are anti-Semites (which many are). That they are Nazis and supporters of Adolf Hitler (which some of them are). Also, that their number and penchant for violence, including lethal violence, is increasing. To the point where, the FBI claims, it now presents a serious threat not just to the victims and their neighbors but to society in general.
What is not often said is that, practically without exception, they are white men. People who, following over half a century of civil rights, women’s lib, gay lib, and immigration (both legal and illegal), have been turned into the most denigrated, most marginalized, most abused group in America. Nigger and Dago and Chink and Greaseball and Kike and queer and poofster (and butch) are out and may, if those who use them are unlucky, lead to legal action.
But Honkey, a derogatory slur meaning, originally, “white devil,” is in. So are “Hick,” “Hillbilly” (“often used as an insult and racial slur against White folks who live in the country”) “Redneck” “a poor white person without education, especially one living in the countryside in the southern US who has prejudiced, unfair and unreasonable beliefs”) and “White Trash.” To engage in homosexual, or lesbian, or “transgender” sex is chic, and anyone who considers it revolting had better hold his or her peace. But for a man of any color to have or merely try to have normal sex with a woman is to invite accusations of harassment, exploitation, abuse, and rape.
Every time a black person or a gay person or a woman have problems at school or at work, then that is because they are discriminated against. Every time a white one does, then that is because he (or, less often, she) has personality problems. One reason why all this is permitted is because straight whites have long turned into a minority in their own country. And whereas middle-upper middle- and upper class white men generally know how to defend themselves against such slurs if they really want to, blue collar men, whether because they do not have the necessary education or for other reasons, often do not. The emphasis, which in many places had been turned into a legal requirement, on “positive discrimination – as if discrimination could ever be “positive” – and “diversity” ensures that, when it comes to finding work, they are often relegated to the end of the queue; the consequences of this for their income and prospects hardly have to be pointed out.
Psychological research {e.g. here} has “discovered” that many right-wing extremists are thrill-seeking, impulsive, inflexible, obsessive, angry, have problems in facing anger, Above all, they have a desire to hurt others. In short, they are walking compilations of evil qualities. As so often, academia contributed by providing the necessary footnotes, thus causing the hunt to become respectable. What is hardly ever asked is whether the people in question may possibly have some reason to be what they are supposed to be – and whether some of the reasons in question are in any ways based on fact.
All these trends, and others like them, got under way in the 1960s and accelerated in the 1970s. In the 1980s they were to some extent held in check by Ronald Reagan; since then they have turned into a Niagara, particularly under Barak Obama. What might have happened if Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 elections hardly bears thinking about. Concentration camps for whiteys (said to be a “derogatory ethnic slur”), perhaps?
The outlook? As a Jew, I have no reason to sympathize with the kind of “white trash” I am referring to. Still, unless there is a radical change, “white trash” unquestionably will continue drinking beer, buying weapons, and chewing their wrath. A few, no doubt, will go off the rails and engage in terrorism, fourth-generation war, or whatever it is called.
Culminating, more likely than not, in something like The Handmaid’s Tale
—————————
Editor’s afterword
The growth of America’s underclass is one of our most serious problems. It has many causes, with the most severe being collapse of our schools in poor neighborhoods, increased inequality, massive immigration, and cultural decay (which affects the poor most).
But, as always, the moral dimension is the most important. Poor minorities can console themselves as victims of oppressions past and present. These days status as victims gives them the highest of moral superiorities.
What about while males in the underclass? No matter how poor, or how abused they have been by our society, they are told to consider themselves “privileged” and “oppressors.” They are told that even women and minorities far above them on the social ladder are their victims. They are told that they are unworthy of pride and self-esteem. We have alienated them from America.
These young men are underbrush in our society, piling up against our fine McMansions and corporate campuses. We should wonder if a new group will arise to offer these young men pride and something to believe in. Perhaps also sharp-looking uniforms and spectacles – torches, marching, inspiring music, etc.
The Left has enjoyed creating this situation. Minorities and women loyal to them, their grievances exacerbated by Leftists stoking hate against an outsider group. It is a classic tactic, used across history because it works. But we might find the cost of their success to be high.
About the Author
Martin van Creveld is Professor Emeritus of History at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and one of the world’s most renowned experts on military history and strategy. See his Wikipedia entry.
The central role of Professor van Creveld in the development of theory about modern war is difficult to exaggerate. He has written 24 books about almost every significant aspect of war. See links to his articles at The Essential 4GW reading list: Martin van Creveld.
OF more general interest are his books about western culture: Men, Women & War: Do Women Belong in the Front Line?
To better understand our future, see his magnum opus – the dense but mind-opening The Rise and Decline of the State
His latest book is Hitler in Hell
For More Information
Ideas! For shopping ideas see my recommended books and films at Amazon.
