Divide and conquer
This is a summary of my recent learnings of North American history in context of contemporary events. Studying history has opened the time aperture through which I look at our current situation. I am reticent to admit my negligence in considering the past prior to this year.
To understand the authoritarian state of the US today, we cannot look back 20 years, 60 years, or even 100 years. Those limited timelines do not present a complete picture. Our point of view must include early colonial/pre- 1776 Revolution North America, and The North Atlantic Slave Trade. As those of us in the 80’s public school system learned, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
As the industrialization of the North Atlantic Slave Trade accelerated through the 17th and 18th centuries, European wealth grew in ways that are gross, and nauseating. In the wake of this wealth creation, the ruling class had to manage a growing risk.
The risk was—and continues to be—the servants unionizing. They then would be too powerful for the aristocracy to control. Just as is the case now. To solve the problem then, they divided the servants into two distinct classes. The privileged whites, and the black chattel. Apartheid in North America had begun.
We are today—in the year 2025 A.D.—continuing our centuries old traditions of apartheid. This time we are divided between the legals and the illegals. Another set of arbitrary definitions made up by those in power to keep us at odds with each other. Giving privileges to one, and taking them away from the other. While we idolize these golden calves who conquer us through division.
The world has arguably not seen wealth at those the North American colonial levels until recent history with the Oligarchs of Silicon Valley and Wall St. As such, I do not think it is a surprise that a similar dehumanization project is accompanying modern industrialization.
The powerful will stop at nothing to protect their stolen wealth.