Hopefully, this COVID-19 pandemic will end soon, and life can get back to normal. At the very least, as a society, I hope we’ll learn how to live with it. But one day, our intelligentsias will analyze every governmental action since February and March of 2020, especially those of the President. Recent policies have addressed the numbers of individuals who are out of work because of the “stay at home” directives. It’s been called a “stimulus” but under any other situation would it be called “welfare”? There are those in our society that have expressed their dissatisfaction with such policies in the past. Especially those policies considered welfare. But if we call governmental cash payments a stimulus, I guess that makes it ok.
It’s no secret that white supremacists resent welfare programs designed for low-income individuals. Many of these programs appeared as a result of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiatives in the 1960s. Historians have since argued that such initiatives forced Southern Democrats to defect to Richard Nixon and the Republican Party in 1968 and 1972. Its no secret these Southern Democrats embraced the ideology of white supremacy and their exodus from the Democratic Party began two decades earlier when the Dixiecrats endorsed Strom Thurmond for President.
The actions of these Southern Democrats turned Republicans suggest they believed the government had given minorities, especially the black community, enough. After all, by the 1970s the restrictions on where a black family could live were disappearing. For the most part, segregated schools were also becoming a thing of the past. Signs stating “whites only” were no longer seen in store and restaurant windows. Their actions suggest they believed that blacks should be satisfied. But this is a part of American history so I’m not revealing any new historical interpretation.
However, it’s amazing how some groups interpret the government’s role in normal circumstances and its role in a crisis. Under normal circumstances, they expect the government to be bystanders as individuals pursue their American dreams. Most history books in our secondary schools highlight the hard work and ingenuity of those individuals that made this country. Sadly, those same texts minimize the contributions of those whose labor built the railroads or worked for slave wages…literally. But I digress.
Under normal circumstances, these groups don’t support the government providing safety nets. They believe other folks should stand on their own “two feet.” And for those who’ve fallen on hard times, they should “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.” What bothers me about these two quotes is that they fail to account for things beyond ones’ control. It’s hard to stand on anything or pull on boots that aren’t there when hospital bills, mental illness, or the unexpected death of a child occurs. No, some groups don’t consider that bad things, unexpected things, can emotionally and financially devastate a family. Nope. They’re just lazy and the government shouldn’t give them a dime.
However, a crisis is different. Let a hurricane wreck a community and the same group that believes the government should provide a financial safety net suddenly expects the government to show up with a blank check. Interesting.
Ok, here’s a new historical interpretation. White supremacists believe the government should provide financial relief in a crisis if they get a check as well. That’s called a “stimulus package.” That’s ok. But the government should limit financial support when one finds themselves suddenly unemployed because of an economic slowdown. That’s called “welfare.” That’s not ok.
So, COVID-19 has everyone at home. And a lot of folks at home aren’t being paid. So, the federal government to the rescue. I haven’t heard any significant complaints about the recently Congressionally approved stimulus. That’s right. Even the white supremacists are ok with the government issuing checks. I guess since they’ll get a piece it’s ok now. Hmm. I thought believers in capitalism didn’t support socialistic policies. But let’s deal with that another day.
Later.