If you liked this post, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. See all posts about racism, and especially these …
- The pilgrimage of Martin Luther King: an antidote to amnesia about our history.
- Eco-activists benefit from white privilege. Black protesters get gas & tasers.
- Left and Right use race as a way to divide America.
- America’s unspeakable problem: African-American’s crime rates.
- About a cause of America’s rising tide of hatred. We can still stop it.
- An anthropologist explains white privilege: what it is & does.
A warning from the past
Hitler in Hell.
By Martin van Creveld, professor emeritus of history at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Hitler in Hell is the extreme version of an unauthorized autobiography. Let’s learn from “Hitler’s” insights as interpreted by one of the foremost historians of our time. From the publisher …
“After his death in the Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler finds himself in Hell. To his surprise, he finds it to be a place of more tedium than torment, although he is depressed to learn that he will never see his beloved German Shepherd Blondi again because all dogs go to Heaven.
“With nothing better to do than to pass the time, Hitler reflects upon his life in light of the post-World War II world. He is boastful, unrepentant, and absolutely determined to tell his side of the story, set the record straight, and get even with his enemies – both his contemporaries and those who abused his legend since his demise. In Hell, Adolf Hitler is finally free to tell the true story of the Nazi Party, World War II, and the final solution that eventually came to be known as the Holocaust.
“Dr. Martin van Creveld is a military historian who is a major contributor to the literature of war. Professor Emeritus at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. van Creveld is one of the world’s leading writers on military history and strategy, with a special interest in the future of war. He is fluent in Hebrew, German, Dutch, and English, and has authored more than twenty books.”
These posts kind of resemble ‘The New Light of Myanmar’. The paper of the Burmese Junta that is. Or a lil’ Abner strip.
Ruby,
I don’t understand. Can you explain in what way this is like either of those?
Also, what are “these posts”? This is the first post about this class.
Some of these low life crackers are a menace to society. Jacked up diesel pick-ups with open exhaust terrorizing the neighborhood, here in the sticks of Pa.
Some grow-up, some never do.
Gun polishing alcoholics mad at the world. Elites didn’t put them there, they put themselves there.
One more thing. AKA ‘Wiggers’ around these parts.
As we all do. After all, we are all guilty of being the progeny of survivors.
John,
Indeed. In six decades I’ve been uptown, downtown, and ended up in the middle. The good, bad and the ugly.
I have no sympathy for this group.
Ron,
“Gun polishing alcoholics mad at the world.”
Wow. It’s as if Central Casting sent you over to demonstrate MvC’s point. Despite your nutty prejudice, few lower-class white males are as you describe. They provided much of the manual labor that built America, and even today provide much of the military’s “manpower.”
I don’t know what produced your sense of superiority to them. Have you ever spent much time, for instance, in Appalachia? Five years doing social service work there might be you a broader perspective.
Ron,
“Some of these low life crackers are a menace to society.”
Some of every racial and ethnic group are “menaces” to society. Odd how the crime rate of demonized lower class white males is so much smaller than their equivalent African Americans.
You felt OK to say that. Test the validity of MvC’s thesis, write your local newspaper to say how “Some of these low life Blacks are a menace to society.” How quickly will they post it? Or rather, let’s hope for your sake that they don’t.
Larry,
““Some of these low life Blacks are a menace to society.” How quickly will they post it? Or rather, let’s hope for your sake that they don’t.”
You are right, I felt OK to post that here. A LTE from me on the local like you mentioned, would never see the light of day.
I wouldn’t write such a thing anyway. Being white, I know I’d never get away with it.
Larry,
“Wow. It’s as if Central Casting sent you over to demonstrate MvC’s point. Despite your nutty prejudice, few lower-class white males are as you describe. They provided much of the manual labor that built America, and even today provide much of the military’s “manpower.”I don’t know what produced your sense of superiority to them. Have you ever spent much time, for instance, in Appalachia? Five years doing social service work there might be you a broader perspective.”
I’m well aware of their small number. The ones I’m talking about wouldn’t know what manual labor is. Military? Not this group.
Appalachia? I’m not talking such a group, I’m talking about neighborhood thugs. In this case, white ones.
Ron,
You are missing the point. This point is about lower class white males. Not some small subset, of the kind that exists with every ethnic and racial group.
“I’m talking about neighborhood thugs. In this case, white ones.”
Stop it. That’s not the subject here. You’re hijacking the thread.
Larry,
I apologize, I will say no more.
3 P 5 L had better [h]old his or her peace… today’s nitpick.
Yes, the “elites” seldom mention their work ethic, even though the “elites” have done so much to destroy it; their generosity, even though he “elites” have done so much to destroy it; their call to service, even though the “elites” have done so much to destroy it; their cultural reinforcement of norms, even though the “elites” have done so much to destroy it; and their loyalty, even though the “elites” have done so much to destroy it.
Well given how the “elites” are engaged in their social warfare, it is unsurprising they are enemies.
“Elites” is my general description of those who are actively or passively engaging in the current social warfare directed against fellow Americans.
John,
“today’s nitpick.”
Fixed! Thank you for catching that. Always appreciated. But what is “3 P 5 L”?
““Elites” is my general description of those who are actively or passively engaging in the current social warfare directed against fellow Americans.”
I don’t think that is a useful application of the word. Many on the (Left or Right) working against us are not “elite” in any sense of the word. They’re just following the elites running the show. Some are even well-meaning – the “useful idiots.“
3rd paragraph 5th line Sorry was too lazy to type it all.
We used this method when correcting professional documents, especially if it was something that needed to be looked at in the context of the paragraph, such that commenters were aware that the paragraph may need wordsmithing once the correction was made.
John,
Thanks for the explanation! And, again, for catching typos. Grammarly catches many, but not all!
This post is doing very well, esp for early Saturday morning.
Some of the traffic comes from Toutiao (aka Jinri Toutiao) – a news and information content platform, a core product of the Beijing-based company ByteDance. I wonder what they make of this?
Sounds like you made somebody’s little list!
Bernie,
“Sounds like you made somebody’s little list!”
I too had never heard of them. User numbers are soft, but most estimates give Jinri Toutiao about 200 million active daily users. Compared with it, CNN is somebody’s “little list.”
https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/toutiao-facts-statistics/
https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/17/jinri-toutiao-new-ceo/
Interesting piece. The author writes, “America and elsewhere, what has not been said about right wing “extremists”? That they are ignorant (which many are). That they are bigots (which many are). That they are boorish (which many of them are). That they are racists (which many are). That they are anti-Semites (which many are). That they are Nazis and supporters of Adolf Hitler (which some of them are). Also, that their number and penchant for violence, including lethal violence, is increasing. ”
Starting from ground zero, it would be interesting to know how many “right wing extremists” there actually are. I suspect that the numbers are much smaller that those hinted at by the SPLC and similar organizations. But I would like to know more precisely how many and where they are located. Until the numbers are known or specified, I would prefer to replace “many” in this riff, with the vaguer and less threatening “some” as in “some illegal immigrants are members of violent gangs like MS13.” After Charlottesville, I looked for the number of neo-Nazis. It is hard to find definitive numbers. Based on the SPLC count of hate groups that are presumptively white, the numbers in those organizations are between 1000 and 10000 by my estimate. Relatively speaking the numbers are tiny – even smaller when the prison population is excluded. That does not mean that they are not dangerous. It means that we should be careful in making sweeping generalizations.
More generally, I distrust and am skeptical of generalizations about groups defined by some characteristic that is independent of the phenomena at issue. For example, “women are paid less than men”, “young black males are prone to violence”, “poor whites from the South have a penchant for violence”, “illegal immigrants are rapists and criminals”. These generalizations may be vaguely accurate but there is always a hidden baseline which hides the actual import of the observation. This is why I would like to see the actual numbers of those MvC is talking about – both absolute and %s.
Bernie,
“it would be interesting to know how many “right wing extremists” there actually are. …e, I looked for the number of neo-Nazis. …Based on the SPLC count of hate groups that are presumptively white”
Those are 3 very different categories. I don’t know what a “neo-Nazi” is, and I wonder how many Americans actually admire the Nazi Party – as opposed to cosplay that they know will send Leftist into a tizzy.
I suspect that the SPLC considers the Democratic Party to be a group of conservatives. They define as “hate group” anybody they don’t like. They have already lost a deflamation case for $3million (now in appeal ct?), and others are suing (more here) or are considering doing so.
“As a Jew, I have no reason to sympathize with the kind of “white trash” I am referring to.”
Interesting that many Jewish individuals feel that way. I’m assuming of course, that they will be safer and more welcome when the United States is less white. It is also interesting that a man who’s people have been made scapegoats for a thousand years has no reason to feel sympathy with individuals who are being made scapegoats currently.
J. Allen,
“that they will be safer and more welcome when the United States is less white.”
Jewish leftists have been big advocates of open borders in Europe. Tens of thousands of people from the Middle East have migrated in the past few years. Now synagogues are burning, and many have armed guards.
“made scapegoats for a thousand years has no reason to feel sympathy with individuals who are being made scapegoats currently.”
Tit-for-tat isn’t the highest of human responses. But it is a natural one.
As a Jew, I have plenty of reason to sympathize with the people discussed in the article. Perhaps Mr. Van Creveld (and what kind of Jewish name is Van Creveld anyway?) can tell us more about the opioid epidemic among such people and the level of “deaths of despair”?
Perhaps he can also tell us why the ranks of Antifa are drawn from the exact same pool?
370,
“what kind of Jewish name is Van Creveld anyway?”
Why don’t you write him to ask your question? There is some info about his family in this article about how his family survived the Holocaust.
“Perhaps he can also tell us why the ranks of Antifa are drawn from the exact same pool?”
Sounds interesting. What’s your evidence?
The bigger picture is that they have turned “white men” into a pejorative. Not just people who might be considered less desirable, but all white men.
All white men are the targets. White men are being disenfranchised in the workplace, education at all levels, etc. For the sake of diversity.
“We should wonder if a new group will arise to offer these young men pride and something to believe in. Perhaps also sharp-looking uniforms and spectacles – torches, marching, inspiring music, etc.”
There is a movent called Proud boys or similar led by a Gavin Mcinnis that seems to be capitalizing on the marginalization of young men. Dont know many details but that is how it looks to me. There will be more groups like this in the future.
There is always a backlash.
Sven,
“There is a movent called Proud Boys”
I have followed their rise and fall. Consider them the Mark 4 version of this. History shows that conditions like ours produce a stew of such groups. Darwinian competition with the rest of society and each other sometimes brings forth a group with the characteristics allowing it to thrive. Think of viruses at Chinese poultry farms. Each year they (or their equivalents elsewhere) produce a “successful” variant of the flu. Sometimes they produce a megaflu – as happened in 1918.
There was a small socialist activist group in Weimar Germany, of no consequence. Then the seventh member joined and put them on the path to success.
Probably worth pointing out here that the Proud Boys are neither white nor racist. They count among their ranks plenty of blacks and Hispanics, plus some of the white members are married to minorities. None of that fits the media narrative, however, so “white supremacist group” is appended to their names every time they are in the news. For the record I have no ties with the group at all.
Heresolong,
“Probably worth pointing out here that the Proud Boys are neither white nor racist.”
The PB’s founder and ex-leader, Gavin McInnes, is married to Emily Jendrisak, the daughter of Native American activist Christine Whiterabbit Jendrisak.
On the other hand, he has a long history of making racist statements.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_McInnes
Ditto, even more so, the PB:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Boys
It is reported that McInnes has left the PB, considering them too-racist or something.
Gee, only took a few hours before the nutjobs came out of the woodwork.
Everyone’s allowed to play racial politics except poor whites (our new self-appointed “nobility” sanctify themselves with lamentations of white/self-hating color better fitting sackcloth and the flagellants)
Meanwhile, in actual working class conditions nobody cares about race. Show up, do your job well, give bullshit back as well as you take it, and everyone can have a drink together at the end of the day. or, in the military, “We do not look down on kikes, niggers, wops, or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless!”
I’d rather not care about race except insofar as how exotic the fairer sex gets, but as long as the democrats insist on playing their race games I will never, ever vote for them. I have no stomach for racial warfare, but like you said on a different post, if you must choose a side in prison, then choose the side that will take you in.
God have mercy on us.
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I believe what is missing as an explanation of this change in society can be sheeted home to Economics. Economics is incredibly important in shaping society, its successes and failures.
I think I read in one of your previous blogs that the mega rich, evident in the robber baron epoch have always aimed at taking over. They were denied for a while by the great depression and then WW2 and the Marshall plan in the post war years uo to about 1971 or so. Then with Friedman, Thatcher, Reagan and the so called mainstream economics a new era started we call neo-liberalism. The aim was to shrink government, privatising as much as possible and stare welfare entitlements. So we saw the period of legislated full employment abandoned, to make workers fearful for their jobs, so wages stagnated and the Misery index went through the roof.
White trash are those at the receiving end of this trend and are trying to cope, mostly by acting out. Possibly all of the miserable lives led by the poor underclass suffers and it’s all totally politically created.
Nobody cares about the exhortation in the first 2 paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence about the right to strive for happiness.etc.
I recall seeing here that for the 1% the society and economy is just fine, thank you. Well it most certainly is not fine. The dysfunction is becoming a western word wide problem.
I don’t see the “left” behind it. They have become irrelevant today, which is a pity. The rich have taken over and we live in a predatory capitalist realm. Until that dissolves we will continue to have these major issues.
John,
“I don’t see the “left” behind it. They have become irrelevant today, which is a pity.”
That is hilarious. Keep those eyes closed! Who knows what you might see if you opened them. Here is a hint: the world is never about just one thing. That’s life in cartoons.
370H55G,
Van Creveld is a Dutch name. He lives in Isreal but came from Holland.
Like Mr. Cummer, I suggest you read his bio.
Beste
Another good post by the way.
Proud Boys may be done but Patriot’s Prayer seems still in the game.